THE PROGRESSIVE AGE,

ISSUED EVERY THURSDAY AT

ESTILLVILLE, SCOTT CO., VA. 

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 27, 1883.

History of the First Settlements

IN SCOTT COUNTY

BY PETER HONEYCUTT.

NUMBER TWO. 

Written expressly for The Progressive Age.

In the spring of 1769, Daniel Boone, accompanied by three companions started from North Carolina, to explore that part of the great North-west country which was known as the Dark and Bloody ground now called Kentucky.  In Boone’s little company, there was a young man by the name of David Cox who accompanied Boone as far as Elizabethton in East Tennessee and there separated from them.  Boone and his companions held their way towards to the west, while young Cox turned his course to the north and passed through Big Moccasin Gap in Scott County.

This section of country was an entire wilderness.  There were scattered settlements on the Holston and its branches in what is now Washington county, and in Burk’s Garden in Tazwell county, and in the upper end of Russell co.  None of these counties then had a name, and I only mention them to identify the location of the settlements.

About fourteen miles to the north west of Big Moccasin Gap on Clinch river there was an Indian town, probably of the Wyandots.

This location was selected by the Indians because it possessed many advantages which could not be found at other points.  The country was covered with dense forests, that abounded in all the game that was known in this section.  This place which was so attractive for the Indians excited the cupidity of the white man, and tales of the great fertility of the soil, the richness of the furs, the superabundance of bears, turkeys and other game, were circulated in the settlements of North Carolina and were readily believed.  Such a country could not long remain in the peaceable possession of the Red Man.

Young Cox determined to trap along this river, but had not been there long when he was captured by the Indians and was sent north of the Ohio river where he remained a prisoner in their hands for about two years when he effected his escape and returned to his home in North Carolina.  The reports he circulated about the valley of the Clinch excited much interest in his neighborhood.

In the following year after Cox’s return, Joseph Blackemore, a man of courage and enterprise, made up a small company of emigrants, including David Cox, and proceeded to Virginia.  The place selected for their settlement at the mouth of Stony creek on the north bank of Clinch river.  There they built a fort and called it Blackemore’s fort in honor of Capt. Joseph Blackemore, the leader of the little band of pioneers.

In a short time after the completion of the fort, the Indians made their way to the settlement, but concealed themselves.  Dale Carter, an inmate of the fort, who was lame from white swelling in his leg, walked out about forty yards from the fort and was fired on by the Indians and killed.  Upon hearing the report of the Indian’s gun, John Carter run out and saw an Indian scalping Dale but being over a little eminence he waited until the Indian had finised [sic] and as he arose Carter fired and killed him.  Another Indian ran up to carry his dead comrade away which gave Carter time to load his gun, though in the hurry he rammed the bullet down without patching.  He was however in time to fire on the Indian and wounded him in the shoulder.

After this occurance [sic] John Carter settled on Clinch river where Joseph Salling now lives.  He had married Joseph Blackemore’s daughter and had five children.  In a short time after moving to his farm, having planted his crop and made such other preperations [sic] as were necessary to move back to the fort, he went out early one morning to listen for his horses and cattle which had bells on, intending to collect them up to move to Blackemore fort the next day.  This was locust year and he went out early to collect his stock before the locust’s began their noise.

He had proceeded about sixty yards when he heard his wife cry, Oh! John.  He turned and saw eight or nine savages entering his house and at the same time they fired upon him.

Realizing his perilous situation, he thought it best to make his escape rather than fight and exasperate the savages.  He ran to the fort and collected a company and returned to his home which he found in flames.

With some poles they succeeded in pulling out from the debris the charred remains of his wife and four children which they buried.

They heard a low plaintive groan a little distance from the house in the weeds and grass.  They went to the place and found Carter’s little daughter, about ten years of age, with an awful gash across her stomach.

Her entrails had fallen out on the grass and leaves.  They carried her to the river and wrshed [sic] her, but she died in a few minutes.  Then there John Carter swore eternal vengance [sic] against the Red man and afterwards became a celebrated Indian fighter.

At some future time, I may tell more of his exploits.

(Draper Manusipts, Series C, Daniel Boone Papers, Vol. 6, Reel 4, un-numbered pages.  I decided to make my own transcription of this newspaper clipping.  It’s an interesting tale.  It places Joseph Blakemore in NC, but as far as is known, he never resided there.  He was not called Capt. Blakemore in any records, and the fort was said to have been named after his brother John Blakemore.  Violence between Indians and settlers on the frontier was endemic.  Francis Asbury, the circuit riding Methodist, recorded in a journal entry of  Apr 1790 regarding a visit to Joseph Blackmore’s Station that Blackmore had had a son and daughter killed by Indians.)

____________________________

BLAKEMORE MISCELLANY:

Joseph Blackmore and Anne his wife of Lancaster Co., VA to Catherine Sydnor and William Sydnor of Lancaster Co., for 200 pounds, a tract of land at the head of Mud Creek formerly called Ramps Creek containing 271 acres except 69 acres, part of a patent sold by John Sanders, father of Anne, to Joseph Ball on 16 Aug 1740.  18 Jul 1760.  Lancaster Co., VA Deeds & Wills 16, 1758-1763, p. 93.  Wit:  Jno Stott, Wm Stott, Jas Bennet.

Joseph Blackmore, 1770 Fauquier Co., VA rent rolls

Joseph Blackmore, tours of duty Lord Dunmore’s War of 1774, under Captains Looney, Patten, Thompson, and Russell.

Montgomery Co., VA Plott Book A, p. 77.  Joseph Blackmore, 75 acres part of the Loyal Company grant, on south side of Clinch River, Fincastle Co., VA, 24 Mar 1774.

Survey Book No. 1, Page 142, Washington Co., VA.  “We the Commissioners of the District of Washington and Montgomery Counties do Certify that Joseph Blackamore heir at law to Edward Blackamore, dec’d, is entitled to four hundred acres of land lying in Washington County on the South side of Clynch bounded by the River hills. and adjoining Samuel Ritchey to include his improvement ha having proved to the Court that he was entitled to the same by actual settlement made in the year 1773.  As witness our hands this 21st day of August 1781.  Jos. Cabell, Harry Innus, R Cabell, James Reed.”  (Bales, Hattie Byrd Muncy.  (1977).  Early Settlers of Lee County, Virginia and Adjacent Counties, Volume II.  Greensboro, NC:  Media, Inc. Printers and Publishers; p. 522.)

Joeseph Blackmore, 1782 Washington Co., VA tax list.

November 1794.  “4.  That fifty-five acres of land conveyed by Frederick Jones to the justices of the peace in the county of Lee, and their successors, for the use of the said county, as the same are already laid off into lots and streets, are hereby established a town, by the name of “Jonesville;” and Frederick Jones, William Ewing, Peter Fulkerson, James Campbell, Joseph Blackemore, Nathaniel Hicks, David Chadwell, Daniel Young, Benjamin Shap, and Moses Cotterell, gentlemen, are appointed trustees thereof.”  (Shepherd’s Continuation of Hening, Vol. 1, p. 322.)

I obtained these bible records in 1996–-from whom I’m not sure.  The materials as I received them weren’t photocopies of the actual bible, just photocopies of a typescript made from genealogical notes in the bible–-and not very good copies.  Since the typescript itself had no historical value, I transcribed it for ease of reproduction.  This is a verbatim transcript.  It would be useful to know the present location of the bible.

The first nine entries under “Births” are the family of Jonathan and Priscilla (Askew) Hargis.

From (presumably) the same source I received a family goup sheet for Philip B. and Marian W. (Fincher) Hargis, based largely upon the 1850 Shelby Co., TN Federal Census, p. 258, and the 1830 Randolph Co., GA census.  The 1830 Randolph Co., GA census and the 1840 Fayette Co., TN census both show a daughter in an age range who might be Leitha Caroline (Hargis) Miller.  In the 1827 Land Lottery of Georgia, Philip B. Hargis is listed as a resident of Gwinnett Co.

So the order of children is as follows:  P.E. Hargis (dau.) b. 1821; Leitha Caroline Hargis (?); Michajah Hargis b. 1829; Jane Hargis b. 1831; Milledge (Millage) A. Hargis b. 1832; (Philip) Parks Hargis b. 1834; Henry Hargis b. 1839; George Hargis b. 1845.

According to an “IGI” entry, Philip B. Hargis’s middle name was “Burch” and he died in 1858.   I can’t confirm that information: the “IGI” should be used with extreme caution.

While it’s probable Letha Caroline (Hargis) Miller was a daughter of Philip B. Hargis, his family was not the only Hargis family in southwest TN.  The Hargis family had a long-standing connection to the section.  Shadrach Hargis, a Captain in the Revolutionary War, and grandfather of Philip B. Hargis, obtained a NC land grant for 2100 acres on both sides of the Looshatchie [sic] River on 3 Apr 1783 (the Loosahatchie River flows east to west from Hardeman Co., TN to north of Memphis near Frayser).

Shadrach Hargis left a will in Person Co., NC dated 24 Jan 1816 in which he names, in addition to wife and daughters, four sons:  Nathan Hargis, Jonathan Hargis, William Hargis, and Shadrach Hargis.  Jonathan Hargis, father of Philip B. Hargis, died in Tipton Co., TN (the adjacent county to the north of Shelby Co.), where there is extant an Administrator’s Bond (Tipton Co., TN Administrator’s Bonds and Letters Jan. 1835-Dec. 1842, pp. 58-60).

As I don’t undertake new research, it’s hoped dissemination of this material will encourage others to take a “whole family” approach in studying the still obscure family of Philip B. and Marian W. (Fincher) Hargis; that is, to trace each of the children of that couple to see what can be learned about Leitha Caroline (Hargis) Miller.  The known facts regarding their children are appended below the census records. 

FROM THE HARGIS-LADD BIBLE

Marriages: 

Milton Ladd & Mary Reynolds married in Wilks County, No. Carolina on Thurs. Eve. Jan. 24, 1811.  By the Rev. Wm. Tribble

Jonathan Hargis & Priscilla Askew were married Oct. 20, 1796 in N. Carolina by Col. Dickens.

P.B. Hargis & Marion W. Fincher married in Burke Co., Oct. 19 1820 by the Rev. Josiah Askew.

Huriam Miller & Sally Hargis married Mar. 31, 1821 in Burke Co. No. Carolina by David Cathbertson, Esq.

Lewis Stockton & Elizabeth Hargis married Oct. 15, 1822 in N. Carolina by Rev. David Cathbertson (Burke Co.)

Shadrack Hargis & Nancy Ann Cockicham married in Shelby Co., Tenn. on Thurs. Eve. 17^th Day of Dec. 1829 by John Ralston, Esq.

Wm. J. Hargis & Martha H. McCarty married Sept. 14, 1869 by the Rev. A.C. Ray.  (Wm. J. & Martha Hargis were the parents of Joe and Edward Hargis, Martha recorded most of the records in the old family Bible & was the one who marked many passages in the Bible as her initials are on many passages throughout.)

Isaac L. Cowan to Martha Emily Hargis in Conway Co., Ark. April 1, 1858 by Rev. J.D. Stockton

J.W. Johnstone & Mary V. Hargis of Pulaski Co., Ark., Mar. 31, 1869 by Rev. A.C. Ray

G. W. Johnstone & P.J. Hargis Dec. 21, 1871 by Rev. A.C. Ray

James A. Hargis & Amanda L. Burns married June 17, 1852 by Rev. J.J. Sommerville in Layett Co. near Bellmont, Tenn.

Andrew Herron & Phebey E. Hargis married Jan. 11, 1833 by L. Ralston, Esq. in Shelby Co., Tenn.

James A. Hargis & Gabrilla Hargis married Mar. 2, 1836 by Parson Dove, on the Miss. River.

Births:

Jonathan Hargis born Mar. 4, 1777

Pricilla Hargis born Aug. 29, 1776

Salley Hargis born April 1, 1799

Philip B. Hargis born Feb. 8, 1801

Betsey Hargis born Dec. 3, 1802

Shadrach Hargis born Mar. 6, 1805

Nancy S. (or “L”) born Jan. 4, 1809

James A. Hargis born Feb. 29, 1812

Phebe Ema Hargis born Nov. 6, 1814

Milton Ladd born Aug. 11, 1789

Mary Ladd born Oct.10, 1788

Constantine Ivy Ladd born Oct. 18, 1811

Judith Louisa Ladd born Oct. 24, 1813

Caroline Ladd born Feb. 28, 1815

Gabrilla Hargis born Sept. 16, 1816

John W.L. Hargis born May 17, 1819

Priscilla Jane Hargis born Feb. 10, 1838

Wm. Jonathan Hargis born July 22, 1839

Josiah A. Hargis born Dec. 19, 1840

Martha Emily Hargis born April 5, 1842

Shadrach Fletcher Hargis born Jan. 7, 1844

James Stanford Hargis born June 3, 1846

Mary V. Hargis born July 2, 1848

John Wm. Hargis born Oct. 5, 1842

Dinitia R. Hargis born Oct. 16, 1850

Wm. J. Hargis born July 22, 1859

Martha H. McCarty born Feb. 26, 1851

Wm. Josiah Hargis

Deaths:

Josiah H. Hargis died in the 9^th year of his age & was born July 29, 1797

Geo. A. Hargis born April 3, 1808, died at age 2

Priscilla Hargis the wife of J. Hargis died Nov. 21, 1836 age 69 y

P.E. Hearron the wife of A. Hearron died Nov. 22, 1836

P.E. Hargis the daughter of P.B. Hargis died Nov. 23, 1836 age 15 years

Jonathan Hargis died Aug. 14, 1837 age 60 yrs.

John W.L. Hargis died Sept. 27, 1842 age 23 yrs.

Sarah Pernecia Hargis died Friday Sept. 23, 1857

Thomas Taylor Collins Hargis died the 10^th day of Dec. 1859 age 1 yr 28 days.

A son was born Nov. 16, 1860 & died Dec. 2^nd, age 3 wks, son of J.A. & A.L. Hargis

Ben M. Hargis died Nov. 29, 1867 age 5 yrs. W mo & 26 days.

A.L. Hargis consort of J.A. died May 18, 1868 age 35 years 7 mo. & 27 days.

Shadrack Hargis born 1740, Jan. 4^th & died Jan. 25, 1816, age 76

Nancey S. (L?) his wife was born April 3, 1743 & died Feb. 1816 age 71.  (Their funeral was preached by Rev. James Claton his text was 1^st Chro. 1-9.)

Dinitia R. Hargis departed this life on the 30^th day of Oct. 1851 age 1 yr & 14 days

Gabrilla her mother & consort of J.A. Hargis died Oct. 30, 1851 age 35 yrs. 1 mo. 14 days.

Elizabeth Stockton died Sept. 20, 1859

J.S. Hargis died May 21, 1864 age 17 yrs. 11 mo. 3 days.

M.A. Hargis died Nov. 8, 1867 at Lewisburg

Priscilla Jane Johnstone died Nov. 1873 age 35 yrs

Mary V. Johnstone died Mar. 27, 1870 age 21 yrs. 8 mo. 25 days

__________________________________

Observe that in 1830 there are two juvenile females in the household:   one 0-5 and one 5-10.  The female 5-10 is P.E. Hargis.  The other, aged 0-5, is unidentified, but thought to be Leitha Caroline (Hargis) Miller. 

In 1840 there are also two juvenile females.  P.E. Hargis, who would have been 15-20, is absent since she died in 1836.  The female 5-10 is Jane Hargis, born in 1831, and there’s a female 10-15, who is the corollary of the female 0-5 in the 1830 census.

Leitha wouldn’t have appeared in Philip B. Hargis’s household in 1850, since she’d married Howard M. Miller in 1844, and was residing next to her (conjectured) father in the 1850 Shelby Co., TN Federal Census. 

Parks Hargis is Philip Parks Hargis, who served during the Civil War in the 1st Arkansas Mounted Rifles, along with his brother Micajah.  Henry Hargis married Laurie West.  Philip B and Marian W. (Fincher) Hargis had a son named Milledge (who was a Sgt. in the 1st Arkansas Mounted Rifles, Co. 1);  Howard and Leitha Caroline (Hargis) Miller also had a son named Milledge.  

Chipman III, John Hale.  (1970).  A Chipman Genealogy circa 1583-1969 Beginning With John Chipman (1620-1708), – First Of That Surname To Arrive In The Massachusetts Bay Colony – And His Twelve Successive Generations, Today In Alaska, Australia, Canada, And The United States compiled by John Hale Chipman III (#683).  Norwell, Massachusetts:  Chipman historics.

White, Elizabeth Pearson; Coles, Edwin Wagner.  (2003).  Who Were The Chipmans Of Delaware And Maryland.  “Mayflower Descendant,” Winter 2003, Vol. 52, No. 1, pp. 19-38; Summer 2003, Vol. 52, No. 2, pp. 111-118.  Boston:  Massachusetts Society Of Mayflower Descendants (state chapter of General Society of Mayflower Descendants).

According to White and Coles:

“For 150 years the relationship among the various Chipman families of Delaware and Maryland have been misstated and misunderstood.” (p. 19)   And on p. 35, footnote 156, they term A Chipman Genealogy “defective.”  

The article takes these families to the 5th generation from the pilgrim John Howland, with a listing of their children as the 6th generation.  After that, you’re on your own.

________________________________ 

I’d like to make the reader aware of some pitfalls before continuing:

Undocumented books like A Chipman Genealogy ARE UNACCEPTABLE proof on a lineage society application for any society.

Books such as Gary Boyd Roberts’ The Royal Descents Of 600 Immigrants ARE UNACCEPTABLE because Roberts lumps all of his sources at the end of the line, and doesn’t quote verbatim sections of the source so readers can judge if the source supports Roberts’ assertions.  Roberts’ own lines are inadequately supported, and he includes unverified illegitimate generations in many of the pedigrees.

Assertions made by posters on unregulated Internet message boards like ”soc.genealogy.medieval” ARE UNACCEPTABLE.  All such assertions should be checked for accuracy to see if the evidence quoted exists and whether it supports the conclusion.  I’ve witnessed lying about evidence, concealing the nature of evidence, lying about statements made by other posters, reference to research that doesn’t exist, and incompetence.  Caveat emptor.

Primary source records ARE ACCEPTABLE, and documented journal articles USUALLY ARE, among other types of evidence that may be acceptable.  If you are in doubt about what evidence is acceptable to join a lineage society, contact the society and they will give you their requirements.

________________________ 

I’ve heard from Chipman descendants who are disappointed that the biographies of their ancestors in A Chipman Genealogy are unacceptable.  The nucleus of this book was based on obsolete research done up to 1920, especially by Alberto Lee Chipman.  Only 500 were printed.  Some larger genealogical libraries have copies.  Mine is a little worse for wear.

A Chipman Genealogy was published by a vanity press—a publisher you pay to print anything you want.  Confused?  The author paid a printing company X dollars for 500 books, and then sold them, along with a reproduction of a coat of arms, and a cast replica of a spoon allegedly found in a building that once was a tavern owned by a Chipman. 

Was his text approved by the Mayflower Society?  No.   Are there genuine Mayflower lines in the book?  Absolutely, although you might not recognize them.  

General Society of Mayflower Descendants operates a website at:

http://www.themayflowersociety.com/

When a line is disproved, lineage societies require subsequent applicants to prove the line again with satisfactory evidence.  Ordinarily, that will be impossible because the line is invalid.  

Many biographies in A Chipman Genealogy cite no evidence at all, and the author didn’t demand any.  Some errors resulted from mistakenly identifying individuals with the same, often common, given name in two different locations as the same person, without any supporting evidence.  Other errors, like giving a Chipman an exact date of death when he really died decades later, or the same children as another Chipman, are more difficult to understand.

In a letter dated January 15, 1967 (see below), the author, John Hale Chipman III wrote:

“If you do not have documentary evidence of facts and dates, but they are generally accepted, will you list them just the same, putting a ? mark side of each.” 

The ? marks didn’t make it into A Chipman Genealogy .  There’s page after page without any documentation.  This stuff is mixed in with the few biographies that cite a will, deed, military or bible record.  The author plugged lines in anywhere and everywhere.

Eugene Aubrey Stratton was burned, as he wrote in 1986:

“There have been several family histories of the Chipman family, a recent one being John Hale Chipman, A Chipman Genealogy (Norwell, Mass., 1970), which, though not adequately documented, is generally good.”  [Plymouth Colony, p. 263.]

I have found Stratton’s Applied Genealogy useful for persons with British colonial ancestry.  Contemporary opinion of A Chipman Genealogy disagrees with Stratton’s assessment.  In my view, A Chipman Genealogy is either a masterpiece of dissembling or bungling.

Here’s a flyer John Hale Chipman III sent out:

Direct your attention to the upper left corner, which has a list of organizations the author “belonged to.”  There are nine.  Looks impressive, doesn’t it?

But of those nine, only three are actual lineage societies:  Mass. Society Mayflower Descendants; Sons of the Revolution (like SAR, only your ancestor has to be a soldier, not just a patriot); and The Pilgrim John Howland Society (obviously, if you’re a member of Mayflower Society through Hope Howland, you can waltz into this).

The first society listed, the Society of Genealogists, London (now known as the Society of Genealogists), is one of the six that are open to anyone with a checkbook.  Being a “member,” as opposed to a “Fellow”, has nothing to do with the qualifications or expertise of the genealogist.  It’s a charitable organization promoting family history research in the UK.  But in the mind of the average reader it sounds rather like the College of Arms—a fact not lost on John Hale Chipman III.  Of course, he didn’t claim his efforts had been endorsed by the Society of Genealogists…. 

It is, however, a worthwhile organization if you’re into British research:

http://www.sog.org.uk/

Civil War records can provide a wealth of information.  The first record is part of the pension application for my 2nd great-grandfather Tyler Huffman, who served in the Union army in an Iowa unit.  The second is from the service records belonging to another 2nd great-grandfather, Newton O. Harkey, who fought on the Confederate side in a Missouri unit.

Tyler Huffman’s story was common.  The primitive sanitary conditions in an army encampment, and a medical staff little more sophisticated than physicians in the Roman Empire, caused more casualties than enemy fire.

Missouri was divided in loyalty.  Dunklin County, where Newton O. Harkey served, is fertile cotton country, so it’s not surprising it sided with the CSA.

Bounty land warrant files for veterans who served in the War of 1812 often contain useful information similar to pension files.  Most soldiers were deceased by 14 Feb 1871, when Congress passed a pension act for War of 1812 veterans, so bounty land files are a valuable substitute.

The War of 1812 was fought from 18 Jun 1812 to 17 Feb 1815, although the British had ratified the treaty ending the war on 27 Dec 1814.  The famous Battle of New Orleans, which made Andrew Jackson a hero, was fought on 8 Jan 1815, after the treaty.

Among the items in the bounty land warrant file for my 4th great-grandfather, John Branch, was this handwritten note:

At the time he applied for bounty land, John Branch was a resident of New Madrid Co., MO.  He stated he had served in a company of mounted horse.  Service records like this document his enlistment:

Now has the sun returned

To its pleasured orbit,

Dispensing favors of copper and gold,

For these are the colors

That compliment well

A maiden’s rosy cheek.

Of course we know the Sun does not revolve around the Earth, but the ancients thought otherwise.

Shorto, Russell.  (2005).  The Island At The Center Of The World The Epic Story Of Dutch Manhattan And The Forgotten Colony That Shaped America.  New York:  Vintage Books A Division of Random House, Inc.

According to Shorto, Sarah Rapalje, born in 1625, daughter of Joris Rapalje and Catalina Trico, claimed to be the “first born christian daughter of New Netherland” in what is now New York City. (p. 41)

Sarah Rapalje may have been the first daughter born in the colony, but the following item shows she wasn’t the first child:

Hoff, Henry B., ed.  (1987).  Genealogies of Long Island Families From The New York Genealogical and Biographical Record Volume I Albertson—Polhemius.  Baltimore:  Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc. (p. 280)

The Labadists were followers of Jean de Labadie (1610–1674), a former Jesuit priest, leader of a French Protestant movement.

Christina Vigne, sister to Jan Vigne, married Dirck Volckertsen (or Holgerson), a Norwegian.  They were 2nd great-grandparents of Abraham Fulkerson.  He was born 1739 and baptized at the Readington (New Jersey) Dutch Reformed Church on 18 May 1740, the youngest child of Volkert Volkerse and Dinah van Lieuvin (daughter of Frederick Van Leeuwen and Dinah Jans).

Abraham Fulkerson served in the Revolutionary War as a private in Lt. Reese Bowen’s Company, Washington Co., VA militia under Col. William Campbell, and saw action at the Battle of King’s Mountain, South Carolina, on 7 Oct 1780.

Abstracted from:

Thompson, Laila Fulkerson.  (1979).  A History Of The Fulkerson Family From 1630 To The Present (in two volumes).   Bakersfield, CA:  The Author.

1.  Manuel Comnenus Eroticus, d. 1025; wife unknown

2.  John Comnenus (Domestic of the Schools), d. 12 Jul 1056; m. Anna Dalassena, of the  Adriani Dalasseni, daughter of Alexius Charon, Prefect of Italy

3.  Alexius I Comnenus, Byzantine (Eastern Roman) Emperor, d. 15 Aug 1118; m. Irene Ducas (dau. of Andronicus Ducas and Maria of Bulgaria; Andronicus Ducas was son of John Ducas the Caesar [a])

4.  Theodora Comnena; m. Constantinus Angelus, of an obscure Philadelphian family

5.  Andronicus Angelus; m. Euphrosyne Castamonitia

6.  Isaac II Angelus, Byzantine (Eastern Roman) Emperor, b. ca. 1156, d. Feb 1204; m. (1) Herina (poss. member of Palaiologos family), m. (2) Margaret of Hungary, b. 1175, dau. of Bela III, king of Hungary

7.  Irene Angelica, dau. by (1), b. 1181, d. 1208; m. (2) 25 May 1197, Philip II, Duke of Swabia, king of Germany, d. 21 Jun 1208 (son of Frederick III “Barbarossa”)

8.  Marie of Swabia, d. ca. 1240; m. (1) Henry II of Brabant, d. 1 Feb 1247

9.  Matilda of Brabant, d. 29 Sep 1288 [b]; m. (1) 14 Jun 1237, Robert of Artois, b. 1216, d. 1250, son of Louis VIII, king of France

10. Blanche of Artois, d. 2 May 1302; m. (2) Edmund Plantagenet “Crouchback” (brother of Edward I of England), d. 5 Jun 1296, Earl of Leicester and Lancaster

11. Henry Plantagenet, b. 1281, d. 22 Sep 1345, Earl of Leicester and Lancaster; m. (1) Maud de Chaworth, b. 1282, d. 1322, dau. of Patrick de Chaworth and Hawise de London (Henry’s granddaughter Blanche of Lancaster m. John of Gaunt, and was mother of King Henry IV)

12. Joan Plantagenet, b. ca. 1312,  d. 7 Jul 1349; m. (his 1st) John de Mowbray, d. 1361

13. John de Mowbray, 4th Lord Mowbray, b. 25 Jun 1340, d. 9 Oct 1368; m. Elizabeth de Segrave, b. 25 Oct 1338, d. bef. husband

14. Eleanor (Alianor) de Mowbray, b. ca. 25 Mar 1364; m. (his 1st) John de Welles, b. 20 Apr 1352, d. 26 Aug 1421

15. Eudo (Ives) de Welles, liv. 1407, d. vita patris; m. Maud de Greystoke

16. Lionel de Welles, b. 1406, d. 29 Mar 1461; m. (1) Joan (or Cecily) de Waterton

17. Margaret de Welles, d. 13 Jul 1480; m. (1) Thomas Dymoke

18. Lionel Dymoke, d. 17 Aug 1519; m. (1) Joan Griffith (daughter of Rhys Griffith)

19. Alice Dymoke; m. (his 2nd) William Skipwith, d. 7 Jul 1547

etc.

{[a]  Caesar was a title below the rank of emperor.

[b]  Margaret of France, second queen of Edward I, also has a descent from Isaac II Angelus through Matilda’s brother Henry III of Brabant.}

In the case of multiple marriages, the relevant marriage is given.

The Alexiad by Anna Comnena (sister of 4. Theodora), is a classic of medieval literature:

Comnena, Anna; Sewter, E.R.A., trans.  (1969, repr. 2003).  The Alexiad.  London, New York:  Penguin Books Classics.

Of the Angeli, Norwich says:  ”Of all the families that reigned over Byzantium, the Angeli were the worst.  Their supremacy was mercifully short — the three Angelus Emperors — Isaac II, Alexius III and Alexius IV — altogether reigned only nineteen years.  But each was disastrous, and together they were responsible for Constantinople’s greatest catastrophe until its final fall.”  Norwich is referring to the sack of Constantinople in 1204 by the Franks of the Fourth Crusade.  Constantinople finally fell to the Turks in 1453.

Of the wife of Louis III (The Blind), King of Provence & Italy (d. 5 June 928), AR8 (2004) names her as Anna, daughter of the Byzantine Emperor Leo VI.  Norwich (1997) has a chart showing Anna as Louis III’s wife, but Ostrogorsky (1969) and Treadgold (1997) are silent on the matter.

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Alice (Dymoke) Skipwith descended from two kings of Jerusalem:

Fulk V, Count of Anjou, King of Jerusalem 1131-1143, d. 10 Nov 1144, bur. in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre; m. (1) Erembourg of Maine; grandparents of Henry II of England.  Fulk m. (2) Melisende de Rethel.

Jean de Brienne, b. ca. 1168, d. 21 Mar 1237, King of Jerusalem 1210-1215, Latin Emperor of Constantinople 1228; m. (3) Berengaria of Leon; ancestors of Roger de Mortimer, 1st Earl of March (executed by Edward III), lover of Edward II’s queen Isabella of France.  Mortimer’s daughter Catherine m. Thomas Beauchamp, 11th Earl of Warwick.

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Although Greek rule of some Byzantine territories didn’t end after the sack of Constantiniple, the imperial city was not retaken by the Greeks until 1261.  The Byzantine empire was steadlily encroached upon by Muslim forces until Constantinople fell to the Ottomans under Mehmet II on May 29, 1453.

Kant, Immanuel; Smith, M. Campbell, trans.  (1903).  Perpetual Peace A Philosophical Essay.  London:  Swan Sonnenschein & Co., Lim.  [Originally published in 1795.]

In his essay, Immanuel Kant outlines three political maxims:

1.  “Fac et excusa.”  It is easier to justify arbitrary usurpation after the deed than before.

2.  “Si fecisti, nega.”  Deny responsibility for any crime, blaming it on the failure of your subordinates to obey orders; or on human nature, as the enemy may strike first.

It’s the third that interests me here:

3.  “Divide et impera.”  Divide and rule; or divide and conquer.  “That is to say, if there are certain privileged persons, holding authority among the people, who have merely chosen you for their sovereign … bring about a quarrel among them, and make mischief between them and the people.  Now back up the people with a dazzling promise of greater freedom; everything will now depend unconditionally on your will.  Or again, if there is a difficulty with foreign states, then to stir up dissension among them is a pretty sure means of subjecting first one and then the other to your sway, under the pretext of aiding the weaker.”

Kant comments:

“It is true that nowadays nobody is taken in by these political maxims, for they are all familiar to everyone.”

Immanuel Kant was a great philosopher, but he overestimated modern intelligence.  The governance of many modern corporations and organizations relies upon application of these maxims.  It’s the skill with which they’re disguised that has become more sophisticated.       

Pauline Aquilla Chipman was the second daughter and youngest child of James Edward and Allie May (Oxley) Chipman.  Aquilla was a popular Oxley given name dating to the 18th century in North Carolina.

Pauline was born on 5 Apr 1916 and died on 5 Sep 1983.  She married (1) on 21 Mar 1936 Carl Davis Page, born 13 Apr 1905, died 8 Aug 1963.  She married (2) on 24 May 1968 James William Moffit (no children).

By (1) Carl Davis Page, Pauline had two children:

i.  Carl Victor Page, born 26 Apr 1938, died 2 June 1996.  Carl Victor Page was a professor of Computer Science at Michigan State University.  In Dec 1962 he married Gloria Weinstein (a software engineer), and had two sons:  Carl Benjamin Page [living], and Lawrence Edward Page [living].  Larry Page and his business partner launched Google in 1998.  Carl Victor Page was engaged to Joyce Wildenthal of Lansing, Michigan.

ii.  Beverly Ann Page [living].  On 21 Dec 1961 she married John Carl Bertrand, born 12 Feb 1938, by whom she had one child:  Paul Page Bertrand [living].  Paul Page Bertrand is a PhD of Pharmacology residing in Melbourne, Australia. Beverly Ann Page married second Robert Budzynski (no children).  Beverly and Robert are active swing dancers.

In Oct 2006, I received several emails from Donald Gudehus (now deceased), second husband of Gloria Weinstein. Donald Gudehus was a noted academic in Georgia.  He’d found my post on Ancestry.com concerning the Mayflower descent of our Chipman family.  Unfortunately I had no photos to share, but he did ask an interesting question:

“I see that your mother’s name is given as Valerie Berniece (Jeffery) Scarff.  Is Jeffery her original maiden name, or is Jeffery a nickname, or are neither correct?”

My grandfather Jesse Otto Jeffery was the son of Earnest Ervin Jeffery and Effie Viola Huffman.  Effie died when Jesse was young, and he was sent to live with John and Emma (Huffman) Scarff.  Emma was Effie’s sister.  Jesse’s grandfather was Tyler Huffman, a Civil War veteran.  John and Emma adopted my grandfather, but despite Earnest Jeffery’s request not to change Jesse’s name to Scarff, it was changed anyway.  Thus, my mother’s maiden name is Scarff, but I’m named after the Jeffery family to preserve the name.

While going through my files to prepare this column, I found something of which I was unaware:  a copy of a letter from Lawcie Idella (Chipman) Mason to Beverly Ann Page, written ca. 1983.  It gives information on branches of the family on which I have nothing, so I transcribed part of it, with notes and corrections:

“Allie Oxley—James Edward Chipman

5 children were born

3 boys and two girls

Jewel Vester Chipman married Ruby Bohannon — 2 daughters (a) were born.  Ruby died and he married again.

Beecher Edgar Chipman married Winfred Bailey — one son, Ralph (b).  Then he married Essie Hyde (c) and I don’t know much about how many children were born to them (d) — Beecher is deceased.

Winford Chipman married Ada Hill and had to [sic] sons, Carl & David.  Ada is deceased too.

Lawcie Chipman married Arvil Mason and had seven children, one girl who died at age 16 months.

1.  James Lee Mason [&] Ester Boyd } 2 sons and 3 grandchildren

2.  Harold Mason [&] Jo Metheny } 3 children

3.  Paul Mason [&] Berneita Neely } 3 children and 3 grandchildren

4.  Don Mason — never married

5.  Virginia Nell Mason [&] Joe Mabry } 2 sons and 2 grandchildren

6.  Shirley Mason [&] Jake Manley — divorced about 17 or 18 years go — has 3 children and four grandchildren.

and then your Mother.” (e)

(a)  Jean and June.

(b)  Another son named Donald died in infancy.

(c)  Essie’s maiden name was actually Hyatt.

(d)  Two daughters:  Joyce and Dixie.

(e)  Pauline Aquilla Chipman.

The following items are Pauline Aquilla Chipman’s high school records from Senath High School in Dunklin Co., MO, obtained by my father in 1996.  They give a fascinating glimpse into a rural high school curriculum in the late 1920s and early 1930s: