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Hello,
I’m Alisha Cordell, great-grand-daughter of Martha Sill and Sellie Richardson (maternal family) and the grand-daugher of Annabel (Annie Bell) Hedgepeth and Lad Cordell (paternal family).
My parents and grandparents didn’t do a great job of keeping up with our family history, and I’m desperately hoping to find my ancestry. As a small child, I was always told, “We were Indians.” However, my family was not consistent about the tribe. I sometimes heard that we were Cherokee, then Blackfoot, now Haliwa-Saponi. I thought it was a lost cause because I was told that it was nearly impossible to trace Cherokee ancestry.
My mother and grandmother now tell me that my paternal line (Annabel Hedgepeth, who married Lad Cordell) was Haliwa-Saponi and that my maternal line was mixed: my great-grandmother, Martha Sill (who married Sellie Richardson) was Haliwa-Saponi and her daughter, Lorree Richardson (my grandmother) married a Cherokee, Albert Blackmon.
If you know my family history, I’m begging you to help me trace my roots so that my daughters will know their family blood line. Below is my direct family line; however, all are deceased except my mother and grandmother (Jean Cordell and Lorree Blackmon):
Maternal Family
Martha Sill & Sellie Richardson (Great-grandparents)
Lorree Richardson & Albert Blackmon (Grandparents)
Betty Jean Blackmon & Tommie Cordell (parents)
Paternal Family
Annabel (Annie Bell) Hedgepeth & Lad Cordell (Grandparents)
Tommie Cordell and Betty Jean Blackmon (parents)
Thanks bunches,
Alisha
It seems like you should be able to find a lot about them. It may take a lot of digging and some patience, but I would go for it if I were you. I don’t have a list of common names among the Haliwa. I’ve seen them, probably some others on this forum can help with that. There are a lot of sources online for Cherokee info. I think if you just search on Dawes rolls you’ll find something.
Where has your family been living?
Hi Linda,
Thanks for the information about the rolls.
Currently, most of my family live in Spring Hope, NC–and there are many, many of them there. My grandmothers (Haliwa-Saponi) lived in or around Hollister, NC when they were young, then moved to Nash County, NC about the time when they each married. I was told by my living grandmother that my grandfather (Cherokee) lived in or around Virginia as a child. His name was Albert Blackmon; however, the name has taken on a few variations during the years since he and his siblings were unable to read or write. The variations were Blackmon, Blackman, and Blackwell.
Some of my family (mostly Blackmons/Blackwells) moved from Spring Hope to Maryland to find employment. Some of my family moved to Virginia.
Thanks,
Alisha
Hollister is about ground zero for Haliwa Saponi. Have you been able to reach anyone from the tribe? They are going for federal recognition, which likely means they’ve been advised to keep their rolls limited to people who are still living in the community, so don’t take it personally if they tell you they can’t enroll you. That doesn’t mean you can’t find people willing to help you figure out your family’s story. I haven’t checked lately to see if they still have a website up. There was a forum there for awhile.
I know next to nothing about Cherokee families. Anybody know where she should start looking for information?
Alisha,
I have a lot of info on the Richardsons and Hedgepeths from Warren and Halifax counties. Perhaps I can help if you have the approximate birth dates and marriage dates of Annabell Hedgepeth, Sellie Richardson, and Loree Richardson.
Curtis Silver
Hi Curtis:
Martha Sill was born May 31, 1898 in Halifax County, NC. She was the daughter of Ed and Lucy Sill. Martha Sill died August 3, 1984.
I don’t have much information about Sellie Richardson. I think he and Martha married on or about 1915. They had a daughter, Loree Richardson, who married Albert Blackmon. Albert Blackmon died sometime around 1974. Loree and Albert Blackmon had my mother, Betty Gene (Jean) Blackmon. Loree and Albert had seven children in all, however, one died as an infant.
Annabel (Annie Bell) Hedgepeth and Lad Cordell married. I don’t know their dates of birth or death nor do I have any information about their parents (my great-grandparents); however, I searched the death records of North Carolina and found the following information (since it was the only records close to the ages and/or place of residence, it’s all I have to go on):
Annie Hedgepeth: Date of Birth (8 May 1899); Lad Cordell: Date of Birth (24 July 1888). Lad died 1964 in Nashville, North Carolina. Annie died 1976 in Rocky Mount, North Carolina.
I think Lad died before I was born. I was born 1966. I know that Annie died when I was a little girl, so 1976 seems about right.
My father, Tommie Cordell, died of a heart attack and lukemia in 1978; therefore, I am unable to confirm the information about his parents (Lad and Annie). Lad and Annie had many children, but my father was the youngest. Their oldest child was Johnnie (Johnny) Cordell. All but two of Annie and Lad’s children are deceased. The two remaining (Mary and Lucretia) are elderly and unable to read or write.
Any information that you have would be greatly appreciated. Although I have some cousins in and around Spring Hope, North Carolina, I have no information about my grandparents’ families back in and around Hollister, North Carolina.
I would love to be able to trace our heritage.
Thanks bunches,
Alisha Cordell:)
If you are still in search of your roots perhaps this will help. If you are of the Haliwa Saponi Tribe you need to check out roots.com and look up your ancesters in the Nansemond tribe. Our family, and I say our, because based on what you have written we would be related, is from the Nansemond tribe and have a wonderful history.
In August of this year, (8/30) we will be meeting in North Carolina for an Ancestors Day. I have history on our family that dates back to the 1600’s.
My Aunt in N.C. is a big historian for the Haliwa Saponi in that area and most importantly for our family. She has sent pictures and other web sites to try to educate me.
Like you my mom did not provide much detail of our family heritage or history and for years would not even discuss it.
Another name you might want to look up would be Silver. Email me at scstar1026@aol.com and I will try to give you more detailed info.
This is my first time here and I am not sure if attachments can be added. But I am excited to enter this forum and hope we all can learn some more about our ancestors.
Following is some of the information my Aunt Belle has sent me. Hopefully it will be useful to those who are trying to find family history/heritage information.
There is a lot of information on this line of our family on the internet. Just search “John Bass(or Basse)
Our first grandfather, John Basse came from England and needed to marry a woman of royal blood so the Nansemond Tribe is
what they thought was Royalty because the chief ruled the area. He married
our first grandmother, Keziah Elizabeth Tucker, “Robin The Elder’s” daughter., of
The Nansemond Kingdom. Then William Basse was born, He married the daughter
of The Great King Peter of the Nansimums Kingdom, a tribe of Indians down here in Hertford County N. C. . That one may be the Nansemond and the other, Nansimum.
Hi dcarter, I am a decendant of Benjamin Richardson born around 1750. He received a land grant for 120 acres in Halifax County near William Richardson and the county line on 16 May 1780. He married Mary Bass widow of Elijah Bass on 13 February 1783 Granville County bond with Philip Pettiford as bondman. Benjamin had two Brothers John Richardson born abt. 1760 and William born November 27, 1792. John Richardson married Sarah Bass daughter of Benjamin Bass on March 27, 1802 in Granville Co. NC. Sounds like your John and William Bass came along before. Do you know the names of John and or Williams children or does Mary or Sarah Bass ring any bells?
My son is 1/2 Haliwa-Saponi. The only surnames I am familiar with are the familial names of his fathers family. The main surnames I’ve seen in the Hollister area are Hedgepeth, Lynch, and Richardson. I am trying to find out more information for my son as well.
I’d also like to add…does anyone know how it is going with them and federal recognition? The only articles I can find on the topic are dated back to 2003.
Hi there Joeys_mom, my mother’s maiden name is Richardson and my grandparents are from Hollister. I am also connected to the Lynch and Hedgepeth family from down there. If you have any names and dates I will look in my data base and see what I can find out.
thanks
Rod Northern
Thank you Joeys Mom and Rod for resurrecting this thread.
I’ll see if I can develope this further.
Bill
Thanks for keeping this discussion open.
My grandmother, Anna Bell Hedgepeth (also Annie Bell Hedgepeth), was the daughter of Ann and Goodlow Hedgepeth. Their youngest child was named Rose. I believe that Rose may have passed away 3-4 years ago.
If anyone knows any relatives of Ann and Goodlow Hedgepeth, I would love to hear from you.
Thanks,
Alisha
Alisha,
From the North Carolina Birth Index:
Sellie Richardson, Jr.
born: 4 April 1936, Nash Co., NC
Mother: Martha
Father: Sellie Richardson
……………………………………………………………………………………..
On the following census records, all persons were listed as born in NC, as were their parents.
From 1930 Nash Co., NC Census; ED13 Jackson Twp; 5 April; Sheet 4A; Visit 61:
RICHARDSON, Sellie; Farmer, 39, marr’d at 21 (he’s probably 36)
…………………, L. Martha; Wife, 30, marr’d at 15.
…………………, Lorena; dau, 13.
…………………, L. Otha; son, 10.
…………………, Claree; dau, 8.
…………………, LOREE; dau, 6.*******
…………………, L. Bessie; dau, 4.
…………………, Eddie; son, 7 months.
…………………, Ned; son, 7 months.
…………………………………………………………………………………….
1920 Nash Co., NC Census; ED77 Mannings Twp; 21 January; Sheet 17A; Visit 372:
RICHARDSON, Celly; Farmer, 25.
…………………, Martha; Wife, 20.*******
…………………, Florence; dau, 4 (Lorena’s other name?)
…………………, Otha; son, 1 month (?).
……………………………………………………………………………………..
1910 Nash Co., NC Census; ED69 South Mannings Pct; 2 May; Sheet 21B; Visit 447:
SILLS, Mark; Farmer, 20, m’d 1 time, m’d 1 yr.
………, Rebecca; Wife, 20, m’d 1 time, m’d 1 yr.
………, Sadie M.; dau, 2 months.
………, LUCY; Mother, 53, Widowed, has had 17 children, 6 living.
………, Mary; sister, 16.
………, MARTHA; sister, 14.*******
………, George; brother, 18.
………………………………………………………………………………………
1900 Nash Co., NC Census; ED62 Nashville Twp; 12 June; Sheet 9A; Visit 145:
SILLS, Ed; Laborer, (born) Sept 1852, 47, m’d 13 yrs.
………, Lucy; Wife, May 1857, 43, m’d 13 yrs, 6 children, 6 living.
………, Bennett; son, Apr 1879, 21.
………, Mark S.; son, May 1888, 12.
………, Sallie; dau, May 1890, 10.
………, George M.; son, Mar 1892, 8.
………, Mary C.; dau, Apr 1894, 6.
………, MARTHA; dau, May 1898, 2.*******
……………………………………………………………………………………..
There is an Edward Sills, 25, in 1880 Nash Co, Manning Twp, but he is single, living alone and I haven’t located him in 1870 census.
………..
Bill
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