Source Mystery

Do you like to dig into old deeds and court records to figure out family ties? If so, has the closure of libraries and Family History Centers impacted your ability to access those records? My answer to both questions is YES. Of course, I could be using Ancestry databases to research other branches of my tree, but the pull to research my Crawford line is very strong -- and that means accessing Virginia records.

Even if the Family History Centers were open, I'm under a county 'Stay at Home' order. Thus, I'm digging thru my files from previous Virginia research to see if I can make pull any new information from that research.

Out of curiosity, I searched my Crawford files to see if I had any records mentioning Overton, Tennessee. (One of my brother's BigY matches is to a Crawford family from Overton County, Tennessee.) Since I've never done any Tennessee research, I didn't expect to find much. Thus, I was surprised when I found a document titled: Crawford Families of Virginia and Overton County Tennessee.

What I have is a scanned image of a photocopy.

Crawford Marriages

Have you ever felt the need to go back thru your genealogy research hoping that some new insight can be obtained from those notes and records located years ago? That's where I'm at with my Crawford research. I started with some marriage records from Augusta County, Virginia.

Vogt John & T. William Kethley, Augusta County Marriages, 1748-1850 (N.p.: Iberian Publishing Company, 1986).

While reviewing these records, I found that I already had most of these Crawfords in my database. However, I often was missing their spouse and/or documentation of their marriage.

In the process of re-looking at these records, I also took the time to find them on FamilySearch so I could see what other researchers might have on these families.

Below are my notes for Crawford males and females married in Augusta County prior to 1801.

Augusta County Marriages 1748-1850

Crawford.VA.030

by John Vogt & T. William Kethley
Iberian Publishing Company, np, 1986

Only transcribing marriages prior to 1801

page 66 - Men’s Names

Alexander Crawford [FS LZN5-951 - grandson of Alexander & Mary (McPHeeters) Crawford] & Rachel Lessley [Leslie FS 2W3B-9BV] - 20 Feb 1793 consent William Bell

Crawford Clan DNA Challenge

Have you had your DNA tested? If so, did DNA help you answer a question? Based on Facebook posts I've seen, it appears that DNA is helping adoptees to connect with their birth family.

In my case, I wasn't hoping to identify a close relative. Instead, I was hoping (and still am hoping) to identify my 5th great grandparents -- particularly on my dad's CRAWFORD line. It's been 3 years since I first spit in a test tube (autosomal DNA) and since my brother swabbed his cheek (yDNA). That's 3 years of working with various DNA results and few clues about this mysterious CRAWFORD grandfather.

As I'm trying to learn more about our yDNA results, so I can make sense of how we might fit in the Crawford Clan, I've come to a couple of conclusions:

• There's too little data - I need more 5th, 6th and 7th cousins to do a yDNA test
• Determining relationships is VERY dependent on the accuracy of BOTH of our family trees

James Crawford of Jefferson County, Indiana

(Report created from RootsMagic using the Narrative Report feature)

1. James Crawford was born in 1758 in Augusta, Commonweath of Virginia.^1–5

     According to biographies, he served in the military for 3 months under Capt. Wm Colbert and Col. Patrick Lockhart and 3 months under Capt. Alex Henley and Col. Morgan between 1776 and 1780.^1,6–7 He served in the military in 1778 in Botetourt (historical), Botetourt, Virginia, United States.^2–4,8 James served in the military for 3 mos. under Capt. Alex Henley and Col. Morgan.⁴

     He witnessed the will of John Crawford on 7 Apr 1779 in Montgomery, Virginia, United States.^9–12 He was the parent of Anne Crawford born in 1780.¹³

     James filed land entry papers  in Jun 1782 in Madison, Virginia, United States.¹⁴

     He was the parent of William Crawford born in May 1784.¹³
   

     He  purchased land from Thomas Kennedy containing 200 acres on Paint Lick Creek adjoining the John Kennedy station on 19 Apr 1786 in Lincoln, Virginia, United States.¹⁵ 

Will of David Crawford

One of the suggestions for breaking down a brick wall is to go back thru one's previous research. I can't say that I've broken thru my brick wall, but I can say that this review process is helping me learn about other Crawford families in the area.

So, last night, I continued the process when I found my handwritten notes from the book, Index to the Recorded Kentucky Wills to 1851: The Testators. It appears that I transcribed the information for all of the Crawfords. Curious about the contents of some of these early wills, I used FamilySearch to locate the 1805 will for David Crawford.

This will names the children, gives the married name of the daughters, identifies some slaves and identifies several pieces of land. Based on the information in the will, I believe this will is for David Crawford IV whose FamilySearch ID is L55C-CW6.

Jefferson County Kentucky
Will Books
1784-1833
FS Film 9043 DGS 7637316

David Crawford IV L55C-CW6
Children Named

• son David Crawford
• son Reuben Crawford
• son Nathan Crawford
• daughter Sally Cocke
• daughter Elizabeth Davis
• daughter Nancy Jones
• son Charles Crawford
• son Nelson Crawford
• son William Crawford

Book 1 page 161
Image 91

Botetourt Virginia Titheables

Last Wednesday, I had the opportunity to visit the Family History Center in Topeka, Kansas. During this visit, I was able to access digitized images from Botetourt County, Virginia. I was thankful these records were available at the family history center since they were locked at affiliate libraries.

Botetourt County, Virginia
List of Tithables, 1770-1789
FS Film 9106467 DGS 7856374


Looking for Crawford, Douglass, Maxwell

1770

Image 9

Anderson, Lemuel - 1
Crawford, James - 1
Dooley Kenery - 1

Who Is this James Crawford?

Have you ever run across a record in a county you've been researching and have no idea how the person in the record fits with known families in that area? Well, that's my situation -- and it is anoter James Crawford.

James and Martha Crawford sold land in Barren County, Kentucky. Tax lists for Barren County show a James Crawford with 200 acres on the Marrowbone River. These tax lists also show another James Crawford with 50 acres on the Marrowbone. This second James Crawford is thought to be James and Sally (Smith Duggins) Crawford.

I've also identified the family of David Crawford who died in Barren County, KY in 1812.

Now, I've found a deed for a James Crawford and Patsy his wife selling land in Wythe County Virginia to Peter Kinson. This 1806 deed indicates that James and Patsy were living in Montgomery County, Ohio at the time.

Did I Find a Marriage Record?

Have you ever looked at a court document trying to figure out who all of the people are and suddenly realize you may have stumbled across something totally different?

Well, that was my situation yesterday. I found additional documentation for the 1779 will of John Crawford in Montgomery County, Virginia (Order Book 2, image 292),

At a court c/ and held for Montgomery County April 7th 1779

Last will and testament of John Crawford deceased proven by oath of George
[D]ouglas James Crawford and Bazewell Maxwell and ordered to be recorded

Reading History

In your genealogy research, have you read the historical accounts?

Even though the experts recommend 'knowing' the history of a location, I have only skimmed county histories looking for my family name. I've never seriously read the history - until last night.

Last night, I read the book, The Travelling Church: An Account of the Baptist Exodus from Virginia to Kentucky in 1781 under the Leadership of Rev.Lewis Craig and Capt. William Ellis on Internet Archive. This book is about an ENTIRE church community packing up and leaving Spottsylvania County, Virginia for Logan's Fort in Kentucky.

I didn't find mention of the Crawford family in this book. I have clues suggesting my Crawford line came from Montgomery or Augusta Counties, Virginia - not Spottsylvania County. I have clues suggesting the Crawfords were Presbyterian - not Baptist.

Crawford Land Patent

I recently found the land records for John Crawford of Lincoln County, Kentucky. He owned 913 acres of land on Hanging Fork of Dick's River.

Land-Office Treasury Warrant, No. 2690

To the principal Surveyor of any County within the Commonwealth of Virginia
This shall be your WARRANT to survey and lay off
in one or more surveys, for John Crawford
his heirs and assigns the Quantity of One thousand
acres of land, due unto the said John Crawford in
right of pre-emption as a certificate form the Supreme Court of the
Kentucky District
In consideration of the sum of five pounds thirteen shillings
current money paid into the Public Treasury the
payment whereof the Treasurer hath been duly certified by the Auditors of public
accounts, and their certificate received into the Land-Office.
Given under my hand, and the seal of the said office, this 29th
day of September in the year one thousand seven hundred and 86.

Test
Samuel M Craw Clk
John Harvie Be S O N

John Crawford of LIncoln County Kentucky

Do you ever go back thru your research (think Thomas MacEntee's Genealogy Do-Over) and find a potential family member living nearby whom you have never researched?

Well, that happened to me when I was researching Rebekah Crawford in the tax records for Lincoln County. That's where I found John Crawford.

• 1787 Crofford John - 4 horses, 4 cattle
• 1789 Crawford John - 5 horses
• 1790 Crawford John - 4 horses
• 1791 Crawford John - 4 horses
• 1792 Crawford John - 5 horses, 17 cattle and 913 acres