Working on my genealogy I have learned to study what is going on in the world to help piece together unread information about my family. As an example that doesn't relate to my family a person can look and see that their ancestors came from Europe to America in the late 1930's. If a person doesn't dig deeper than that date only stays a date without an explanation. But as a person digs deeper in learning about history during that time they will discover that Europe is on the brink of WWII and tension was in the air. People over in Europe, who were able to, started to leave and come to America. So a person can then say that WWII caused their family to immigrate from Europe to America. It puts more feeling into it that simply saying "my family came to America in 1939."
For those who have not had the privilege of watching the movie Forrest Gump a brief summery is about a man named Forest Gump growing up and interacting with different points of American history such as getting his name from a KKK leader, meeting Elvis, going to school while blacks tried to attend an all white school, going off to serve in Vietnam, meeting a few presidents, and buying stocks in Apple corporation without realizing what it is. Recently I discovered one branch in my family tree that was around during some interesting times in America. I jokingly call it the "Gump" line because this line has pretty much seen it all in America just like Forest Gump's character in the movie. The correct name of the particular branch in my family tree is the Stanley (Standley originally but they dropped the D in the early 1800's) line. It is from my mother's father's mother's line of the family and goes back 11 generations. I wanted to highlight some of the important parts of history that my ancestor's were around to see and their connection to it.
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Standley family was known to be in Massachusetts in1635.
Pictured above is NOT family but used to represent family in
that time era. |
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| Map of New England in 1640 |
It all starts with the pilgrims. Okay, not exactly THE pilgrims but that is around the time frame I traced my roots back to. George Standley was born about 1635 and lived in Massachusetts and married and died in Salem, MA.. The Mayflower came to America (Plymouth, Massachusetts) in 1620 - only 15 years BEFORE George Standley was born. I haven't reached on who is parents were or where they were from. That is another brick wall for another day. On the map you can see Plymouth near the Cape Cod area (the hook part on Massachusetts). Boston is further up north and Salem is just north of Boston still along the coast. They could have taken a boat a few years after the pilgrims and entered through Boston and traveled north. Perhaps this line came down from Canada. I still haven't discovered that part of WHEN that line came to America. I just know it is documented that he lived in Massachusetts from about 1635 to 1698. I guess I will add that bit of thanks to my ancestor next Thanksgiving.
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Salem WitchTrials in Salem Massachusetts.
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Salem. Yes, that is right. George Standley was living in Salem during the famous Salem Witch trials. No, he or his family are not listed among the 200 that were accused of doing the Devil's work but that doesn't mean he didn't know of someone. These people lived in the same town. He had to of had commerce with them and trade. This was a huge deal in this town. I can bet he was reading up in the newspaper of what was going on and he and his wife, Bethiah, could of been there at the hangings. The Salem Witch Trials happened during 1692 and 1693. George didn't die until 1698, 5 years after the Salem Witch Trials. Some of his adult children where there witnessing this event unfold too. When George died in Beverly, MA., Salem annexed out a part of their town to create Beverly. There were about 4 people right from his area! George's son, Johnathan (still part of my line) married an Elizabeth Foster. There is an Ann Foster listed as an accused. Could Ann and Elizabeth be related? Mother? Sisters? Cousins? I don't know. They were in the area and had one son in Beverly, MA..
http://www.salemwitchtrials.com/accused.html http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salem_witch_trials
George Standley wasn't without sin either. In the Salem Quarterly Court Records and files on January 26, 1668 he was fined for fornication before marriage with his future wife, Bethiah (Lovett). They did end up marrying in 1670 and had a child soon afterwards. November 13, 1672 for breach of the peace. On June 24, 1673, George was fined again, but this time it was for being a cheat and extortion when it came to selling cloth. December 3, 1677 he had taken an oath of fidelity (swearing allegiance to the lords or state). September 25, 1679 when he was around 44 years old he testified about the time Salem new meeting house was built. There was an argument over who had the bell and he claimed he never received the bill of lading nor did he pay for the freight of it but claimed that he brought the bell to his home. (I need to dig deeper into that one to fuller understand it) and he was summoned the 29th of April in 1681 for Ephraim Herick in telling a pernicious lie.
Overall, George Standley had 11 children between 1670 to 1693 all in Beverly, Massachusetts before he died in 1698. I am a descendant from his 5th child, Jonathan Standley born January 18, 1679 and died unknown in North Carolina. It was through Jonathan that my family traveled down the coast to stay in North Carolina for a few generations. I don't know why he made the move south. His wife, Elizabeth Foster (mentioned above) was from the area. They married in 1704, had a son in 1706 in Beverly but the following year in 1707 there is a land deed registered to Jonathan Standley in North Carolina. Something happened during that time that caused them to move. Better job opportunity? Maybe Elizabeth's sister was accused and now the pressure was starting to focus on Elizabeth and her son. This move could be means to escape. Those questions have yet to be answered.
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Greene County, NC. My ancestor lived
somewhat in that area. |
Jonathan Standley was a Mariner and had 3 children. One son with Elizabeth and two sons with another wife. The lived in Dobbs County, NC. Dobbs County no longer exists but became part of Wayne County, Greene County and Lenoir County. Registered in April 15, 1707 for 28 pounds he bought 316 acres. On April 1, 1713 Jonathan purchased 313 acres for 35 pounds. He started buying up a lot of land throughout his life. Mariner life and the land was good to him and it all was starting to pay off. The Standley's became a prominent family in North Carolina.
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An image of what a slave auction would look like.
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With owning much land in North Carolina during the 1700's usually comes with a sad price to operate it. Slavery. International Slave Trade didn't happen until 1808 so slavery was in full swing at this time. Between 1701 and 1760, 189,00 slaves were brought to America. Majority of slaves captured at that time. Overall, 12 million slaves were taken from Africa but the colonies only got 5% of that. Most were used in the Caribbean and Brazil. Jonathan's oldest son, Jonathan Jr. (brother of my direct ancestor) in his will to his children willed some of his slaves to his children.
Son David Sandley ~ Land I bought of Moses Hare on Roquis, Negro Sue, bed cows, calves which he has already received.
Son Edmond Standley ~ Land I bought of Dillard Harris and my land in Piney Woods that I had of John Barnes Jr also cows, calves and Negro Sam.
Daughter Elizabeth Roades ~ mulatto Cate, bed, cows, and calves.
Daughter Jemima Kittrell ~ Negro Nance and an equal part of my estate for her lifetime and at her death the said Negro will go to her son Joshua Spivey.
Daughter Esther Spivey ~ Negro Dina and her three children which she now has.
Daughter Susanna Baker ~ Negro Jenney, bed, etc.
Daughter Mary Stallings ~ Negro Jada, bed, etc. which she has already received.
Daughter Martha Standley ~ My manner plantation where I now live and 50 acres of land that I bought of John Crickett, also Negro Sarah, bed, etc.
Goddaughter Sarah Thomas, junr, ~ The child my Negro Rose now goes with, but if Sarah should die without issue the Negro will go to my children.
Wife Ann Standley ~ Lend 200 acres at Lumber Bridge, Negroes Mingo, Peg, and Nance, Cows, Walnut Chairs, Smoking Chair, ect. Profits of the orchard are to be divided between my daughter Martha and my wife.
His wife Ann's dad Martin Gardner also left a will on October 6, 1755.
Wife Annah ~ Negro Jim , bed
Son Jame Gardner ~ Negro Pompe, Ben, Bed and plantation, and land where I now live.
Son John Gardner ~ 440 acres adj my land on Deep Run and Cashy.
Daughters Ann, Annah, and Jane ~ cows and calves.
Daughter Ann ~ Negro Peg
Daughter Annah ~ Negro Ward
Daughter Jane ~ Negro Beck
Son William Gardner ~ Heifer
Daughter Catron ~ Mare
Daughter Elisebeth ~ cow and calf and that is to be their shares.
Notice in the first group there was a mulatto slave that was willed to Jonathan's daughter. Could this girl, Cate, be the daughter of Jonathan and another slave or could they have purchased her from an auction? I am interested in the fact that Ann's dad didn't leave his younger 3 children a slave but instead farm animals. I wonder if they were too young to receive slaves where the other children could have been married and out of the home. Slave ownership is a black eye in the American culture. Many look down about that era. However, it was the culture back then whether we agree with it or not. I was very surprised to learn about slavery being a part of my heritage. I am not overly proud of it but I cannot pretend that it wasn't there.
My line, however, carries on from Jonathan Jr.'s younger half brother, Sands Standley. Not much is known about him except he had two sons. Sands jr. and Shadrack. There is a book titled "Sands Stanley of the Pee Dee Valley" written by Haywood Stanley in 1978.
His son Sands jr. married a lady by the name of Zilpha Edwards around 1759. Her name is also spelled Zilphah in the DAR (Daughters of the American Revolution) application National #486112.
Sands Stanley fought in the Battle of Moores Creek Bridge in 1776 near Wilmington, North Carolina. It was the first battle of the American Revolutionary War that was fought in North Carolina. He served in the Dobb's Militia.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Moore%27s_Creek_Bridge_NC
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A: Moore moves from Wilmington to Rockfish Creek
B: MacDonald moves to Corbett's Ferry
C: Caswell moves from New Bern to Corbett's Ferry.
Sands was in the "C" movement.
Moore's Creek Bridge where the battle took place. |
Zilpha's father, Colonel Thomas Edwards was shot and killed by a slave. This generation slowly started to wean the "D" letter from Standley to Stanley. In 1733 Sands served as a member of the Committee on Claims of the North Carolina Assembly at New Bern. It was documented that in 1792 and in 1793 there was a bill of sale for purchase of a slave. Between 1760 and 1778 they had 13 children. Again, our line continues from the 5th child, William Stanley.
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Shadrack Stanley served under
"Swamp Fox" Francis Marion. |
Before I go down my 5th great grandfather's line I want to take a moment and mention William's brother, (Sands jr. second child) Shadrack Stanley who was born 1761. He served under General Francis Marion (aka The Swamp Fox) in 1782 as a private for 30 days. He was around 21 years of age. But his tale doesn't end there. Soon after the Revolutionary War in 1803, the United States made a huge land purchase commonly known as the Louisiana Purchase. At the time the boundaries of Louisiana and Florida were not clear. Squabbles and feuding started to take place. Finally in 1821 and with negotiations from Spain Florida became a U.S. Territory. Shadrack owned land along the St. Mary's River where a lot of the squabbling took place. Shadrack's son Shadrack was a surveyer and was told to go to Florida with 101 men near Gainesville, Fl. They were supposed to be given 500 acres of land and supplies for one year. Indian's attacked after a few months and they were told to get off their land. Spain told them to forget the land and head back. To make a longer story short by 1815 the King of Spain had given Shadrack 300 acres of land He also claimed an additional 640 acres which he improved. He signed petitions for against Indians to roam around Florida in 1825. In tax records lists Sands with 1120 acres of pine land, 150 acres of oak and hickory land, and 18 negroes.
Back to William Stanley. He ended up moving from North Carolina to Kentucky with the Transylvania Company. Just before the Revolutionary War occurred there was another war called Lord Dunmore's War. In a nut shell it is about the governor of Virginia, Lord Dunmore, wanting to acquire more land that is now present day West Virginia and Kentucky. This was the Indian's hunting ground. Daniel Boone, trying to set up this area for settlers also came under attack. Boone's oldest son James and another boy were captured and tortured to death in 1773. In 1774 the Treaty of Camp Charlotte the Shawnee Indian's agreed to stop hunting south of the Ohio River and to stop harassment of the settlers coming into the land. In 1775 the Cherokee Indians sold Kentucky to the Transylvania Company.
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Wilderness Road in 1785
Daniel Boone led settlers through this path to settle in Kentucky. |
The Transylvania Company was started in 1774 by a judge out of North Carolina by the name of Richard Henderson. He was able to get wealthy North Carolinians to help support him by joining up and moving out to Kentucky.
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Daniel Boone and a few settlers overlooking a ridge
over by the Wilderness Road. |
William Stanley, being a planter in North Carolina became involved with the Transylvania Company that moved into Kentucky. He wasn't one of the first families from North Carolina to go as he had a son, Mark Stanley, that was born in 1791 in North Carolina. The next documents I can find
William Stanley is death in 1823 in Hopkins, Kentucky. Somewhere between 1791 and 1823 made a journey with the Transylvania Company to take an adventure over through the Cumberland Gap on the Wilderness Road and made his way to Kentucky.
Mark Stanley, born in North Carolina, made the journey across the country, stopped in Tennessee and ended up in Williamson County, Marion, Illinois. He was a farmer, had 11 children and his youngest two sons served in the Civil War. My line continues on through one of his daughters, Mary Jane, his 6th child. I wanted to focus on her younger brothers who fought and gave their lives in the Civil War, Charles Stanley and Elias Stanley.
The brothers were born a year apart. Charles was born 1837 and his brother Elias in 1838 both in Tennessee. The war between the states was going on. Elias signed on with the Union Infantry 31st
Regiment Illinois, Company C at the age of 23. He was married to Nancy Chitty at this time and had one child. He was in the Battle of Vicksburg having served under U.S. Grant Union forces. He was injured at a small battle at Hill's Plantation, near Bear Creek, on June 22, 1863 and died a few days later on June 25th. Eight men were killed, 16 wounded and 23 went missing. Out of all the Vicksburg's battles 10,142 Union soldier's perished including the two Stanley brothers. I am not sure what happened to Charles Stanley. I just know that he, too, died at the battle of Vicksburg.
It is bad enough for a mother to hear about the tragic news of losing her two youngest sons in a war battle. But her sorrow's didn't end there. Her husband, my 4th great grandfather died a month later on July 10, 1863 at the age of 72.
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I had family that fought on both sides of the Civil War.
More direct line fought for the Union.
Distant line fought for the Confederacy. |
Other distant cousins from the same family line also fought in the Civil War. Hosea Stanley was in the 42nd Regiment under Major General E. Kirby Smith in March 1862 in Georgia. So I had distant family also fighting for the Confederacy. He ended up dying due to sickness in Gwinnett, GA., October 1862. Another relative Henry S. Stanley was a private in Company of 16th Georgia Volunteers and took part in many battles in Virginia. On June 1, 1864 he was captured by General Sheridan at Front Royal, Virginia. He was exchanged on October 29, 1864 at Point Lookout, Maryland. He was admitted in Wayside Hosptial in Richmond, VA. for being wounded. He died at age 70.
Even though I have family on both sides of the Civil War I wonder if they knew of each other from letters from their parents send off to their siblings. Did they even realize they were fighting against their distant cousins? I may never know the answer to that but it is interesting to see how the family back in North Carolina forked by having some family go Northwest to Kentucky and some family went Southwest to Florida and Georgia.
A few more generations later from Mark Stanley and his daughter Mary Jane and we start getting closer to me. The trials and historical events still surround my family from the Great Depression, to suffering and death of TB, and the rise of the auto industry in Michigan.
Like in the ending of Forrest Gump we are all feather's blowing in the wind of time. Where will the wind of time take my siblings, take my nieces and nephew's, take my children, and take me? We are just a speck in a moment of time. It is what we do with that time that can make that moment memorable.
