Archive for the Category »Family History «

John Robert Taliaferro – The Whole Story

23
Sep 2009
By

Last week for Wordless Wednesday I posted a picture of my grandfather John Robert Taliaferro with the following source note: From: Arthur Bunyan Caldwell, ed., History Of The American Negro And His Institutions, Georgia Edition (Atlanta: A. B. Caldwell Publishing Co.,1917), 353 It did not occur to me to post the entire article from the book because it was “Wordless” Wednesday. My intention was only to give credit for the source of the photo.
Well, several people were curious and actually googled the book and read the entire feature. My friend over at Our Georgia Roots, encouraged me to step outside the box, make my own rules, and write as much as I want or need to write regardless of theme. Luckie continues to inspire me to become a better researcher, and to be more diligent in documenting my family history. So, I decided to post the entire biography of John Robert Taliaferro from the book History Of The American Negro And His Institutions, Georgia Edition. The book features African Americans who were making significant contributions to their communities, and who otherwise may not have been recognized or even known. As the title implies, there were also editions for other states, including South Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia, Washington D.C., and West Virginia. There were a total of seven volumes the Georgia edition was two volumes. If you had ancestors in any of these states, I would encourage you to seek out these books. Unfortunately, the books are very rare and not readily available. The Georgia edition has been digitized and is available online.
The article on my grandfather was sent to me by my cousin back in 2005. It was her way of sharing some family history with me. Thinking back on my first reading of the article, I felt as if I was sitting at my grandfather’s feet listening to him give me an account of his life up to that point in time. I was AMAZED at the amount of history on those few pages. A researcher’s dream!! I am posting the scanned pages from the original book a copy of which is in the possession of my cousin. It is literally falling apart, but is still a treasured family heirloom.
**Note: Click on each page image to enlarge.
Share
Category: A.M.E. Church, Family History, John Robert Taliaferro, John Wesley Taliaferro, Lizzie Taliaferro, Miles Taliaferro, Surnames, Taliaferro  3 Comments  Tags: , , , , ,

Wordless Wednesday- Middlebrooks or Parks?

22
Sep 2009
By

I found this photo in my mom’s dresser drawer. I believe she is from my maternal line; either a Middlebrooks or Parks. I don’t know who she is, but I see a lot of living and wisdom in her face. I wish I knew her name.
Share
Category: Daily Themes, Family History, Middlebrooks  4 Comments  Tags:

Black Sheep Sunday – William “Uncle Bill” Middlebrooks

20
Sep 2009
By

The older gentleman on the left in this photo is my maternal great uncle William Middlebrooks, born circa September 1894 in Woodbury, Meriwether County, GA. Uncle Bill was a real character; suave and debonair- a gambler, a fighter, a drinker. Uncle Bill didn’t take NO mess. As the story goes, Uncle Bill had to flee his home in Woodbury under the “cloak of darkness”. Family tradition says he was in an “altercation” with a white man over a pair of shoes, and was smuggled out of town with the sheriff “hot on his trail”. He was first taken to Griffin, GA, but eventually made his way to Chicago where he changed his name to Bill Sutton. He later returned to Georgia where he died in August 1977.
Share
Category: Daily Themes, Family History, Middlebrooks  4 Comments  Tags: , , ,

Wordless Wednesday – John Robert Taliaferro

16
Sep 2009
By

 

From: Arthur Bunyan Caldwell, ed., History Of The American Negro And His Institutions, Georgia Edition (Atlanta: A. B. Caldwell Publishing Co.,1917), 353
Share
Category: A.M.E. Church, Daily Themes, Family History, John Robert Taliaferro, Surnames, Taliaferro  4 Comments  Tags:

Where’s YOUR Family “STUFF”?

12
Sep 2009
By

As genealogist and family historians it is imperative that we become better preservers of OUR family history. I believe that preservation has to start with us. WE must become better keepers of OUR family “STUFF”.

I cannot tell you how many times I’ve asked family members for information (stories, pictures, documents..anything) only to be told…girl, I don’t have any “stuff”, or honey I just don’t remember any of that old “stuff”, or (my favorite) child, I don’t know what happened to all that old “stuff”. I’m sure you’ve heard similar responses to your requests for family information. Well, that “stuff” was/is your family history. We can’t get angry with anyone but OURSELVES if WE don’t start taking better care of OUR “stuff”.

I remember calling my Auntie Ruth one day and asking what she was doing. She said “just throwing away some old stuff.” This is my aunt on my paternal side, my father’s sister, so of course I was very curious about this “stuff”. “What kind of stuff” I asked. She replied “oh just some old pictures and things.” “NO” I screamed. After some back and forth, I convinced her to dig the pieces of “stuff” out of the trash and save it all for me. A few days later, I received an envelope in the mail. Inside that envelope was some very precious family “stuff” torn into pieces. I was able to piece together and save a picture of my grandmother, and a photo of my father and his brother taken about 1925 when they were little boys. There were also a few pictures of my Auntie Ruth in her younger days. A special piece of “stuff” was my aunt’s high school diploma-torn in half. My aunt had told me the story of how when she was in high school she gave herself a middle name because everyone had one except her. So now I have the high school diploma for Ruth “Louise” Taliaferro. I am so happy that I made that call at that time and saved some of my family “STUFF”.

For the majority of African Americans our ancestors’ stories were never told, recorded or preserved. It is an awful and frustrating reality. However, it will be even more awful if we do not stop the cycle of indifference and disinterest in our own family history. Let’s all do a better job of telling our ancestors’ stories-of keeping and preserving our family history. Let’s all do a better job of preserving, recording, documenting, and sharing our “STUFF” for our ancestors, ourselves, and more importantly, for our future.

So, my question to you….Where’s YOUR Family “STUFF”?

Share
Category: Family History, Reflections  3 Comments  Tags: , , , ,

Wordless Wednesday- "Miles & son John"

09
Sep 2009
By

Share
Category: A FRIEND OF FRIENDS, Daily Themes, Family History, John Wesley Taliaferro, Miles Taliaferro, Richard Taliaferro, Slavery, Surnames, Taliaferro  One Comment  Tags: ,

Madness Monday – Miles From Miles

07
Sep 2009
By

Miles Taliaferro (aka Miles Toliver) was my paternal great, great grandfather. Although Miles is the Taliaferro I know the least about, I feel a certain closeness to him that I cannot explain.

Miles was probably born in North Carolina circa 1824. Miles died sometime after October 1881. I have no reason to believe he died any place other than GA. However, there are other possible places of birth- Georgia and South Carolina. On the 1870 census Miles was born in GA. On the 1880 census Miles was born in NC, and so were both of his parents. The 1870 Voter Registration List for Fulton County also indicates that Miles was born in NC. The 1880 and 1900 census enumerations for Miles’ son, John Wesley Taliaferro, show his father was born in NC; in 1910 it was SC; and in 1920 it was GA. I think GA is the least likely of the three. I think NC is probably where Miles was born, but I cannot place him there. I think I can place Miles in SC with a former slave owner and relative of his last slave owners in GA, Richard Taliaferro and his son Edward Mobley Taliaferro.

Edward Mobley Taliaferro was the son of Richard Taliaferro and Susan Mobley. They were all born in SC. Susan’s father was Edward Mobley of Chester District, SC. In 1838 Edward Mobley made a will which included bequeaths for a large number of slaves, but there was no slave named Miles. Some months later in 1839, Edward Mobley made a second will. This will is almost identical to the first will with the exception that it contains some additional slaves-among them one slave named “Miles” valued at $775.00. (My Miles would have been about 15yrs old). The last section of the will states in part “And whereas the above legacies is in Lieu of all right title and interest to any part of the Estate of Ephrain M Mobley Deceased ….” Because of this statement, I believe that the additional slaves in Edward Mobley’s 1839 will probably came from the estate of this Ephrain M Mobley.

The estate packet for Edward Mobley that I ordered from the SC Archives did not contain a final distribution of slaves by name. I have not been able to locate a will for an Ephrain/Ephraim M. Mobley in either SC or GA. I don’t know who he is, or how he was related to the Mobley family. Maybe he is the NC connection. I found an Ephriam Mobley who was living in Henry County, GA in 1830, and he does not show up in the 1840 census. I found no will for an Eprhain/Ephraim Mobley there or in any of the surrounding counties. I believe he may be the key to tracking down info on the additional slaves named in Edward Mobley’s 1839 will.

A copy of Edward Mobley’s will was filed in Dekalb County, GA. Maybe a copy of the Ephrain M Mobley will was also filed there, but I may never know for sure. Dekalb is a burned county; there were courthouse fires in 1842 and 1898. If my worst fears are realized, any evidence that would assist me in proving or disproving this “Miles” as my “Miles” went up in smoke many, many years ago in that 1842 fire. For all my research thus far, I am still Miles from Miles.

Share
Category: Daily Themes, Family History, John Wesley Taliaferro, Miles Taliaferro, Mobley, Richard Taliaferro, Slavery, Taliaferro  2 Comments  Tags: , , , , , , ,

Clueless

30
Aug 2009
By

Well, here I go; I am finally taking that leap into the world of genealogy blogs. I am Clueless. Over the past months I have come to see genealogy, African American Genealogy in particular, in a whole new light. Who knew all of you were out there, researching and blogging away…I was Clueless. But, I have been following many of you religiously over the past month or so with great interest and delight. Along with researching, reading genealogy blogs became a new favorite pastime. I have been inspired by your words, research techniques, knowledge, willingness to help others and, above all, your desire to tell the stories of your ancestors. Thanks to all of you who are out there sharing your journey. I want to say a special thanks to my “cousin” Luckie Daniels who unknowingly influenced my decision to take this next step in my research. I am totally addicted to your Our Georgia Roots! [NOTE: On 28 September 2012, this site is not active.]

Being the ultimate procrastinator I could keep putting this off until the end of time, easily. But, it’s time to move forward. September is my birthday month, and just around the corner so what better time is there to step out of my comfort zone, and try something new. It’s not the writing-I’m a paralegal and spend about 90 percent of my day writing so I’m fairly comfortable with pen in hand so to speak. It’s not the sharing-I enjoy taking about my research, exchanging research tips, and sharing with others if I have information they can use. It’s the public aspect-I am no longer quietly lurking in the background throwing in my 0.02 worth every now and then. That was comfortable, and easy. Also, I tend to keep most of the thoughts about my research in my head-not a very good place to be lately, and I know I should write more of it down. However, I had not intended to do it in such a public manner. But, here I am; ready, willing, and able, but Clueless.

I was just as Clueless about my Taliaferro roots when I began researching in 2003. I know more now than I knew then, but there is still much to discover and many more brick walls to break through. I am not as Clueless as I once was, but I am more eager than before to know who “my” Taliaferros were because…..

I Never Knew My Father.
Share
Category: Family History  7 Comments  Tags: ,
Next Entries »