Hi, Paul and everyone, I hope you're in the mood for a real mystery! So imagine you're Sherlock Holmes and its a spooky, foggy night for all genealogists. This may be a shot in the dark, but you and others on the list may be able to help me solve a mystery about my Neel(e)ys and even the Bow(d)ens and Kings. I suspect my late paternal grandparents, the Neelys, may have intentionally tried to disguise to future generations who they were and exactly where they were from. After all sorts of research, including a trip to the archives in Salt Lake City, Utah and state archives in Georgia and the Carolinas and interviews with my father and uncle, here's what I am sure of. My grandparents, Joseph Bowden Neely, Sr. and Nettie King Neely Riley, changed their ages and birth places and spelling of Neely when they moved to Savannah, Chatham County, Georgia before 1920. They changed the spelling from "Neeley" to "Neely." He added years to his age, and she subtracted years. They said they were from Wilmington, North Carolina, but they were from South Carolina. For years Joseph was the successful owner of an Indian motorcycle company. Even when Joseph died (in 1928) and the depression hit (in 1929), Nettie and her sons went hungry rather than contact any family. As her children grew up and asked about their family and ancestors, Nettie refused to tell them anything, except that they were French (probably French Huguenots). The children also assumed they had some Irish ancestry as well. The one exception to contact with family was a one-time trip, about 1930, to visit Nettie's brother, Lonnie King, and his family in Saint Paul's, Robeson County, North Carolina. (I have photos of all of them, and they all seem to have olive skin and straight black hair.) In my research I found Joseph Bowden Neely, Sr. (1888-1928) was from Bayboro, Horry County, South Carolina and that Nettie King (1896-1958) was almost certainly from somewhere in South Carolina, too. Census and other records indicate that Nettie and Lonnie King were the children of Eddie King and Marguerite (maiden name unknown), both from somewhere in the Carolinas. Joseph had two sisters, Ada and Ruth, and they were the children of Joe Neely from North Carolina and Charlotte (Sharlotte) (maiden name unknown, but may be Lee) from South Carolina. Joe's mother was from North Carolina, and his father was from Virginia. Sharlotte's parents were from South Carolina. On the Neely side "Bowden" (maybe "Bowen") was the middle name of my father and grandfather, and I suspect it was a family name from back in Virginia. My grandparents are buried in Bonaventure Cemetery in Savannah, and all their children and grandchildren were born in Savannah. Years after Joseph's death, Nettie remarried, to Harry Riley of Savannah. I know in genealogy research one can hit deadends, but the Neelys seem more like a case of intentionally concealing information. If so, why? Were they trying to hide something? Were they Lumbee Indians passing for white? Is there something awful they were hiding? Whatever it is, I want to find out. I hope some of you can help me solve a real mystery. I would appreciate any help or ideas. We do have a family genealogy page (listed below), and the Neely/King/Bowden data I do have can be found under the report on "Ancestors of Joseph Bowden Neely, Jr. Thanks. Sharlotte Neely Donnelly donnelly@one.net http://www.familytreemaker.com/users/d/o/n/Sharlotte--N-Donnelly "Paul K. Bowen" wrote: > I am new to this list and am requesting information on David Marion NEELY > b.March 6, 1820 VA, d.April 3, 1898 Scott County, VA. Married Barbara Allen > SHEPHERD b.November 16, 1820, d.February 21, 1896 in Scott County, VA. Both > are buried in the Shepherd/Bowen cemetery in Scott county, VA. Does anyone > know where they were married? I have some info that says Scott county, VA > but I've been unable to locate anything in the courthouse to confirm this. > David and Barbara were my great, great, grandparents. My great grandfather > Reece Bowen married their daughter Emily Horton Neely. > Best regards to all, > Paul K. Bowen > 314 Barrington Ct. > Kingsport, TN 37663 > (423)239-5473 > > ==== NEELEY Mailing List ==== > Pauline Phelps paulinep@igalaxy.net > Official Neeley website; > http://homepages.rootsweb.com/~lpproots/Neeley/index.html > mailing list be archived on the web at: > http://archiver.rootsweb.com/NEELEY-L > Search more than 274 MILLION NAMES and find your ancestors at Ancestry.com! > Get started today at http://www.ancestry.com/rootswebtext.asp > > ============================== > Personalized Mailing Lists: never miss a connection again. > http://pml.rootsweb.com/ > Brought to you by RootsWeb.com.