October Ancestry Challenge 2013: Ancestor #11

http://loricrane.wordpress.com/2013/09/21/october-ancestry-challenge-2013-2/

Ancestor #11

Today, I want to backtrack a little, and write some further information on the three aforementioned men, their wives, and children.

I haven’t been able to track the Gant’s back far enough to tell where they came from. I have had no luck in tracing the Bramblett’s back to their origins either.

My 4th great grandfather, Almond Gantt, served as a Private, in the War of 1812, under Company 3, Regiment Alston’s, South Carolina Militia. My biggest questions and brick walls on Almond are, who was his mother? Who cared for him after the death of his father in 1771? What brought Almond from Culpepper, Virginia to Laurens, South Carolina?

My 3rd great grandfather, Martin Gantt, brings questions with him also. Why did he pick up his family and move to Saline, Arkansas? Or did he?

According to the 1850 U. S. Census, Martin and Sarah are living in Eastern Division, Pickens, South Carolina with five of their children. An 1860 U. S. Census has not yet been found on the family.

Martin shows up again on the 1870 U. S. Census in Saline, Arkansas. His wife is listed as Martha Gant, and they have 1 child with them.

Was Martha part of Sarah’s name? Did Martin leave Sarah behind? Was Martin running from something or someone? Did Sarah change her name? Were they moving and/or hiding out during the 1860 U. S. Census?

The 1880 U. S. Census shows Martin living with wife, Mary, and their daughter, Naomi. There is a seven-year-old Bettie Thomas living with them. She was Mary’s daughter from a previous marriage.

There is a Sarah Gantt listed as living in Pickens, South Carolina, with four daughters, in the 1870 U. S. Census, but the names of the children do not match up with previous Census Records. I need to do more investigating.

According to my South Carolina cousins, Martin, was 7 foot tall! May be where I get some of my height from?

I haven’t been able to find much on the Thomason’s, but Sarah’s mother was Polly Frances Hand, daughter of Robert Sherrill Hand and Elizabeth ‘Betsey’ Burdette. I couldn’t find much on the Hand’s, but I have traced the Burdette’s back to my 6th great grandfather, Frederick Burdette, who was born on October 15, 1753 (what a coincidence) in Amsterdam, Noord-Holland, Netherlands. He moved to Laurens, South Carolina sometime before 1779.

I have several leads on the Burdette’s that I hope will take me further.

DOCUMENTATION ON ALMOND GANTT

1800 United States Federal Census

1810 United States Federal Census

1820 United States Federal Census

1830 United States Federal Census

U.S., War of 1812 Service Records, 1812-1815

DOCUMENTATION ON MARTIN GANTT

1830 United States Federal Census

1850 United States Federal Census

1860 United States Federal Census

1870 United States Federal Census

1880 United States Federal Census

Arkansas, County Marriages Index, 1837-1957

Arkansas, Homestead and Cash Entry Patents, Pre-1908

U.S. General Land Office Records, 1796-1907