tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1864453501478869742011-12-10T18:00:08.615-08:00My personal journey in the search for my African ancestry through family ties, genealogical research and general historical study of African culture.The Family Griotnoreply@blogger.comBlogger1241100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-186445350147886974.post-5208589788551031712011-12-10T08:57:00.000-08:002011-12-10T08:58:50.368-08:00

Its that time of year where I take a break to enjoy family, collect records and conduct research.I will be posting periodically at http://thefamilygriotrepository.blogspot.com over the next couple of months. Happy Holidays to my subscribers and thank you for continuing to follow my blog and my research. See you in 2012! ~ The Family Griot

The Family Griotnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-186445350147886974.post-445237829781818492011-12-01T16:30:00.000-08:002011-12-01T17:39:50.967-08:00

Since my discovery of my maternal Balanta genetic heritage, there has been an explosion of information online about all things Balanta and Guinea-Bissau. With the increased amount of genetic testing being done by African Americans, many groups and cultural exchanges have taken place through the Internet.  Here are a few of my favorite videos  and online resources about the Balanta and

The Family Griotnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-186445350147886974.post-83575812420298964292011-10-30T07:30:00.000-07:002011-10-30T07:30:00.367-07:00

After a family has been reunited by genealogical research, many families decide to have a reunion. One of the best resources available for helping guide families through the reunion organizing process and focus on its social relevance is the Family Reunion Institute of Temple University. From the Family Reunion Institute of Temple University's website: The Family Reunion Institute of Temple

The Family Griotnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-186445350147886974.post-44590320352672909702011-10-10T07:30:00.000-07:002011-10-10T07:30:01.616-07:00

October has been officially designated as Family History Month in the United States.  It is a great time to get into your family history as there are several online resources being made available for those who want to who research their family history.  Here are a few of the FREE resources I've been able to locate online. Ancestry For the entire month of October, Ancestry.com is offering 15

The Family Griotnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-186445350147886974.post-81060677031495143342011-10-05T12:04:00.000-07:002011-10-07T05:55:19.264-07:00

The National Black Genealogy Summit will take place October 20 - 22, 2011 in Fort Wayne, Indiana. Fort Wayne is home to one of the nation's most comprehensive collections of genealogy records, and an excellent source of documents pertaining to Black genealogy in particular. The three-day conference will feature a number of nationally-known genealogy and research experts, and a wide variety of

The Family Griotnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-186445350147886974.post-78566698720148269752011-10-04T07:00:00.000-07:002011-10-04T07:00:04.732-07:00

 Marriage record of Celie Smith and first husband Joe Scroggins January 15, 1870 (Top left corner pg 329) Reads as follows: Executed January 15, 1870 Abram Sampson; recorded April 4, 1870 The State of Alabama, Dallas county To any licensed minister of the Gospel, Judge of the circuit or probate court, or justice of the peace of said County; you are hereby authorized to celebrate the Rites

The Family Griotnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-186445350147886974.post-67586939049359891302011-09-24T05:30:00.000-07:002011-09-24T13:51:29.844-07:00

  Aunt Elizabeth "Bessie" Williams was born in about 1882 to Hannah Moore (1863) and Andrew Jackson Jr. (1863) in Wilkinson County, Mississippi. According to testimony given by her mother, Hannah, in the Civil War pension file of her step-father Benjamin Thompson; Bessie was born when she was about 19 years old and at the time of the testimony Bessie was living in the

The Family Griotnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-186445350147886974.post-921094343800268472011-09-17T07:00:00.000-07:002011-09-17T07:00:08.571-07:00

  A short bio on the manumitted Smith family by Alabama genealogist and historian, Gary Mills from the book "Plain Folk of the South Revisited"

The Family Griotnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-186445350147886974.post-54595964083430973282011-08-29T07:30:00.000-07:002011-08-29T07:30:01.293-07:00

Inspired by the 1968 National Geographic article, "Life Along the Natchez Trace",  I decided to share these photos of what I refer to as 'the country'. These are photos from the former plantation lands in which African-Americans remained after the Civil War and made it their homes. These specific area cover Sibley, MS the areas known as Beverly and Hutchins Landing in southern Adams County, MS.

The Family Griotnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-186445350147886974.post-76571887488672192482011-08-22T07:30:00.000-07:002011-08-22T07:30:01.959-07:00

This video done by Got Genealogy? blogger and expert genealogist, Lisa Lee is the simplified version of a consanguinity table. A consanguinity table shows familial bloodline relationships. Consanguinity - Made Simple from Lisa Lee on Vimeo.Got Genealogy

The Family Griotnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-186445350147886974.post-38760991820366733412011-08-20T15:00:00.000-07:002011-08-20T17:00:42.237-07:00

 http://www.writeherepublishing.com/150YearsLater/            I recently had the pleasure to read the second genealogical work written by genealogist and African American historian  Melvin Collier titled "150 Years Later: Broken Ties Mended".  This book takes you through Melvin's personal journey of tracing and chronicling his mother's family, the Reeds of northern Mississippi. This

The Family Griotnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-186445350147886974.post-40684416402758606122011-08-09T12:30:00.000-07:002011-08-09T12:32:39.622-07:00

 Celie Smith-Williams with grandson Rayfield Callins and granddaughter Lucy Callins circa 1900  Celie Smith, was born in Dallas County, AL about 1852 to a free woman of color named Phillis (Ann) Smith. Celie was born to a long line of Smiths who had been manumitted  in the will of Baxter Smith in 1829. Smith manumitted her great grandmother Charity Smith (born abt 1788) and her

The Family Griotnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-186445350147886974.post-61383489704626148002011-07-27T15:30:00.000-07:002011-07-27T15:51:16.339-07:00

I appreciate the support I've received since I started actively blogging about my family lines in Alabama and Mississippi.  I've recently decided to start two new blogs to be included in a network of blogs called The Family Griot Network. One blog is specifically devoted to telling the story of The Rounds Family of Adams County, Mississippi . Additionally through my research I have found that the

The Family Griotnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-186445350147886974.post-64449683977098063862011-07-26T12:30:00.000-07:002011-07-26T13:23:40.946-07:00

Sunday morning prayer  Mount Olive Baptist ChurchSibley, Mississippi

The Family Griotnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-186445350147886974.post-67367888840582248572011-07-23T10:23:00.000-07:002011-07-23T10:23:42.881-07:00

One of the things I've come to look forward to while researching my family is visiting the local cemeteries. I find the various headstones to be fascinating. They range from the most elaborate marble headstones with a photo of the deceased enshrined in a glass frame to folk art headstones made from concrete with handmade designs and customized memorializations. Here are a few of the folk art 

The Family Griotnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-186445350147886974.post-55345484616736193002011-07-13T20:13:00.000-07:002011-07-13T20:13:07.025-07:00

 Sarah "Mama Sarah" Galmore-Thompson and Family Griot on my very first trip to Mississippi One of the few genealogical mysteries I'd been wanting to uncover was the origins of my Galmore family line. My maternal great-grandmother was born Sarah Galmore in about 1893 to Candy and Clara Galmore. Candy and Clara raised nine children; Anna, Nannie (Nancy), Mary, Jimmy (James), Clara, Cressie,

The Family Griotnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-186445350147886974.post-36096429756072830112011-07-09T06:30:00.000-07:002011-07-09T06:30:00.456-07:00

Family Griot just after barefootin' in the creek at Ben's Corner. Yes that is mud and muck! One of the things that the Washington Rounds Family enjoys the most when gathering for reunions is to enjoy various outdoor activities. At the Washington-Rounds picnic this year at Ben’s Corner the children and a few adventurous adults hopped in a cousin’s pickup truck and rode down to the creek that

The Family Griotnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-186445350147886974.post-72161034698282687912011-06-28T09:30:00.000-07:002011-06-28T09:30:01.381-07:00

The state of Mississippi is located in the southern United States and officially became a state on December 10, 1817. Natchez, Mississippi was founded as a settlement in 1716 as part of the Natchez District originally claimed by the Spanish and French. After the Haitian revolution, the United States purchased the Louisiana Territory and in short order the Territory became part of the state of

The Family Griotnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-186445350147886974.post-23261168167036968872011-06-27T06:30:00.000-07:002011-06-27T06:30:00.940-07:00

Canada "Candy" Galmore Canada "Candy" Galmore born in 1858, was the son of James and Phoebe Galmore. Phoebe and her sons, Candy and James first appear together in the Adams County 1870 census. Phoebe's occupation was listed as 'cook' and she was living near the household of a planter named A.M.  Poole. Phoebe received a bounty for her husband James, who served in the 5th USCT Heavy Artillery

The Family Griotnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-186445350147886974.post-38571953117050622852011-06-26T06:00:00.000-07:002011-06-26T06:00:10.464-07:00

The nation of Guinea-Bissau modern home of the Balanta ethnic group One of the most exciting events in my research has to be the day received the results of a DNA test to determine my African ancestry. My maternal ancestry returned results of a match to the Balanta people of Guinea- Bissau. My family is in good company. Tom Joyner and Whoopi Goldberg are also descended from the Balanta people

The Family Griotnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-186445350147886974.post-81532751482036036602011-06-25T09:30:00.000-07:002011-06-25T09:30:00.475-07:00

  Est. 1716 Welcome to Historic Natchez on the Mississippi 2006 In 2006, this sign was purchased and placed on the legal city limits of Natchez, Mississippi to welcome visitors traveling along highway 61 North into the city. However, Natchez was not always the most welcoming city to people of African descent. During slavery, it was home to one of the largest overland slave markets in the U.S

The Family Griotnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-186445350147886974.post-81556086214441993402011-06-24T09:30:00.000-07:002011-06-24T09:30:02.657-07:00

Ormonde Plantation (as it appears today) The Ormonde Plantation was one of the workplaces owned by the Farrar and Ellis family descendants of Louisiana and Mississippi. The first time reference I saw regarding the Ormonde Plantation was on a private inventory of slaves dated 1829. Included on the inventory were enslaved Africans by the names of Chisolm and Maryanne and their daughters Charity,

The Family Griotnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-186445350147886974.post-18263576907594737312011-06-23T09:30:00.000-07:002011-06-23T09:30:01.514-07:00

Wilkinson County Courthouse Woodville, Mississippi Wilkinson County Courthouse Crest Woodville, Mississippi

The Family Griotnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-186445350147886974.post-2726139219545715942011-06-22T09:30:00.000-07:002011-06-22T09:30:00.474-07:00

Goliah Rounds 1854 - 1931 Goliah Rounds was the middle child of Charles and Charity Rounds. He married Dinah Brown in October 1877. He took over the stewardship of the Rounds Plantation where he and Dinah raised their ten children. Their daughter, Alice Rounds-Washington is the Family Griot's great-grandmother.

The Family Griotnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-186445350147886974.post-10991613722060389902011-06-21T09:30:00.000-07:002011-06-22T20:17:51.216-07:00

Mt. Sinai Baptist Church Hwy 61 Sibley, Mississippi One of the most crucial organizations of southern black communities was the church. It was an organization that granted comfort and support in times of need during slavery and the Jim Crow segregation eras. Mt. Sinai Baptist Church is one of the churches that many former enslaved and their descendants founded, attended and were buried in the

The Family Griotnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-186445350147886974.post-83932116812358236132011-06-20T09:30:00.000-07:002011-06-20T09:30:01.692-07:00

 Port Hudson, Louisiana Home of the 82nd USCT Port Hudson State Historic Site was originally an Army post known as Port Hudson. From 1863 to 1865, my ancestor Benjamin Thompson served on active duty in the 82nd USCT and was stationed at this fort. He fought in various battles from Alabama to Florida in support of the Union during the Civil War. After leaving the Army he followed what is

The Family Griotnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-186445350147886974.post-26054362625481566932011-06-19T09:30:00.000-07:002011-06-19T09:30:01.590-07:00

Rounds Plantation circa 1985 Rounds (Glen Aubin) Plantation in southern Adams Coutny, Mississippi was purchased by Charles and Charity Rounds during the Reconstruction Era. This is the home where the Rounds family built their life and legacy in the century following the Civil War. This is the place the descendants of Charles and Charity Rounds regard as our ancestral home.

The Family Griotnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-186445350147886974.post-45447022268668573852011-06-18T09:07:00.000-07:002011-06-18T09:07:36.934-07:00

This is a re-post from June 2010. Enjoy your Juneteenth weekend everyone! 5th USCT Heavy Artillery Flag of Natchez, Mississippi  (Courtesy Forks of the Road and Ser Seshs Ab Heter-Clifford M. Boxley)  For African-Americans, the commemoration of the Civil War and Emancipation is an extra special time of year known as Juneteenth. Juneteenth came about originally in Texas when Union General

The Family Griotnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-186445350147886974.post-37018576657408818602011-06-15T04:30:00.000-07:002011-06-15T04:34:54.787-07:00

  Mrs. E. Green Born 1-15-1883 Died 9-17-1957 Age 64 "At Rest"  

The Family Griotnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-186445350147886974.post-51763124135449818392011-06-13T04:30:00.000-07:002011-06-13T05:25:54.639-07:00

For the third consecutive year, the Sibley Zydeco Festival has been held at Ben's Corner Plantation, MS. The Ben's Corner Plantation is the homestead of the Washington Family of Adams County, MS. Purchased originally by Scott Washington, his son Will purchased the land after his father's death. Will and Alice Washington raised their ten children on the farm. Today the farm is the site of the

The Family Griotnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-186445350147886974.post-78306051573034716502011-05-31T05:30:00.000-07:002011-05-31T05:30:02.271-07:00

In 2009, I did my first "On The Road Genealogy" research trip. I'm happy to say that I will be conducting my second "On The Road Genealogy" trip in late June of this year.  Armed with more research information than on my initial trip, I plan to delve deeper into the history of my maternal family in Mississippi. I'll be visiting Adams County, MS and Wilkinson County, MS. My plans are to visit Mt.

The Family Griotnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-186445350147886974.post-33042844270548812332011-05-21T23:00:00.000-07:002011-05-21T23:19:18.257-07:00

Video clip of 50 Cents journey in tracing his ancestors Saturdays are pretty relaxed days for me. I usually dedicate a couple of  hours to mindless television watching. On my most recent channel surf, something caught my complete attention. It was an commercial on VH1 announcing a documentary about the rapper 50 Cents finding his roots. I was in total awe that this topic specifically in

The Family Griotnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-186445350147886974.post-34643273579101147202011-04-27T08:30:00.000-07:002011-04-27T10:49:49.015-07:00

  BBC World Routes: The Balanta of Guinea-Bissau Episode One BBC World Routes: Manecas Costa and the Gumbe Rhythm Episode Two  

The Family Griotnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-186445350147886974.post-2645652976070901602011-04-26T18:00:00.000-07:002011-04-26T18:00:01.556-07:00

Most recently I came across some indepth information on my paternal grandmother Lucy Callins maternal family . I have to give credit where credit is due. Thank you to my cousin Margaret in Detroit, MI who has spent the last 25 years researching the Smith family of the Black Belt Region of Alabama. The family of "Free Tom" Smith migrated from Georgia to Dallas County, Alabama in the early 19th

The Family Griotnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-186445350147886974.post-30048308571930659682011-04-06T07:00:00.000-07:002011-04-06T12:29:32.232-07:00

Me and "Santa" Christmas 1974 I couldn't wait to get off of Santa's lap!

The Family Griotnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-186445350147886974.post-11675663846408733772011-03-30T07:00:00.000-07:002011-03-30T07:18:43.271-07:00

Sarah "Mama Sarah" Galmore -Thompson circa WW II Calvin "Papa Lovie" Thompson Sr. circa WW I

The Family Griotnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-186445350147886974.post-57989306394868900382011-03-23T06:00:00.000-07:002011-03-23T06:24:00.402-07:00

 The emblem of the 5th USCT Heavy Artillery courtesy Ser Seshs Ab Heter-Clifford M. BoxleyForks of the Road  5th Regiment Heavy Artillery(From: lwfaam.net as compiled by Mr. Bennie McRae) Organized from 1st Mississippi Heavy Artillery (African Descent). Designated 4th Heavy Artillery March 11, 1864, and 5th Heavy Artillery April 26, 1864. Attached to 1st Division, United States Colored

The Family Griotnoreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-186445350147886974.post-23191758607136054812011-03-19T09:00:00.000-07:002011-03-19T09:00:05.535-07:00

An inteview with Hari Jones about the commemoration of the U.S. Civil War.

The Family Griotnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-186445350147886974.post-75670014965096448262011-03-16T09:00:00.000-07:002011-03-16T09:00:01.207-07:00

The Washington-Rounds family gathers bi-annually to celebrate family reunions. Many of our reunions are held out in 'the country' at Ben's Corner Farm in Mississippi. Several activites the children and adults enjoy are horseback riding, four-wheeling and wading in the creek that runs through the family property. At this particular reunion, we tried something new and had our version of the "

The Family Griotnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-186445350147886974.post-72880395756270253552011-03-04T09:00:00.000-08:002011-03-05T08:59:50.540-08:00

Mary Van Manen is best known as a trailblazer and advocate in the field education for African-American hearing impaired children. Mary was the first hearing impaired African-American to graduate from college in the state of Mississippi. Mary Van Manen on a discussion panel at University of Houston regarding the experiences of hearing impaired African-American women in the southMary L. Van Manen

The Family Griotnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-186445350147886974.post-62495831493430794222011-02-16T06:00:00.000-08:002011-02-16T06:00:10.841-08:00

While browsing through the web on a late Tuesday night, I was able to locate a transcription of the document which freed my paternal great-great-great-great grandmother Charity Smith and three of her 'mulatto' children: Harriet, Theodrick and Malinda. I located the transcribed document on the message boards at www.genealogy.com as posted by Andy Anderson in April 2006. Dallas County, AlabamaWill

The Family Griotnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-186445350147886974.post-15649542018163113352011-01-18T02:21:00.000-08:002011-01-18T02:36:44.676-08:00

“Of all our studies, History is best qualified to reward our research.” – Malcolm X

The Family Griotnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-186445350147886974.post-56660992352729772632011-01-14T10:00:00.000-08:002011-01-14T10:00:06.626-08:00

2011 has arrived and I am quite busy working on my genealogical research. The subject of my most current research is on James Galimore and the 5th USCT Heavy Artillery. 2011 is also the start of the CW 150 commemoration and I look forward to sharing more about my ancestors who served in the U.S. Civil War as the year goes on. Here is a post that I wrote about a family member who was lost in the

The Family Griotnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-186445350147886974.post-89975208118993167022010-12-05T07:00:00.000-08:002010-12-05T07:00:01.805-08:00

The Family Griot will be taking a break for the winter and fall to conduct genealogical research. See you all in the Spring!Family Griot

The Family Griotnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-186445350147886974.post-3098958055814842782010-11-04T09:00:00.000-07:002010-11-04T09:00:03.884-07:00

The Family Griot Website: The Family Griot

The Family Griotnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-186445350147886974.post-29832178115615117942010-10-16T09:00:00.000-07:002010-10-16T09:00:05.646-07:00

Every genealogist, whether you're experienced or new, need a few things to assist in their research efforts. Here are some of the things I've utilized in my research that I found helpful. Hopefully you will too.1. A netbook or laptop In this electronic age more and more records are becoming available online, people are exchanging information and uploading documents and other records. Additionally

The Family Griotnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-186445350147886974.post-62879176149428239792010-10-11T07:00:00.000-07:002010-10-11T07:00:01.804-07:00

Recently while I was searching online for surname information, I came across surname information by David L. Word, Charles D. Coleman, Robert Nunziata and Robert Kominski (2008) entitled "Demographic Aspects of Surnames from Census 2000" and published by the U.S. Census Bureau. A very well hidden website has posted this information online. I was able to get a good idea of how common some of the

The Family Griotnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-186445350147886974.post-86707439065025278242010-10-08T07:00:00.000-07:002010-10-08T07:00:06.535-07:00

On August 7, 2010 I had the privilege of participating in the First Saturday's Descendants Day at African American Civil War Musuem in Washington, D.C. I gave a presentation on the Life of Benjamin Thompson: 82nd United States Colored Troops Soldier. Benjamin Thompson is my great-great grandfather.Born about 1840 in Hinds County, Mississippi, Benjamin made his way to Baton Rouge ending up in Port

The Family Griotnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-186445350147886974.post-16302313003626736672010-10-01T07:00:00.000-07:002010-10-01T07:00:11.411-07:00

This months Call for Descendants is calling for the Rounds Family of Mississippi. There are two branches of the Rounds family originating from the state of Mississippi, one in Adams County and one in Humphreys County. If you think that you are a descendant of either family, please respond to this call. There are people looking for you to help build their family tree.The Family Griot

The Family Griotnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-186445350147886974.post-62229385079007892992010-09-13T07:00:00.000-07:002010-09-13T07:00:04.273-07:00

Scott Washington Jr's., son of Scott Washington, World War I Draft CardScott Washington Jr. in his World War I uniform.

The Family Griotnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-186445350147886974.post-74421384080442588562010-09-10T07:00:00.000-07:002010-09-10T07:00:05.788-07:00

Susie Lanier - Taylor (with calico dress) and her mother Ellen Mixon - Lanier (white long-sleeved dress). Both of Autauga County, Alabama sometime during the 1950's. Ellen Mixon - Lanier was born on 1 July 1885 granddaughter of former slaves Alec and Ellen Mixon. On 20 January 1904, Ellen married Tom (Thomas) Lanier. Tom and Ellen had two children, Louis and Susie. Ellen passed away in 1967 at

The Family Griotnoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-186445350147886974.post-9325580656477431192010-09-01T07:00:00.000-07:002010-09-01T07:00:04.264-07:00

Inspired by the traditional "Call for Papers", I've decided to create a monthly "Call for Descendants" column on the Family Griot blog. Each month a family surname that I have been able to research will be featured on the blog along with their family and the call to their descendants to respond or comment on the family.The first family I will "Call for Descendants" is that of Thomas and Edward (

The Family Griotnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-186445350147886974.post-21319864973834851542010-08-23T07:00:00.000-07:002010-08-23T07:00:06.465-07:00

Thomas Hinyard and Edward Hinyard, the great-uncles of Will Washington, volunteered to serve in the U.S. Colored Troops during the Civil War. Thomas and Edward served in the 58th USCT Infantry originating in Natchez, Mississippi from February 1865 to April 1865. For their service, Thomas and Edward appear on the African-American Civil War Memeorial in Washington, D.C.

The Family Griotnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-186445350147886974.post-33604568731419950082010-08-18T07:00:00.000-07:002010-08-18T07:00:07.448-07:00

A few months ago while searching through some online records trying to get some follow up leads on family members and check for any new records, I came across a Civil War pension card. Charity Rounds of Mississippi was the beneficiary and Charles Rounds Jr. was the soldier. I have to admit, I looked at the record initially and dismissed it because to my knowledge there was no Charles Rounds born

The Family Griotnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-186445350147886974.post-19741540645490562642010-08-16T03:45:00.000-07:002010-08-16T10:17:11.557-07:00

One of the most wonderful research tools in genealogy is the internet. Many of the available software programs and social networks allow people who are researching in similar regions and for similar surnames connect online. This process has reunited many families who may have never reconnected. Recently one of the connections I made online was with my cousins Wendy and Wendell. They are the

The Family Griotnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-186445350147886974.post-29150939858184722602010-08-08T16:32:00.000-07:002010-08-08T17:30:37.349-07:00

On Saturday 7 August 2010, I gave a presentation on the life and Civil War service of Benjamin Thompson at the African-American Civil War Museum in Washington, D.C. I was given this certificate in honor of Benjamin Thompson's service by the Assistant Director and Curator of the museum, Hari Jones.

The Family Griotnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-186445350147886974.post-58352268963715087392010-07-23T07:00:00.000-07:002010-07-23T07:00:08.561-07:00

Thompson Family Reunion Adams County, Mississippi

The Family Griotnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-186445350147886974.post-63484922532278074982010-07-21T07:00:00.000-07:002010-07-21T07:00:03.690-07:00

The Family Griotnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-186445350147886974.post-35046642327181618072010-07-13T07:00:00.000-07:002010-07-13T07:00:06.372-07:00

The Family Griotnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-186445350147886974.post-13628374222109376752010-07-09T07:00:00.000-07:002010-07-09T07:00:00.892-07:00

The descendants of George and Lucy Callins, and some descendants of Charity Smith great-great-great grandmother of Lucy Callins meet up in Baton Rouge, LA.

The Family Griotnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-186445350147886974.post-89563490091371996552010-07-07T07:00:00.000-07:002010-07-07T07:00:00.309-07:00

Calvin Thompson Sr. aka Papa Lovie and Sarah (Galmore) Thompson aka Mama Sarah in Mississippi during the 1970's.

The Family Griotnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-186445350147886974.post-25978798116203450132010-07-06T07:00:00.000-07:002010-07-06T07:00:02.590-07:00

Ethel (Thompson) Henderson, eldest child of Calvin and Sarah (Galmore) Thompson. 1916-1978

The Family Griotnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-186445350147886974.post-86054357987473206552010-06-29T07:00:00.000-07:002010-06-29T07:00:03.448-07:00

The tombstone of Perkins Galmore, son of Kenndy and Clara (nee Perkins)Galmore. I suppose that she wanted us to remember who her people were, so she gave one of her sons her maiden name.

The Family Griotnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-186445350147886974.post-82771274240746128822010-06-23T07:00:00.000-07:002010-06-23T07:00:05.546-07:00

The Family Griotnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-186445350147886974.post-39112519264394699842010-06-22T07:00:00.000-07:002010-06-22T07:00:04.432-07:00

Goliah Rounds Jr., son of Goliah and Dinah (nee Brown) Rounds.

The Family Griotnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-186445350147886974.post-65738636776024473132010-06-19T07:00:00.000-07:002010-06-20T14:01:11.823-07:00

For African-Americans, the commemoration of the Civil War and Emancipation is an extra special time of year known as Juneteenth. Juneteenth came about originally in Texas when Union General Granger issueed a field order officially liberating enslaved African descendants there on or about June 19, 1865. Since that time, Texans and later African-Americans from all over the U.S. began to commemorate

The Family Griotnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-186445350147886974.post-91901858920528003782010-06-14T06:00:00.000-07:002010-06-14T06:00:08.246-07:00

While grabbing a cup of coffee this morning at work in a fellow co-workers office, I happened to browse a book on his shelf "The Little Professor of Piney Woods" by Beth Day. I giggled a bit and asked what he was doing with this book in his office. Being the book addict that I am, I couldn't resist asking to borrow this book. "The Little Professor of Piney Woods" was written by Beth Day and

The Family Griotnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-186445350147886974.post-63543855638525512842010-06-09T06:00:00.000-07:002010-06-09T06:00:03.242-07:00

One of the relatives that I had a particularly difficult time locating any records for was my great-grand uncle Elijah Washington. Elijah Washington, born about 1892, was the second born son of Roxana McFarland-Earls and Scott Washington. Elijah was an infant when his mother Roxie passed away and he was raised by his younger sister Jane. When he was a young man, Elijah left for the Delta region

The Family Griotnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-186445350147886974.post-38734940607777333692010-06-07T06:30:00.000-07:002010-06-07T06:30:00.986-07:00

For the second year in a row, Ben's Corner Plantation will be the site of the Sibley Zydeco Festival. Ben's Corner is also the site of many Washington-Rounds Family Reunions and is the family homestead. Everytime we visit there, my family has great fun! Be sure to check out the official site of the Sibley Zydeco Festival:http://sibleyfestival.com/

The Family Griotnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-186445350147886974.post-66872591159731918682010-06-05T06:00:00.000-07:002010-06-05T06:00:00.557-07:00

The headstone of Saint Arby Washington - Thompson at the Mt. Sinai Baptist Church in Sibley, Mississippi. Saint Arby was the second child born to Will and Alice (Rounds) Washington. St. Arby was raised on Ben's Corner with her nine brothers and sisters. She married James Thompson (Calvin and Sarah) in 1939. She passed away from complications of a stroke on May 13, 1980. She left behind her

The Family Griotnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-186445350147886974.post-32166722007204980732010-05-31T05:23:00.001-07:002010-05-31T05:38:58.765-07:00

James Thompson, World War II Navy Veteran, Son of Calvin and Sarah Thompson, grandson of Benjamin Thompson Civil War Veteran who served in the 82nd USCT Light Infantry headquartered in Port Hudson, Louisiana. *A very special thank you to all the freedom fighters especially those who participated in the Civil War and other freedom movements in the United States to bring justice here at home and

The Family Griotnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-186445350147886974.post-49304769788681292272010-04-06T21:46:00.001-07:002010-04-11T18:26:13.501-07:00

Just catching up on my blog after a hectic week of working, Spring Break and birthday celebrations, I am honored to know that I've received an Ancestor Approved Award from my genealogy and facebook friend George Geder at http://gedergenealogy.com. Thank you very much Mr. Geder!The recipient of the Ancestor Approved Award must list ten things learned about their ancestors that have surprised,

The Family Griotnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-186445350147886974.post-29999335217384818482010-03-14T03:30:00.000-07:002010-03-14T15:46:29.828-07:00

In my quest to learn more about the family of my great-great grandfather Scott Washington, I ordered his death certificate from MDAH (Mississippi Department of Archives and History. My goal was to obtain the names and birth states of his parents leading to possible siblings and other family members of the Washington family lineage. However, upon receipt and review of the death certificate of

The Family Griotnoreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-186445350147886974.post-90375580748789391172010-03-10T06:30:00.000-08:002010-03-10T06:30:00.426-08:00

Today, I was conducting research in an attempt to get out of this family research slump. I decided to look for any records great great grandmother Clara Perkins-Galmore. My search focused my research on her maiden name, Perkins. I didn't yield any meaningful results. Afterwards, I just searched on the name Clara Galmore. In the 'other results', I came across the name James Galmore in the 1870

The Family Griotnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-186445350147886974.post-81296460746911667872010-03-08T06:30:00.000-08:002010-03-08T06:30:00.780-08:00

The death certificate of my great-great grandmother, Hannah Moore-Thompson. Her brother, Joshua Moore is the informant. It lists the names of her parents and their birth states. It also gives an alternate first name and maiden name of her mother, who was known as Rose to the family. This is an important detail because Rose married twice, first to George Moore and later to Andrew Owens.

The Family Griotnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-186445350147886974.post-20611540683734674252010-03-02T19:30:00.000-08:002010-03-02T20:29:54.288-08:00

A few marriage records from Adams County Mississippi. The years widely range from the late 1800's to the 1930's.

The Family Griotnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-186445350147886974.post-1693661256982824432010-03-01T19:00:00.000-08:002010-03-02T19:59:00.041-08:00

For the individual who has been looking for Wilkinson County Colored Marriages, here are a few that I picked up last summer while visiting family. These are marriages which occurred from about 1869 forward. I hopefully will be in the area again this upcoming summer and will try to to get the Freedmen's Marriage records. I can't make any guarantees, but I will try!Here are the documents I was able

The Family Griotnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-186445350147886974.post-85880280109171854252010-03-01T14:53:00.000-08:002010-03-01T15:37:03.294-08:00

Today, the call went out from Luckie Daniels over at Our Georgia Roots and Our Alabama Roots for slave data to be posted online to help bridge the digital divide. In response to her request, I've opted to post any and all researched documents that I have here on my blog.I have begun to post some documents online related to my family in Mississippi. However, as per Luckie's request, I will be

The Family Griotnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-186445350147886974.post-36318546475904739552010-02-28T17:44:00.000-08:002010-02-23T19:36:13.846-08:00

Pertinent documents and photos of the Washington Family of Wilkinson county and Adams county, Mississippi (Top to Bottom) Scott Washington & Eliza McLain Marriage license, John Earls and Roxana McFarland Marriage license, Winifred Washington (Will's daughter), Will Washington, Scott Washington and Chester Washington.

The Family Griotnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-186445350147886974.post-77569172933818387752010-02-25T06:30:00.000-08:002010-02-25T06:30:01.220-08:00

The Washington Family are descendants of Scott Washington and Roxie Earls of Wilkinson County, Mississippi. Scott Washington was born in September 1859 and married Eliza McLain on 2 February 1881. Roxie McFarland-Earls was born in 1856 to Peter and Milly McFarland. She married John Earls on 17 February 1876. There were four (4) children born to Roxie and John. They are as follows: Kate (1876),

The Family Griotnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-186445350147886974.post-17196203570463460662010-02-24T06:30:00.000-08:002010-02-24T06:30:01.059-08:00

Due to life circumstances, The Family Griot will be suspending this blog until further notice. It has been a wonderful journey researching and writing about my family, developing research techniques and connecting with other African-American genealogical and historical researchers and most importantly, learning about myself. In the upcoming weeks I will be posting papers and records that I've

The Family Griotnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-186445350147886974.post-23003258122079392002010-02-13T18:00:00.000-08:002010-02-13T18:00:00.723-08:00

Inspired by the Charity Smith descendants family chart, I compiled a list of surnames of her descendants and created a Wordle with them. This is a partial listing in all there are almost 200 surnames. Enjoy!

The Family Griotnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-186445350147886974.post-28112159348007959842010-02-07T08:29:00.000-08:002010-02-07T08:46:19.832-08:00

Yesterday, I was searching online through the Alabama Department of Archives and History to locate any resources that I would be able to use to further assist me in my genealogical research in Alabama. I came across an absolutely dynamic lecture by Dr. Richard Bailey about Reconstruction in Alabama given during Juneteenth 2009 at the Department of Archives and History. He's the author of two

The Family Griotnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-186445350147886974.post-33708724138293219882010-02-06T22:33:00.000-08:002010-02-06T23:19:50.097-08:00

I'm my maternal grandparent's first child to be born outside of Mississippi. Here are some memorable photos from my early years of the women in my mother's family. MMy grandmother, Saint Arby Thompson and my "baby" aunt flew into New York City on PanAm for a visit when I was about two months old. They just walked across the tarmac, something that would never happen these days.My first trip to

The Family Griotnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-186445350147886974.post-22221927452184367102010-01-27T09:30:00.000-08:002010-01-27T20:31:59.280-08:00

The Family Griotnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-186445350147886974.post-74599136700449788092010-01-18T14:42:00.000-08:002010-01-18T16:06:26.537-08:00

Happy New Year's everyone! Today's memory is the story of one of my favorite uncles, Aldrich James "Buddy" Evins. James, Buddy and Uncle Buddy, as he was known to his family, was the embodiment of tall, dark and handsome. A beautifully handsome black man with a dashing smile, Uncle Buddy had fought in Europe in WWII, was an active local leader in the Union Movement and in his adopted community of

The Family Griotnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-186445350147886974.post-71247400824329202152009-12-01T07:50:00.001-08:002009-12-01T10:21:28.965-08:00

The year of 2009 has been a great year for my personal genealogical research on The Family Griot Blog. This past year my journey into my personal African-American ancestry, history and culture has been truly eye opening. I've been able to tie my family history into various historical events making them much more personal to me. A few of my most memorable research efforts this year are the

The Family Griotnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-186445350147886974.post-60500664050809679422009-11-19T09:30:00.000-08:002009-11-19T14:20:32.978-08:00

A while back I was researching my paternal mother's maternal lineage. I was able to locate and verify my great grandmother and my great-great grandmother through census and vital records. They are as follows: Lucy Stroggins-Callins b. 1872 - d. abt. 1936 (born and died in Dallas County, Alabama)Cely Smith-Williams b. abt. 1850 - d. 19 Jun 1933 (Born in Dallas County, AL and died in Bessemer,

The Family Griotnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-186445350147886974.post-88203752559308403252009-11-18T09:00:00.000-08:002009-11-19T13:05:15.889-08:00

In today's blog entry, I'm going to revisit one of my ancestors, Benjamin Thompson. Since my first writing on him, I have been able to obtain greater detail into his life by ordering his Civil War Pension file. I first looked to census records to verify his marriage to my great grandmother, Hannah Thompson and his residence in Adams County, MS. Looking through additional documentation, his

The Family Griotnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-186445350147886974.post-76638705608627199082009-10-31T11:24:00.000-07:002009-10-31T11:38:22.426-07:00

After taking a hiatus for the month of October to conduct research, I've uncovered some interesting new information and new family connections on both my maternal and paternal families. I'd like to thank my newly discovered cousins, Philip and Margaret of Michigan for introducing me to the history of the Smith Family of Dallas county, Alabama. Thank you so much for your genealogical research of

The Family Griotnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-186445350147886974.post-8451090240124965872009-09-13T06:00:00.000-07:002009-09-13T06:00:01.906-07:00

Mama Sarah's final resting place, Mount Sinai Baptist Church Cemetery on Hwy 61 in Sibley, Adams Co., Mississippi Sarah "Mama Sarah" Galmore Thompson pictured with her children, Ethel, James, Anderson, Clara, Margaret, and Joseph. (Missing is deceased son, Calvin Thompson Jr.) Today's Stroll Down Memory Lane is dedicated to my maternal great-grandmother, Sarah Galmore-Thompson of Adams County,

The Family Griotnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-186445350147886974.post-61322551010462277602009-09-09T08:07:00.001-07:002009-09-09T08:07:52.857-07:00

In continuing the research on my Lanier family line, I have been making some great progress actually more than I had anticipated. While browsing through online Alabama Death records, I came across the death certificate for Charity Lanier, wife of Burrell Lanier. The estimated year of birth for Charity on the Death Certificate was 1840 and the date of her passing was 12 September 1912. The most

The Family Griotnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-186445350147886974.post-81240606447412568692009-08-12T09:00:00.000-07:002009-08-12T09:30:02.556-07:00

For the month of August, I will be highlighting one of the more distant branches of my family tree is the Lanier Family of Autauga County, Alabama. My grandfather Louis Lanier (b.1908 d.1995) and grandaunt Susie Lanier (b. 1905 d.1998) were the only two children of Tom Lanier (b. 1874 d. 1967) and Ellen Lanier (b. 1885 d.1967)Susie Lanier had one child, Rebecca (b. 1925 d.1988). Rebecca had no

The Family Griotnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-186445350147886974.post-39466085824606565252009-08-05T16:52:00.000-07:002009-08-06T06:33:26.550-07:00

I was initially going to start off this month of August to discuss my Lanier family line. I'm still doing research on that line and will have a posting next week with the initial results. However, while meeting with my genealogy group online we became involved in a discussion briefly about family names and how this can be a useful tool in connecting seemingly unrelated families and relatives.I'd

The Family Griotnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-186445350147886974.post-3631882157821537782009-07-20T09:49:00.000-07:002009-07-20T10:11:16.694-07:00

The Family Griot is researching several family lines. I have created contact e-mails addresses for the family surnames if anyone would like to contact me offline regarding family connections. MISSISSIPPI FAMILIESWashington & Rounds Family: washingtonroundsfamily@familygriot.comThompson & Galmore Family: thompsongalmorefamily@familygriot.comALABAMA FAMILIESLanier Family: lanierfamily@

The Family Griotnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-186445350147886974.post-62871839591573072732009-07-19T12:46:00.000-07:002009-07-19T13:49:34.569-07:00

While on my trip, I took several photos of historical records and locations that I just couldn't seem to fit into my blog postings. So some of the more interesting ones I'm posting about now. Enjoy the photos and the story behind them! Port Hudson, Louisiana This is the post where my great-great grandfather Benjamin Thompson served while in the Army with the 10th Regiment Infantry Corp de Afriq,

The Family Griotnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-186445350147886974.post-42744234211400761042009-07-15T19:55:00.000-07:002009-07-16T10:44:25.775-07:00

After heading to the cemeteries, the very next locations I went to was the Circuit and Chancery Clerk's office in Woodville, MS. The county had their Independence Day holiday on Monday following so the offices were closed. I had to turn my lemons into lemonade. Fortunately for me, the Wilkinson County Museum was just around the corner and even more fortunate although they were 'closed', the

The Family Griotnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-186445350147886974.post-85120711296916192702009-07-15T19:08:00.000-07:002009-07-15T19:31:13.107-07:00

Mt. Sinai Baptist Church in Sibley, MS is the family church of the Thompson Family of Adams County. Many Thompson family members have been baptized, married and interned at the church and the cemetery. My beloved grandmother Saint Arby Washington-Thompson and great grandparents Sarah Galmore-Thompson and Calvin Thompson Sr. are all interned there as well as many Galmore, Thompson, and Barnes

The Family Griotnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-186445350147886974.post-49236549651244683322009-07-11T09:23:00.000-07:002009-07-15T19:10:38.008-07:00

In an earlier posting, I described a bit about my visit to the Mt. Sinai Church cemetery and to the Rounds Family Cemetery. Many of my Thompson-Galmore relatives are buried in the Mt. Sinai Cemetery and the Rounds Family Cemetery has interned the majority of the Rounds family. The Rounds cemetery is located a few hundred yards from the main house on the Rounds Plantation (Glen Aubin). While I was

The Family Griotnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-186445350147886974.post-1217003815550516362009-07-10T11:40:00.000-07:002009-07-10T17:26:05.903-07:00

I'm officially back from my family reunion/vacation/genealogy research trip! What an enjoyable yet busy trip it was. On Saturday the 4th of July, the Washington-Rounds-Earls family met on Ben's Corner to celebrate with barbecue, truck rides, swimming and meeting up with one another after two years apart. I must say that my cousin, Micki (Garland) threw down on the barbecue again this year. I

The Family Griotnoreply@blogger.com0