Maude Womble Cudworth strikes again!

Sent away about a week ago for Rhoda Caroline Womble’s death certificate from the Metro Archives of Nashville and Davidson County, Tennessee.  Today, I received the record and discovered more zaniness from Maude Cudworth.

In a previous post, I had talked about how this ancestor, who is my great grandfather’s sister, seemed to be pretty active in genealogy and was even a member of the DAR.  The downside is that she wasn’t so great in providing accurate information about her relatives’ important life events. 

It’s always tossed around in genealogy texts and the like that you should consult original records and I had seen some strange information on Rhoda Caroline on FamilySearch and felt that I should check it out by ordering a copy of her death certificate.  I realize that yes, I didn’t actually view the original record, but it is a copy of the document held at the Metro Archives.  Now, the strange information on FamilySearch is explained by the source of for Rhoda’s information and it’s her daughter who likes to provide misinformation on her family members!

I’d been hoping that I would learn more about Rhoda’s family, but unfortunately I find that I have more digging to do.  I do have a few leads that might lead to being able to find out who Rhoda’s parents really were.

Maude information hasn’t been a complete wash, the upside is that she has provided me with clues to follow up on or sometimes follow and without them I would have nothing.  However, hopefully this post is a wake up call to those genealogists out there who say they don’t have any family members who are interested in what their research.  HA! I say, you think now no one’s interested in what you’re writing, but you never know who will come across your research. 

Case in point: 

• Maude provided the information about her mother in 1904 when she might not have thought about pursuing genealogy. 
• In 1934, she applied to the DAR and filled out an application in which I’ve discovered some errors.
• Later, one of her daughters, Helen May Cudworth Parrish wanted to join the DAR in about the 1950’s, she wrote up a one-page document of information about her grandfather, John Womble and his descendants, which also contains errors.

 It’s currently 2012 and I’ve come across this information and am attempting to glean information from it, taking the time to separate the accurate from the inaccurate data.  So yes, someone in your present time and place may not be interested, but perhaps in about 60, 80, or 100 years from now someone, a distant relative that you will never meet comes across your research somewhere.  Consider this possibility, the next time you encounter disinterest from the relatives or people around you—you never know what future generations will be interested in and it could just be your research!

Update on Catharine Womble leaving Edgecombe County, NC

Another possibility as to why Catherine Womble petitioned for a dower nearly 15 years after the death of her husband is that her son, Warren, who was planning to leave the area for Tennessee, was possibly supporting her financially.  If this were the case, her husband, John Womble’s estate would have to be settled before the land could be sold.  Since the estate hadn’t been settled, the family didn’t have the legal right to sell the property.

I’ve created a simple timeline of the events.  This doesn’t include the whole chain of events, but I think it’s a start.  More research is definitely needed on this event to completely grasp what actually happened.

19 Dec 1833, Jacob Womble sells his interest in his portion of John Womble’s land for 8 dollars to Weeks Parker.

27 Dec. 1833, Benjamin F. Womble sells ten and ¾ acres of John Womble’s 75 acres of land for ten dollars to Weeks Parker.

29 March 1835, Nathaniel G. Womble sells his 8 acres more of less of his part of John Womble’s land to Weeks Parker for 15 dollars.

2 June 1835, Enos Womble sells his ten acres more or less of his portion of John Womble’s land to Weeks Parker for 12 dollars.

1835 November, Catharine petitions for dower in Edgecombe County, NC court.  In the petition, Catharine states that her husband, John died sometime around 1821 and that when he died he possessed about 75 acres of land. 

            This event may have occurred on 23 November 1835.  A summons sent to the Sheriff to appear in court on the fourth Monday in November 1835.  According to a perpetual calendar the 4^th Monday in November 1835 falls on the 4^th Monday of the month.

           

            Catharine may have written and submitted the dower petition in August 1835 because papers from the petition state that it was filed while on vacation, which might mean that the court wasn’t in session when she filed the petition.

25 March 1836, D. W. Womble sells to Weeks Parker for 15 dollars his ten acres more or less of John Womble’s land.

23 May 1836, Catharine Womble sells 25 acres more or less of land via Sheriff’s sale to Weeks Parker for $8.95.  The sold land was Catharine’s dower that was laid off on 21 November 1835.

  

Total amount of acreage sold: 63 ¾ acres sold to Weeks Parker.  Land should contain about 75 acres. A little over 11 acres unaccounted for.  Perhaps, the 11 acres of unaccounted land is Jacob’s share of his dad’s property.  Research is necessary to find out if the husbands of Mary Ann, Finnetta, and Celia sold their wives shares of the land to Weeks Parker.  

Another question to answer is why the number of acres varies from child to child. The oldest son, Warren (D.W.) has 10 acres, Nathaniel has 8, Jacob's number of acres is unknown, Benjamin has 10 3/4, and Enos has 10.  Perhaps each of them has 10 acres and the wording of the deeds makes it seem that they have unequal amounts.  There's also the possibility that their father, gave Nathaniel some of his inheritance before his death and that's why he only had 8 acres.