State and county boundaries were fluid up until the late 19th century. Most had settled down by 1900. Finding your ancestors in historical records requires an understanding of this genealogical principle to be successful. Sometimes you have to check multiple counties to find the records you need although your ancestor never moved. Dumb luck also helps. Yesterday, I visited the Library of Virginia in hopes of finding some mention of my newly-found Hackney ancestors in microfilmed records from Shenandoah County. Two hours into my search, which had yielded nothing but a list of grand jurors bearing the name of my 6th great grandfather, Daniel Hackney, (yawn) I decided to pack it up and return the two rolls of microfilm to the file cabinet from whence they came. Microfilm is organized by county at the Library of Virginia and the counties are alphabetized. Shenandoah County is in the third row. I know exactly where it goes and I didn’t have far to go because I had selected the microfilm reader closest to the first row of cabinets which is where the alphabet ends. I suppose it’s the last row. Placards adorn the end of the cabinets facing the aisles with the names of the counties. As I was putting on my jacket, I noticed the placard on the first/last row nearest to me bore not the names of Virginia counties but two states – “West Virginia” and “Kentucky”.
Kentucky?? Why would Kentucky records be at the Library of Virginia? (Blogger heal thyself and refer to the aforementioned principle.) I have ancestors who lived in Kentucky and finding them has been tough. I later learned that Lincoln County, Kentucky was formed from Virginia’s Kentucky County in 1780.
I traveled down the row of cabinets to where the Kentucky records on microfilm were stored. I opened the top drawer and gasped. The very first roll I noticed were marriage bonds and consents from Lincoln County. Bingo! I returned to my seat, powered up the reader again and loaded the microfilm. Here we go…
About 45 minutes later, I found the “smoking gun” I was after. Unbelievable. John and Margaret Boren, my 4th great grandparents, are elusive before 1810. Their children were born in Alabama before 1820. In the 1870 census, Margaret’s place of birth was listed as Maryland. John’s place of birth changed between 1850 and 1900 depending upon the census taken or the child who reported the birthplace of their father after his death – Alabama, Maryland, South Carolina…
I have suspected for a long time that Margaret’s father was the Revolutionary War soldier from Delaware, Joseph Greenwood. Circumstantial evidence lead me to this conclusion but I had no proof until yesterday. Scribbled on what appeared to be a torn fragment of parchment paper were these simple words: “I Joseph Greenwood has no objections that John Boring and my daughter Margret should be joined to gether.”
It’s been more than 24 hours now and I am still stunned. Finding Joseph Greenwood’s consent for the marriage of my 4th great grandparents was pure magic. Finding it at the Library of Virginia was dumb luck. Here was the smoking gun proving that Joseph Greenwood was Margaret’s father AND that John Boren (a.k.a. Boring) and Margaret were married in Lincoln County, Kentucky. The document was dated 2 March 1802. I have no idea why or how Virginia obtained this record seeing as Kentucky was formed in 1780 but I am glad they did.
Kenfolk: Trantham
Relationship: 5th great grandfather
Common ancestors: Joseph Greenwood’s parents are somewhere in Delaware methinks