Womble, Wamble, and Wormble?!

So, if you’re a regular reader of my blog you may know that I’ve been trying to learn more about the Womble family’s Civil War experience.  The family story is that John Washington Womble spent the Civil War working in Nashville, Tennessee as a tailor and left his children to fend for themselves in Hardin County, Tennessee.  I’ve already reported about finding an interment record for who may possibly be his first wife, Mary Jane in the Nashville City Cemetery.  I also located what I believe to be interments for two of his three children that were listed in the 1860 Hardin County, TN census, but no records seem to exist for them afterwards, until I found the cemetery information. 

1860 U.S. Census, Hardin County, Tennessee, John W. Womble household

While working at a genealogy conference last week in Ft. Wayne, Indiana, I took the opportunity to visit the Allen County Public Library and do some work on this family story.  Whenever I’m researching the Womble family I keep in mind to be on the lookout for varying spellings of the family’s name.  One of the spelling variations I’ve come across is Wamble. 

At the Allen County Public Library I discovered another variation—Wormble—yes that’s right—Wormble.  I was looking through a book that was an index of interments in the Nashville City Cemetery.  I didn’t expect to find anything new, but I came across a Wormble, Frank.  The other two Womble children I found listed in a Nashville City Cemetery interment database were just listed as infant Wamble.  No ages were given for them except for the notation son and child of J. W. Wamble.

This notation gave me the impression that those listings were for the youngest two of the three “missing” Womble kids from the 1860 census.  So my thought was where is the oldest of the three youngest kids, Franklin?  I wondered if perhaps he died before John W. and Mary Jane relocated to Nashville.  However, based on my finding it appears that Franklin died that same summer of 1861 along with his two youngest brothers.

I can’t believe that the family would’ve taken only the youngest children with them to Nashville when the war started.  It was a different time back then and kids did grow up and take on adult responsibilities even when they were teenagers or pre-teens.  However, leaving even teenagers to essentially fend for themselves in an uncertain era and a potentially dangerous environment coupled with the fact that I’ve found evidence suggesting that John W.’s wife and some of their children were in the city with him makes me think that the story isn’t true. 

More research will have to be done on this to see if I can find anything else that may disprove my theory and prove the validity of the story.

Using Collateral Research to Verify Womble Civil War Story

Previously, I posted about wanting to find out if a family story was true. This was posted on this blog March 23, 2013. I’ve spent much of the summer trying to confirm the story’s validity by researching the H. F. Myers who co-signed John Washington Womble’s marriage bond to his 2nd wife, Rhoda Caroline Richardson.

My thought had been that by finding out more about this Myers guy, I would either learn some connection between him and John’s 2nd wife, or uncover a connection between Myers and my John W.

Census records revealed that H. F. Myers would’ve been a contemporary of John’s, since he was 36 in 1860 and John was about 42. Nashville city directories showed that Myers was a merchant and more specifically owned a tailor shop on Cedar St. in the city. The 1866 Nashville city directory lists John W. Womble’s profession as a tailor. His occupation is further backed up by other census records, city directory listings, and family lore.

However, I’m sure that there were many other tailor shops in Nashville in the early to mid-1860’s that could’ve employed my great-great grandfather. Yet, if John didn’t work for him then why would Myers co-sign a marriage bond for a man that he didn’t have any connection to?

I viewed land records that H. F. Myers purchased around the point in time when John would’ve been living in the area thinking that he might be listed as a witness. However, John wasn’t a witness to these records or at least that detail wasn’t recorded.

Shortly after the Civil War ended and after John and Rhoda married, H. F. Myers died. He left a will, but the will doesn’t mention John. Nor, is John mentioned as having witnessed Myers writing the will when it was presented in court. I still haven’t been able to view the court case of Robert Carter for stealing a coat from Myers’ store in May 1865. It may be that John didn’t witness the theft, because it occurred after he and Rhoda married, he may have been on his honeymoon or have left the city.

As a way to further my research I got a book via inter library loan on the occupation on Nashville during the Civil War. The book makes mention a few times that when the Confederate military was vacating the city and the Union troops were moving in that so many businesses were closed. The city streets were so void of people as if it were a Sunday.

Reading this made me wonder how John could’ve continued to live in the city without being able to go to work. However, the fact that he married there in 1865 seems to give evidence that he somehow was able to eke out an existence. Myers could’ve lost many employees as people enlisted in the military or vacated the city at the start of the war or later when the Union army took over. John could’ve decided to stay on in the city, because by the time that the Confederates were losing their hold on Nashville, his wife might have been too ill to travel back to their home in Hardin County. By sticking it out in the city, John could’ve shown his loyalty to Myers. This might have led Myers to co-sign John’s marriage bond to show his appreciation or gratitude.

There’s also the idea that when John initially worked as a tailor in Nashville that he didn’t work for Myers, but did later because his previous boss decided to close up shop and leave the city before the Union forces arrived.

Embroidery Projects Update Part 5

In March, I finished cross-stitching Marilyn Leavitt-Imblum’s, “Once Upon A Time” that I plan to give to one of my sisters.  The plan is to frame it and send it to her. 

Since completing this project, I took up stitching a Greek Key rug again that I started back in 2004.  A couple of years ago, I put this pattern into my cross-stitch design program and before resuming stitching, printed out the pattern which has made working on it a lot easier. 

The original pattern is in sections that are in an old dollhouse plan.  The rug is being stitched on 32 count linen over 1, so the stitches are very small.  To make it easier to see, I’m using a magnifying lens that my husband bought me years ago to make stitching this easier.  The rug will be put in the living room of the Green Gables house I made.

Another project that I’m working on is a needlepoint oriental rug kit that I bought back in 2003 at a miniatures show.  At the time, I didn’t know where I would put it and only bought it because I’d seen kits like it at a dollhouse store I used to frequent as a kid.  As time passed, I decided to put it in the daughter’s bedroom in the Lily house. 

I’m trying to stop devoting myself to one embroidery project at a time, which is proving easier said than done.  The Oriental rug is worked on 18 mesh canvas, so the stitches aren’t as small as the Greek Key.  The pattern seemed fairly simple at first, so of late I’ve been working on it a bit more. 

At first I thought that I would finish up with this kit quickly, but this idea disappeared very soon after realizing that this wasn’t the simple pattern I thought it was.  When I started, I primarily used the picture of the rug as a guide instead of referring to the pattern constantly.  Then I noticed that the design in the picture on one part of the rug varied slightly from the pattern and thought that it had something to do with the needlepoint stitch format. I was determined to be on the alert to match this discrepancy.  However, as I worked it became apparent that it was just a mistake of the person who stitched the rug for the picture and wasn’t really meant to be in the finished product.  So this meant that the pattern was completely correct. 

This belief then proved to be wrong!  As I continued stitching the design in the four corners of the center section I kept glancing at the pattern as I stitched.  I then decided to begin stitching the darker blue line that goes around the outside of the center of the rug.  This was when I realized that the pattern contained mistakes as well.  The pattern painted on the needlepoint canvas clearly shows a white or ivory colored line that’s nearly continuous around the outside of the center section; however, on the pattern this color wasn’t shown in that part.  Even though, the color ivory is represented in the very center part of the pattern.  Nor, is it indicated that it be used again according to the pattern.  Yet, both the picture and the painted design on the canvas indicate otherwise. 

I’m very glad that I followed the advice of the pattern and started in the center and then worked outward because the directions warned me that if “adjustments” needed to be made then this would be easier.  My thinking is that their definition of adjustment is really just synonymous with mistake. 

FamilySearch’s Online Microfilm Ordering—A Review

Recently, I decided to test out FamilySearch’s new online microfilm ordering system.  I’d noticed and made good use of their recent document scanning binge and while that’s not a perfect system, it seemed to be a good time to look into ordering microfilm of their non-scanned records.

Before the current online system was available, one had to trek to their local Family History Center to place an order for microfilm and payment could only be done with either a check or cash.  Then once the order was placed, you had to keep calling the FHC in order to find out if your microfilm had come in or not. 

I created a login and profile on the FamilySearch website, and chose a Family History Center in my area to be my ‘neighborhood FHC’ and then basically went shopping for microfilm.  It was a fairly easy process to navigate, almost as if I was buying something off of Amazon.com.  I was still nervous going through the process for the first time, because you never know if something unexpected will happen during an online shopping process. 

As like the old system, there was still the lengthy wait for the microfilm, but that’s just the nature of the beast of doing genealogical research.  I did keep checking up on my order because in the process of placing the order it wasn’t quite clear whether or not I would receive an email that my order was waiting for me at my local FHC.  I did try looking around on their website to find out if I would be notified and since it wasn’t clear, I went ahead and emailed them to ask.  The response I received was very kind and assured me that the status of my order would change from pending, in process, and then received.  Also, I was told that I would receive an email telling me that each roll I’d ordered was at my local FHC.

I waited for about two to three weeks and did finally receive an email letting me know that my order was waiting for me at my FHC.  Then I went in and was able to view it, just I’d done in the past.  Anyone who hasn’t tried this new system should definitely use it, because it’s a heck of a lot more convenient than the old one.  Patrons don’t have to keep calling up their FHC and bugging the volunteer there about their order.

Womble Research—Expect the Unexpected and When You Least Expect It

2013 so far has been an interesting year for my genealogical research.  It even ended with my unanticipated luck of finding church records of the Wombles in Nashville, Tennessee.  Thus being able to connect the family to the Methodist faith has opened up a new avenue of records to research.  I still haven’t received the records I ordered from the Tennessee Conference Archives and while I’m really not happy about that repository taking my money and not bothering to deliver the records I ordered, I’ve decided to attempt to move on with my research.  Perhaps, it’s just a sign that one needs to visit that repository in person to ensure getting the necessary information.

Despite this set-back, I’ve found some interesting finds and while some of them aren’t definitive proof of the events they suggest.  They do give me food for thought about the few stories I grew up hearing about the Womble family. 

One of the stories involved the Civil War, it was told to me by an uncle after talking to him about my interest in Womble genealogy.  He told me that during the Civil War, John Washington Womble went to work in Nashville, Tennessee to sew uniforms for the Confederate soldiers while the kids or the rest of the family stayed on the farm (which was located in southwestern Tennessee) with their servants.

Several years ago while doing some research at the TSLA in Nashville, I did find John Washington Womble listed in a Civil War era city directory.  There was also his marriage record to his 2^nd wife, Rhoda Caroline Richardson showed that the marriage took place in Nashville around the end of the war.  This gave some strength to the story and so I tried searching around for a record of his 1^st wife, Mary Jane Stephens’ death in southwestern Tennessee.  Unfortunately, at present my cursory search for death or burial records hasn’t revealed any evidence that Mary Jane died during the years of the Civil War.  There’s the possibility that the couple could’ve just split up, but no research has revealed this either.  Also, nothing I found suggested that this family had the money to hire servants or own slaves.

The more I thought about the story, the more it seemed strange to me that John Washington would’ve left his wife and kids alone to take care of the farm, while he went off to the city to work during such an uncertain era as the Civil War. 

While researching a member of John Washington Womble’s FAN club in the City Cemetery database at the Nashville Public library, I put in the last name Womble and didn’t get anything of interest.  Then I put in the alternate spelling of Wamble and up came, two young children who were the children of a J. W. Wamble.  As well as, a Jane Wamble, age 37. The name is very similar to Mary Jane, and Wamble is a common alternate to Womble. Jane’s age also correlates with the age of John’s wife in the 1860 Federal Census.  Could this be Mary Jane Stephens, who was supposed to be living down on the farm and not living with her husband while he toiled away tailoring uniforms?

If it is, it paints a different picture then the one I’d envisioned of the family’s life during the Civil War.  I didn’t let my search end with a find on the internet.  I ordered a copy of the interment record along with the lot card from the Metro Archives of Nashville and Davidson County.  Unfortunately, a lot card wasn’t available, but I did get a copy of the interment record.  It doesn’t give me any more additional information, except to show that the record isn’t just a figment of someone’s imagination.

I still have no idea if the Jane Wamble I found is in fact Mary Jane Stephens, but since nothing else has been found to suggest she isn’t, it does appear that John Washington Womble may have brought his wife and youngest children to Nashville with him during the course of the war.

It still seems incredibly stupid that someone would leave their children home alone while a war is going on, but perhaps John and Mary Jane believed as so many others did that the war wouldn’t last very long.  For all I know, Mary Jane could’ve planned to spend the duration of the war on the farm and traveled with her children or possibly the two youngest to Nashville to visit John.  The children could’ve gotten sick and died, and then the same could’ve happened to Mary Jane.

What’s interesting when thinking about these Womble stories is that the story says one thing and the records suggest something almost entirely different.  If I step back a bit and try to take in the whole picture, I can see where this story about the Womble family’s Civil War era experiences possibly came from something else. 

After taking in this story and the records I’ve found, is the suggestion that the story my uncle told me actually is about how almost ten years after the Civil War, John Washington Womble went to work in Nashville quite possibly planning to relocate the whole family there.  So, he left his 2^nd wife, Rhoda Caroline Richardson and children to seek work in Nashville.  In my collection of Womble memorabilia, is a tin type photo of a woman, that I believe is Rhoda.  It’s my belief that since he was leaving her and their children behind that he wanted something to remember her by, so the picture was taken of her.  Also about ten years after the war, John W. Womble is listed off and on in the Nashville City Directory.  In the 1880’s the Nashville city directory list, his wife, Rhoda and their children, who are now young adults, which strongly suggests that they’re living in the city with him.

I may never truly learn the truth of the Womble family’s experiences during the Civil War, but in a sense I feel that I’m a bit closer to what may have actually transpired.

Dollhouse Enclosure Project Update

In February, I posted an update of what progress I’ve made with enclosing my dollhouse.  Last weekend, the weather was warm enough to have windows open.  So, I took advantage of the unseasonably high winter temperature, flung open the windows, and resumed working on re-gluing the Velcro strips to the plastic sheets using the epoxy glue.

The glue didn’t smell too fumy or toxic, which was great and seemed to set fairly quickly.  This seemed to make the whole gluing process go faster than I’d anticipated. With the large plastic sheets now affixed to the rear of the dollhouse, I was ready to begin on the curved attic section. 

I had long thought about how this opening could be enclosed and the only solution I came up with was to use a thin sheet of flexible plastic.  Since I wanted to use something that I already had on hand, my only option was to use a sheet protector.  I cut the sheet protector to the size and shape necessary to cover the attic opening.  After cutting some black Velcro that I’d used for another project to the length needed, I began gluing it to the roof using clear tacky glue.  At first, it seemed that I wouldn’t need to clamp the Velcro to the roof, but then found that clamping was necessary.  With the clamps holding the Velcro strips to the roof while waiting for the glue to dry, I then focused on gluing with the epoxy glue the Velcro to the plastic.

Again, this was a lot easier than I had envisioned and only a small amount of clamping was necessary since the epoxy glue dried faster than the tacky glue.  After leaving everything to set for a few hours, I returned later to see how everything functioned once it was put together.  I laid the plastic sheet protector that now had Velcro strips glued to it over the attic opening, being careful to match up the Velcro and then stepped back to admire my handiwork.

Success!!  Or so I thought at the time.  The plastic over the attic opening seemed to work out really well and it was cut exactly to fit the opening perfectly.  I then took ahold of one end of the flexible plastic to see how removing it would work.  To my horror, the Velcro that was glued to the sheet protector came off and remained attached to its mate that was glued to the roof.  It became readily apparent that this method wasn’t going to work as I had thought.

I thought about my problem some, but couldn’t quickly come up with a solution.  My husband said that I should use Velcro that already had adhesive on the backside, because that might keep it in place better.  He had used some for an old computer project of his and still had some left over.  I took some of it and affixed it to the sheet protector in the exact same places where the glued strips had been.  Then, I again laid it over the opening and everything seemed to be great.  I tried to make a minor adjustment to the placement and discovered that when I pulled up one corner the Velcro that had been glued to the roof began coming off.  It became very apparent that I needed to use the adhesive backed Velcro for the roof as well.

Unfortunately, my husband didn’t have anymore left, and I also found that I had torn part of the sheet, so I would have to visit the local fabric store and buy more.  Last evening after work, we made a trip out to the fabric store where I bought more adhesive backed Velcro. 

Today, I cut the Velcro to the length needed after completely removing the old glued on Velcro that was coming off.  I cut another plastic sheet protector to the size I needed, using the torn one as a pattern.  Then, I stuck half of the Velcro strips to the roof, taking care to cover the roof areas that still had dried glue on it.  Once those pieces were in place, I placed the remaining Velcro strips over their mates that were adhered to the roof.  Then, I began laying the plastic sheet over the attic opening being careful to align the sheet so that the top edge was flush with the underside of the roof’s verge boards and trim.

So far, the adhesive Velcro is working out nicely and the dollhouse is now completely enclosed.  The next step of course is to give the entire dollhouse a thorough dusting inside and out and to also dust off the large table it sits on.  My hope is that by enclosing this dollhouse that it will stay dust free more easily because the rooms aren’t open to the air.  Then I’ll only have to dust off the outside of the house and the table in order to keep it looking descent.

Here are pictures of the finished project.

Swamablog Update

I haven’t posted anything in awhile and this is to let you all know what I’ve been doing.

Dollhouse Enclosure Project

When I last wrote I had been working to enclose one of my dollhouses.  I do have the necessary epoxy type glue that should work to adhere the Velcro strips to the plastic sheets.  Presently, I’m waiting for it to get warmer here so that I can have the windows open while using the toxic-smelling glue.

Rhoda Caroline Richardson Womble Research

I’m still waiting for the copies of the membership records of the Womble family from the Elm Street Methodist Church that I ordered from the Archivist at the Tennessee Conferences Archives, History Depository.  I called them a couple of weeks back to find out what had happened with the copies that were going to be mailed to me.  The woman I spoke with said that the minister told her he probably mailed them to the wrong address.  I gave her my address again and was told that they would be sent to me within a couple of days.  I’m considering that if I don’t receive them in a few days that I’ll send them a SASE asking for the information again, which is probably what I should have done initially, but I wasn’t sure how much 10 pages of information would cost to mail. 

Embroidery/Knitting Projects

What I’ve been doing while waiting for these much anticipated copies is working on Marilyn Leavitt-Imblum’s “Once Upon A Time” that I’m making for one of my sisters.  I had barely started it when I first purchased it back in 1995 and only started dedicating a serious chunk of my time to work on the piece in January 2012.  I’ve been trying to spend most of my weekends stitching and this past week even decided to work on it a bit during the week.

At the same time that I’m cross-stitching this, I’m also knitting a cable knit sweater of which is about a little over halfway done.   One of the knitting blogs I read suggested working on more knitting projects at one time—basically to stop being a knitting monogamist. I considered this and then while spending so much time cross-stitching during this long holiday weekend on the piece for my sister, the idea came to me to take up embroidering more projects at one time. Basically, to stop being an embroidery monogamist!  

I won’t try this though until after my current embroidery project is completely finished!

Reading

I recently finished reading Edith Wharton’s The Age of Innocence, a book that I’ve always wanted to read.  Another book that I’ve finished reading is While My Pretty One Knits from the Black Sheep Knitting Mysteries series. This seemed to be a better read than the knitting mysteries written by Maggie Sefton, which after reading 2 ½ of them-the third I just couldn’t finish.  I do really like the characters in Maggie’s books, but by the third mystery the story seemed to be too much of a rehash of the first two books in the series.  It was a bit disappointing to me not to finish the third, A Deadly Yarn because the budding romance between the main character and one of the guys on the local softball team interested me, the people in knitting group were great too.  I can see I’m digressing here and will have to post something just about knitting mysteries or craft mysteries in general at a later date.