Hey listers: I am still trying to make ends meet on my slave research related to the JOHNSTON family of Boone Co., MO, Bourbon Co., KY and Orange, Spotsylvania and Caroline Counties in VA. I need some help -- if anyone can straighten me out of a few items noted below. As usual, I beg of everyone while they are doing their research to share any slave related documentation they find. On my website, you can post wills etc., for families with Missouri ties with slave data here: http://www.usgennet.org/usa/mo/topic/afro-amer/indexusg.html This is a complicated post.. which goes from VA, KY to MO trying to trace slaveowning families for my ancestors. First: Does anyone know about the STROTHERS family -- or Thomas C. Strothers.. I know the Strothers connect to the FRENCH, GRAY, TALIAFERRO, & TUTT lines in VA... but I'm not sure how the tie is made to Bourbon Co. KY. I believe I am dealing with descendants of William Johnston and Ann "Nan" Maria Chew. [Her parents were Larkin Chew and Hannah Roy] My brickwall is Robert Johnston m. Nancy McClanahan. I believe this Robert is related to William and Ann Chew Johnston. In reviewing the online Kentucky Records, Volume I BOURBON COUNTY WILL ABSTRACTS (Contributed by Mrs. William Breckenridge Ardery, Jemima Johnson Chapter, Paris, KY) -- I found the following will entries of interest: STROTHERS, THOMAS A. -- pg. 364 -- Wife Nelly Strother to Thos. Benson son. of Wm. 150 Fayette County that Zach Benson now lives on -- stud kept by Wm Markham ; to Wm and Thos. McClanahan, sons and Thos. McClanahan Jr., (slaves) to Peggy, Anney,[Aggie?] and Mariah, daus. of aforesaid. Thos. McClanahan (under) age 2009 each. Wife and Thos. McClanahan Jr., Extrs. April 3, 1798-June 1798. Thomas McClanahan is the father of Peggy McClanahan who married Robert Johnston... those illustrious Johnstons that I keep trying to pen down; and connect to WILLIAM AND ANN MARIA CHEW JOHNSTON. Here's a quick line up on the William and Ann Chew Johnston line from my understanding: William Johnston m. 1)Ann "Nan" Mary Chew; 2)Elizabeth Wyatt & 3)Betty Taylor. Children: 1) William Johnston II m. Elizabeth Cave son: Robert Johnston m. Jemima Suggett and 2nd wife ? Bledsoe 2) Joseph Johnson 3) Larkin Chew Johnston m. Mary Rogers 4) Robert Johnston m. 1) Ann Cook 2) Lucy Ann Overton 5) Judith Johnston m. Robert Farish 6) John Johnston m. ? 7) Benjamin Johnston m. Dorothy jones 8) James Johnston ,. Mary Ware 9) Hannahn Johnston m. Francis Coleman 10) Richard Johnston m. 1) Dorothy Waller 2) Ann Thompson Waller [sister] 11) Elizabeth Johnston m. John Benger (see Virginia JOHNSTON deed transactions here: http://geocities.com/Heartland/park/2512/Johnston.htm My ancestors were slaves in the family of Capt. William Johnston; son of Robert Johnston & Nancy McClanahan. The gap is who is the father of Robert Johnston? So I'm looking for connections via wills. The Strothers transaction notes a gift of slaves which is interesting except that I don't know how the STROTHERS connect to the McCLANAHAN family. I do know that John Marshall McClanahan -- a grandson of Thomas C. McClanahan shows up in Morgan CO., MO and is connected to the CHISM family. My great great grandmother Mary Ann Howard [owned by Jacob Chism] married Samuel McClanahan in Morgan Co. Jacob bequeathed Mary Ann to his daughter Elizabeth who married Lot Howard. Elizabeth's sister Priscilla married John Marshall McClanahan III. By the way, there's a John Marshall McClanahan I, II and III in Morgan Co. MO. Very exciting & more complicated. Back to BOURBON CO., KY for MCCLANAHAN -- There is also an entry for: McCLANAHAN, Wm. D. pg 360 Mother, Eliz. McClanahan; brother Thos. McClanahan. March 26, 1813-June 1813. Wm. Love, Wm Markham, R Williams wtiz. [I'm curious who the MARKHAMS are also?] Now THOMAS C. McCLANAHAN's will was written in May 4, 1807 and probated Feb. 1809. You will see below that "Peggy"/Margaret is listed as wife of Robert Johnston. I know the Hickman players pretty well... and can track them well into Missouri. I don't know MAURICE LANGHORNE [but I suspect he is the son of MAURICE LANGHORNE SR., and NANCY McCLANAHAN a daughter who is not mentioned.] No clue about the ELGIN or ELKINS. Also -- it is my guess that Agatha is "Aggy" Pullin - -and her daughter is "Peggy Dudley. I'm also clueless on the PULLIN folks. WILL OF THOMAS C. MCCLANAHAN p. 19 McCLANAHAN, THOS.-C, 476-Son, Wm., decd., his widow, Elizabeth; g. son, Thos. McClanahan; g. son, Wm. McClanahan; Wm. Brown and wife, Lucy; John Harrison and wife, Elizabeth; Jas. Pullin and wife, Aggy, g. dau.; Sally McClanahan, Polly McClanahan aforesaid, my daus., and widow of Wm., decd.; son, Thomas, my Military survey; son-in-law, David Hickman and wife, Clary; Robt. Johnstone and wife, Peggy; g. sons, Wm. Johnston and Maurice Langhorne; to Samuel Elgin and wife, Aggy; to Thos. Ashford and wife, Sally and Isaiah Elkins and wife, Ann, land in Woodford Co. Extr.: son, Thomas. Written May 4, 1807. Probated Feb. 1809. Wts.: Elizemon Basey, Wm. Love, Alfred Bayse. Codicil: two sons of son, Wm., decd., viz: Thos. and Wm. trustees named for Agatha Pullin; g. dau., Peggy Dudley, wife of Robt. W. Dudley; six daus., of Elizabeth McClanahan, widow of William, two of whom the above Agatha Pullin and Peggy Dudley. Feb. 1809. I found another will entry which ties the McCLANAHAN family to the JOHNSTON line... including the MAURICE LANGHORNE above... but I have no idea who GEORGE CLEVELAND is in relationship to the both the JOHNSTON, BRANHAM and MCCLANAHAN families. GEORGE CLEVELAND-Will Book D, page 94-Wife, Sally; friends, Captain Maurice Langhorne and William B. Branham, Esq. Written March 19, 1810. Codicil to Maurice Langhorne, "my small sword, presented to me by my father, and my military uniform;" to his son, John M. Langhorne; to Wm. Branham, rest of arms, etc.; to his son, Webb Branham, James King, "bound to me;" mentions wife's relatives. Written March 20, 1810. Proved September, 1810. Executors: Maurice Langhorne, Wm. B. Branham [I believe Branham's son Richard married Emily Johnston...see below] As some of you might be getting a little confused, please let me note the following: Robert Johnston and Peggy McClanahan had the following children: 1) WILLIAM H. JOHNSTON m. Rachel Spears 2) MARGARET JOHNSTON n m. James Keeney FYI: KENNEY, JAMES, of Bourbon Co.-(Will copy certified by Thos. P. Smith, D. C. B. C. and donated by Mrs. B F. Buckley, Lexington). Written Mch. 12, 1814. Names wife, Peggy Sons, John, Victor, Joseph, Moses, Napoleon Dau's., Maria, Abbe, Helena, Cordee, and Peggy. Dau's., Sally Barnett, Elizabeth Trotter, Nancy Rhodes, and Polly Hildreth. Exec's., Wife, Peggy Kenney, James Hughes and John Barnett. Witnesses, Thos. Rogers, Josiah McDowell and Alexander Barnett. Will of James Kenney, deceased, proved June Court 1814. [So Margaret probably got remarried -- but I don't know to whom..some of my relatives in MO have the KINNEY surname.. that worked on Ravenswood in Bunceton] 3) THOMAS JOHNSTON m. Marcy Bryan 4) ISSAC JOHNSTON m. Sarah Robinett [now I know there is a Nesbit, McClanahan, Miller connection to the Robinetts as they also connect in Boone Co., MO] There are probably other children but I don't have that information. WILLIAM H. JOHNSTON AND RACHEL SPEARS -- CAME TO MISSOURI FROM KY. Their children: Elizabeth Keller Johnston m. David McClanahan Hickman; Hickman's 2nd wife ws Cornelia Ann Bryan; children: Thaddeus B. Hickman, Sarah Ann Hickman m. Archibald Young - their issue include: David Young and Nina Young who married Henry Walker. Nina and Henry also connect to my ancestors via a plantation called Pleasant Green near Bunceton, MO. I have alot of documents on the Walkers. The Hickmans connect everywhere in MO. Robert T. Johnston m. Mary Ann Prewitt William H. Johnston m. Margaret Hutchinson [owned my ancestors in Boone Co., MO - -Margaret subsequently married Nathaniel Leonard of Ravenswood; Margaret's brother James Hutchinson married Martha V. Tutt -- my family was also owned by TUTTs] Elvira Johnston m. Robert Stewart Thomas Nancy L. Johnston m. Moss Prewitt Margaret McClanahan Johnson m. Eli Bass [their son William fathered a child named Tom Bass who was a very famous horsetrainer from Missouri. My cousin in Columbia married a GRAY -- whose ancestors were owned by Mr. Bass. I now realize that her family's owners and mine [William H. Johnston and Margaret Hutchinson -- were siblings. My ancestor AGGIE GRAY was owned by the CHILTON family which has ties to BLACKWELL, GRAY and STROTHER] Jacob Spears Johnston m. Pauline Payne Sarah Johnston m. James Keene [I need help on the KEENEs -- they are making me crazy too with ties in other Missouri counties.] Emily Johnston m. RICHARD C. BRANHAM -- see entries above with BRANHAM mentioned. Noah S. Johnston m. ? John T.M. Johnston m. Minerva Waters Mary Ellen Johnston b. 1826-d. 1829 I am noting so much information in my posting as to give other researchers an idea of how difficult it is to trace enslaved people. Here's a shock that perhaps will surprise some of you...now that I've worked my way back into Kentucky and VA -- all the families are merging into one community. In other words -- both sides of my family who were slaves in Central Missouri have ties via the surnames among the SAME slaveowning family -- 100 years earlier. My research began in 1870 and I am now looking at the mid to late 1770s. In other words, the TUTT, CHILTON, GRAY, and JOHNSTON all appear to have STROTHER ties... many of which seem to originate in Maryland. Interesting? Just so you all don't think I'm crazy making my way back from MO to VA -- here's the will entry for Capt. William H. Johnston m. Rachel Johnston: from Wills and Administration of Boone Co., MO 1821-1870 by compiled and published by: E.E. Evans and J.F. Thompson in 1932: WILLIAM JOHNSTON -- MOSS PREWITT; ADMR. Gr. Jan. 16, 1850. F.S. Feb. 10, 1854. Heirs - Rachel Johnston, wid. Nancy Prewitt w. Moss Prewitt; Margaret Bass w. Eli Bass; Elvira Thomas w. Robert S. Thomas; Emily Branham w. of Richard C. Branham; Jacob S. Johnston; John T. Johnston; ch. of Eliza Hutchinson dec. who was d. of William Johnston viz.[1st wife of David McClanahan Hickman], James, William, & David Hickman; Robt. T. Johnston, g.s. child of Robert Johnston dec. all of Boone Co., MO; and Sarah Keen w. of James S. Keen of Audrain Co., and remaining children of Robt. Johnston dc. viz, Joel P. Johnston, Nancy Thompson and William Johnston of Howard Co., MO. If anyone is interested I can also transcribe an abstract and some estate information of Elizabeth Spears -- mother of Rachel Spears -- daughter of Jacob Spears from Bourbon Co., KY. Now, if anyone out there is list land can help me track down a copy of the Johnstons of Caroline County VA by Elbert Felton Johnson...please let me know. I think this is a WRAP! traci wilson-kleekamp african americans in missouri http://www.missouri-slave-data.org http://www.usgennet.org/usa/mo/topic/afro-amer/indexusg.html P.S. Wait until you see how I can get the CAVE & KEEN families from VA to connect with the JOHNSTONS in Bourbon Co., KY and Boone and COOPER CO., Missouri... its CRAZY!