Formerly of Montpelier, a Plantation
isbn: 9780692749272
language: English
format: paperback – click the image to purchase on Amazon or Barnes and Noble
categories: Nonfiction
Genealogical resource book for former slaves, African Americans in Baldwin, Mobile, Clarke, and Monroe Counties, in Alabama.
I am helping a cousin who is of African-English-Indian ancestry make his connection to Baldwin Alabama. Him and I share the Miltons of Baldwin (Probably Andrew Milton who married the widow of George Palmer Weekley, Elizabeth Dunn). I have his my cousin’s mother’s dna linked to my tree and have been researching his matches. His other Baldwin dna matches link him to the Ficklins, Bankester, Tarvin, Lancaster and Kilcrease. Elizabeth Tarvin married James Manual Earle of Montpelier. I have been using The Tensaw Country North of the Ellicott Line 1800 – 1860 as one source and I plan to order Formerly of Montpelier.
Your site looks very interesting. Any pointers you may have would be greatly appreciated. Thanks Wayne Rasmussen.
Thank you, Wayne for your comment. I commend you on your efforts to assist another’s search. Please refer to extensive research cited in any of my works for helpful guides. For example, Marilee Beatty Hageness’s “Alabama Genealogical Sources,” Abstracts of Will Book A, 1809-1881, Mississippi Territory & Baldwin County, Alabama, Volume AL4-2. There are many more citations that you might find elucidating. Please post any results. If I can be of further assistance, let me know.
Carolyn
Carolyn, I have not worked on this for quite a while. Recently I discovered that Joseph Stiggins was the executor for my 4th Great Grandfather (Michael Joseph Milton Sr.). Joseph was his next door neighbor (Tensaw) in Baldwin and ran a informal school out of his property. He probably played a big part in Michael Joseph Milton Jr.s education and why he was not in Baldwin on the day of the Ft. Mims massacre. Joseph Stiggins was married to Nancy Haw Grey (Natchez Indian). Red Eagle later married Joseph Stiggin’s daughter Mary. Red Eagle (Weatherford) was David Tate’s half brother. Joseph Stiggins son George wrote a rare history of the Creek Indians. Some of my sources I have used so far are Creek Indian History by George Stiggins, The Tensaw Country North of the Ellicott Line by Charles E. Bryant. Ed.D and Images of America Baldwin County by John C. Lewis and Harriet Brill Outlaw. After Red Eagle surrendered, my 3rd Great Grandfather, Michael Joseph Milton Jr. joined Nixon’s Regiment for 6 months. The land I own in Walker Louisiana was passed down to me through the generations from him which he got for his service in the War of 1812 under Nixon. I may have not made any recent progress in clearly identifying who the shared ancestor is with my African American cousins but I am beginning to paint a clearer picture of Baldwin in the early 1800s. Still Looking Wayne Rasmussen
Hello, Wayne:
So exciting to hear from you;-)
George Stiggins
George Stiggins, born 1788, in the Upper Creek Nation, was a contemporary of David Tate, born 1778, in Creek Territory. Stiggins was the son of Joseph Stiggins, born 1755, and Nancy (Haw) Grey, a Natchez Indian (Upper Creek). Joseph Stiggins petitioned, in 1811, to have the legitimacy of his mixed marriage, and issue recognized fully by the government.
To the Honorable Legislature of Mississippi Teritory, Governor and Council:
The Humble Petition of Joseph Stiggins Showeth that having formerly resided in the Creek Nation amongst the Indians and marrying an Indian woman by whom I had Children, that I moved to the Country and Edicated and brought up to the Cristian Religion, and finding it Disagreeable that by the law of our Teritory that they can’t have their oath though borne of a free woman. Your petitioner prayeth that they may be Released from that Disability the same that their oldest brother, George Stiggins, was by his own petition. Viz: Mary Stiggins, Susannah Stiggins, Nancy Stiggins and Robert G. Stiggins their poserity this Indulgence your petitioner thinks he justly Intitled to whilst he is forever Bound to pray.
/s/ Joh Stiggins
August 1, 1811
Source: Record Group 5 (Legislative Records, Territorial Archives), Volume 26, Petitions of the general Assembly, 1810-1816, Mississippi Department of Archives and History, Jackson, Mississippi.
George Stiggins was the surviving “Chief,” or Head Man of the Natchez, at the cessation of hostilities in 1814. Stiggins authored “Creek Indian History: A Historical Narrative of the Genealogy, Traditions and Downfall of the Ispocoga Or Creek Indian Tribe of Indians by One of the Tribe.”. He died in 1845.
Chief Chinnabee (Natchez)
Blood brother to the Creeks
|
Joseph Stiggins = Nancy Haw Grey
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George Stiggins = Elizabeth Adcock
Mary Stiggins = William Weatherford (Red Eagle)
et al.
African American descendants may be Tates, Conway (Conaways), Baileys, Dales, and their numerous cousins; all eminating out of Baldwin County, Alabama. I haven’t encountered any Stiggins or Miltons, though.
Also, George Stiggins referred to Margaret Dyer Powell – Tate, as his Aunt, prompting the conclusion that she was related to his mother, Nancy Haw, daughter of Chinnabee, a Natchez.
I did not quote him in my work, as I found he wrote with a jaundiced eye.
CEK ©2020
Thank you so much, Wayne:
I really appreciate your extensive citations, and will order them for reading.
Carolyn
Hello,
My maiden name is Kilcrease. I am very interested in your research. I have stories that connect my great-grandfather to a long list of brothers from an Alabama plantation. After the Civil War many were divided and allegedly returned to a destroyed plantation at separate times. Some went to Arkansas and others to Texas with the Langford familys. William Benjamin “Benny” Kilcrease is my Great-Grandfather. He married Orrie Mae Langford. Her sister Gladys Langford married his brother John Calhoun “JC” Kilcrease. I have not found their father’s or mother’s name nor their birth certificates, but I know they were both born in Alabama based on census here in Texas. Any thing you may guide me toward would be most helpful.
Thanks in Advance,
Ellen Riddell
Hello, Ellen:
Welcome to my Blog;-)
You will find your ancestors at familysearch.org. The marriage license of Mr. Ben Kilcrease and Miss O.M. Langford appear along with their 1900 Census enumeration. That’s at least a start for you to build your family tree.
Regards,
Carolyn
Ellen,
You may find that the Kilcreases and Langfords were close cousins. That’s because Elizabeth Langford resided in the household of William Kilcrease, of Macon Alabama for the 1870 Census. Good luck;-)
Carolyn
Hello Carolyn,
I am a descendant of the Tates of Mississippi/Alabama. My great great grandfather was Neil Tate who was married to Nelly Brown Tate. They were in Noxubee County Mississippi during the 1870 and 1880 census enumeration. Neil was born in Alabama and his parents were originally from Virginia. I also found my great great grandfather Neil listed on the valuation of estate for a John M Tate who died in 1852 Noxubee County. In your book David Tate’s origin ( very good book with excellent genealogical references), it is stated that all of the “so called slaves or negroes” belonging to the Tates were Creek and spoke the Creek language. I truly believe that my great great grandfather is connected in some way to these Tates of Alabama. According to my older cousins who are from Noxubee County Mississippi, my Tate ancestors owns quite a bit of land down there in Noxubee County. They also told me that my great great grandfather migrated to Noxubee County Mississippi from Alabama, however, we were originally from Virginia.
Amos:
Petition 21085932
1859-09-09
Race & Slavery Petitions Project
Noxubee County , MS
Alexander Jeffries, executor of the estate of John W. Tate, informs the court that “Said Testator left 26 negroes, mules, cattle, Hogs & farming utensils & growing crop” and that “said Testator was largely indebted & over ten thousand dollars of said Indebtedness is bearing 10 per cent Interest.” Asserting “that it will be necessary for a sale of some of said negroes to pay debts,” Jeffries “verily believes that all had best be sold as they are not of a character & description that would be profitable to keep.”
Individuals Mentioned By Name
Slave(s)
Jake, Dave, Clarissa, Martha, Nancy, Moses, Evergreene, Betty, Wilson, Sam, Permelia, Minerva, Robin, Booker, Dick, Ishmael, Rosetta, Albert
Others
Alexander Jeffries, Frances A. Tate Jeffries, Walter Jones Tate, John W. Tate, W. C. Lauderdale, Edmund T. Bush, G. D. Moore, H. O. Beasley, Samuel Conner, J. H. Pierce, R. Brewer, G. Clearman, John N. Macon
Regards,
Carolyn
Looking to connect my great great grandfather Neil/Neal Tate to the Tates of Alabama
Hello, Amos:
In order to be successful in your search, I recommend you start with your parents, and work backwards. If you absolutely know more about your ancestor, date of birth, country of origin, voting record, property ownership, etc., you might consider FamilySearch.org as a launching pad. If you have more information, I might be able to help.
Regards,
Carolyn
Yes I searched Family Search and there I was able to find Neil and Nelly living in Noxubee County in 1870. I was also able to find both Neil’s and Nelly’s trust deed from 1891 and it appears as though they had some interactions with Joseph Reinach who was a French Commissioned Officer as well as a French Politician and and Lawyer. I see Cliftonville and Bigsbee Valley listed on the deed, so I’m not sure if this was the area in which the land was located. I do see a Neal listed on the valuation of estate of John M Tate who was married to Sarah Wilburn. John M Tate is connected to the Baldwin/Madison County Alabama Tates spoken of in your book David Tate Origins. John married Sarah on July 12 of 1831 down in Madison County Alabama. I’m trying to find Neil’s parents name as well as his wife’s parents. I know that the Tates were a prominent Indian family down in Alabama that went on to form the Poarch Band of Creek Indians. I somehow feel that my great great grandfather is connected to these Tates.
Thanks,
Amos
Carolyn, this a great website. Thanks for your efforts. I’m working on my family history, mostly from Monroe County, AL but Ancestry DNA is suggesting I look into a Tate/Tunstall connection in Baldwin County. The line of a Louisa Matilda “Mary” Tate who married a George Tunstall is what Ancestry suggests. I need to look into this further. I have a Matthew Tunstall , born 1840’s,in my line. He is a mulatto and a slave perhaps of the Tunstalls. I’d like to review any documents, wills, etc., of Thomas Tate Tunstall or his father, George Tunstall to see if they had a Matthew Tunstall as a slave. Ancestry suggests Thomas Tate Tunstall might be Matthew’s father but I have to look into things myself. Ancestry is often wrong when it is stripping info from erroneous trees and combining that with DNA. Is your Margaret Tate the same Tate family as this “Mary Tate”? Any suggestions of where to focus my research would be helpful. Thanks, Rachel
Hey Rachel I am also a Tate descendant of Alabama and Noxubee County Mississippi. I believe that we are on the same path with our research. My great great grandfather is somehow connected to the same Tates of Monroe/Madison/Baldwin Alabama. I am also a Ewing descendant. My maternal grandfather’s brother Willie Ewing married a Tunstall
??? unfortunately there appears to be no direct way to reach carolyn – i’m a weatherford- have questions.
Hello T Weatherford,
I am a Tate descendant and my great great grandfather Neil/Neal Tate was born in Alabama around 1832-1837. He was married to Nelly Brown. I’m also a Ewing descendant and my grandfather’s brother Willie Ewing married a Tunstall. I believe I’m connect some to these same Tates of Baldwin/Madison/Monroe Alabama. Any suggestions on how can I find definitive proof of this connection. I’ve searched Family Search and all it gives me is Neil’s/Neal’s info from the 1870 census when he migrated to Noxubee County Mississippi