Rockdale County GaArchives History .....Rockdale County Genealogical Society-Newsletter August 2004
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Larry C. Knowles http://www.genrecords.net/emailregistry/vols/00012.html#0002854 March 16, 2009, 8:02 pm


JEANS & GENES

Rockdale County Genealogical Society Publication-August 2004
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Future Meetings

Bertha Little will speak at the August meeting on “Early Colonial
Georgia”.

David Lineweber will present a program at the September meeting on
Civil War music.

Martha Brown will speak in October on ships that were used by immigrants.

The November meeting will be the annual anniversary celebration with
refreshments.
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Library Visitors Provide Info

Serena Baxter, 3435 Concord Corner, Conyers, Ga., 30013. Researching
Monroe, Walton County.

Dianne Jidon? and Angie Wheeler, Covington and Loganville, Ga. Researching
Peeks and Almands.

Heidi Brumbelow, 2172 Hi Roc Cir., Conyers, Ga. Researching Whelton
and Arthur Long.

Philip & Marjore W. Gerdine, Greenwich, Ct., 06831. Researching Wells,
Gerdine, Hull, and Blankenship.

Cedrec Foster, Brandon Glen Apts., Conyers, Ga. 30012. No names given.

Gary Saxton, Briarwood Cir., Conyers, Ga. Researching Saxton in Michigan
and Pennsylvania. John Saxton born in 1806 in Northernlands, Pa.

R. G. Mitchell, Conyers, Ga. Researching Mitchell.

Annette Huckabee, 11 Whitetail Court., Williston, SC, 29853. Researching
Mitchell, Rowan, Thurman, Parker.

Donald Freeman, 113 South Broad St., Bowman, Ga. 30623-1939. Researching
Rogers Family.

Russell V. Cole, Jr., 4105 Lear Shore Dr., Covington, Ga. 30014. Comment:
Nice to do genelogy. Very peacesfull.

Paula Franklin, 1430 Hillside Rd., Monroe, Ga. 30656. Researching
Franklin, Wilson, and Yarbrough families.

Sandra Griffin Findley, 4709 Grainary Ave., Tampa, FL. 33624. Searching
for Warren Sidney or Sidney Warren Griffin.

Don Joiner, 2585 Highland Dr., Conyers, Ga. 30013. Researching pre
civil war Georgia churches.

Ethel Joiner, Conyers, Ga. No names given.

Amber Knipper, 131 A. Irish Lane, Millegeville, Ga. 31061. Researching
Hancock County.

Debbie Tarr?, 3395 Squire Lane, Conyers, Ga. 30094. Researching Greer
or Grier in North Georgia.
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Debra Manget, Library Director, Details Plans for Library

Debra Manget, the Nancy Guinn Memorial Library Director, met with
the Board of Directors before the June meeting. She outlined the forthcoming
plans for the Library. She reported that Tom Mayfield had left the
library a sum of money which would be used to purchase new books and
other items for the library. One such item would be video DVD’s. She
also indicated that plans were underway to provide better security
for the special collections room. We can expect in the near future
to have limited access to the special collections room. This means
that when this procedure is implemented each person will have to request
permission to enter.

As we understand it, there will be a lock with a buzzer. The button
at the counter will be pushed to allow someone to enter. This is a
needed step. There have been instances of petty theft from the collection.
There also have been instances of vandalism. Hopefully, those of us
who wish to use the collection of books and materials will not be
inconvenienced.
______________________________________________________________________


Robert Davis Spoke On Civil War Research

Those of you who missed the July meeting did not get to hear the talk
of Robert S. Davis, Jr. about “Researching Your Confederate Ancestor”.
As could be expected, the professor from Wallace State Community College
was equal to the task of laying out all the sources and methods of
undertaking research on the 1860s conflict. He passed out an invaluable
eight-page booklet which you will want. We will try to save a copy
so that additional photocopies can be made for anyone wanting one.

Mr. Davis went into some detail regarding the importance of obtaining
the compiled service records of the Civil War Soldier. An interesting
comment which he made was that, from the standpoint of the Confederate
Soldier, the compiled service records were more complete and better
organized than the Union Soldier records. The reason he gave for this
was that the Union records were worked first before they really knew
what they were doing. The Confederate records were held until the
Union records were completed before they were worked. The consequence
was that they knew how to go about it when they began working on the
Confederate records.

Mr. Davis’ talk was probably the most knowledgeable on researching
the Civil War which we have been fortunate to receive. The
Civil War, or the War Between the States, if you prefer, did one thing
that benefits the genealogist: It created a great deal of records
from which a genealogist can hopefully find his ancestral footprints.
______________________________________________________________


Civil War Research

The battles and travel of a Confederate unit can be determined to
a large degree by studying the individual accounts as indicated for
the company in the “Roster of the Confederate Soldiers of Georgia”
which was compiled by Lillian Henderson for the State of Georgia while
she was Director of the Confederate Pension and Record Department.
Volumes 1 to 6 are on the shelves as the Nancy Guinn Memorial Library
at: GA R 973.7458 along with an index in a separate volume.

The soldiers from the Conyers area enlisted primarily in the Newton
Rifles and are shown in the muster roll of Company B 18th Regiment
Georgia Volunteer Infrantry of the Army of Northern Virginia. Although
some individuals from the Conyers vicinity may have enlisted in other
units, this unit was the one which held the biggest number of men
from the area.

The Company is listed in Volume two from page 624 through page 635.
The first name is that of Joseph A. Stewart who was elected Captain
on April 30, 1861. His record shows him wounded at Chancellorsville,
Va. on May 3, 1863. We know, therefore, that the company was in the
battle of Chancellorsville on May 3, 1863. The battles in which the
company participated before this and subsequent to it can be noted
by studying each man’s record for mention of wounds received or record
of being captured. Deaths are noted as well. Many of the men served
throughout the war and were present at the end when Lee surrendered
at Appomattox Courthouse on April 9, 1865.

A history for the company can be devised from the individual records
by following the dates of the events as they happened. If you are
so inclined, you can pinpoint the locations of the battles and the
camps in “The Official Military Atlas of the Civil War” which is in
the library at: R 973.7 UNI. This is shelved just outside the special
collections room. Incidentally, this book was donated to the Nancy
Guinn Library by the Dekalb-Rockdale-Newton Regional Library Board
in memory of A. R. Barksdale.
_________________________________________________________________


Researching Welch Names

Those of you who may want to research Welch ancestors beyond the
immigrant ancestor should be aware of a potential problem. The Welch
used double names such as James James or Thomas Thomas. Try to create
an index when you have to deal with this. You can see what you are
faced with. Tracing a single family can be a major problem. Then there
is the “ap” thing. Ap was used to denote son of as in Hugh ap Thomas.
This means Hugh son of Thomas. Thomas is a given name not a surname.
Use of only given names can stretch back several generations. You
may find Hugh ap Thomas ap John ap James ap David ap Evan. The real
problem begins when the surname is adopted. It may change entirely
from that which you would expect. The sons of John ap Thomas may take
the surname of Jones (from the given name John) rather than the surname
Thomas. This is a rare example not found too often.

Fortunately, once in America, these practices were dropped from use.
It is usually only a problem with the immigrant generation. There
is no other similar practice anywhere in the world. Thanks for that.
___________________________________________________________________


Calendar Change In 1700s

One of the problems in researching records in the 1700s is the change
in the calendar that was instituted in 1752. Until that time in America,
the Julian Calendar was in use. Although the Gregorian Calendar was
adopted in 1582, it was 1752 before the change was universally accepted.

If you see a date that has two years, i.e. 1722/1723, the double year
indicates that old calendar was in use. Under the old Julian Calendar,
the first month of the year was March. The year began on March 25th.
March was the first month and February was the 12th. This is a problem
when an event occurred in the months of January, February or up to
March 25th, for then the date is given as 1748/1749 for example. Some
records may have the month written as numbers, i.e. 19th da 6th mo
1748 for August 19, 1748. Why 6th month? Under the old Julian Calendar,
August was the 6th month and not the 8th as is accepted now.
___________________________________________________________________


Odom Library Family Tree Publication

The Ellen Payne Odom Genealogy Library which is located in Moultrie,
Georgia, publishes a newspaper called “The Family Tree”. It covers
the world of Scottish genealogy. The library itself is a depository
for Scottish genealogy recognized around the world. The publication
comes out bimonthly. It is supported by advertising and contributions.
The advertising rates are kept low to allow small businesses access
to the medium. The newspaper is distributed free of charge; however,
due to rising postage, contributions are increasingly important to
keep the paper afloat. Contributors are called “Postage Heroes”. You
can become a “Postage Hero” and a subscriber by sending $6.00 to The
Family Tree, P. O. Box 2828, Mourtrie, Ga. 31776-2828.

The Odom Library also has an on-line version. You can subscribe to
it at:

http://www.electricscotland.com/maillist.htm


If you do subscribe to the on-line version, you do not want to also
be on the printed version mail list. If you are already on the mail
list, you should send your name and address so that it can be deleted
from the list.

Ed: We haven't seen a printed copy in quite a while. You may only
be able to access this publication on-line at this time. They were
having problems funding the printing as noted in the paper itself.
__________________________________________________________________


Planning For Your Records Disposal

The following item was printed in the Moultry County Historical and
Genealogical Society Quarterly, October, 2003.

It would be prudent to discuss this with your attorney or estate planning
agent in advance. You will have to make changes to fit your particular
needs, but this is a good beginning.

A Genealogical Codicil to my Last Will & Testament: To my Spouse,
Children or Guardian: Upon my demise it is requested that you DO NOT
dispose of any or all of my genealogical records, books, files, notebooks
or computer programs for a period of two years. During this time period,
please attempt to identify one or more persons who would be willing
to take custody of the said materials and the responsibility of maintaining
and continuing the family histories. In the event you do not find
anyone to accept these materials, please contact the various genealogical
organizations that I have been a member of and determine if they will
accept some parts or all of my genealogical materials. Please remember
that my genealogical endeavors consumed a great deal of time, travel
and requests. Signed and dated by: Witnessed and dated by: Witnessed
and dated by:

Thanks to Questing Heirs Genealogical Society Newsletter, Questing
Heirs Genealogical Society, Inc., P. O. Box 15102, Long Beach, CA
90815-0102.

(Ed. It might be just as prudent to place photocopies of the important
parts of your research with your organization of affiliation which
will allow them to be used by other researchers.)
____________________________________________________________________


JEANS & GENES is a publication of the Rockdale County Genealogical Society.
% Nancy Guinn Library, 864 Green St. SW, Conyers, Ga. 30012

President: Bill Freese
V. President: Judy Bond
Treasurer: Jackie Smith
Secretary: Bertha Little
Program Cochairman: Gerre Byrd
Norma Owens
Newsletter Editor: Marion T. Farmer
1500 A. Pine Log Rd NE
Conyers, GA. 30012
mtf@mindspring.com
http://mtf.home.mindspring.com 
_______________________________________________


Additional comments:  

This back issue of the Rockdale County Genealogical Society newsletter has 
been copied with permission from the personal website of editor, Marion 
Farmer, as his website is nearing capacity. For simplicity the few photos or 
graphics have not been included here. Websites previously linked from Marion’s 
site will not be operative here. Sites that are still active may be found by 
entering their listed URLs. 


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