Mystery Monday is a daily prompt at Geneabloggers
encouraging bloggers to share mystery ancestors or mystery records – anything
which is currently unsolved. With any
luck fellow genealogy bloggers will lend their eyes to what has been found so
far and possibly help solve the mystery.
Following the suggestion of fellow-blogger Jacqi Stevens,
I recently posted a query in the Lingle Genforum and in the Rockingham County,
Virginia forum on Rootsweb. I stated
that I am trying to confirm John and Elizabeth Lingle Armentrout as parents of
Mary Ann Armentrout, my 3G grandmother who was married to Fielding
Jollett. I referenced Martin and Anna
Maria Lingle Schneider/Snyder as sponsors at the baptism of “Maria Armentrout.”
Within an hour of posting on Rootsweb, I heard from Jan
Hensley, a dedicated researcher of families in Rockingham County, with whom I
have collaborated from time to time on Jollett and Sampson research. She provided a couple more pieces to the
puzzle.
First of all, Jan told me about a chancery cause in
Rockingham County between Emanuel Hansberger and Charles Yancey (1835-002) that
lists the descendants of Jacob Lingle, the first. Elizabeth is listed as the daughter of Jacob
Lingle, the second. It states further
that she “married John Armentrout of Rockingham, the said John is dead but the
said Elizabeth is still living.”
Why I like this clue:
even though it does not list Elizabeth’s children, John’s being dead
before 1835 is consistent with the fact that in 1837 Mary Ann and Fielding sold
the land she had inherited from her father “John Armentrout, deceased.”
Second, Jan added that also listed among the children of
Jacob Lingle, the second, is Elizabeth’s sister Mary who married Martin
Snyder. From the chancery cause, “Martin
Snyder and Mary his wife are both dead leaving children and heirs Barbara
Snyder who has since intermarried with a certain Philip Parrat of Rockingham,
Elizabeth who married a certain Christian Sellers and removed to the state of
Indiana, Mathias Snyder of Rockingham, and Catherine who married a certain
Jacob Freeze of Rockingham….”
Why I like this clue:
For the first time, I see “Anna Maria Schneider” Anglicized as “Mary.” Keeping my fingers crossed that the German
custom of naming a child for the sponsor at baptism has held true in the case
of my Mary Ann.
And finally, in subsequent emails, Jan encouraged me to “follow
the land,” to pin down any clues that might be in deeds. When I casually added that I would also
follow up on the sale of Mary Ann’s inherited land to Henry Kisling, Jan told
me this: that Christina Lingle, the
sister of Jacob Lingle, the second, married Christopher Kisling and that Henry
was their son.
Why I like this clue:
Isn’t it obvious? Fielding and
Mary Ann Armentrout Jollett must have sold the land to her COUSIN. The Armentrout-Snyder-Lingle-and now Kisling
connection gets stronger and stronger.
Yes, it’s circumstantial. But in the court of law, enough circumstantial evidence is enough to convict. But in the world of genealogy, the jury is still out.
Yes, it’s circumstantial. But in the court of law, enough circumstantial evidence is enough to convict. But in the world of genealogy, the jury is still out.
©
2014, Wendy Mathias. All rights reserved.
