Or, Subtitled: Hilpa and Zilpah and Biblical (and Pseudo-Biblical) Naming Patterns in 19th-Century America
This posting is a continuation of the discussion of the children of Nancy Whitlock and her husband Abner Bryson. The previous posting discussed Nancy and Abner’s first two children, Thomas Whitlock Bryson and Catharine Bryson Williams.
Or, Subtitled: “He loved the stars and stripes as he loved his own soul, and he could not discuss the subject of secession, or hear it discussed, without getting as mad as a hornet“
I ended my previous posting about Nancy Whitlock (1778-1863) and her husband Abner Bryson (1770-1836) by telling you that the next posting would provide information about this couple’s children and about Abner’s ancestry. As I’ve begun researching the children of Abner and Nancy Whitlock Bryson, I find I’m gathering so much information that I need to break my postings about the children of this couple into several pieces. In this posting, I’m going to focus on Abner and Nancy’s first two children, Thomas Whitlock Bryson and Catharine Bryson Williams.
Or, Subtitled: A flax and cotton wheel, a loom, a sorrel mare, and a red cow and calf
This posting continues the chronicle of the lives of Nancy Whitlock and her husband Abner Bryson that began in the previous posting, as it tracked them from Surry County, North Carolina, to Cumberland County, Kentucky. In 1832-3, they moved from Cumberland to Christian County, Kentucky. On 15 May 1834 in Christian County, pursuant to a 1 May court order in a suit Abner Bryson had filed against them in the county’s circuit court in November 1833, John T. Bennett and wife Martha, acting through Christian County commissioner Abraham Stites, deeded Abner Bryson of Christian County 407 acres on waters of Sinking Fork of Little River in Christian County.[1] Both Bennetts signed the deed, and John H. Phelps, court clerk, confirmed it on 15 May 1834 and it was recorded on 27 June.
Or, Subtitled: A “Coffy” Mill, Kows, Chears, a Barrel of “Dryed” Apples, and a Large Bible
This posting is a continuation of a previous one discussing Thomas Whitlock’s final years in Cumberland County, Kentucky. That posting ended with a transcription of the will Thomas made on 22 January 1824 in Cumberland, County, which was proved in Cumberland County at May court 1830. As my final comments in the posting I’ve just linked state, in my view, Thomas likely died in 1830, perhaps in May or shortly before May. In what follows, I’ll discuss Thomas Whitlock’s estate documents, which include an estate inventory and appraisal, an account of the sale of his estate, and a final settlement.
Or, Subtitled: “In the death of Major A.M. Brooks, a good man has gone to his reward”
This posting continues two previous ones chronicling the life of Alexander Mackey Brooks (1808-1899), son of Thomas Brooks and Sarah Whitlock, from his birth in Wayne County, Kentucky, through his (first) marriage in Lawrence County, Alabama, in 1835 and then his move to Texas in 1838 and his life in Bastrop, Texas, up to 1859. This posting about Alexander will focus on the final part of his life in Houston after he married his second wife Aletha Sorrells (Pierce) there in 1849, and then his final three years in Warren, Tyler County, Texas.
Begats and Bequeathals 