Susan:
You bet!! I recently joined Chaffin-L after I learned that my 4th great
grandmother's name may have been Chaffin. Ii was reviewing messages in
the Chaffin-L Archives when I noticed the name Puckett on someone's
posting. Must have been yours.
I'll try to be brief (which isn't always easy in order to get enough info
out there), but sometimes is saves a lot messages and time (I hope!).
My Mother's two maternal lines, both direct down to her (Faulkner) and
her mother (Daniel), are (surprise, surprise) Daniel and Faulkner, and
both the Chaffin and Puckett names are collateral to the Daniels.
Documented: Thomas Daniel, b. Aug. 12, 1786, GA. (big brick wall as to
parents). Married 1807 in Clarke Co., GA to Martha "Patsy" Smith, born
1785, NC. The minister was a William (can't decipher middle initial)
Smith. Martha's sister Hannah Smith was married several years earlier to
a James Lovvorn. Both of these marriages were listed in a
Daniel/Camp/Lovvorn Bible of which I have a photocopy made some 45 years
ago by my Mother during her research. On this Bible page was the death
date of 1829 for William Smith, their father, and, I think, the minister
who married Thomas and Martha. This point is a supposition based on a
number of the surrounding collaterals moving to GA from NC in the time
frame of prox 1780 to prox 1790, including Lovvorn/Loving, Smith,
Almand/Almond, Puckett, David, Camp, Ussery -- all found on the First
(1784-87) Census of Surry and Montgomery Cos. of NC (except the Camps).
Following up on a message on the Daniel-L List on which I am very active,
I learned from another researcher that Martha Smith Daniel's mother's
name was believed to be Chaffin, FNU, from probably NC like husband
William Smith. It will be a week or so before I can get back to the
Dallas Library (which has an extensive Genealogy Dept) to check out more
on the censuses
On the Faulkner side, John Faulkner, b. 1750, NC, m. Sarah Tinsley, b.
1756, VA, and they had a large plantation (also documented) in Surry Co.,
NC and the Lovvorns, Smiths, Merediths, Dillards and Vernons of the same
NC area end up by the late 1790s in the same NE counties in GA.
Back to Thomas Daniel who died in 1852 in Newton Co., GA (formerly part
of Henry Co., formerly part of the Creek cession of 1821). He died
intestate, but had a sizable estate, and ALL of the above collateral
names of BOTH the Daniel and Faulkner lines appeared as purchasers at
the sale of his personal effects. It took eight years to close the
estate, apparently because it took a while to collect on all the Notes
and receivables due him (quite a few from some of the above collateral
names). My mother knew some 40 years that he had been in a partnership,
but couldn't figure what business he was in. In studying all the estate
papers, and knowing that Covington, GA was in big-time cotton country
during that time up to after 1900 (and was on the railroad), I think he
was a cotton broker.
Thomas and Martha had four children: Leah, b. 1805, Eli, b.1809, GA.,
William Berry, b. 1813, GA. and Seaborn John, b. 1819 GA. Leah was born
before the marriage, and we believe Martha may have been a young
"Lovvorn" widow with a child, although Leah always used the name
Daniel (m. first to William Louis Camp, 6 children b. AL, then after his
death to a Mr. Stewart in GA), and shared equally with the three boys in
the estate. Seaborn John is my direct, and he married Nancy Jane Almand
(parents from NC, see above collateral names). First son Eli Daniel
married Milbra PUCKETT, they had six children in GA, moved to Randolph
Co., AL, had six more. There was, I think, another Daniel/Puckett
marriage down the line, and I think I saw a Camp/Puckett marriage
somewhere. I know one of Milbra Puckett's's sisters married another
collateral (this would be around 1830 or so)and I think, but not sure, it
was one of Nancy Jane Almand's brothers, seven or so of which were
ordained ministers like their father.
Some of Seaborn John Daniel and Nancy Jane Almand's sons came on to
Texas from GA around 1868, and my Daniel grandmother and my mother were
born here. Some of the Faulkner boys went onto AL and MS (mostly MS), and
one from MS came to TX in about 1904 or so on lumber business and
married my Daniel grandmother. Some of Eli's descendents also came to TX
late 1800s.
Anything about the possibility of Martha Smith's mother being a Chaffin,
or not, would be appreciated. And anything that rings a bell concerning
any of the other collaterals, documented or clue, also!!
Thanks for your time!!
Anne Wolff O'Brien
Richardson, TX
aobtx(a)juno.com