Greenberry “Green” Adkins b. 1840 Yancy Co. NC
Greenberry’s niece, Nancy, had a son that she named (obviously
after her uncle or possibly her brother) – Greenberry Green b. 1866.
Let's start here:
Joshua Green, born 1792 in Yancy Co. NC married Elizabeth
Sparks b.1802 Yancy Co. NC
Joshua & Elizabeth Green had several children including;
Mary “Polly” Green b.1819 and her sister, Nancy Green b.1823.
Mary “Polly” married Alexander Adkins abt 1843.
One article says that
Adkins was the father to Mary’s first 5 children. They must have separated for
some good reason because she relocated to Wyoming Co. West Virginia with 5 kids
and no husband. She carried the Adkins
name on the 1850 census after which she started using her maiden name, Green. Mary’s
daughter, Nancy,(not to be confused with her sister Nancy) is 3 years old and listed as born in NC as well as a son listed as Green (berry?) Adkins (not to be confused with her brother Greenberry).
So between 1843 and 1850, she had 5 kids, left her husband
and is living with 3 kids in WVa (some of the kids were living with other
family members). On the 1860 Census she appears as Mary Green and 13 year old
Nancy Green is listed in her mother’s household.
Alexander Adkins removed from Yancy Co. NC to Wise Co., Va.
along with the families of ‘Lias Green and Billy Green. This is only 3 counties away from his estranged wife. Alexander had married Lavina
"Viney" Green – sister to ‘Lias and Billy. I often wonder if it was not the news
of this marriage that made Mary change back to her maiden name.
It is said that some of the children that came into Wyoming County
with Mary listed their father as Alexander Adkins and their mother as Polly
Green. One daughter, Millie, listed her father’s name as John McKinney when she
married John Sizemore. It occurs to me that this may have had something to do with the couple's dramatic split.
I have not found a record or article that mentions Nancy
Green ever marrying before she had a son named Greenberry Green so at this
point I have to assume that she had the child out of wedlock and was using her
maiden name. In the 1870 Census she is living in the household of her brother Greenberry Atkins (not to be confused with her uncle Greenberry Green) with her 5 year old son, Greenberry Green. Are you confused yet?
Articles about Greenberry refer to him as “Greenberry Green,
son of Nancy Green who later married Nathaniel Rose.” Frustratingly void of the
juicy details, grrr.
Nancy did, indeed, marry Nathaniel Rose and had several
children with him who bear the surname Rose.
On the wedding certificate when Greenberry marries Juda
Morgan, he lists his parents as _____(blank) & Nancy _____,
I am still trying to locate the marriage certificate of
Greenberry to my Ggrandmother – Mary Ann (another “Polly”) Perdue. They are
listed on the 1900 Census of Center District, Wyoming Co. WV as Greenberry
Green and Polly Ann with 6 children all with the surname Green.
Polly must have been a very common name in that era – their
son – my grandfather – Daniel married 1st a woman named Ann "Polly" Taylor and 2nd
my grandmother, Lula Jewell.
So there you have it: 2 Mary's, at least 2 Nancy's, 3 Greenberry's and a passel of Polly's. Isn't genealogy fun?
And what does it all add up to? Well, I could very well have grown up as an Adkins but I didn't because my family name was handed down from father to daughter to daughter to son to be handed down to me by my great grandfather - Greenberry Green.
P.S.
Mary Polly Green never remarried but she had such an impact on her community that the town now known as Itmann, W. Va. was for several years know as "Poll Green". She is last seen on the 1880 Census living in the household of her son. She died shortly afterward and is said to be buried on a hill overlooking the confluence of Barkers Creek and the Guyandotte River.
And what does it all add up to? Well, I could very well have grown up as an Adkins but I didn't because my family name was handed down from father to daughter to daughter to son to be handed down to me by my great grandfather - Greenberry Green.
P.S.
Mary Polly Green never remarried but she had such an impact on her community that the town now known as Itmann, W. Va. was for several years know as "Poll Green". She is last seen on the 1880 Census living in the household of her son. She died shortly afterward and is said to be buried on a hill overlooking the confluence of Barkers Creek and the Guyandotte River.
