Getting the Poynt

Landmarks are important aspects in examining the history of an area. Especially if you are trying to establish the location of ancestors. Getting around certain brick walls may depend upon identifying and placing certain landmarks in the correct location recorded in deeds and surveys.

History often gives the stories behind these landmarks. Sting Ray point (poynt) is such a case. John Smith in his own writings give the following account:

"...vpon the riuer of Rapahanock, by many called Tappahanock, but our bote by reafon of the ebbe, chanfing to grownd vpon a many fhoules lying in the entrances, we ipyed many fifhes lurking in the reedes;..." [spelling as written 18 June 1608, f = s]. Thus, on low tide, the boat was grounded near the shore.

"...our Captaine fporting himself by nayling them to the ground with his sword..." [Interesting way to fish!]

"But it chanfed our Captaine taking a fifh from his sword (not knowing her condition) being much of the fafhion of a Thornback, but a long tayle like a ryding rodde, whereon the middft is a moft poysoned fting, of tow or three inches long, bearded like a faw on each side, which the ftrucke into the wreft of his arme neere an inch and halfe:..." [Take that Captain John Smith for sticking your sword into me...!]

"no bloud nor wound was feens, but a little blew fpot, but the torment was inftantly fo extreame..."

The tracing above is the mouth of Rappahannock River. The south landmark is Sting Ray point. The north landmark is Musketo Point. It was from these landmarks that the survey crews would begin their survey. The drawing shows 1 mile makers as they would be counted from these landmarks. Thus, "eight miles up" would be from these geographic points.

Certainly, Captain John Smith got the point!

Taken from: The Generall Historie of Virginia, New-England, and Summer Ifles: with the names of the Adventuresr, Planter, and Governours from their firft beginning. An: 1584 to this present 1624. London, Printed by I.D. and I.H. for Michael Sparkes, 1624. p.58-59.

Making Wishes

Wishing upon a star reflects the mental power of the human brain. The Latin language [those Romans] uses the word velle meaning to wish. By the time the Anglo-Saxons arrived[Old English], they used the word wille. This has come down to us in the English as the word will. Interesting that in a genealogical sense, this means a legal declaration of a person's mind as to the manner in which property or estate is dealt with after the death of that person. Litterally, it is like reading a person's mind.

Being of a very personal nature, the will offers a chance for the genealogist to open the window of the mind of an ancestor. In addition, the will offers tremendous information regarding the family. It usually list the name(s) of the deseased's heir(s), often including married names of the surviving females. [Family branches!] A listing of what the deceased possessed in property, real and personal is frequently helpful to establish a life-style. Approximate date of death from the date of the will's probate by the court can help establish or clarify chronology. Signatures which indicate close friends, relatives, or repected members of the deceased's community can be used to break down a few brick walls.

Making wishes, a window to the mind of our ancestors...be sure and open some windows to your own family tree.

Using An Index For Genealogical Analysis

One of the most time consuming activities for the genealogist is library work. At least that's the way it use to be. [Still an important aspect for those of us who like to smell a good book every now and then!]

In many cases, large volumes of texts exist with pages and pages of information. However, most texts contain an index which directs the researcher to a specific page number with information about that individual and/or subject title. For the surname JONES [my surname], the list is extensive with all those Johns, Williams, Richards, Thomases, Marys, Elizabeths, and the like. Likewise, the researcher may only have "clues" as to which John or Mary is important. Taking the time to "look up" each Jones listed [or any other surname], is sometimes necessary. Often, it will be more helpful to analyze the index before looking at each individual reference.

The figure to the right gives such an example. It uses a reference text entitled, Jefferson Co., VA-KY Early Marriages. Book I: 1781 - July 1826. This reference lists early marriages recorded in Jefferson Co., now KY in chronological sequence.

The first step is find a bland page such as notebook paper, copy paper, or graph paper. [By now you should have tons of graph paper!] The next step is to to find the length of the book or reference that contains the information. [This book is 200 pages.] Next, you select a scale between 1 and 200 that would represent the page numbers in the text. You place this scale along the top of the page and leave room for the alphabetical listing of the first names on the left hand side of the paper. You then turn to the index and begin listing the first names of all the JONES [or what ever surname you have chosen]. You place the page number of each along the scale at the point of each name. Thus you end up with a chart or table which list all names along a grid which fills up the paper. [Shown above] At one glance, each individual can be crossed reference for the same page number and approximate time period. Thus each person can be examined for relationship to all others listed.

This method allows the researcher to locate names which appear together (on the same page) without having to look up each name individually.

Table taken from an article written Jerry E. Jones, MD, MS, The Jones Genealogist, Vol. X , No. 6, March/April 1999 , pp. 5-7.

Learning Land Laws

The migration and settlement of one's ancestors is dependent upon the land laws that were "on the books" when they arrived to make their way. These laws would often change based upon the needs and political environment that produced them. It is helpful to be sure and try to understand the laws that were "in effect" at the time of settlement. I have written an example in a series of posts on Virginia Land Laws. These can be found at my blog,

http://thejonesgenealogist.blogspot.com in the following order:

Virginia Land Laws: A Chronology (Part I) - Sunday, December 19, 2010.
Virginia Land Laws (Part II) Importation Rights - Monday, December 20, 2010.
Virginia Land Laws (Part III) Treasury Rights - Tuesday, December 21, 2010.
Virginia Land Laws (Part IV) Escheated Lands - Wednesday, December 22, 2010.
Virginia Land Laws (Part V) The Processioning - Thursday, December 23, 2010.
Virginia Land Laws (Part VI) The Surveyors - Tuesday, December 28, 2010.
Virginia Land Laws (Part VII) Surveyor's fees - Wednesday, December 29, 2010.
Virginia Land Laws after 1713 (Part I) - Wednesday, January 5, 2011.
Virginia Land Laws after 1713 (Part II) - Friday, January 7, 2011.
Land Laws Virginia - Meritorious Service - Thursday, January 13, 2011.
Land By Rank - Virginia Land Laws 1763 - Friday, January 14, 2011.
Virginia Land Laws : Cabin Rights - Saturday, January 22, 2011.
Tidewater Virginia - Thursday, March 3, 2011.

This gives an outline of the land laws of Virginia from the earliest days to the Revolutionary War period. Each colony would have their own laws. Identifying these laws could make a difference in a few brick walls!

Land Grant Analysis

Early land grants and patents become an important part of tree climbing. Understanding how to use the acreage involved will often make a difference in getting out the right branch. Also, placing various land grants together by associated surnames will help break down many brick walls.

The following pages show how this can be done using graph paper. [By now you should have bunches of this stuff!] Making a scale that can be used to give a general outline of a land amounts can be useful. The upper page is taken from an article written 1997 outlining the use of maps. It ends with the outline shown giving one square mile to every 640 acres of land. A line is then drawn showing that at 2 square mile = 1280 acres, 3 square mile = 1920 acres, 4 square mile = 2560 acres, etc., etc... If you have an ancestor who takes up a land patent of 4,000 acres, he would have a land area of six miles long and one mile deep, or any short of other combinations. If his initial grant was along one of the water courses marked by "mile markers", this would directly apply. [This was true of the first land grants in Virginia along the water highways!]


The figure to the right tries to show an enlargement of the graph which can be scaled to plot the grants as recorded. A beginning way to think about land grants!

Taken from: The Jones Genealogist, Vol. IX, No. 2, July/August, 1997, p. 4.

The Lay of The Land

Brick walls can come at you from all directions. They often sit there and smile while you get more and more discouraged wondering if you will ever get around them. Over the years, I have found that getting a "lay of the land" will often help one understand many of the dimensions of these brick walls. Knowing the historical and geographical factors that interplay with your tree climbing will frequently assist to "wipe that smile off their face"!

The drawing to the right is an example of such an attempt. My brick wall was in the geographic area of North Wales. A bunch of JONES were hidden in these mountains. How was I to sort them? I decided to try and understand the lay of the land. [called topography]

Since the earliest days, water [after oxygen] was the most important resource for survival. Streams, creeks, and rivers were the lifeline and highway to much of the human settlements. How these creeks and streams flowed determined much in the way of survival. Today, it is difficult to find maps that will show just the rivers. [especially in genealogy] Draw your own, I thought!

The most important item is a good starting map. Finding one that has the origin of your family tree is necessary. For me this was Touring Guide To Britain, published by The Reader's Digest Association, NY, 1992. Tracing paper was the next most important item. Removing all names, cites, locations, etc., etc., by just tracing the rivers, streams, and those items which might be of importance. [For me it was the iron age hill forts!] You then make a hard copy of the finished product so that you can write upon the finished product.

The tracing above shows the two main "head waters" of my family tree. The Dee and the Severn are shown, the Dee in blue. It is here that they almost touch giving a geographic location where one can reach both within 5 miles! Here, my JONES family had its roots many generations back. A strategic starting point it is. Dip in the Dee and you come out at Chester. (North) Dip in the Severn and you come out Gloucester. (South) It certainly would be a good location to start your day.

"Blog - O - Rama"

Several folks have written thanking me for "The Brick Wall Protocol". Genealogy for generations has been a personal motto. For those who have written, you are welcome.

I wanted to pass on to fellow time travelers other blogs and sites that I have been writing. You may or may not find them helpful, but they are centered around my 50 plus years of genealogy. My name is Jerry Jones, and the following sites have been written since July 2010:

thejonesgenealogist.blogspot.com/ - intended to give my genealogy travels from age 9 years old.

twitter.com/jonessurname - intended to give comments and titles to daily posts.

thejonessurname.blogspot.com/ - intended to concentrate on the history and origin of the surname JONES.

http://ge-ne-al-0-gy101.blogspot.com/
http://ge-ne-al-0-gy201.blogspot.com/
http://ge-ne-al-o-gy301.blogspot.com/ - intended to help those think outside the box.

http://thejonessurnamedna.blogspot.com/ - intended to help the genealogist understand DNA.

http://welshgenealogy.blogspot.com/ - intended to help those with Welsh background.

http://cadwalladerjones.blogspot.com/ - an example of genealogy on My Heart's Blood.

On facebook:

www.facebook.com/pages/The-Jones-Surname/105264796202869
www./facebook.com/pages/The-Jones-Genealogist/154376591254070

It is my hope that these blogs and sites will help the next generation of tree climbers. Remember, we are the chosen.