Flotsam and jetsam

Middle initials:

Simmin A. Eddins, son.

Blakely A. Eddins, father.

James A. Eddins, grandfather.

All have the middle initial "A." But what does it stand for? The only one we know for sure is Simmin. It's Simmin Aaron Eddins/Edins. The other men's middle names are a mystery.

We know for sure that Blakely's middle intial is "A" because it's on his grave marker. (Thanks, Cuz, for the confirmation.) But what it stands for? Could be "Aaron," just like his son's. But no clues and no proof.

There are several theories as to what the "A" in James A. Eddins stands for. Linda Robertson says that it stands for "Allen." (http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~everyoneged/ourancestry.html#John%20Eddins) My dear cuz thinks that it could stand for "Aaron," just like Simmon. My own theory is that it stands for "Albert" or "Albertus" for a Hendrix/Hendricks/Hendrex ancestor.

Anybody have any proof?

Next:

It's a challenge to look for Eddins relatives because the name has been spelled so many ways. For example:

Eddins

Edins

Edens

Eddings

Edings

Edinger

Don't get me started on the Hendrixes:

Hendrix

Hendricks

Hendrickx

Hendrex

Hendrick

Headon

Where they lived

There's a website with new material that I will follow with interest:

http://gsofea.org/

That's the Genealogical Society of East Alabama, covering the counties of Chambers, Lee, Macon, Russell, and Tallapoosa Counties. They are now publishing material on line that's previously been printed in their Tap Roots magazine, mostly marriage and cemetery information. For instance, Tallapoosa, Lee, and Chambers Counties' marriage books. They also have handy dandy links to maps of the counties. These maps are helpful in looking at where my family lived.

For example, in 1860 James T/F Eddings (son) and (Nancy) Ann Eddings (mother) lived in Tallapoosa County, Beat 6, Wynn Creek P.O. Assuming it's the same as "Wind Creek," we find it near Alexander City:

http://alabamamaps.ua.edu/contemporarymaps/alabama/counties/tallapoosa.pdf

In 1870 Nancy and Z(iplha) E(leanor Eddins) Freeman are living on Beat 11, Oak Bowery near Chambers Court House in Chambers County. See here:

http://alabamamaps.ua.edu/contemporarymaps/alabama/counties/chambers.pdf

In 1880 Z.A. Freeman and N. Edins are living in Opelika, Beat 2, Lee County. See here:

http://alabamamaps.ua.edu/contemporarymaps/alabama/counties/lee.pdf

All of these places are close together, some 10 miles, some about an hour.

Really kewl.

The parents of Nancy Ann Hendrix Edins, Part 1

I posted this at Genform.com/Eddins in 2006:

Does anyone know the parents of Nancy Ann Hendricks/Hendrix/Hendrex who married James A. Eddins/Edins? I have a theory which follows the details below.

Details:

Nancy Ann Hendricks/Hendrix/Hendrex was born about 1796 in SC, probably Orangeburg, later Lexington County. In either November 1813 or 1817 she married James A. Eddins/Edins, son of John & Zilpha Eddins of Lexington County, SC. James and Nancy had at least nine children: Peter, Sarah, Hiram, Rebecca, Blakely, Ann Susannah, Zilpha, Elizabeth, and James. They moved from SC to AL around 1821 or 1822 and finally settled in Tallapoosa County by 1840. James died in 1858 and Nancy Ann died after 1860.

__________

Theory:

Nancy Ann is the daughter of Peter Hendricks, born about 1765, and Elizabeth Gibson, born about 1772. I have no direct proof of this, but lots of circumstantial evidence points this way. I would like to hear from others who can help prove or disprove this theory.

Evidence (assuming that Nancy was daughter of P & E):

1. Nancy named her first son Peter after after her father.

2. Nancy had two brothers, Simeon and Aaron. This is the first time I have seen these names in any generation of the Hendricks family. Nancy's son Blakely named his first son Simmin (Simeon) Aaron using uncles' names.

3. Nancy had a sister Susanna and named a daughter Ann Susannah.

4. The books and family trees I have seen name Peter & Elizabeth's children as:

a. Susanna, b. abt. 1798

b. Nathan, b. abt. 1800

c. Aaron, b. abt. 1805

d. Matilda, b. abt. 1808

e. Dolly, b. abt. 1810

f. Simeon, b. abt. 1813 S.C.

g. Joseph, b. abt. 1815

h. Eli Edmund, b. abt. 1818

According to this information, Peter would have been 33 and Elizabeth 24 at the time of Susanna's birth--quite old for a first child in those days. It is conceivable that they had Nancy Ann first in 1796.

5. In addition, two censuses argue that there was a female child prior to Susanna.

In the 1800 US Census for SC, Peter Hendrick is listed in Lexington (formerly Orangeburg) County, SC. There are two females under 10--these are Nancy and Susanna, I believe. The other people in the household conform to Peter, Elizabeth, and Nathan.

In the 1810 US census for SC, Peter Hendrex is living in Lexington County, SC. In the household are three males under 10 (Aaron, 5, and two UNK), one male 10 - 15 (Nathan, 10ish), one male 26 - 44 (Peter, 44 to 45). There are also two females under 10 (Matilda, 2, and Dolly, oneish), two females 10 - 15 (Susanna, 12, and Nancy Ann, 14), and one female 16 - 25 (Elizabeth, 28). I don't perceive the slight variation in Peter & Elizabeth's ages as a huge problem. Their birthdates are based on one entry in the 1850 Census, People often didn't know their exact birthdates, and census recorders made errors.

______________

There's my theory. I look forward to hearing from anyone who has information or ideas to prove or disprove this.

Now in 2011:

No one has ever replied to this, yay or nay.

I recently started to look at this theory again and have found nothing to disprove it. In fact, while I admit I have found no primary evidence to prove it, there are several pieces of circumstantial evidence that support the theory. I will continue in a following post to add facts that show who Nancy Ann's parents were not and who they likely were.

James A. Edins

This is a draft to be finished later:

We know that his name was "James A. Edins" from several sources:

He signed the marriage license of his daughter Ann Susannah Edins to Henry J. Rix as "James A. Edins." I have not seen this marriage license, but the source for this info comes from Lavina Nance, who posted it here:

http://genforum.genealogy.com/eddins/messages/323.html

If there's a marriage license, it's probably on file in Tallapoosa County.

Nancy Hendrix/Hendricks/Hendrex, wife of James A. Eddins/Edins

Nancy Ann Hendrix Edins was born in South Carolina between 1796 (1860 US Census for AL) and 1800 (1870 Census for AL). Her parents' identity is unproven,but she was definitely from one of the Hendrix/Hendricks/Hendrex families of Orangeburgh/Lexington, SC. More on that in a post to follow. She died after 1880, possibly in Lee County, AL.

For simplicity's sake, I will use "Hendrix" and "Edins" from here on.

Bob Eddings, who runs the Eddins forum on Genforum.com provides her date of marriage to James Edins as either November 1813 or November 1817, depending where you look. In my opinion the most likely date is November 1817, as their first known son, Peter, was born about 1817. The 1830 US Census for Wilcox County, AL, shows a male of Peter's age, and the rest of the census conforms to their known family pretty well.

Allowing for possible birth and marriage dates, Nancy Ann was between 13 (born 1800, married 1813) and 21 (born 1796, married 1817) when she married James A. I tend to think she was 21 because her ages in the censuses usually end in "4," and because the first son, Peter, was born about 1817.

The age of 21 conforms to the ages recorded in US Censuses from 1830 - 1880:

1830: 30 - 40 in Wilcox County, AL. Nancy would be 34.

1840: 40 - 50 in Tallapoosa County, AL. Nancy would be 44.

1850: 54 in Tallapoosa County.

1860: 64 in Tallapoosa County.

1870: 70 in Chambers County, AL

1880: 84 in Lee County, AL

She and James A. had at least eight children: Peter, Sarah, Hiram, Rebecca, Blakely, Ann Susannah, Zilpha, Elizabeth, and James T or F. She never appears as head of household; she is always living with a husband, son, or daughter.

1850: Living with James A. (husband) in Tallapoosa County

1860: Living with James T. or F. (son) in Tallapoosa County

1870: Living with Z(ilpha) E. Freeman in Chambers County

1880: Living with Z. A. Freeman in Lee County

Where is she buried? Hard to tell, but the most likely places are Lee, Chambers, or Tallapoosa County. Probably she died in the home of daughter Zilpha, who always lived in the vicinity of Tallapoosa County. As soon as I have any more information, I'll post it here.

More discussion about Nancy Ann's parents in a post to follow.