Being a Southerner I'm Basically Related to Myself

Marshall Bruce Kimbrough

2008-03-05T07:03:00.002-05:00

Marshall Bruce Kimbrough of Harris County, Georgia (1845 - 1911).

This picture was taken by Marshall Kimbrough's son-in-law William M. Jenkins of Atlanta. Uncle Will wrote a note with a picture which says, "Hon. M. B. Kimbrough, Sheriff Harris County. This picture was taken by W. M. Jenkins, Jun 26, 1906, some 5 or 6 miles from Chipley, Ga., with a camera tripod bought of a friend in Augusta. The picture above is made by Alfa Lomax from the original which I have and from which I had several made, including one for all brothers and sister of my wife. Far as I know, this is the only picture extant of Mr. Kimbrough -- the man everybody loved. He was my constant companion and friend. He was a true friend, and I truly loved him. He was a great lover of horses and could ride as straight as any one I ever knew. W. M. J."

Turnwold Plantation, Putnam Co., GA

2008-03-04T05:51:00.005-05:00

This is the second Turnwold plantation in Putnam Co., GA. My Turner family came from Dinwiddie Co., Virginia, to Georgia. This Turnwold was acquired by Joseph Addison Turner (1826 - 1868). The original Turnwold was on land adjacent to this site and was inherited (I'm working from memory here) by Joseph Addison Turner's brother, William Turner (1830 - 1879). The Turner family cemetery is on the site of the original Turnwold. I've not seen the cemetery since to do so I'd have to climb over a fence, walk through a pasture of bulls, find the cemetery, and avoid snakes along the way.

There is a cemetery at the second Turnwold -- but that cemetery is for the Alexander family. The home at the second Turnwold was built by William Alexander and was sold to Joseph Addison Turner 1851. The deed conveying the property contained this statement, "...William Alexander do reserve for himelf his burial ground 40 ft by 30 unto him the same Joseph A. Turner his heirs and assignees forever defend the rights and perfect title of said trace of land unto him the said Joseph A. Turner his heirs and asigns."

Here are some links about Turnwold:
Site hosted by Georgia State University
The New Georgia Encyclopedia page about Joel Chandler Harris
The Digital Library of Georgia -- 1978 photograph of Turnwold
The New Georgia Encyclopedia -- article about Joseph Addison Turner
Historic Piedmont Scenic Byway - Hancock & Putnam Counties, GA

To begin...

2008-03-02T10:04:00.002-05:00

I wish I could take credit for the title of this blog, but my cousin Lea Dowd said it first. Lea also said (as we were commenting on all the inter-family marriages that occurred in the southern colonies/states in the 17th and 18th century), "If your own family isn't good enough for you, who is?"

I have no clue how this blog is going to develop. I'm not witty, nor clever. I do, however, have a passion for genealogy (and expensive shoes) and uncovering how a lot of these Southern families are inter-related. My only advice to others interested in genealogy is to collect in-laws and in-laws of in-laws of the families you're researching -- because the chances are really, really good that you're going to find a spouse in there somewhere. My only experience has been in researching Southern families, but I have noticed that in all these 18th century Virginia families -- and in families coming out of Virginia -- they never met a cousin they didn't marry.