While investigating Willis Vess, I may have found my way back to the Patrick County, VA Vess/Vest family!
My game plan to try to uncover the origins of the Alabama Vess family include looking at maps, neighbors, spouses, genealogy records (census, land, probate, etc), and the history of Alabama.
Investigating Land Records
Franklin County, Alabama was first established in 1818, before Alabama became a state (December 14, 1819). Records of early settlers of northern portions of Alabama may be found in the Mississippi Territory records. Unfortunately, I haven’t found any records of interest.
The earliest record I’ve found on Willis Vess is an 1830 census record for Franklin County, Alabama. However, he is listed as being between the ages of 30-40, living with two females between the ages of 15-30. This does not appear to match the timeline reported on family trees. Also, he is 10 years younger in the 1840 census (listed as being between the ages of 20-30). Census records are notorious for their mistakes.
Interestingly, on the 1830 census record, I do recognize two familiar family names next to Willis Vess: SUGG and THARP.
Willis Vess lived near both of them and the Sugg family has records as early as 1819. In fact, despite the 1820 Alabama census record being supposedly incomplete, it does contain some families from the Foxtrap area [THARP, SUGG, MATLOCK, THOMPSON, and DEBOIS].
Littleberry Matlock is shown on the Alabama Genweb plat map, living next to Willis Vess. Further research reveals that he married Phoebe Tharp whose father is Robert Tharp (1820 censusabove) and supposedly (not confirmed yet) her mother is a Thompson from Rutherford County, North Carolina. Interesting!
After 1830, we believe Willis Vess married Talitha Whitlock; unfortunately, I have not been able to find a marriage record. However, we do know a lot about the Whitlock family due to extensive research by Anna Popejoy and published works by the Whitlock Newsletter via Google. The Whitlock family arrived in Alabama in 1820 and lived in an area referred to as Saints cross (which is near Foxtrap). I figure this may be how Willis Vess and Talitha Whitlock met each other.
The oldest children of Willis and Talitha Vess married into the Willis family, which may suggest the Vess and Willis families were close (they were close neighbors shown on the map below) and it is believed that the Willis family may have connections with the parents of Willis Vess (no evidence yet).
I do not know when the Willis family arrived in Franklin Alabama, however, both John Willis and Willis Vess appear on the 1830 census record (several pages apart).
Looking at the President’s name on their undated land records for Franklin County, Alabama, it appears that John Willis purchased land near the Foxtrap area before Willis Vess. John Willis’ record [No. 5972] was signed by Andrew Jackson who was President between 1829-1837 and Willis Vess’ record [No. 8737] was signed by Martin Van Buren who was President between 1837-1841.
The map below (looking at surrounding families) seem to have been something that was put together sometime after the 1850’s. The earliest known neighbor near Willis Vess is James Dubois [No. 8705, also issued in 1837] who is seen on the 1820 census record (above). The land record for John Willis signed by Present Andrew Jackson is not dated, but was likely issued between 1829-1837 and land records No. 19711 and 19712 was signed between 1857-1861 when James Buchanan was President. Unfortunately, nothing seems to reveal any clues about the Vess family prior to 1830.
Willis Vess appears to have owned several properties in the Foxtrap area.
I found 3 land records for Willis Vess: No. 8737 August 5, 1837 No. 20457 & 20252 April 2, 1857*No. 20451 & 20452 on map (above) No. 25798 March 1, 1858 (William Vess as heir) *No. 25797 on map (above)
Who is William Vess? None of the family trees I have come across for Willis Vess have a William Vess on them, so I am not entirely sure who he is; however, it certainly makes my next discovery extremely intriguing…
1846 Tennessee Record: Peter, Willis, William Vess/ Vest
There is one Willis Vess record that intrigues me the most and it is a land record for White County, Tennessee (1846) on Caney Fork.
Willis Vess of White County, Tennessee, appears to have 2 land records for a property on Caney Fork: No. 2012 dated 1831 No. 9156 (addition to No. 2012) dated 1849
The property interestingly joins Daniel Dotson (Dodson).
Looking at census records, I do not see a Willis Vess; however, there is an 1820 and 1830 census record for Peter Vest, whose neighbor is Daniel Dotson (Dodson).
In addition, there is also a William Vess. He also purchases land in 1831 No. 2071, whose property takes over land once owned by John Medley (see 1820 censusabove). William Dodson and Sam Moore are witnesses listed on the record. William Vess can be found on the 1830 census record. Is this William Vess, the William Vess who is “heir” to the Willis Vess of Alabama’s 1858 land record in Franklin County, Alabama??
And, furthermore, is this Peter Vest, the same Peter Vest listed on the Patrick Co. Deeds (1791-1941 Indexes, grantor pg. 77 on FHL Film 33,333) with wife “Margaret,” who appears to have land next to the Dodson family on North Fork in Patrick County, Virginia? A 1793 transaction which was witnessed by George Dodson Sr., George Dodson Junior, Benjamin Fletcher, and Thomas Dodson.
Perhaps, it is Peter and William Vess of Patrick County, Virginia (Deed Records) on North Fork with William Willis??
Is there an actual connection or is this just coincidence?
Conclusions
Wow!
A Franklin County, Alabama land record for Willis Vess and “heir” William Vess. A Willis and William Vess in White County, Tennessee, with a Peter Vest. All near a Dodson family. And… interestingly, there is a Peter Vess and William Vess in Patrick County, Virginia, not only living next to a Dodson family, but ALSO a Willis family.
I don’t have enough documented evidence to make any solid connections, but I am absolutely intrigued! Tennessee is a mixing pot of Vest, Voss, Vaulx, and Vess families! Hopefully, with more research, we can determine which family the Vess/Vest family of White County, Tennessee belongs to!
I am so thrilled to have finally reached a new chapter in Vess Genealogy!
When I started this blog last Fall (August 2020), it was simply just a place to organize digital sources and share my genealogy experiences researching the Vess name. I gave it 2 months!
Remarkably, Vess Genealogy kept on going! I never would have ever imagined I would get to work with so many different people interested in the VESS name nor get an opportunity to meet so many different VESS families! This has been such an amazing genealogy adventure!
A HUGE THANK YOU to everyone helping me unravel the mysteries of the VESS family!
If New To Vess Genealogy, Here’s What You Missed!
For generations, three different VESS lines (maybe more) haven’t been able find their ancestors prior to 1820. A frustrating endeavor leaving many of us to just give up.
However, since last Fall, we achieved the following:
1. We learned more about Peter Vess and his family. 2. We learned a lot about Andrew Logan Vess and his family. 3. We likely uncovered Nathan’s origins in the Dark Corners of South Carolina. 4. We discovered that Peter and Willis Vess are closely related and that our family is closely related to the Travers family! 5. We explored families in Knob’s Creek from Peter’s 1820 census record. 6. We discovered “Vess” records in Virginia connected to an unknown Vest/Vess family! 8. We confirmed (via DNA) that the VESS family is not related to the BASS, BEST, WEST, or VEST families; eliminating them as possible family connections.
Brief Recap On Vess Genealogy
We now know that Peter, Willis, and Nathan Vess are related; however, we have not yet determined how they are related to each other.
Peter and Willis were born in North Carolina and Nathan was born in South Carolina. Peter first appears on record in Rutherford County, North Carolina in 1820 on Knobs Creek with the Toney, Pettit, and Mooney families (all members of Bill’s Creek Baptist Church).
Nathan’s first appearance on record is also in Rutherford County, North Carolina, but in 1830 with his in-laws, the Bellew family. The Bellew and Gosnell families are related and are prominent families in Glassy Mountain, Greenville County, South Carolina (aka Dark Corners). Also, Peter’s grandson, David Andrew Vess married Magnolia “Maggie” Gosnell, who is related to Nathan’s wife, Clarinda Bellew.
Willis first appears on record in Franklin County, Alabama in 1830. According to Anna Popejoy, long time researcher of the Vess and Whitlock families, states that the father of Willis Vess (John Vess) had been living in Foxtrap since 1819. Y-DNA analysis, via familytreedna.com, confirms Willis Vess and Peter Vess (Andrew Logan Vess) are definitely part of the same VESS family.
Familytreedna.com (FTDNA) also shows that the VESS and TRAVERS family are closely related; however, we do not know how they are related. There are several reasons as to why FTDNA may group two different surnames closely together; either we are extremely close cousins, one family that split apart during a time before surnames, or a male Travers ancestor took on the Vess name (orvice versa).To unravel this mystery, it would be extremely helpful to have more male Vess descendants participate in Y-DNA Testing.
The Travers family is from Lancashire, England and they have traced their family to Dorchester, Maryland. Whether there is a connection between the Vess and Travers family in Colonial America has yet to be discovered (the families may have split long before they arrived in America).
With the help of Y-DNA and documented family histories, we’ve been able to eliminate the BASS, BEST, WEST, and VEST families as potential ancestors for the Vess family.
The BASS family has a rich Native American background. The BEST family (original surname BOSCH) can trace their family back to their arrival in the 1740’s with the Ecker family (in-laws) from Germany. The WEST family has been ruled out by their extensive West Family DNA Project. And the VEST family, descendants of John Daniel Vest belong to an entirely different Haplogroup than our VESS family. To my knowledge, there is no available DNA information on the VASS/VOSS/ VAULX families.
We have recently discovered a VEST/VESS family in Patrick County, Virginia who may be related to the VEST/VESS family in Rockbridge, Virginia. We have yet to find any records suggesting that they may belong to the VEST family (John Daniel Vest), which is extremely encouraging for our VESS family, andtherefore a new chapter begins!
I am in the process of investigating the Life of Willis Vess and hopefully, with any luck, we can uncover some of Anna Popejoy’s research to help us! I plan to explore more families in and surrounding Patrick County, Virginia – including Surry and Stokes County, North Carolina. All in addition to finding out more about the VOSS/VASS/ VAULX families who seem to live very close to the TRAVERS family in both Dorchester, Maryland and the abolished Albemarle County in North Carolina.
We so badly want to connect our VESS family to William Tunwell VESTof Stokes County, North Carolina; mostly, because it seems to be the only thing that makes the most sense!
While researching Willis Vess in Alabama, I took a slight detour back to the VEST family of Virginia, because I discovered a VEST family 2 counties east of Willis Vess taunting me with records as early as 1818. I had to figure out who they were.
Long story short, I searched for every early VEST record I could find in Virginia and started plotting them on a map. Then, with the help of Y-DNA information provided by a fellow researcher, I started the process of elimination. The final results surprisingly revealed another VEST / VESS family!
Why Does William Tunwell Vest Seem Like A Connection?
Despite having BEST, VOSS, and VASS families also in North Carolina to consider, I was hoping there was a connection with William Tunwell VEST; mostly, because he makes the most sense for the time, place, and names.
Peter Vess Peter Vess of Rutherford County, NC was born between 1791-1794 in North Carolina and most of his records are found under the “VEST” surname; except for the 1830 census (Voss) and his 1831 land record (Vess).
After his death sometime before 1844, the “VEST” surname continued with his wife Catherine and their sons, as shown in Bill’s Creek Baptist Church: Two Hundred Year History, by Helen M. Lu. It wasn’t until 1849, when the “Vess” surname really stuck, in both census and church records. Therefore, it is easy to assume that Peter maybe connected to the VESTfamily.
We were even 100% confident that we had discovered his connection with the VEST family when we found a Surry County War of 1812-1814 record listing a “Peter VEST.” Not only is Surry County right next to Stokes County in North Carolina, but also the names of the other soldiers listed with Peter VEST seem to have connections with the grandchildren of William Tunwell VEST through his son Isham VEST. Because there doesn’t appear to be any VEST families in Surry County, the VEST family next door (in Stokes County) seems like a good fit.
A possible connection to William Tunwell VEST became even more enticing when records for Peter Vess suggested his father may have been named John Vess (1831 Rutherford Co. land grant record). According to the Last Will and Testament of William Tunwell VEST (1812), he just so happens to have a son named John VEST!
Willis Vess William Tunwell Vest also seems like a potential ancestor to Willis Vess.
Willis Vess was born in North Carolina (abt) 1810, supposedly to “John Vess and Maragaret Vaughn” who are said to have also been born in North Carolina. Because William Tunwell VEST had a son named John VEST, it appeared there could be a connection; however, John VEST married Eliza RAY (not Margaret Vaughn). Of course, John could have been married twice, but records show us that John VEST (despite who he was married to) appears to have been living in North Carolina (or Indiana-whichever source you pick) during the time that the father of Willis Vess was living in Alabama; therefore they must not be the same person.
Nathan Vess Interestingly, there haven’t been any plausible ideas between William Tunwell Vest and Nathan Vess. Because Nathan was born in South Carolina, one could possibly conclude he is Peter’s cousin rather than his brother. So, Nathan’s lack of connection to the VEST family in Stokes County, NC never really seemed like such a big deal.
The VEST & VESS Families Are Not Related
According to information from FamilytreeDNA.com, the VEST and VESS families are not related! In fact, they don’t even share the same Haplogroup!
The descendants of John Daniel VEST (VEST family of Virginia) belong to Haplogroup-I, whereas the descendants of Willis Vess and Andrew Logan Vess (our VESS family) belong to Haplogroup- R (R1a). That’s quite a distance from each other on the Y-Haplogroup tree.
So, we can pretty much eliminate any VEST family related to John Daniel Vest as being possible ancestors, including William Tunwell VEST of Stokes County, North Carolina.
I was holding onto William Tunwell VEST for a long time, just in case; however, I eventually discovered that he is the son of John Daniel VEST.
In the Last Will and Testament of John Daniel Vest (1765) of Chesterfield County, Virginia, John names his wife “Ann Vest” (likely Charolette Ann Bakes) as well as his 7 children: “John Vest, Valentine Vest, Elizabeth Vest, James Vest, George Vest, Phillip Vest, and William Tunwell Vest.” [Transcribed by Sandra Lake Lassen March 1993 – Ancestry.com]
By the way, I discovered the VEST family near Willis Vess in Alabama are descendants of John Daniel Vest through George Washington Vest– so, no relation to Willis Vess.
Mapping VEST Families
Instead of trying to untangle the many different branches of the VEST family, I decided it would be better to us their records to plot them all on a map. During this process, I came to discover that a lot of VEST families do seem to be descendants of John Daniel Vest and Charolette Ann Bakes. The family appears to have originated from Chesterfield and Powhatan County, VA and then migrated westward into Bedford County, then down into Franklin and Floyd Counties, before conquering the rest of the United States.
After finishing my map, two VESS/VEST families who do not seem to have any connection with the John Daniel Vest family stood out!
The Map The counties [below] highlighted inredcontain VEST records. The counties marked with an X have records that strongly suggest a relationship with John Daniel Vest. And, the counties left, with no X, have records with both the VESS and VEST surname.
This map is not 100% accurate. It is very likely that there are areas and families I missed; especially, since documentation of these VESS-VEST families is scarce and require deep digging into Virginia archives. The purpose of this map is to see if we could identify any “separate” families, such as those using the VESS surname.
Exploring VESS/VEST Families
Rockbridge County and Patrick County, Virginia are the only two counties where I have found records with the VESS name and families whose records seem to use the VESS and VEST surname interchangeably, and interestingly, neither of them seem to have any records that suggest (at this time) they are connected to the John Daniel Vest family! So, who are they and do they have any connection to our VESS family?
VESS/VEST family of Rockbridge, Virginia
According to my ancestral DNA, I have distant DNA-relatives who are descendants of Addison Vess of Rockbridge County, Virginia through my VESS line. My project, of course, could be flawed as the connection could be distant, possibly connected between different families related to Addison Vess.
However, I used the same search method again for the VEST name and more DNA-relatives came up; all related to Vess families in Rockbridge, VA. I did not get any DNA-relatives descending from the John Daniel Vest family.
The Vest/Vess family living in Rockbridge are found near Colliers Creek and Kerrs Creek. Library of Congress Looking at this map [below], there are family surnames that I recognize from bits and pieces of my research on the Vess family: Hostetter, Ailstock, Noel, Morris, and Tolly, and Armstrong.
William, Peter, & Samuel VESS/VEST of Patrick County
As mentioned in a previous post, “What We Know So Far,” we recently discovered a Vess/Vest family in Patrick County, Virginia who we have no idea (like the Rockbridge family) as to whether they are related to the VESS or VEST family (perhaps neither).
I was provided a list of land deeds for Patrick County, Virginia (1791-1801) to compare to the residents in Tryon County, North Carolina (1769-1779) to see if there was any kind of connection. Unfortunately, I did not find anything significant, for that Tryon County records are much older than the Patrick County records and it just wouldn’t make sense that families would travel so far south just to end back up North. I guess they could have, but probably unlikely during a time when families were migrating out west and down south.
The records we find in Patrick County, Virginia include a William, Peter, and a Samuel Vess (VEST/VOSS) who lived on the border of Patrick County and Henry County (as shown on the mapbelow) in Bull Mountain, North Mayo River, and Koger Creek, just below Franklin County, Virginia.
These records also show family surnames that I recognize from bits and pieces of my research on the Vess family: Duncan, Dodson, Willis, Watson, Reynolds, Sharp, Hooker, and Randal.
HAIRSTON & PENN Families: A Little Local History While researching some of the families on this deed list, I discovered that the HAIRSTON and PENN families (both on the deed list) have a bit of history in the area.
George HAIRSTON built Beaver Creek Plantation which was a tobacco plantation and a very large slave-trading post in Martinsville, VA (east of Koger Creek in Henry Co.). He served under Col. Abraham PENN who was the original owner of the land that George Hairston built his plantation on (using a royal grant). The PENN family built “Poplar Grove” plantation in Patrick County, VA near Patrick Springs (west of North Mayo River). And both HAIRSTON and PENN families married into the STOVALL family- all connected.
There appears to be several plantations in the area, all of which utilized slaves and indentured servants. Indentured servants generally had a 7 year contract and in return for their service, their masters often granted them land. Looking at records on Patrick County, VA Genweb, we find deed records referred to an “Indenture,” where land was transferred to the “apprentice” after all debts and terms of their contract have been satisfied.
Jonathan William Vess of Texas: Koger Creek According to the deed list, William Vess/Vest is shown near a Herron/ Heron family and as previously known, marriage records show Elizabeth Herron having married Johnathan William Vess in 1791 in Patrick County, Virginia. Johnathan William Vess and Elizabeth Heron traveled with Stephen F. Austin from Missouri to Texas (Republic of Texas) during the 1820’s. This William Vess/Vest on the Patrick County deed list may either be Jonathan himself or perhaps his father.
Peter Vess and William Vess/Voss: North Mayo River According to the deed list, west of Koger Creek are residents of the North Mayo River which includes Peter Vess, William Vess/Voss, Samuel Vess, William Willis, and William Sharp.
This Vess/Voss family is most interesting for that we see them with the Willis, Dodson, and Sharp families (family surnames that are also found in Franklin County, Alabama with Willis Vess).
To make things even more interesting, we found a 1785 marriage record for Peter Vess and Pugnance Vaughn in Henry County. (Henry County is next to Patrick County, and there was a time when both counties were one, called Patrick-Henry County)
What is interesting about this, is that according to Anna Popejoy, the parents of Willis Vess were John Vess and Margaret Vaughn. To this day, we do not know where she got this information; however, we are now wondering, if this is them.
Perhaps their full names were John Peter Vess and Pugnance Margaret Vaughn??? Also note, that the brother of Willis Vess is supposedly “John Peter Vess,” perhaps he was a John Peter Vess Jr.?
In addition, records also show land transactions between Peter Vess and Samuel Vess via John Duncan. At the bottom of this particular deed list (with Peter and Samuel), you will also find a Whitlock family.
Are These VESS/VEST Families Related
It is plausible that the Rockbridge VESS/VEST family and the Patrick County VESS/VEST families are related to each other, for that records of the Patrick County family (earliest record 1785) come before the records of the Rockbridge family (earliest record 1818); suggesting one of the Vess members may have migrated to Rockbridge, Virginia from Patrick County, Virginia.
It has also been observed that Samuel Vess of Patrick County, Virginia disappeared before Peter and William Vess; which makes us wonder if he is (or is related to) Samuel Harvey Vess of Rockbridge, Virginia (1830 records).
We do not know if they are genetically related to the our Vess family; however, genealogical records seem to support some kind of connection.
Full Recap
The Vest family of Virginia and our Vess family are not related (two separate Haplogroups).
There is no genetic relationship between our Vess family and William Tunwell Vest in Stokes County, North Carolina.
Maps reveal a separate VESS/VEST family residing in Rockbridge and Patrick County, Virginia. It is not yet know if these two VESS/VEST families are related, but it is plausible considering the record dates.
We have likely discovered the families of Jonathan William Vess and Elizabeth Heron (of Republic of Texas) in Patrick County, Virginia on Koger Creek.
We have discovered that there is a Peter, Samuel, and William VESS/VOSS on the North Mayo River with a Willis, Sharp, and possibly a Whitlock family.
The area in which we find these families in Patrick County, has a history of plantations and records that suggest some of the land owners were once indentured servants.
Many family surnames found in both Rockbridge and Patrick County, Virginia are familiar names seen elsewhere in Vess family research; especially, regarding Peter and Willis Vess.
No definite conclusions can be made at this time; however, these new discoveries seem promising! It appears that a new chapter in Vess Genealogy has just begun!
If you are or know someone who is a male descendant with the VESS or VEST surname, please consider participating in Y-DNA testing through FamilytreeDNA.com to help us unravel the mysteries of the VESS family!
Again, a HUGE THANK YOU to everyone who has shared their findings with me on the Vess name in effort to piece together VESS family history!
This past weekend, I began to research Willis Vess of Alabama, just as extensively as Peter Vess of North Carolina; but I immediately stumbled upon a couple of genealogy road-blocks.
First of all, early Alabama records are weird.
Locating The Vess Family
In my opinion, the best way to research early families is to pin-point where they once lived and explore every part of their community, leaving no stone unturned.
Census records tell us that Willis Vess lived in Franklin County, Alabama (1830-1860) and then in Colbert County, Alabama (1870-1880). I suspect a county change rather than a physical move; which was later confirmed by maps.
Willis Vess was a farmer who had several properties and without the assistance of maps, I would have never been able to locate his properties; let alone find them in the correct county.
His land records state “Huntsville.”
Huntsville is in Madison county, a couple of counties east of Franklin and Colbert County.
This was confusing, especially, since the description of land does not reference rivers or creeks, but instead “Huntsville” coordinates; which kind of implies the property is in Huntsville.
Did Willis Vess live in Franklin / Colbert County, but had farm land in Madison County?
Well, turns out that Huntsville was just a place that sold land. It says so, on an official land record available for Willis Vess; as if it was written in Old English by Dr. Suess!
Image below reads: “the North West quarter of the North East quarter of Section two in Township six of Range seven West, in the District of Lands Subject to Sale at Huntsville Alabama, certifying forty acres and four hundredths of an acre.”
Or so, that is what I think it reads. I had to read it several times, before finally comprehending what it really says!
But yeah, the “district of lands subject to sale at Huntsville Alabama,” means Willis Vess purchased his land (located in Franklin County) through the Huntsville land-office in Madison County. And note, the only reference to “Franklin County” on this record, is its greeting to “Willis Vess of Franklin County, Alabama.”
And we wonder why so many records get lost!
Fox Trap Creek
If there are no creeks or rivers to reference, where does one start to look?
Fortunately, I got a hint from FindAGrave.com (of all places). If you look at the memorial for John Vess, father of Willis Vess, created by Anna Popejoy (long-time researcher), it states:
“Mr John Vess was in Foxtrap by 1818. He built a Log Cabin in 1819/20. Cabin is still standing.” I scoured the Internet. I didn’t know if Foxtrap was a community, creek, river, town, fort, plantation, mountain- or just some special spot only known to locals.
Surprisingly, I found Foxtrap on Google maps, by searching around Mountain Star (per sources on Ancestry.com). It is a creek that starts in Colbert County and extends downward into Franklin County, crossing Mountain Star Rd; which accurately reflects the county change seen in the census records for Willis Vess.
Interestingly, there are a few creeks named after early families surrounding Mountain Star; most notably: DODSON Branch and WHITLOCK Branch.
And for a good chuckle, there is also Rock Creek, Mud Creek, & Spring Creek (I assume these particular creeks had rocks, mud, and a spring) and then there is also Stinking Bear Creek which I would love to hear the story behind that one!
Then, after I spent an hour doing it the hard way….I found this on Alabama Genweb (Land Patent Mapping)! It has everyone!
This is a great resource to help me research neighbors (like I did with Peter and Nathan VESS), but I wish it had a date on it. I mean, some of these neighbors could have settled in as late as the 1880’s, which is not exactly helpful in tracing early settlers prior to 1820.
Where Did John Vess Come From
Of course this is multi-million dollar question! Where in the world did John Vess come from!
Besides an old cabin, there really isn’t any proof that John Vess ever existed – no census records or even a grave stone.
Franklin County, Alabama was established in February 1818 and according to Anna Popejoy (FindAGrave.com), this is about the time John Vess arrived to Foxtrap and according to Whitlock sources, it wasn’t until the 1820’s that the Whitlock family arrived from Georgia with the Thompson and Pennington families.
Looking at old maps between 1810-1820, it’s all Indian territory (including the western parts of Tennessee directly above Alabama).
One doesn’t just pack up their entire family and head 400+ miles for Indian territory alone; so there is a really good chance the Vess family didn’t travel alone. And, the safest route (I can think of) from North Carolina to Foxtrap Creek in Alabama would have probably been to go through territory already owned by the United States: South Carolina, Georgia, then Alabama.
So instead of traveling through Tennessee, John might have gone down through Rutherford County, North Carolina (Willis family) into Greenville County, South Carolina (Bellew and Gosnell family), through Georgia (Whitlock family), and straight across into Madison County (Huntsville) and finally settling in Foxtrap.
Of course, that is just a theory; one that might change if we find evidence of a connection with the VEST family who seem to have migrated into Tennessee, Kentucky, and Ohio.
The 1820 Census Blunder
If John Vess was living in Foxtrap since 1818, why is he not found on the 1820 census? Was he so remote he got missed?
I guess I am not the only one who noticed, because apparently there is a very good chance he was missed!
According to an article posted on AL.com, there was a “mortifying miscount of the 1820 census,” where census workers supposedly quit during the census-taking process!
I don’t think any of the families in the Mountain Star area had been counted, because I do not recognize any of the names on the 1820 census for Franklin County, Alabama. There are no Whitlock, Dodson, Orr, Willis, Smith, Vandiver, or Isabell families listed on the census, but maybe they hadn’t arrived yet.
However, I still do not think the VESS family was alone.
Courthouse Fire
Not only do we have an incomplete census (when we really need one), but Franklin County also had a court house fire (in 1890). Who knows what records were lost (perhaps missing census tallies).
A Quick Recap Of What We Know
Despite such a stumbling start, we have learned quite a bit!
With DNA testing, we now know that Willis Vess of Alabama and Andrew Logan Vess of Rutherford County, North Carolina are closely related; but we have yet to figure out where they connect on the family tree.
Willis Vess appeared on record as early as 1837 (land record). He was a farmer who lived around Mountain Star along Foxtrap Creek in Colbert County, Alabama (once Franklin County). He married Talitha Whitlock, whose family arrived sometime during the 1820’s with the Thompson and Pennington families.
Records are scarce due to a census fail in 1820 and a courthouse fire in 1890.
Fortunately, we have a bunch of other resources to explore!
We have a map of neighbors, which means, we can explore records of close neighbors. We might also be able to locate the first settlers who may have traveled to Alabama with John Vess.
We also have the Mississippi Territory census record of 1816 to explore, which covered parts of Alabama before Alabama became a state! It really depends on when and where John Vess arrived in Alabama (via Tennessee or Georgia).
I really look forward to learning more about the VESS family of Alabama!
Let’s start the New Year by reviewing what we know so far about the so-called three brothers from Ireland.
But first, a huge THANK YOU to everyone who has provided me information about their family history, lineage, and research!
The Three Brothers
According to our VESS family story, we descend from three brothers from Ireland: Jonathan, Peter, and Nathan (Nathaniel) Vess. However, records seem to tell a different story…
Records tell us that Jonathan, Peter, and Nathan Vess did in fact exist and that they all existed during the same time period (1790-1880); however, we have not yet found any records confirming their exact relationship to one another. Possibly, because they may have not been brothers at all, but perhaps a mix of relatives: 2 brothers and a father, cousins and 1 uncle, or 2 brothers and a grandfather.
The term brothers was often used to refer to any close male relationship: siblings, father, uncle, cousin, close family friend, or church member.
Interestingly, records tell us that Peter and Nathan were born in America (North and South Carolina). According to Nathan’s records, his parents were born in South Carolina. His family possibly lived in Glassy Mountain, Greenville, South Carolina with the Gosnell and Bellew families (who are related to Nathan’s wife, Clarinda Bellew). We have also discovered a new VESS line closely related to Peter, through a Willis Vess, whose records also state his parents were born in North Carolina.
If our VESS family does come from Ireland, research greatly suggests that our family arrived in America sometime prior to the Revolutionary War (1775-1783). And perhaps our family story is true, but we are looking at the wrong generation of men whose names were Jonathan, Peter, and Nathan; as it was once common practice that each generation be named after their forefathers.
VESS family in Patrick County, Virginia
We have recently discovered a “VESS” family in Patrick County, Virginia. As to-date, we have not been able to connect them to the prominent “VEST” family of Virginia; giving us hope that this pocket of Vess family is related to our VESS line.
The earliest records with the name “Vess” can be found in Virginia for a Samuel, Peter, Jonathan, and William Vess:
Jonathan Vess married Elizabeth Heron in 1792, Patrick County, VA. In 1820, Jonathan Vess and his wife Elizabeth migrated to the Republic of Texas [before Texas was a state]. He is written in the Texas history books, not only because he was one of the first families to travel with Stephen F. Austin (state capital is named after), but also the town of Morales, TX was established on his land and his daughter, Mary Lorena Vess, married Sam McCulloch, Jr., who was a Texas war hero and a man of color.
We have found Revolutionary War records under the “Vess” name, for a Samuel, Peter, and William Vess. Peter being distinguished as a Corporal.
In addition, Patrick County, VA tax records 1790-1799 lists Samuel and Peter “Vess.”
Lastly, there is a War of 1812 record for a “Peter Vest” in Surry County, North Carolina. Thus far, we have not been able to connect him to any of the VESS or VEST families in the area; including the nearby VEST family of Stokes County, NC. However, it should be noted that Patrick County, VA is located directly above Surry County, North Carolina. We also cannot confirm that this Peter “Vest” is the same person as our Peter Vess of Rutherford County, North Carolina.
The Discovery of Willis VESS – DNA Connection
I believe the most significant find of last year, for me at least, was discovering another Vess line closely related to Peter and Nathan: Willis Vess of Franklin County, Alabama.
Familytreedna.com
DNA has confirmed Peter, Nathan, and Willis Vess to be closely related; however, we do not know exactly how they are related to one another.
Y-Chromosome DNA on FamilytreeDNA.com has connected Willis and Peter’s line together and it is AncestryDNA.com, that confirms a “close” relationship between the two lines through shared DNA-relatives.
However, I suspect the relationship to be distant, for that I share more DNA-relatives with Nathan’s line than I do with those on Willis’s line. This may suggest that Nathan is likely more closely related to Peter than Willis; with Nathan and Peter as siblings/half-siblings and Willis a possible cousin. However, this could be inaccurate, largely depending on how many descendants on each line have tested through AncestryDNA.com.
Nonetheless, Willis lived during the same time period as Jonathan, Peter, and Nathan, so we can confidently suggest the connection is either through a parent or grandparent. Which brings me to Willis’s father, John Vess, who was supposedly born in North Carolina (1770) and married Margaret Vaughn.
The Vest Family of Virginia and North Carolina
Virginia
South Carolina
Many researchers suggest John Vess (father of Willis VESS) to be the son of William Tunwell Vest of Stokes County, North Carolina; however, I do not believe this to be true. I have researched the Vest family of Virginia and North Carolina extensively and have not found any records connecting the Vess and Vest families together.
William Tunwell Vess had 5 sons, Samuel, William, Charles, Isham, and John. According to my research (which could be wrong, of course), Samuel and William married “Cannifax” sisters, Charles married a “Doty,” Isham married a “Briggs” and a “Page,” and John married a “Ray.” I have not found any DNA relationships with any of their descendants.
If the Vest and Vess lines are related, they must be related distantly.
However, it may be worth looking into a James Harvey Vest, who is said to be born in Patrick County, VA in 1838. He married Rachel Jane Harper and Mary Calhoun. The reason I mention him, is because FamilytreeDNA has a VESS-VEST DNA Project Group, which states they have found a DNA connection with 2 members related to “VESS.”
We do know for a fact that some VESS lines do descend from the VEST family; however, none of those Vess lines seem to connect with our VESS line.
The VOSS Name
I am often told that our name used to be pronounced, “VOSS.”
Interestingly, there is a VOSS family in North Carolina with Greenbury Voss in Casewell County, North Carolina. He was supposedly born in Maryland and died in Pittsylvania, Virginia, having raised his family in Casewell, North Carolina. I truly have not done much research on the Voss family; however, records for this family include the surnames: VOSS, VASS, VESS, and VAUSE.
Greenbruy Vess may be worth looking further into for several reasons: 1) Records can be found with the Vess name. 2) His sons married into the Cook family that is related to the Cook family who attended Bills Creek Baptist Church (late 1800’s). 3) They are supposedly related to the Vause family in Georgia, who were in Georgia when Peter’s son, Alfred Vess, migrated there. 4) There is a Voss related to Greenbury Voss in Alabama (or Tennessee, if I remember correctly) near Willis’s Vess family! 5) Pittsylvania, Virginia is next to Patrick and Henry County, Virginia. 6) The Gonsell family (connected to Nathan) is from Maryland.
Conclusion
In short, there is no final conclusion as there is still more to explore and discover! The information we discovered and collected last year will certainly help us with our genealogy journey.
Any information you would like to share with us to help us with our research, please feel free to post in the comment sections or join our Facebook Group! I absolutely look forward to sharing new genealogy adventures with you!
Usually, New Years Eve is like any other day for me. No big celebrations. No big parties. I don’t even stay up anymore. But today is different! Today, I am so ready to say goodbye to 2020!!
Today, my family and I will stay up through midnight. I bought a banner, horns, hats, and two cans of black eyed peas for good luck! I even bought a bottle of sparkling wine! We are going to celebrate like it’s 1999! Remember how crazy that was!
I am also not a New Year’s Resolution type of person, but for the new year, I am totally motivated! Of course, I have come up a with a few personal resolutions, some that haven’t changed in the past 10 years, like eating healthier, exercise more, and save money. It’s the journey that counts! But in addition to all that stuff, I have come up a list of goals for Vess Genealogy!
10 Vess Genealogy Goals
1) Learn more about genetic genealogy and apply it in practice (when possible).
2) Research more often and post regularly. Get a routine going!
3) Post more history, timelines, pictures, and biographies.
4) Better organize my research. No more sticky notes and napkins.
5) Follow through with a researching game plan to avoid falling off task during research. Oh, a butterfly…
6) Become more actively involved in genealogy groups. Knowledge is power!
7) Encourage others to not give up on Vess Genealogy despite its challenges and road blocks. We’re just getting started and we need all the help we can get!
8) Write more posts about genealogy in general.
9) Publish a Vess Genealogy bookby the end of the year.
10) Have fun, don’t stress, and enjoy the adventure!
The Future of Vess Genealogy: Team Work
I’ve learned this year, that I can’t do Vess Genealogy alone.
I hope my website will not only become a place to preserve Vess family history, but also a place of collaboration, resources, and motivation for others doing their own research and that together, we can break through the challenging road-blocks of Vess Genealogy! 🙂
I hope everyone has a happy, healthy, and safe New Year!
With the holidays over, I am ready to tackle this pile of information everyone has provided me about Vess Genealogy!
Surprisingly, what I ended up doing was tossing my entire research book in the trash and starting over!
My research on Peter Vess is complete! Stick a fork in it and call it done (for now, at least). It is now time to shift my focus towards Nathan and Willis, to see if I can dig deeply into their past as deeply as I have dug into Peter’s past.
I do hope my extensive research on Peter’s neighbors and Nathan’s South Carolina origins, will be helpful in making a possible connection with Willis Vess.
Willis Vess: Scratching The Surface
This weekend, I began to take a deeper look at Willis Vess and stumbled upon research left by genealogist, Anna Popejoy.
I do not know who Anna is (or was) or her connection to Willis VESS, but bits and pieces of her extensive research pops up here and there; especially, in regards to the Whitlock family (perhaps that was her connection). She clearly had a passion for genealogy and (it seems like) history too! Her research intrigues me and I am absolutely eager to discover more!
DNA Confirms A Relation
According to Familytreedna.com (Y-Chromosome Testing), Willis VESS and Peter VESS are indeed related, but where on the family tree do they connect?
Looking at the information above, there is no telling how closely related they may be with one another.
Does Willis share a father with Peter, a grandparent, a great-grandparent, or are they connect through a great-great-great grandparent from across the Atlantic? Hopefully, further research can give us a better idea…
More Closely Related Than We Think
Autosomal DNA testing (like Ancestry DNA and 23andMe) allows us to connect lineages that are “closely” related (5-6 generations back). The older the generation testing, the further back you can go in time.
In theory, if descendants of Willis Vess/Vest appear as shared DNA relatives (Ancestry.com), there is a really good chance that he is pretty close to Peter Vess on the family tree.
Surprisingly, I do have a few descendants of Willis Vess/Vest coming up on my Ancestry DNA matches as 4th-6th cousins. That means we likely share a 3rd, 4th, or 5th grandparent. Which is extremely exciting, for that my fourth great-grandparent on the VESS side is Peter Vess!
But how can I tell for sure he is related to the VESS line?
Well, my half-aunt and my mom did their DNA test too, which allows me to further separate my parents paternal lines and the results I came across are really exciting!!
My Aunt and I share several DNA relatives who are descendants of Willis Vess/Vest, in which my mom does not have any DNA relation with at all- confirming a VESS connection with the Willis VESS/VEST line!
Interestingly, we share 1 DNA relative who is a descendant of John P. Vess, brother of Willis Vess!
I have another DNA relative who is the descendant of Willis Vess through his son Henry Russell Vess, but he/she doesn’t show up as a shared relative on my Aunt’s DNA results; however, this DNA relative has shared matches with other Vess DNA relatives and does-not show up on my mom’s DNA results either.
Because my Aunt is a generation older than me, her DNA is able to pick up an extra generation of descendants and it shows the following:
2 DNA relatives who are descendants of Willis Vess through his sons, John Henry Vess and John Jackson Vess!
The best part, these DNA relatives are also her 4th-6th cousins. That puts Willis Vess very close to Peter Vess on the family tree! Willis and Peter might share a parent or grandparent!
Of course, DNA matches can’t provide us with all the answers we seek; instead, it just kind of points us in a very vague direction.
Too Many Gaps
With another cup of coffee and 50 tabs open on my desktop, I am still digging…
I am trying to build a time-line (just as I did for Peter). According to records, Willis claims to be born in North Carolina (abt. 1812). He also claims both his parents were born in North Carolina. Interesting.
I have been researching North Carolina families for years and the only VESS/VEST family in North Carolina, on record, during the early 1800’s is William Tunwell VEST and his son John VEST who was born in Virginia (1768), settled in Fortysth, North Carolina, and married Elizabeth Ray. It is unlikely that Willis Vess is the son of William Tunwell Vess/Vest or John VEST. So, I’ve scratched him off the list and put him on the back burner.
There is still the VESS family in Patrick County, Virginia (which is located just above Stokes and Surry County, North Carolina). We might be related through them, but records are super scarce!
BUT, how do you explain Nathan Vess? According to his records, his parents supposedly were born in South Carolina. But, he seems more closely related to Peter than Willis (Perhaps Willis is a 1st cousin?).
And – nothing on Jonathan Vess (the 3rd so-called brother from Ireland). My research is beginning to largely suggest that he was probably an older ancestor (an uncle, father, or even grandfather to Peter and Nathan).
So, many questions!
Moving Backwards to Move Forward
Finding a new VESS line is super exciting!
Of course, I am going to have to do some more research for that I am not familiar with the history of Alabama (home of Willis Vess). In fact, when did people start settling in Alabama?
According to land records, Willis Vess/Vest obtained land as early as 1837 in Franklin County, Alabama (Huntsville area). His father, John Vess, supposedly had a cabin in Mountain Star, Alabama, which is not too far from Huntsville.
Pictured above (circled in red) is likely the area in which John and his son, Willis Vess lived in Franklin County, Alabama. Although this map is from 1908, you can still see many recognizable neighbors from earlier census records, including the Whitlock, Askew, and Willis families.
Help From Anna Popejoy and An Unknown Researcher
While browsing records on Ancestry.com, I stumbled upon an attached document linked to William Whitlock on someone’s family tree, titled, “Genealogy of Lou Pero.” I do not know who Lou Pero is nor does it state the name of the original author of these notes; however, the author noted that “a great deal of my information came from Anna Popejoy…” and this particular note pertained to William Whitlock providing information on when the Whitlocks migrated from Georgia to Alabama.
William Whitlock, is supposedly the father of Talitha Whitlock who is the wife of Willis VESS.
According to these notes, Anna wrote about “a wagon trail out of Georgia, October 10, 1821, to Franklin County, Alabama. Those of the Whitlock’s in the wagon train to were William, Elizabeth, Nathaniel, Hezekiah, and Talitha…” This information came from “Whitlock Gleanings, a genealogy workbook compiled by Thomas Edward Roach, 1984. This gives us a better idea as to when the Whitlocks came to Alabama! So, my next task, is to determine when and where Willis Vess came from!
I certainly have a lot of research to do! With a game plan, a starting point, I am super READY!!!
I am in the process of reviewing, sorting, and organizing new information. A HUGE thanks to everyone who has sent me information about different Vess family lines and history!
This is what I have gathered so far (off the top of my head).
Peter, Nathan, and John certainly exist, but their relation to one another is still not known.
Peter and Nathan are closely related per Ancestry DNA, but there is no documentation (probates, census records, family bibles, or anything) confirming their exact relation to each other.
Peter was born in North Carolina.
Nathan was born in South Carolina.
Y-Chromosome DNA is connecting our family (Peter and Nathan) to a Willis Vess (Vest) of Alabama whose father is John Vess who is supposedly from North Carolina. The relation between Peter, Nathan, and Willis is not known.
John Vess maybe an older ancestor (maybe a father or uncle to Peter and Nathan) for that his descendants from his generation do not show up on Ancestry.com. Ancerstry.com can only take us back 6-7 generations. [For me, that barely picks up Peter’s generation]
There is a pocket of “Vess” family in Patrick County, Virginia that does not seem to have any kind of relation to the Virginia VEST family.
There is a John Vess from Patrick County, VA who migrated to Texas in 1820 with Elizabeth Heron.
There is a Peter and Samuel Vess of Patrick County, VA who seem to have connections with the Vaughn family. Willis Vess’s mother is supposedly Margaret Vaughn.
Y-Chromosome DNA suggests a strong family relation with the HAYES, JONES, and TRAVERS families.
I feel like we have research on two ends of the timeline and we are trying to figure out how they meet in the middle.
I am putting the Vess family of Virginia aside and continuing my research on close neighbors and family members related to Peter and Nathan. Interestingly, the search has led me back to Surry County, NC.
A few months ago, the names of soldiers listed above meant nothing to me; but today, they are very significant.
SKIDMORE, POINDEXTER, EAPERSON, SPRINKLE, BAGLEY, COOK, PHILIPS, and MORELAND have connections with William Tunwell VEST through his son Issac VEST. Several men on this list married William Tunwell VEST’S grand-daughters.
Issac VEST is shown living in Wilkes County. Many of the soldiers listed above do not live in Surry County, but are a mix of residents from surrounding counties (including Wilkes). Although I cannot find Peter VEST on census anywhere around or in Surry County, I did find a BELLEW family in Wilkes County. Nathan’s wife is Clarinda BELLEW and they eventually settled in Glassy Mountain, Greenville, South Carolina.
I have a feeling that our family were “boarders” and likely lived with other families as they migrated down to the Carolinas (I mean, that is one possible explanation for the lack of records on them).
For right now, I will be investigating Wilkes county and its surrounding counties a little further. Probate records, so far, have been the most valuable source of connecting families together. Unfortunately, probate records are not perfectly indexed and require thorough reading to find other families. Super fun!
Have information to share? Please feel free to share it with us in the comment section below. Thanks! 🙂
I was recently asked if I knew anything about a Willis VESS and his connection to a John VESS.
Well, the short answer is: Very little.
But, I did stumbled upon new intriguing information that is probably worth brain storming…
I have a lot of research and I wouldn’t be surprised if the answers we seek about the VESS family are in plain sight somewhere in my messy genealogy files!
I say this, because I truly do not know how to start this post… Vess Genealogy is like trying to put together a zillion-piece puzzle with all the puzzle pieces face down! And there is always that one piece we keep going back to, because we know what general area it belongs to; but it doesn’t quite have a space for it to fit into yet.
Simply, I don’t know what I got until I come across it again.
With that said, I will start with Willis Vess.
Willis Vess of Alabama
Willis VESS (born abt. 1810) married Talitha WHITLOCK. Many researchers who I’ve spoken to have found connections to Willis VESS through the WHITLOCK family (including myself). I am related to Talitha WHITLOCK through my mother’s BENTLY side in Georgia.
Interestingly though, everyone seems to agree unanimouslythat Willis VESS is the son of a John VESS.
You can find a picture of his cabin on FindAGrave.com, posted by Anna Popejoy, who I’ve been told was a genealogist who has done Y-Chromosome testing.
We do not know who was tested specifically, as it had to be a male descendant, but supposedly there is a DNA connection between the Willis VESS line and the Peter VESS line. Where this connection is on the family tree is still a mystery.
According to online sources, John VESS was born abt. 1770 in North Carolina. He supposedly married Margaret VAUGHN and they had two sons: Willis VESS born abt. 1810 and John Peter VESS born abt. 1822.
According to my research, the VESS/VEST family from Virginia appears on record in North Carolina as early as 1790; obtaining land as early as 1798 (Stokes Co.). If they were in the area any earlier, it would have been Rowan County.
Many researchers (including myself) try to connect Willis VESS of Alabama to William Tunwell VEST (1735 VA-1812 NC) of Stokes County, North Carolina. But, research simply does not support any kind of connection between the two families (at least not directly).
William Tunwell VEST did have a son named John VEST. However, John VEST was born in Virginia (abt. 1765). He married Eliza RAY and you can follow him on several census records with his brothers (Charles, William, and SamuelVEST) in Stokes County, North Carolina. He died in 1833. So, he is likely not the father of Willis VESS.
Intriguing New Discoveries
Current research suggests that William Tunwell VEST may have not been the only VESS/VEST family in North Carolina!
I have been working on compiling VESS, VEST, VOSS, and VASS marriages from 1790-1820. Majority of the VEST marriages are in Stokes County, North Carolina with connections with William Tunwell VEST (his children and his grandchildren); however, there are a couple (very scarce) odd balls in neighboring counties (Surry and Wilkes) that do not seem to have any direct connection with William Tunwell VEST.
But even more intriguing…
Sources say the parents of Willis VESS are John VESS and Margret VAUGHN.
Well, while compiling marriage records, I found a PETER VEST and a “PUGNANCE VAUGHN” married on November 24, 1785 in Henry County, Virginia.
As mentioned in my last post, I have discovered a VESS family in Patrick County, Virginia who do not have any documented connections with anyone. Are they VESS or VEST?
Patrick County, VA was established in 1791 and was previously part of Henry County, VA. So, this Peter VEST (married to Pugnance VAUGHN) may be connected to the VESS family in Patrick County, VA.
Interestingly, this gives us a “Peter” VEST married in 1785 and a “Jonathan” Vess married in 1792. So, I couldn’t help but wonder... is there an older Nathaniel Vess?
There is! Well, a Nathaniel VEST, born 1791 in Virginia (died in Indiana). It is not just the name “Nathaniel” that intrigues me, but also his spouse, whose maiden name is “DUNCAN.”
Is his spouse, Lavina DUNCAN, related to the John DUNCAN who appears on the Patrick County, VA Land Tax record with Peter and Samuel VESS??
Also, note…I found a WHITLOCK too (bottom of a 1792 Patrick CO. Land Tax record).
As usual, this intriguing find does not seem to bring us any closer to connecting the Willis VESS line to the Peter/Nathan Vess line. Nor does it bring us any closer to finding out who Peter and Nathan’s parents are…
1) Although Nathaniel VEST of Virginia is not old enough to be the father of our Peter and Nathan Vess, Jonathan and Peter VESS/VEST (of Virginia) are, BUT…
2) Our Nathan VESS was supposedly born in South Carolina and so was his parents. [Ref. 1880 Mortality Record]
3) The parents of Willis VESS were supposedly born in North Carolina. [Ref.various census records]
4) Jonathan Vess of Patrick County, Virginia who married Elizabeth Heron migrated to Republic of Texas in 1820. [Ref. Texas history]
So, who is the John Vess on Peter’s 1830 land record??
Other information that might relate to Willis VESS:
1) 1860 census record states Willis VESS was born in Indiana, but all other census records state he was born in North Carolina.
2) There is supposedly a Willis VESS in South Carolina. I will check my notes again.
3) Talitha WHITLOCK was born in Georgia (abt. 1820). Her mother is Elizabeth GREEN.
Peter’s son, Josiah VESS has a connection with a GREEN family in Rutherford County, NC through his spouse, Zilla Early. I will look to see if there are any connections.
4) Peter’s son Alfred VESS migrated to Georgia after the Civil War and I often wondered, if there was already family out there or if the war landed him there.
5) Supposedly Peter’s line eventually made it up to Indiana, but I cannot remember when or who went up there. I am not familiar with any family from Peter’s line moving to Alabama. I will double check though.
What Are Your Thoughts?
I don’t have enough evidence to make any solid conclusions about the VESS family in Patrick County, VA, but I did want to share my findings with everyone.
Please feel free to share your thoughts in the comments section or join us on the Vess Genealogy Facebook Group.
Vess Genealogy 