Joseph S. Stinson of Buckingham

Joseph S. STINSON and his wife of Buckingham County, Virginia are on page 164 of "So Obscure A Person.” I listed only one child for them. On the 1880 Census at James River District, I see additional children for them: Lillian STINSON, born about 1875; Clide STINSON, born about 1877; and a baby girl born 1879.

This same family appears on page 245 of "Memoirs of Buckingham County and Along the James" by Emily Maxey Jenkins, 1985, with children Parrish STINSON and Clyde Milton STINSON.

Ms. Jenkins' book has Clyde STINSON married to Edna Clive PAYNE of Buckingham County with daughters Mary and Christine STINSON. Clyde was a veteran of the Spanish-American War and died during the 1918 influenza epidemic. She includes a portrait of Clyde's wife and daughters.

UPDATE March 2009, Clyde Johnson wrote me at Facebook:

"I was adopted by Mary Stinson Johnson in 1952. I remember her sister Christine. Edna lived with us and passed away at our house in 1967. I have a portrait of Clyde.

"I only know as far back as Clyde and Edna Stinson and they were from Buckingham. These were my grandparents. I do know Clyde died in 1918 from the flu epidemic. Edna remarried Gordon Gentry I believe. My mother Mary Stinson Johnson lived in Richmond VA. Her sister Christine Stinson Rynerson lived in Washington DC. They had one child Charlotte."

Colonel John Mayo II

Yesterday, while touring the Museum of the Shenandoah Valley, I spotted a portrait of JOHN MAYO. Photography was not permitted inside and I was too tired to take any notes, so I have only my "Vanishing Memories" to remind me of what I saw.

I found online a listing of "Artists and Artisans Represented in the Julian Wood Glass Jr. Gallery," which lists the portrait I saw as "Colonel John Mayo II (1760-1818)" and the artist as "Charles B. J. F. de Saint-Mémin (1770–1852)."

This Colonel JOHN MAYO II seems to be a descendant of the JOSEPH MAYO and ELIZABETH HOOPER on page 182 of "So Obscure A Person.” ELIZABETH's HOOPER family were the ancestors of the HOOPER wife of ALEXANDER STINSON, who appears on pages 40, 41, 194, 206 and 207 of my book.

David Washington STINSON

This post is in answer to the email following, received today. On pages 73 through 76, of my STINSON genealogy book, "So Obscure A Person,” I explain that when I encountered the will of David STINSON, brother of my ancestor Archibald STINSON, at Buckingham County courthouse, I was able to understand many relationships of my STINSON family. The will itself mentioned family members, but there were other documents in the extensive and complicated Estate Settlement, which helped in piecing together cousins, spouses, and others. These additional documents may have been loose papers, however, they were not hidden anywhere, as I was easily able to find them by using the courthouse index to the old records.

If these documents are no longer in the courthouse, I find that troubling, but not surprising. My experience in searching for documents in courthouses in Virginia is that many have disappeared. In the case of Buckingham County courthouse, there is the hope that these documents may have been "misplaced" during recent renovations, and will eventually be found. Unfortunately many documents are pilfered out of Virginia courthouses by "so-called" genealogists who feel they have a right to their ancestors' papers. "True" genealogists realize how harmful such pilfering is to the heritage of one's own ancestral family.

Hello, Edna,

I’m writing to ask for some research guidance, but first want to tell you how much I enjoy reading and using "So Obscure a Person.” It’s my #1 reference tool as I continue my Stinson research. I also want to thank you for including me in your citations. I’m very flattered!

On page 144 you write that on 24 April 1884 D. W. (David Washington) Stinson signed a receipt for the money he received from his Uncle David’s estate, and you quote the receipt’s text. You also state that the receipt is on file at the Buckingham C.H. Unfortunately, that may no longer be true. Three weeks ago I spent the day a the courthouse pressing the Clerk, Malcolm Booker, and his staff to please locate D.W.’s receipt. The problem seems to be that when the staff moved back into the renovated Courthouse from their temporary quarters in 2002 (I think) they did not refiled many of the older documents. I was told that many old documents are simply piled up in the basement. I had to return to Virginia Beach that day but offered to compensate anyone on the staff who could find the receipt for me. When I called several days later I was told that Mr. Booker had “spent days” searching for the receipt but had failed to find it. They concluded that it’s not there.

Of course, I believe the receipt IS there, just as you say on page 144. Brenda Kitchens offered to try again if I could provide her with more clues about its possible location. Edna, can you offer any advice about where they could look to find D.W.’s receipt?

Gratefully, Kathy Stinson Hessmer

Virginia Beach

Mary STINSON, 1662

"JNO. LEWIS & THOMAS MICHELL, 1680 acs. New Kent Co., 15 Jan. 1662, p. 84 (565). Beg. At Mr. Michells land, N.N.E. by Westover path, thence to Coll. Gooch’s cor. tree &c. Trans. of : Wm. Thornton, Rich. Boyne, Thos. Shugge, Law. Baker, Tho. Walder, Ellen Harwood, Mary Stinson, Jane Mayson, Rich. Saucer, Jno. Tillett, Geo. Catleton, Bryan Hazlewod, Ann Lulow (?), Eliz. Palmer, Joane Madd, Hugh Davis, Jno. Gunne, Wm. Colvert, Eliz. Gittins, James Ridly, Mary Taylor, Eliz. Smith, Ann Norton, Bridg. Black, Nich. Hart, Nich. Flower, Wm. Pearce, Rich Overton, Ann Shilooe (?), Tho. Hanson, Sarah Russell." ("Cavaliers And Pioneers Abstracts of Virginia Land Patents and Grants 1623-1666," Volume One, Abstracted and Indexed by Nell Marion Nugent, Virginia Land Office, Richmond, Virginia)

I cannot place this Mary STINSON of New Kent County, Virginia with anyone connected with Alexander STINSON of "So Obscure A Person” who was born about 1710.

Thomas BRYANT of Cumberland County

The Thomas BRYANT on page 43 of "So Obscure A Person,” was married before 1783, according to source #75 on page 60, which references the will of his father James BRYANT.

According to the 1783 will of James BRYANT, Thomas BRYANT had daughters Elizabeth BRYANT and Fanny BRYANT, both born before 1783.

**UPDATE: Please read the comments as to whether Elizabeth and Fanny were one person or two.

George and Matilda STINSON

Chief William McINTOSH was a Coweta Creek Indian whose sister married into the STINSON family of Georgia and Alabama. The father of McINTOSH was Scottish. This image of a hand-colored lithograph is from the McKenney-Hall History of the Indian tribes of North America (1858), after the 1825 painting by Charles Bird King.

The George STINSON on page 99 of "So Obscure A Person”, was married to the sister of Chief William McINTOSH, before 1824. According to "The Politics of Indian Removal," Michael D. Green, 1985, pages 61, 62, 68, George STINSON was heavily involved in Indian trading and affairs with his brother-in-law Chief William McINTOSH. STINSON was arrested, his goods confiscated, and he was indicted at U.S. District County, Savannah, in August 1824. At the trial it was stated that George STINSON was married to a Creek woman and therefore an "adoped ... citizen of the Creek Nation." His defense rested upon his not being subject to trade restrictions of United States law, as he was an adopted Indian. Amazingly, STINSON was aquitted by the jury. William McINTOSH had a half brother from Savannah named John McINTOSH. From the 1850 Census, we see that the wife of STINSON was named Matilda.

Russell REEDER, a descendant of George and Matilda STINSON said that his mother knew the granddaughters of Matilda and they related that she was always proud of her native American ancestry.

On 26 December 1833, there is a land grant of 40 acres to George STINSON, 19th district, Section 2 lot #677, in Cherokee County, Georgia (George STINSON Papers, Georgia College and State University Library).

James Bryant STINSON

This is basically some additional information for #74, James STINSON on page 100 of "So Obscure A Person.”

According to descendant RUSSELL REEDER, the full name of JAMES was "JAMES BRYANT STINSON." This seems to continue the inferred BRYANT name from his grandmother Anne, the wife of Cary STINSON. This discovery also lends further credence to the inferred father of Anne on page 62 of my book. I had found him as "James R. STINSON" in the following "transcribed" marriage record. That was probably a misreading of the letter "B" by the transcriber.

The information for his marriages came from “Marriage Records 1838-1859 Barbour county, Alabama,” by Helen S. Foley, 1990: "James STINSON and Martha SENN, 14 apr 1859, by J.G. McLendon, JP" (page 100) and "James R. STINSON and Emily Talbot, 5 Octr 1859, at Wm. King’s by Jack Hardman, J.P." (page 102).

Descendant RUSSEL REEDER told me that James and his brother Alexander W. STINSON married sisters, who would have been the TALBOT wives who appear on page 100 of my book.