A while back I posted about the later Skinners ("The Carpenters") and how their talent at building seemed to have been passed on through a couple of generations even to my grandmother, Maggie Evalina Skinner Alawine. If you remember, I posted that there's a family story--never confirmed--that says Bill helped build the original First Baptist Church in Meridian, MS, after the Civil War. Bill and his family WERE living in Lauderdale County around that time, so it's possible. I only wish I could find some proof to verify the story.
Still, as I mentioned, he was listed in the 1870 census for the county as a "House Carpenter."
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| 1870 Lauderdale County MS |
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| 1880 Kemper County MS |
But going back further, nobody knows whether his father Howard (his name was probably William Howard Skinner) had carpentry skills or not.
In this blog I've tried to fill in the major lines of the Alawine family--that is, the ancestors of Samuel Thomas Alawine (and, briefly, his siblings as well) and Maggie Evalina Skinner, his wife. This has taken us down several trails: the Richardses, Wellses, Mercers, Alewines (of course), and Skinners. I realize that some of the documents are hard to see--even with a magnifying glass on the original, they're nearly indecipherable! So here's a chart I drew that may make it easier for you to trace out the lines of people I've been talking about:
There are other, somewhat more "iffy" lines I could add, but when I don't have documents to back up guesses, I tend to keep the guesses to myself.
But back to the question of Howard Skinner: In 1850 he was living in Clarke County, MS. He was listed as a farmer.
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| 1850 Clarke County MS |
Same thing in 1860:
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| 1860 Clarke County MS |
(Notice how his given age doesn't add up. Typical of census records. Either the person didn't know anymore, or the census-taker just estimated.)
That he was listed as a farmer isn't to say it was all he did. Remember that his grandson Roland "Roe" Skinner built several things in the Rio community, and possibly more in other places. I'd love to hear from somebody near Rio today who could recall hearing about other houses in that general area.
But in 1900 Roe was also listed only as a farmer in Kemper County...same for 1910 and 1920.
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| 1900 Kemper County MS |
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| 1910 Kemper County MS |
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| Zion Baptist Church, built by Roland Skinner 1910-11 |
At any rate, Howard Skinner was in "Miscellaneous Township, Lawrence County" in 1820. Looking at a map of Mississippi, you see that the Pearl River more or less bisects Lawrence County. WARNING: I am a map geek and love to see where things happened.
(Both these maps are from Wikipedia, by the way.) If you go further south, you'll find the geological site called Red Bluff, where nature is doing its best to destroy a local road and, in the process, has created what people refer to as Mississippi's Grand Canyon. This isn't a travelogue post, but click on this link to see a video of this remarkable place. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kDJFTtDVm6M The process by which the gulch is continuing to develop is natural--no man-made erosion is responsible.
So this is where Howard landed when he left Georgia. He had served in the War of 1812, according to a "stub" record I have.
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| War of 1812, Howard Skinner |
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| 1820 Lawrence, "Miscellaneous Townships" |
Howard's father (look at my chart) was Isaac Adderton Skinner. I'm quoting Carol Alawine Sessums here:
"Isaac Adderton Skinner served in the Georgia Militia in the Revolutionary War...eventually attaining the rank of Captain. His military service took him to be involved in battles in various places including Blackstock Mill, Ramsour Mill, Long Cove, King Mountain, Anson Old Court House on the Pee Dee, Guilford Court House, and Taylor Ferry on the Roanoke River in Virginia, before heading back to Mecklinburg and then home. He served for about 3 years total up through early 1781. For his service to this young country, he was awarded a land grant amounting to more than 1100 acres , mostly in Richmond County, Georgia. He married Jane Catherine Crittendon (born in 1760) and settled down to raise a family."
Again, if you consult the family chart above, you'll see HIS father and mother, his grandparents and even great-grandparents. I am told this lineage was traced because of his Revolutionary War service and is probably on file with the DAR.
Another fun thing to know about the Skinners is that there appears to be a documented line of twins (usually fraternal) going back into the 1700's.
Well! That's about as much as I can dig up right now concerning our Skinner lineage. And there aren't any photos older than the ones I've already posted of Bill and Maggie Skinner.
A general head's-up: I'm also going to tackle my mother's side of the family in a bit. These people include the Tolberts, Culbertsons, Lukes, and Claughtons, plus the "off " branches from them. Stick around; you may find some things that apply to you in those names as well!
To start:
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| Lillian Luke Tolbert |
She died in 1918 when Mother was just 2 years old.
Ælfwine
Very interesting, thanks for sharing.
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ReplyDeleteName: John George Alewine 1
Sex: M
Name: John George Generoeye
Name: John George Genesayer
Name: John George Genevesser
Name: John George Genewyn
Birth: 1710 in Alsace
Death: 1768 in SC
Occupation: BEF 1752 Professor at the University of Heidelburg in Germany
Immigration: 2 OCT 1752 The Roland, Captain Arthur Fran
Note:
Some Notes collected by Vicki Huerta
Born about 1710, probably in Alsace, a region in North East France between the Vorges Mountian and the Rhine. He came to a colony in Lexington, South Carolina on a ship named "Caldonia". He had with him his son Michael who was around 14 years of age. They arrived in the fall of 1752, landing at the Charleston SC port. John George was a Professor at the University of Heidelburg in Germany under the name of "John George Genevesser". He changed his name to Alewine when he came to America. (Reference "The Pirkle's and their Descendants in USA" by John A. Cagle of Greenville, TX 1933)
- Anita Stephens (nitabug57@aol.com)
Minutes of the South Carolina Council show that John George Genesayer applied for a grant of 250 acres of land Dec 1, 1752, stating that he had arrived on a ship from Rotterdam with his wife and 3 minor children - Cathrine 18, Michael 14, and Mary 9. Under the law at that time an adult male was entitled to 100 acres, but if he had minor children he could obtain an additional 50 acres for each minor child. John George received the land grant June 20, 1754. Deeds conveying parts of this land during the 1790's and early 1800's stated that John George Genesayer ( or Generoeyer ) was the same as John George Alewine.
The spelling of the name(s) is generally consistent. Family "legend" also confirms the name change from Genesayer(?) to Alewine.
Record searchs of Newberry County SC records support the above.
- Mike Alewine (malewine@pclink.com)
It seems he was traveling with the John George Risinger family. According to the information we found (Steve Etheridge, an Alewine descendant was my source) they came to America abroad the ship Roland from Rotterdam arriving in Charles Town, SC on 2 Oct 1752.
- Bobby & Ruth Page
John George died about 1770. He did not leave a will and, in accordance with the laws of inheritance then in effect, the land went to his oldest son Michael. (This information came from a wonderful gentleman who was somehow related to me through the Alewine family. I talked on the phone with him several times before his death. My deepest thanks to Alton Alewine of Mississippi.)
Sand, I am afraid this is a reference to the thing I pointed out on my 2nd post... I think the "wonderful gentleman who was related to me" was probably Alton. I think this all goes back to the theory he had about John Alewine having been "Generoeyer" or "Genewyn." If so, it's gone out everywhere as fact. I'm going to do a little research and email these people above and see if that's where the info came from. :o(
ReplyDeleteHello, I have been working the Skinner Family for over 20 years and have a lot of documentation all way to Capt. Isaac Skinner. I was wondering if you could help me. I have never found any documents of Capt. Isaacs parents. I have never found any documents stating Isaacs middle name as Adderton. I have never found any documents of Janes middle name as being Catherine. Can you please help me as to where you found these? Any help would be greatly appreciated. My husband is a descendant of Isaacs son Henry. I do have a copy of the original deed of William Crittenden that lists Isaac Skinner and his wife Jane and would gladly share. Thank you for any help, Vicki
ReplyDeleteVicki, Ii am a direct descendant of Isaac through Henry. I have, among other documents, a document of several pages, handwritten, and signed by Henry with a simple limerick regarding his handwriting (which is beautiful, by the way). It is very faint and needs to be conserved by a professional. It appears to be some sort of survey, or geometry lesson. I also have the date of Jane Skinner's death and site of burial, documented by church records where she was a charter member. I would be interested in sharing information and/or documentation.
DeleteAll this rekindled interest has intrigued me! Last person above: if you are the same person who emailed me earlier today, perhaps this answer (right above yours) may be a good place to start? I have only the bare-bones outline of the Skinner ancestry, and very little proof...which I always feel I need! So please post the sources so we can all benefit from your hard work. And thank you!
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