Finding Family

Today was such a special day!  I heard from a cousin on Mother's side of the family.  She found my blog while doing her family tree research.  Nancy's grandmother,  Esther Marion Pollard, and my great-grandmother, Lura Tanner, were cousins.   Nancy lives in Seattle with her family, and I would never have known that we have 'family' there if she had not contacted me.  It is so exciting to find out about our Pollard family!  I've been learning a lot about the Iles, Rutledges, and Tanners, from Nancy's family tree.

The Iles Girls

Sunny, Peaches, Dottie.  I think this photo, above, was taken at Linnie's wedding.             
This was probably taken in 1925 or there abouts.   Dottie, Sunny, Nanny, and Peaches

Family History

Growing up in the South, we always knew that family was very important, not just brothers and sisters, but family, way back to the beginning.  At least to the War of Northern Aggression.  We still believed that no matter what your bank account said, your family was the  important thing.  My Aunt Dotty has provided the research for her mother's side of the family.  It seems the first person we can find in our family goes back to the 10th generation, and is a man by the name of the Hon. Paul Grimball, born in England, prior to 1682, and died on Edisto Island  in South Carolina, 1696.  His wife Mary was born in England and died before 1720.  Paul Grimball was a Proprietor's Deputy, 1683; Secretary of the Province of S.C. 1686;  Member of the Grand Council, 1685-1686;  Receiver General & Escheator, 1687-88(Escheat goes back to English common law: a doctrine that operates to ensure that property is not left in limbo and owner less), Surveyor General, 1696.  His son, Thomas, born in England prior to 1682, died between 1722 and 1724, married Elizabeth Adams in South Carolina, before 1707.  Elizabeth was born before 1690, and died before 1722.  Their son,  Paul Grimball born about 1700, died about 1750. Paul and his second wife, Mary, were married on Edisto Island about 1740.  Mary died  sometime after 1780. 

    Paul and Mary's daughter, Anne Grimball, now our 7th generation back, was born about 1749 and died before 1825.  She married Peter Robert, born 1738 and died before 1825.  Peter and Anne were married  Beaufort District, SC about 1765.

    On August 30, 1774 their daughter Providence Robert was born. She died January 14, 1856.  Her husband Robert Tanner was born February 14, 1769, and died September 28, 1839. They, also, were married in Beaufort District, SC on February 14, 1793.

  Paul Jabez Tanner was born to Providence and Robert  on April 22, 1810.  He died December 26, 1863.  Paul married Esther Providence Bettison, who was born September 30, 1815, and died April 7, 1871.  Paul and Esther were married in Cheneyville, Louisiana on June 6, 1833.  Because of the date of Paul's death, I wonder if he died in the War between the States.

  Linn Tanner was the son of Paul and Esther Tanner.  He was born December 31, 1838 and died July 21, 1910.  On August 11, 1859, in Fayetteville, Arkansas, he married Fannie P. Pollard.  Fannie was born January 30, 1840, and died July 14, 1916.

  Their daughter, Lura Tanner, was born June 4, 1866 and died October 30, 1935.  She married Joseph Morrison Rutledge in Cheneyville, LA on February 8, 1887.  More than likely at her father's plantation.  Joseph was born on January 4, 1862 and died October 27, 1940.

   Mother's mother, Linnie Rutledge, was born at her father Joseph's plantation, on June 6, 1893, and died of cancer in 1958, Oakdale, LA.  She married Dr. Blanchard Iles in Cheneyville, LA on February 8, 1916.  Dr. B. was born on December 20, 1891 and died in 1969, also in Oakdale.

  Mother's mother,Linnie, was one of ten children.   If we were still counting generations, the Hon. Grimball would be the 11th generation, or is it 12 or 13, now.

Another Beautiful Day

It's another beautiful day in East Texas. I have the doors open to the screen porch and can smell the tea olive (osmanthus frangrans), which Dad grew in Georgia, along with hundreds of camellias, which always makes me smile.  My maternal grandmother, Linnie Rutledge,(1893-1958) grew up in Chaneyville where her mother's family, the Tanners, owned most of the land.  I remember Mom talking about her grandfather Rutledge's plantation and how each of the children had someone to take care of them while they were growing up; how at the end of the year, accounts would be settled, and his wife called into question the cases of bananas, which was a code he was using for something else!  My grandfather, Dr. B., (Blanchard Iles 1891-1969) was a dentist in Oakdale.  He grew up in the Sugartown-Dry Creek area.  His father raised goats, and my grandfather knew he didn't want to do that, so he borrowed a $100.00 and went to Atlanta and worked his way through dental school, handling cadavers.  Peaches said that all the bachelors in Oakdale would always meet the trains that came to check out ladies that might be arriving.  My grandmother got off the train and my grandfather picked her.  Nanny was a teacher before they married.  She taught Sunday School at the Baptist Church for many years, even though she belonged to the Christian Church.