A blogsite dedicated to the documentation and sharing of my 15 year genealogical research efforts and the exchanging of information with others in search of their louisiana roots
Hello all. I know its been a long time since we last talked. Sorry for my absence but life has been really busy. Since my last blog, I conducted a workshop at the annual African American Genealogy Seminar hosted by the Latter Day Saints. I taught a class entitled, "USING DIGITAL SCRAPBOOKING IN YOUR FAMILY HISTORY."
The purpose of the class was to teach individuals how they could combine the art of Digital Scrapbooking and graphic art with their genealogy research to create a Family History book. I illustrated how they could personalize their pages by combining family photographs, clipart and backgrounds with your genealogy research "finds" and family biographies to create a Family History Book that represented their family’s unique personality and heritage.
The information that I presented was very well received. As I had a lot of people come up to me after the class and tell me how much they enjoyed the class and that I had given them some ideas that they planned to utilize in creating their family books.
Below is a short outline of the information and steps that I presented for using digital scrapbooking in your Family History book. Hopefully, it will gives you some ideas and valuable tips on putting together your family history.
USING DIGITAL SCRAPBOOKING IN YOUR FAMILY HISTORY
1. BENEFITS a) Adds personality and interest to your Family History Book and helps to better present and display your ancestors and their stories b) You can print out multiple copies of your Family History c) You can display in the form of a web gallery and/or send to your family and friends electronically so they can print their own copies d) It is less costly than traditional Scrapbooking since you spend less on supplies
2. EQUIPMENT/SOFTWARE NEEDED (There are lots of software programs you can use. Here are some examples. Some contain pre-made templates and elements that allow you to create beautiful pages for your Family History)
a) Nova Development Photo Explosion b) Nova Development Scrapbook Factory Deluxe c) Adobe Photoshop d) Jasc Paint Shop Pro e) Microsoft Word f) Online Scrapbooking Sites
3. STEPS: (Please note that there is no particular order that you need to perform steps a through e. You can choose all or one step. It’s up to you what you want to do to create your own unique designs)
a) Choose photograph(s) of people, places, things. b) Upload photograph(s) from computer file, scanner or digital camera c) Select background, borders, frames, photo corners, embellishments, clipart, maps, charts graphs, family trees or any other items you want to include d) You can add genealogy documents such as birth and/or death certificates, marriage license. e) Enter your genealogy text such as a individual biographies or other information pertaining to the page that you are creating f) Arrange Items on page as desired g) Once a final layout and design is completed, you can save, print, email or post to a webpage h). Finally, you can have your pages bound to create your Family History Book
I have previously written blogs about how some of my ancestral lines are intertwined with that of the Witherspoon family of Louisiana, South Carolina and Scotland. The reason my family is connected with the Witherspoons is because they owned some of my ancestors during slavery.
In particular, Boykin Witherspoon owned my Pressley, Brayboy/Morris and possibly Hines and Jefferson lines. My grandpa Stephen Pressley who was born in 1820 was owned by Boykin Witherspoon. Stephen in fact wore the Witherspoon name up until the end of slavery when he took on the surname, Pressley.
Great-Great-Great Grandpa Stephen Pressley
So who are the Witherspoons and when did they arrive in America? The first Witherspoons according to a history written in 1790 by Robert Witherspoon, the grandson of the original Witherspoon settlers came to America in 1734.
The patriarch of the original emigrants was John Witherspoon who was born in 1670 in Begardie, Glasgow, Scotland. He married his cousin, Janet Witherspoon in 1693. The two were direct descendants of John Knox of Scotland and Robert the Bruce. As well, they were blood-related to Mary Queen of Scots.
John and Janet Witherspoon were the parents of Janet (1695-1761), David (1697-1759), James, Elizabeth (1703-1750), Robert, Mary (1707-1765) and Gavin (1712-1773).
As mentioned they originally resided in Scotland but relocated in 1695 to Knockbracken in the parish of Drumbo, Down county, Ireland where their children were born.
So what made them want to come to America? John Witherspoon received land grants from the King of England, George II. The tract of land sat between the lower Santee, Black and Pee Dee rivers. King George II ordered that eleven townships be erected to develop the "back country" of the Carolina Province. The townships were to consist of 20,000 acres laid out to front a river. The land where the Witherspoons were en route to sat on the Black river.
It still seems odd when you think about it for a King of England to be sending orders clear across the ocean in regards to the affairs in America. I guess I'm so used to our current governmental regime but this of course was before the "invention" of Presidents, Congress, and other U.S. government entities.
Hence, the Witherspoons set sail on September 17, 1734 from Belfast in Northern Ireland to America on a ship called "The Good Intent". The passengers included John Witherspoon (1670 -1739), his wife Janet (1670 - 1734), his sons, daughers and their families along with other families including the Pressleys in search of a new life in America. The voyage, however, proved to be very rocky and tragic. As John's wife, Janet died two days out from Belfast on the ship. The family was devastated which was worsened by the fact that they had to bury her at sea.
After the stormy voyage, the Witherspoon landed in Charleston, South Carolina around the 1st of December 1734. They reached Kingstree (Kinstree) in Feb 1735 in Williamsburg District. What they found made them question their decision to come to America. The area proved to be a heavily timbered wilderness full of snakes, wolves and other wild animals and Native Americans whose ancestors had inhabited the land for centuries so often took offense to their intrusion on what they considered to be their land. The tribes included the Wee Nee, the Wee Tee, Chickasaw, Creek , Waccamaw and other Pedee tribes.
After many obstacles including harsh weather, they began the task of building the town of Williamsburg. Of course, they did not do it alone, they did so with the aid of the Africans slaves that they acquired. Many of whom were my ancestors. The slaves provided the labor they needed to clear timber and other debris, develop roads, build structures and to turn a wilderness into a functioning town.
They laid out the town of Williamsburg which they named in honor of William, II, Prince of Orange (1650 – 1702). From 1689 onwards, he reigned as King over England, Ireland and Scotland. He was known in Northern Ireland as "King Billy". By the time, Williamsburg was erected he was already deceased. I guess his legacy must have been meaningful to the new settlers.
The name Kingstree which is the present-day site of Williamsburg and the first town in the Williamsburg township came from a large white pine tree on the bank of the Black River which forms the western boundary of the town. The tree was described as majestic and stood tall, erect and more noble than the others. This species of pine, along with all gold and siver mines was reserved for the King. Hence, the name of King's tree was first given to the tree and then to the town.
Despite their initial doubts, the family prospered. The wilderness, although it had its challenges, had a bounty of deer, wild turkeys, fish and muscadine grapes. Hence, food was one thing they did not have to worry about. As the colony grew, they established plantations. The crops included corn, flax, cotton for clothing and later indigo. Rice was also grown along the river.
Of course, the building of Plantations came slaves. Lots of them. The slaves dedicated their lives to the building of the township of Williamsburg. Their sweat and toll provided food, shelter, livelihood and wealth to the Witherspoons and other colonists and for generations to come.
They also erected the Williamsburg Church.
John Witherspoon died in the fall of 1737 in Boggy Swamp.. He was the first person buried at the Williamsburg settlement and was also the first person buried at the Williamsburg Meeting house.
Other families that migrated from Scotland and Ireland with John Witherspoon were the Wilsons, Friersons, Plowdens, James, Stuarts, Gordons, Porters, Pressleys, McDonalds, Ervins and Bradleys.
Thou shalt know also that thy seed shall be great, and thine offspring as the grass of the earth. Job 5:25
Issac "Tookie" Jefferson
Jane Brayboy Jefferson
My great-grandmother, Cornelia Jefferson Hines Nickleberry (center rear)pictured with her 5 other sisters
A while ago, I wrote about how pleasantly surprised and grateful I was to have received a package containing photographs of my Jefferson ancestors. It was so wonderful to finally put the faces with people who it seemed like I had known all my life since I had heard about them from various relatives. As well, I have traced their lives from a genealogical standpoint basically from birth to slavery to their deaths. I pretty much know when they laughed, when they cried, and when they got on their knees and praised God through the miracle of genealogy records.
It is so nice to actually see the people that I have spent so much time researching and writing about.
They are included below on the 1880 census. Also, listed the this Census page are other relatives, Lewis and Syntrilla Lejay and his parents Edwin and Mary Lejay but the census taker wrote their surname "Legere."
The website "History.com" is a wonderful site for learning about the history, contributions and journeys of Black men and women in America. In honor of Black History month, they are featuring an abundance of stories on noteable African Americans as well as some who are less known.
The site also features full-length videos on a variety of subjects and individuals.
This is a MUST visit site for anyone wanting to learn about more about the African American struggle and culture.
You can assess this website on the following link or click on the link on the right sidebar of this site:
On January 17,2009, I took a plane to Norfolk, Virginia to visit my niece and her family. The visit was very enjoyable. I had not seen them in a while so it a joyous occasion.
From there, on January 19, 2009, I set off for Washington, D.C. to bear witness to one of the most historic events in American History, the Inauguration of the first African American President, Barack Hussein Obama.
I had the privilege of attending the event, courtesy of California Congressman, Dan Lungren from whom I received a formal invitation and ticket. I visited his Washington, D.C. office on January 19th, and although he was not there, his staff members were very gracious and gave me the grand tour of the place. He has a very nice office which is filled with historical documents. Below are some photographs.
On January 20, 2009, I arose at the wee hour of 3 a.m. I got dressed and headed from my hotel in Camp Springs, Maryland which is about 20 minutes from Washington, D.C. to the Metro station which opened at 4 am. I was on the first train out of the station with my commemorative Barack Obama metro ticket. See below.
I journeyed with hundreds of other passengers down the train tracks to history. I disembarked from the train to the Federal Center Southwest Station which by the the time of our arrival was very crowded. I made my way through the crowd out of the station and on the sidewalk en route to the Capital.
The streets were already filled with a lot of people and police and other security personnel. We were directed to line up and wait for the opening of the gates to the Capital.
We waited in the cold. I am told that it was about 20 degrees at the time. However, I could not feel it. I'm not sure whether it is because of the 5 sweaters, 2 socks, 2 stockings and fur coat or the adrenaline from the anticipation of what I was about to partake in but I did not feel cold.
The time flew by fast. At 7:45, the gates opened and security personnel arrived to screen guests. We presented our tickets and were directed to the ticketed standing area.
Before we knew it, the ceremony began. It was an amazing experience that I will never forget. It was simply magical. I soaked in and savored every moment of it.
The swearing in of President Barack Hussein Obama was the most pungent. As he was sworn in, my mind was flooded with thoughts and images of the struggles of African Americans, some relatives throughout time. It brought tears to my eyes and caused me to look to the heavens and thank God with all my heart and soul. I felt humbled by God's grace.
God has truly brought us from a mighty long way, as a nation of people. I will treasure that day for as long as I live.
I pray that God gives President Barack Obama the ability to lead this nation back to prosperity.
For those of you who do research with the Latter Day Saints, they have a new database that you can research on the Afican slave trade.
The site's goal is to offer researchers a chance to rediscover the reality of one of the largest forced movements of peoples in world history.
You can search the Voyages Database to look for particular voyages in this database of documented slaving expeditions. You can create listings, tables, charts, and maps using information from the database.
There is another database called the "Examine Estimates of the Slave Trade Slaves" which contains documented voyages in which you can use the interactive estimates page to analyze the full volume and multiple routes of the slave trade.
You can also explore the African Names Database to identify over 67,000 Africans aboard slave ships, using name, age, gender, origin, and place of embarkation.
I have just begun exploring the site but it looks really useful. You can search the site by going to http://www.slavevoyages.org/tast/index.faces or assess at a LDS Library.
Election Night, Chicago, Illinois Tuesday, November 04, 2008
If there is anyone out there who still doubts that America is a place where all things are possible; who still wonders if the dream of our founders is alive in our time; who still questions the power of our democracy, tonight is your answer.
It’s the answer told by lines that stretched around schools and churches in numbers this nation has never seen; by people who waited three hours and four hours, many for the very first time in their lives, because they believed that this time must be different; that their voice could be that difference. It’s the answer spoken by young and old, rich and poor, Democrat and Republican, black, white, Latino, Asian, Native American, gay, straight, disabled and not disabled – Americans who sent a message to the world that we have never been a collection of Red States and Blue States: we are, and always will be, the United States of America. It’s the answer that led those who have been told for so long by so many to be cynical, and fearful, and doubtful of what we can achieve to put their hands on the arc of history and bend it once more toward the hope of a better day. It’s been a long time coming, but tonight, because of what we did on this day, in this election, at this defining moment, change has come to America.
I just received a very gracious call from Senator McCain. He fought long and hard in this campaign, and he’s fought even longer and harder for the country he loves. He has endured sacrifices for America that most of us cannot begin to imagine, and we are better off for the service rendered by this brave and selfless leader. I congratulate him and Governor Palin for all they have achieved, and I look forward to working with them to renew this nation’s promise in the months ahead.
I want to thank my partner in this journey, a man who campaigned from his heart and spoke for the men and women he grew up with on the streets of Scranton and rode with on that train home to Delaware, the Vice President-elect of the United States, Joe Biden.
I would not be standing here tonight without the unyielding support of my best friend for the last sixteen years, the rock of our family and the love of my life, our nation’s next First Lady, Michelle Obama.
Sasha and Malia, I love you both so much, and you have earned the new puppy that’s coming with us to the White House.
And while she’s no longer with us, I know my grandmother is watching, along with the family that made me who I am. I miss them tonight, and know that my debt to them is beyond measure.
To my campaign manager David Plouffe, my chief strategist David Axelrod, and the best campaign team ever assembled in the history of politics – you made this happen, and I am forever grateful for what you’ve sacrificed to get it done.
But above all, I will never forget who this victory truly belongs to – it belongs to you. I was never the likeliest candidate for this office. We didn’t start with much money or many endorsements. Our campaign was not hatched in the halls of Washington – it began in the backyards of Des Moines and the living rooms of Concord and the front porches of Charleston. It was built by working men and women who dug into what little savings they had to give five dollars and ten dollars and twenty dollars to this cause. It grew strength from the young people who rejected the myth of their generation’s apathy; who left their homes and their families for jobs that offered little pay and less sleep; from the not-so-young people who braved the bitter cold and scorching heat to knock on the doors of perfect strangers; from the millions of Americans who volunteered, and organized, and proved that more than two centuries later, a government of the people, by the people and for the people has not perished from this Earth. This is your victory.
I know you didn’t do this just to win an election and I know you didn’t do it for me. You did it because you understand the enormity of the task that lies ahead. For even as we celebrate tonight, we know the challenges that tomorrow will bring are the greatest of our lifetime – two wars, a planet in peril, the worst financial crisis in a century. Even as we stand here tonight, we know there are brave Americans waking up in the deserts of Iraq and the mountains of Afghanistan to risk their lives for us. There are mothers and fathers who will lie awake after their children fall asleep and wonder how they’ll make the mortgage, or pay their doctor’s bills, or save enough for college. There is new energy to harness and new jobs to be created; new schools to build and threats to meet and alliances to repair. The road ahead will be long. Our climb will be steep. We may not get there in one year or even one term, but America – I have never been more hopeful than I am tonight that we will get there. I promise you – we as a people will get there.
There will be setbacks and false starts. There are many who won’t agree with every decision or policy I make as President, and we know that government can’t solve every problem. But I will always be honest with you about the challenges we face. I will listen to you, especially when we disagree. And above all, I will ask you join in the work of remaking this nation the only way it’s been done in America for two-hundred and twenty-one years – block by block, brick by brick, calloused hand by calloused hand.
What began twenty-one months ago in the depths of winter must not end on this autumn night. This victory alone is not the change we seek – it is only the chance for us to make that change. And that cannot happen if we go back to the way things were. It cannot happen without you. So let us summon a new spirit of patriotism; of service and responsibility where each of us resolves to pitch in and work harder and look after not only ourselves, but each other. Let us remember that if this financial crisis taught us anything, it’s that we cannot have a thriving Wall Street while Main Street suffers – in this country, we rise or fall as one nation; as one people. Let us resist the temptation to fall back on the same partisanship and pettiness and immaturity that has poisoned our politics for so long. Let us remember that it was a man from this state who first carried the banner of the Republican Party to the White House – a party founded on the values of self-reliance, individual liberty, and national unity. Those are values we all share, and while the Democratic Party has won a great victory tonight, we do so with a measure of humility and determination to heal the divides that have held back our progress. As Lincoln said to a nation far more divided than ours, “We are not enemies, but friends…though passion may have strained it must not break our bonds of affection.” And to those Americans whose support I have yet to earn – I may not have won your vote, but I hear your voices, I need your help, and I will be your President too.
And to all those watching tonight from beyond our shores, from parliaments and palaces to those who are huddled around radios in the forgotten corners of our world – our stories are singular, but our destiny is shared, and a new dawn of American leadership is at hand. To those who would tear this world down – we will defeat you. To those who seek peace and security – we support you. And to all those who have wondered if America’s beacon still burns as bright – tonight we proved once more that the true strength of our nation comes not from our the might of our arms or the scale of our wealth, but from the enduring power of our ideals: democracy, liberty, opportunity, and unyielding hope. For that is the true genius of America – that America can change. Our union can be perfected. And what we have already achieved gives us hope for what we can and must achieve tomorrow.
This election had many firsts and many stories that will be told for generations. But one that’s on my mind tonight is about a woman who cast her ballot in Atlanta. She’s a lot like the millions of others who stood in line to make their voice heard in this election except for one thing – Ann Nixon Cooper is 106 years old. She was born just a generation past slavery; a time when there were no cars on the road or planes in the sky; when someone like her couldn’t vote for two reasons – because she was a woman and because of the color of her skin. And tonight, I think about all that she’s seen throughout her century in America – the heartache and the hope; the struggle and the progress; the times we were told that we can’t, and the people who pressed on with that American creed: Yes we can. At a time when women’s voices were silenced and their hopes dismissed, she lived to see them stand up and speak out and reach for the ballot. Yes we can. When there was despair in the dust bowl and depression across the land, she saw a nation conquer fear itself with a New Deal, new jobs and a new sense of common purpose. Yes we can. When the bombs fell on our harbor and tyranny threatened the world, she was there to witness a generation rise to greatness and a democracy was saved. Yes we can. She was there for the buses in Montgomery, the hoses in Birmingham, a bridge in Selma, and a preacher from Atlanta who told a people that “We Shall Overcome.” Yes we can. A man touched down on the moon, a wall came down in Berlin, a world was connected by our own science and imagination. And this year, in this election, she touched her finger to a screen, and cast her vote, because after 106 years in America, through the best of times and the darkest of hours, she knows how America can change. Yes we can.
America, we have come so far. We have seen so much. But there is so much more to do. So tonight, let us ask ourselves – if our children should live to see the next century; if my daughters should be so lucky to live as long as Ann Nixon Cooper, what change will they see? What progress will we have made? This is our chance to answer that call. This is our moment. This is our time – to put our people back to work and open doors of opportunity for our kids; to restore prosperity and promote the cause of peace; to reclaim the American Dream and reaffirm that fundamental truth – that out of many, we are one; that while we breathe, we hope, and where we are met with cynicism, and doubt, and those who tell us that we can’t, we will respond with that timeless creed that sums up the spirit of a people: Yes We Can.
Thank you, God bless you, and may God Bless the United States of America.
