Over the Hills and Through the Woods…

Another way Joshua could have taken his family from North Carolina is over land.  However, this was not as simple as loading up the family wagon and taking off to Mississippi. Even when we visit Wilderness Areas in America today, if we should happen to take off through the woods we do not experience the […]

But Dad, How Will We Get There?

There were three options for traveling across North America in the early 1800s.  You could go by sea, in a ship around the continent to your destination.  A traveler could go through the woods, taking the most direct path, but having to deal with natural barriers and other obstacles.  A person could also travel by

Heading South

While Joshua and Ellender were busy raising a family, Joshua was also busy farming.  In 1810 he got the desire to move.  He sold his property in North Carolina and decided to move South, to Mississippi.[1. A.B. Pruit, Abstracts of Deeds of Anson County, North Carolina: Books F, G, H2, L, &M (North Carolina:2002), 123.]

What became of Alexander Seale

What became of Alexander?  Did he exist or didn’t he?  Let’s take a look. If you have looked at the US Census before 1850, you might have thought that it did not tell you much.  Many of us rush over those early census documents, just using them to establish if our male ancestor lived in

Settling down—and having babies!

By 1800 there is no more evidence of Joshua doing business in Fairfield County, SC.  His activities seemed to be limited to Anson County, NC and to raising a family (which is a full time job!). You’ll remember they already have a young son, Lewis, who was born in 1798.  In 1800 they added a

A Brief Pause…for an Important Message

My wife lost her brother this week. As the death of a loved one often does, his passing caused me to reflect–about family history, my contribution to friends and family, and what really matters.  Her brother was the kind of person this company is named after, an everyday hero.  He was not famous, well known,

North Carolina Beginnings

Joshua married Ellender Hasseltine in 1797.[1.”Family Data Collection-Marriages”, database, Ancestry.com (www.ancestry.com, path=search>card catalogue>Family Data Collection-Marriages>search for Joshua Seale/Ellender Hasseltine.] As happens to most of us, life gets busy when we merge our lives with the ones we love.  Joshua’s and Ellender’s lives were no exception. Over the next several years, we can find Joshua in

The Birth of a Boy, The Birth of a Nation

Joshua Seale was born March 26th, 1775 in Mecklenburg, North Carolina.[1. “Family Data Collection-Births,”database, FamilySearch (www.ancestry.com : accessed February 26, 2017), entry for Joshua Seale, citing March 26, 1775 birth, Mecklenberg, North Carolina.] In the period leading up to the pronouncement of the Declaration of Independence, North Carolina was a hot bed of political activity. 

Quick! Put Out That Fire!

Ellender Haseltine was a young lady who lived in Anson County, North Carolina.  Born in 1781, it is unclear whether Ellender was born in Germany shortly before her family left, or in North Carolina shortly after they arrived.  In either case, she and Joshua met, fell in love, and were married in 1797.[1.”Family Data Collection-Marriages”,

A Family History Journey

My work in Family History has taught me many things.  One of them is that any action we take or work we do could effect the lives of others, possibly for generations to come.  Many of these events never make the history books, and they do not happen for every family, but they happen often

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