Help finding parents of Dempsey William Powell

Question

Hello fellow detectives! I have been searching high and low for proof of the parents of my 3G grandfather, Dempsey William Powell https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Powell-20052.

According to the 1850 census (first one I can confirm for him), he was born in Tennessee (as was his wife). At that time, he was living in Macoupin, Illinois, and working as a laborer. He later owned land in the area. All of his children were born in IL. They eventually moved to Stove Creek, Nebraska and he lived the rest of his days in that area.

The first census where his parents' birthplaces were recorded is 1880, and this shows father: NC and mother: VA. I have found marginally reliable sources indicating that Jesse Powell of NC (son of Dempsey Powell Sr.) married Mildred Brown born c. 1800 in VA. However, I have found only one list of their children, and it does not include a Dempsey.

My DNA results at Ancestry.com provide matches with descendants of Jesse Powell, but I cannot tell if that is due to a direct line or some degree of cousin-ship with his folk.

The biggest problem I have with Jesse as the father of Dempsey William is that, as far as I can tell, Jesse was born, lived, and died in North Carolina. But according to all records, Dempsey was born in Tennessee.

I would love to somehow settle this once and for all, but I am at a loss. I cannot prove or disprove anything at this point. 

I am hoping other Powell researchers may have some information to shed light on my puzzle.

Thank you in advance!

Answer 1

You picked the wrong Jesse Powell. Dempsey is name as a son in the will if Jesse Powell, who died  June 13, 1821. Also named, sons Chris, John, Jesse, daughters Rhoda and Sally and wife Elizabeth. Executors are Robert Lancaster and William Hughes

Comments

Jesse's wife Elizabeth was the daughter of William Lancaster and Rhoda Smith. Jesse was born abt 1787 in NC.

December 21, 1802,  RHODA, widow of Jesse appointed to administer the estate of her husband - attending and witnessing were James Hibbetts, Peter Turney, Elmore Douglas, John Lancaster, James Draper. The widow's maiden name was Braswell. She was the daughter of William Braswell, named in his will, 1778,  as Rhoda Powell. Also named was her brother Dempsey Braswell.

So, going back in time

Dempsey Powell son of

Jesse 1787-1821 son of

Jesse 1753-1802 son of Nathaniel

wills in Ancestry

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Good gracious! That was fast and...thank you!! Ok, I had this Jesse+Eliz Lancaster flagged at one point (because of exactly that will) but I think I abandoned them because she was not born in Virginia. And of course the more I searched, the more conflicts came up, and I eventually forgot about this particular Jesse.

Now I need to track Elizabeth again and see if she was or was not born in Virginia.

I deeply appreciate your guidance...right back to where I started!

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Elizabeth Lancaster, daughter of William Lancaster and Rhoda Smith

William, son of John Lancaster and Anne Cottrell - source for this

http://files.usgwarchives.net/va/henrico/bibles/familybi10gbb.txt

Name: William Lankester Gender: Male Spouse: Rhody Smith Spouse Gender: Female Bond date: 26 Aug 1784 Bond #: 000145827 Level Info: North Carolina Marriage Bonds, 1741-1868 ImageNum: 007431 County: Surry Record #: 01 137 Bondsman: William Douglas Source Information Ancestry.com. North Carolina, U.S., Index to Marriage Bonds, 1741-1868 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2000.

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put in wrong link for Lancaster/Cottrell

put in link by mistake of a profile i was working on - my apology

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Thanks Eddie. No worries. I can't tell you how much I appreciate the help. 

I am still a little stuck here just because I like things tied up neatly (I know, I know...). 

I still have a question about Dempsey's mother, Elizabeth Lancaster. I haven't found anything to indicate that she was born in Virginia as stated by Dempsey in the 1880 census.

I know that could be an error, either on his part of that of the census taker. 

The Bible notes referenced above say that her parents (Wm and Rhody) were from Virginia and ended up in Tennessee. But they were married in North Carolina and there's no direct indication of where each of the children were born. Elizabeth was born 10 years after they married, so they could easily have moved in between, perhaps even returning to Virginia and then later moving to Tennesee. 

I dream of having all the facts, but so far I'm not there.

Elizabeth certainly remains the most obvious candidate for DWP's mother at this point, due to Jesse naming Dempsey in his will, as well as wife Elizabeth, and also that they clearly lived in Smith Co where Dempsey was born. But I would love to find records to prove where Elizabeth was born.