Pitfalls: Some Approved Genealogies Are Wrong

One of the giants in genealogy, Milton Rubincam, wrote a book in 1987 entitled “Pitfall in Genealogical Research”. The first chapter of his book is entitled “The Sanctity of The Printed Word” basically expounding the notion that blind acceptance of printed genealogies is fool-hardy.

In this article we will look at the sanctity of the printed word and reinforced the idea that printed genealogical information can in fact be misrepresented, manufactured and presented as factual.

I have been doing genealogical research for many years. We all make mistakes and I am positive there are mistakes in my database and in words that I have written; but, I can assure you they were not deliberate.

First, to all the new “budding” genealogists and family historians I would offer this advice: Do not believe anything you read on-line until you confirm that it true and you have an Original Source Document in hand verifying/confirming the information you found on-line.

Case in point is this Sons of American Revolution (SAR) Membership form approved and verified by  genealogy experts at SAR headquarters in Louisville, Kentucky.

A partial view of the Approved SAR application is shown to make a point and information has been excluded to protect the identity of the applicant.

The basis of this SAR application is that:

Sarah Bush Boatwright, b. 12 August 1856, Augusta, Georgia, died 19 October 1917 in Miami, Florida is the Daughter of George Boatwright and Mary Bush and that George is the Son of Lewis Boatwright an Margaret Elizabeth Davis. Margaret Elizabeth Davis is the daughter of Thomas Davis and Nancy Rivers and Nancy Rivers is the daughter of Frederick Rivers.

Lewis Boatwright and his wife Elizabeth Davis, Thomas Davis and Frederick Rivers are my ancestors. I have spent many hours researching these individuals.

So let evaluate this application and discuss some irregularities in the application.

We will start at the top.

Assertion: Sarah Bush Boatwright, b. 12 August 1856, Augusta, Georgia, died 19 October 1917 in Miami, Florida is the Daughter of George Boatwright and Mary Bush and that George is the Son of Lewis Boatwright an Margaret Elizabeth Davis.

Response. I don’t know who Sarah Bush Boatwright is but I have found no evidence that George R. Boatwright, Son of Lewis Boatwright had a daughter named Sarah Bush and he certainty DID NOT marry Mary Bush.

Assertion: Sarah Ann BUSH, b. 12 August 1856, Augusta, Georgia, died 19 October 1917 in Miami, Florida is the Daughter of George Boatwright and Mary Bush.

Response: This portion of this application may be correct; but, this George Boatwright IS NOT the son of Lewis Boatwright that married Margaret Elizabeth Davis.

Assertion: George Boatwright, b. 1823, d. 1864 married Mary Bush in 1849. She was born 1826 and died in 1876. George is the Son of Lewis Boatwright an Margaret Elizabeth Davis.

Reponse: Lewis Boatwright and his wife Elizabeth Davis oldest son was George R. Boatwright. George was married to Lauretta Hurst and she died young on 8 August 1863. George R. Boatwright never left Chesterfield and can be found in census and land records from his birth to his death on 9 April 1894. He did have a daughter named Sarah; but, her name was Sarah Catherine Boatwright and she married William J. Freeman abt 1891. There was no wife or child named MARY in George’s family.

Assertion: George Boatwright, b. 1823, d. 1864 married Mary Bush in 1849
George R. Boatwright, son of Lewis Boatwright was b. 19 Jan 1819 and died 8 Apr 1894. (Does not match above assertion). George Boatwright in the SAR App was b. in 1823 and died in 1864.

George R. Boatwright b. 1819 married Lauretta Hurst about 1852. (The Census shows wife Lauretta not wife Mary).

1860 CENSUS: Chesterfield County, South Carolina; Roll: M653_1217; Image 294; Family History Library Film: 805217; Page 145, Line 13, Dwelling 725, Family 725; G. R. Boatwright, age 38; his wife Lauretta Boatwright, age 27; Elizabeth Boatwright, age 7; Harriett Boatwright, age 6; Loretta Boatwright, age 3 and Lewis Boatwright, age 4/12.

George/George R. is enumerated in 1850-1880 Census for Chesterfield County with no indication he ever left the state.[1] [2] [3] [4]

The George Boatwright on the SAR application married in 1849 and was 4 years younger than George R. Boatwright, son of Lewis. George R. Boatwright was single and living with his parents who both were still living in 1850.[5]

1850 CENSUS: Chesterfield, Chesterfield County, South Carolina; Roll M432_851 ; Image: 359, Film #0444814, Page 177B, Line 31, Dwelling 1214, Family 1214; Lewis BOATWRIGHT, age 52, Farmer born in SC; Elizabeth BOATWRIGHT, age 50, born in SC; George BOATWRIGHT, age 27, born in SC; Samuel BOATWRIGHT, age 19, born in SC; Meary BOATWRIGHT, age 15, born in SC; Sarah BOATWRIGHT, age 13, born in SC; Calvin BOATWRIGHT, age 10, born in SC; Lucinda BOATWRIGHT, age 07, born in SC.

George R. Boatwright was born on 19 Jan 1819 and died on 9 Apr 1894 at the age of 75 in Chesterfield, Chesterfield, South Carolina.

George R. Boatwright and Lauretta Hurst were married about 1852 in Chesterfield County, South Carolina.

Lauretta Hurst, daughter of Isaac Hurst and Henrietta Rivers, was born in 1831.[6] [7] [8] She died on 8 Aug 1863 at the age of 32 in Chesterfield, Chesterfield, South Carolina.

The Will of George R. Boatwright names daughters Elizabeth McBride, Lauretta Boatwright, Sarah C. Boatwright, grandson Irvin Brock and son Drury L. Boatwright.[9]
This is the key document in exposing the falsehood of the above application. 

George and Lauretta had 6 children of which one son died young. When he wrote his WILL his wife Lauretta  and daughter, Harriette "Hennie" Boatwright Brock had passed away. Harriette left one surviving son - Irvin Samuel Brock. George names all his surviving children and this grandson in his WILL. 

George R. Boatwright and Lauretta Hurst had the following children:
i. Elizabeth R. Boatwright, born 1853 married Andrew J. McBride; died 30 Jul 1916, Chesterfield, Chesterfield, South Carolina.
ii. Hariett "Hennie" Boatwright, born 8 May 1854, Chesterfield, Chesterfield, South Carolina married Ervin Samuel Brock Sr., abt 1879; died bef 1894, Chesterfield County, South Carolina.
iii. Lewis Boatwright was born on 8 May 1854; died on 3 Jun 1857 at the age of 3 in Chesterfield, Chesterfield, South Carolina.
iv. Laura R. Boatwright, born 4 May 1857, Chesterfield County, South Carolina; married Isaac Jacob Davis, 26 Dec 1894; died 8 Aug 1940, Chesterfield, Chesterfield, South Carolina.
v. Drury Lewis Boatwright, born 1 Apr 1860, Chesterfield County, South Carolina; married Julia Ella Teal, abt 1878; died 9 Feb 1939, Chesterfield, Chesterfield, South Carolina.
vi. Sarah Catherine Boatwright, born 10 Aug 1862, Chesterfield, Chesterfield, South Carolina; married William J. Freeman, abt 1891; died 26 Oct 1947, Chesterfield, Chesterfield, South Carolina.

Sarah Bush Boatwright lineage as shown in this SAR application and many more along with numerous approved DAR application is bogus. There is no connection to Lewis Boatwright, Margaret Elizabeth Davis, Thomas Davis, Nancy Rivers and Frederick Rivers.

All admissions to the SAR and DAR through these men are manufactured and are not verifiable using the Genealogical Proof Standard (GPS). Individuals who are member of the SAR/DAR though this lineage should be made to re-verify their membership with proven genealogies.

---

[1] 1850 U S Census, Chesterfield County, South Carolina, Population Schedule, Chesterfield, Chesterfield County, South Carolina, Page 177B, Line 31, Dwelling 1214, Family 1214, Household of Lewis BOATWRIGHT.
[2] 1860 U. S. Census, Chesterfield County, South Carolina, Population Schedule, Chesterfield County, South Carolina, Page 145, Line 13, Dwelling 725, Family 725, Household of G. R. Boatwright.
[3] 1870 U. S. Census, Chesterfield County, South Carolina, Population Schedule, Court House, Chesterfield County, South Carolina, Page 292A, Line 38, Dwelling #97, Family 97, Household of G. R. Boatwright.
[4] 1880 U. S. Census, Chesterfield County, South Carolina, Population Schedule, Court House, Chesterfield County, South Carolina, ED 005, Page 327C; Line 16, Dwelling 294, Family 294, Household of Geo. BOATWRIGHT.
[5] 1850 U S Census, Chesterfield County, South Carolina, Population Schedule, Chesterfield, Chesterfield County, South Carolina, Page 177B, Line 31, Dwelling 1214, Family 1214, Household of Lewis BOATWRIGHT.
[6] 1850 U. S. Census, Chesterfield County, South Carolina, population schedule, Chesterfield, Chesterfield County, South Carolina, Page 174A, Line 20, Dwelling #1162, Family 1162, Household of Isaac HURST; digital images, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : viewed 29 August 2011); citing National Archives Microfilm M432 Roll 851.
[7] 1860 U. S. Census, Chesterfield County, South Carolina, population schedule, Chesterfield County, South Carolina, Page 137A, Line 35, Dwelling #613, Family 613, Household of Isaac HURST; digital images, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : viewed 29 August 2011); citing National Archives Microfilm M653_1217.
[8] 1860 U. S. Census, Chesterfield County, South Carolina, Population Schedule, Chesterfield County, South Carolina, Page 145, Line 13, Dwelling 725, Family 725, Household of G. R. Boatwright.
[9] Chesterfield County, South Carolina, Probate Files & Loose papers, George R. BOATWRIGHT; digital images, Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, FamilySearch (http://www.familysearch.org: viewed 18 February 2013); Folder #781, Images 742-760.

Persistence = Results ~ Finding The Mother of Ruby Price

Two surnames that I have done extensive research on for the past 37 years are Rivers & Brock. I have chased these two surnames all over the Southeast.

Around November 2007 I received this request:

Have you any knowledge of a Rivers descendant named Hattie McCann, (unfortunately this is her married name, and I don't know her maiden name, her husband was Henry). She was the mother of "Ruby Price", my father's cousin that he went to live with (her and her husband, Olen Price) in Arkansas, after the 1936 death of his mother, Lucy Ellen Brock Rivers. I didn't find any reference to her in your book, but wondered if you have ever heard of any of them?[1]
 
This seems like such a simple request.

Find Hattie LNU[2] married to Henry McCann with a daughter Ruby that married Olen Price.
I’m not a professional genealogist; but, since this was related to two of my lines I decided to take a look and see what I could find.

My early attempts back in 2007 were not very fruitful. The only Olen Price I found was age 2 in the 1930 Census.[3]
 
The Social Security Death Index (SSDI) showed a Ruby Price that passed away on 6 April 2001 in Flint, Smith County, Texas. So I continue my look for Hattie McCann and Olen Price.

In late 2007, I sent my friend this comment

“I want Ruby's death Certificate to CONFIRM her parents. My gut feeling is that something is AMISS here. I've looked from 1880 to 1930 for a Henry McCann with a wife Hattie and have come up empty.”[4]
 
I received this note back:

“One other thing I do know, Ruby was living with her daughter in Tyler, Texas a few years before she died. The daughter's name was Mary Helen Smith (not sure if this was her last name), she had a Christmas store in Tyler, named "The Christmas Store". I went to her home to see Ruby a few times in the 1990's with my mother.”[5]
 
Off and on through the past 5 1/2 years I would take another look for Henry McCann with a wife Hattie and daughter Ruby. Still with no success.

Then last week I was looking at Arkansas marriage on FamilySearch and entered O. Price for the male and Ruby for the bride and lo and behold this record appeared.[6]
 

The record is for O. J. Price married to Ruby Bivens in Arkansas. The time and place is correct so I decided to follow this trail. Since I had already plowed through all the censuses for O. J. Price back in 2007 and 2008 I decided to see where Ruby Bivens would take me.

Ruby Bivens is not Ruby McCann but I realized over time that names can be mixed up, forgotten and other wise mangled. So I entered, Ruby Bivens with spouse O. J. Price living in Arkansas, into the search block on Ancestry and came up with this family tree:

http://trees.ancestry.com/tree/14084816/person/54011174?ssrc=
 
You can see that this family tree has some of the same names and information that I was given. Primarily that Ruby Bivens is the Daughter of Harry McCann and Hattie McCann.

The other piece of information that I didn’t have is the full given name of Ruby’s husband – Orris Jester Price. Remember I had Olen Price as his given name.

Entering Orris Jester Price into Ancestry took me to the 1940 Census entry for Orris and Ruby where they are listed with their two children; names I already had from my friend.
Orris J Price, age 39
Ruby O Price, age 34
Lamar Price, age 14
Mary Helen Price, age 7

Source Citation: Year: 1940; Census Place: Norphlet, Union,Arkansas; Roll: T627_178; Page: 5B; Enumeration District: 70-38.[7]
 
Further research determined that Ruby Bivens parents ARE NOT Harry and Hattie McCann.

Ruby Bivens is the daughter of Egbert Jesse Bivens and Mary Hattie Brock and since her mother was a BROCK and I am a direct BROCK descendant I found Ruby hiding among the thousands of names in my database with her parents.

While I have not found a Marriage License for  Harry McCann to Mary Hattie Brock Blevins it's possible and very probable that Mary Hattie Brock Blevins remarried after the death of her husband Egbert J. Blevins on 13 August 1922. The 1940 Census data indicates a high probability of this happening.

1940 CENSUS: El Dorado, Union County, Arkansas; Roll: T627_177; Enumeration District: 70-8; Page 3A/108A (stamped); Line 22, Household #64; Henry McCANN, male, age 65, born in TX and Hattie McCANN, Wife , age 64, born in SC.

Tombstone Reading from Woodlawn Cemetery [8]

The Bivens, Rivers Lisenby and others left Chesterfield County, SC and moved to Arkansas sometime around the early 1890’s.

Lucy Ellen Brock, the Aunt of Ruby Bivens, is also the Sister to Mary Hattie Brock. Lucy Ellen Brock married Emerson Coit Rivers and they are the grandparents of my friend who ask me to find the connection to her line.

My friend and Ruby Price are 1st cousins once removed. Their common ancestor is their great grandparents Eli W. Brock and Mary Jane White of Chesterfield County, South Carolina.
 
I learned from this exercise that the Internet is an every changing entity with new information being added daily. The thought process of the human mind varies from day to day and tomorrow you might just try something you didn't think of today or yesterday. The moral of the story is to never give up; keep revisiting those tough genealogical problems on a routine basis. Now if I can just get this to work with my William A. Purvis brick wall.

Happy Hunting to you All!
 
 
 

---

[1] Stanley to Charles Purvis, e-mail, 23 November 2007.
[2] LNU = Last Name Unknown
[3] 1930 CENSUS: Franklin County, Donald, District 8, Arkansas; Mathie N. PRICE, age 27, Beulah B. PRICE, wife, age 30; Elmo B. PRICE, son, age 6; Everet R. PRICE, son,
age 4 3/12 and Olen C. PRICE, son, age 2, born abt 1928.
[4] Charles Purvis to Stanley, e-mail, 23 November 2007.
[5] Stanley to Charles Purvis, e-mail, 24 November 2007.
[6] www.familysearch.org -- http://goo.gl/ItCfv
[7] 1940 U. S. Census, Union County, Arkansas, population schedule, Norphlet, Union County, Arkansas, enumeration district (ED) 70-38, Page 5B/573B; Line 76, Household #94, Household of Orris J. PRICE; digital images, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 2 March 2013); citing NARA publication Roll: T627_178.
[8] http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~arcemete/union/woodlawn.htm