Our Cherokee Ancestor
So everybody in our family knows that when Daddy says something about the mistreatment of HIS PEOPLE, he's talking about Native Americans. And the specific Native American ancestor his comments point to is this one, born Parthenia Byrd Jones.
Some have her birthday as 12 June 1813 in Halifax, Virginia, but I have not been able to confirm that, (yet).
The Business of Being Born
Grandma Jesse indicated in the family history that her great grandmother Parthenia was born in 1812, and was Cherokee from Tennessee or West Virginia.Some have her birthday as 12 June 1813 in Halifax, Virginia, but I have not been able to confirm that, (yet).
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| Parthenia Byrd Jones |
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| Parthenia Byrd Jones |
What's Up With Her Name?
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| Colonel William Byrd, not exactly the outdoorsy type, is he? |
Which brings us to Byrd. Native, right? Byrd is actually an old Virginia name from Britain: the gentleman who surveyed & established the Virginia/North Carolina border (hopefully quelling rather than fueling disputes) in 1728 was Colonel William Byrd of Westover.
I've only recently come across some of our distant cousins who have been able to find Parthenia's parents, Woodford Jones, Sr., and Mildred "Millie" Byrd. More on them in another post.
The Bane of Genealogists Everywhere
Since her name doesn't appear to be Cherokee, she may have been adopted (records of such adoptions are scarce and were rarely done through the courts, but I haven't looked yet). It's apparently really common for people doing family history to say, "Oh, but my ancestor had such high cheekbones, she MUST be Native American!"Facial structure is not proof of lineage, apparently.
How Many Husbands Does a Girl Need?
With a name like Parthenia Byrd Jones Alexander Shoemaker Richards, I've heard a few times that she had SEVEN husbands. Yowza. That may have been a bit of an exaggeration.
As far as we know, her husbands were:
1. Parthenia Jones married William Frances Alexander
in about 1827 in Louisiana (she was 14).
- son, Woodford Jones Alexander
- daughter, Mary Span Alexander
- son, Thomas J Alexander
- son, James Ervin Alexander
- son, John Lafayette Alexander
- son, William Chelsey Alexander
- William and Parthenia were married by Father Francis Joseph Alexander about 1827.
- It is reported that William killed Parthenia's brother because he beat her for marrying a white man.
- Parthenia was a Cherokee Indian.
- William fled to the next slave ship to Africa to avoid revengeful killing.
- William may have owned a plantation in Louisiana.
- William was a school teacher and a native of Louisiana.
William died 3 September 1840 in Washington Co., Illinois, aged 38.
2. Parthenia Alexander married Thomas Shoemaker
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| Rattlesnake image courtesy of TigerHawkVok at Wikimedia Commons See this site for what to do if you are bitten! |
(Washington County IL Marriage Records 1831-1858, Published by the Marissa Historical & Genealogical Society, page 8 (1842))
- daughter, Milla A Shoemaker
- son, Absalom Shoemaker
- son, Cornelius Shoemaker (Jessie's grandfather)
- son, Jasper Shoemaker
- son, Rufus Shoemaker
Thomas died 7 June 1865 near Centerville, Appanoose County, Iowa of "a rattle snake bite while getting wood to saw." He was 60 years old.
3. Parthenia Shoemaker married Isaac Richards
on 26 December 1865 (she was 52).
So Was She Really Cherokee?
Grandma Jessie sure thought she was. Look here and here to see the words she wrote about Cornelius -- Parthenia & Thomas's son.May She Rest In Peace
Parthena Byrd Richards died 28 April 1879, and was buried at Oak Hill Cemetery, Maryville,Nodaway County, Missouri (plot: Sec 3, Row 9, n-s).
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| Parthena, wife of Isaac Richard died Apr 26, 1879 aged 65ys 10ms &14ds Blessed... (I can't read any more text) |
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| Oak Hill Cemetery is just north of Maryville on Main Street. |
--ally
I had been researching Parthena for my Sister in Law. Her grandmother is the grandaughter of Mary Spann Alexander Seals and just died (103) a couple of years ago. She spoke of Mary saying she was half Cherokee and Parthena Bird Jones being full blood. Curious why you spell it Byrd and what info you have on her parents? I have her mother a Mytle Bird Jones and Father Woodford Jones Sr. Curious what info you have on them as well!
ReplyDeleteParthenia Byrd Jones is my relative on the Jones side of the family! I have no idea why they think she is an Indian Cherokee? Woodford Gilbert Jones is her dad born 1780, her mother is Pauline Mildred Byrd! That's why her name is spelled that way. My great grandmother Jones was not any part Indian and she had very high cheekbones! Parthenia wasn't even the first born she was kind of in the middle of the kids!
DeleteJust began looking for Parthenia, my grandpa's great (?) grandmother. The Seals family connection is with my grandfather, Carl Wilber Seals. He was married to Helen Seals, my grandmother, and Helen Seals was the person who did all family genelogy, thus the confusion as to who is Parthenia's descendent.
ReplyDeleteParthenia Byrd Jones is my relative on the Jones side of the family! I have no idea why they think she is an Indian Cherokee? Woodford Gilbert Jones is her dad born 1780, her mother is Pauline Mildred Byrd! That's why her name is spelled that way. My great grandmother Jones was not any part Indian and she had very high cheekbones! Parthenia wasn't even the first born she was kind of in the middle of the kids!
ReplyDeleteJody S., fascinating! Who would be your "great grandmother Jones?" Can you link to this family line anywhere I can find out more? See the small section above labeled, "So Was She Really Cherokee?" It's looking probable (from personal histories) that she was Cherokee, but adopted into a European-American family (from genealogies), and that the name we have for her is her European name. It would be so wonderful to find a way to prove that theory. Thank you so much for participating in this research!
ReplyDeleteMy cousin Terry Emery has her picture and is a relative and has done genealogy, he is from Maryville Missouri
ReplyDelete