When ThruLines tells you one thing, but the records tell you another
Right around the time that I first started doing genealogy, Ancestry introduced ThruLines. I can not reiterate enough that I have never attempted genealogy without DNA and I have never confirmed DNA findings without paper genealogy. I learned to use them both together and it is practically impossible to separate the two for me while doing research.
As a new researcher, I was loving ThruLines. I’m sure most of you can remember your excitement when it first came out. For anybody NOT familiar with how ThruLines works (without going into the explanation of WHY it works or the algorithms that Ancestry uses), basically, based on your tree and the trees of your DNA matches, ThruLines “suggests” who your direct line ancestors could be all the way up to your fifth great-grandparents. If you expand one of these suggestions, it shows you how your other DNA matches are also related to you based on this Most Recent Common Ancestor, or “MCRA”.
Obviously, this tool is quite powerful, but it is only as good as the trees inputted by ourselves and our DNA matches. I think that most of us have ran across a situation in our research where there is a commonly held belief about our family line and, often, that is because it was published in an old family history book by a previous researcher and is now considered “the gospel” regarding your family line. In order to correct the record for yourself and other researchers going forward, you must systematically go through every point and every source document to create an undisputable record of the correct parentage.
My third great-grandmother was a woman named Sarah Ann “Sallie” Harris (b. abt. SEP 1852 d. SEP 1932 m. George Hanson “Hans” Montgomery). The trees I encountered on Ancestry listed Joshua Harris(s) (b. 25 APR 1797 d. 3 AUG 1873) and Temperance Ann Lundy (b. 18 DEC 1802 d. 10 MAY 1862) as her parents. DNA proved that Sallie is related to this branch of the Harris family, but the correct lineage needed to be determined.
Immediate arguments against Joshua Harris and Temperance Lundy being the parents of Sarah Ann “Sallie” Harris:
(1) Temperance Ann Lundy would have been 51 years old at the time of Sallie’s birth.
(2) The last known child birthed by Temperance Ann Lundy was James Monroe Harris who was born 23 AUG 1843, nearly 10 years earlier than Sallie.
(3) Joshua Harris and Temperance Lundy already had a daughter named “Sarah” (Sarah E Harris b. 29 DEC 1937 d. 28 AUG 1905 m. John King) and she was still living at the time that Sallie was born on or about SEP 1852. This is not conclusive as some parents do name more than one child the same name sometimes, but it is less likely when the first child given the name is still alive at the time of the second child’s birth.
Based on these three points above, I felt that careful research should be done before accepting popular opinion that Joshua Harris and Temperance Ann Lundy were the parents of Sarah Ann “Sallie” Harris. Collateral lines needed to be researched and documented for clues to help fill in the blanks. As is usually the case, no one document contained conclusive information alone however when the data is looked at in totality, I think the picture becomes quite clear and obvious regarding Sallie’s parentage.
Arguments that John Wesley Harris and Elizabeth Jane Hays are the parents of Sarah Ann “Sallie” Harris:
(1) DNA confirms that Sallie is descended from Joshua Harris and Temperance Ann Lundy, so one of their children is a good place to start researching closer.
(2) Sallie’s second son is named John Wesley Montgomery. Her first son was named George, after his father and Sallie’s husband. Popular naming conventions at the time would lean towards the second son being named after the mother’s side of the family. While naming a son after a brother is not unheard of or impossible, it is much more likely that the second son would be named after his maternal grandfather than a maternal uncle.
(3) John Wesley Harris and Elizabeth Jane Hays were married in December of 1852. Sallie was born abt. 1853 or, according to the 1900 Census, SEP 1852.
Documented research leading me to this conclusion:
(1) The 1860 Federal Census for District 28, Early, Georgia lists the following household (Year: 1860; Census Place: District 28, Early, Georgia; Roll: M653_120; Page: 609; Family History Library Film: 803120):
Joshua Harris and family on the 1860 federal census.
Dwelling 117
Harris Joshua M Age 62 Born in North Carolina
Temperance F Age 56 Born in North Carolina
Howell M Age 19 Born in Georgia
James M Age 17 Born in Georgia
Drusilla F Age 6 Born in Georgia
Thomas M Age 4 Born in Georgia
Evidentiary items of note regarding the information contained within this 1860 census:
1. Sarah Ann “Sallie” Harris was not enumerated on the census, however she most likely would have been if she were their child.
2. Two younger children were living with Joshua and Temperance Harris: Drusilla and Thomas with the inferred last name “Harris.” Drusilla was six years old causing her to be born abt. 1854, which is very close to Sallie’s age, however, the names are so different that this data can almost surely be excluded. On the 1870 census of Joshua Harris’ home (see Item (2) below), there was a Thomas Jenkins, age 13, living at his home. Drucilla Jinkins, age 16, was living in the home of James Hays as a someone employed to do housework. James Hays married Mary Ann Jenkins, the oldest daughter of Nancy Jane Harris and Clarke E. Jenkins. Drusilla and Thomas Jenkins were the children of Nancy Jane Harris, the second daughter of Joshua Harris and Temperance Lundy, who passed away prior to 1859. Just as Nancy named her eldest daughter “Mary Ann” after her first younger sister who died in infancy, she likely named her second daughter “Drusilla” after her second younger sister, Drusilla, who died as a toddler.
(2) 1870 Federal Census for Districts 4 and 5, Early, Georgia lists the following household (Year: 1870; Census Place: District 4 and 5, Early, Georgia; Roll: M593_148; Page: 1A; Family History Library Film: 545647):
Joshua Harris and family on the 1870 census.
Dwelling 1
Harris Joshua Age 72 M Born in NC
James M Age 25 M Born in GA
Phoeby Age 25 F Born in GA
Joshua Age 6/12 M Born in GA
Matilda Age 14 F Born in AL (inferred
last name was Harris,
listed as Color “B”
and Occupation
“Nurse”)
Jenkins Thomas Age 13 M Born in GA
Evidentiary items of note regarding the information contained within this 1870 census:
1. Sarah Ann “Sallie” Harris was not enumerated on the census, however more than likely she would have been if she were their child given that she would have only been 16 years old at the time.
2. Please refer to Evidentiary Note (1) 2. listed above.
(3) Westly Harris and Elizabeth Jane Hays were married on 2 Dec 1852 per Marriages, Book 2, 1834-1853 Ancestry.com. Georgia, Marriage Records from Select Counties, 1828-1978, page 201 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2013. Original data: County Marriage Records, 1828–1978. The Georgia Archives, Morrow, Georgia.
Marriage record for Westly Harris and Elizabeth Hays.
(4) 1860 Federal Census for Miller, Georgia lists the following household (Year: 1860; Census Place: Miller, Georgia; Roll: M653_130; Page: 530; Family History Library Film: 803130):
John W Harris and family on 1860 census.
Dwelling 164
John W Hanng <Harris> Age 25 M
E Age 25 F
Sarah Age 7 F
Joshua Age 5 M
H Age 3 M
Mary Age 2 F
Mrs. Hays Age 48 F
M Mconu Age 24 M
This family was also living right next door to William Hays (whose relationship to Elizabeth Jane Hays and Mrs. Hays I have not yet determined at this time).
(5) John W Harris enlisted in Georgia’s Company A, 51st Regiment on 4 Mar 1862. This was a volunteer infantry regiment of Early County. John W Harris was absent for the January and February 1863 muster rolls. A coffin was ordered for him on 14 Nov 1863. Review Compiled Service Records of Confederate Soldiers who Served in Organizations from the State of Georgia for verification.
(6) From Source number: 4001.000; Source type: Electronic Database; Number of Pages: 1; Submitter Code: JEN Source Information Yates Publishing. U.S. and International Marriage Records, 1560-1900 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2004:
Elizabeth Jane Harris married Benjamin Frank Stegall (b. Abt 1843 in GA)
(7) 1900 Federal Census for Mayhaw, Miller, Georgia lists the following household (Year: 1900; Census Place: Mayhaw, Miller, Georgia; Page: 13; Enumeration District: 0056; FHL microfilm: 1240211):
Benjamin Stegall and wife Elizabeth on the 1900 census.
Dwelling 252
Stegall Benjamin M Mar 1843 57 Married 30 years
Elizabeth F Oct 1835 64 Married 30 years Birthed 9
Children; 4
Living
Evidentiary items of note regarding the information contained within this 1900 census:
1. Elizabeth and Benjamin Frank Stegall had been married for 30 years as of the 1900 census, i.e., married by 1870. We are not sure if this is an estimate as there was a 3 year-old child living with Frank Stegall on the 1870 census and John Wesley Harris had passed away in 1862.
2. As of 1900, Elizabeth had 9 children, 4 of which were still living.
(8) 1870 Federal Census for Miller, Georgia lists the following households (Year: 1870; Census Place: Miller, Georgia; Roll: M593_165; Page: 429A; Family History Library Film: 545664):
Annie Hays living next to daughter Elizabeth Stegall and son-in-law Frank Stegall on the 1870 census.
a. Dwelling 409
Annie Hays Age 58 F Born in Georgia
b. Dwelling 410
Stegall Elizabeth Age 32 F Born in Georgia
Sarah Ann Age 14 F Born in Georgia
c. Dwelling 411
Stegall Frank Age 27 M Born in Georgia
Howell Age 12 M Born in Georgia
Mary Age 10 F Born in Georgia
No Name Age 3 M Born in Georgia
Evidentiary items of note regarding the information contained within this 1870 census:
1. Annie Hays is 58 years old on this 1870 census and Mrs. Hays was 48 years old on the 1860 census. Further research has led me to believe that this is the same woman and that she was Elizabeth Jane Hays’ mother, living right next to her daughter.
2. The third child living with Frank Stegall is “No Name.” Considering that the child is 3 years old at the time of the census, I think that it is safe to assume that Frank Stegall would have known the name of the child. This lends itself to the high likelihood that the Stegall family (or families) were not at home at the time the census taker stopped by and a neighbor helpfully gave as much information as they could regarding the Stegall family. It explains why the children are listed with the last name of “Stegall” instead of “Harris” as well.
3. Sallie’s middle name was “Ann” (sometimes listed as “Annie” as well). Likely named in honor of her maternal grandmother and/or her paternal Grandmother (whose middle name was also “Ann”).
4. “Howell” is a Harris family name.
(9) 1880 Federal Census for Miller, Georgia lists the following households (Year: 1880; Census Place: Colquitt, Miller, Georgia; Roll: 158; Page: 388A; Enumeration District: 044):
Geo Montgomery and family living next to his brother-in-law Howell Harris on the 1880 census.
a. Dwelling 44
Montgomery Geo M Age 29 GA GA GA
Sarah F Age 25 Wife GA GA GA
George M Age 6 Son GA GA GA
John M Age 4 Son GA GA GA
Eva F Age 2 Dau GA GA GA
Romulus M Age 3/12 Son GA GA GA
b. Dwelling 45
Harris Howell M Age 23 GA GA GA
Evidentiary items of note regarding the information contained within this 1880 census:
1. George and Sarah Montgomery are living next to Howell Harris.
2. The ages of Sarah Montgomery and Howell Harris closely align with the ages of Sarah Ann Harris and Howell Harris on the 1860 and 1870 censuses shown above.
3. “John” is the name of Sarah’s father and the name of her 2nd born son (her first born being named George, after her husband)
4. Sarah’s parents are listed as being from Georgia, not North Carolina as Joshua Harris and Temperance Lundy were from. Although this is not conclusive as mistakes were often made during the census recordings.
(10) 1900 Federal Census for Cedar Springs, Early, Georgia lists the following household (Year: 1900; Census Place: Cedar Springs, Early, Georgia; Page: 7; Enumeration District: 0048; FHL microfilm: 1240193):
HR Montgomery living with mother, Sallie, and sister, Emma on the 1900 Census.
Dwelling 127
Evidentiary items of note regarding the information contained within this 1900 census:
1. Sallie Montgomery is listed as married. There are tax records from 1890 for G. Hans Montgomery and Sallie Montgomery (Militia District Number: 13; Post Office: Colquitt. Year: 1890. Ancestry.com. Georgia, Property Tax Digests, 1793-1892 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2011. Original data: Georgia Tax Digests [1890]. 140 volumes. Morrow, Georgia: Georgia Archives.)
G Hans and Sallie Montgomery on the 1890 Tax Digest of Miller County, Georgia.
At the time of this discovery, I thought that it was likely that she is a new widow at the time that this census was taken. Additional information about further research into this area is a genealogy adventure all of its own and will be covered in detail in a later post.
2. “Emma” is the name of one of Sallie’s half-sisters from her mother’s marriage to Benjamin Frank(lin?) Stegall. It is possible that she named her 2nd daughter after her younger sister who died in infancy.
3. Sallie’s parents are once again listed as both being from Georgia.
(11) 1910 Federal Census for Cedar Springs, Early, Georgia lists the following household (Year: 1910; Census Place: Cedar Springs, Early, Georgia; Roll: T624_184; Page: 1A; Enumeration District: 0076; FHL microfilm: 1374197):
Sarah Montgomery with son John W on the 1910 Census.
Dwelling 9
Evidentiary items of note regarding the information contained within this 1910 census:
1. Sarah H Montgomery is listed as married, but no husband is enumerated on the census in her household. She is listed as “Head. “Years Married” is only listed as 20 on this census.
2. Her middle initial listed as “H” most likely represents her maiden name “Harris.”
3. Sallie’s parents are once again listed as both being from Georgia.
(12) 1920 Federal Census for Altha, Calhoun, Florida lists the following households (Year: 1920; Census Place: Altha, Calhoun, Florida; Roll: T625_214; Page: 2A and 6B; Enumeration District: 16):
Sallie A Montgomery on the 1920 Census.
Dwelling 18
Montgomery Sallie A Head F Age 66 GA GA GA
Howell R Montgomery and family on 1920 Census.
Dwelling 105
Montgomery Howell R Head M Age 39 GA GA GA
Ella E Wife F Age 41 GA GA GA
Gordon H Son M Age 16 GA GA GA
Charlie H Son M Age 15 GA GA GA
John R Son M Age 13 GA GA GA
Lollie L Dau F Age 10 GA GA GA
Ella D Dau F Age 6 FL GA GA
Fannie L Dau F Age 4 FL GA GA
Bonnie L Dau F Age 1 FL GA GA
Evidentiary items of note regarding the information contained within this 1920 census:
1. There is no Sarah H, Sarah Ann, or Sallie Montgomery that is anywhere within the correct age range listed on any 1920 census in Early or Miller County, GA.
2. Sallie’s parents are once again listed as both being from Georgia.
3. On previous censuses, Howell R Montgomery was listed “Romulus” or “HR” Montgomery. It wasn’t until the 1910 census (Year: 1910; Census Place: Militia District 903, Miller, Georgia; Roll: T624_201; Page: 8B; Enumeration District: 0102; FHL microfilm: 1374214) that his first name was finally spelled out as “Howell” which is a direct Harris family name.
4. Any question as to why Sallie would move to Altha, FL is answered once we realize that her son also moved to Altha, FL.
(13) 1930 Federal Census for Florala, Covington, Alabama lists the following households (Year: 1930; Census Place: Florala, Covington, Alabama; Page: 2A; Enumeration District: 0017; FHL microfilm: 2339745):
Sallie Montgomery, grandmother, listed with her family on the 1930 Census.
Dwelling 21
Newberry J Owen Head M Married Age 44 GA GA GA
Emma Wife F Married Age 43 GA GA GA
Mildred Dau F Divorced Age 19 GA GA GA
Leslie Son M Single Age 17 GA GA GA
Groomer John Boarder M Widowed Age 50 GA GA AL
Dean Melvin Head M Married Age 22 GA GA AL
Gladys Wife F Married Age 21 GA GA GA
Montgomery Sallie Grandmother F Widowed Age 78 GA GA GA
Evidentiary items of note regarding the information contained within this 1930 census:
1. There is no Sarah H, Sarah Ann, or Sallie Montgomery that is anywhere within the correct age range listed on any 1930 census in Early or Miller County, GA or Altha, Calhoun, FL.
2. Sallie’s parents are once again listed as both being from Georgia.
3. Emma Newberry is Emma Elizabeth Montgomery (Middle name possibly chosen in honor of Sallie’s mother, Elizabeth Jane Hays) who married Jessie Owen Newberry in 1906. Gladys Dean is Emma’s oldest daughter.
(14) From "Alabama Deaths and Burials, 1881–1952." Index. FamilySearch, Salt Lake City, Utah, 2009, 2010. Index entries derived from digital copies of original and compiled records:
Name: Sallie Annie Montgomery
Birth Date: Abt 1854
Birth Place: Clear Springs, Fla.
Death Date: 27 Aug 1932
Death Place: Florala, Covington, Ala
Death Age: 78
Race: While
Marital Status: Widowed
Father’s Name: John Wesley Harris
Father’s Birth Place: Georgia
Mother’s Name: Annie Elizabeth Harris
Mother’s Birth Place: Georgia
Spouse Name: George H Montgomery
I ran across this death information rather early in my records search for Sarah or Sallie Harris Montgomery. On Ancestry, the record looked like this:
Indexed record for Sallie Annie Montgomery on Ancestry. No original image available.
When I originally ran across this record, I dismissed it almost right away (Hint ignored!). DNA proved that I had almost 40 DNA matches to Joshua Harris and Temperance Lundy. Family tree after family tree listed Sarah Ann “Sallie” Harris as the daughter of Joshua Harris and Temperance Lundy. Combine those two items, and it seemed a no-brainer. I wasn’t until I stepped back from my research and started matching up the “Sarah Harris” on the census with Joshua and Temperance Harris that I realized that they couldn’t be the same person. The ages didn’t match. Then I noticed how old Temperance would have had to have been when Sallie was born (right at 50 years old) and that seemed unlikely. The Sarah Harris listed on the 1850 census with her parents went on to marry John Jefferson King and my 3rd great-grandmother Sallie Harris Montgomery was definitely married to my 3rd great-grandfather, George Hans Montgomery. That’s when I embarked on the journey to figure out this mystery. DNA told me I was on the right ultimate path, but paper genealogy was letting me know that I had taken a wrong turn somewhere. I discovered items 1-13 above and I felt very confident that I had solved the mystery. Only after I had already convinced myself did I stumble across the death information again. And when I did, I literally gasped out loud. The information that months ago had been “so off” that I dismissed it as soon as I saw it, suddenly confirmed everything I had pieced together. It wasn’t an exact match (her mother is listed as “Annie Elizabeth Harris” – but that is most likely the result of a younger generation filling out the death certificate information and combining Elizabeth Hays’ name with her mother Annie m. Hays’ name)
I have since learned so much more about Sallie and her mother Elizabeth and her husband Hans. Many more posts will be dedicated to fleshing out these people and making their stories come alive!