How Are We Related?

My brother, Tom, asked me to remind him how we are related to Thomas Probert. My brother, Dan, asked me what was it about Thomas that made me want to write about him? In addition, he wanted to know how I decide which ancestor to write about. Good questions -- especially for extended family who may be reading this blog -- and I appreciate all of you.

To answer Tom's question, Thomas Probert is our paternal gg-grandfather. Here is a chart that shows this relationship. If you recall, Thomas was married twice. We are descended through Mary Elizabeth Diamond who died, as did her baby, shortly after the birth of her first son. The cause of death is listed as "consumption," or what we now know as tuberculosis.

After being found not guilty in the killing of Jacob Spears, Thomas married a second time to "Kate" Richardson. The new family moved to Mt. Sterling and started a new life. This past month, I focused on Thomas' and Kate's life in Mt. Sterling, Montgomery Co., Kentucky. Our cousin, Barbara Kaiser Pharo, is a direct descendant of Kate. This second chart would apply to her.

To answer Dan's question, I am always trying to discover information about our ancestors. Some are easier to research than others. For example, Thomas left quite a paper trail as the result of working in a government position. He was also featured in numerous newspaper articles as a result of the killing of Jacob Spears. Ancestors who served in the military are also great subjects because they, or their widows, often filed for a pension. You can order copies of their pensions from the National Archives. These records often provide great documentation as the widow, for instance, had to prove their marriage and the births of all of their children. These can be a gold mine.

So I go where the evidence leads me. Although I have written about our Wainright ancestors in the past, I submitted an application to become a Daughter of the American Revolution, I really had to tighten up some of the information I had to make the case that Vincent Wainwright, Minute Man from New Jersey, was a direct ancestor. My application was approved. The Wainright/Wainwright line is going to be the focus of my next writings because I found so additional information on their lives in Cincinnati along the Ohio River.

I appreciate all of you who read these posts. You, my readers, really do keep me motivated to continue. Thanks for following along.

Kathy
February 2015