My Scribbles!!

Parentage of James Mitchell Floyd of Amherst County

James Mitchell Floyd is my Third Great-Grandfather in the Paternal Line. Thus, he would have shared my male haplogroup R-L21. This is passed directly father to son to son and females get it from their father also but do not pass it to their sons as they get their father’s male haplogroup. This is 100%, no errors in whose they get, regardless of a child’s sex.

Sometimes, there is a genetic error within the actual gene group and the group is altered ever so slightly. Originally, my line traced to a man who was labeled by genetists as R to separate him from other groups. He was separated about 75,000 years ago from Group A which dates back through proven research as much as 275,000 years ago.  The root “R” was originally put in Group F about 75,000 years ago and as errors occurred, eventually a segment became R-M269 about 10,000 years ago. Sometime after that a segment was named R-L21, which includes me. R-L21 goes back almost 400 generations and has been so stable that one in eight men now have that single haplogroup out of all the thousands of groups. Thus, this group alone is little help as there are thousands of lines arising from the group.

James was born between 1775 and 1785. This is based on the one sure age record we have on him, the 1820 Census where he is shown as Head of Household in the Elon District of Amherst County. Virginia census records list only an age range  then and this could make him between 35 and 45 in 1820. They did list Mitchell as  head of household by name, with all other members of the household being white, except him.

I have been working on his parentage for over fifteen years. It is the last piece of my family tree, back to this generation, that I have been unable to pin down – – until now.

One thing that makes this most difficult is the burning of all the records of the 1780 and 1790 US Census during the Civil War.  There does not  appear to be a 1770 census either, but this was before the Revolutionary War. Thus, there is no census to record any of these people when James Mitchell Floyd was born or his first 20 years.

Some ask where I added the James from. It was many years ago that I made this change and I am uncertain which of several sources first led me to record it. But I know I added it before I corroborated it on 12 of 28 Ancestry member trees that were used initially for much of the Rose information.

Candidates for his Grandfather (I will get to why I am looking for his grandfather instead of his father later):

Mitchell Floyd 1740- ?? The only records of this person existing that I have found are a record by the Virginia Genealogical Society showing he was born in 1740, three separate regimental musters from Valley Forge during the American Revolution and the obvious name of Mitchell. He is the only Mitchell Floyd I have located anywhere in any time other than my Third Great Grandfather. That said, it is not much evidence as there were Mitchell’s in the Rose family.

The only other candidate is William Floyd of Amherst County, father of the famous pioneer, James John Floyd, who in turn was father and grandfather of two Governors of Virginia, John Floyd and General John Buchanan Floyd.

The following facts make him a likely candidate:

• He was born in 1720 or so and was definitely in Amherst County by 1747. He is extremely well-documented in the County history.
• No other Floyd was documented in the county then, except his young sons and they were simply too young.
• His oldest son Isham was born around 1749 and James John in 1750.
• His wife, Abadiah Davis is also well-documented and was very likely at least 1/8^th and possibly 1/4^th Native American. She is where the Floyd stories of Indian blood come in. It is highly likely these stories were greatly embellished by family over the years as even our family, who is no kin whatsoever to her, but grew up in that same community, adopted those stories. My father TOLD THEM TO ME AND HIS MOTHER ALSO HAD TOLD THEM TO ME YEARS EARLIER. Since her father had lived in Amherst County for some time – he was a trapper and trader – it is even possible her mother was a full Indian. I have ZERO Native American blood, further removing me as her kin.
• He was known to own slaves – and this is where James Mitchell’s mother comes in. She was definitely an Octoroon, probably named Lucy but definitely property of a Floyd. This is where the Floyd name came into our family, NOT through a male Floyd.
• He moved from Amherst County between 1877 and 1880 with his sons, James John, Isham and Charles and his daughter Jemima and perhaps more members of the family. Selling his slaves or some of them before moving, would have made a lot of sense as the trip through Indian Country as well as the different life they would lead there. Most of the Floyd men were surveyors and that is what they did in the Louisville, Kentucky area.
• By 1810, James Mitchell and his brothers Frank and Samuel (and perhaps John) belonged to the Rose Family which owned both Geddes and Bellivette Plantations. There is as far as I can find, no trace of them prior to that time.
• A petition in the Amherst County records shows he and two brothers were freed by “their rightful owners” John and Margaret Rose. The petition states they were asking for permission from the Virginia General Assembly to remain in Virginia. Only a law by the General Assembly specifically naming them would allow them to stay. The petition was rejected. Thus they were illegal aliens by Virginia law. This petition is near the end of this document.
• Through William Floyd’s daughter Jemima, I am genetically connected to several families in the Midwest. There is no other possible connection as best as my closest match and I can determine.

What proof do I have that this James Mitchell was my 3^rd Great Grandfather?  There are many.

• In 1820, on the US Census, Mitchell Floyd is listed as Black but also as head of household with a white family. By 1830, he changed this to white.
• I have a witnessed marriage “permission” paper dated August 29, 1818 allowing Polly Goolsby to marry Mitchell Floyd. This paper would not be necessary if he were white. It was witnessed by several people including Alexander (remember that name) Goolsby and Ephy Goolsby, her mother. At this time, her father had been dead for nine years and it is likely she was a burden on the family. Alexander was the senior male in the family, being considerably older than Polly. Another signature is illegible, and another appears to be a Richard Smith. They definitely lived close by as that family appears nearby on the 1820 US Census.
• I am in a DNA Circle with others who are descendants of Polly Goolsby’s father, Samuel.
• I share DNA with several Floyd families that trace back to Mitchell.
• Years ago, before the records were digitized, the Mormon record (now Family Search) for Alexander Floyd was on file at Ancestry in a copy of the paper form. I saw it and it listed Mitchell as Black and as Alexander’s father when he married Nancy McCormack (McCormick – this spelling is confused to this day as some family members spell it one way and others different). Alexander was listed as White. This is by Virginia Law. The Child of a female slave was legally black, regardless of his/her blood content if his/her mother was black. Alexander’s mother, Polly Goolsby, was white and so then was he. He was 1/32nd black but so much white in actuality as well as appearance, that he enlisted in the Confederate Army in 1861. One of the mysteries surrounding him is why he spent almost four years in a POW camp in Maryland.
• Following white Floyd naming traditions, Mitchell named his eldest son after a Floyd family name as well as his second son after a Davis family name (William Floyd’s wife was a Davis) and then his third, Alexander, after a Goolsby in honor of his wife’s family.
• Finally, Ancestry.com shows me with less than 1% African American blood from Senegal and this is the only connection in my tree where that would be possible as all of my other ancestors trace to England, Scotland and France.

As much as I would like to connect our Mitchell to the Mitchell Floyd at Valley Forge, it is a stretch, as he was fairly young if born in 1740.

I am now pretty positive about James Mitchell’s parentage, except that I don’t know which member of the Rose family was his father. Here is why I am sure.

I just bought a well-researched book from Amazon named “Strangers In Their Midst, the Free Black Population of Amherst County, Virginia”.

by Sherrie S. McLeRoy and William R. McLeroy.

I found the petition (below) and name of the book from another new cousin, Mrs C3PO aka Michelle Gearhart. I just looked on Amazon and there it was. So, I ordered it. She is NOT the midwestern cousin mentioned above who is a Lineberger.

The book contains the following on page 141 (verbatim with spelling errors intact):

Legislative Petition: December 4, 1811: ( in Amherst Co., VA, which states) To the Honble the speaker and members of the Gen; Assembly of Virginia the Petition of Betty Dean, Franky Dean, Billy Dean, John Dean, Henry Dean, Daphne Dean, Samuel Floyd, Frank Floyd and Mitchell Floyd [Emphasis added] humble sheweth that they have been lately emancipated from a state of slavery by the humanity of Miss Margaret Rose and Capt. Jno N. Rose to whom they of right belonged, and being very desirous from many weighty considerations to remain in this State (but being informed that by the existing laws of the Country they are prohibited from that privilege ( sic) unless by a special interference of your Honble Body,) they beg leave in the most humble and respectful manner to solicit that favor at your hands.

Your Petitioners were born and raised in the County of Amherst and they now reside part of them in that County and the rest of them in the County of Nelson and for the peaceful disposition and industrious habits which they hope they will be able to make appear to the satisfaction of your Honble body they rest in the hope that their prayer will be granted and that a law will pass allowing them to remain in this state and to enjoy such rights and privileges as are allowed to free citizens of this Commonwealth.

We whose names are hereunto subscribed do certify that we have for many years been acquainted with the certain (?) Petitioners, that they have been peaceable and inoffensive in their Disposition, as far as we know or believe, that they are generally useful and industrious Mechanicks (sic) and we are fully (?) that they will at no time become chargeable to the State, that they are so nearly white that they would not be taken to be mulattoes where they were not known and upon the whole we are of the opinion that no injury could result to allow them the privilege (sic) of remaining in this State.

Given under our hands this (blank) day of 11/1811. Signed by 14 persons.

 

The Legislature’s response to the Dean – Floyd petition:  rejected

Because this petition was rejected, it appears all these folks relied on the much friendlier locals to leave them alone, which they apparently did. Mitchell listed himself as Black on the 1820 census. I already had that but the book points it out too.

I now think this is the same petition I saw years ago, that then disappeared from the records. I remembered it as being to the Governor, but it must have been this one.

The mystery now is where the name Mitchell came from. Actually, the Floyd from Valley Forge is the right age to be Lucy’s father, not Mitchell’s. She was born between 1750 and 1755 when he was a young man of the right age. It appears that she was purchased from a Floyd family. I cannot find anything that would connect him to the area, though. Therefore, I believe it came from the extended Rose family.

As stated above all the evidence points to William Floyd, as Mitchell was born near the time or shortly after he left Amherst County for Kentucky to join his son, James John Floyd, the Kentucky Colonel appointed by Governor Thomas Jefferson (Kentucky was still a territory of Virginia then). He (James John) is the one well-documented in Wikipedia. William was known to own a few slaves. It is likely he would have disposed of at least some slaves before making such a journey, from Amherst to the Louisville area (Floyd’s Station, Kentucky). He and his wife would have been in their late fifties or older, then.  James John, born about the same time as Lucy in 1750 was killed by Indians in 1783 so William moved there several years before that.  James John’s brother Isham, who had a son Alexander (who I tried to link to but was far too young) also moved to Kentucky as well as several other siblings. He was also killed by Indians several years after his brother.

His father was almost definitely a Rose, most likely, Charles (1747-1802) who was likely just a few years older than Lucy. Over 20 Rose family trees show him as Mitchell’s father.  He was one of the richest men in western Virginia and founded Bellivette Plantation near his brother Hugh Rose who inherited Geddes Plantation. Geddes was the plantation where then Governor Thomas Jefferson hid when fleeing British General Tarleton during the Revolutionary War.  It is likely John and Margaret inherited the brothers in 1802 When Charles died.