Greetings from a newbie. Since I started working with the family lines over
20 years ago, I've dug myself into a hole--a deep one! Maybe one of you can
toss me a rope.
All this recent talk about Henry has renewed my concern that my work
(especially my early research) is full of error. Much I have pulled
together has been built on speculation. While I realize that some of it may
never get grounded in truth, I'd like to try.
I know that my g-g-grandfather Layne Cartmill is the son of James Madison
Cartmill and wife Matilda or Orpha. This is more than lore. I am sure that
this James M. (he went by "Mat") is the same James M. who is the son of
Thomas Cartmill and Nancy Cumpton in Thomas's will. That matches family
tradition.
My biggest problems are around "Mat" and his father. I never have found any
mention of James M. "Mat" dying. I thought until 2 months ago that he had
just fallen off the face of the earth until I accidently found in him a
census which had a faulty index (which index I had read repeatedly over the
years and dismissed because he wasn't in it--BEWARE, FELLOW RESEARCHERS!!!)
Now I know he lived until that census, but can't find him afterward, nor can
I find any record of death (KY was notoriously late arriving at the notion
that such things ought to be recorded).
And his father, Thomas. He's a real problem. I know he lived in Cabell
Co., VA (later Wayne Co. WV)--I even know where his property was--but I
don't know where he came from, exactly. He was for some time in Tazewell
Co., VA, but so were others (and Botetourt...and elsewhere). I can't sort
out who's who. I am relatively sure that he was the son of James Cartmill,
but that's a shot in the dark too, I fear. It seems our revered family held
pretty strictly to about 8 names for all their male children. It's getting
stickier the more I read my notes. And then the entries in this list are
becoming more and more solid...making my ideas look more and more shaky.
HELP!!!!!!!!!
Does anyone have information on this family line? I'd love to hear from any
of you (on or off list). Below is what I know:
GEN 1:
Thomas Cartmill, born in VA ca 1775, died in (Cabell) VA in 1835, married
Nancy Cumpton 30 Dec. 1802 in (Tazewell) VA (born ca. 1780, daughter of John
Cumpton and Eleanora Loflin). [My conjecture was that Thomas was son of
James (b. VA 1745, d. (Tazewell) VA in 1806--was in Ct. Recs in Botetourt
Co. VA 1773-88; listed as Tazewell Co. VA Rev. Soldier resident;). I
theorized that Thomas and James Jr. (b. VA ca. 1770) were brothers. James
Sr. definitely had a brother John, b. VA 1745, and possibly brothers Thomas
1750 and Henry 1754--again, conjecture--that the 4 were sons of Thomas, b.
NJ or DE ca. 1720, d. 1780, son of Nathaniel II?]
Thomas and Nancy came to present (Wayne) WV ca. 1810 (then Cabell Co., where
he was a County Clerk) and had 10 children that I know of (some of whom I
have occasionally seen ref'd. elsewhere):
GEN 2:
1. Margaret, born 1803; never married, I am told. She res. with Thomas
as his "consort" after her mother died (per his will)
2. Jane, born 1806, md. Strother McClure 7 Aug 1828; had a daughter
Corilda Jane McClure, b. 1829, d. (Lawrence) KY 1 Ap 1874.
3. Eleanore, born 1807, married Willis Fields 27 Jan 1830
4. Mariah, b. 1809, married David Chapman 22 Mar 1829 (had 6 children)
5. James Madison, b. 1811 (Cabell)VA; md. 1) Matilda (b. Tazewell/Logan) VA
and 2) Orpha. SEE GEN 3 below for children
6. Thomas Jr., b. 1814, married Minerva Miller 26 Feb. 1847 (7 chldren)
7. Alexander, b. 1816
8. Rebecca, b. 1818
9. George, b. (Cabell) VA 1822, md. Maria I. Hoobler, 23 Sep 1852 (2 ch)
10. John, b. (Cabell) VA 1824, md. 1)Frances Perdu, and 2) Lucinda Swanson?
(7 ch.)
GEN 3 (Children of James M."Mat" Cartmill):
1. Rebecca? b. 1839
2. Layne, b. (Lawrence) KY or (Cabell)VA Jan. 1842; d. (Lawrence)KY 1905,
md. 1) Elizabeth FRanklin (d/o Joseph and Susanna (Fraley) Franklin)
18 Sep 1872; and 2) Mary Franklin (Elizabeth's sister) 6 Sep 1879.
5 children: James (S.), Marinda, Frances, Orpha, Florence
(James is my g-grandfather)
3. Iona Jane, b. (Cabell) VA 1846, d. 4 June 1853
4. William, b. (Lwarence) KY 9 Dec 1849, d. (Lawrence) KY 4 Ap 1918, md.
Susanna Cox 2 Mar 1872 (5 children)
[I think these 4 were children of Matilda, and rest children of Orpha]
5. Hiram P., b. 1852, md. Mary Ann Wallace 20 June 1874 (3 ch.)
6. Thomas, b. (Wayne) VA 24 Mar. 1855, md. Cynthia Alice Kinner 14 Nov.
1887. (1 son)
7. Mary A., b. (Wayne)VA 22 Mar 1859
8. Missouri Bell, b. (Wayne) VA Mar. 1860, d. 10 Oct. 1860
I have details on most of these people, except as noted. Will be glad to
share this mess with anyone interested.
Thanks with hope and expectation,
David
David & Jayne Chafin