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These are my ancestors that I am researching. The numbers are just my way of seeing the generation levels. As you will notice, my lines tie in together with a lot of the same families. My current project is finding my Moses Freeman’s parents so I can try and make a connection with someones Freeman line. It seems that many of my peoples names are relevant to the lists of eastern sioux. My line of Thackers, Nappers, Freemans, and LeMays all went to Gallia/Vinton county Ohio in the mid 1830’s. Number 1 is my recently deceased grandmother, number 2 is her parents and etc. I copied and pasted it to the board and it lost its formatting. Anyway, here it is. Any input is greatly appreciated.
Tahwey
5- David Thacker (1781-1860)
4- Holman Thacker (1816-1898)
5- Sally LeMay (1781- )
3- Joseph F. Thacker (1847-1932)
7- Peter (Pierre) Lemay (1680-1742)
6- John Lemay (1722-1785)
7- Sarah Turner ( – )
5- David LeMay (1779- )
7- Benjamin Branham Sr. ( – )
6- Anna Branham ( – )
9- Gilbert Gibson (1700-1764)
8- George Gibson (1730-1798)
9- Sarah Turner ( – )
7- Francis Gibson ( _ )
8- Susannah Unknown ( – )
4- Roxie Ann Napper (1814- )
9- Gilbert Gibson (1700-1764)
7- George Gibson (1730-1798)
9- Sarah Turner ( – )
6- William Gibson (1743-1823)
7- Susannah Unknown ( – )
5- Sarah Napper (1777- )
6- Mary Adams Napper ( – )
2- Lemuel Thacker (1881-1960)
4-Abraham Boring ( – )
3- Sarah A. Boring (1856-1912)
4-Marinda Denny( – )
1- Ethel May Thacker (1912-2009)
4- Moses Freeman (1795-1881)
3- William Freeman (1848-1929)
7- Peter (Pierre) Lemay (1680-1742)
6- John Lemay (1722-1785)
7- Sarah Turner ( – )
5- David LeMay (1779- )
7- Benjamin Branham Sr. ( – )
6- Anna Branham ( – )
7- Francis Gibson ( _ )
4- Peachy Ann Napper (1819-1896)
9- Gilbert Gibson (1700-1764)
7- George Gibson (1730-1798)
9- Sarah Turner ( – )
6- William Gibson (1743-1823)
7- Susannah Unknown ( – )
5- Sarah Napper (1777- )
6- Mary Adams Napper ( – )
2- Sadie Freeman (1881-1961)
7- Peter (Pierre) Lemay (1680-1742)
6- John Lemay (1722-1785)
7- Sarah Turner ( – )
5- David LeMay (1779- )
6- Anna Branham ( – )
4- Levi Napper (1819-1902)
9- Gilbert Gibson (1700-1764)
7- George Gibson (1730-1798)
9- Sarah Turner ( – )
6- William Gibson (1743-1823)
7- Susannah Unknown ( – )
5- Sarah Napper (1777- )
6- Mary Adams Napper ( – )
3- Priscilla Rose Napper (1853- )
5- David Thacker ( – )
4- Patsy Ann Thacker (1820-1912)
5- Sallie Flannigan ( – )
Those look like my people. Did they come from Virginia?
My Thacker and Nappers were Indian out of Louisa and Hanover county VA, some went to Ohio in the 1830’s, they claimed Cherokee blood, but we are probably a mix of Powhatan and eastern Siouan. My families oral history states they were Powhatan. Others of that community were Gibson and Branham, also Collins, Harris, Hall, Dalton, can’t remember the rest off the top of my head. Don’t recall the name Freeman.
Search my other posts regarding Thacker and Napper, I have research on the folks that went to Ohio I can send you. I can’t write more now, but I will be back at a computer on Sunday or Monday to answer any questions.
Spill
Hi Spill.
Some were in Louisa county VA, some Pittsylvania. They seemed to move around a lot. The Gilbert Gibson line is well documented, and I am beginning to locate the Thackers, Nappers and Branhams in census records in VA. I havent made a connection with my Moses Freeman, but there seems to be plenty people in the area with that name. I would welcome any info you have regarding these lines.
Wonder if Napper is a (spelling) varient of Napier. ‘Round here, the dialect pronunciation for Napier is Napper. Could just be the dialect though.
Steve-o, yes Napper is a variant of Napier
Tahwey, check these posts for more info on these names.
http://www.saponitown.com/forum/showthread.php?t=1037&highlight=thacker
I have info from some books on the Thacketrs and Nappers that I can email or direct mail, plus a few census records from Virginia. I haven’t researched them lately, and have only researched direct ancestors, so I’d be interested in what you find. Lets trade info.
Hi Spill. If you have anything that you can easily copy and paste to an email you can use “tahwey @ gmail.com . I would be glad to share anything I have.
Tahwey
Yep, it looks like we’re probably cousins. Always good to find more cousins!
Everything I got are JPEGs, so I can’t cut and paste. Can your email take attachments?
One of the books I have is called A genealogy of the Broady, Harris, Napper, Thacker, and Trent families, by Madelene Jones Norris
It says Nappers were Cherokee, and that Nappers, Dortons, Thackers, (among other names) were Indian. My own family claims my Thackers were Cherokee. Someone even wrote to the BIA about these families, and were told they must have left the Cherokee nation. The community also includes Freemans and LeMays, and went from Louisa county VA to Gallia (now Vinton) co Ohio in the 1830’s. My family stayed in Virginia. You’ll want to get a copy of the book, I only have pages pertaining to my own branch of the family.
Linda, I also have stuff on the Harris family that was part of this community, you interested in it? They also claimed Cherokee.
Spill, I think I have seen a copy of this book in the Vinton County Library. I will try to get up there asap and see what I can get from it.
One problem I am having with my folks saying they were Cherokee, but coming from Louisa County VA, is that I thought that was Saponi Territory. We have related families living here in Gallia County in a place called “Poke Patch” and “Blackfork” that claim to be Saponi. A local Ohio University Group interviewed some of these folks and put up a website at http://www.blackforkstory.com .
I have read Richard Heithcocks books and his census info and research makes more sense that we are Saponi rather than Cherokee. My Grandmother always told us we were Cherokee same as your folks did.
Most all of my ancestors in that line were listed as mulato in the census (Levi Napper, Moses Freeman, Holman Thacker) of Vinton and Gallia County.
Another story passed down to us was that Moses Freeman was raised by indians, and when he came here he took the name free man (Freeman) because of his new status. He was born in VA in 1795 and his future wife, Peachy Ann Napper was born in Greenbrier County VA (W.VA) 1819.
One of the ways they got here was by crossing the mountains out of Louisa County and following the New river down to the Kanawha which enters the Ohio right here at Gallia County (Gallipolis). The Kanawha has an old indian trail that follows beside it.
My Thackers, Nappers, Branhams, and Gibsons intermarried a lot, and sometimes took their mothers surname. My David LeMay was married to Sarah Napper whose mother was Mary Adams Napper and father was William Gibson.
I have lots more info and welcome anything that would help bring some of my loose ends together.
Tahwey
For those of you who are Louisa County Thacker descendants, research the Ohio Supreme Court Case, Thacker v. Hawks, 1843 (I believe). It was a landmark court case that basically decided, along with Jeffries V. Ankeny, that anyone closer to white than non white could enjoy the same legal status as a white citizen. Thacker was, as I recall, from Vinton Co., Ohio
I’ve heard of that court case, but so far I’ve been unable to find a transcript of it.
Tahwey,
You definitely have more information than I have. I need to get a copy of that book, I only have a few pages. And I haven’t read Haithcocks books. The prices are a bit out of my range.
I also take issue with the Cherokee identity with this family. Seems like “Cherokee” is used to mean “any kind of Indian”. I see names in the Louisa county community associated with Monacan and Pamunkey communities. I think they were probably a mix of Powhatan and eastern Siouan peoples that had lost a distinctly tribal identity, but still identified as Indians. When they needed to identify as a tribe, they probably said Cherokee cause thats what everybody knew. Although in the case of my family, they did intermarry with actual Cherokee.
My grandmother said we were Indian, sometimes said we were Cherokee. Many other relatives claimed Cherokee. Grandma grew up in SW Virginia and NE Tennessee and told me Indians there were as common as Scots-Irish or Germans. My family associated with other Indians in the area. My great grandfather, and great-great grandfather said we were “Virginia Indian” (they had moved from Virginia to northeast Tennessee). My great grandfather could speak Cherokee, he had Cherokee ancestry from a different lineage, but probably learned the language as an adult. He spoke it to the Cherokee workers at CCC camps he ran in the Appalachians.
My great-great-great grandmother (a Thacker descendent born in the 1830’s) said her Indian ancestors met the first English ships to come to Virginia, those would have been Powhatans. But she also descends from other known Powhatan surnames, so I don’t know which lineage this story comes from. My grandma and many other relatives heard this story from her. Because of this, some in the family identify as Cherokee, others as Powhatan.
Check the search feature here for those court cases. A number of original sources like that have been input here over time.
I’m exploring what it would take to get a Wiki function going here. There’s a lot buried at this point.
Check the search feature here for those court cases. A number of original sources like that have been input here over time.
I’m exploring what it would take to get a Wiki function going here. There’s a lot buried at this point.
spilleddi;33606 wrote: I’ve heard of that court case, but so far I’ve been unable to find a transcript of it.
Tahwey,
You definitely have more information than I have. I need to get a copy of that book, I only have a few pages. And I haven’t read Haithcocks books. The prices are a bit out of my range.
I also take issue with the Cherokee identity with this family. Seems like “Cherokee” is used to mean “any kind of Indian”. I see names in the Louisa county community associated with Monacan and Pamunkey communities. I think they were probably a mix of Powhatan and eastern Siouan peoples that had lost a distinctly tribal identity, but still identified as Indians. When they needed to identify as a tribe, they probably said Cherokee cause thats what everybody knew. Although in the case of my family, they did intermarry with actual Cherokee.
My grandmother said we were Indian, sometimes said we were Cherokee. Many other relatives claimed Cherokee. Grandma grew up in SW Virginia and NE Tennessee and told me Indians there were as common as Scots-Irish or Germans. My family associated with other Indians in the area. My great grandfather, and great-great grandfather said we were “Virginia Indian” (they had moved from Virginia to northeast Tennessee). My great grandfather could speak Cherokee, he had Cherokee ancestry from a different lineage, but probably learned the language as an adult. He spoke it to the Cherokee workers at CCC camps he ran in the Appalachians.
My great-great-great grandmother (a Thacker descendent born in the 1830’s) said her Indian ancestors met the first English ships to come to Virginia, those would have been Powhatans. But she also descends from other known Powhatan surnames, so I don’t know which lineage this story comes from. My grandma and many other relatives heard this story from her. Because of this, some in the family identify as Cherokee, others as Powhatan.
When we were at Ft. Christanna, the plaque there was interesting…when it was dedicated, Spotswood’s niece was there as well as a group of Pamunkey Indians…anyone know why the Pamunkey were there?
Shirley
When you’re searching, you might try the name Knapper. I am very ashamed to admit that I overlooked my great grandfather for four years because I did not realize that he were using the surname Napper and variations of that name. I knew them as Bramhams or Branhams. Roxie and Levi, if memory serves, are related to my great great grandmother, Sarah Branham aka Napper. She had a sister named Dicey and brother named William. When William passed away, his estate was transferred to Judith Branham by Dicey and Sarah. I’ve never gotten a straight answer on where they came from or why all the name changing occurred in the mid 1800s.
Davida
The Pamunkey were invited, I surmise, because they were the closest folks designated as “Indian.” All others were buttonholed as black, mulatto or white, so they didn’t count. All the while, Felicia’s family was just down the road with most of the core names and as Indian a “look” as you’re gonna get, just about anywhere.
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