Introduction
I have always found it easier to trace my father's side of the family even with the few brick walls I have encountered. On the other hand, my mother's ancestry and especially her paternal side has and continues to be full of brick walls. Recently, I have been determined after I discovered a website that I know my mother's paternal side resided, and prior to this discovery I would avoid researching this side.I was aware that the family lived in Matagorda County Texas in the town of Matagorda, in the Lower Caney section of town. I knew my great grandmother, Annie Rounds, lived there with her parents and siblings.
A Mother Lode - The Discovery
The age of computer technology should not be overlooked. I do agree that
if something cannot be found online, if possible, these records should
be found at the courthouse or university libraries that have numerous
collections. Or if there is a library-sharing program and you do not
mind looking through rolls of microfilm, which is what most did before
the dawn of technology, by all means do so.
My discovery came from searching online. I found a website after
thinking that I'd never find any genealogical information about my
family ever online - boy was I wrong! I did a search for Matagorda
County Texas. I found information about what possibly may have been
Jesse Rounds, my 2 x great grandfather's, last slave owner on the 1867
Voter's Registration List, I found out who my great-grand uncles and
great-grand aunts married. In addition, I found when my
great-grandparents married. I was able to find information about my
great-grandfather and his sisters.
This discovery made me keenly aware that the ancestors speak to you! I
heard about an aunt, Onie Peters, that I never met, but heard her name
over and over. I found her on the marriage records list below. She lead
me to find her. I never knew her married name, let alone that she had
been married.
Matagorda County Slave Database
1867 Voter's Registration List
1870 US Census Matagorda County Texas - African American & Mulatto Families
Matagorda County Marriage Records
Newfound Fulfillment
Since those discoveries I have found it enjoyable to doing research on
my mother's paternal side. I have been able to tackle my mother's
maternal side, it too fraught with brick walls, and those too have come
tumbling down. It has been so fulfilling to discover my past and to
verify and document my mother's paternal ancestry.
Admittedly, I was overjoyed with what I thought might have been my 2 x
great grandfather's last slave owner, who I thought was J L Thorp, but I
understand now that some online indexes may have errors or that they do
not give accurate information. However, I welcome the challenge to
locate other owners he may have had. I look at this as turning lemons
into lemonade.
Conclusion
I have thoroughly enjoyed what I thought was something I wanted avoid to
an activity that still fascinates me, finding my mother's paternal
ancestors. I used the county website for Matagorda County that was full
of information from: African American churches, slave database,
baptisms, marriages, brands, that verified and documented their
existence for me. Although further research will turn up more I look
forward to digging deeper.
