> > Subject: [TNDECATU] Thomas Parham and Nancy Ann Bonner > Date: 18 Jul 2001 17:32:53 -0600 > From: [email protected] > To: [email protected] > > I have a daughter of Thomas and Nancy Parham. > > Mary A.J. Parham m. William D. Neal 19 Aug, 1831 in Williamson Co., TN. Do you have any more information on This family I will send what I have if it will help. > > Thanks Lenda *******R E P L Y******** Hello, Lenda: I'm delighted to make the acquaintance of another Parham cousin. I hail from the city of Jackson, in west Tennessee, though I now live in Manassas, VA, about 25 miles west of Washington, D.C. I also saw your earlier message on the Decatur Co website. I apologize for being so slow in replying, but I have been out of town and just returned today. You and I are definitely related: Our separate lines run parallel: My line comes down through my gr2-grandfather, Williamson Hill Parham (14 Nov 1810--4 Feb 1879), who was an older brother--by about 3-1/2 years--to your Mary A. J. (Which would make Thomas and Nancy my gr3-grandparents; I'm apparently one or two generations older then you, I'm now 71 years old.) And, from the looks of what you so kindly sent me, you appear to have much more data on Mary A. J. than I do; I have so very, very little on her. But, I'll be glad to share what data I have. (Any idea of what her initials, A. J., were for, and his "D."? One suggestion by a Neal descendant is: "Ann Jane," though it is only a guess.) I'm so glad you replied to my earlier inquiry, I went onto the Decatur Co website in hope of finding some Parham relative. I had previously been unsuccessful in working the Williamson Co, TN, website, though I know there are Parhams still living there; these Parhams just don't know what connection we all would have. Apparently they don't have much interest in family trees. Perhaps you know: Decatur County is the last known residence for Nancy (a nickname for Ann) Bonner Parham (b. about 1773 in either Dinwiddie or Prince George Co, VA--d. after 1850). Nancy was listed in the 1850 federal census for Decatur Co as living in the household of another one of her daughters and that daughter's husband. This daughter was ZILLA ANN who married the Reverend Joseph S. Douglas, a minister of the old "Methodist Episcopal Church, South" which reunited with the "Methodist Episcopal Church, North" around 1939. I found Zilla Ann's headstone data listed on another Decatur Co sub-website; let me know if you need Zilla Ann's headstone data. She is buried in the Concord United Methodist Church cemetery in Decatur Co. Interestingly, my Williamson Hill named one of his daughters for Zilla Ann. DO YOU HAVE ANY FURTHER DATA ON NANCY, after this census listing for 1850??? Now, if you will send me your postal address, I will mail you what genealogical data I have on Thomas and Nancy Bonner. There are a couple of people, including myself, who have been researching this family and we have come to the reasonable conclusion that Thomas's parents were JOHN and ELIZABETH (unknown maiden name) PARHAM of, we think--not sure--Sussex Co, VA. Elizabeth died in 1810 in Warren Co, GA, John died the next year, in 1811 in Warren Co, and we think--though we are not yet positive--that Thomas was born in Sussex Co, VA, about 1770 or 1772. Many people appear to have his Williamson County 1832 will, but his father, John, apparently did not leave a will--preferring to use "deeds of gift" instead of a will. Do you have any data on WILLIAM PARHAM, who was the oldest son of Thomas and Nancy? And, do you have anything on their second son, JOHN PARHAM? In all, Thomas and Nancy had 10 identified children. And, can you elaborate on what you meant when you wrote "Farham Parish Records, Richmond County, VA." I didn't understand that sentence fragment. Thus far, we who have been researching THIS Parham family can't get back beyond John and Elizabeth. So, I decided to use the old "end run trick:" If you run into the proverbial stonewall with one parent of a family, try researching the other spouse. So, I did with Nancy Bonner. I have her Bonner line back to John Bonner, who came to Virginia in the mid- to late-1600s. Nancy's father was HENRY BONNER (1724--1822--love those genes) and her mother was NANCY CATE (1730--unknown death date), daughter of RICHARD CATE (pre 1700--post 1759) and SARAH WYATT (about 1703--after 1791). Without going further on the Wyatts, let me ask you this SPECIAL QUESTION: WHAT DO YOU KNOW ABOUT THE WYATT FAMILY OF VIRGINIA??? I have documented this family back to England and through some very interesting marriages, I have traced them through the royal houses of England, France, Scotland, Ireland, and of early Saxony in Germany. The earliest date I have found on these royal lines is the royal Irish house, "before 439 A.D."--repeat: before four hundred and thirty nine. The Family Tree Maker printout on this line is more than 50 pages long. Some people haven't wanted this data because it is expensive to run off on xerox, at Kinko's, etc. But, like I said, we can't get back beyond JOHN and ELIZABETH. I must close out. Do excuse this choppy letter; it isn't well organized because I'm tired from travelling. I eagerly look forward to your replies to my questions, especially your mailing address, because I would like to mail you what I have on our mutual Parhams. We will be very interested in comparing our notes with what data you have. With warm regards, Byron A. Parham, PhD, FSA (Scot.)