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We have 1 Williams family, a Thomas clan (NA), Jeffers is close to Jeffries, but I might be able to help with Gray. They are NA. My Aunt Katie was a Gray and my cousin (one of her sons) has been tracing her family. I’ll get that info when I get the chance.
Where’s your Spencer?
peace
Ken
DOCUMENTED
I can document back as far as James Spencer born 1784 on Greenbrier River(that time Augusta Co.)Va. He fought in the War of 1812 joining at Lewisburg,Va. I have the pension application that identifies him as INDIAN.
1820 Greenbrier Co. Va Spencers, John, Sharp, Shelton, and William
1830 Greenbrier Co. Va. Spencer, Abraham, James, Shelton, Susan, William
1840 missing
1850 Nicholas Co. WV Spencer, Allen age 33, Thomas age 23, Abraham H. 49, William 37, James 65 (My gr gr gr grandfather)
Spencer, James 65
Mary 35
Elizabeth 18 twins from 1st family
James 18
Alexander 16
George 13
Samuel 12
Washington 4 (my gr gr grandfather)
Franklin 4
Sarah 3
Abraham 23
ORAL HISTORY
Elders have told me that James’ father was a Thomas Spencer and came from the line of Gerald Spencer who came to Virginia from New England
(Goldenseal, vol. 13, No. 2, 1987) “Glenn Spencer’s recollection of his ancestry on the paternal side is even more vivid. Most Spencers in Nicholas County can trace their origins to Gerard Spencer who came to Virginia from New England. He settled in the Greenbrier Valley in the mid-17th Century.” There are numberous descendants of this line Elihu Spencer being one of them. Elihi was a missionary with a white family but he also lived for many years with the Onieda Indians in NY and there he took an Onieda wife with whom he had at least two sons, perhaps more. One of his sons was named Thomas.
Cook, James 50
Polly 50
Elijah 18
James 16
Eliza 15
Emma 14
Solomon 8
http://www.angelfire.com/on3/oneida/page8.html
As October wound down, Alden became convinced there would be no concentrated attack on Cherry Valley until possibly the following spring. On November 8th, Alden received a hastily written message from Fort Schuyler, warning that Tories and Indians would attack his post. The message, carried by Captains James Parr and Michael Burd, was brief. Sir, We were just now informed by an Oneida Indian (Thomas Spencer) that yesterday an Onondaga Indian arrived at their castle from one of the branches of the Susquehanna, called the Tioga. That he was present at a great meeting of Indians and Tories at that place and their result was to attack Cherry Valley, and that young Butler was to head the Tories. I send you this information that you may be on your guard. I am Sir, yours, &etc.Robert Cochrane Major, Commanding Colonel Ichabod Alden Fort Alden – Cherry Valley
Another haunting mystery is that somebody named Spencer recieved a land grant in Crawford Ark. (possibly for service in a war) That land was moved onto my William Floyd Collins and his wife Matilda Spencer ( sister of my gr gr grandfather, Washington Spencer.
QUESTIONS:
Was my James Indian?…document identifies him as such.
Was my James the son of an Onieda half blood?
Note: Henry Spencer, brother of Thomas Spencer was also killed at the Battle of Oriskany. -William Sommers Quistorf Was there any descendants?
Was my James from a southern tribe who migerated north?
If so then could he be that James Spencer that married Caty, daughter of Pumpkin Boy of Cherokee Tribe?
CONCLUSION:
If you ask any of my present day Spencers most…..not all would tell you that there is no Indian blood in the family. None of them can explain where all the Spencer land in WV came from. I searched the courthouse for deeds and the early ones that might be of help didn’t exist. Then I was told that until the early 1940’s there was still a law on the books that forbide any Indian from owning land. In this case if I owned a farm in WV and it was what kept food on the table and a roof over my families head ….well I can see why nobody would admit to being Indian. It has only been in the past few years that people have started to open up their minds. I would love to see the truth be known before my time on this earth is over but I have to be realistic..it may never happen.
Brenda
We’ve kind of digressed from the heading subject, which will make it hard for us or others to locate who’s being discussed here, later on. I think we all need to try to keep discussions of particular surnames together with a heading that names them. I’d like to create two threads out of this one, but I don’t really know how, without everything looking like it comes from me. I don’t want to impede the free flow of a conversation, I know how that is, but if we can all keep this in mind, it will help keep the board from becoming unintelligible for those surfing around for info on specific surnames.
Okay I looked up Julia and pauls marriage certificate….
both Paul and Julia was born and raised in Halifax……
Name and age , the date they were married on…..
Paul 21 and Julia Ann Johnson (not harris) 20……Aug 11 1867
( A.R Carrington was the person who married them off)
Name of Pauls parents (father, mother)
Mitcheal, Nelly ( no last names)
( I believe….there last name was Williams to start with because when Paul was married he married with the last name Williams in 1867 but The family states that Paul H Williams was originally a slave belonging to the Carringtons in Charlotte, VA and carried that name until he moved to Clover and worked for a man named Allen Williams, thus the Williams name.)
Name of Julias parents (father, mother)
“unknown”, Allice (no last name)
they had an blank in he fathers spot..she she may have been an Carrington….Julia Anne Johnson was also a slave of the same Carrington as Paul. She claimed to be Carrington’s daughter, refusing to be acknowledged as a Williams prior to marriage. No one remembers the first name of the Carrington that owned the plantation. Through my research I have learned there were many Carringtons in Virginia and am having a hard time figuring out which one it could be.
I am assuming Allice last name was Johnson because that was Julias name before marriage..
Between the 1880s and 1920s especially, anyone not obviously ‘white’ usually was listed as ‘black’ or ‘negro’ on census records, particularly in the south – census takers weren’t anthropologists – so this is such a very subjective thing that you can’t count on it being accurate.
I see the census recorded Paul H as Black. The family believes that Paul had Irish/Indian blood as well. It was always the explanation for the fair skin, occasional straight hair, green eyes and red hair in the family.
It is said that Julia was part Indian as well. Maybe from the Carrington side? But Blackfoot continues to be mentioned and it is said to come from Julia’s side of the family.
1930 Halifax Co., Va Census – ED24 Roanoke Mag. Dist; 4 April, p.59A,
at 10, 14:
Williams, Paul; Laborer-County Road; m, Neg, 49, m30, Va, Va, Va.
(ditto), Henrietta; wife; f, Neg, 32, m27, Va, Va, Va.
(ditto), Claude H.; son, m, Neg, 21, Va.
(ditto), Maggie; dau, f, Neg, 15, Va.
(ditto), Woodrow; son, m, Neg, 12, Va.
(ditto), Grant S.; son, m, Neg, 3 + 9 months, Va.
(ditto), Swanee (?) L.; dau, f, Neg, 2 + 3 months, Va.
Next door at 11, 15:
Reid, Bell; Servant, Private Home; f, Neg, 38, W’d, m19; Va,Va,Va.
Williams, Julia A.; Mother; f, Neg, 80, W’d, m15; Va, Va, Va.
Both Bell and Julia are widowed (W’d); Bell was marr’d at 19 yrs old and Julia marr’d at 15 yrs old.
The “m30” for Paul and “m27” for Henrietta, are their ages when each first married.
(Their fathers and mothers were also born in Virginia.)
In 1930, Paul and Henrietta have been married about 5 years, Henrietta being married at 27 yrs old. Grant and Swanee would then be the children of Paul and Henrietta – the older children’s mother is Joanna, per the 1920 census.
1920 Halifax Co., Va Census; ED98 Roanoke; 24 March; p.149A., at 68, —
Williams, P. J.; Farmer; m, B, 39, Va, Va, Va.
(ditto), Joanna; wife, f, B, 40, Va, Va, Va.
(ditto), Jessie; dau, f, B, 19, Va.
(ditto), Mary; dau, f, B, 16, Va.
(ditto), J. A. (?); son, m, B, 14, Va.
(ditto), Claude; son, m, B, 11, Va.
(ditto), Andrew; son, m, B, 8, Va.
(ditto), Maggie; dau, f, B, 5, Va.
(ditto), Woodrow; son, m, B, 2, Va.
1910 Halifax Co., Va Census; ED70 Roanoke Mag.Dist; 16 April, p.87B,
at 28, 29:
Williams, Paul J.; Railroad Lab’r; m, B, 30, m1, 9, Va, Va, Va.
(ditto), Joanah; wife, f, B, 30, m1, 9, 5/5, Va, Va, Va.
(ditto), Jesie D. (?); dau, f, B, 8, Va.
(ditto), Ellen M.; dau, f, B, 6, Va.
(ditto), James A.; son, m, B, 4, Va.
(ditto), Claud H.; son, m, B, 1, Va.
(ditto), Clive S.; son, m, B, 1, Va.
Looks like Claude and Clive were twins.
(Paul & Joanah have each been marr’d once and have been marr’d for 9 years. Joanah has had 5 children and 5 are still living.)
three doors further, at 31, 32:
Blackstock, Ellen; — , f, B, 78, W’d, 6/0, Va, Va, Va.
(ditto), William H.; G-son, m, B, 21, Va, farmer.
(ditto), Millie J.; G-dau, f, B, 13, Va.
Williams, Paul H.; farmer, m, B, 62, m1, 43, Va, Va, Va.
(ditto), Julia A.; wife, f,MU, 61, m1, 43, 8/6, Va, Va, Va, laundress.
(ditto), Allen L.; son, m, MU, 30, Va. farmer.
(ditto), Walter (?) E.; son, m, MU, 18, Va, farm laborer.
Coleman, Ryal; G-son, m, MU, 21, Va, –hand, Railroad.
(ditto), Helen N.; G-dau, f, MU, 18, Va, laundress.
Williams, Byrd; G-son, m, B, 16, Va, farm laborer.
Below are additional names of Paul and Julia’s children.
Susan – b.1868
Belle – b.1870
Ailis – b.1873
Anne -b.1875
Paul James b. -1881
Allen – b.1884
Florence – b.1887
Walter – b.1891
Census record identification of race is very subjective and therefore “uncertain” at best.
In 1870 Halifax Co., Roanoke Twp, p.659A, Paul H., 21, and Julia Williams, 22, with daughter Susan, 2, lived next door to Rebecca Williams, 19, and the next house was Archer Williams, 31, and wife Cornelia, 25.
Three houses after Archer lived Benjamin Carrington, 65 and wife Lucinda, 55. The census taker’s name was J.M. Carrington
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