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Hi, I am new to researching geneology. At a family reunion this weekend I just learned that my great great grandfather Andrew Jackson Tarkington Sr (Jackey) born in Alabama in 1816 and died in Faulkner County Arkansas in 1906 married Jane Qualls who was born before 1828 in Virginia and died before 1907. She is said to be a Blackfoot Indian. My aunt did not even know her name but I did find the name in some family records. I am hoping that is the correct spelling. Jane was the mid-wife when Jackey’s first wife was giving birth. Sally Tipton died in labor and Jackey needed someone to raise his children, so he married Jane. I am not sure which children are Sally’s and which are Jane’s.
I really don’t know where to start researching. But my generation is interested in knowing our Indian ancestory. Can anyone point me in the right direction to find information?
Thanks,
Janet
Hi, Janet. Welcome.
On the 1870 census, Andrew J. Tarkington’s first wife is Jane, b.abt. 1828 Virginia., with children Felix, 15; Jane, 11; Andrew, 9; Almira, 6; and Elizabeth, 4.
His wife on the 1880 census was Sally J., b.abt. 1848 Tenn., with children Simon F., 3, son; Arizona, 1, dau; and Ates (?), 7, Andrew’s step-daughter, b.Tenn. This seems to indicate that Sally J. marr’d Andrew between 1873 and 1877 and had been previously marr’d.
The children from the first marriage are found spread out with relatives in 1880 Faulkner Co., Ark census.
Arizona Tarkington m’d Nelson COLE about 1896, and Andrew J. Tarkington, b.Aug 1813 Alabama, Widower, was living with them in 1900 Yell Co., Ark, Irons Creek Township (2nd county west of Faulkner). On earlier census records, this Andrew Tarkington’s age is listed as born in 1816 and 1815.
Faulkner Co was created in 1873 from Pulaski and Conway counties. The Qualls of Conway Co and the Tiptons of Pulaski Co are pretty much all mixed race people from Va, NC & Tenn, and several of them via Ky and Indiana as were several Tarkington families in Arkansas at that time.
Andrew J. Tarkington’s parents are listed as both born in NC per the 1880 Faulkner Co census.
Bill
Wow! Thanks so much Bill. How did you do that?
Do I need a special program to search records especially if I want to go back further than Andrew Sr in my family?
Janet
I use a couple of online subscribtion services – ancestry.com and genealogy.com – which have online census records. They can seem expensive if you’re not addicted to genealogy 🙂
At the moment, I don’t think I’ve exhausted all our resources, so will try to help you find some more info.
Per Bureau of Land Management Records, Andrew J. Tarkington first purchased land (320 acres) in Arkansas on 1 June, 1859. There were 4 or 5 other Tarkingtons who bought land in Arkansas within a year of that date and I’ve located some of them in 1850 census records.
You might want to try the (free) board at http://www.genforum.com for postings on the “Tarkington Family Genealogy”. Several names being searched for are your people, but as with all message boards it’s best to ask for the sources of their information before accepting much.
Bill
Janet,
I have good news and bad news.
Good: I have found records earlier than 1870 for the Qualls (earlier: Quarles, with Bouldlin/Bolling mixed in) and the Tarkingtons.
Bad: Based on the 1860 and 1850 Ark census, Qualls was probably not Jane’s maiden name and she must be Andrew J.’s 2nd wife, with Sally Tipton being his 3rd wife, but I’m still working on it.
Bill
Bill, thanks so much for your help. I looked at genforum.com and I am going to post there. I also found a geneology library here in Houston where I may be able to do some research as well.
So, looking at AJ’s wives, you don’t think there is Indian ancestory there?
Janet
I didn’t say that.
For the location and time period, I doubt they’re going to jump out and bite anyone. You’ve really just begun researching these lines and you’re only back a few generations. There were a lot of people on genforum in 2000 to 2002, descended from A. J., altho most didn’t know it, who had family stories of Indian descent.
(on the left hand side, just above the individual posts, there is a field “search this forum”….
type into that field “Qualls” or “Indian” or “Taulkington” (yes, misspelled), or “Tarkington” or “Conway” (the County) and/or each of them for different results to see my point….
I will say that these particular QUALLS/QUARLES people (which doesn’t solve the question of Jane’s maiden name or the name of A. J.’s 1st wife, yet) were BOLLING/BOULDEN descendants from S.W. Va. (Henry Co), from the line of Powhatan Bollin/Bolling (same as above), and that A. J. may have been born in Tenn, not Alabama, based only on a guess from what I see on the census record inconsistencies.
I’m still working on “Jane”, but she appears to have been an “Eliza Jane” (“Jane” seldom being a true “proper” Given name in that time period), and probably was either a CHAMBERS or a CHAMBERLAIN (or one is the same as the other) based on a particular naming pattern for both of these groups who lived close to the BOLLING/BOULDEN – QUARLES’s area in Henry Co., Va., later in Tenn & still later in Ark.
I’m still working on A. J.’s wives (wife # 1 & Jane), but bear in mind that the solution to this puzzle may only reside in a courthouse record not yet online, so a little patience is in order and I can’t guarantee that I can resolve the question but I’ll give it my best try.
Bill
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