Changing focus, again

 When I started writing this blog 12 1/2 years ago, my intent was to write about all the ancestors I could locate on this side of the Atlantic, for both my husband and myself.  About two years ago, I had written about most of the ancestors I had found (some I had names and approximate dates for, and if that's all I knew, I didn't write about them).  So I turned to follow up posts, writing about the ancestor's family.  These are not detailed posts, but I try to at least identify the children, how long they lived, their spouse or spouses and the spouse's parents, and if something really jumped out at me, a fact or two about their life.  My interest was and is seeing how families intertwined, and also tying the family to specific incidents in the history of our country where possible.  I intend to continue with that goal in mind, at some point.

In the meantime, I'm going to write a few, or maybe more than a few, posts about the new ancestors I've found since beginning this post.  I have two new lines that go back several generations, and possibly another in husband's line.  However, I am keeping one aspect of the modified format-I'll be posting once a week, rather than the twice a week I started with.  

Friday's post will be a brief one, about the father of Lydia Goodenow Foster Corbett.  Thank you for continuing to glance at or read my posts, and stay tuned as we venture back into colonial times.   

The mostly untraced family of Moses Parish/Parrish

 Honestly, I thought this family would be relatively easy to trace.  Moses, after all, is a Revolutionary War veteran, likely a vet of Lord Dunmore's War earlier, and probably of the French and Indian War, also.  Wouldn't you think his name, and those of his descendants, would be plastered all over the records?  Well, if they are, I have not yet located enough to allow me to trace his family.  

Moses was born about 1737 in Goochland County, Virginia, the son of Humphrey and Mary (possibly Hamilton, possibly Walker, possibly not yet known for sure) Parish or Parrish.  He first married Sarah Martin, who was the mother of Billie (possibly William), born in 1759.  William may have married Frances Lett.  I found a William Parish who had 5 females under the age of 10 in his household in 1810, but the age is not quite correct for William.  There is also a William Parish in Giles County, Virginia who fits his believed age, and whose children would seem to fit an expected age range.  I have not researched this further so there is work to do here.

After Sarah's death, Moses married Mary Hill, whose parents are still unknown.  I have been looking at John Hill Jr and Tabitha Bailey as possible parents, but have found nothing concrete yet.  All I can say is they appear to be the right age, in the expected location, and Moses named one of his daughters Tabitha (Tabath).  Moses and Mary had at least five children together.

Sukey/Susanna was the first daughter, born in 1764.  She married John Adams or Addams, the son of George and Agnes Harris Adams.  Their children are Lucy, Margaret, Overton, John, Mary known as Polly, James, Austin, Thomas, William, Patsy, and Susanna.  Sukey died in 1846 in Garrard County, Kentucky.

Frankie, possibly Francis, a daughter, was born in 1767.  That is all that I have been able to learn about her.  

Mathew was born in 1769 and died in 1815 in Alabama Heights, Alabama.  His wife is Margaret Lawler.  Again, that is as much as I have been able to learn to date.  

Nicholas was born in 1771 and possibly died in 1833 in Panola, Texas.  Of course I am not sure that this is the same Nicholas Parish, but it is at least something to further research.

Finally, Tabath or Tabitha was born in 1773.  She married James Allen, the son of James and Sarah Croudas/Crowder Allen.  Their children are William, James, Isaac, Eliza, John, Moses and Archibald.  I have located her in the 1850 census in Mercer County, Kentucky, but I have not located a death date for her.  I have written of the children of James and Tabitha in an earlier post.

I would love to have one of Moses's descendants prove his service and get him listed in the DAR database. He deserves no less.   

 

   

The family of Humphrey Parrish 1705 ish-1773

 Humphrey Parrish is likely the son of Humphrey Parrish 1680-1743, although some family historians seem to think the two are uncle and nephew.  I'm still showing Humphrey and Mary as his parents on my tree, until proven otherwise.  His wife is still unproven to my satisfaction, although there are countless trees showing her as Mary Morton Hamilton.  I don't know where the "Morton" would have come from, and I'm not sure she was a Hamilton.  His will does refer to his wife as Mary, so I'm at least somewhat comfortable with that as a first name.  (Yes, she could be from a second marriage, but there's no indication that's so.  It's just a reason to keep our antennae alert when working with this family.)

Humphrey and Mary seem to have had at least seven children.  The first was David, born about 1725 and died in Goochland County after 1779.  His wife's first name may be Juda, but this does not seem to be the David Parrish who married Judith Holland and died in Granville, North Carolina.  David's children are Martha, Betty, David, Sabra, Susanna, Claiborn, Booker, Sally, Judy, and Ann.  (Note: Some of these, especially Claiborn, are just as likely to belong to David Parrish of North Carolina.)

Humphrey was born about 1730 and died in 1823.  He married Elizabeth Layne or Lane, the daughter of John and Elizabeth Harris Lane.  They are said to have had 10 children, but I could locate names for just four-Constance, Sarah, Humphrey, and Mary.  I believe it was a later Humphrey who married Mary Ann Rain, perhaps the child Humphrey mention above.   

Ursula was born in 1732 and died in 1801, although I have not determined her location at the time of her death.  She married William Rutherford, whose parents are still unknown.  Their children are Susannah, Julius, Ursula, Benjamin, David, Joseph, Randolph, John, Thomas, Absalom, and John.  

Joel was born in 1737 and died in 1816 in Louisa County, Virginia.  He married Elizabeth Hill, but I am not at all sure who her parents are.  Joel's marriage is listed as having occurred in Goochland County, but the Elizabeth Hill references I am finding are from Massachusetts (James and Esther Turner Hill.)  I would like to get this figured out, for reasons I will mention in my next paragraph. Joel and Elizabeth's children are Nathaniel, Elizabeth, Nansie, Joel, Samuel, and Parks.  

Moses was born "about" 1737, possibly 1739 or 40, and married Mary Hill.  I have often wondered whether Elizabeth and Mary are related, which seems at least possible, and that enhances my interest in determining the parents of each of these women.  He died after September 30, 1832, probably in Goochland County.  His children are Nicholas, William, Tabath (Tabitha), Matthew, Frankie, Francis (it's possible these are one and the same but it appears one is male and one is female), and Sukey.  I will follow this family in my next blog post, but want to mention here that Moses served at least a three year term of enlistment in the Revolutionary War, and may be the Moses Parrish who served in the French and Indian war earlier, receiving 50 acres of land on Fincastle County (Kentucky) for that service.

Aaron was born about 1742.  I've found conflicting dates for his death-before Jan 10 1785 and after 1820.  He married Sarah Barnes, whose parentage is still uncertain.  Their children are Mary, Sarah known as Sally, Charity, Elizabeth, Martha, Carter, Turner, Nancy, Lucky, Jacky, and Robert.   He is listed as a patriot in the Revolutionary War.

Bookere was born in 1745 and died in 1822.  He married Constance Massie, the daughter of David and Ann Holland Massie.  Their children are Anne, David, Booker, Margaret, Susanna, Constance, George, Mary, and Catherine.

Humphrey is a slave holder, passing "ownership" to several children in his will.  That indicates that he was not dirt poor, so it's hard to accept that there seems to be so little verifiable information about his family.  More research needs to be done, but we can see enough to know that his family helped America achieve freedom, and for that, we are grateful. 

 

The family of Humphrey Parrish 1668 ish to 1743

I'm writing this post with trepidation that part of this post may be incomplete or even worse, incorrect.  I'm also disappointed that I have not yet been able to determine the parents of Humphrey, nor his wife's name. I am leaning toward the idea that Humphrey was not the one born in Anne Arundel County, Maryland, but that his roots are deeper in Virginia.  We know that he died in 1743 in Goochland County, Virginia, and there are other Parrish families in the area prior to that.  His wife is just as much of a mystery.  He may or may not have married Mary Walker, the daughter of John Walker, and if he did marry her, she may or may not be his second wife.  Others seem convinced, but for me, the jury is still out.

Likewise, it is not certain, at least not in my eyes, how many children Humphrey fathered.  There are four children I feel (perhaps unwisely) confident about, and various others that I have seen in lists with no documentation.  

John has various birthdates from 1691 to 1699, which would indicate that Humphrey may have been married by 1691.  His first wife may or may not be Mary or Margaret Harrison, and his second wife may be Judith Mosely, although I tend to think she married a different John Parrish.  At any rate, John's children are Joseph, Briscoe, Brissie, William, Charles, John, James, William, David, and Sarah.  

Jane or Ann was born in 1698 and died in New Kent, Virginia in 1743.  She married John Cross, and their children are Eliax, Judith, William, Hanne, Parrish, and Jane.  She may then have married Francis Hardyman, and had Martha and James with him.  I have seen many trees that say she died in Barren County, Kentucky, but the death date would seem to preclude that as Kentucky wasn't a state until 1792 and there was very little settlement anywhere in Kentucky prior to 1775.  

Henry was born in 1701 and may have died in 1753.  His wife was Mary Margaret, possibly Atkinson.  His children are Mary, Jerusha, Henry, Ruth, Nancy, Mourning, Sarah Ann, Solomon, Elizabeth, and Mary.  

Humphrey was born in 1705 and died in 1773 in Goochland County, Virginia.  His wife may be Mary Morton or Mary Hamilton.  His children are Humphrey, Ursula, Joel, Aaron, and Booker.  I will try to follow this family in my next blog post.

Other names I have seen include Thomas, Mary, Jane (who may or may not be the same person born in 1698), Elizabeth, and David.  The only one I could trace from these names is David.  He died about 1800 in Granville, North Carolina and had children John, David, Clayton, Booker, Susanna, Tabath, Ann, Betsy, and Sarah.  However, his birth date is shown as 1720 and that would make a large gap in ages, unless the first wife had died and Humphrey did marry again.  

Once again, this is a post of more speculation and more unanswered questions than I would like.  I hope someone will see this and realize that they can add more dates and more documents to the story of this family, who are important in our Allen family line.