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Rhoda was born between 1785 and 1794, based on her age in the 1810 census (16-25).[1]
Rhoda is believed to be the daughter of George Sizemore and Agnes Shepherd as reported in an excerpt from the diaries of Rev. John Dickey.[2] An additional clue is that her children-- supposedly at her death-- were bound to William Begley, husband of Winnie Sizemore, who would have been Rhoda's sister if they shared the same parents. We seek additional and reliable sources to confirm Rhoda's parents. WikiTreer Marbeth Sizemore testifies that her great great grandmother Polly Wilder North spoke of her [grand]parents, George All Sizemore and Aggie Shepherd, to Marbeth's grandfather many times. Marbeth's firsthand testimony provides a strong family history along with the Dickey interview to support the parents of Rhoda being George Sizemore and Aggie Shepard.
Some Wilder and Sizemore researchers state that Rhoda Sizemore had children by a number of different men, none of whom she was married to. Theories include:
The theory that Rhoda was a single mother is supported by the 1810 federal census, where in Clay Co., Kentucky, Rhoda is enumerated as head of household (age 16 through 25), with two males under the age of 10.[1]
In 1818, there were two custody hearings related to her children:
Rhoda was apparently deceased by 1826 as the court records of Clay County Kentucky show that at a county court, commenced and held in the courthouse in Manchester on Monday 25 September 1826...
Joseph Wilder filed suit against William Begley in 1826 in Clay County, Kentucky. There is no mention in the court records what the suit was about. The suit was continued and eventually dismissed in October 1827.[3]
The children of Rhoda SIZEMORE (without naming the father) were named in a subpoena of 25 Feb 1828 to the sheriff of Perry County, Kentucky:
Children included:
Rhoda's history is complicated and not reliably sourced. She probably had seven children by five different men and there's no proof that she married any of them. First of all, she reputedly married a Roberts man.[citation needed] Then she had five children with a Joseph Wilder.[citation needed] Two sons of Rhoda included Russell Sizemore (b 1803) and John Sizemore (b 1805), believed to have been fathered by a Begley male.
Who was Rhoda, and who fathered Russell and John?
Rhoda Sizemore and Agnes Shepherd appear to be a match based on the Sizemore DNA Project study.[4] To date, there are four kits that match to Haplogroup T2. One kit's owner stops at Rhoda Sizemore as their furthest researched direct maternal ancestor and the other three kits give Agnes Shepherd Sizemore as their furthest researched direct maternal ancestor. Finding out whether any of those three kits connect to Agnes by a daughter other than Rhoda would probably put the "was Rhoda born a Sizemore" issue to bed because T2 is not common for Europeans and is unknown in Native Americans.
Haplogroup T2 is a Eurasian Haplogroup. It is not a Native American DNA result but instead suggests Middle Eastern or Eastern European roots. [5], [6]
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Categories: Johnston Cemetery, Buckhorn, Kentucky
1820 census: Joseph Wilder. 25 September 1826, Clay Co. KY
first three children bound to William Begley. 25 February 1828, Perry County, KY, subpoena to sheriff of Perry Co., KY, to summon William Begley, JohnBowling, and Jesse Bowling to have them bring to court Nelson Sizemore, Polly Sizemore, Dempsey Sizemore, Betsy Sizemore, and Agga Sizemore, the children of Rody Sizemore taken from the county of Clay and detained in the possession of the aforesaid persons.
Willis Sizemore is "said to be" the son of Rhoda Sizemore, daughter of George All & Agnes Sizemore. Rhoda is "said to be" the mother of four illegitimate sons, all of whom were raised with the surname of Sizemore. There is no paper trail or documentary proof that she was their mother, but the family stories in Kentucky say she was. We have tested the YDNA (which shows their direct male line)of at least one direct male descendant of each of the four sons. They were Russell (1802-1882), John (c1805-aft 1870), Willis (abt. 1813-bef 1872), and Wilborn (abt 1814-bet 1880-1900). Russell's descendant's DNA results matched the Begley men, John's descendant's DNA results matched the George All Sizemore men, Willis's descendant's DNA results matched the Begley men, and Wilborn's descendant's DNA results matched the Bowling men. Only John's descendant's DNA results showed the Q haplogroup which indicated Native American ancestry. All this proves that none of these sons of Rhoda had Redbird as a father. There is no way to tell exactly which Begley or Bowling man was the father of any of them. After these boys were born, Rhoda had five children with Joseph Wilder, two boys and three girls. We tested the YDNA of a direct male descendant of the first boy, Nelson Wilder, and his results matched other Wilder men. We also tested the mtDNA of a direct female descendant of Rhoda (through her daughter, Polly North). The results of her test matched the results of direct female descendants of George All's daughters, Winnie Begley and Susan Bowling. This proves that Rhoda, Winnie, and Susan were sisters. Their results all showed that their direct female line was European, so their mother, Agnes (Shepherd) Sizemore was NOT a little Indian girl. These families are still part of the Sizemore extended family, but it is through their mother, Rhoda, instead of through their fathers.
Rhoda's son John is a Y-dna match to her father's Ydna, meaning she likely had John from one of her male cousins.
Rhoda did appear to have a child who appears in the records as "Aggie Sizemore" and Aggie's father *might* have been Joseph Wilder, based on cited court records that suggest this, but what source supports the claim that this daughter went on to marry Milton B Smith?
Thank you.
Thank you.
GEORGE "ALL" SIZEMORE BIRTH 1748 Lunenburg County, Virginia, USA DEATH 13 JUL 1822 Dry Hill, Leslie, Kentucky, United States
Father thought to be and dna proven James SIZEMORE BIRTH 1722 Brunswick County Va. DEATH 1790< brother of Edward Old ned Sisemore
Spouse & Children AGNES "AGGIE" SHEPHERD AGNES "AGGIE" SHEPHERD 17501839 Sally Ann Sizemore 17701877 James "Red Bird" Sizemore James "Red Bird" Sizemore 17711824 WINIFRED MINERVA SIZEMORE WINIFRED MINERVA SIZEMORE 17721855 MARGARET ESTHER SIZEMORE 1773 Eunice SIZEMORE Eunice SIZEMORE 17761855 JOHN "Rockhouse" SIZEMORE JOHN "Rockhouse" SIZEMORE 17761850 Edward SIZEMORE Edward SIZEMORE 17781856 George Goldenhawk Sizemore George Goldenhawk Sizemore 17831864 Susan Sizemore Susan Sizemore 17841862 Ruth Sizemore 17871856 RHODA SIZEMORE RHODA SIZEMORE 17881825 Henry Hunting Shirt Sizemore Henry Hunting Shirt Sizemore 17901870
BIRTH 1788 Ashe, North Carolina, United States DEATH FEB 25 1825 Perry, Kentucky, United States Family Parents GEORGE "ALL" SIZEMORE 17481822 AGNES "AGGIE" SHEPHERD 17501839 Siblings
Spouse & Children Joseph Wilder 17581865 Mary "Polly" Sizemore Wilder Mary "Polly" Sizemore Wilder 18131910 Nelson Sizemore Wilder 18151891 Dennis Dempsey Sizemore Wilder 1818 Elizabeth Betsy Wilder Elizabeth Betsy Wilder 18241903 Agnes "Aggy" Wilder 18241900
Spouse & Children Unknown Bowling WILBORN SIZEMORE,BOWLING WILBORN SIZEMORE,BOWLING 18141879
Spouse Roberts Spouse & Children
Unknown Begley Russell "Ruck" Sizemore-bagley Russell "Ruck" Sizemore-bagley 18011882 Willis Sizemore, Begley 1805 S
The Dickey Diary is not 100%. I would love to have the 1818 custody hearing papers,
Thanks, S