- This topic has 10 voices and 41 replies.
-
Posts
-
Warm greetings, everyone!
I am a newbie, and this is my first post.
I very happily stumbled upon this site while researching my ancestors, and have already learned a great deal from reading past messages. I am writing this in the hopes that someone may be able to provide me with some additional information of whatever kind. Any comments would be most welcome, as I have found that sometimes the smallest clue may help to lead to a greater understanding of the whole.
What initially caught my eye was the fact that I have seen the surname CORN mentioned a number of times here. I have CORNs in my past, as well as old family stories (bless them) that allude to Native American ancestors. Anyway, here is what I know for sure:
George Corn abt 1750-1833 (the Patrick County, VA, George, who later moved to Ohio)
in 1776/7 married Elizabeth LADD b. abt 1746
It is from one of their children, Millie CORN, b 1786, that my line descends:
Millie CORN married William Hollingsworth on May 23, 1812;
one of their children, Elizabeth b. abt 1828, married William Martin, b. abt 1818
one of their children, Susan Martin, b. 1849 was my gr-gr-grandmother from whom these family stories have originated.
I know there is a John Adam Corn, b. abt 1726, wife’s name Molley, who is often named as George’s father, but I have also seen a Matthew Corn listed as his father. I’m inclined to believe John Adam was the father, since the name Molley is given as the mother of Jesse Corn, Sr. (George’s brother) on a Revolutionary War pension statement.
As for the family story, it goes something like this: Susan Martin was supposed to have been the grand-daughter, or gr-grand-daughter of a “full-blooded Indian”. Depending on who was telling this story, the tribe was either Seminole, Crow, Choctaw, or Blackfoot.
Now, I’ve noticed elsewhere on this site, that the Saponi were sometimes referred to as “Blackfeet”, so perhaps that part of the story – such as it was – was true.
Boy, I hope I’m not getting too long-winded here, but I’d like to close by requesting info on any aspect of the material I’ve provided. Anything, any facts or insights at all, would be most appreciated.
Welcome Art!
In addition to searching Corn here, there is a website..link here, which maybe you’ve seen before but if not…..
http://members.cox.net/jessecorn/information.htm#SEARCH
My Allen line links to the Shelton, son Charles Madison Shelton married Mary Corn..there are many links here..a well done site with lots of references. Sue J
Thanks for the info, Sue!
It was an excellent site. I especially enjoyed the old photos. Things like that are priceless.
From which Corn does your Mary descend?
Most of the people I listed above, BTW, lived in Patrick and Henry Counties, VA. Susan Martin married Alfred Moxley – from just across the border in Rockingham County, NC, in 1871, and they later moved to Missouri.
Art,
I’m backwards.
It’s Charles Madison Allen who married Mary Corn daughter of John A Corn and Elizabeth Adams..John borrn 12-12-1789, son of Samuel Corn. John born Henry co and died in Patrick co Va.
Elizabeth Allen, daughter of Coleman Anderson Allen, married Thomas Shelton and they had Charles Madison Shelton who married Nelia Frances Napier.
A son of elizabeth and Thomas Shelton, Peter Tobe Shelton married
1. Mary B Napier and
2. Tinsa Hazelwood.
A search for Corn brings up a Corn/Allen post and another Shelton post. Among others. Glad you enjoyed that link. Sue J
I too am new to this site. My family also descends from one of the 4 Corn brothers (George, John Peter, Jesse & Samuel) that started out in Albemarle Co, VA, then to Henry Co (later split off Patrick Co), VA. I have a simple question although there may not be a simple answer. Does anyone know if there is a list of Corn ancestors who have been definitely identified as being Occaneechi? And, if so, where can I find that list?
I don’t know if there are Corns noted as Occoneechee. I don’t believe there are any surnames known specifically to be Occoneechee. By the time surnames were being noted, all the Piedmont Siouan had been dubbed generically Saponi by the English bureaucrats, so it’s hard to get specific.
I do know that Corn is one of the names that is noted, I’ve probably seen the entries, but I don’t recall what it was regarding. It’s also very special that you do have that name. There are only a half a dozen surnames that can be linked to tribal Saponi people, and Corn is one of them. And it gratifies me to see that your family stories mentioned Blackfoot origins. I believe I have seen that ID connected to all six of the original surnames.
It would be wonderful if your George Corn could be traced further back to that tribal Corn. Have you tried using the search feature on here? We may have that passage around here somewhere, or does anybody have it and could post it?
The Corn surname occurs early in the Occaneechi-Saponi community that moves from Greensville Co., Va. to the Alamance County area.
All of our Corns descend from Robert Brooks Corn, son of Robert Corn, who was in the French and Indian War. Robert Brooks Corn married a Jeffries, from one of the families that has substantial documentation of Siouan Indian ancestry. The actual ethnic background of Robert Corn is not known, although we have speculated that he was of mixed ancestry himself.
As far as I know, there is no documentation for the Corns being Indian, altho’ if someone has some I would love to see it.
Thanks to all for this terrific feedback.
BTW, does anyone know if there is any link to the two George Corns who lived in Virginia in the 1700s? “My” George lived first in Virginia, then moved briefly to North Carolina to be with his children, then moved permanently to Ohio. The other George took his family to Pennsylvania then to Kentucky. Off the top of my head, I think they were born about ten years, or so, apart. Probably not brothers, of course, but possibly uncle and nephew – although I have seen no documented link between them.
As a foot note, I might point out, too, that George married Elizabeth Ladd. I have come across some evidence that there was either Cherokee or Choctaw blood in at least some of the Ladd line.
Hi Art –
Actually there were 3 George Corn’s that came out of VA around the end of the 1700’s.
The George Corn you are talking about was born 1750 in Albemarle Co, VA, followed by his brothers John Peter, Jesse, and Samuel. These are the sons of either Matthew & Molly Corn or John Adam & Mary/Molly Corn depending on which side of that argument you want to take. After the Rev War, all the brothers married and, at slightly different times, moved to Henry Co, VA (which divided in 1791 into Patrick Co & Henry Co). The brothers all lived in what is now Patrick Co. Elizabeth Ladd died sometime in the early 1790’s and your George married Dolly Luttreal in 1794 (location unknown). In about 1795-97, John Peter moved his family to northern NC (Surry Co, then Wilkes Co). John Peter then moved his family to what was then Buncombe Co (now Henderson Co), NC in 1808.
Meanwhile (back at the ranch…) George & Dolly are having kids at an alarming rate until about 1808-10 when George gets the itch to travel again and he and 4 sons move to Ohio while Dolly and the rest of the children remain in Henry Co, VA. It appears that Dolly and the kids must have joined George in OH about 1812 as their last child is the only one born in OH and that is 1813.
Jesse and Samuel remain in Patrick Co, VA although eventually some of Samuels descendants head off for MO.
The other 2 George’s are father and son (sometimes referred to as Old George and Young George). They were living in what is now West Virginia (sorry, can’t remember the county right off hand). They moved to southwestern PA in about 1776. At that time, VA & PA wers squabbling over the land between them, both claiming it was theirs. It didn’t matter though. The George’s didn’t stay long (probably didn’t like the idea of people starting a war right in their neighborhood). Then moved southwest to KY. So they were already in KY (which VA also calimed) long before your George left Patrick Co.
And just to further confuse matters, most of the Corns seem to have favored John and George as christian names so there are a lot more George’s running around the country in the years following all this. In some cases, it is impossible to identify which George did what, when.
As far as I know, there is no evidence that these 2 Corn families were related or even knew about each other. Although it is a little hard to believe that they could live that close together (relatively speaking) and not hear anything about each other.
Don’t know whether this will help or muddy the waters even more.
Hey JMCorn, welcome to Saponi Town, I hope we are the folks that you are looking for, there is a great group to help as much as we can, sometimes colorfull and always interesting!
Welcome once again!
Forest,
1790 Wake Co., NC Census:
pg.104. Julus CORN, 3 Other free.
pg.106. Robert CORN, 4 Other free.
pg.106. Justin CORN, 3 Other free.
Register of Marriage Bonds of Greensville Co., Va, 1781-1808, pg.210:
Robert Brooks Corn and Ginsy Jeffers.
It’s “Ginnie” Jeffers on Virginia Marriage Records for their marriage on 26 March 1795 Greensville Co., Va; Drewry Gowings, Sec.
1800 Wake Co., NC Census, Hillsborough; pg.723 (unfortunately ‘alphabetized’ so we don’t know where they lived in relation to each other)
CORN, Julius; 7 Other free.
CORN, Robert; 1 Other free.
CORN, B. Robert; 4 Other free.
Index to NC Wills, pg.110:
CORN, Robert; Wake Co; 1816; Recorded Copy RB-13/47 (presumably ‘Record’ or ‘Registry Book 13, pg. 47)
…….
Bill
I just ran across this at
http://ftp.rootsweb.com/pub/usgenweb/oh/greene/vitals/deaths/dt243jeffries.txt
Greene County OhArchives Deaths…..Ada Jeffries January 3 1930
Name: Jeffries, Ada
Date Of Death: January 3 1930
Time:
Place Of Death: Cedarville, Ohio
Residence: Cedarville, Ohio
Gender: Female
Race: Ind
Age: 60
Marital Status: Married
Spouse: Jeffries, Levi
Date Of Birth: April 30 1869
Place Of Birth: Cedarville, Ohio
Mother’s Name: Powers, Ada
Mother’s Birthplace: Cedarville, Ohio
Father’s Name: Corn, Hugh
Father’s Birthplace: North Carolina
Cause Of Death: Unavailable
Hospital: Unavailable
SS Number: Unavailable
Occupation: Housewife
Funeral Home: McMillian Funeral
Doctor: Unavailable
Coroner: Unavailable
Informant: Unavailable
Date Of Burial: January 5 1930
Place Of Burial: Cedarville, Ohio
Date Recorded: January 3 1930
Does anyone know who this Hugh CORN’s parents were?
Hugh’s parents seems to be Anderson and Mary Corn. Here is their entry from the 1880 census (from the LDS web site):
Name Relation Marital Status Gender Race Age Birthplace Occupation Father’s Birthplace Mother’s Birthplace
Anderson CORN Self M Male MU 67 NC Farmer VA VA
Mary CORN Wife M Female MU 70 VA Invalid VA VA
Hugh CORN Son M Male MU 43 NC Farmer NC VA
Lizzie NILES Other W Female MU 37 OH House Keeper VA VA
Lincoln JEFFRYS Cousin S Male MU 19 IN Farm Laborer NC VA
Curtie NILES Other S Male MU 6 OH At Home — —
Burtie NILES Other S Male MU 6 OH At Home — —
Emma CORN DauL M Female MU 26 OH Keeping House OH OH
Ada Lee CORN GDau S Female MU 10 OH At School OH OH
Gertie May CORN GDau S Female MU 5M OH At Home OH OH
Eddie STUDIVANT Other Male MU 17 OH Invalid OH OH
Source Information:
Census Place Cedarville, Greene, Ohio
Family History Library Film 1255019
NA Film Number T9-1019
Page Number 248B
BTW, does anyone have dates (even approximatations) for Robert Corn?
Thanks Art. That all fits. Here is a copy of part of a posting on Ancestry.com written by Richard Hazel dated 24 Jul 2003.
“I am the tribal historian for the Occaneechi Indian Tribe here in Alamance Co., NC. Anderson Corn was the son of Robert Brooks Corn and Jinsy Jeffries….. Hugh’s Mother was a Guy woman, and he actually shows up in Alamance as Huigh Guy prior to moving to Greene Co, Ohio to be with his father. The Jeffries, Guy, and Corn families are all of mixed Indian descent from Southside Virginia ( at least, the ones that end up in Greene Co and are interconnected; there is an unrelated Corn family out there also).”
In response to your question about dates for Robert CORN, the following was copied from the History section of
http://www.occaneechi-saponi.org/
“Another important early family in Little Texas was that of Robert Brooks Corn, the son of Robert Corn, an Indian who was a veteran of both the French and Indian War and of the Revolutionary War. Robert Brooks Corn was married in 1795 in Greensville County to Jane Jeffries, moving about 1800 to Wake County, North Carolina with his father and their extended family. After his father’s death in 1816, Robert Brooks Corn moved his family to Little Texas, where three of his wife’s siblings, John, Drury and Littleton Jeffries, along with numerous cousins, were already established.”
- You must be logged in to reply to this topic.
