My Cornett Family Tree Flowchart

Trying to explain my genealogy to others is a bit confusing as the Cornett lines seem to intertwine. A family member once told me that my grandmother Lucia R. Cornett married another Cornett (Walter Allen Cornett), so I have two different Cornett lines just based on my grandparents alone! So to start out, my father was Billy Edward Cornett > Walter Allen Cornett and Lucia R. Cornett (my grandparents) > Walter Allen Cornett's parents are Wiley Cornett and Izora Parks Cornett (My Great Grandparents on my Grandfathers side) > On Lucia Cornett's side, her parents are Stuart Marvin Monroe Cornett and Gincy Malinda Caroline Long. (My Great Grandparents from Lucia)

The images below show a flowchart of sorts of my family tree that I have filled in so far based on family research and documents that were given to me so many years ago.  I hope the flowchart makes some sense to those of you who may be curious as to how I may be related to the Cornett families of Grayson County, Virginia and also of Letcher and Perry County, Kentucky. I believe these places are where my ancestors may have settled. Granted, the flowchart doesn't show all siblings and their children, so this is a very basic flowchart just to give you an idea of sorts. The only discrepancy I noticed was in the last flowchart where it shows Mary Hicks and James Cornett as William Cornett's parents- the dates are all wrong and don't mesh with the rest of the tree itself. So please disregard that part of the tree; hopefully the rest is pretty accurate. 

I welcome any comments and look forward to them! 

Family Tree Flowchart from Geni.com (which I no longer use) but created snippets of the image and saved to my computer as a JPG file. 


Vector Image Source:

Title:	Lady at Computer
Creative image #:	97403135
License type:	Royalty-free
Photographer:	Amanda Bodack
Collection:	iStock Vectors
Credit:	Amanda Bodack

According to the family tree on Ancestry.com the information below shows the path from Earl "John" Cornett down to myself. Now all I need to do is verify this with documented evidence!

Earl "John" Cornett (1696 - 1782)

is your 8th great grandfather

James C Cornett Sr (1729 - 1796)

Son of Earl "John"

David Cornett (1750 - 1847)

Son of James C

James Cornett (1783 - )

Son of David

David Blue Cornett (1805 - 1886)

Son of James

James Monroe Cornett (1831 - 1885)

Son of David Blue

George Wesley Cornett (1858 - 1940)

Son of James Monroe

Stuart Monroe Cornett (1881 - 1966)

Son of George Wesley

Lucia Rose Cornett (1914 - 2010)

Daughter of Stuart Monroe

Billy E Cornett (1944 - 2001)

Son of Lucia Rose

Kelly Cornett

You are the daughter of Billy E - (not you?)

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Walter Allen Cornett Sr ~ UPDATED

My grandfather is being very elusive. I am having a hard time finding information on him. So far, I have some paperwork compiled by a family member of our family tree, some old black and white scanned photos, names, dates, and family members both past and present. Some are familiar to me and some are not. But that is the love of Genealogy research! Discovering family and learning, reading, and visualizing the lives they have led in the past.


But I will tell you what I do know of him so far. Walter Allen Cornett Sr. was born on December 29, 1909 and died nearly five years before I was born, he died on June 30, 1967. He married my grandmother, Lucia Rose Cornett on July 15, 1928. From what my mother tells me, they had 9 children together including a Dorothy Mae who was born on April 11,1930 and died May 10, 1930. She was only a month old when she passed away. I'm not sure what the cause of her death was. He was in the military, but I'm not sure which branch, what his rank was, military responsibilities, or even how long he was in the service.


According to the Social Security Death Index (SSDI), he was 57 years old and 5 months! Pretty exact I would say. I am still trying to find information on him, sent out emails, Facebook messages to family, and once I get more information I will be sure to post an update!


On Familysearch.org, I found the 1930 Census information on Walter's household during that time. The information found is below.


Name:Walter A Cornett
Census Event Date:1930
Event Place: Black Lick,Wythe,Virginia
Gender:Male
Age:21
Marital Status:Married
Race:White
Birthplace:Virginia
Estimated Birth Year:1909
Immigration Year: N/A
Relationship to Head of Household: Head (SELF)
Father's Birthplace:Virginia
Mother's Birthplace:Virginia
Enumeration District Number: 0004
Family Number:469
Sheet Number and Letter: 4B
Line Number: 59
Nara Publication:T626
Roll 2465
Film Number:2342199
Digital Folder Number:4547863
Image Number:00576


Walter A Cornett, Married at age 21 to Spouse Lucy R Cornett age 15.


Please Note: In the 1930 Federal Census- my grandmothers name is stated as Lucy R Cornett but in actuality her name is Lucia Rose Cornett. I guess that is the problem with Census takers, a lot of misspellings in the names and such, which makes it harder to discern your research at times.

Source Citation

"United States Census, 1930," index and images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/CJPG-ZW2 : accessed 16 May 2012), Walter A Cornett, Black Lick, Wythe, Virginia.

Below are some of the photos I have of them. Since I am in the process of moving, I will have to wait until I unpack and get settled to see if I have any other photos I can add to this blog about Walter! Please be patient....

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Cornett Family Genealogy Books

As I am scouring the internet for factual data, I just decided to Google my grandmother's name, Lucia Cornett. (Happy Mother's Day grams!)  I came across her online obituary and I can't believe almost two years has passed since she became one of God's perfect angels. I am saddened by her loss but at the same time I know I will one day meet her again. For those of you who know me personally, you know that I was a small child when my parents divorced and I moved away from the Cornett side of my family. This is where I want to apologize for not staying in close contact with my family. Yes, I was only 6 years old but still feel like maybe I could have at least wrote letters to my grandma or something? Who knows what could have been if I had. But on the bright side of the situation, I have made contact with my Cornett family on Facebook! We stay in touch, communicate, share photos and our life events as they are happening or will happen in the near future. For this, I am thankful.


Sorry for rambling, so back to the internet search! Searching Google I found another name that was familiar due to past research I have done in the past. Archelus Cornutt. It's discouraging as surnames have changed in their spellings over the centuries. Apparently there is a book out there somewhere called, Descendants of Archelus Cornutt: The Son of James Cornutt, 1743-1956 written by Hannah Alice Cornett Magee. I then "Googled" the books title and author and came across the Amazon web page- I must say I had no luck in finding the book because it is no longer in print. But doing more research on this matter, I found out that the book may be located at the Laurel County Historical Society in Kentucky. So now I am on the search for this book and hopefully I will have some luck tracking it down. I wonder if any of my Cornett relatives have a copy? It would be nice if I could even find an e-book for my Kindle regarding this particular book. By the way, I found out about this book by reading the Cornett Family Forums on Ancestry.com. I will share the link below if anyone is interested in this particular family lineage.


Links:
Laurel County, Kentucky Historical Society


Ancestry Cornett Surname Forum


Image Source: Cornett Family Crest

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Monday's Memories

Today was a beautiful day here in the islands of Hawaii. The photos below were taken with just an Iphone camera! Not bad for a cell phone camera. I would swear I was a beach bum or a mermaid in another life; as much as I love the ocean, I can never get enough of it! The water was just cold enough to be shocking to my sun kissed skin. 

The beach was full of both tourists and local people, you would think it was the weekend or summer break. I thoroughly enjoyed the cerulean blue water, the silky fine sand in between my toes, the balmy ocean breeze, and the smell of the salty air. When I go to places like this, I love to just watch people just to see what they do. Even though I live here, it's fun to watch the keiki's (young children) play in the water, carry their boogie boards- which looks much larger than the children. But they are having the time of their lives, trying to catch the colorful fish in their little sand buckets, building sand castles and just having fun like little kids do. They are so carefree and enjoyable to watch. This one little boy came up to me and my friend today with the biggest smile on his face, carrying a boogie board. How can you not smile back and say hello? 

Many people become so preoccupied with their own personal lives and the stress they may carry on their shoulders that they seem to forget to stop and take a look around them and consider the blessings that God has already given them. So when I feel all out of sorts and stressed, where do you think I go? I go to the beach of course! I go to my "happy place" and just sit down and watch the waves come in and go back out into the vast ocean. For me, it's very calming and it's almost like the waves pull all my stress and problems of the day and take it to the ocean. I hope that makes sense to whoever is reading this blog. But seriously, for me, the ocean has this peaceful way of making me feel like a brand new person. I end up being stress free and makes me feel like I can take on the world! 

These are my Monday Memories... 

                                                                                             

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DAR~ A Free Genealogy Resource

Image Source:
DAR Logo

DAR- Daughters of the American Revolution is a free resource for genealogists and offers aid in their research. The (GRS) Genealogical Research System is a collection of databases, which provides access to the many materials that have been collected over time. The DAR was founded in 1890, the members are passionate about their research findings and are committed to preservation of the history of our ancestors.


This genealogical resource has many volunteers who have scanned and indexed years worth of documents and other materials which can be found in the online database. There is a drawback to sharing this information with others, because of proprietary information and data, and under no circumstances may it be shared or published.


If you are like me, an amateur genealogist, or you may even be a genealogy expert, the DAR could be a stepping stone to finding your ancestral ties that you may have been seeking for so long. It is definitely worth a try, don't you think? Maybe we can knock down some of these brick walls we have encountered and find some really valuable documents that will only further our research and prove who we are and where we come from. It's not just about where you, your parents or grandparents were born and the dates of birth, or even how many children they may have had. To me, and this is my own personal opinion on the matter, genealogy research is about finding out more about who my family really was, what they looked like, their way of life, the career choices they may have made and so many other points of their lives and the direction that those points have taken them over the years. 


I recently received an email from a family member, who as it turns out, was researching the same family surnames that I was. Imagine not knowing that you had a family member and didn't even realize that they were family until you connected through a genealogy resource! Anyhow, back to the email! She has been verified by the DAR and is in the process of getting it signed by officials in Washington D.C. So I can't wait to find out if she was successful in finding the data she needs to prove her lineage and connection to James Canute Cornett! 


I am definitely going to be researching this DAR to gain a more in-depth understanding. So you may see future postings related to the Daughters of the American Revolution. Who knows, maybe I will also find information on some of my Sutherland and Canute ancestors.


Good luck in your research!

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The Mystery of My Grayson Family Heritage~ Will It Unfold or Be Untold?

Photo Courtesy: Darlene Cornett-Griffey (2012)

This past week has been all about making new contacts that would eventually help me in researching my Cornett ancestry and understanding exactly who they were. I found a connection and a book entitled, "Bicentennial Heritage Grayson County, Virginia 1793", which was published in 1995 by the Grayson County Bicentennial Foundation. This book is no longer in print, unless you are lucky enough to have a copy of it in your possession already.


My "connection" has sent to me, parts of this book as they relate to the Sutherland and Cornett families and to myself. Just scanning through these pages, I'm  thinking that my new "connection" might in actuality be related to me in some way, not just through the Sutherland lines, but also through the Cornett family too. How exciting is that? Finding a family member that has been researching the same families lineage that I am; I am super excited to read through these papers more. There are several pages of Cornett names and their ranks listed on both the American Revolutionary War and the Civil War pages. 


There is still the mystery that surrounds Alexander Sutherland (Southerland) and his wife, Margaret Elizabeth Bryan. Who were they really? What were their hobbies? Did Alexander like to hunt like most men back then? In what year did he move to Virginia from Scotland? What kind of life did they live? Will I ever find out who Alexander really was? So many questions, so few answers.


In my past posts, you've read about Alexander and his role in the British Army. I think I read somewhere that he was 2nd Lieutenant. But don't quote me on that just yet! He has been the most intriguing family member I have researched so far; probably because there are so many different views from so many other people, that the truth has yet to be documented. Alexander Sutherland is a true mystery; one that I hope I can solve one day. 

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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 from King 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

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And the Plot Thickens!

This past week, I've been researching and reading on my Cornett relatives even though I haven't been posting new articles as I go along. In the beginning of the week I received a book that I purchased on Amazon's web site, entitled, "Grayson County: A History in Words and Pictures".
I found a few things about my family personally inside and a couple of photos also, which was very exciting. I can actually put a face to the name now. The book explains the history of Grayson County and how it came to be what it is today. 

Image Source

Grayson County, Virginia Map

Among the events that happened in the 1700's is a story, which caught my attention and it's the legend of Caty Sage. She was kidnapped at a young age and given to Indians. Caty's mother had been at the creek, and came back to get clothes for washing when she found her daughter was missing. Caty grew up among the Indians and even spoke their language, she even married a Chief of the tribe, so when she was eventually found some fifty years later, she needed an interpreter as she no longer knew the English language. The sad part of the story is that when she was about to be reunited with her mother, the mother was already in her elderly years, and died before she was able to set eyes on her beloved daughter. There is so much history regarding Grayson County as a whole; before white man settled here, it was the hunting ground of many different Indian tribes, not only was settling in Indian territory one of the events of the time but the families had to deal with the effects of war too. 


Today, I am still researching my Cornett family and just enjoying the time I get to spend learning about them, their hardships, their way of life, their occupations, the way they dressed and a little about how they raised their children back in the day. It is one never ending journey that I have been taking one day at a time! As a family historian, researching your ancestors will never, ever really be completed, no matter how hard you try. I can't imagine someone saying "I'm done with my family tree!" Ummm....really? That's nice, but HOW? I don't even consider that a possibility! There are so many people in your tree that could be studied and their parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins and siblings, for generations and generations. I just don't see it happening like that. I don't think my research will ever be complete, at least not in my lifetime! 

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Random Acts of Genealogical Kindness

As I am researching my Cornett surname, I happen to come across another web site that I had to share! It's called Random Acts of Genealogical Kindness, where select volunteers offer to do look ups for people like myself, that cannot locate a particular document. In my case I was looking for a marriage record, which I couldn't find for my grandparents. After searching Ancestry.com and not really wanting to pay the price, at least not at the moment; I came across this little gem of a web site. The volunteers on the site have generously offered their time to do some genealogical research on my (visitor to the site) behalf. So really the only thing that must be reimbursed to the volunteer is copy and printing costs, postage, mileage, parking and the like. I didn't think that was such a bad deal! You never know unless you try, right? 

Image Source:

Random Acts Of Genealogical Kindness

So here's the link if you would like to try the services being offered.

Random Acts Of Genealogical Kindness

Awards

So for now, I have sent in my request and hopefully I will receive the results that I couldn't find elsewhere. Wish me luck! What would you do as a random act of kindness for another person? Comments are most welcome.

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The Mystery of My Grayson Family Heritage~ Will It Unfold or Be Untold?

This past week has been all about making new contacts that would eventually help me in researching my Cornett ancestry and understanding exactly who they were. I found a connection and a book entitled, "Bicentennial Heritage Grayson County, Virginia 1793", which was published in 1995 by the Grayson County Bicentennial Foundation. This book is no longer in print, unless you are lucky enough to have a copy of it in your possession already.

Image Source

Grayson Seal

My "connection" has sent to me, parts of this book as they relate to the Sutherland /Cornett families and myself. Just scanning through these pages, I'm  thinking that my new "connection" might in actuality be related to me in some way, not just through the Sutherland lines, but also through the Cornett family too. How exciting is that? Finding a family member that has been researching the same families lineage that I am; I am super excited to read through these papers more. There are several pages of Cornett names and their ranks listed on both the American Revolutionary War and the Civil War pages. 


There is still the mystery that surrounds Alexander Sutherland (Southerland) and his wife, Margaret Elizabeth Bryan. Who were they really? What were their hobbies? Did Alexander like to hunt like most men back then? In what year did he move to Virginia from Scotland? What kind of life did they live? Will I ever find out who Alexander really was? So many questions, so few answers.


In my past posts, you've read about Alexander and his role in the British Army. I think I read somewhere that he was 2nd Lieutenant. But don't quote me on that just yet! He has been the most intriguing family member I have researched so far; probably because there are so many different views from so many other people, that the truth has yet to be documented. Alexander Sutherland is a true mystery; one that I hope I can solve one day. 

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Phebie "Feby" Sutherland (Cornett)

Image: Personal Collection

Also Found Same Image On Find A Grave Web Page

(Link Source Below)

Feby was my 3rd great grandmother, born in 1809 and died in 1885; she married David "Blue" Cornett on February 22, 1826 in Climes Branch, Grayson County, Virginia. Feby was born in Elk Creek, Grayson County, Virginia. Place of burial is at Central Cemetery in Flat Ridge, Grayson, Virginia. 

Ancestry.com File: 
ID: I117654
Name: Phebe SUTHERLAND
Sex: F
Birth: 15 MAR 1808 in Montgomery County, Virginia
Death: 5 MAR 1885 in Grayson County, Virginia


Father: Alexander A. SUTHERLAND b: 3 JUN 1743 in Sutherland, Caithness, Scotland
Mother: Margaret Elizabeth BRYAN b: 1771 in Culpepper County, Virginia
Marriage 1 David Blue CORNETT b: 3 NOV 1805 in Grayson County, Virginia

• Married: 9 FEB 1826 in Grayson County, Virginia

Children

1.  Allen CORNETT b: 27 MAR 1827 in Grayson County, Virginia
2.  Peter CORNETT b: 3 MAR 1829 in Grayson County, Virginia
3.  Rachel Isabell CORNETT b: 25 APR 1828 in Grayson County, Virginia
4.  James Monroe CORNETT b: 23 DEC 1831 in Grayson County, Virginia
5.  Lorenzy Dowell "Dow" CORNETT b: 24 SEP 1833 in Grayson County, Virginia
6.  Joseph Alexander CORNETT b: 16 MAR 1835 in Virginia
7.  Margaret Jane CORNETT b: 30 MAY 1837 in Grayson County, Virginia
8.  Dudley Jackson CORNETT b: ABT 1838 in Grayson County, Virginia
9.  Wesley Isom CORNETT b: 27 MAR 1841 in Grayson County, Virginia
10.  Barbara Eveline CORNETT b: 2 JAN 1843 in Grayson County, Virginia
11.  Olive Melvine CORNETT b: 12 JUN 1844 in Grayson County, Virginia
12.  Nancy Levine CORNETT b: 11 JUL 1846 in Grayson County, Virginia
13.  Stephen Thomas Columbus "Doc" CORNETT b: 19 MAR 1849 in Grayson County, Virginia
14.  John Wesley CORNETT b: 13 JUL 1851 in Grayson County, Virginia

Image from Find A Grave WebPage

Photos Submitted by: Clinton G.

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Hamon de Weston, Lord of Weston

Name: Hamon de Weston , Lord of Weston ¹
Sex: M
ALIA: Hamo /de Betterton/
Title: Sir
Name: Hamo de Weston ²
Birth: ABT 1137 in Weston, Staffordshire, England ¹
Birth: 1137 in Weston & Newton, Staffordshire, England ³
Death: AFT 1212 ¹
Death: BET 1212 AND 1214 ⁴
Event: Fact Ld of Weston & Newton


Father: Robert FitzRalph de Weston b: ABT 1113 in Weston, Staffordshire, England


Marriage 1 Agnes b: ABT 1140 in Staffordshire, England

Children

1.  John de Weston , Lord of Weston b: ABT 1169 in Weston, Staffordshire, England

I will be continuing my research on Hamon de Weston, Lord of Weston. I'll be sure to add anything I find to this site. There is a lot of research on him that needs to be read, but until then....

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