Wednesday, March 28, 2012

The Sizemore Family Roots

My Native American Connection 


 So, where did the Sizemore family come from?

As more than one writer has pointed out, we can be pretty sure that there wasn’t a Native American named Sizemore before the pilgrims landed. The name Sizemore is very old British name. One source says that the name comes from England originating in Lancashire (Sizemore family crest, 2009) and one researcher says

“… There were 44 spelling variants of SIZEMORE. The earliest record was dated 1556 and largest concentration of the surname was in the county of Gloucester [England].”  (Surname History)

 Some say the name comes from Jewish roots. There is a mention of an indentured servant in Jamestown of Portuguese-Jewish descent and also that some Sizemore’s may have come from a Scots-Irish heritage.  (The Metis Heritage of the Sizemore Family, 2001 )
There is a couple living near Jamestown in Charles City, Va. around 1619. William Sismore came from England and was granted 100 acres of land on the Appomattox River. William married Martha (probably) in Virginia. [As she is known to have traveled between England and the colonies a few times.] (Surname history)

Here’s an interesting bit of history – Martha came to Virginia later than William and is possibly one of the women that the Virginia Company ordered to be sent to the colonies.


The Virginia Company of London seemed to agree that women were indeed quite necessary. They hoped to anchor their discontented bachelors to the soil of Virginia by using women as a stabilizing factor. They ordered in 1619 that "...a fit hundredth might be sent of women, maids young and uncorrupt, to make wives to the inhabitants and by that means to make the men there more settled and less movable...." (nps.gov )

 It seems the planters and other landowners were growing restless without the joys of female companionship and the company decided this was the best way to help them settle. So they sent the ‘tobacco brides’ who could be bought at the set price of 120 pounds of tobacco which paid for their passage.  (History of Women in the United States)
Meanwhile, despite fires, Indian attacks and periods of starvation, Jamestown did survive with the help of these and other new colonists.
William and Martha appear on a list of ‘the living’ in Virginia at West & Shirley Hundred Jan. 14, 1623/4 after an Indian massacre on the Appomattox River. (Sizemore)

A few years later the Sizemore name shows up more commonly as the family name spreads out in Virginia and North Carolina. Details about the early families are sketchy but things start to get interesting in the mid to late 1700’s with an important central character by the name of Edward “Old Ned” Sizemore. As we will see Old Ned is used as the patriarch of many of the lines of Indians to follow.  
Edward “Old Ned” Sizemore was born, well, one source says prior to 1725, another says about 1742. (Did I mention they didn’t keep track of dates too well?) The son of Edward Sizemore and “a Shawano woman”, he died in Oct. 1780 in Ashe County, North Carolina.
He and his brothers – John, Hiram, George, Ephram, and Owen come up frequently in the stories told later in the ECA’s (Eastern Cherokee Applications) in the early 1900’s. As it turns out, these applications are the richest source for Sizemore family genealogy research known today. But these men are the foundation of most of the Sizemore family lines in the country.
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Next: The Trail of Tears, Stick People, and the Whitetop Laurel Band

29 comments:

  1. Hmmm...this name caught my attention this morning while catching up on your posts. I have several Sizemore's in my database. Unfortunately they are names only, marriages attached to various people. If in your search you ever come across Aggie wife of Zachariah Minor, Celia wife of Isaac W. Kinsler, Clyde husband of Frances J. Kinsler, Ethel wife of George Washington Stout, or Laura wife of Samuel Thacker, give me a shout. With the exception of Ethel, these people were all born in the 1870s and earlier and probably in the VA and TN areas.

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  2. These links may (or may not) help... the Sizemore name has lot of history attached, both local (Stateside) and UK (Gloucestershire, I believe) and further afield. In the UK, spelling variants are apparently quite common.

    The name "Aggie" - particularly - caught my eye, as a lady of that name was a central figure in (US) Sizemore family history.

    http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=16563720
    http://www.globalgraffiti.com/family/sizemore/george.htm

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    1. My grandmother was Russia Sizemore and her brother was Silas Patrick Sizemore from Kentucky. Russia married James Logan lumpford. Our ancestry shows that we are also Native American Cherokee.

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  3. Here is my link to this family tree:
    Edward "Old Ned" Sizemore (1725 - 1780)
    7th great-grandfather
    Rev George Edward Jr Sizemore (1750 - 1820)
    son of Edward "Old Ned" Sizemore
    Edward "Ned" B Sizemore (1788 - 1856)
    son of Rev George Edward Jr Sizemore
    Isaac Newton Fields (1808 - 1887)
    son of Edward "Ned" B Sizemore
    John Moses Fields (1833 - 1888)
    son of Isaac Newton Fields
    Alcy Catherine Fields (1870 - 1942)
    daughter of John Moses Fields
    Joseph Paul Banks (1892 - 1969)
    son of Alcy Catherine Fields
    Lawrence Onus Banks (1916 - 1978)
    son of Joseph Paul Banks
    Jerry Russell Banks (1950 - )
    son of Lawrence Onus Banks
    Lisa Marie Banks
    You are the daughter of Jerry Russell Banks

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  4. The earliest Sizemore I have in my tree (stateside) is Ephraim Sizemore (1696 - Henrico, British America), father of Edward Sizemore (1725, McGrady, Wilkes, NC), grandfather of George All Sizemore (1750/1755 - I've seen both), Halifax Co, Virginia). I've heard from people in the Sizemore DNA group on FamilyTreeDNA that George All's parents have never been verified though. I'm just stating what I have in my line (they said people either have who I have or nobody). The earliest Sizemore I have on that side (I have Sizemore on both sides, but believe they lead back to the same person in the end) is John Robert Sizemore/Sismore 1530 in London, England.

    Again, anything after George All can't be verified by the DNA project, so take those with a grain of salt.

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  5. My grandmother and Uncle were Russia in Silas Patrick Sizemore from from Kentucky. Russia married James Logan lumpford from from Kentucky, James was born with the last name Taft and was adopted by a lumpford. Our ancestry shows we are also Cherokee. We have dated our family back to the 1700s so far.

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    1. I'm a Sizemore in Kentucky and all I know of my lineage is Indian

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  6. Old Ned was my great great great great grandfather!

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  7. Old Ned was my great great great great grandfather!

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    1. Old Ned's grandmother, I believe was Elizabeth "Running Spring" Green. Does anyone have info on her?

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  8. Very interesting. Old Ned would be my 7th Great. George All 6th Great. John Rockhouse 5th Great. James Fiddler Sizemore 4th Great, looking into collett side? Joseph Sizemore 3rd Great, dont have anything on him, any help be nice. Robert Sizemore 2nd Great. Great grandfather Albert Sizemore. Grandfather Fredie Sizemore. Any info Would be awesome.

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  9. Hi, I don’t know if anyone has been on this site in a long time but I’m try to build a famiky tree and find the roots of my family.
    My name is Faith Sizemore. I’m from thd Barren Country area in Kentucky. My Dad’s is like y’all said most Sizemore’s originate from. My Dad Johnny moved to Kentucky in his youth with his family (my grandparents), my grandpa is Henry Kennith Sizemore. The town they are from is Big Stone Gap. Most of the family I have on my Dad’s side is fairly reclusive so I don’t have much to go on but I have a picture of my great-grandpa Esley Samuel Sizemore. My Dad’s mom was an Elmore before she married so there that too.

    If any of you know anyone in Virginia who could be related these people and subsequently me, my email isfaith.sizemore@post.com if you don’t care to message me. I don’t even know if anyone watches this blog anymore so I’m just taking a stab in the dark.

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  10. Bellflower, I can probably help you. My email is asthomas@dekalbk12.org. or thomasangela1208@gmail.com. Or you can add me on facebook. Angela Thomas

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  11. Hello, I'm wondering about my family history and would like to know all i can. I'm a sizemore and if i can, would be willing to give info that i can about what me and my grandparents know

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  12. My Sizemore roots come from Clay County Kentucky. Many in my family and others here mistakenly think it’s an Indian name. I have no doubt there was some inter marriage and inter breeding with the Cherokee, but Sizemore is an old English name.

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    1. That’s what I have read as well. I am married to Darin Sizemore who’s Sizemore clan came from Clay County. His grandfather was Caleb Sizemore who moved from Kentucky to work in the auto factories of Toledo , Ohio. My husband’s father is Jack Sizemore- was a big Representative for the United Auto Workers in the Ohio region. I believe there are relatives of theirs’ still in Kentucky. Cheers to the Sizemores!

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    2. I am certain we r related. My father Roscoe Sizemore had an Uncle Caleb Sizemore from same area that moved to Ohio & Michigan. My G gfather Elhandan Sizemore. My gfather Roscoe Sizemore sr. I believe Caleb was my gfather Roscoe Sizemore brother? I remember Jimmy Sizemore ( Caleb's son) was killed in a car wreck in early 60s? The family of Sizemore's I'm speaking of had a wife named Mildred Sizemore.

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  13. Our family, the Mock family, descended from Augustus Franklin Mock, has known for at least 3 generations before me, that we are part of that White Top Laurel "band", as we have referred to it, my entire life. We also know that we were systemically and unfairly discriminated against, during the days of disenfranchisement. And we will continue to assert our honorable heritage, as descendants of "Old Ned" Sizemore", the Cherokee nation, as well as our other lines of descent. Thank you for this site, as a place to record and assert our ancestry.

    Cordially and Sincerely

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  14. My dad did the Tree Ancestry Y-DNA test which showed many Sizemore matches. He was born in Kentucky. Does anyone have info on the John/Grace Sizemore family?

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  15. My gg Grandparent was Elhandan Sizemore, My g father was Roscoe Sizemore, My Father " Roscoe Sizemore jr.& My G mother Maggie Delph Sizemore

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  16. I'm trying to connect my 2nd great grandfather, William Green Sisemore, 1836-1909, married Mary Elizabeth Davis, 1839-1917 to his possible father Thomas Sisemore, 1790-? Any guidance would be greatly appreciated.

    Larry Jordan

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  17. I like your blog, David. I looked to see if I could find an email address for you, but didn't see one anywhere. Edward "Old Ned" Sizemore is my 5th Great Grandfather. I descend from his son, Owen Sizemore and Alice Elizabeth "Alcey" Brigham (Bingham), and then through their daughter Rhoda Sizemore. Rhoda Sizemore married George Anderson. Rhoda Sizemore was also the mother of Aaron Anderson who married her younger sister, Tabitha. Rhoda Sizemore had Aaron Anderson out of wedlock with Peter Anderson. There were some Court Documents regarding Rhoda Sizemore Anderson and whether or not she had been married when she had Aaron. Aaron Anderson put in his will that all of his belongings were to be left to his wife and not to any of his other family members because they didn't treat him well, which is very sad. Rhoda signed over her rights to anything she had claims on to her sister Tabitha. It was a very sad situation all together. George Anderson and Rhoda Sizemore Anderson's son, John Anderson is my Grandfather. There are a lot of people who have in their trees that John was born in 1799 and moved to Kentucky and died there, but that is not accurate information. John Anderson was born in 1809 in Grayson County, Virginia, and died bef 1880 in Greene County, Tennessee. He married 1) Martha Taylor 2) Almira White. Almira White is my Grandmother. Their son, David William Anderson and his wife, Martha Jane McNabb are my great Grandparents. Their son, James Cleveland Anderson and Velma Hazel Norris are my Grandparents. I would love to talk to you more, David.







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    1. Greetings, Cousin. So sorry I have neglected these pages in recent years, but, you know ... life. This Sizemore/stick people subject came up in conversation today and I stopped to refresh my memory. I have just seen for the first time all these wonderful responses and comments. I used to get notifications but they stopped a long time ago so I thought that no one was reading the blog anymore. I apologize and will try to be better in future. I would love to hear from you if you're still out there. My email is lionsndragons@gmail.com

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  18. Hello, I am a Sizemore just trying to find out anything past my Great-grandfather. My current Grandfather Stewart Sizemore came from Huntington WV, but along with his siblings his mother and father gave up the kids to an orphanage during the great depression, and so I basically only know that his father was named Kenneth Sizemore. I have tried doing research on my own as part of a family heritage project, but continually run into roadblocks due to many websites requiring paid memberships. If anyone has any information to help I would greatly appreciate it. My email is bsizemore86@gmail.com

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  19. Seeley need any help on my Sarah Sizemore so I can right nor of my family line !!! Many Many Thanks To ALL !!!
    schartz.sjsalex.sande15@gmail.com

    Sarah Ann (Sally) Sizemore
    B:28 Jul 1775 Ashe Co., North Carolina (Colonial America)
    D:7 Dec 1830 Ashe Co., North Carolina, USA
    M: James Kitchens
    B: Abt 1780 Unknown USA
    D: 1828 Tennessee, USA

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