End of records could simply mean ancestors moved closer to family

Many people today decide usually later in life to pick up stakes, sell their property, and move to be near their children and especially their grandchildren. We should consider that many of our ancestors could have done the same thing. Often when researching someone, we think that the end of records on them meant that they had died, perhaps without an estate, so we put down some date.

I have several ancestors and other ancient relatives who very late in the game moved hundreds of miles away. John Motley, who lived for decades in Wake County, North Carolina, was a pretty old man in the 1800 census, then vanished. I had presumed he died there. Then to my surprise I learned he was buried in Kentucky with his grave marked as a Revolutionary War patriot. I then found an estate for him there.

James McMackin has a will in 1822 in the will book of Cabarrus County, North Carolina, but while it’s in the book, it’s not recorded, thus was not brought to court. Then I found that several of his sons moved to Carroll County, Tennessee, and administered his estate there. So, did he move?

Another relative in south Alabama lost his land and all his possessions due to a lawsuit in 1835. The 1840 census is the last we know of him. Did he die then, when he was about 60? Or did he start over elsewhere?

Don’t presume your ancestor died where you last find him in the records. They could have decided to join their children.

April 27 event on research planning

Diana Elder will speak on “Research Planning for the Win: Next Steps for Breaking

Down a Brick Wall” on April 27 from 11 a.m. until noon, for the Augusta Genealogical Society, via Zoom. It’s free to AGS members and $10 for others. Registration deadline is April 25 via augustagensociety.org.

Elder’s website is familylocket.com. She is a wellknown speaker at national genealogy events and her talk should be worth hearing, as everyone has some brick wall to scale.

Overlooked ancestors

I learned that the New York Times has created a series on obituaries of people that were “Overlooked” when they actually died. They thus publish currently, occasionally, writeups on these people. Why not write up an obituary, in the style of their times, for your own ancestors?