First, I'd like to thank everyone who contributes to FAG! Your time, efforts, data, photos, and memorial transfers are sincerely appreciated, and truly invaluable!

I'm here to Honor, Memorialize and Connect families; so feel free to contact me for help, and to copy my photos (a photo credit is encouraged since helps connect families who may not otherwise know one another)!
(*REMINDER: Per FAG RULES, if you aren't related, you MUST transfer memorials to immediate family upon request!)

MY PRIMARY GOAL here is to honor our loved ones by linking memorials together and adding details, family photos, etc. Also, to share what I've discovered about my/their heritage (for the benefit of living relatives and future generations)!

I've included tidbits about me @ 6 paragraphs from the bottom of this page, under the heading "~FAST FORWARD~", and via the following:

MY FAMILY LINEAGE links:
~Father: Ervine TUCKER FAG# 152518115
(Families:TUCKER m. ARMSTRONG; ARMSTRONG m. WOLFE/DAVIS of Bradley Co., AR; DAVIS m. PRICE of Gibson TN)
~Mother: K. L. MCCOY Tucker (living)
~Maternal Grandmother: Ethel ROSS McCoy Clements FAG# 101489382 (MCCOY m. ROSS/MANCHESTER of San Francisco and Gustine, CA; MANCHESTER of San Francisco m. PEARCE/OCONNER of Australia)
~Maternal Grandfather: Harry MCCOY of Forrest City CA, FAG#100137753

MY FAMILY HISTORY (1st DRAFT below with updates pending), includes our family's ancestral origins, migrations and other interesting findings (from DNA results, genealogy, historical and geographical records, family documents and oral history). I've also included some notable ancestors; then ended with more recent family background;(all an expanding work-in-progress).

As my DNA depicts below, most of my early American ancestors emigrated from Northern Europe; primarily Ireland, Scotland, England, and Scandinavia (Denmark, Sweden and Finland). Though not currently shown in my DNA results (due to lack of a "representative samples"), my earlier ancestors also included indigenous peoples from at least two ancient Native American lineages; the Muskogee/Chickasaw and Iroquois/Cherokee Indians (surnames DAVIS and ROSS respectively, whose tribal heritage will be included in the next update).

Before and after reaching America, many of my forebears were farmers and seafarers; also blacksmiths, carpenters, boat builders, horse breeders/traders, warriors, and indigenous "naturals" (including ancient Vikings, Saxons and Celts; Britons of Scotland; and Native American Indians)! And of course, their better-halves were wives, mothers, pioneers, volvas and squaws!

Through living relatives and research, I've discovered my ancient progenitors can be traced all the way back to Joseph of Arimathea... and later to Dark Age Vikings thru Harald "Bluetooth" Gormsson (King of Denmark and Norway)... And to a Middle Age King of Scotts (thru his son/namesake Robert-the-Bruce and "of the Shenandoah"). Also to the French Royal Court via Norman, English and Scottish royals during the Viking raids, the Middle Ages, and also the Renaissance era!

ETHNIC ORIGINS: Accordingly, most of my DNA has been raced to the dozens of Islands in the North Atlantic Ocean, including the British Isles (off Ireland and Scotland); Isle of Man (in the Irish Sea); The Shetlands and Hebrides (in the North Sea); several islands in the Norwegian Sea, the Baltic Sea (Gotland), and in the English Channel (off the coasts of England, France, Belgium, and the Netherlands)! (Surely this is where I get my deep love for the sea and sailing, and my innate navigation skills!)

GEOGRAPHIC ETHNICITY via DNA (per Ancestry.com):
My Primary Ethnicities include:
-70% from England, Wales and Northwestern Europe; primarily Belgium, Channel Islands, Britain (inc Brittany, Normandy, Hauts de France; Jersey Isle), and Northern Denmark (Jutland and Sjaelland).
-27% from Ireland, Isle of Man, Northern Ireland, Scotland, and the Scottish Isles (Inner and Outer Hebrides, The Orkneys, The Uist Isles, Isle of Skye, and Fair Isle, Shetland).
-3% Iceland, Norway and Sweden (inc. Gotland Isle)

From these ancient progenitors: Ancient Celts, Britons, Old Norse Vikings, Anglo-Saxons, Norman Kings, Brigands, Englishmen, Irishmen, Lords and Scottish Highlanders... and ancient Native American "Indians"... came New World immigrants... America's "First Peoples and First Families".

INDIGENOUS ROOTS & FIRST FAMILIES from both East and West : Originating from both East Asia and Northern Europe (Siberia and Scandinavia)
(see attachment: pending, next update!)

*AMERICAS "FIRST PEOPLES": Crossing the Beringia land bridge
(see attachment; pending next update!)
*NORTHERN EUROPEANS: Celtic Origins
(see attachment; pending next update!)
*MIGRATION INTO AMERICA: Routes & Branches
(see attachment; pending next update!)

MY NATIVE AMERICAN LINEAGES: First came the Muscogeans, ancestors of the Chickasaw Indians (of western Tennessee); thought to be one branch of the Mississippian mound-building culture. Second, the Iroquoians, first known as the Tsalagi, were ancestors of the Cherokee Indians who migrated south from the Great Lakes Region.

*MY AMERICAN "FIRST FAMILIES" :
Mayflower Passengers:
Mayflower Next Gen's: Wing, Spooners, Manchester,
Jamestown Settlement, Va: Families Biggs, & Forrester

Jamestown, Virginia Circa 1600, two adventurous English families: The BIGGS & FORRESTER's sailedt to America in 1604, becoming two of America's "First Families" who 10 generations ago, settled the Jamestown Colony of Virginia! Their sons were titled "America's First Born"; they were loyal Britons, subjects of England's King James.

VIRGINIA COLONY OF JAMESTOWN: Our first "New World" ancestor Capt. BIGGS, an "original colonist", was a ships captain who arrived in Jamestown on 3 successive sailings from England. First, as a passenger aboard the Susan Constant [in 1607]; again [in 1610] on The Swan, with his wife Ann BOOKER and her servant; then again later on the ship Marigold [in 1618]. After a decade of plantation building, Capt. BIGGS was popularly elected [in 1619] to Virginia's House of Burgess's General Assembly (the first democratically elected legislative body in the New World)! As a large landowner, and a Burgess (a delegated representative of the commonwealth), his assets were scrupulously documented.. His tax & census records provide us with an extensive inventory of "original colonists" plantation goods, revealing much about plantation life in Jamestown (including the exact number of cows, chickens, plows, rakes, pots, pans, dishes, silverware, linens, buckets, brooms, shovels, hoes, etc.)! This inventory can be found online at at : __________.

*IMMIGRATION 1700-1750: Cotton and tobacco plantations of Virginia and North Carolina lured Europeans; especially England's 'second sons' of landed gentry (due to "primogenitor", inheritance laws that favored first-born sons), and drew the indentured servants that followed them. They also enticed the Scots-Irish who were fleeing political unrest, and German peasants who'd been devastated by famine and decades of war in southwest Germany. Later extended family, my branch of ancestors, came as well: TUCKER & MCCOY from Ireland and Scotland, WOLFE from Denmark & Germany, ARMSTRONG & MANCHESTER from England, ROSS from Sweden...

*SUBSISTENCE LIVING in 1775: In the South, tobacco was a valuable cash crop. Farmers also raised wheat, corn, livestock; meanwhile tradesmen built mills alongside streams to process the harvested grain. Home industries and small town shops proliferated: brewers, blacksmiths, wheelwrights, hat makers and weavers. Towns often formed along ethnic lines: Scots-Irish villages formed down the road from German towns... Meanwhile Indians occasionally attacked, both independently and collectively (and later were 'hired' warriors during the French and Indian War [a territorial battle between Britain and France over New World territory]).

GEORGIA FAMILY circa 1770: Our ancestor Steven Heard, built Heards Fort and Stockade in 1774, as a travelers refuge from Cherokee and Creek Indian attacks. Later Heard served as President (modern day Governor) of Georgia (1780-81). Then came the American Revolution (1785-1783) where Heard became a lifetime friend of General George Washington while serving together in the Continental Army. (Heard named his son after George; a namesake). Later, in 1884 Heard's Fort became Georgia's seat of government; (it's now the city of Washington, in Wilkes County, Georgia). Nearby "Mont Heard" was his homestead (the house is no longer there);, and nearby Heard County is a namesake. Family elders, say his/our relative Joseph Heard, was a Spy, a member of the Scouts and Spies of the GA Militia.

*FAMILY MIGRATION circa 1800: Several ancestors had migrated south, from North and South Carolina. A few settled in Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, Tennessee; others settled in Virginia, Kentucky, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania.

LOUISIANA TERRITORY circa 1800: Our ancestor William Charles Cole Claiborne (Louisiana Territory Governor ) personally supervised the transfer of Louisiana Territory into U.S. control after The Louisiana Purchase in 1803. He also governed the "Territory of Orleans" until statehood (1804-1812); then was elected Governor of the State. He was (and may still be) the youngest state Governor ever elected.

*FAMILY MIGRATION 1825:

Circa 1840: My forefather Chief John Ross (b. 1790; a Cherokee Indian, and part Scottish) served as Principal Chief of the Cherokee Nation (1828-1866) headquartered at New Echota, Georgia. He fought diligently in Washington DC for decades trying to preserve the Cherokee Nation's homeland (43,000 square miles in Georgia), and their nation state's independence. He fervently opposed the New Etocha Treaty; the Removal Act; and the Confederates. Unfortunately, while on the verge of success, incoming Pres. Andrew Jackson rejected his petitions. Suddenly in 1830 his people were forcefully "removed" from all their property (land, homes, farms, equipment, household goods etc). In 1838-39 those who still remained, were forced-marched under duress, onto the "Trail of Tears". Thousands died before reaching Oklahoma. Some of my DAVIS ancestors seemed to have escaped the worst... perhaps were overlooked, or by removing themselves beforehand (from Tennessee to Banks, AR). Or perhaps, the DAVIS family were natives of the Banks, Bradley County area? (known address Eagle Post Office; Redland )...

Circa 1850: Down South in/around Banks, AR, lived my future paternal 3X Grandmother (Sarah M. DAVIS (of Redland [Eagle Post Office], AR; born in TN]). She and her Tennessee siblings & ancestors were pure blood Native Americans, thought to be Cherokee or possibly/probably Chickasaw Indians (my 3x Great Grandfather E MANUEL was born and married very near Chickasaw Indian Territory around Gibson, TN).

***Circa 1850: My Indian 3x grandmother Sarah M. DAVIS (b. 1855, TN; m. Emanuel DAVIS in/of TN 1872); had a "pure" Indian bloodline that is purportedly "untraceable" (but I'm still working to unscramble it)!

*HISTORICAL NOTE: At that time, Indians did not carry surnames or family names. But, for the purpose of record keeping in schools, churches, census etc., they either chose, adopted, or were 'given' last names to use. Because of this, (and her possibly marrying another "DAVIS"), Sarah's bloodline may never be found!
*What we do know about Sarah:
-she was born in/near Gibson TN; or Hamilton, TN; or Banks ARK (with records for each!)
-she married E Manuel DAVIS in/of TN 1872 (@age 17) in/near Gibson, TN
- As a teenager, she traveled to Banks AR with the Mitchel Family (per testimony and photo [with Aunt Tennie], in book "Taproots in Fertile Soil" a Mitchell family biography authored by descendant Doris Lisemby.

FAMILY MIGRATION 1850-1875: Most of my family's immigrants settled in the Southeast, specifically Western Central Georgia, Central Alabama, South & Central Arkansas, and Texas. By 1875 the heaviest concentrations were in Central Alabama, forming a 70 mile long square around (and to the west of ) Birmingham, Alabama. (Specifically from Leeds south to Chelsea to Montevallo; west to Tuscaloosa; north to Berry to Double Springs; east to& Bankhead Forest to Cullman; south to Locust Fork to Trussville & Leeds [17 miles east of Birmingham]).

IMMIGRANTS circa 1850:
1)Several TUCKERs (brothers?) migrated from Ireland (to Georgia).
2)Also two other families, (ROSS & WOLFE) migrated from Sweden & Denmark respectively. 3)Father ROSS fm Sweden married a girl from Tennessess, and settled in England, Arkansas.
4)The WOLFE's landed in Pennsylvania, became successful merchants, then moved to Vicksburg, MS, owners of a prosperous mercantile business; their sons & daughter resettled to Banks, Arkansas.

Circa @1850 TUCKERS in America, about 12 Irishman, surname TUCKER, branched out from Carrollton, Georgia... A couple of them (my paternal 3x grandfathers) settled around Dadeville, Tallapoosa Alabama. Later a few of their kids settled in Union Parish near Marion/Bernice, Louisiana (near the Arkansas border; north of both Farmerville & Spearsville); these men become my 3X-Grandparents...

Circa 1860: At least two other branches of my ancestors, both maternal and paternal, (DAVIS & ROSS families of TN) settled in Arkansas to farm along the Arkansas and Mississippi Rivers . The ROSS (a white emigrant fm Sweden, married a girl from TN) acquired land in England Arkansas via the Swampland Grants. Soon, many men left home to fight the American Civil War (1861-1865) with their local Army Units (some dying as far afield as Pennsylvania).

Meanwhile in 1864 in Tennessee, the Union Army was raiding the DAVIS family farmstead! But my 3x Grandmother saved the farm from certain destruction, by agreeing to name her newborn child "Tennessee"(a namesake of General Grants Tennessee Army, lead by General Sherman ) as a testament to the soldiers "kindly visit"! This child was my great Aunt "Tennie" DAVIS Mitchell (photographed and written about in the book "Taproots in Fertile Soil" by author Doris Lisemby [a documentary about the Mitchell Family of TN, our cousins]). The family resettled near our Mitchell cousins in Banks Arkansas. My 3X Grandmother, Sarah Sallie DAVIS, married the son of a successful immigrant & merchant Perry WOLFE from Vicksburg...

Circa 1840: The WOLFE family became prosperous merchants selling flatboats, and supplies in Vicksburg MS. Perry's father Fredrick WOLFE had emigrated to America in @1840 with his family from Copenhagen, Denmark (who 4 generations earlier, had emigrated from Germany to Denmark). In 1844, his children Perry & Catherine (b 1825; m. Amos SAVAGE) left Vicksburg to settle in/near Sumpter, Marion Twp, Bradley Co, AR. Later their brother John F. followed 1850 after parents Frederick & Pauline WOLFE died in Vicksburg (by 1950).

***WOLFE & DAVIS UNION & CHILDREN:
---
Circa ____: Her child, my great grandmother, Sarah Jean WOLFE married Frank ARMSTRONG of Bradley Banks, AR. They owned and worked a large farm in the Banks area; and are buried near Kingsland, AR. Sadly, Grandpa Frank was murdered at age 33. Grandma spent the rest of her life (and money) trying to bring Johnson to justice (to no avail, as a lone woman without a Man to stand in court for her (and her 7 young children at home, including my Grandmother Beulah age @8).

Circa 1880: My maternal Great grandfather ROSS was born on a farm homestead in England Arkansas, right next to the railroad tracks. He dreamed of "riding the rails; and at age 10 he jumped the train and rode into his future... We don't know where he went for the first decade but he ended up in San Francisco and joined the Army in ___. Stationed at the famed Presidio, he cooked for the troops in the winter; in summer he mounted up with the Cavalry and rode into the mountains to build the foundations of Yellowstone National Park! He later built homes, buildings, dairys and his own motel in/around Gustine California!

FAMILY 1900:
Circa 1928:
My paternal grandparents Stanley TUCKER m. Beulah ARMSTRONG were subsistence farmers in Union Parish, Louisiana; first as tenants; later on a small farmstead in Laran (@ 1 mile off Hwy LA-550; on Lem Rd, just before/NE of John Henry Rd.); @3-4 miles from the Arkansas border. My grandpa was a popular fiddler player in his youth, playing for barn dances, and at church socials, where he met my grandmother! They became pen pals, then married (1927) in/near Kingston/Warren/Rison area in AR and moved toLA where they farmed and had 3 children, one was my father Ervine F Tucker...

Circa 1930: Far from town, out in the country, with no "assets", subsistence lving was hard for my fathers family. Long hard days, sweltering summers, cold wet winters, droughts and crop failures made life on the farm difficult, sometimes brutal. The work was endless from dawn to dusk; farm chores were never-ending ... Tending crops, hauling water, walking several miles to school barefoot on gravel roads, (carrying your only shoes to church on Sunday was no "walk in the park" in any season)!

Circe 1940: By age 8, my father was earning his keep by going farm to farm, killing cows with a baseball bat, then butchering them for a portion of the meat. He was known as "One Slug Tuck" because he could fell an unsuspecting cow in 'one slug' of the bat (without causing fear that would poison the meat)! To do his job "humanely", he lured them away from the herd, well beyond the barn (but not too far, because he had to carry all the meat back to the house; then carry his share back to his family afterwards if he couldn't find a ride)!

~FAST FORWARD~
MY PARENTS (father TUCKER of LA m. McCOY fm CA) both became US Air Force aviators post WWII (mid 1950's). My father was first an aircraft mechanic, promoted to flight engineer/examiner. My mother, a WAF, was a radio operator and flight attendant. They flew together on C-118's, eventually fell in love, married , then started a family c. 1957. Meanwhile, Dad continued his flying career (on C-118's, C54's, C-130's, SA16's) for another 39 years. As a military family, we relocated often, and lived far afield (NJ, CA, VA, FL, Japan & Far East Asia during/after the Vietnam War). Subsequently, over the years we became disconnected from our extended family. (Yet another reason I contribute to FAG, and maintain a public tree at Ancestry.com.)

MY SIBLINGS & I were classic "military brats"; in-transit every other year or so, usually relocating in the middle of the school year. So we attended many elementary schools, first in the US, then junior and high schools in Okinawa Japan; Angeles City, Philippines; and Taipei, Taiwan. In the late 70's we transferred to north Florida where I started college, my parents later retired, and my brothers settled in.

I first attended colleges in both north and south Florida, then maritime school in the Florida Keys (and later, colleges and tech schools in Brazil, Australia, New Zealand, Hawaii, Italy and Turkey). In 1980, I sailed off to experience "the seven seas". Over the next decade I'd worked my way to/thru Brazil, Argentina, Paraguay, Saudi Arabia, Australia, New Zealand, Fiji, and Hawaii. I then spent 30+ years home-based in Honolulu studying Info Sceinces, working in the computer industry, racing sailboats; meanwhile travelling, worldwide for work and sport competitions. Travelling the world, especially throughout Europe, sparked a growing interest in my own ancestry.

Recently, my father (and other relatives) passed away, and I inherited his, and others family's documents and photo collections (his, several Aunts, Uncles, and Grandparents on both sides). They were full of extended family, mostly unknown to me... and sadly, most had already passed away. So I started researching & scanning photos, and searching for every living relative I could find. Thankfully, I found a few cousins on both sides, who helped me sort out my family and their photos; meanwhile becoming "besties" along the way! We're now connecting with more extended family; co-operating on family trees, sharing photos and further documenting, preserving, and strengthening our much extended family ties!

In closing... Contributing here has been a challenging and intriguing experience; a historical adventure, and an unexpected pleasure! I'm truly grateful to everyone contributing here!
Thank you, and Bless you all!
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
For Personal/Admin Use:
FAG TRANFER REQUEST (travelling/on the road):
Thank you _________, for managing my _________ memorial, your care and attention is sincerely appreciated! Now, I kindly request you transfer this memorial to me (family) for future care and management. Doing sopromptly will enable me to compose/edit the bio "on-the-road" while visiting my elders/relatives; (otherwise it's nearly impossible to do on my tablet 'on the fly' [without flooding you with numerous updates & corrections!). You're cooperation is greatly appreciated by our family!
Sincerely, Karen Tucker
FAG Contributor ID: KLTucker 48484954
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

First, I'd like to thank everyone who contributes to FAG! Your time, efforts, data, photos, and memorial transfers are sincerely appreciated, and truly invaluable!

I'm here to Honor, Memorialize and Connect families; so feel free to contact me for help, and to copy my photos (a photo credit is encouraged since helps connect families who may not otherwise know one another)!
(*REMINDER: Per FAG RULES, if you aren't related, you MUST transfer memorials to immediate family upon request!)

MY PRIMARY GOAL here is to honor our loved ones by linking memorials together and adding details, family photos, etc. Also, to share what I've discovered about my/their heritage (for the benefit of living relatives and future generations)!

I've included tidbits about me @ 6 paragraphs from the bottom of this page, under the heading "~FAST FORWARD~", and via the following:

MY FAMILY LINEAGE links:
~Father: Ervine TUCKER FAG# 152518115
(Families:TUCKER m. ARMSTRONG; ARMSTRONG m. WOLFE/DAVIS of Bradley Co., AR; DAVIS m. PRICE of Gibson TN)
~Mother: K. L. MCCOY Tucker (living)
~Maternal Grandmother: Ethel ROSS McCoy Clements FAG# 101489382 (MCCOY m. ROSS/MANCHESTER of San Francisco and Gustine, CA; MANCHESTER of San Francisco m. PEARCE/OCONNER of Australia)
~Maternal Grandfather: Harry MCCOY of Forrest City CA, FAG#100137753

MY FAMILY HISTORY (1st DRAFT below with updates pending), includes our family's ancestral origins, migrations and other interesting findings (from DNA results, genealogy, historical and geographical records, family documents and oral history). I've also included some notable ancestors; then ended with more recent family background;(all an expanding work-in-progress).

As my DNA depicts below, most of my early American ancestors emigrated from Northern Europe; primarily Ireland, Scotland, England, and Scandinavia (Denmark, Sweden and Finland). Though not currently shown in my DNA results (due to lack of a "representative samples"), my earlier ancestors also included indigenous peoples from at least two ancient Native American lineages; the Muskogee/Chickasaw and Iroquois/Cherokee Indians (surnames DAVIS and ROSS respectively, whose tribal heritage will be included in the next update).

Before and after reaching America, many of my forebears were farmers and seafarers; also blacksmiths, carpenters, boat builders, horse breeders/traders, warriors, and indigenous "naturals" (including ancient Vikings, Saxons and Celts; Britons of Scotland; and Native American Indians)! And of course, their better-halves were wives, mothers, pioneers, volvas and squaws!

Through living relatives and research, I've discovered my ancient progenitors can be traced all the way back to Joseph of Arimathea... and later to Dark Age Vikings thru Harald "Bluetooth" Gormsson (King of Denmark and Norway)... And to a Middle Age King of Scotts (thru his son/namesake Robert-the-Bruce and "of the Shenandoah"). Also to the French Royal Court via Norman, English and Scottish royals during the Viking raids, the Middle Ages, and also the Renaissance era!

ETHNIC ORIGINS: Accordingly, most of my DNA has been raced to the dozens of Islands in the North Atlantic Ocean, including the British Isles (off Ireland and Scotland); Isle of Man (in the Irish Sea); The Shetlands and Hebrides (in the North Sea); several islands in the Norwegian Sea, the Baltic Sea (Gotland), and in the English Channel (off the coasts of England, France, Belgium, and the Netherlands)! (Surely this is where I get my deep love for the sea and sailing, and my innate navigation skills!)

GEOGRAPHIC ETHNICITY via DNA (per Ancestry.com):
My Primary Ethnicities include:
-70% from England, Wales and Northwestern Europe; primarily Belgium, Channel Islands, Britain (inc Brittany, Normandy, Hauts de France; Jersey Isle), and Northern Denmark (Jutland and Sjaelland).
-27% from Ireland, Isle of Man, Northern Ireland, Scotland, and the Scottish Isles (Inner and Outer Hebrides, The Orkneys, The Uist Isles, Isle of Skye, and Fair Isle, Shetland).
-3% Iceland, Norway and Sweden (inc. Gotland Isle)

From these ancient progenitors: Ancient Celts, Britons, Old Norse Vikings, Anglo-Saxons, Norman Kings, Brigands, Englishmen, Irishmen, Lords and Scottish Highlanders... and ancient Native American "Indians"... came New World immigrants... America's "First Peoples and First Families".

INDIGENOUS ROOTS & FIRST FAMILIES from both East and West : Originating from both East Asia and Northern Europe (Siberia and Scandinavia)
(see attachment: pending, next update!)

*AMERICAS "FIRST PEOPLES": Crossing the Beringia land bridge
(see attachment; pending next update!)
*NORTHERN EUROPEANS: Celtic Origins
(see attachment; pending next update!)
*MIGRATION INTO AMERICA: Routes & Branches
(see attachment; pending next update!)

MY NATIVE AMERICAN LINEAGES: First came the Muscogeans, ancestors of the Chickasaw Indians (of western Tennessee); thought to be one branch of the Mississippian mound-building culture. Second, the Iroquoians, first known as the Tsalagi, were ancestors of the Cherokee Indians who migrated south from the Great Lakes Region.

*MY AMERICAN "FIRST FAMILIES" :
Mayflower Passengers:
Mayflower Next Gen's: Wing, Spooners, Manchester,
Jamestown Settlement, Va: Families Biggs, & Forrester

Jamestown, Virginia Circa 1600, two adventurous English families: The BIGGS & FORRESTER's sailedt to America in 1604, becoming two of America's "First Families" who 10 generations ago, settled the Jamestown Colony of Virginia! Their sons were titled "America's First Born"; they were loyal Britons, subjects of England's King James.

VIRGINIA COLONY OF JAMESTOWN: Our first "New World" ancestor Capt. BIGGS, an "original colonist", was a ships captain who arrived in Jamestown on 3 successive sailings from England. First, as a passenger aboard the Susan Constant [in 1607]; again [in 1610] on The Swan, with his wife Ann BOOKER and her servant; then again later on the ship Marigold [in 1618]. After a decade of plantation building, Capt. BIGGS was popularly elected [in 1619] to Virginia's House of Burgess's General Assembly (the first democratically elected legislative body in the New World)! As a large landowner, and a Burgess (a delegated representative of the commonwealth), his assets were scrupulously documented.. His tax & census records provide us with an extensive inventory of "original colonists" plantation goods, revealing much about plantation life in Jamestown (including the exact number of cows, chickens, plows, rakes, pots, pans, dishes, silverware, linens, buckets, brooms, shovels, hoes, etc.)! This inventory can be found online at at : __________.

*IMMIGRATION 1700-1750: Cotton and tobacco plantations of Virginia and North Carolina lured Europeans; especially England's 'second sons' of landed gentry (due to "primogenitor", inheritance laws that favored first-born sons), and drew the indentured servants that followed them. They also enticed the Scots-Irish who were fleeing political unrest, and German peasants who'd been devastated by famine and decades of war in southwest Germany. Later extended family, my branch of ancestors, came as well: TUCKER & MCCOY from Ireland and Scotland, WOLFE from Denmark & Germany, ARMSTRONG & MANCHESTER from England, ROSS from Sweden...

*SUBSISTENCE LIVING in 1775: In the South, tobacco was a valuable cash crop. Farmers also raised wheat, corn, livestock; meanwhile tradesmen built mills alongside streams to process the harvested grain. Home industries and small town shops proliferated: brewers, blacksmiths, wheelwrights, hat makers and weavers. Towns often formed along ethnic lines: Scots-Irish villages formed down the road from German towns... Meanwhile Indians occasionally attacked, both independently and collectively (and later were 'hired' warriors during the French and Indian War [a territorial battle between Britain and France over New World territory]).

GEORGIA FAMILY circa 1770: Our ancestor Steven Heard, built Heards Fort and Stockade in 1774, as a travelers refuge from Cherokee and Creek Indian attacks. Later Heard served as President (modern day Governor) of Georgia (1780-81). Then came the American Revolution (1785-1783) where Heard became a lifetime friend of General George Washington while serving together in the Continental Army. (Heard named his son after George; a namesake). Later, in 1884 Heard's Fort became Georgia's seat of government; (it's now the city of Washington, in Wilkes County, Georgia). Nearby "Mont Heard" was his homestead (the house is no longer there);, and nearby Heard County is a namesake. Family elders, say his/our relative Joseph Heard, was a Spy, a member of the Scouts and Spies of the GA Militia.

*FAMILY MIGRATION circa 1800: Several ancestors had migrated south, from North and South Carolina. A few settled in Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, Tennessee; others settled in Virginia, Kentucky, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania.

LOUISIANA TERRITORY circa 1800: Our ancestor William Charles Cole Claiborne (Louisiana Territory Governor ) personally supervised the transfer of Louisiana Territory into U.S. control after The Louisiana Purchase in 1803. He also governed the "Territory of Orleans" until statehood (1804-1812); then was elected Governor of the State. He was (and may still be) the youngest state Governor ever elected.

*FAMILY MIGRATION 1825:

Circa 1840: My forefather Chief John Ross (b. 1790; a Cherokee Indian, and part Scottish) served as Principal Chief of the Cherokee Nation (1828-1866) headquartered at New Echota, Georgia. He fought diligently in Washington DC for decades trying to preserve the Cherokee Nation's homeland (43,000 square miles in Georgia), and their nation state's independence. He fervently opposed the New Etocha Treaty; the Removal Act; and the Confederates. Unfortunately, while on the verge of success, incoming Pres. Andrew Jackson rejected his petitions. Suddenly in 1830 his people were forcefully "removed" from all their property (land, homes, farms, equipment, household goods etc). In 1838-39 those who still remained, were forced-marched under duress, onto the "Trail of Tears". Thousands died before reaching Oklahoma. Some of my DAVIS ancestors seemed to have escaped the worst... perhaps were overlooked, or by removing themselves beforehand (from Tennessee to Banks, AR). Or perhaps, the DAVIS family were natives of the Banks, Bradley County area? (known address Eagle Post Office; Redland )...

Circa 1850: Down South in/around Banks, AR, lived my future paternal 3X Grandmother (Sarah M. DAVIS (of Redland [Eagle Post Office], AR; born in TN]). She and her Tennessee siblings & ancestors were pure blood Native Americans, thought to be Cherokee or possibly/probably Chickasaw Indians (my 3x Great Grandfather E MANUEL was born and married very near Chickasaw Indian Territory around Gibson, TN).

***Circa 1850: My Indian 3x grandmother Sarah M. DAVIS (b. 1855, TN; m. Emanuel DAVIS in/of TN 1872); had a "pure" Indian bloodline that is purportedly "untraceable" (but I'm still working to unscramble it)!

*HISTORICAL NOTE: At that time, Indians did not carry surnames or family names. But, for the purpose of record keeping in schools, churches, census etc., they either chose, adopted, or were 'given' last names to use. Because of this, (and her possibly marrying another "DAVIS"), Sarah's bloodline may never be found!
*What we do know about Sarah:
-she was born in/near Gibson TN; or Hamilton, TN; or Banks ARK (with records for each!)
-she married E Manuel DAVIS in/of TN 1872 (@age 17) in/near Gibson, TN
- As a teenager, she traveled to Banks AR with the Mitchel Family (per testimony and photo [with Aunt Tennie], in book "Taproots in Fertile Soil" a Mitchell family biography authored by descendant Doris Lisemby.

FAMILY MIGRATION 1850-1875: Most of my family's immigrants settled in the Southeast, specifically Western Central Georgia, Central Alabama, South & Central Arkansas, and Texas. By 1875 the heaviest concentrations were in Central Alabama, forming a 70 mile long square around (and to the west of ) Birmingham, Alabama. (Specifically from Leeds south to Chelsea to Montevallo; west to Tuscaloosa; north to Berry to Double Springs; east to& Bankhead Forest to Cullman; south to Locust Fork to Trussville & Leeds [17 miles east of Birmingham]).

IMMIGRANTS circa 1850:
1)Several TUCKERs (brothers?) migrated from Ireland (to Georgia).
2)Also two other families, (ROSS & WOLFE) migrated from Sweden & Denmark respectively. 3)Father ROSS fm Sweden married a girl from Tennessess, and settled in England, Arkansas.
4)The WOLFE's landed in Pennsylvania, became successful merchants, then moved to Vicksburg, MS, owners of a prosperous mercantile business; their sons & daughter resettled to Banks, Arkansas.

Circa @1850 TUCKERS in America, about 12 Irishman, surname TUCKER, branched out from Carrollton, Georgia... A couple of them (my paternal 3x grandfathers) settled around Dadeville, Tallapoosa Alabama. Later a few of their kids settled in Union Parish near Marion/Bernice, Louisiana (near the Arkansas border; north of both Farmerville & Spearsville); these men become my 3X-Grandparents...

Circa 1860: At least two other branches of my ancestors, both maternal and paternal, (DAVIS & ROSS families of TN) settled in Arkansas to farm along the Arkansas and Mississippi Rivers . The ROSS (a white emigrant fm Sweden, married a girl from TN) acquired land in England Arkansas via the Swampland Grants. Soon, many men left home to fight the American Civil War (1861-1865) with their local Army Units (some dying as far afield as Pennsylvania).

Meanwhile in 1864 in Tennessee, the Union Army was raiding the DAVIS family farmstead! But my 3x Grandmother saved the farm from certain destruction, by agreeing to name her newborn child "Tennessee"(a namesake of General Grants Tennessee Army, lead by General Sherman ) as a testament to the soldiers "kindly visit"! This child was my great Aunt "Tennie" DAVIS Mitchell (photographed and written about in the book "Taproots in Fertile Soil" by author Doris Lisemby [a documentary about the Mitchell Family of TN, our cousins]). The family resettled near our Mitchell cousins in Banks Arkansas. My 3X Grandmother, Sarah Sallie DAVIS, married the son of a successful immigrant & merchant Perry WOLFE from Vicksburg...

Circa 1840: The WOLFE family became prosperous merchants selling flatboats, and supplies in Vicksburg MS. Perry's father Fredrick WOLFE had emigrated to America in @1840 with his family from Copenhagen, Denmark (who 4 generations earlier, had emigrated from Germany to Denmark). In 1844, his children Perry & Catherine (b 1825; m. Amos SAVAGE) left Vicksburg to settle in/near Sumpter, Marion Twp, Bradley Co, AR. Later their brother John F. followed 1850 after parents Frederick & Pauline WOLFE died in Vicksburg (by 1950).

***WOLFE & DAVIS UNION & CHILDREN:
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Circa ____: Her child, my great grandmother, Sarah Jean WOLFE married Frank ARMSTRONG of Bradley Banks, AR. They owned and worked a large farm in the Banks area; and are buried near Kingsland, AR. Sadly, Grandpa Frank was murdered at age 33. Grandma spent the rest of her life (and money) trying to bring Johnson to justice (to no avail, as a lone woman without a Man to stand in court for her (and her 7 young children at home, including my Grandmother Beulah age @8).

Circa 1880: My maternal Great grandfather ROSS was born on a farm homestead in England Arkansas, right next to the railroad tracks. He dreamed of "riding the rails; and at age 10 he jumped the train and rode into his future... We don't know where he went for the first decade but he ended up in San Francisco and joined the Army in ___. Stationed at the famed Presidio, he cooked for the troops in the winter; in summer he mounted up with the Cavalry and rode into the mountains to build the foundations of Yellowstone National Park! He later built homes, buildings, dairys and his own motel in/around Gustine California!

FAMILY 1900:
Circa 1928:
My paternal grandparents Stanley TUCKER m. Beulah ARMSTRONG were subsistence farmers in Union Parish, Louisiana; first as tenants; later on a small farmstead in Laran (@ 1 mile off Hwy LA-550; on Lem Rd, just before/NE of John Henry Rd.); @3-4 miles from the Arkansas border. My grandpa was a popular fiddler player in his youth, playing for barn dances, and at church socials, where he met my grandmother! They became pen pals, then married (1927) in/near Kingston/Warren/Rison area in AR and moved toLA where they farmed and had 3 children, one was my father Ervine F Tucker...

Circa 1930: Far from town, out in the country, with no "assets", subsistence lving was hard for my fathers family. Long hard days, sweltering summers, cold wet winters, droughts and crop failures made life on the farm difficult, sometimes brutal. The work was endless from dawn to dusk; farm chores were never-ending ... Tending crops, hauling water, walking several miles to school barefoot on gravel roads, (carrying your only shoes to church on Sunday was no "walk in the park" in any season)!

Circe 1940: By age 8, my father was earning his keep by going farm to farm, killing cows with a baseball bat, then butchering them for a portion of the meat. He was known as "One Slug Tuck" because he could fell an unsuspecting cow in 'one slug' of the bat (without causing fear that would poison the meat)! To do his job "humanely", he lured them away from the herd, well beyond the barn (but not too far, because he had to carry all the meat back to the house; then carry his share back to his family afterwards if he couldn't find a ride)!

~FAST FORWARD~
MY PARENTS (father TUCKER of LA m. McCOY fm CA) both became US Air Force aviators post WWII (mid 1950's). My father was first an aircraft mechanic, promoted to flight engineer/examiner. My mother, a WAF, was a radio operator and flight attendant. They flew together on C-118's, eventually fell in love, married , then started a family c. 1957. Meanwhile, Dad continued his flying career (on C-118's, C54's, C-130's, SA16's) for another 39 years. As a military family, we relocated often, and lived far afield (NJ, CA, VA, FL, Japan & Far East Asia during/after the Vietnam War). Subsequently, over the years we became disconnected from our extended family. (Yet another reason I contribute to FAG, and maintain a public tree at Ancestry.com.)

MY SIBLINGS & I were classic "military brats"; in-transit every other year or so, usually relocating in the middle of the school year. So we attended many elementary schools, first in the US, then junior and high schools in Okinawa Japan; Angeles City, Philippines; and Taipei, Taiwan. In the late 70's we transferred to north Florida where I started college, my parents later retired, and my brothers settled in.

I first attended colleges in both north and south Florida, then maritime school in the Florida Keys (and later, colleges and tech schools in Brazil, Australia, New Zealand, Hawaii, Italy and Turkey). In 1980, I sailed off to experience "the seven seas". Over the next decade I'd worked my way to/thru Brazil, Argentina, Paraguay, Saudi Arabia, Australia, New Zealand, Fiji, and Hawaii. I then spent 30+ years home-based in Honolulu studying Info Sceinces, working in the computer industry, racing sailboats; meanwhile travelling, worldwide for work and sport competitions. Travelling the world, especially throughout Europe, sparked a growing interest in my own ancestry.

Recently, my father (and other relatives) passed away, and I inherited his, and others family's documents and photo collections (his, several Aunts, Uncles, and Grandparents on both sides). They were full of extended family, mostly unknown to me... and sadly, most had already passed away. So I started researching & scanning photos, and searching for every living relative I could find. Thankfully, I found a few cousins on both sides, who helped me sort out my family and their photos; meanwhile becoming "besties" along the way! We're now connecting with more extended family; co-operating on family trees, sharing photos and further documenting, preserving, and strengthening our much extended family ties!

In closing... Contributing here has been a challenging and intriguing experience; a historical adventure, and an unexpected pleasure! I'm truly grateful to everyone contributing here!
Thank you, and Bless you all!
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For Personal/Admin Use:
FAG TRANFER REQUEST (travelling/on the road):
Thank you _________, for managing my _________ memorial, your care and attention is sincerely appreciated! Now, I kindly request you transfer this memorial to me (family) for future care and management. Doing sopromptly will enable me to compose/edit the bio "on-the-road" while visiting my elders/relatives; (otherwise it's nearly impossible to do on my tablet 'on the fly' [without flooding you with numerous updates & corrections!). You're cooperation is greatly appreciated by our family!
Sincerely, Karen Tucker
FAG Contributor ID: KLTucker 48484954
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