[battyboy12]

I just made a potential breakthrough in my genealogy research. Some of it is some of the same I posted before but please bear with me- I might have found my connection to the Stewart family. Below is a recap of it so far:

My Morris family of Powhatan county, Virginia, is connected somehow to a Saponi descendants’ Stewart family who also living there. I am in contact with this descendant and her ancestors was John Peaterson Steward {born 1757 in VA} who married Dinah Stewart in 1778 in Virginia and later married Frances Dungey in 1797 on April 20 1797. He had children with both of them, as well a daughter named Sussannah Dungey with an unconfirmed spouse. The marriage of Frances Dungey and John P. Stewarts’ line is through her descent comes from. I match this descendant genetically at the 4th to 5th cousin level. However, she is much older than me, so there’s a give or take a couple generations difference.

My ancestor is Virginia/Jenny/Jane Morris, and it appears she never married. She was the daughter of Edward and Rosanna “Rose” Morris. She owned the land she lived on, was a free person of color who was born in Virginia around 1795 and lived in Jefferson, Powhatan, Virginia in 1840. Her son Edward “ned” Morris was my ancestor and was born around 1830 in January. He married a woman named Lucy from Amelia county, Virginia and their descendants became my Morris line. Somehow my Morris line is connected to the Stewarts. However, Ned’s father is unknown- but tonight I may have found a clue.

There was a Billy Stewart living in household number 152 in My District, Powhatan County, VA in 1850. Jane Morris live in household number 401 at that time. Billy Stewart was also a free person of color. According to the 1850 Census he was born ca. 1795 in Fauquier County, VA. His wife Lucinda was born ca. 1800 in Amelia County, VA. Billy Stewart was a wagoner (he made wagons). Billy Stewart lived in Richmond, VA during the years 1820 and 1830. His whereabouts in 1840 are unknown. Another free person of color, Peyton Stewart, lived near Billy Stewart in Richmond, VA in 1830. Peyton Stewart lived in Petersburg, VA in 1840.

I don’t know if these Stewarts are related to the Stewart family I mentioned above, though. Seeing how they are both Free families of color with the same surname within the same county, it seems probable. Billy Stewart seems to be about the right age to be Ned’s father, however. Does any of this seem logical? And does anyone have any information they’d like to share, that would be most welcome.

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