Peg leg, coins and taffy for the kids

Garnette Remembers Her Grandma and Grandpa French

James French (1884-1972) and Catherine “Dollie” Oiler French (1886-1965)

– or –

Peg leg, coins and taffy for the kids

His name was James but everyone knew him as "Jim". He had a peg leg because once, while trying to jump on a moving train to catch a ride to Welch, he fell and lost his leg when the train ran over it. Jumping trains was a common form of transportation in those days as most people did not have a car or a horse.

He always saved his change. His joy was, on the weekend, he would sit near the roadside in front of his home with the change in a pan. When the children would come around, he would let them pick 3 or 4 coins to keep. He would tell them to pick what they wanted or needed. They would never take the dimes but would take the pennies and nickels instead because they were bigger.  So he never ran out of change because he could cash in the dimes that the children left, for nickels and pennies for the next weekend. The children would hug him and maybe even get to touch his wooden peg leg. They were very sympathetic to him because of the tragic loss of his leg. He did this every Saturday morning that I can remember.
Grandma French would occasionally make taffy and would invite all the local kids to come and help (some of the adults wanted to help as well). They would tug and pull the taffy as it cooled from the stove and the more they worked it, the more solid it would become and when the batch was done, they could all take some home with them.
These are things that the couple did as they aged to keep in touch and to help the children in the neighborhood.  Such was their generosity and kindness.
I think this had much to do with the compassion for children that developed in me as I watched and learned this from my grandparents.

-This from a conversation with his granddaughter, Garnette French Green

*1920 Census  Jackson, Ohio shows James as Coal miner and Dollie Keeping house

** As I was growing up, my parents were always active with the youth of the church that so much a part or our lives. There was always some event or party or an outing that was coming up. Now, thinking back, I can hardly remember a time that this was not so. And now I can see where this all started with my Mom watching her grandparents helping the children in their neighborhood.

Re-examining My Family Tree

Greetings dear friends and family,

I apologize for my recent absence. Issues at the workplace coupled with ... shall we say ... some ... accounting irregularities ... at our companies office have taken my attention and pulled me away from my obligations here.
As I started back to work here, I came across a message on my Ancestry.com page. As I looked into that, I came across a document that caused me to doubt the research I had felt was rather solid.
 It seems that a Stephen Green b. ca. 1776 left England (Yorkshire) with seven - count 'em - seven brothers to immigrate to Yancy Co. N. C. according to this account. Admittedly, this was produced in 1991 from a story that was told (presumably) by a descendant of Stephen to his daughter.
They were supposed to have arrived in abt. 1792.
Now you would think that a family group that large would be a pretty big deal and there would be some record of it somewhere. I have found that in Yancy Co. there are several families of Green(e)s that were living there around that time but nothing really to tie them together.
I have come across a few references to this same story and a Greene or two on ships lists here and there but nothing this big anywhere.
The frustrating thing is that this story and my family tree agree on Stephen Green (1776) had a son, Joshua, b. ca. 1792 who was married to Elizabeth Mullins (Sparks?), b. ca. 1805 who had a daughter, Mary Polly.
The problem is that the Stephen I show as the father of Joshua was born in N.C. and the closest relative he has from England is Thomas "The Seagull" Green who was born on the voyage from England. Could I be following the wrong line?
As always, the search for the truth goes on and, I am beginning to feel - never ends - As always, I will keep you posted.

"Just keep swimming, just keep swimming..." Dore - Finding Nemo

Precious Memories

Notes from conversation with Garnette Green early 2010

Grandpa (Cecil) French was a member of the Baptist Church after they had moved to Twin Branch (from ASCO hollow). [Atlantic Smokeless Coal Co.] The company store was between home and church.

He was impressed with this little Baptist church. His family tried to talk him into attending a church that was closer. There was something special about this church. Once he had made up his mind, he would not be swayed.

One day he announced that he had been saved and was going to be baptized at the Pineville Baptist church. So they gathered the whole family and walked over the mountain to see Cecil get baptized in the creek.

It seems there was a bend in the creek that made for a deep hole that was big enough for swimming. When a big rain would come and the hole was deep enough, they would gather the church down by the swimming hole for the service.

Mom still remembers taking the shoes off her little feet and nervously trying to make her way down the narrow, stony path that led to the river bank and people behind her coaxing her to move along “It’s OK, just keep moving, Garnette.”

Grandma Bishop [Garnette’s gma] would come calling my grandma, “Ethel”, from around the bend you could hear them coming.

“Could Garnette go with me and Margaret?” (Margaret worked at McDowell Co. Board of Education and married Louis Handson?).  Mom believed that she was a safety measure.  

“If someone saw the two older women with a child then no one would bother them.” So she was often asked to go along.

She loved attending Sunday school and church. Sunday was her favorite day of the week and she always looked forward to going to church. [I think it was the music that so fascinated her.]

Grandma Bishop had a beautiful garden that Mom loved to walk through and play in.  Mom remembers her making the best salmon patty’s in the afternoons.

One day Margaret and Stella came to ask Grandma French (Mom’s Mom) if Garnette could go with them to the movies. “It’s a wonderful movie, everyone is talking about it. They say you’ve got to see this movie.”

And so, with her Mom’s permission, my Mom walked with her aunts over the mountain 8 miles to the town of Davie to see the new movie “Gone with the Wind”.

Mom’s Aunt Bertha married Wesley Perkins. They must have done pretty well for themselves as they have the distinction of the first family in ASCO hollow to own an automobile.

Every Saturday they would ask Mom to watch the children (she was very much in demand as a babysitter – well known and trusted). She would watch over the children so that Berthie and Wes would take her Mom and Dad (Cecil and Ethel) into the town of Davie for weekly groceries. The Company store was OK for necessities but for real groceries, you had to go into town.

She wanted to prove that she could do a good job so that one day she could go into town with them.

Mom loved these afternoons watching the kids because she got to listen to the radio on the porch and swing in the garden. It was there that she heard and fell in love with Country music but especially the Bluegrass music. She loved Bluegass music.

She remembers pushing the garden swing as high as she could get it to go while listening to the music and watching the kids run and play and throw stones into the creek. These are among her dearest memories.

The kids would beg their Mom to let Garnette stay and at least have dinner with them. They would plead, “Please don’t send her home”, even though home was just a short walk away.

One of her fondest memories was her 13^th birthday. That day her father took her on a very special adventure. They boarded a bus in Twin Branch for her very first bus ride into the town of Welch where he treated her to a movie and bought her a new dress at the dress shop. And, I believe, there was some ice cream involved as well.

She cried as she told me that was the most wonderful gift … a day with her father… as Daddy’s favorite.

I think every kid should have that feeling at least once in their life.

Thank you, Mom, for sharing these wonderful memories with us.

A Few Notes from Mom

I love the Medieval history and even more ancient civilizations' stories. And I love tracing those lines to the pioneers of this great country.
It occurred to me lately that I need to slow down and share some of the stories closer to this end of the line.
I will share some wonderful stories that were told to me by my mother but first I thought these notes should be posted first. It is a list of my parents families as told to my wife in a conversation a few years ago by my Mom.
This is for my brothers and their children - anyone else may or may not find anything helpful here unless you are researching the Green family of McDowell county, WVa.

Geneology – Notes from conversation with Garnette Green

By Jackie Green

Garnettes Family – 

Mary Kathleen

Garnette Ruth

Robert Lee French

Douglas Ray French

Glenna Marie

Darlene Sue

F.  Cecil French (Coal miner then Railroad) Cecil (L) with his brother Albert (R)

M.  Ethel Bishop French ( Worked in a department store)

Freemans Family-

1-Lawrence Romeo (d.1991?)

2) James Garland (Jara?)

3) Golden Garfield (Gary)

               Ella Mae (d.1912) (died young)

4) Hazel Viola

5) Howard Walter

6) Ethel

7) Jay Forest Green

               Estel Lee (died young)

8) Freeman

9) Juanita Virginia

10) Charles Willard

11) Harrison (Harry)

F.  Daniel Sheridan Green - Pineville, WVa 1880 (Coal miner)

               1^st. marriage – 3 step sisters (Dorothy, Shirley, Bessie)

               2^nd marriage – 7 brothers & 3 sisters

M.  Lula Jane Jewell 4/18/1891 - Key Rock, WVa  4/8/1891

 Harry, Charles, Juanita, Freeman, Jay, Ethel, Hazel, Golden, Lawrence Green

Holland, a leaky ship, and a Seagull

King Henry VIII wanted a divorce from his wife so he could have a new wife that would give him sons to carry on the family name. The Pope wouldn’t go for it and told the King he couldn’t have a divorce. Well, King Henry says “I am the King and if you won’t give me what I want, I’ll just start my own church. So there.”   

So it was that in 1534 the Anglican Church of England was created by breaking away from the Catholic Church. King Henry was excommunicated from the Holy Catholic Church but he got a new title – “The Supreme Head of the Church of England” – and a new wife. Of course that didn’t fix his initial problem but that’s another story that you can read about here: King Henry VIII

The point is that the church was changing, especially after the Reformation and the Bible being translated into the common language. Before the Bible was only printed in Latin and most common folk could not read their own language much less Latin.

Once people started reading and interpreting the Bible for themselves, many people took issue with the established church and some wanted to purify the church (Puritans) and reform the church from within. Others wanted to separate from the church altogether (Seperatists) and start their own church.

The only problem was that The Church of England was the official church of the state and everyone was required to attend church once a week and pay taxes to support the church. If you didn’t go to church or were vocal about disagreeing with the church you became an enemy of the state. You could be in line for all kinds for persecution including jail or even death.

After living under this persecution for several years a few groups did actually leave their homes for the relative safety of Holland. They were free to worship as they saw fit in Holland which was friendly to all strips of the Christian faith including Catholics.

This is how our English ancestors found themselves in Holland in the early 1600’s. But this was not an ideal situation for them. It has hard to find jobs in the overcrowded cities, there was a language barrier and they saw their children becoming more Dutch than English in language and habit. Their culture and faith was being diluted and they saw it slowly slipping away.

The truce between Spain and Holland was growing thin and war looked inevitable. It was at this point in history that the Seperatists' church in (Leiden) Leyden, Holland decided it was time to consider moving to the new world to start over again.

The Pilgrams , as they came to be known, sold their possessions and secured investors for the trip to New England. They purchased the “small sailing ship, Speedwell” and on July 22, 1620, they sailed to Southampton, England to meet up with other pilgrims who were waiting for them on the sister ship, “Mayflower”.

The two ships set out from England on August 15^th but it quickly became apparent that the “Speedwell” was leaking. The ships returned to port where it was determined that the leaky ship would require much time and money to repair.

After weeks of delay and frustration the two ships set out again only to find that the “Speedwell” was leaking again and they returned to Plymouth. It was decided that the “Speedwell” was not seaworthy and different arrangements had to be made.

It was agreed the strongest would continue the journey and so passengers, supplies and cargo was transferred to the “Mayflower”. The remaining members would stay behind and follow later.  And so it was that these pilgrams, in a cramped and overcrowded “Mayflower” would sail on alone and become the first colony in the New England area.

I read somewhere that it was later found that the crew had sabotaged the ship because they did not want to serve the 1-year contract that they had signed.

It is known that there were three pregnant women on that initial voyage to the New World and that one of those babies was named “Oceanus”, being born at sea.

Some years later the good ship “Speedwell” was sailing again for the colonies (presumably, after fixing that pesky leaking problem), except on this journey in 1635, my ancestor, Thomas Bruce Green was aboard. During this voyage a son was born to John (b. 1575 Bobbng, Kent, England) and Martha Malone (b.1600, Netherlands).

Their son was named Thomas after a long line of men of the same name, but then and forever after carried the nickname, “The Seagull”. Thomas Seagull Green married Martha Elizabeth Filmer 1680 in Charles City, Virginia. They lived and raised a family in Amelia, Virginia and were my 9^th Great Grandparents.

Open letter to my brother

When I visited my family in Atlanta recently, I shared some of the stories and characters I am  sharing with you now. My brother asked me, "Who are we? What are we? I mean, what percentage of heritage are we?"

Well, Larry, I went through the charts I have collected and the information I have so far and this is what I came up with...we're all mutts. We are all connected to so many different families and histories that I was surprised, if not, stunned, at the realization. Every marriage brings a new family to the tree and every family has it's own tree and history, but here is ours:

 

European Relatives

The first European I have found to date that is related to me is James Goheen (3^rd ggrandfather) b. 1834 in Germany. He is the father of Sarah Goheen who married Albert French who is my 2^nd ggrandfather. He is my Grandpa French’s grand father.

In 1783 William Melton French ( 4^th g grandfather) is born in England and marries a lady named only “Ione” also born in England. Their son Jeremiah French has a son, Albert, who is Mom’s ggrandfather.

Also in this generation is Nellie Pemberton b. 1754 in Scotland ( 4^th ggrandmother) who married John Cooke. Their great granddaughter is grandma Green’s mom.

These are the closest I have found to date, although, new information is popping up all the time. I am sure that I will be adding revisions as I go along.

In the next generation there are more and as each generation steps further back, more and more are from Europe. William French (5^th ggrandfather) b. 1739 and his wife Mary Scammel b. 1761 are both from Somerset, England.

John Cooke (5^th ggf) b. 1730 and his wife, Elizabeth Gurney b. 1732 both lived and died in London, England.

James Stewart (5^th ggf) b. 1719 in Dunblane, Scotland,  who’s line goes back to the kings of Scotland and England, married Mary Ann Lafferty b. 1720 in Dublin, Ireland.

The next generation has more European blood starting with Hans Johannes Bischoff (6^th ggf) b. 1731 in Oberhausen, Germany. His wife, Margaretha Overmeyer was b. 1732 in Bayern, Germany.

Joseph Scammel (6^th ggf) b. 1720 in Somerset, England married Mary Usher b. 1737 Somerset, England.

Thomas Cooke b. 1710 in England married Lady Hanna b. 1715 England. And from the other side of the English border and across the Irish Sea is 6^th ggf John Stuart b.1708 in Perthshire, Scotland and his wife, Mary Shaw b. 1710 Antrim, Ireland. Their son married an Irish girl, Mary Ann, and her parents are both from Ireland – Thomas Lafferty b.1690 in Dublin and his wife, named, interestingly enough, Last Easter b.1700 in Dublin.

My 6^th ggmother from the Blankenship- Perdue- Green line is Elizabeth Hudson b. 1704 in Leicestershire (pronounced “Lest-a-sher”), England.

So, in the time between 3 generations - early 1800’s to the late 1600’s - I have found 11 relatives from England, 3 from Scotland, 4 from Ireland, and 3 from Germany.

Earlier in the 1600’s and further back there are 2 from Holland, but it looks like the husband’s family moved from England and were living there when he was born . I believe the wife was from a family based in Holland.

There is also a lady from Russia who married an Irishman, I believe, in England. Also, back in the 9^th or 10^th century the royal line of Wales married into the royal line of England and there is some evidence that we are remotely related to that line through the Green’s in England or the Steward’s in Scotland.

So, to answer your question, brother, it looks as though we are roughly half English and the other half split between German, Scottish, and Irish.

Oh, and don’t forget the lines that joined the family in the 16-1700’s – the Native American Indian’s. That is mostly Eastern Cherokee but there are, most likely, also other tribes involved as well. As to that subject, the research continues.

David L. Green

6.13.2011