Revolutionary War Veteran, Lieutenant William HAM

Revolutionary War Veteran, Lieutenant William HAM

of Elizabeth City County, Virginia

In 1780, British General Cornwallis had the Americans on the run. But soon, the American forces were to deliver some surprising defeats to Cornwallis. If you have read the Revolutionary Pension papers for Drury HAM, you will find him at about this time marching along the New River on his way to Cowpens. American Generals Morgan and Greene were converging upon the forces of Cornwallis.

The British General Cornwallis chases American Generals Morgan and Greene to Cowpens (SC), Guilford Courthouse (NC), and finally ends up in Yorktown, Virginia in 1781. The Americans had mustered some serious blows to the British forces at Cowpens and Guilford. Unknown to Cornwallis, General Washington had travelled by ship toward Yorktown. Cornwallis woke up in Yorktown one morning to find George Washington at his doorstep. Cornwallis was about to be defeated.



I'd like to share a couple of pages of research from Geneva. Included here are Revolutionary DAR Application papers for Revolutionary War veteran, William HAM. This William HAM was a Lieutentant in the Navy, and fought during the Siege at Yorktown. Evelyn Calvert Barron, a descendant, had filed this application in 1940.


Geneva had sent this to me while we were doing research for the book. She thought it might help with what I was finding in the Elizabeth City Parish Vestry Books and Elizabeth City Will books. Unfortunately, I received this in about May of 2003, shortly before the book was due to be sent to the publisher. No time to dig deeper. I did have time to put some resemblance of a summary of the DAR pages into the book.


(In the book, I do not try to explain the document. What I tried to do is keep the book small. However, I do try to point out what is in the document, and indicate where you might find the document by citing our sources. The original DAR application has additional sources.)


The DAR application was filed by Evelyn Calvert Barron in 1940, Evelyn age 45 at the time. ("A Short History of the HAM Surname..." vol. #2, pages 120, 135)


[ click on image to enlarge ]


Evelyn was born in 1895 in Elizabeth City County to Frederick Barron (b. 1859) and wife Mary Sue HAM (b. 1869, m. 1891). Mary Sue HAM was the daughter of Col. Joseph Huchison HAM (b. 1838) and wife Anna GAMBAL. Joseph Huchison HAM was the son of William HAM, Jr. (b. 1805).



And this is where you have to examine the document carefully, as it can be confusing to follow:


Lieutenant William HAM, Sr. was born in 1762 and married Susan COOPER in 1799.

William HAM, Jr (b. 1805) appears to have married Louisa HUCHISON in 1826.


This William HAM was involved in the Revolutionary War during the siege of Yorktown (near the end of the war). Because of the defeat of Cornwallis, Yorktown marked the point when the United States begun to be recognized as an independent nation. Lieutenant William HAM held duties on board the ship Nicholson, mainly shipping supplies on the James River during the siege of Yorktown. He was a favorite Lieutenant to Commander James Barron.


William was born March 16, 1762 and died in 1825 in Elizabeth City County, VA. It would appear that he was about 19 years old during the siege at Yorktown. You may want to note that this is a DAR Application, and not a Pension Application. No Revolutionary Pension Application was ever filed for this William HAM. He died in 1825, and Congress didn't pass the Pension law until about 1838. William HAM had passed away by the time Pension Applications became available.



This Revolutionary War DAR Application can be very confusing to read. When you write down what is listed on page 2, and then compare to what is written on page 3, the line of descent is not immediately clear. That is, if taken separately, each page could cause a lot of confusion.

For example:

Page 2 has Rev War Veteran Lieut. William HAM, Sr. b. 1762 d. 1825 married Susan COOPER, and wife Susan dies in 1840. It also lists his first wife (at the top of the page 3) as "Mary."

Page 3 has son William HAM, Jr. b. 1805 who married Louisa HUTCHINSON. (Louisa HUTCHINSON was born in 1803 on page 2....)

Page 3 has Lieutenant William HAM, Sr. married 1) Mary ____ and 2) in 1799 Susan COOPER in Elizabeth City County, VA. Further down page 3 lists the "Children of the Revolutionary Ancestor."


The children of William Sr. then married:

Benjamin HAM b. 1788 married Susan JENNINGS
William HAM, Jr. b. 1803 married Louisa HUTCHINSON


These children are born 1788 to 1816.

This implies that the "Children of the Revolutionary Ancestor" Lt. William HAM, Sr. were four sons, Benjamin, William Jr., Jacob, and John. However, the date of birth for son Benjamin (b. 1788) only makes sense if William HAM, Jr. was also previously married (to Mary ___).

Very confusing read. Probably also very confusing to fill out.

The form for the DAR Application itself can be confusing. Whomever filled it out was trying to put in the dates for parents within the blank spots for children's dates. That is, putting the birth date of the parents in the blanks that should have been for the birth date of the children.


To further complicate the matter, I have had Kentucky HAM lines contact me and claim descent from this William HAM. However, the more experienced genealogists clearly know a different line of descent. Folks are grabbing this William HAM and just placing him onto their family tree for some silly reason. The William HAM of Madison County, Kentucky appears to have fought in the Revolutionary War, but he died prior to the issue of Revolutionary War Pension applications. His war records have never been located.


I was hoping some descendants of this HAM line would come along to help clear this up, but thus far, none have been located. It would be great to have them test for Y-DNA.


The DAR Application lists some source records that I was not able to retrieve, as it cites the HAM Bible, Captain William HAM's Will, and Elizabeth City County Tax Lists. So, I haven't exactly cleared any confusion independently. If you check volume #2 (Virginia), you can see that I have a Benjamin HAM and a William HAM in Elizabeth City County as early as 1760 (see vol #2, pages 96, 97, & 98). At the time that Benjamin HAM files his will (1767), he had wife Mary, sons Joseph and William and daughters Mary and Anne (see Will Book 1763 - 1771 or see "A Short History of the HAM Surname," vol #2, page 109-110).


I would gather that the names Benjamin and William were carried in this line. From the 1760 Elizabeth City Vestry book entry, it is hard to tell if Benjamin or William would be the father of the Revolutionary War Veteran. The Parish Registry has not survived, but there is this mention in the Vestry book. It is at least known from the Will books that Benjamin HAM did have a son named William in 1767 (see vol #2, "A Short History of the HAM Surname," pages 109, 110).


In our book (vol 2, page 210), the children are listed out this way:



Lieutenant William HAM, Sr. b. Mar 16, 1762
and married

1) Mary ____
2) in 1799 Susan COOPER in Elizabeth City County, VA.

Lieutenant William HAM, Sr. died in May, 1825. Wife Susan COOPER died in 1840.


William HAM, Jr. and wife Susan COOPER had sons:


1) Benjamin HAM b. Jun 18, 1788 (m. Susan JENNINGS)

2) William HAM, Jr. b. Jul, 29, 1805 (m. Oct 5, 1826 Louisa HUTCHINSON and he died May 28, 1886 in Boydton, VA.)

3) Jacob HAM b. Oct 1813

4) John HAM b. Dec 1816

When in fact, Benjamin should have been a son by wife Mary.

The William HAM, Jr. appears to have been married on Oct 5, 1826 Louisa HUTCHINSON (from page 2). Wife Louisa HUTCHINSON was b. May 18, 1803 in Accomack Co., VA and d. Jan 7, 1879 in Boydton, VA.


And again, William HAM, Jr. and wife Louisa HUTCHINSON had son:

1) Col. Joseph Hutchinson HAM (from DAR application page 2)

Joseph starts the line of the DAR applicant by his daughter Mary Sue HAM.



Lieutenant William HAM will spend his career in the Navy, and later there would be a Captain William HAM at the time of the War of 1812. (It's not yet clear to me if the Captain would be the son of Lt. William HAM.)



I will always be wondering when the confusion about this line will end. Nevertheless, an interesting line to follow. Thanks Geneva, I can't wait to see the Y-DNA for this line.




Further reading:


Biography - Captain James Barron
Inventory of the James Barron Papers 1776-1899
Daughters of the American Revolution
Virginia Daughters of the American Revolution
A Short History of the HAM Surname in Virginia & NC
The Library of Virginia for a digital image of William HAM's 1783 record as a seaman
Elizabeth City Parish Vestry Book, at the Library of Virginia
Elizabeth City County Wills, 1733-1799 by Joan Charles, Heritage Books, 1995.

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Indentured Servants: Early Immigrants

Indentured Servants: Early Immigrants

Jan 14, 2010

ISOGG (International Society of Genetic Genealogists) recently had quite a discussion going on about the subject of indentured servants.


It would seem that the idea of indentured servants is not very well understood. At least one individual thought indentured servants were criminals. Another thought there was that indentured servants would never own their own land upon gaining their freedom.


Carol McGinnis writes in "Viginia Genealogy Sources & Resources" that the first African colonists from the West Indies are sold into indentured service in 1619.

Does that mean an indentured servant was a slave? Was an indentured servant a criminal? Would an indentured servant own land when they gained their freedom?

Finally, why should we even care if we know what an indentured servant is?

For me, the answer is simple. The first HAM to arrive on this continent was an indentured servant.

Joseph HAM arrived in 1621 as an indentured servant to Lt. Albiano Lupo. Transported by the ship Warwick. The Warwick probably set sail from Middlesex or London, England. He arrived in Elizabeth City, Virginia (now the city of Hampton, Virginia).

Joseph was 16 years old at the time. Joseph HAM would gain his freedom, live in York County, and marry Mary PEAD, the widow of John PEAD. Mary had two children by John PEAD, John PEAD and Catharine PEAD.

Joseph files his will on March 3, 1638 which is subsequently probated on July 10, 1638. Among his most valuable possessions are 2,000 pounds of tobacco, 20 young goats, what appears to be a maid servant, and a part of a plantation.


Nora Probasco has sent an email to notify folks that an excellent article about indentured servants is now available on line. An article by Nathan W. Murphy “Origins of Colonial Chesapeake Indentured Servants: American And English Sources.” National Genealogical Society Quarterly, 93, no.1 (March, 2005), 5–24 is now on line:

http://pricegen.com/immigrantservants/origins.htm

If you know a little about researching early documents, then it helps to understand exactly what an indentured servant was. Or conversely, if you know how to research an indentured servant, then it could possibly help you to understand more about the times of your immigrant ancestor.

An interesting article. For folks that have not researched early documents, it gives a visual of an old printed document, so you can compare with today's writing to see how the handwriting has changed over time. Also, there is an extensive list of reference sources for help in researching early immigrants.


Further reading about Joseph HAM:

Peter W. Coldham, "The Complete Book of Immigrants 1607-1660"
Carol McGinnis, "Virginia Genealogy Sources & Resources."
P. William Filby, "Passenger and Immigration Lists Index"
John Camden Hotten, "Original Lists of Persons of Quality 1600-1700"
R. F. Walker article entitled "Lists of the Living and the Dead in Virginia Feb 16, 1623" from the "Colonial Records of Virginia," Richmond, 1874
Library of Virginia, York County microfilm "Deeds, Orders, Wills, etc.," page 11, Richmond, VA
"A Short History of the HAM Surname in Virginia & NC"

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UK Family Name Origins Project Launched

Largest Ever UK Family Name Origins Project Launched

December 18, 2009

The University of the West of England is preparing to launch the largest ever study of family surname origins from the British Isles. Funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council, headed up by Linguistics Professor Richard Coates, with lead researcher Dr. Patrick Hanks (lexicographer).
The goal of the project is to gather reliable information on up to 150,000 UK surnames, and enter them into a database available on a public website. They hope to use published and unpublished resources dating back to the 11th century. The goal is to obtain more reliable information than found in current epytomological dictionaries on the subject.

For the purpose of comparison, I am obligated to say that the "Origins" volume of "A Short History of the HAM Surname in Virginia & NC" dates the use of the word "Ham" back to the third century in Europe, and the HAM DNA Project is helping to pinpoint the exact location of origin of the HAM Surname in England. Those of you that follow this blog probably already know that the "Ham" is a place name meaning a homestead, or a variation thereof.




For example, in the "Origins" volume, you will find the use of the HAM surname dating from the 11th century in about two dozen towns in County Somerset alone. And aside from County Somerset, the book also mentions more than a dozen other Counties in England. (Information regarding the names of the Lords of Ham in France dates from about the 9th century.)

Additionally, the HAM DNA Project has helped to pinpoint the most likely areas of origin in England. The DNA Project has provided Y-Search studies on the origins of four HAM family DNA groups and actually have a DNA match for HAM(M/E) families who would otherwise not have information about locating surname origins. So, I suspect that the study will be missing both the information from our book, but also missing information gathered from the HAM DNA Project.


However, it is reassuring to know that somebody has launched a project to gather more widespread information on the origins of UK family names. Those of you who do not have out book should have access to this database by about 2014. The project appears to be lead by experts in their field, and the meaning and location of origins of a name is a subject of intense interest to genealogists, both amateur and professional.


For more information on the project, see:

Article in the UK Independent by Sarah Cassidy:

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/this-britain/so-where-does-your-name-come-from-1843088.html
Press release from the University of West England:
http://info.uwe.ac.uk/news/UWENews/article.asp?item=1651
Formal description of the project from the Arts & Humanities Research Council:
http://www.ahrc.ac.uk/FundedResearch/Pages/ResearchDetail.aspx?id=147098
For more information specific to the HAM surname, see also: Article on surname origins at HAM Country:
http://home.earthlink.net/~odoniv/HamCountry/HAM_DNA_Project/HAM_DNA_Origins.html

Videos on HAM surname origins:

HAM Surname Counties of Origins

For DNA evidence about HAM surname origins:

http://home.earthlink.net/~odoniv/HamCountry/HAM_DNA_Project/HAM_DNA_Project.html

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Free W W II Records from Footnote

Free Access to WWII records from Footnote

In honor of Pearl Harbor Day, Footnote is offering free access to World War II records during the month of December.


The site offers basic service record information, plus images and military studies.



For example, a number of my uncles enlisted for WWII, so I did a search on my uncles Wiley and Marvin. I was able to find their service record by a mouse click on their name. Typical example gives enlistment information, such as year of birth, branch of service, date of enlistment and location. What I liked most was the serial number and source information (microfilm reel number and box number of the Army Enlistment records).


However, having spent some time on genealogy, I already had most of that information for my uncles, if not more. Footnote does have an option to enable you to add notes and images to their records. Using this feature, I was able to add some notes on Wiley's death in 1944.


What I was really interested in was tracking his Company information. I know that in August, 1941, Wiley was stationed in Iceland and part of Company C, 10th Infantry. I thought it might be interesting to try to follow his troop movements during WWII.





So, I started browsing Footnote's "WWII Allied Military Conference" to see if I could get an idea of his whereabouts after D-Day.


I suppose I should mention that the most annoying feature of the site is it's Java interface, which makes browsing very slow going for dial-up users.

Other than that, perhaps it might help you find some WWII information on your ancestors this holiday season.


http://www.footnote.com/

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Journal of Genetic Genealogy - Fall, 2009

The Journal of Genetic Genealogy (JoGG)
Fall Issue, 2009

The Fall issue of the Journal of Genetic Genealogy (JoGG) has just been released. The largest issue in their five year history, packed with a lot of material of interest to Genetic Genealogists. With over 220 pages, you should find about 10 articles and three reports in this issue.


Among the items of interest include an announcement from Whit Athey that he will retire as editor, being replaced by Blaine Bettinger. Many of you should recognize Whit as the creator of the Haplotype Predictor utility. Whit mentions that he has observed genetic genealogists move from dependence upon the scientific community for information, to the use of DNA now being led by "amateurs."


One article is from Roberta Estes, regarding the use of DNA with Native American dispersal and the Lost Colony of Roanoke. "Where Have All the Indians Gone? Native American Eastern Seaboard Dispersal, Genealogy and DNA in Relation to Sir Walter Raleigh's Lost Colony of Roanoke"


Another article is from Chris Pomery, "The Advantages of a Dual DNA/Documentary Approach to Reconstruct the Famiiy Trees of a Surname." Chris outlines a method for combining Y-DNA results with documentary evidence in order to reveal the origins of a surname.



There is also a "Special Section" here, regarding "Cluster Analysis and the TMRCA Problem." This includes about seven articles on:

Introduction by Whit Athey


An overview of the pitfalls and cutting edge views on topics related to calculating Time to Most Recent Common Ancestor (TMRCA). Whit looks at the use of mutation rates, transmissions, over-counting, rho, "genealogical structure factor," an "effective mutation rate" procedure, and more. Nice overview, if you want to take a deep dive into the following articles.


Y-STR Mountains in Haplospace, Part I: Methods by Peter Gwozdz



Y-STR Mountains in Haplospace, Part II: Application to Common Polish Clades by Peter Gwozdz


DNA Genealogy, Mutation Rates, and Some Historical Evidence Written in Y-Chromosome, Part I: Basic Principles and the Method by Anatole A. Klyosov

DNA Genealogy, Mutation Rates, and Some Historical Evidence Written in Y-Chromosome, Part II: Walking the Map

by Anatole A. Klyosov

The Use of Correlation Techniques for the Analysis of Pairs of Y-Chromosome DNA Haplotypes, Part I: Rationale, Methodology and Genealogy Time Scale

by William E. Howard

The Use of Correlation Techniques for the Analysis of Pairs of Y-Chromosome DNA Haplotypes, Part II: Application to Surname and Other Haplotype Clusters

by William E. Howard

You will find the fall isuue of JoGG at:

http://www.jogg.info/

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CNN DNA Genealogy Article

CNN is running an article today about the use of DNA for family research. Written by Steve Mollman, it's a story of how DNA research surprised two genealogists on different continents.


About three months ago, Kevin Shepherdson in Singapore discovered a DNA match to Thomas Kurowski of Rhode Island (Thomas Kurwoski is of Polish descent). The two never knew each other.




Shepherdson is a seasoned genealogist, and has since found that they connect from a pair of English brothers who served as Captains in the British East India Company during the 1700's.

The article also includes a few graphics (such as pictured above) about the fundamentals of DNA testing.


You can read the full article here:


http://edition.cnn.com/2009/TECH/11/09/dna.families/



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Book Price Change History

Used HAM Book Triples in Price

I couldn't help but notice that the ISBN Price History on used copies of "A Short History of the HAM Surname in Virginia & NC" has gone up during the month of August.

ISBN is tracking online vendor prices for our book, and apparently the average price is now $216.31.








Let me see, the copy from Abebooks apparently sold for $134.97, as I could not follow their link to the seller. According to ISBN: 0966547101



There is a used volume #2 (only) available on Amazon from ACCBold (claims to be located in MN) for $95.00 plus $3.99 for shipping.


And finally, a used copy of all three volumes is also available on Amazon from Internationalbooks (claims to ship from Maryland) for $297.65, plus $3.99 shipping (or $12.49 for shipping international). Let me see, that's about $100.00 for each volume.


http://www.amazon.com/gp/offer-listing/0966547101/ref=dp_olp_0?ie=UTF8&condition=all


Of course, you can buy a new copy of volume #2 from us for $36.00. That is, a used copy is selling for nearly three times as much as a new one. I suppose it's nice to know that the book has tripled in value if you own a used copy.


And, of course, a new three volume set is still available from HAM Country for $110.50, compared to the $297.65 price for a used copy from Internationalbooks.


It just gives me a warm and fuzzy feeling to know that the value of a used copy has gone up on the ISBN price survey. After all, I've always thought the set was a good investment.




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Family History Monthly

I must say that the new issue of Family History Monthly magazine (for the UK) caught my eye. Issue 174 of the magazine has two articles on the use of DNA for genealogy:


"Was Crippen Innocent?" by Chris Pomery investigates an old family history crime scene, this time using DNA evidence.

"A Practical Guide to DNA Testing" by Debbie Kennett, which explains how DNA testing is used for genealogy.




In her article, Debbie explains that DNA has been in use for genealogy for nearly 10 years now, with estimates of nearly a million people now using DNA for genealogy. She explains how Y-DNA and mtDNA tests are used for genealogy projects, and goes into some detail about how each works. Debbie includes an evaluation of testing companies available in the UK, providing a guide on available choices.

She includes a table of number of vendors, including features that you should expect to find with each vendor. Included is a section on understanding your results, Geographical Projects, and Deep Ancestry. Also included is an introduction to ISOGG (the International Society of Genetic Genealogy).

A nice touch to the article is a side column featuring Spencer Wells with the National Genographic Project, explaining the the Genographic Project now has 100,000 samples from indigenous people, and nearly 300,000 paid participants from 130 countries.

The Deep Ancestry section includes a section on SNP testing (Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms) and gives an overview of migration patterns from the National Genographic Project.

She includes a summary about further information on DNA testing, testing companies, DNA databases, and books.

You probably won't find the article on newsstands here in the U.S., but you can subscribe or purchase this issue individually from the Family History Monthly web site:

http://www.familyhistorymonthly.com/

A very good article on how DNA testing can contribute to the legacy or knowledge about the origins and evolution of your surname.




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National Genographic News

A lot of activity during the month of August at the National Genographic blog page "Genographica."



Briefly, they are hi-liting three items:


1) The new High Definition version of their Human Family Tree video airs Sunday, Aug 30th at 9 PM. This has been advertised all month on the National Geographic channel, more information is available on their web site.




with the TV schedule here:


http://channel.nationalgeographic.com/


The new HD video is also available for purchase at the National Genographic online store.

Free 1930 Census Images

I have a note from Jeff Weaver of the New River email list that Footnote is granting free access to their 1930 Census images during the month of August:




http://go.footnote.com/1930census/





They appear to be experiencing some performance problems due to the high traffic, tho.




So, if you're looking for something from the 1930 Census, here's the opportunity.





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HAM Country Updates

Links to research in West Virginia have been added to the HAM Country "Links" area. This was suggested by Thomas Hamm of Charlotte, NC.



If you haven't visited the indexes for the HAM Country "Wills & Estates," I have updated the index for England. Additions are from the Gloucestershire Record Office.



For a more complete list of changes see the HAM Country Revisions page.




- Enjoy







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Devon DNA Project

Debbie Kennett is writing an article for the October issue of the Devon Family Historian, which is the journal of the Devon Family History Society. I have requested that the HAM DNA Project be among the Projects that can offer partially funded DNA tests, which I hope to provide through the HAM DNA General Fund.


Debbie is also the Administrator of the Devon DNA Project at family Tree DNA. She has a brief overview of the long history of settlement in Devon, the meaning of the Celtic word "Devon" ("the people of the land"), artifacts, hill forts, and archeology findings from the area. She also has some helpful links at the bottom of the web page:


http://www.familytreedna.com/public/Devon


In our book, "A Short History of the HAM Surname in Virginia & NC," the main records we have are from Collyton Parish, which also mentions the parishes of Ashwater, Cheriton Fitzpyn, Halberton, Halwill, Hartland, Hemyock, Honiton, Luppitt, Milton Abbot, Oakford, St. Andrew's Parish in Plymouth, Shepewash, Shute, Tiverton, Uplowman, Upottery, West Budleigh, and Wilhayes. We also have in volume #1 (Origins) Wills from Prerogative Court of Canterbury (PCC) for HAM residents of Devon.



Collyton Parish is located near Plymouth. And, of course, there is a small town called "Ham" (or Ham Ward) near Plymouth as well. As many of you already know, the surname "HAM" is a place name, and locating the town of origin is a good indication of where the name was adopted after about 1200 AD.


A map of the area shows the area known as Ham, near Plymouth:
http://www.streetmap.co.uk/newmap.srf?x=248899&y=54192&z=5&sv=248899,54192&st=4&ar=Y&mapp=newmap.srf&searchp=newsearch.srf&dn=795&ax=248899&ay=54192








The primary HAM lines that are researching the area of Plymouth are the HAM lines of Maine and New Hampshire. They have an interest there because the first HAM progenitor on this continent was William HAM of Maine, a member of the Trelawney expedition. William HAM of Maine arrived on the Speedwell in 1635 and was originally contracted to fish. Several of the Mayors of Plymouth (England) were named Trelawny:


---------------------------------------------

Plymouth City Council
List of Mayors from 1600 to 1700



http://www.plymouth.gov.uk/homepage/councilanddemocracy/lordmayoralty/mayors/mayors1600-1700.htm


--------------------------------------------


Some descendants of William HAM of Maine were mentioned in the book "The HAM Family Kith and Kin" by Rev. Ervin Charles Tipton (1977). L. Winston Hamm was a contributor to Tipton's book, and had listed his own line back to the William HAM who arrived in Maine in 1635.I have mentioned a short biography of Winston Hamm in the Appendix of our volume #1 (Origins).


The exciting thing about Debbie Kennett's October article for the Devon Family Historian and the Devon DNA Project is that I am hoping to see DNA participants from Devon. If they are native to Devon, we should expect haplotype "R1b." If their is a Norman influence to the HAM lines in Devon, then of course they should be haplotype "I." The problem is that we have no DNA participants here in the U.S. for the Maine HAM lines.


So, I am pushing for participants from Britain, and am hoping for some DNA participants from the Maine and New Hampshire HAM lines as well.








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Facebook Albums on line

For those who are interested in the HAM surname, I have uploaded a few small albums to Facebook. I have a few picture handy, so I put them on Facebook.


David Hamm, a descendant of the Wayne County, NC HAM lines prodded me to join Facebook so that he could browse the web with his iPhone. I don't have one of those new fangled gadgets, so I just use my web browser.


Some of these pictures appeared in the "HAM Book Trailer" video, and some are from my video on "The Descendants of Eli HAM."


The public links to the albums are:


Some of my pictures from Ashe County, NC:


http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=9549&id=1603220466&l=640a274549


A few pictures from Grayson County, VA:


http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=8642&id=1603220466&l=253c393bcc


Some pictures from my research trips for the book "A Short History of the HAM Surname in Virginia & NC":


http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=7770&id=1603220466&l=45c45dfc82


My main Facebook page is at:


http://www.facebook.com/HAMCountry


but the main page is only open to Facebook "Friends" (folks registered at Facebook who claim to be my "friend"). The main page simply has my "Wall" of general comments.


I intentionally kept the images small so that they will load quickly via dial-up or iPhone.









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HAM Origins in Grayson County, Virginia

HAM Origins in Grayson County, Virginia

Originally piublished June 14, 2009

Updated: Sep 20, 2020

Updated: Feb 10, 2022 to correct that Drury was listed as an Orator, not a son

I have seen more speculation than I care to review about HAM origins in the Ashe County, North Carolina and origins in Grayson County, Virginia. However, I cannot address all of the various forms of speculation in one short article. Most speculation that I have seen can be cleared up by careful study of our book, “A Short History of the HAM Surname in Virginia & NC.” It is my hope that this article will help clear up where we are with the current research of the Grayson County HAM lines.

Migration to Ashe County

Geneva located the following Grayson County record from 1826, which I think is key to showing the relationship of the Ashe County and Grayson County HAM lines. That's because the 1826 land grants in Ashe County don't tell where Thomas and William are from. However, this 1826 Grayson County deed does.

It states that in Oct 1826, William HAM, Jr. "of Ashe County NC" sells 100 acres on Brushy Creek, Grayson County VA to Joseph LYNCH. That is, the Grayson County deed shows that the Ashe County HAM lines and the Grayson County HAM lines are the same line. There is an abstract of the record in the Virginia volume of our book (volume #2, page 212).

The year 1826 marks the migration of Thomas and William HAM, Jr. to Ashe County, NC from Grayson County, VA.

The time period prior to 1783 has been the subject of much speculation. In 1782, there is a William HAM who is taxed on 200 acres in Botetourt County, VA. After 1790, this land becomes Montgomery County. The problem is that there are several William HAM's in the area at the time. The Revolutionary War was on until 1783, and many of the records of the period reflect troop movements. From 1782 to 1787, 60 % of the people in Montgomery County had been living in Montgomery County for less than 5 years.

Prior to 1794, it is difficult to determine the differences between the William HAM of Grayson County, the William HAM of Wythe County, and the William HAM of Montgomery County. And, it is not clear that the William HAM in these three Counties would be the same man.

Drury HAM - The Journey Home:

Drury HAM is the only HAM to be listed on the 1787 Tax Lists for Montgomery County. There is a William HAM who enters 100 acres on Little Brush Creek in 1794, but does not appear on the Tax Lists for Montgomery County until 1788, 1789, and 1790. In 1787 and 1788, Drury is also found in Greenbrier County along with a Samuel HAM and a Joseph HAM. Drury HAM is no longer found on the Montgomery County Tax lists after 1788. By 1789, Drury HAM is found in Greenbrier County, in what is now West Virginia. By 1791, he migrates to Madison County, Kentucky.

The curious part of the Montgomery County records during the 1780's is that both Drury HAM and William HAM eventually end up in Madison County, Kentucky. Yet, this 1783 Treasury Warrant for 2000 acres in Montgomery County is eventually found in the Grayson County Plat Book A, pg 58 (original pg 282), surveyed in 1794 in Grayson County, Virginia. Therefore it becomes important for Grayson County descendants to understand the difference between the William HAM of Madison County and the William HAM of Grayson County.

How were they different? Were they related?

We know from the Revolutionary Pension files that Drury was born in Orange County, Virginia. Later, Drury and two of the William HAM's migrated to Madison County, Kentucky (William arrived in Madison County circa 1787 and Drury circa 1791). and Drury eventually settles in Lincoln County, Kentucky. The Madison County William HAM is found in Madison County in 1787, 1788, 1789, 1790, and 1792. This elder William HAM dies in Madison County, KY in February, 1799. Bobby Wadsworth (a descendant) sent a copy of Madison County, KY Circuit Court document of Feb 1, 1812 thru Sep 18, 1812 and June 1814 case files, #6380-6585 ca. 1790-1865. Case File No. 6459 image 1095 of 2824 (from the FamilySearch.og image collection). The 1799 death of the William HAM, the elder of Madison County and mention of Drury HAM as Orator, or Representative of the family in the "ANSWER" document below.

The Court records of the estate of William Ham on Oct 8, 1814 (Madison County Will Book B, pg 253) lists the 10 "legalees" of William Ham, and Drury is not among them.

The significance of Drury being a different relation than a son is that it places Drury as a possible brother of the senior William Ham. The will book entry of William Ham, Sr. in 1814 does not list Drury as a son. Which is problematic to those who think this Madison County, KY Drury Ham, was a son of a Samuel Ham of Orange County, Virginia.

Descendants of Edward Ham, believed to be the son of the Samuel Ham of Spottsylvania County, VA have tested DNA withg the haplotype group "I2," and are in Group #7 of the HAM DNA Project. We also have an E-M35 that claims descent from this Samuel Ham of Spottsylvania County, VA who descends out of Wayne County, NC. Obviously, The Wayne County, NC HAM line is testing out as I-M170 in Group #4, and not testing as E-M35, so something is wrong with the lineage there.

Descendants of Samuel Harrison Ham (ABT 1770 - 1841) of Fleming County, KY is testing out as R1b (or R-M269) in HAM DNA Group #2.

That leaves us with the possibility of two Samuel Ham's in Orange County, VA.

More DNA testing of the Spottsylvania County Ham line should resolve the issue here. At the moment, the Madison County, KY line is looking to be I2 (because it has the proper documentation), but we need more Y-DNA testing of that line in order to verify the haplogroup type.

The younger William HAM dies in Madison County, KY in 1812, with his estate settled in 1814 and leaving a widow named Elizabeth. By an intriguing coincidence, this William HAM also has three sons also named John, William Jr. and Thomas, but this Madison County family remained in Kentucky. It was a completely different family from the family of Grayson County, Virginia.

I have not included here the estate accounts of the Grayson County, Virginia HAM line, which includes the Ashe County, North Carolina HAM line. The focus of this article is the migration period through Montgomery County, Virginia.

By following Drury HAM from Botetourt County to Montgomery County, we can obtain some clues about which William is the Grayson County William HAM, and which is the Madison County William HAM:

Drury HAM:

- in Botetourt County 1780, 1783 (Capt. John Gallaway’s Company)

- in Greenbrier County 1785, 1787, 1788, 1789, 1791

- in Montgomery County 1787, 1788

- in Madison County, KY 1791, etc.

Botetourt County William HAM:

- in Botetourt County 1774, 1782 (this land becomes Montgomery Co. in 1790), 1783 (Capt. John Gallaway’s Company)

Greenbrier County William HAM:

- in Greenbrier County 1778, 1780, 1782, 1783, 1786, 1787?, 1798

Madison County William HAM:

- in Madison County in 1787, 1788, 1789, 1790, and 1792, etc.

Montgomery County William HAM:

- in Montgomery County 1783 (this land becomes Grayson County in 1793), 1788, 1789, 1790

- in Wythe County 1793

- in Grayson County, VA 1794, 1798, 1800

The pairing of Drury HAM and the William HAM of Madison County, KY makes sense for several reasons.

A) “Drury” is a fairly unique name. There was only one Drury HAM for the time period.

B) Drury and William share the last name “HAM”

C) Drury and William are both in Capt. John Gallaway’s Company in Botetourt County in 1783

D) Drury and William both appear in Greenbrier County and end up in Madison County, KY

E) There is some record of Drury’s migration from the Revolutionary War Pension papers.

F) In 1787 to 1788, the Greenbrier County William HAM migrates to Madison County, KY.

Which means that by 1788, we have a different William HAM in Montgomery County, VA.

The timeline should illustrate that we have two or three William HAM’s.

In 1783, we have William HAM in Botetourt County, in Greenbrier County, and in Montgomery County. That is, the Botetourt County William and the Greenbrier County William appear to be different men. Except that the Revolutionary War had just ended and Drury and William could be returning home in that year.

In about 1787 it appears that the Greenbrier County William HAM migrates to Madison County, KY and is followed in 1791 by Drury HAM (from Greenbrier County to Madison County). It would appear the the Greenbrier County / Madison County William HAM could be related to Drury HAM.

In 1788, we have a William HAM in Madison County, KY and a William HAM in Montgomery County, VA.

If I could summarize what we can say about the origins of the William HAM of Grayson County, it would appear that he is first in Montgomery County in 1783, in an area that would later become Grayson County. However, we cannot confirm his presence in Grayson County again until 1794 when he enters a survey for the land in the Grayson County Plat book. He has not been found on Grayson County Tax Lists until 1800. From examination of the records for Drury and the William HAM of Madison County, Kentucky, we can see that we have a separate William HAM in Montgomery County by1788.

For full source citations and more, see “A Short History of the HAM Surname in Virginia & NC.”

Reference William HAM, the elder (died 1799), father of Drury HAM and William HAM, the younger (died 1812):
Madison County, Kentucky Circuit Court case files, ca. 1790-1866 ; indexes 1790-1865 - case files, #6380-6585 --- ca. 1790-1865. Case File No. 6459 image 1095 of 2824. Feb 1, 1812 thru Sep 18, 1812 and June 1814

FamilySearch.org image file link as of Sep 2020, per Bobby Wadsworth: https://www.familysearch.org/records/images/image-details?page=2&place=394369&rmsId=TH-7755-90793-20641-62&imageIndex=1094&singleView=true

Date Available June 12, 2019

Film: 2241465 DGS 8686451

PRD-410 4-83

LAWSUIT

Transcript Madison County Circuit Court regarding William HAM:

-------------------

LAWSUIT

Ham heirs vs Ham heirs } bill ch’y [chancery]

Filed 3rd June 1812

[Image 1106 of 2824] To the honorable the Judges of the Madison circuit court in ch’y sitting / humbly complaining sheweth unto your honor your orator & oratrixs Drury Ham / Thomas Gully and Elizabeth his wife late Elizabeth Ham / Jacob Wearing and Dicy [“late Dic” crossed out] his wife late Dicy Ham / William West and Zerina his wife late Zerina Ham heirs and representatives [of] William Ham dec’d / that the said Wm Ham departed this life on or about the [blank] day of [blank] / that at the time of his decease he was possessed of the following negro slaves towit Mecia / Charles / Sam / Cole / Orange and one other young negro by the name of [blank] / that the said Wm Ham to the knowledge of your orators left no will nor did he make any disposition of said negroes or estate (?) / that your orators and oratrixs are his legal representatives and heirs / they further represent that there was no administration [“of” crossed out] on the estate of sd decedent & from time of sd William [Ham’s] death up to the present period your orators & oratrixs have never heard of any demand or other title set up to said negroes other than as the property of the sd dec’d / that the negroes and other estate of the decedent has remained undivided [“and” crossed out] / that the said Wm Ham lived with a son of his a certain Wm Ham where the sd William the elder died / that the said Wm Ham Jnr. on or about the [blank] day of [blank] departed this life leaving [“nine” crossed out] ten children towit [“M” crossed out] Polly who intermarried [with] James Stapp / Nelly who intermarried with Edward Willis / John Ham / Zenia who intermarried with Wm Alverson / Nancy who intermarried with ...

-------------------

[Image 1108 of 2824] George Ham, Wm. Ham, Shelton (Ham), Henry Ham

Thomas Ham & Morning Ham the four last

of whom are infants under the age of

21 years, that the said children heirs &

Representatives of Wm Ham Jnr. are also

intitled to a portion of the estate of said

Wm Ham Senr. deceased. Your Oreators further

represent that since the death of Ham

Senr. the negroes have increased ___ [ in crossed out]

_____ [number crossed out] and there is now [ blank ]

your Orators and oratrixes pray that the sd.

heirs & Representatives of Wm. Ham Senr.

together with his wife Elizabeth may be

made defts [ defendants? ] here to, that a special gua-

rdian may be appointed to the four

children under the age of 21 [ page torn ] that a [illegible] may

be made between the heirs(?) of Wm.

Ham Jnr. his widow & ____ [ the heirs crossed out?] your

Orators& oratrixes of the negroes belong[ing] to the

estate of sd Wm Ham Senr, that by the

Strict rules of the common law your

Orators & Oratrixes are without relief

that division of estates between claimant

of property Situated as the estate of sd.

Wm Ham decd. are proper subjects of

a Court of equity, and for remedy [ "of" crossed out ]

hereof and to obtain a division of said

estate, your Orators & Oratrixes pray that

the deft [ defendants ] may on their corporal oath

true and perfect(?) answer to make to

all and Singular the matters herein

that they may say what number of

negroes there are belonging to the sd.

Wm Ham the elder estate that they may be

-------------------

[Image 1109 of 2824] compelled to come to a division of said

estate & the Several proportions Set apart

to the legalees of sd. Wm. Ham Senr. that

your honour would grant the common

wealths writ of Subpeonea & Such oth

- er and further relief as to equity &c

belong which &c &c

-------------------

ANSWER

[Image 1104 of 2824] The Answer of John Ham, Elizabeth Ham, [“Dicy” crossed out] Edward

Willis and Elender his wife, William Alverson

and Rezina his wife, and William Ham to a bill

in chancery exhibited against them and others

in the Maddison Circuit Court, by Drury Ham,

Thomas Gully, [ "and" crossed out ] and Elizabeth his wife, Jacob

Wearing and [ "his" crossed out ] Dicy his wife, & William West

and Rezina his wife. For answer thereto or

so much thereof unto as they are advised are material

for them to answer unto for Answering saith that

that true it is that William Ham the elder

disd at the house of William Ham [Junior crossed out] the younger

["B" crossed out] on or about the day of February, 1799

But they state that He was(?) Possessed(?) of no(?)[ illegible, page torn ]

negroes or Other(?) proof[? - Bobby Wadsworth has "property"] that(?) they(?) know of and

they state that William the younger Died

on or about the [1st? blotted out] Day of 24th December last [that is, year 1811]

They further say that there never was any admi-

nestration taken on the estate of William Ham

the [ "younger" crossed through] Elder that they know of __ They

further state that they have not possession any

Such negroes as the Complainants speak of

in their bill. They further state that the estate

of William Ham the younger is in the possession

of his administrators David Bruton, they further state that they

do not believe that William Ham the elder had

one single negroe at the time of his decease.

Journal of Genetic Genealogy - Spring, 2009

Journal Of Genetic Genealogy (JOGG)
Spring Issue now available

The spring issue of the Journal of Genetic Genealogy is now available. There may be a few items of interest to those who are keeping track of the DNA Project:




1) A commentary about the DAR vs. the use of DNA by Whit Athey.
The DAR is avoiding the use of DNA as evidence of descent from a Revolutionary War Veteran.


2) An article regarding Y-DNA traits of lines originating in Ireland.
Pointing to R1b types, there are certain DYS values that help determine Irish Origins.
Here, Dennis Wright expands on some work originally discovered by Ken Nordtvedt.


3) There are also three mtDNA articles.


You should find the Journal of Genetic Genealogy at:


http://www.jogg.info/





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Facebook Research Trip Photo Album

I've started a Facebook Photo Album of pictures from my research trips for our book "A Short History of the HAM Surname in Virginia & NC." Some of these you may have seen in the book, but I will probably upload a number of them that did not get into the book.



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http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=7770&id=1603220466&l=45c45dfc82







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