52 Ancestors 2021: Week 19: Mother's Day

 First and foremost, I want to apologize in the delay in my writing any blog posts. On June 7th, this laptop took a turn for the worst. It suddenly started saying, "no hard drive found," and I thought it was screwed, for lack of a better term. So on June 8th, I ordered off for a new laptop. 

From June 8th until July 2nd, I was using my Uncle's old HP laptop to try and get at least the bare minimum of genealogy done... but I grew more frustrated with it every single day. It was so slow that I wanted to pull my hair out every single time it tried to load a page. On July 2nd, on just a shites and giggles whim, I tried this laptop, and for some reason it was working again -- but the keyboard isn't. 

Alas, having worked an online job for years and years... I have a USB/wireless keyboard...so that's what I'm using to type on this laptop. My NEW laptop was meant to be here on July 9th... but it's delayed. I'm guessing Dell is having a hard time getting the parts from China, or Taiwan, or wherever they get their stock parts from. The new revised date is August 4th. 

Anyway... onward to the topic at hand: Mother's Day. 

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I thought I'd take a moment to write about each of my maternal ancestors -- the ones I know are 100% at least and talk about my maternal haplogroup (DNA) as well. Upon doing my 23andme, I learned that my maternal haplogroup is H4a. 

From the best of what I understand... H4a is one of many haplogroups that is popular among England - which my Mother is heavily English. It, too, has a heavy presence in Sweden, Denmark, Norway, Finland, and other areas you'd consider "Viking territory." 

My hypothesis as to why our maternal haplogroup is H4a is the fact that Vikings, as you well know, raided and plundered England many many generations ago. They also started to intermingle with the English settlers... marry, have children, etc. I believe we descend from those Viking/English ancestors. 

My direct maternal line starts with my Mother, who was born right here in Henderson County and has remained here her entire life (she's 58 this year). Since she's still living, I won't tell you a whole lot about her in specific.. but beyond her, I'll try and speak a little more in depth about each of my direct maternal ancestors. My Mother takes after her father (James Allen Blanford Sr) and thus has a dark, "farmers tan" style complexion and icy blue eyes.

My Grandmother, Glynda Jane (Sandefur) Blanford was born at home on Letcher St. here in Henderson, Kentucky, on June 13th, 1941. She was the fourth child born to Henry Lloyd Sandefur and Anna Elizabeth Thompson. By the time she was a young girl, the family moved out to the Niagara community in our county. Very rural but very quaint. Sometime in 1961, she met my Grandpa while at the bowling alley with some friends. By March 31st, 1962, they married at Bellfield Baptist Church, which was my Grandma's church. My Grandpa was a Catholic.

My Grandmother was my genealogy partner until she got sick with what we believe was Parkinson's and dementia (not the Alzheimer's that her sisters tried to sell it as.) My Grandma passed away on December 8th, 2015. My Grandmother took after her mother with her dark brown eyes but had a pale complexion. Grandma and Grandpa are buried in St. Louis Cemetery here in Henderson. 

My Great-Grandmother, Anna (Thompson) Sandefur was born on August 18th, 1916, at home in the "Walnut Bottom" area of Henderson County, which in today's terms is known as Smith Mills. She was the seventh children born to John Rowan Thompson and Mary Janella Nally. On August 25th, 1933, she and Henry Lloyd Sandefur eloped to Old Shawneetown, Illinois, and married there. Nana, as I called her, is the entire reason I started genealogy. I was fortunate to know her in my youth and I had the curious question of, "did you know any of your Great-Grandparents?" However...she couldn't answer it. She, too, I believe, had Parkinson's and dementia that was stereotyped as Alzheimer's. Nana had an "olive complexion" as we call it. She had dark brown eyes. Nana passed away when I was eight years old, on October 2nd, 2001. Nana and Poppy were of the Baptist faith although Nana would have been raised Catholic. They are buried in Fernwood Cemetery here in Henderson.

My 2x Grandmother, Mary Janella (Nally) Thompson was born a twin of Camilla on October 20th, 1882, in rural Union County, Kentucky. It's likely they lived in the portion of Union County that is close to Smith Mills (which is Henderson County.) Definitely around the Highland Creek area. Her parents were Henry Oliver Nally and Vandalia Delia Gibson. On October 28th, 1902, Janella married her second cousin, John Rowan Thompson. They married in the Catholic church. She had blue eyes and an olive colored complexion, according to my Mom. Maw, as she was called, passed away on December 29th, 1972, of stomach cancer and arteriosclerotic heart disease, the latter she had for a number of years.. She and her husband are buried in Roselawn Memorial Gardens here in Henderson. 

My 3x Grandmother, Vandalia Delia (Gibson) Nally was the daughter of John Gregory Gibson and Mahala Caroline Busby, born on December 21st, 1856, in the outskirts of the Corydon/Cairo areas of Henderson County. Vannie, as she was called, married Henry Oliver Nally on January 28th, 1880, in the Old Highland Missionary Baptist Church.. that's surprising as I know the Nally's were Catholic -- but I'm going to go out on a limb and say the Gibson's were of Baptist faith. Vannie birthed two sets of twins... and twins apparently run in the Gibson, Nally, and Thompson families. I have unfortunately never been able to procure a photograph of my 3x Grandparents. Vannie passed away on July 5th, 1949, of arteriosclerotic heart disease of which she had for thirty years. Vannie and Henry are buried in the old Gibson Family Cemetery in Corydon. 

My 4x Grandmother, Mahala Caroline Busby, was born in January of 1820, in either Kentucky or Tennessee. In the 1820 census, her parents were listed in Sumner County, Tennessee, IF it's the correct people... but her parents married in 1813 in Henderson County, Kentucky. So, definitely born in Kentucky or Tennessee. She was the daughter of William Busby and Elizabeth Denton. By November 1st, 1841, Mahala was back in Henderson and married John Gregory Gibson. They had an absolute slew of children: 13 if I've counted correctly. at least 5 that died before the age of 20. They populated the county with Gibson's and the Gibson Cemetery with descendants. She and John Gregory are buried in the old Gibson Family Cemetery. 



My 5x Grandmother, Elizabeth Denton, was the daughter of Benjamin Denton and Priscilla Rebecca Wiggins; she was born on March 10th, 1790, likely in North Carolina. However, by December 28th, 1813, she lived in Henderson County, KY, where she married William L. Busby. They moved to Tennessee for a short time, where William died in 1830, and Elizabeth returned to Henderson County. Elizabeth herself passed away on March 13th, 1856, in Henderson County, and is buried in Talbott Cemetery in the Robards area of the county. That cemetery is horrendously overgrown and not taken care of. I wish I could see it cleaned up in my lifetime before Elizabeth's tombstone is completely erased from existence. The reason she's buried in that small cemetery of (quite possibly) only five graves is because her daughter, Celia, married a Talbott. 



My 6x Grandmother, Priscilla Rebecca "Celia" Wiggins was born in the year of 1755 in the Granville County area of North Carolina to parents Thomas Wiggins and Elizabeth Tabitha Cooper. On November 18th, 1772, in Granville County, Celia married Benjamin Denton. It is reported that Celia died in 1808 in White County, Tennessee. Her husband reportedly died there in 1810. I've never found an actual census record or land record of them being in White County, TN. Their descendants helped populate Henderson County with Denton's that are still in this county to this day! 

My 7x Grandmother, Elizabeth Tabitha Cooper, was born about 1735 and married Thomas Wiggins in roughly 1753 in North Carolina. On an application for the Sons of the American Revolution, they say she died around 1764 -- but I think she actually died closer to 1782. She's definitely deceased by 1796 when her husband, Thomas, re-marries to Frances Holman. Thomas passed away in either the last week of 1798 or the first day or two of 1799 as his will was probated on January 3rd, 1799, in Granville County, NC. 

Now, beyond Elizabeth (Cooper) Wiggins, I haven't made any DNA connections - which is normal with autosomal DNA. Autosomal DNA... unless you've got some heavy heavy heavy endogamy/intermarrying/inbreeding in the line, you aren't going to make matches with like 9th, 10th, 11th+ cousins. I have indeed made DNA matches with 8th cousins through Elizabeth Cooper & Thomas Wiggins. My Mom has made DNA matches through them as well. It is possible if my Mom does her mtDNA test over at FamilyTreeDNA, we might be able to make matches from further back this line.

So going off of folklore for the rest of this line... 

My 8x Grandmother is reportedly Elizabeth (Cannon) Cooper. She was born, roughly, in 1717 likely in Virginia. She married Benjamin Cooper Sr in 1734 in Surry County, Virginia. Elizabeth is said to be the daughter of John Cannon and Mary Price. Her husband, Benjamin, his will was written in 1759 and probated in 1761. It appears by the time he writes his will, that his wife, Elizabeth, has passed away... he does not mention a widow or spouse or wife. I believe their last child was born around 1753.. so it's likely Elizabeth could have died 1755 or sometime around then. 

My 9x Grandmother is said to be Mary (Price) Cannon. She likely would have been born around 1691 in Virginia and probably married around 1713 or just after. Her husband, John Cannon, was said to be born about 1688 and died 1734. I can't find any records mentioning them. The only records Mary can be found in are specific to her parents -- John Price and Jane Pugh/Pew. 

My 10x Grandmother is supposedly Jane Pugh (or Pew). She is said to have been born in 1659 in Henrico County, Virginia, the daughter of Jane Milner and Henry Pugh/Pew. It is said she married John Price in 1688 in Henrico Co, VA. They have at least five documented children: Mary, Elizabeth, John, Pugh/Pew, and Daniel. John died sometime around 1711 and Jane remarried Hugh Ligon. There were no children born to this union. Hugh is listed as being a descendant of the Plantagenets. Jane is recorded as dying on December 7th, 1713, in Henrico Co, VA. While Jane supposedly doesn't have any famous descendants -- she does have some famous relations according to her Find-a-Grave. 

My 11x Grandmother is said to be Jane (Milner) Pugh/Pew. She is supposed to be the daughter of John Milner and Elizabeth Rolfe. Elizabeth is said to have died in childbirth or the day after in 1635. She was born in Henrico County, Virginia. She married Henry Pugh/Pew in about 1658 in Henrico County, VA. Jane and Henry had at least four known children: Mary, Jane, Henry, and Elizabeth Ann. Jane, too, shows famous relations on Ancestry Beta, according to the manager of her Find-a-Grave profile. Jane is recorded as dying in April of 1709, in Henrico County. 

My 12x Grandmother is said to be none other than Elizabeth Pierce (Rolfe) Milner. Elizabeth is the daughter of THE John Rolfe (husband of Pocahontas) and his third wife, Jane Pierce. Elizabeth was born January 25th, 1620, in Jamestown, Virginia. Please note that she would have only been 15 years old when she married John Milner, who was at least 17 or 18 years old.. and she only had the one child with him: Jane Milner. It is said she died during or right after childbirth. John Milner was said to be of Nansemond, Virginia. 

My 13x Grandmother was Jane (Pierce) Rolfe, the third wife of the John Rolfe -- who had at least one child with Pocahontas. Jane was born about 1595 likely in England and died 1635, reportedly, likely in Virginia. She was the daughter of William Pierce of Virginia who is often confused with Pilgrim/Colonist William Pierce of Massachusettes. She married John Rolfe in 1619 in Virginia and had at least one child: Elizabeth, in 1620 in Jamestown. John Rolfe died in the Indian Massacre of 1622. Three years later, Jane remarried Captain Roger Smith. (To read more on William "Peirce" (Pierce): Click here. It is reported that Jane's first name was spelled "Joane" but it appears historians interchangeably use Joane and Jane. There is a marriage record for a John Rolfe and Joane Pierce in 1612 in New England records, but, we know they couldn't have married that early. In John Rolfe's will, made out in 1621 (he died in 1622), he appointed William Peirce as the guardian of his children. Apparently William Peirce and John Rolfe met in Bermuda after Peirce's ship, on which he was aboard, crashed. His wife and daughter were on a separate ship and arrived safely in Virginia ahead of him. 

My 14x Grandmother is said Joane/Jane, wife of William Peirce/Pierce, colonist of Virginia. It is likely that she, too, was born around 1580 and had their only child, Jane, when she was roughly 15 years of age in 1595. She was born in England, like William, and they married there. They did not sail for the new world until 1609. Joane and her daughter, Jane, arrived in Virginia safely as they were on a separate ship from William. William, however, crashed in Bermuda and that's where he met John Rolfe who would later marry his daughter. 

This is as far as I can take my direct maternal line. I'm really, really hoping that this information is correct. I would love to be a descendant of Jane (Pierce) Rolfe. It's depressing to not be a Bolling/descendant of Pocahontas, but ya know, being a descendant of John Rolfe is just as neat. 

Are any of you descendants of any of these people? Would you like to compare GEDMatch results maybe? My Mom and I both are on there. It's entirely possible we might be 8th cousin sand share a whopping 6 or 7 cM, lol. 

It's amazing to think a line of my family has been here in America since 1609 when America didn't even become "America" until 1776. I mean, 1609 is even prior to the Mayflower pilgrims landing at Plymouth Rock. So I can say my family has been here since pre-Mayflower... or at least one branch of it. Very cool in my opinion as a genealogist.