Thursday, October 20, 2011

Fall Is Here...

Fall is here and for many of you, this is ideal weather. Considering the scorching summers, several earthquakes, drought conditions and the tsunami of Japan, I imagine many are very thankful for the cooler weather that fall will bring. Even though fall is here, I hadn't really noticed! You see, Hawaii doesn't have a change of seasons like the mainland does. But the trade winds are back and it has been beautiful here with the breeze and salty air, the residents and tourists are still riding their bikes all over town, the intoxicating aroma of plumeria flowers that makes the air smell so sweet. One of my favorite flowers, so delicate yet fragrant and colorful. Not only do we have the white plumeria but also the reddish pink looking ones. There are so many different types of flowers here, it's is difficult to have just one favorite. I love the sent of the white ginger, the robust colors of another type of ginger plant that are great for adding some spice to your flower arrangements. I love creating my own arrangements! 






The holidays will be upon us soon; sooner than we may want it to. I can't wait to start baking and having family gatherings for the holidays. Can you say pumpkin roll? Mmmm..I can just smell it now. The pumpkin, cinnamon, and nutmeg makes me want to go bake right now. What does your holiday dinner consist of? Family traditions? Please share! 

Monday, September 19, 2011

The Fascinating World Of Genealogy

Has your family research come to a standstill? What about that proverbial brick wall that has you stumped? What will you do next? Many researchers both newbies and the more experienced, get stumped all the time. Myself included! It is very frustrating to finally get the lead you have been searching for only to find out that it really hasn't led you anywhere. Sometimes I feel like a dog who is running around in circles chasing its' own tail!


Here are a couple of ideas that might get you back on track. I hope the ideas help you and I also hope they help me in searching my ancestral roots.


U.S. Geological Survey MapsHave you thought about topography maps to aid in your research? The U.S. Geological Survey web site can help you locate historical maps of interest that may help you in your genealogy searches. In addition, this site also features a National Atlas, which will help you by offering a number of maps that can include country boundary lines, cities, lakes and rivers, and other topographical points of interest. 
** Another idea that just came to mind: Blow up the map to a large wall size and use different colored "ball" tacks for different family surnames to give you the visuals that you may need in your research. It could help you track their movements especially if they have migrated from other countries.


Direct Line Software- A software program that is called Deed Mapper. Deed Mapper works with old land records. Whether you have one deed or a hundred, this software program will help you:

  • Find the location of a particular plot by anchoring a group of neighboring plots against a stream.
  • Discover genealogical relationships by showing that person X sold a part of person Y's land.
  • Untangle people having the same name by analyzing their landholdings and transfers.
  • Create a map of original landholders in a region. 
  • Trace changes in parcel ownership over the years.


There is also an online community that you can interact with other members. Deed Mapper is designed for historical research so it handles surveys that have straight lines. So it may be worth checking out at least!

Direct Line Software Screenshots



Dead Fred- This web page is dedicated to genealogists and family researchers, who can search and post photos, search surnames and the like. It is a free, fun photo genealogy research site devoted to helping you visualize your heritage! Wouldn't it be great to find a lost ancestor on this site?  Your bonus would be a photo you may have been searching out for years! 


Image Source:
Dog Chasing Its' Tail



Dog Chasing His Own Tail

Image no. 700-00046138

No model release  - model release: no release on file    No property release  - property release: no release on file   
700-00046138 [65 - Masterfile] / 4160133 [1]

Wednesday, August 31, 2011

A Little Twig On My Family Tree

I have been researching the Cornett, Canute, and Sutherland family surnames off and on for the past few months. Along the way, I have met new cousins and created a few contacts, both professional and personal, as it relates to the topic of Genealogy. It seems that my family tree is one twisted tangle of little twigs. But I seem to think that there may be some vines intertwining with those twigs that cause me to search even deeper. I can almost picture myself spreading this vine curtain to see what's inside, stepping into the past and being swallowed up as the curtain closes. Sounds like a creepy movie in a way. 


I have been reading up on the book I purchased a few months ago, titled, "Grayson County: A History in Words and Pictures", I have also enjoyed looking at the photos of the first settlers to Grayson County, Virginia. The book encompasses a little less than 400 pages of fact written by the Grayson County Historical Society during the years 1792-1950. There are many interesting details and stories in this book that I will have to share at a later date. 
I have been most curious while searching for answers to all the mysteries of my family, I have yet to uncover the greatest mystery and a mountain of a brick wall called Alexander Sutherland. I hope to one day solve this with the help of my cousins, who happen to be also doing their own research on the same family surname. 


According to some, the Canute surname was believed to have actually been named "Carnutte", stemming from Danish origin. There are many variations to the name and some also believe the name was of French origin. So really, who is correct? Is it speculation? How did they come up with this? I can understand the Danish part in this, as King Canute was most likely of that descent, as he was King of Denmark. But French? I'm not sure about that yet, although it could be very possible, I just need the cold, hard facts!


So if the Cornett family did descend from Carnutte, researching the Carnutte surname should be foremost on the list of priorities. It is said, and passed on from generation to generation that the Cornett family descended from King Canute II of Denmark. King Canute II was also known as Canute the Great, who reigned as King of Denmark during the time period of 995-1035. Canute the Great, being the son of Sweyn, King of Denmark.


Below is an excerpt I found on a web site dedicated to the genealogy of the Cornett family. The link source is also below if you would like to visit the site and utilize any other links on the site itself.



 If the Cornetts descended from Carnutte, one may begin with the Carnutte's history. It is believed by some that the family is descended froKing Canutte II of Denmark. King Canutte II of Denmark "Canute the Great" (995-1035).  He was the first Danish King of England.  Under his rule Norway was conquered.  He was the son of Sweyn, King of Denmark.1 On the other hand, if the Cornetts were of French origin, it is likely that the family came across with William the Conqueror.
Erin Cornett was born in 1676 in Northumberland, England; he raised sheep. There is no record of his wife's name. His son, Earl, was born in Southampton, England in 1696. He was a farmer and a member of the Church of England. He had seven sons: John, Roger, George, Francis, Frank, Jesse, and James. John Cornett ...born in Southampton ,England in 1727. In 1740, he sailed to the Colonies with six of his brothers. They worked as indentured servants on an English  lord's farm near Philadelphia, Pa. After gaining his freedom, John went to Henrico, Co.Va. (near Richmond) and raised tobacco for a living. He was taxed for land there on March 24,1747... His will lists that he had six sons and no daughters. His second wife was Elizabeth Bacon Mosby.She was a widow with one son... John died about 1776 at Elks Creek, Va. He was a member of St. John Episcopal Church. Four of his sons fought in the Revolutionary War (another source says six2). These four were later given land grants for their war service.William and Sam settled on Line Fork... Nathaniel and Roger settled in Benge, Clay Co.4 "[He] died about 1776 in Elm Creek, Virginia... his children were Rebecca Canute Cornett; David Cornett, born about 1750; James Canute Cornett, born about 1755; John Samuel Cornett, born about 1759; Nathanial Cornett born about 1760; William Jesse Cornett, born in 1761 in Henrico County, Virginia; and Roger Cornett, born about 1768.

My ancestors are William Jesse Cornett who died November 26, 1836 and is buried in Cornettsville Cemetary and Rhoda Gilliam, his first wife. They were married on May 7, 1787 in Washington County, Virginia"3  William Cornett enlisted twice in Virginia Revolutionary War units and received a pension (# W6723). His son, John (b. 1794) married Rachel (Smith) Kelly, and their son Russell (b. 1840) married Ailey Amburgey (b.1841), their last child being Sarah Elizabeth Cornett, my grandmother. Russell and Ailey's brother, John J. Amburgey, had served together in Co B. of  Benjamin E. Caudill's 13th Cavalry CSA.






Source: Mark S. Carroll/ Cornett Ancestry
Image Source: Getty Images

Tuesday, August 30, 2011

Living in Hawaii

Monday, August 22, 2011

William Bryan

Image Source: Ancestry.com

Friday, August 19, 2011

Biography of Joseph Enoch Cornett s/o William Jesse Cornett


The following article is from the September 1994 issue of the 
Letcher Heritage News (Pages 25-30): 

-----------------------------------------------------
Joseph Enoch Cornett
by Jim Cornett 




Biography of Joseph Enoch Cornett s/o William Jesse Cornett
Joseph Enoch Cornett, youngest son of William Jesse Cornett, grew up on a farm at the mouth of Bull Creek, near Cornettsville, Perry County, Kentucky. He developed into a tall, big footed, raw boned sort of fellow. He wore a size 14 or 16 shoe, and was known to many as "Big Footed Joe". 

Some time in his early life (before 1838) he 
married Sally Brown, who was the daughter of John Q. Brown. Her 
father was born in Ireland in 1783 and died in 1873. He was the first school teacher in Letcher County, Ky. Joe and Sally settled 
on Dry Fork Creek, which is now known as Crown, Ky. There, he built 
a large two story log house, and eventually acquired large land 
holdings. Some say that he owned at least 10,000 acres. A large 
set of elk or deer horns once adorned the arch over the gateway of 
his house. One room of this original house is still standing, near 
the Dry Fork Baptist Church. A short way below this Church a large 
beech tree is still standing, which bears the carving of his name 
and the date 1875. 

Joe was one of the more prosperous citizens of 
Letcher County, a condition which may have been brought about by 
his extreme thriftiness. Stories are still being told in Letcher 
County about how "tight" this Dry Fork resident was. 

As to his thrifty spirit, the late Jim Brown of Ulvah, Ky once told 
of the time Joe told him to come over and get himself a mess of 
Gooseberries. Jim went and found Joe sitting on the porch. It seems 
that Joe had thought long about the loss of the Gooseberries after 
that offer, and when young Jim asked about them, he replied," 
Gooseberries! Gooseberries! What Gooseberries?" Jim was then told 
that there were Gooseberries all through the woods; on other 
people's property too, and to go and pick them. Thus old Joe saved 
his own patch for himself. 

Joe was a self-made doctor, brewing up his own medicines from the 
roots, herbs and barks of his native hills. His sons were often 
sent into the dark woods searching for these products, while he 
brewed up a batch of tonic in an old iron kettle in his back yard. 
Some of this brew brought a dollar a bottle, a tidy sum in those 
days. It is said that he had some old Indian formulas from which 
he worked. Later, these formulas were passed on to others, but 
alas, they are now lost, much to the disappointment of medical 
history. 

Doctor Cornett (as he was called many times) went a little farther 
than most herb doctors, in that he performed some surgery. On at 
least one occasion, he amputated a man's leg, with a knife and a 
handsaw for instruments. The leg had been crushed by a log falling 
off a wagon. The man (a Cook) survived this crude surgery, and 
lived on for many years. 

Alamander Whittaker, who lived on Rockhouse Creek, had heard of 
this amputation, and he knew of the skill of Dr. Cornett. Sometime 
later, Alamander broke his leg, and Dr. Cornett was sent for to 
see it. Joe came riding up to the Whittaker home with a handsaw 
in his hand. When Alamander saw Joe coming toward him with a 
handsaw, he promptly fainted. However, the leg was set, and no 
amputation was necessary, much to Alamander's relief. 

Joe seems to have been a leading civic leader of that section. In 
1842, when he was 28 years old, he was on a committee to lay off 
a county seat for the newly formed county of Letcher. Some say that 
the group intended to lay off the site in a large bottom at Pine 
Mountain Junction. A snow storm struck that day, so the trip was cut 
short, and Whitesburg, Ky was laid off at its present location. At 
that time, this land was owned by John A. Caudill, who was an Uncle 
of Joe's wife, and the husband of his sister. It has been told that 
the town was named Whitesburg because of this snow storm, but other 
evidence disputes this tale. Joe was elected as the second Judge of 
the newly formed county of Letcher, serving for some time. When 
Sarah Caudill Cornett was a child, she stayed at Joe's home. On 
his way to do "Courthouse" work in Whitesburg, Joe would take Sarah 
on horse back to the home of his sister Rachel Caudill, and pick 
her up again on his way home. 

Joe was also the Educational Commissioner of Letcher County in 
those days, such an officer had the power to issue teaching 
certificates. He was riding along one day when he met a man who 
expressed a desire to teach. Joe never dismounted from his horse, 
but conducted the examination then and there, and then handed the 
man a written statement permitting him to teach. Then Joe rode on, 
and there was another school teacher in Letcher County. One mile 
below Blackey, on the road to Hazard, Ky. is a creek. It has been 
said the Joe Cornett and another fellow chased an Elk over the 
bluff near the mouth of that creek, killing it. Thus, the creek 
is now called Elk Creek. That was the last elk killed in the 
county, or at least in that part of Kentucky. 

Joe Cornett was a man of much endurance. He was shot in the hip by bushwhackers 
during the Civil War. He was ever after crippled, and he walked 
with a pronounced limp. Perhaps this is why he was sitting by a 
tire one day out in the woods, while his sons hunted nearby. 
A "Panther" (as Mountain Lions were once called) came near and 
started stalking him. Just as Joe saw it, the panther made a 
lunge for him. Joe then jumped over the fire to evade it, but 
the panther ran around the other side. Joe jumped back across 
the fire, and kept this see-sawing up for a while, until he got 
out of time and landed on the other side of the fire at the same 
time as the panther. The only weapon he had was his hands, which 
are said to have been very large. Joe was doing a good job of 
choking the panther to death, when his boys came running from the 
woods to make the kill. There was one less panther in Letcher 
County that day. 

He seems to have been fond of attending various social affairs 
all over the county. He was the undisputed "divider" at the fish 
seinings or trappings. When a large number of fish were caught, 
small piles were made of them. Joe would have the men who caught 
the fish turn their backs, then he would point to a pile and call 
out, "Whose pile is this?" Then one man would call back, "Thats my 
pile". This way, each man would choose his own fish, and there 
would be no quarrels between the men about someone being selfish. 
(Feuds have started over less). Ike Maggard of Isom once said that 
he could still hear the call, "Whose pile is this?", as if it was 
yesterday. He last heard this call as a youth. 

Though rugged, brave and individualistic to a marked degree, he was 
still kind and gentle. In his rides all over the county, he would 
always carry a bag of apples or candy. Upon seeing a child by the 
wayside, he would call to it, and hand down one of these favors. 
The late Dr. Isom of Blackey once said as a child, he was playing 
on a sandbar by the river, and looked up to see an old man astride 
a great white horse coming toward him. At first, he was frightened 
of the man, but soon came to his side when the man called to him. 
Old Joe handed down a treat to the child from his saddle bag. Those 
who regarded Joe as "Contrary" and given to a sarcastic moment now 
and then would have had a hard time convincing this small boy that 
the kindly old Judge was that way. 

Even in his old days, his stubborn courage was still evident. Once, 
while laying off some land, a neighbor was standing by, watching 
closely, intent on catching him in making a mistake, and thus lay 
claim to the land. A few angry words were exchanged, and the 
neighbor threatened to go get his gun and then return to kill Joe. 
He finally did go and get his gun, and sat a little way off by the 
roadside, waiting for the Judge to pass. With pride that he would 
rather die than admit to fear, old Joe rode right past his neighbor, 
calmly saying "Howdy" as he passed. Unknown to either of them, two 
of the Cornett boys were watching from ambush far up on the hill, 
with cocked guns aimed at the would-be killer.....just in case. 

Since he owned more land than he could ever use, he gave each of 
his children a farm as they got married, along with other favors. 
The other favors usually included featherbeds, a milk cow, or 
perhaps a new sewing machine. 

Joe was fond of the old Baptist hymns, and all the neighbors 
sometimes gathered at the Cornett home to have a hymn sing by 
the fireside. He had written some songs, a few of which are still 
sung in the Baptist Churches in Eastern Kentucky. One of these was 
called "Little Bessie" which I have heard sung many times in the 
churches. At one of these hymn sings, a humorous event took place. 
He had a granddaughter living there, who was later Sarah Caudill. 
Sarah told by her Uncle Bill to go and stand by the fireside while 
the singing was going on and just as soon as the singing stopped 
to sing out what he then whispered to her. She went to the fireside 
as she was told. When the last refrain of a very sad hymn had 
ceased, she sang out very loudly what went something like this: 
"Short tailed rooster and a long tailed crow: did you ever see 
the devil Uncle Joe, Uncle Joe". Well, Uncle Joe found the joke 
far from humorous and he made a grab for little Sarah threatening 
swift and furious punishment. Sarah fled to her grandmother's arms 
who had sensed why the girl did it. Sally shielded little Sarah, 
and reprimanded her Uncle Bill for his engineering the joke. Then 
grandma put Sarah to bed with a tin cup of milk and bread. The 
singing went on, and no doubt many a neighbor had a hard time 
keeping a straight face, in spite of all of the solemnity of 
the hymn sing. 

Joe was a member of the Sandlick Baptist Church near Whitesburq. 
He is remembered for his ability to keep order during meeting time. 
It was his compulsion to keep the young folks quiet and reverent 
while the singing was going on. Once he was attending a meeting 
on Rockhouse creek. The meeting was held under a large tree, 
because it was in the hot summertime. Some girls kept making 
frequent trips to the dense underbrush nearby. Rest rooms, even 
the out door type, were almost unknown in that part of Kentucky 
at that time. Old Joe took it as long as he could, and when the 
girls started for the brush for the "umpteenth" time he raised 
up and loudly called out, "If I was that bad off with kidney 
trouble, I'd have brought a gourd"! 

Long before his death, he had some coffins made for himself, 
and his wife, and put them in the upper story of his home. Little 
Sarah got curious about what these boxes were, and asked Joe about 
them. Joe explained that they were just some boxes in which he 
might put apples in sometime. 

He also had his grave stones made before his death. They were 
made of mountain stone from his beloved hills, and were carved 
into a design, popular even before those days. The gravestone 
maker used old Joe's sled to haul them to the Cornett home for 
approval. He brought them to the door of the house, and held them 
up for Joe to see. Though seriously ill (maybe on his death bed) 
the trading spirit had not left him. Then and there, he made a deal 
with the stonemaker to take his sled in payment for making the 
stones. These stones are now standing over Joe and his wife, now 
crumbling to dust, their lettering no longer visible, after eighty 
years of standing on that high hill in winter blast and summer sun. 

Judge Joseph Enoch Cornett, who was born on April 28, l8l4, died 
at his home on Dry Fork, Letcher County, Ky on May 30, 1891, aged 
77 years, one month, and two days. His wife Sally, lived on until 
April 19, 1892, and then went to be with Old Joe for eternity. 
There on a windswept hill, under brush and crumbling stones, 
rests that illustrious old Judge and his kind wife, foreparents 
of a large generation of Cornetts who are scattered throughout 
the hills and valleys around them, and to regions far beyond. The 
songs he wrote live on, and are shown on the following pages. 
"Little Bessie" has now been made into a country and western song, 
and has been heard far and wide. I cannot help but believe that the 
death of his 11- month old daughter Easter inspired this song. "The 
Orphan Girl" is probably pure imagination. 

-------------------------------------------
Image Source: Find A Grave/ Joseph Enoch Cornett
Article Source: Biography of Joseph Enoch Cornett






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Thursday, August 18, 2011

Sutherland Family Cemetery

I'm back! It's been awhile since I last posted any articles on my families genealogy. But research is very time consuming as I'm sure you know! I have been searching for any information leading to the Sutherland family, photos, stories and the like. Recently, I sent out an email requesting photos of the Sutherland family cemetery on findagrave.com. A special thank you to Peggy Cornett, who also granted her permission to display the photos of the cemetery which can be seen in this article. I am still researching the Sutherland's line and hope to one day solve the mystery of Alexander Sutherland- who seems to be eluding me at every turn! This poor forgotten cemetery needs a lot of work to make it beautiful again, maybe one day I can visit it for myself and clean up my families headstones! From the knowledge I have gathered so far, there isn't a marked grave for Alexander A Sutherland, so there is no way to tell exactly where he was buried.


Alexander Sutherland Cemetery Photos


Alexander Sutherland Cemetery_1








Image Source:  Peggy Greene, Photographer (displayed with her permission)

Friday, August 12, 2011

Alexander A. Sutherland- One Brick Wall I Want To Break Down

The following was taken from the Ancestry website, a story in my family tree. There is no particular source attached to the document. The best I can do as far as citing a source is displaying the actual web link. (http://trees.ancestry.com/tree/4843183/person/-877416113/story)


"Alexander was a native of Scotland and an English soldier during the Rev. War. Story has it that he was going up the gang plank to return home , but turned around, came back down and stayed in America." {WandaLena.FTW} Also, "SOUTHERLAND, Alexander. Will proved November 1843. Names wife, Peggy and children, Thomas, John, Joseph, Jane, Fillis, Peggy, Polly, Barbary and Phebe."
Grayson Co, Va wills 1793-1849--http://ls.net/~newriver/va/graywill.htm 


Daughter of Alexander Sutherland- Phyllis Sutherland


Phyllis Sutherland was born 14 SEP 1794 in Elk Creek, Grayson Co., Virginia, and died 29 OCT 1879 in Round Meadows, Grayson Co., Virginia.
She was buried in Griggs Hampton Cemetery, Grayson Co., Virginia.
She was the daughter of Alexander Sutherland and Margaret Elizabeth Bryan.
She married Griggs Hampton 20 MAY 1811 in Grayson Co., Virginia,
Griggs was son of Andrew Hampton and Sally Minor. He was born 22 NOV 1788 in Grayson Co., Virginia, and died 24 JAN 1860 in Round Meadows, Grayson Co., Virginia.
He was buried in Griggs Hampton Cemetery, Grayson Co., Virginia. Ahnentafel, Generation No. 2




Alexander Sutherland was born 1743 in County Sutherland, Scotland, and died NOV 1843 in Elk Creek, Grayson Co., Virginia.
He was buried in Alexander Sutherland Cemetery, Elk Creek, Grayson Co., Virginia.
Margaret Elizabeth Bryan was born 1771 in Culpepper, Virginia, and died 1845 in Elk Creek, Grayson Co., Virginia.
She was buried in Alexander Sutherland Cemetery, Elk Creek, Grayson Co., Virginia. She was the daughter of Joseph Bryan.




Children of Margaret Elizabeth Bryan and Alexander Sutherland are:
 i.John Thomas Sutherland I, born 17 FEB 1785, and died 26 JAN 1858 in Creston, North Carolina.
 He married Diadama Cornett 12 FEB 1807 in Elk Creek, Grayson Co., Virginia, daughter of David Cornett and Sarah Platt. She was born 17 NOV 1789 in Elk Creek, Grayson Co., Virginia, and died DEC 1863 in Creston, North Carolina.


 ii.Jane Sutherland was born 19 SEP 1787 in Elk Creek, Grayson Co., Virginia, and died 19 JUN 1869 in Elk Creek, Grayson Co., Virginia.


 iii.Joseph Alexander Sutherland was born 9 JUL 1788 in Elk Creek, Grayson Co., Virginia, and died 10 JAN 1867 in Mountain City, Johnson Co., Tennessee.
He married Sarah King.


 iv.John Sutherland was born 1790 in Elk Creek, Grayson Co., Virginia, and died 4 APR 1844 in Elk Creek, Grayson Co., Virginia.
He married Rhoda Isabella Johnson. She was born 15 MAY 1794, and died 9 MAR 1864.


 v.Phyllis Sutherland was born 14 SEP 1794 in Elk Creek, Grayson Co., Virginia, and died 29 OCT 1879 in Round Meadows, Grayson Co., Virginia.
She married Griggs Hampton 20 MAY 1811 in Grayson Co., Virginia, son of Andrew Hampton and Sally Minor. He was born 22 NOV 1788 in Grayson Co., Virginia, and died 24 JAN 1860 in Round Meadows, Grayson Co., Virginia.


 vi.Margaret Sutherland was born 2 FEB 1796, and died 2 DEC.
She married Burris Hale ABT 1816.


 vii.Mary Sutherland was born APR 1800 in Elk Creek, Grayson Co., Virginia, and died 1 MAR 1842. She married William Thomas 16 DEC 1819.
He was born 13 MAR 1802 in Salem, North Carolina, and died 15 FEB 1871.


 viii.Sarah Sutherland was born 1801.
She married Thomas B. Hail. He was born 3 SEP 1796, and died 8 APR 1892.


 ix.Barbara Sutherland was born 22 MAY 1805 in Elk Creek, Grayson Co., Virginia.
She married Peter Hackler II 12 FEB 1823 in Grayson Co., Virginia, son of Peter Hackler I and Mackalana Delp.
He was born ABT 1801 in Grayson Co., Virginia, and died ABT 1870 in Wythe Co., Virginia.


 x.Phoebe Sutherland was born 3 MAR 1808, and died 5 MAR 1885 in Grayson Co., Virginia.Ahnentafel, Generation No. 3






Child of Joseph Bryan is:


 i.Margaret Elizabeth Bryan was born 1771 in Culpepper, Virginia, and died 1845 in Elk Creek, Grayson Co., Virginia.
She married Alexander Sutherland 1784 in Fort Chiswell, Virginia. He was born 1743 in County Sutherland, Scotland, and died NOV 1843 in Elk Creek, Grayson Co., VA.


More about Alexander Sutherland:
1-: Was a British soldier in the Revolutionary War, who decided to stay here and fight against the British.
2-: 1796, Listed in the Grayson Co, Va Land Tax List- 500 acres, value 25, amt of tax-S-1 D-3
3-: 1810, Listed in the Grayson Co, Va. Tax list as having 2 tithables and 9 horses
4-: 1813, Listed in the Grayson Co, Va. Personal Property tax list as 1 tithe, 5 horses, tax 1.39
5-: 1824, Listed in the Grayson Co, VA. Personal Property Tax list as 1 white tithe 4 horses tax .48
6-: 1828, Listed in the Grayson Co,Va Persona Property Tax list as 0-white tithes, 0 black tithes, 0 negroes, 2 horses. tax-.48
7-: 1835, Listed in the Grayson Co,Va. Personal Property Tax list-tithes-1,
Burial: Unknown, Alexander Sutherland Cemetery, Elk Creek, Grayson Co, Va

Happy Aloha Friday!

Aloha Everyone!


I have been neglecting my blog as of late; so much going on here in the islands that I haven't been making time to do much research. I search here and there but haven't spent the man hours on researching as I have in past months. I have had requests of displaying the Cornett family tree on my blog, but since it is so extensive, it would have to be sectioned off into different postings! 


Sad to say, I'm still trying to locate information on Alexander Sutherland and have been in contact with researchers in the Edinburgh area of Scotland but it looks like he just disappeared into thin air. Who was this man? Why can I not find him anywhere? He has become such a mystery, that he makes me so much more curious and the need to find him is driving me crazy! Have you come across a brick wall that just won't budge?


Any ideas to share?



Thursday, August 4, 2011

David "Blue" Cornett and Phebe "Feby" Sutherland


David Cornett (November 3, 1805-January 25, 1886)
Feby Sutherland (March 15, 1808- March 5, 1885)
Married: February 22, 1826
Buried in Central Cemetery
Flat Ridge, Grayson County, Virginia


Children                       Birth                 Death            Spouse Name           Birth                Death

**Allen
03/27/1827
12/08/1844
N/A
N/A
N/A
*Rachel  Isobel
04/25/1828
11/18/1908
*Nelson Anderson
11/11/1824
4/16/1905
Peter
03/03/1829
11/11/1866
Aseneth Welch
09/11/1824
N/A
James Monroe
12/23/1831
03/13/1885
Polly Ann Cornett
12/25/1835
12/17/1900
*Lorenzy Dow
09/24/1833
01/24/1900
*Rose Ann Anderson
01/08/1840
05/08/1936
Joseph Alexander
03/16/1835
N/A
Mitchel Moore
N/A
N/A
*Margaret Jane
05/20/1837
05/06/1919
*Wesley Robinson
N/A
N/A
Dudley Jackson
03/30/1839
N/A
Virginia Evaline Livesay
02/25/1847
10/17/1904
*Wesley Isom
03/27/1841
08/03/1921
*Sarah Jane Livesay
11/03/1849
04/1933
*Barbara Evaline
01/02/1843
04/01/1894
Wiley Livesay
N/A
N/A
**Olive Melvine
06/12/1844
02/06/1847
(Died at 2 yrs, 8 months)
N/A
N/A
N/A
Nancy Levine
07/11/1846
N/A
? Cascio
N/A
N/A
*Stephen Thomas Columbus “Doc”
03/09/1849
08/15/1926
Elvira Lutitia McKee Weiss
09/21/1848
03/30/1923
**John
07/13/1851
03/13/1852
(Died at 8 months of age)
N/A
N/A
N/A


 ** Three children died young: Allen (#1), Olive Melvine (#11), and John (#14)
   *Buried at Central Cemetery, Grayson County, VA




A cousin I just recently made contact with through a genealogy source, sent the following photos of David and Feby Cornett's home. Someone else now owns the home and has for the past 30 years or so. If you can look past all the "debris" and just look at the main structures and woodwork, you will see what it would have been like at one time. The gentleman who lives here now, apparently gives tours of this old house to the descendants of David "Blue" Cornett and Phebe "Feby" Sutherland. I wish I lived closer because I would definitely take the tour of my 3rd Great Grandparents home!









Original 4x4 boards in the house. 
These are two of the boards in which were used to build the house. 
There are 2 rooms upstairs and 2 rooms downstairs.



This is a photo of the original ceiling inside the home.




Exterior of the house and the front porch.




The stairway from the kitchen maybe?
 It looks pretty steep too but not so narrow as I thought it might be.




Original flooring. Can you imagine what these floors 
would look like if they were sanded and buffed to a shine?
A touch of varnish or polyurethane and they would be brought back to life!




Original fireplace but looks as if it was closed up for some reason.


Photo Credit: Jo Ann Leifeste