It all began in 1976 after watching the documentary "Roots" while stationed near the National Archives, at Fort Belvoir, Virginia. Where and who did I come from?
I've searched, merging families of both and exponential sides of my mother and father. There is no confusion to my 3rd Great Grand Parents, Joseph Edward and Nancy Elizabeth Davis-Terrell. Therein, where the confusion began caused by multiple naming of sons Joseph and daughters Nancy and marriages between the same from the 1820s to the 1900s. These are the facts that must be captured to take another step to the past. I had doubts about Nancy's maiden name; however, after traveling to DeKalb County Georgia Court House I found her marriage license to Joseph, therefore no doubt. Nevertheless, the 1842 marriage certificate and the Oct 1850 Black Hall Georgia census created new confusion. Joseph's name (in script) revealed a new question "T" for Terrell or "F" for Ferrell! The Nov 1850 census made it "T" until his death.
In 1850 two Joseph Terrell's were born in South Carolina about 1820-1825. The key would be my Joseph's parents in 1830, but so far, I have not found them. The other Joseph, born 29 August 1822 in Piercetown, Anderson, South Carolina, parents were Richmond R. and Mary Hough-Terrell. My Joseph was purportedly born in 1823 in Lancaster, South Carolina. The other Joseph married Martha Jane Gregory and moved from South Carolina to Mississippi; mine to Georgia and Randolph (Cleburne) County, Alabama in 1850.
It is important to understand the unwritten rule; families between 1700-1900, named newborns, from Biblical persons, the founding fathers, era War Heros, but more importantly, after grandparents, parents, aunts, and uncles. Routinely, when not named after an important figure of before the era, the first son was named after the paternal grandfather, second after maternal grandfather, and the third son after the father, then uncles. The same rule applied to daughters.
My 2nd-Grandfather was William Richard "Bud" Terrell. This is where it gets confusing. My Joseph's children [fact] were four daughters: Mary Margaret, Martha M., Nancy Jane, Matilda Elizabeth and two sons Doctor John C. Terrell [nickname DOC; not a profession?]; therefore, could Joseph's father be John Terrell. I know factually, Nancy was Nancy Elizabeth Davis and believe her father was Joseph Lafayette Davis. An Ancestry.com discovery about Joseph Davis revealed he had two daughters named Nancy and Elizabeth who were married to someone else. When Joseph married Nancy, on 11 December 1842 in DeKalb County, Georgia, she was 11-years older than him. Therein, was Joseph a Ferrell or Terrell? My only plausible argument is a common mistake of hearing then writing and no proofing. Source documents indicated Joseph could not read or write.
Joseph was recorded in the Black Hall District, DeKalb County, Georgia in Oct 1850 and Randolph County Alabama in November 1850. The name Ferrell was repeated in 1850 Georgia census, but Terrell in the Alabama.
In a supposition, could Nancy have been married before Joseph. Why did they marry, well; remembering they married 11 December 1842 a hint of why might be found in the birth of their daughters Nancy Jane and Martha M., twins, born 26 May 1843; about five months after being married; maybe a "shotgun" wedding. I've reviewed families in the 1830 South Carolina Census to determine who had sons between five and ten to narrow the possibilities. Although I am still searching; the greatest possibility is Joseph R. and Elizabeth Frances Hoff-Terrell.
Updated 13 May 2024

It all began in 1976 after watching the documentary "Roots" while stationed near the National Archives, at Fort Belvoir, Virginia. Where and who did I come from?
I've searched, merging families of both and exponential sides of my mother and father. There is no confusion to my 3rd Great Grand Parents, Joseph Edward and Nancy Elizabeth Davis-Terrell. Therein, where the confusion began caused by multiple naming of sons Joseph and daughters Nancy and marriages between the same from the 1820s to the 1900s. These are the facts that must be captured to take another step to the past. I had doubts about Nancy's maiden name; however, after traveling to DeKalb County Georgia Court House I found her marriage license to Joseph, therefore no doubt. Nevertheless, the 1842 marriage certificate and the Oct 1850 Black Hall Georgia census created new confusion. Joseph's name (in script) revealed a new question "T" for Terrell or "F" for Ferrell! The Nov 1850 census made it "T" until his death.
In 1850 two Joseph Terrell's were born in South Carolina about 1820-1825. The key would be my Joseph's parents in 1830, but so far, I have not found them. The other Joseph, born 29 August 1822 in Piercetown, Anderson, South Carolina, parents were Richmond R. and Mary Hough-Terrell. My Joseph was purportedly born in 1823 in Lancaster, South Carolina. The other Joseph married Martha Jane Gregory and moved from South Carolina to Mississippi; mine to Georgia and Randolph (Cleburne) County, Alabama in 1850.
It is important to understand the unwritten rule; families between 1700-1900, named newborns, from Biblical persons, the founding fathers, era War Heros, but more importantly, after grandparents, parents, aunts, and uncles. Routinely, when not named after an important figure of before the era, the first son was named after the paternal grandfather, second after maternal grandfather, and the third son after the father, then uncles. The same rule applied to daughters.
My 2nd-Grandfather was William Richard "Bud" Terrell. This is where it gets confusing. My Joseph's children [fact] were four daughters: Mary Margaret, Martha M., Nancy Jane, Matilda Elizabeth and two sons Doctor John C. Terrell [nickname DOC; not a profession?]; therefore, could Joseph's father be John Terrell. I know factually, Nancy was Nancy Elizabeth Davis and believe her father was Joseph Lafayette Davis. An Ancestry.com discovery about Joseph Davis revealed he had two daughters named Nancy and Elizabeth who were married to someone else. When Joseph married Nancy, on 11 December 1842 in DeKalb County, Georgia, she was 11-years older than him. Therein, was Joseph a Ferrell or Terrell? My only plausible argument is a common mistake of hearing then writing and no proofing. Source documents indicated Joseph could not read or write.
Joseph was recorded in the Black Hall District, DeKalb County, Georgia in Oct 1850 and Randolph County Alabama in November 1850. The name Ferrell was repeated in 1850 Georgia census, but Terrell in the Alabama.
In a supposition, could Nancy have been married before Joseph. Why did they marry, well; remembering they married 11 December 1842 a hint of why might be found in the birth of their daughters Nancy Jane and Martha M., twins, born 26 May 1843; about five months after being married; maybe a "shotgun" wedding. I've reviewed families in the 1830 South Carolina Census to determine who had sons between five and ten to narrow the possibilities. Although I am still searching; the greatest possibility is Joseph R. and Elizabeth Frances Hoff-Terrell.
Updated 13 May 2024