Relating Links

It's all about relationships. What I find most fascinating about genealogy are the links I discover.

One of my goals is to determine which ancestors were Colonial settlers. Then I'd like to map this out. I might discover that branches (i.e., Newell ancestors lived near Higdon ancestors) lived in the same colony! I'd also like to create a file of Revolutionary War ancestors.

Here's an example of how interwoven history can become: In a deed dated 1718, ancestors from my maternal grandmother Agnes Morgan (Bolling) are listed alongside my paternal grandfather Paul Lee's Tatum ancestors.

"11 Aug 1718. Drury Bolling of Prince George County to Stith Bolling of Surry Co., 80 acres, being part of 500 acres granted to Nathaniel Tatum, Sr., dec'd. lying in Prince George County, on the south side of the Appomatox Rivero, for L10 joining Henry Mitchell, Sr.'s line, and is that tract which Samuel Tatum Sr. and Mary his wife sold Col Robert Bolling, dec'd. signed: Drury Bolling."

Col Robert Bolling married Jane Rolfe (descendant of Pocohontas) and had one child, John b 1676. Jane died and then Robert married Anne Stith. Robert and Anne had nine children including my ancestor Robert b 1682, and his younger brothers Stith b 1686 and Drury b 1695 (which were mentioned in this deed).

Samuel and Mary Tatum's children were Ann, Nathaniel, Rebecca, Mary, and Samuel, Jr.

Ann Tatum married Hugh Lee, my father Robert Lee's colonial ancestor. So my mother's colonial ancestors and my father's colonial ancestors sold property to each other!! Who would have thought?

I've discovered I'm related to the former President Bushes (8th cousin to "W") through TWO lines! My maternal grandmother Agnes Morgan's line goes back through Stith then Hall then Bolling to Anne Cocke.

Former President George "W" Bush and I have two common grandmothers: Anne Cocke (7th for both of us) and Mary Bridge (8th for both of us). My maternal grandmother's line goes from Morgan to Stith, to Hall, Bolling and then Anne Cocke. My maternal grandfather Arthur Newell's line goes through Grow, then Sanger, then Roth and on up to Lyon. Mary Bridge, our common 8th grandmother, had two daughters Eunice (my line) and Mary ("W"s line) Lyon.

I'm also related to Laura Welch Bush, 9th cousins, through my maternal grandmother Agnes Morgan. Our common 9th great grandmother is Elizabeth Warren, 1644-1728, children Joel and Sarah Walker. Joel is my line, down through Elizabeth, then Wm Richard Jones, on down to Morgan.

How many other links might I discover as I 'put it all together?" Certainly other surprises await me!