SS-5 and the Grandparents

Let's complete the collection of SS-5 images by looking at the ones for my 4 grandparents.  3 of them were easy to obtain, because three of my grandparents were originally listed in the SSDI.

The 4th, belonging to my paternal grandfather William Henry Smith, required me to use his death certificate as the way to document his death (and thereby obtain his SS-5).  Here is his SS-5: 

Notes based upon other knowledge: His father's name was Charles Henry Smith, his mother's name was Mary Ann Bannon.  (The Bannon surname was sometimes spelled "Bonnon".)  

Next up is the SS-5 for my paternal grandmother, the most interesting (in my opinion) of all of the SS-5s:

Notes: In the early 70s (on a visit to my brother, who was living near DC at the time), I learned that Grandmother Smith had converted from Judaism to Catholicism in order to marry Grandfather Smith.   So she had taken the name "Elizabeth".  I had known her only as "Elizabeth C. Smith", without any idea as to what the "C" stood for, although if I had been asked to guess, I would have assumed another typical Catholic name, such as "Catherine".  Imagine my surprise to read "Conceptia".  Her birth name was "Rachel", but she was frequently called "Rae".  Also surprisingly, she was not born in the NY/Northern NJ area, but instead, in England, Arkansas.  And she fails to give her mother's maiden name, which I learned from other sources was "Grodowitz".

Now, my maternal grandparents, beginning with my maternal grandfather:

Note: His mother appears as "Jane" in most records, and with the surname spelled "Bodie".

Finally, to complete the set, the SS-5 for my maternal grandmother:

Notes: In nearly all records, she appears as "Lizzie", but she appears as "Elizabeth" in the 1930 census.

Sarah Ann YONCE and Nathan BODIE (son of Obediah BODIE)

My friend Steve Danko reminded me that I need to talk about my recent research activities in Salt Lake City's Family History Library. I found my new digital camera (with its "Text" mode) to be exceptionally helpful in recording pages from books, without the need for transcription or photocopying.

One of the techniques I used was to photograph the title page of the book, followed by the individual pages. I also found it useful to photograph the relevant index pages (which will come in handy if I discover that I missed a key page).

I began by examining the Family History Library Catalog for books relating to the name Bodie (or Boddie). I skipped books that I already own, or whose pages I already have photocopies of, or that are available online in digital form, or that were on microfilm.

The first book I looked at was Yonce families in the United States of America although it is interesting that the book has a slightly different title on its spine and at the top of its pages (Yonce Families in America). It does appear that I missed a few pages in this one, primarily in the descendants list in Chapter 13, but I have the more detailed descendant information from Chapter 14 (beginning on page 313). According to the book, Sarah Ann YONCE married Nathan BODIE, the son of Obediah BODIE. This is not the Nathan BODIE who was my great-great-grandfather (Nathan A. BODIE, Jr.) nor his father (Nathan BODIE, Sr.). The name "Nathan" is very common in the various branches of the BODIE/BODDIE family.

The book indicates that Nathan BODIE died in "Wagner" (in Aiken County, South Carolina), but this town should be spelled "Wagener". The town is spelled correctly in other places in the book.

Although I had details on some of the descendants of this line, the book has brought a large number of new descendants to my attention. I can imagine spending many months verifying the information in this book. I'll return to these individuals after I've reviewed the other material I found in SLC.

Bodie/Boddie marriages in Bienville Parish, Louisiana

Yesterday, I found a little time in the morning, just before our local society's board meeting, to do some research into the Bodie/Boddie family. The John F. Germany Library had recently obtained a copy of a number of new books, including many pertaining to Louisiana. Because a major branch of the Bodie/Boddie family ended up in Bienville Parish, I was glad to find that one of the new books was John C. Head's compilation "Bienville Parish Louisiana Marriage Records 1848-1900". It is the only Bienville Parish genealogy source in the library's collection.

The index to the book listed 11 individuals named "Bodie" or "Boddie", so I was able to copy those pages and then compare the marriage book entries to what I already had. In some cases, I lacked exact dates, or my dates were a few days off. This enabled me to provide a source (if only a secondary source, although I'm not likely to find myself in Bienville Parish anytime soon to obtain a copy of the primary source) for 10 marriages. The 11th entry is for a Bodie/Boddie who I don't already have in my files, so I'm not sure yet where they fit in. That particular one is for George HOLDER married to Eliza BODDIE, on 13 April 1871, and the original record can be found in Book B (1860-1872) on page 363.

A Holder website (http://home.earthlink.net/~bgholder/1880Texas2Wyoming.html) identifies this couple (and their children) as:

Geo. W. HOLDER - Precinct 2, Bell Co., TX - Head of House - Male b.<1850> Bienville Parish, LA
George William Holder b. 1/12/1849
s/o William Pryor Holder b. 1805 Warren Co., KY & Emily Elizabeth Jordan b. 1816 LA
Eliza HOLDER - Precinct 2, Bell Co., TX - Wife - Female b.<1855> SC
Eliza Boddie
Gilbert W. HOLDER - Precinct 2, Bell Co., TX - Son - Male b.<1873> LA
James D. HOLDER - Precinct 2, Bell Co., TX - Son - Male b.<1875> LA
Levi E. HOLDER - Precinct 2, Bell Co., TX - Son - Male b.<1877> TX
Pinkie HOLDER - Precinct 2, Bell Co., TX - Dau - Female b.<1879> TX

This information is most likely taken from the 1880 census (except for George's parents). I don't know yet who Eliza Boddie Holder's parents were.

Nathan Bodie, Sr. in 1840

According to John Bennett Boddie (on page 386 of his Seventeenth Century Isle of Wight County Virginia) , Nathan Boddie [sic], Jr. states in a petition that Nathan Boddie (Sr.) died 8 November 1841. If so, we should expect to find him in the 1840 census, at approximately the age of 66. However, he does not appear to be heading his own household. If he is in the household of one of his children, which one? Not that of Nathan Bodie, Jr. Which Bodie households appear in the 1840 Edgefield District census, other than that of Nathan Bodie, Jr.?

Felix Boddie
Elizah Boddy
Obidiah Boddy
Westly Boddy
John Bodie

The household of Westly Boddy has a male in his 70s and a male in his 40s, and Nathan Sr. had a son named John Wesley Bodie (the Bodie family had several males who became Methodist ministers) born in 1797. While the age of the older male is a bit old, it's not impossible for that to be John Wesley Bodie's household with his father Nathan Sr. in it. John Wesley Bodie would have been Nathan Sr.'s oldest surviving son in 1840.

What should John Wesley Bodie's 1840 household look like? In addition to a male in his 40s, it should have 4 (or possibly 5) sons: one 15-20, three 5-10, and possibly one less than 5. What does the "Westly Boddy" household actually have? one 15-20, two 10-15, one 5-10, and two less than 5. Close. It's possible that two sons born in 1832 could be listed as two years older. And another very young son could have died prior to 1850. Nathan Sr. also had a son, Michael Boddie, by his second wife, and Michael was born about 1829. Perhaps he's one of the males in the 10-15 group?

Let's now look at the females: We should see Laura Amanda Smith Bodie (John Wesley's wife) at the age of 38, but I'm not aware of any daughters. The census household shows a woman in her 40s, a woman in her 30s, and a female less than 5. Again, the daughter could have died prior to 1850. But who is the oldest woman? Could she be Nathan's second wife, or was she already dead by 1840?

It looks like it's going to be necessary to go forward in time with the John Wesley Bodie household to pin down some names and dates.

Nathan Bodie, Jr. in 1830

Let's look at what we should expect to find for Nathan Bodie, Jr. in 1830. We would expect to see at least 2 sons under the age of 5 (Jesse Pitts Bodie was born in 1826, and Andrew Jackson Boddie was born in 1828); Nathan himself at the age of 26; possibly no daughters; and Nathan's wife, Mary Edna "Edney" Eidson, who would be 24.

When we search the Edgefield District census for 1830, we find two households headed by a "Nathan Body". The head of the one listed between Isaac Crouch and William Whittle is in his 60s (too old to be Nathan Bodie, Jr., but the right age for Nathan Bodie, Sr.), but the head of the one listed next to W. Deloach is in his 20s. If we assume that this is Nathan Bodie, Jr.'s household, then we have:

3 males under 5
1 male 15-20
1 male 20-30 (Nathan Bodie, Jr.)
1 female 20-30 (Mary Edna Eidson Bodie)

The extra male under 5 may be a son who died prior to the 1840 census. The male born between about 1810 and 1815 may be a younger brother to Nathan or to Mary Edna. So far as I know, Nathan's only younger brother, Joseph Bodie, was born in 1808, so Joseph would be too old. Mary Edna may have had at least 4 younger brothers: William Wiley Eidson, born in 1809; Mahlon Eidson, born before 1819; James Russell Eidson, born in 1821; and Allen Eidson, born about 1832. So Mahlon remains a possibility. It will be necessary to find the household for Mary Edna's parents and some of her siblings to rule out Mahlon living with those other households.

50 years since a significant Bodie publication

It has been more than a year since I last updated my genealogical research site. Today, I noticed that it was 50 years ago (1956) that Eytive Long Evans published A Documented History of the Long Family, 1578-1956. That particular book was one of the first books that got me started on working on the Bodie family line. Evans especially covers them on pages 230 through 249. She references another source I have frequently used regarding the family: John Bennett Boddie's Seventeenth Century Isle of Wight County, Virginia, which was published in 1938. So far as I'm aware, the two books constitute the only significant published genealogies of the South Carolina branch of the Boddie/Bodie families.

J.B. Boddie refers, on page 389 of his book, to Jane (born 1845), who married Wyley Long. Evans, on page 237, also refers to Jane in a list of the children of Nathan Bodie and Mary Edna Eidson.

It is this same Jane Bodie who appears on my grandfather's SS-5 as his mother ("Janie Belle Body"), and who, according to members of my family still living at the time I began working on genealogical research, was the wife first of Wiley (Wyley, Wylie) Long, then Edmund (Edmond) Manley Martin, and then John C. Farmer. The descendants of Jane by her first two husbands (she had no children by Farmer, who she married much later in life), together with the descendants of Edmund Martin by his wife, often held joint reunions near Lake Greenwood in upstate South Carolina at least until the late 1950s.

Perhaps someday, when my work on this line is complete and is published, it will be cause for a new reunion.

Nathan Bodie, Jr. in 1840

The 1840 census for Edgefield County/District, SC shows a Nathan Boddie. The data for Nathan indicates:

Males under 5: 1
Males 5-10: 1
Males 10-15: 2
Males 30-40: 1
Females under 5: 1
Females 5-10: 2
Females 30-40: 1

How well does this match up with what is supposedly known about Nathan's family? Nathan was born in 1804, and his first wife, Mary Edna Eidson (Jane's mother) was supposedly born in 1806, so those match up with the 2 adults. Their children should be Jesse Pitts Bodie (born 1826), Andrew Jackson Bodie (born 1828), James Russell Bodie (born 1831), Mary Bodie (born 1832), Anne M. Bodie (born 1834), and Elizabeth J. Bodie (born 1836). Amanda Bodie was not born until 10 June 1840, and so should not be counted as the effective date of the 1840 census was June 1. So we have a perfect match except for the fact that there should be a son born sometime between 1835 and 1840. Yet no such son appears in the 1850 census. Unless there is evidence to contradict it, I'll have to assume that there was another son who died prior to 1850. His most likely birth year is 1838, as there is a 4-year gap between Elizabeth and Amanda.

Nathan Bodie, Jr. in 1860

We've already seen Nathan's household in 1870, and also in 1850 (when daughter Jane was part of it). So the remaining piece is 1860. In the Saluda Regiment section of Edgefield County (or District), we find the household of "N.A. Bodie" (53), Nancy (40), Virginia (11), Daniel (7), female E.C. (4), and one-month-old Emma.

We'll now have to push Nathan back into the 1840 timeframe, when he should be in his thirties.

Nathan Bodie, Jr. in 1870

In 1870, 66-year-old Nathan Bodie appears in the census in the Saluda section of Edgefield County, SC with his third wife, Nancy Warren, and three children: 19-year-old Virginia and 16-year-old Daniel (children of his second wife, Elizabeth Warren, who was Nancy's twin sister), and 12-year-old Elizabeth (his daughter by Nancy).

Nathan Bodie, Jr.'s grave

In the early 1990s, my brother Jeff and I looked for Nathan Bodie, Jr's gravestone at a small church in Saluda County. We didn't find it in the church graveyard, not realizing at that time that there was a smaller cemetery just across the highway but hidden within the pine forest. I did manage to go back later to see it.

The cemetery is across the highway from Bethlehem Church, located in the southwest part of present-day Saluda County, within the fork of SC 121 and CR 39. Many related lines are buried here, including Bodie, Eidson, Rushton, Kemp, and Holmes.

According to Nathan's grave, he was born 7 February 1804, and died 9 November 1873. Next, we'll trace him back starting in 1870.

Jane Belle Bodie in 1850

Jane isn't hard to find in 1850. Although there are several different Jane Bodies located in Edgefield District in 1850, only one is of the right age. The family is split across 2 census pages. In the second page, Jane appears with her older sisters Susan, Amanda, Elizabeth, and Anne, as well as a younger half-sister, Virginia. On the previous page are head of household Nathaniel (47), Elizabeth (32), Russell (20), and Mary (18).

The focus now switches from Jane to her father, Nathan(iel).

Jane Belle Bodie in 1860

For now, I'm going to have to skip worrying about Jane's location in 1870 and follow her back to 1860. Here things are a bit easier. She appears as a very young wife of 14 with husband "W.M.W. Long". Located in the Saluda Regiment section of Edgefield District, Wiley and Jane are living next door to Jane's older sister, Susan Caroline Bodie Adams (as Jane would again years later).

In 1850, Jane and Susan should be with some of their other siblings and their parents, so that will be the next entry.

Jane Belle Bodie in 1870?

OK, now I've got a problem. Where was Jane in 1870? She should be somewhere with her first husband, Wiley Long, and their first 4 children: Martha (7), Emma (4), Joseph Edward (2), and Nathan Calhoun (1). And she should be somewhere between 22 and 25 (depending on which source you want to believe).

Jane Belle Bodie in 1880

The gravestone says 1848. The 1900 census says 1852. When does the 1880 census say Jane was born? It gives her age as 32, which matches the gravestone.

Tomorrow, I'll follow the family back to 1870.

Jane Belle Bodie in 1900

Jane married her third husband, John C. Farmer, sometime after the death of her second husband (my great-grandfather) and prior to 1900. I was able to find the household in the 1900 census using my grandfather, George Martin, as the index term. Most things match, but there are some discrepancies. John Farmer and his wife Jane appear in the household with his step-children George Martin, Cora Martin, Jannie Bell Martin, and Hammitt Martin. I clearly remember my great-uncle Hammitt. Cora is the same as the Chicorah Lee Asbill who is buried next to Jane.

The discrepancies relate to Jane's age and the number of children. Jane's gravestone says that she was born in 1848, but the 1900 census indicates 1852. Vanity? Also, the census indicates that she has had a total of 7 children, with 5 still alive. She certainly had 5 living children from her second marriage to my great-grandfather, Edmund Manley Martin, and it's certainly possible that she lost 2 children at an early age for them (who would fit gaps in the calendar).

But the count should have included her children by her first husband, Wiley Long. Perhaps this situation is more complicated than it looks.

Jane Belle Bodie's grave

Jane Belle Bodie (whose name appears as Janie Belle Body on my grandfather's SS-5) was married three times, first to a man named Long, then to my great-grandfather (a Martin), and then to a man named Farmer. She had children with the first two husbands, but not the third, and she was also helping to raise her Martin husband's children from his previous marriage. My mother remembers attending several Martin-Long reunions, held at a park near Lake Greenwood in South Carolina.

One of the high points in my genealogical research was finding Jane Belle Boddie's grave. Fortunately, I was aided by an extremely helpful librarian at the Laurens County public library, who was actively working on a second volume of the cemeteries of that county. She allowed me to view her notes, which included the listing for Jane's grave, located in the Laurens Mill (Northview) Cemetery. Buried next to Jane are her third husband, John C. Farmer, and a daughter, Chicorah Lee Martin (who had married an Asbill).

Next, I'll trace Jane backwards in time using census records.

Starting with ... who?

The first connection I have to the Boddie family is through my mother's father, George W. Martin. Granddaddy Martin died when I was 8, and so I have clear memories of him. It was interesting to obtain a copy of his SS-5 (his application for Social Security). The spelling of my greatgrandmother's name on the application certainly points out that the name was pronounced "body", even though it is spelled "Bodie" by most branches of the family in upstate and central South Carolina.

I'll next focus on my greatgrandmother.

Starting a Genealogical Project

January 1 seems like a reasonable day on which to begin a new genealogical project. Actually, I'm working on an old project, but in a more organized manner. My project idea is to identify all descendants of the immigrant (to America) BODDIE ancestor. Before I do that, however, I should do the "prequel" project, namely, to trace in an organized fashion my own ancestry back to that ancestor.