William Austin 1699-1770

6th Great Grandfather - Paternal Side

I chose William since I just returned from Ireland and visiting the area where he was born. I should have researched it more before heading over but I was sure that I would be researching my Patrick line. As it turns out the Patricks were most likely from France. Okay, I knew the Irish genealogy came from my father's side (red hair and all) so it had to be someone that I had in my tree so I started Goggling name origins. This turned up the Austins (not the original spelling) but gave me a hint in the right direction. I did see a truck with "Austin Plumbing" on the side so apparently the spelling was translated from Gaelic even there.

The family was from the County Cork area and of course this was not one of our stopping points.

William Austin was born circa 1699 in Ireland to possibly Robert and Susannah Parham Austin (I have not verified the parents yet). Around 1724 he married Ruth Bryant and they had the following children:

1. Charles Austin (1726 - 1771); married Mary Elizabeth McBee
2. John Austin (1727 - after 1778); married Ellen Green
3. Richard Austin (1728 - after 1778); married Rebecca Austin Gurley
4. Sarah Austin (1729 - after 1778); married Mr. Jackson
5. Molly Austin (1730 - after 1778)

The boys were supposedly born in Ireland. The family immigrated to the American Colonies between 1728 and 1729 settling in Virginia. They were farmers as were most of the immigrants. At this point in time, I can only say that they lived in Southampton, Virginia as this is where William's will is filed in 1770. He left his land and goods to his wife, Ruth and five shillings a piece to each of his children. He granted Molly his estate after the death of his wife.

Sources:

1. Ancestry.com
2. Austin Family Association of America - www.afaoa.org
3. "Virginia Wills and Administrations, 1632-1800"; Compiled by Clayton Torrence; Genealogy Publishing Company, 2008
4. VA, Southampton County Will Book 3, p 206. Will of William Austin, written Sep 2, 1770 and probated 12 March 1778. 

Francis A. Austin 1828-1904

2nd Great Grandmother - Paternal Side

I share DNA with all of the eight members in the Ancestry DNA Circle of Francis Austin to varying degrees. It's pretty clear that she was my 2nd great grandmother! I have a hard time obtaining facts about grandmothers so these blog posts are lean.

Francis A. "Fannie" Austin was born on October 11, 1828 to William and Nancy Brannon Austin in Walton County, Georgia. On December 7, 1851 she married Frederick Patrick in the same county. Together they had the following children:

1. Albert Webster Patrick (1852-1928); married Martha Elizabeth Ketchum
2. William Taylor Patrick (1854-1930); married Ella Lee Brown
3. Mary Elizabeth Patrick (1855-1918); married William Cargil Cornelius
4. Martha Francone Patrick (1857-1930); married Forrest Lee Culbreath
5. Lucy Nancy Patrick (1859-1945); married Thomas Jeff Van Horn
6. John Frederick Patrick (1862-1901); married Lydia McAbee
7. Sarah Alice Patrick (1866-1937); married Christopher Columbus Ketchen
8. James Lee Patrick (1868-1946); married Magnolia Manley
9. Jane Patrick (1870-1880); never married
10. Susan Mildred Patrick (1873-1972); married Joe Will Smith

The family moved from Walton County, Georgia to Blount County, Alabama after the 1800 U.S. Census. Between 1885 & 1886 the family moved to Texas. During the 1900 U.S. Census Francis lived with her son William Taylor Patrick and did not live with her husband. She died on December 14, 1904 in Roxton, Lamar County, Texas according to family trees. I do not know if this is her true death date or her burial location. Only time and new records will tell.

Nancy Blackwood 1829-1895

2nd Great Grandmother - Paternal Side

This post may seem light on facts, but the women aren't exactly easy to find. Most of what I know about this family was stated in a previous post about her husband. Note: My DNA shows that I match the other 8 members of her DNA Circle on Ancestry. Pretty impressive but then I should match them. Wish the others were so easy.


Nancy Blackwood was born April 27, 1829 in Blount County, Alabama to Isaac and Mary Jones Blackwood on their farm. She grew up next door to the Cornelius Clan and on June 4, 1845 she married Cargil Cornelius (See earlier blog post). Together they had the following children:

1. "Zion" B. Cornelius (1845 -1916); married Lucinda J. Keen
2. "Isaac" R. Cornelius (1848-1886); married Margrett Barbara Speegle
3. Ellender "Ellen" Cornelius (1851-1900); married Eldridge Berry
4. "William" Cargill Cornelius (1852-1908); married Mary Elizabeth Patrick
5. Seaborn Cornelius (1855-1915); married Rebecca Adeline McGuire
6. Rufus J. Cornelius "R.J." (1857-1926); married Nancy Melcina McGuire
7. Mary Malinda "Lyddia" Cornelius (1860-1928); married George "Washington" Brown
8. Manerva "Nerva"Eliza Cornelius (1862-1939); married George "Corup" Dailey
9. James "Elbert" Cornelius (1863-1920); married Nancy R. Latta
10. "John" Sherman Cornelius (1864-1928); married Susan Virginia "Jennie" Copeland
11. "Emily" Caroline Cornelius (1867-1948); married David "Lee" Brown
12. Margett "Louiza" Cornelius (1869-1961); married Joseph C. Bentley

On March 14, 1887 Nancy began collecting a Widow's Pension for her husband's service.

Her Death Notice appears on Thursday, July 11, 1895 in the "Blount County News and Dispatch" and states as follows:
"Near Cleveland, Ala., July 4th, 1895, suddenly, of heart disease, Mrs. Nancy Cornelius, aged about 70 years. For the past 25 years she had been a consistent member of the Primitive Baptist church."

She was buried alongside her husband in Daily's Chapel Cemetery in Rosa, Blount County, Alabama.