Our Somers Family Heritage

Old Rowan County Courthouse in Salisbury, 1934 Marvin W. Helms - http://memory.loc.gov/pnp/habshaer/nc/nc0300/nc0312/photos/102737pv.jpg Photographic view from the southeast of the Rowan County Courthouse, 200 North Main Street, Salisbury, Rowan County, North Carolina. Historic American Buildings Survey, Library of Congress, Washington, D. C. (Source:  Rowan County Courthouse Salisbury North Carolina - Salisbury, North Carolina - Wikipedia ) Our "Little" family line has been traced back to Rowan County, North Carolina. This area is rich in history and the citizens were well known for their patriotism in the War for Independence. Please join me for a closer look at Rowan County and our ancestors who once lived there. We'll start with Samuel and Elizabeth (Boone) Little . Samuel Little was born around 1780 in Rowan County and Elizabeth in 1786 at Hunting Creek (Rowan County). Elizabeth is the daughter of Rebecca and John Boone . There is also speculation that we are relat...

  Annie Somers Gilchrist is the daughter of James Somers , a younger brother to John Somers Jr. the eldest son of Capt. John Somers and Catherine Arden of Caswell County, North Carolina  and who is the patriarch of our branch of the Somers family.  Annie was born March 30, 1841 in Dresden, Tennessee and went to be with the Lord on February 2, 1912 at the age of 70 years. She married John A. Gilchrist in 1859. (Source:  Annie Somers Gilchrist (1841-1912) - Find a Grave Memorial ) Annie had a unique perspective on the War Between the States and wrote about her experiences in the novel   Katherine Somerville Or The Southland Before and After the Civil War.    While using fictional names, the novel tells us what life was like for her and her family during this turbulant period in our nation's history. Annie begins by recounting her idyllic childhood and what it was like to grow-up on a Southern plantation, referred to as "The Oaks." She also gives ...

  Mose and Mary Ann Jones have been somewhat of a mystery to me. As you can see in this image of Grandma's Bible, she didn't have much information to record. However, due to today's interest in genealogy and technology, I have found some additional information on her great grandparents. According to Geni.com , Mary Ann's maiden name was Ballard. She was born on July 13, 1839 in Henry, Tennessee  and died December 13, 1929 in Ripley (County?) Missouri . (See also:  Mary A Ballard Jones (1839-1929) - Find a Grave Memorial ) She was the wife of J. Malachi Jones (Mose?) who was born March 26, 1826 in North Carolina and died in Ripley (County?) Missouri August 17, 1897 at 71 years of age. (You can view his gravesite at:  J. Malachi Jones (1826-1897) - Find a Grave Memorial ) Their daughter Nancy E. Wright was my grandmother's grandmother. Nancy's daughter Maggie Leona Weaver was grandma's mother.  I remember as a young child grandma telling me that we were Bla...