history

John Vess: Chain Bearer 1831 Rutherford County, NC

/ J. L. / Leave a comment

I learn something new everyday!

Peter Vess: Cedar Creek Property

Peter Vess obtained land on Cedar Creek in Rutherford County, North Carolina that is now part of Buncombe County (Broad River Township). He entered the claim in 1829 and the grant was officially issued in 1831.

Family researchers noticed that there is a “John Vess” on the land record, which is unlikely to be his son, John Vess, as his son would have been around 11 years old at the time.

In extremely rare cases, an 11 year old could have been listed as a witness, but today, I learned that “John Vess” on this record is not a witness but a Chain Bearer.

Chain Bearers (C. C. )

Names, followed by the abbreviation C. C., at the bottom of survey plat maps mean “Chain Bearers/ Chain Carrier.”

Chain bearers consisted of two adult males, who assisted the county surveyor, by physically walking the property boundaries, using a chain to place down marking pins. The county surveyor administered an oath to both men, swearing to measure the distances accurately and honestly without altering the count.

Chain bearers were often times close relatives (father, brother, adult son, cousin) or next door neighbors, as it was cheaper, than having to the county surveyor hire a local laborer.

What This Information Tells Us

This information tells us that John Vess was a living, breathing, adult relative of Peter Vess who physically walked Peter’s property in Rutherford County, North Carolina.

Chain bearers did not have to be county residents, they could travel from another county or even another state.

In this case, John Vess might be the recently discovered “John Bess” in Spartanburg County, South Carolina with Nathaniel Bess (potentially Nathaniel Vess). If true, they would certainly, without a doubt, be brothers, as we have records of each of their ages! AND, if true, they would have been orphaned (kind of), as “John Bess” is on census with an older woman, who may have been his widowed mother.

John, Peter, and Nathaniel Vess as potential brothers– now that’s intriguing!

Unfortunately, we need more information. BUT, what we do know as a solid fact, is that Peter Vess had a close adult Vess relative (not his son) help survey his property in 1831.




Organizing Vess Genealogy 2026

/ J. L. / Leave a comment

When they say that genealogy requires organizational skills, they aren’t kidding!

I am always casually searching family records, saving anything and everything that interests me to my desktop…that I often later forget about! Seriously!

How I manage to do genealogy at all surprises me, because I seriously lack an organizational system. My version of organized, is a bunch of genealogy “SORT” folders on my desktop, that in total, contain 1,532 files of genealogy records, website links, screenshots, and maps. Half of them aren’t even labeled!

My workspace kind of has that 1950’s detective vibe, a dim lamp that flickers, papers scattered across the desk, scribbled notepads, fifty pens, a stack of resource books, numerous mugs of half-drunken stale cold coffee, chocolate wrappers, and instead of a bulky type-writer, an old hand-me-down laptop with low memory.

I think I can even relate to those moody detectives on tv…we’re cranky, because we store everything in our heads and there’s never enough coffee!

This week, I am organizing my genealogy folder of 1,532 files! It’s a treasure trove of information!

▪︎ Duplicates: I have an enormous amount of duplicate records and screenshots, which probably means they have some kind of important significance – I just can’t quite put my finger on it yet.

▪︎ Maps: I got maps for everything!
Because counties often changed, I have all kinds of state and county maps, which helps determine where records could potentially be stored (sometimes more than one county).

My favorite maps are the modern day streams and rivers topography maps, that I use with county maps. Early ancestors often lived near rivers and streams. If an early ancestor lived on a stream/river near the county border, there is a good chance, they’d have records in the neighboring county. While they may be a resident of one county, they might have done business or attended a church, in another, whatever was closest at the time.

Modern topography maps also reveal areas named after early families, that don’t appear on other maps.

However, the best maps, are the old community maps with the names of families listed along waterways, but those are so hard to find!

▪︎ Family Trees: Although I know not all family trees are accurate, they are useful for genetic genealogy. I also use them to look at neighbors of Vess families, to see if any neighboring families have a “Vess” on their family tree.

▪︎ Family Stories: I love family stories! I am a firm believer that every family story has some ounce of truth in it. Extracting the truth is the difficult part!

▪︎ Website Links: At some point, I started saving website links to odd-ball sources (archives, library, online books, family history sites, etc.). These websites are hidden deep in the Internet.

Some are professional websites that you’d never think for a million years would contain family records, others are poorly hosted family websites with fantastic information (even if a little glitchy and probably virus infested).

I discovered a really quirky website once, that locks out visitors who stayed too long, with a pop up accusing them of stealing their family research. It was a good website too, well-sourced, with detailed family tree information.

Unfortunately, there are a lot of family researchers out there, who are very strict gate-keepers of their family history, tree, records, and research.

Not here! Vess genealogy is for everyone! I am happy to share with you all my discoveries, because that’s what makes Vess genealogy so much fun – talking about it!

▪︎ DNA Info: I have a ton of sources regarding DNA, from DNA data to tutorials on how to do genetic genealogy.

▪︎ History: I am pretty sure you can do genealogy without having to know American or local histories, but I find it extremely useful and interesting.

History gives us clues as to where to find our earlier ancestors, by learning about court-house fires, county changes, migration patterns, wars, conflicts, as well as, identify specific areas settled by different groups.

But, also knowing the history of the areas they lived in, the struggles their community faced, and the victories they won, brings our early ancestors to life!

Our early ancestors, whether they were early pioneers, prominent wealthy landowners, farmers and laborers, or even immigrants through Ellis Island, all played a role in American history – and to me, I just think that is fascinating!

▪︎ Newspaper Articles: You’re not going to find too many early Vess ancestors in the newspaper, but you will find a lot of fascinating articles about their neighbors and some of their allied families. Sometimes, family histories were published in the newspaper, going back a couple of generations, which is always super helpful!

▪︎ Memes: Interestingly, I have an unhealthy stock pile of genealogy memes. Just saying.

▪︎ Traditional Genealogy Records: I have census, birth, death, military, probate, bastardy, court, and land records all over the place!

I have so much genealogy to share, I am not sure where to start! I guess that’s why I am spending all week organizing all these files.

Even though I just started going through all these records, I did notice something new….Jonathan Vess was called to court for the same case as Absalom Vess! I also found some more court-cases for Pryor Vess (he always in trouble). I saved a lot of unknown Vess families – that will be fun to go through. AND, I didn’t realize it, but I apparently found a bunch of John Vess (son of Peter Vess) records!



Who knows what other treasures I’ve found, saved, and forgotten!




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A Potential Early South Carolina Vess Family: John “Bess”

/ J. L. / 1 Comment

There was an early Vess family in South Carolina prior to 1830, but we have yet to identify them, largely due to lack of available South Carolina records and poor literacy. We do know they were there, because we are discovering later Vess families, who claim to have been living in South Carolina prior to 1830.

● Nathaniel Vess stated in his military pension request, that he was living in Spartanburg County, when he enlisted in the War of 1812.

● Polly Vess appears in Greenville, South Carolina as a widow in 1830, living with Joel Callahan. Joel Callahan was a prior resident of Spartanburg County, SC who was listed on the 1790 census next to the Bellew and Gosnell families, and is on Glassy Mountain maps with the Bellew and Gosnell families. Polly Vess is believed to have been the daughter of Joel Callahan, but not confirmed.

● John Vess (1850), husband of Drucilla Turner in Abbeville Co. SC (Greenwood), claims to have been born in South Carolina prior to 1830.

● Another John Vess (1860), states in his Civil War record that he was born in South Carolina prior to 1820 and comes from Greenville, South Carolina.

● Descendants of Nathaniel and Jonathan Vess are adamant that Jonathan Vess was in South Carolina prior to settling in Texas.

But, where are the records for this mysterious early South Carolina Vess family?


John Bess, Spartanburg County, South Carolina

Records are scarce, and we’ll likely never find solid genealogical proof of their early existence in South Carolina, but if I were to give my honest best guess, after staring at South Carolina records for nearly a decade, I’d suggest the mysterious Vess families of South Carolina are related to JOHN BESS of Thickety Creek in Spartanburg County, South Carolina.

Oddly enough, I might have found some additional information to support it…

1800 Census Listed near Samuel Dunaway
1809 Lane Record Obtains 684 acres of land on Thickety Creek
1810 Census Listed next to Reubin Cantrell
1811 ProbateListed on an Estate Sale: John Herron
1815 Court Jury Duty
1817 ProbateWitness to Samuel Dunaway (Sr.) Will

Shared DNA Matches: Descendants of Nathaniel Vess

John Bess hit my radar a few years back, when I saw him on census near the Dunaway and Cantrell families.

This intrigued me, because I have a cluster of shared DNA matches with descendants of Samuel Dunaway and Isaac Cantrell on my paternal side, that I can’t explain.

My best explanation, is that my connection to Dunaway/Cantrell is probably through one of the descendants of John Alexander Vess (son of Andrew Logan Vess and Linna Halford -my 3rd great grandparents) who settled in Spartanburg County, South Carolina from North Carolina. I imagine one his descendants, somewhere, married a descendant of Dunaway and/or Cantrell when they lived in South Carolina.

However, reviewing Ancestry-Thru Lines, I have 4 (distant) shared DNA matches with descendants of Nathaniel Vess. Extremely distant (1%), suggesting that connection is somewhere 8-12 generations back (so probably before Peter). Interestingly, we all have shared DNA matches with descendants of Isaac Cantrell (not so much Dunaway) via Reuben Cantrell of Spartanburg County, South Carolina. AND, John Bess was neighbors with Reuben Cantrell.

I don’t know if that is just coincidence or a potential discovery. But, intriguing nonetheless.

Sebastian (Boston) BEST Family

There are a couple of Ancestry trees that show John Bess of Thickety Creek, as the son of Sebastian (Boston) Best from Lincoln County, North Carolina; however, none of them have supportive genealogical records to see how they came to that conclusion.

Majority of Sebastian (Boston) Best family trees online, do not connect their family to John Bess in South Carolina at all.

The Sebastian (Boston) Best family does have records under the “Bess” name; which is frustrating when you are looking for a “Vess,” whose surname even today is often mistaken as “Best” or “Bess.” But, fortunately for us, they were a prominent early pioneer family, whose family history has already been extensively researched by their family.

So…with that said, looking at the BEST family tree (those with documentation, of course), show several potential John Bess/Best candidates. However, there doesn’t seem to be any records to suggest any of them having ever lived in South Carolina.

While the Best family from Lincoln County, North Carolina owned land in Spartanburg County, South Carolina, many of their records strongly suggest (some even clarify), that they were not residents of South Carolina.

John Bess 1800 Census (Female Widow): Observation

On the 1800 Spartanburg County, South Carolina census, John Bess appears to be between 16-25 years old, living with a female who is 45 years and older, suggesting, she is probably his mother or mother-in-law, who is probably a widow.

Interestingly, if you compare this to the Sebastian (Boston) Best family tree (those that are well documented), we see that the potential John Bess/Best candidates, were either not born yet, too young to be on census, and/or had both living parents at the time.

Nathan Bess: Excused Jury Duty 1818

There is a Nathan Bess on the 1818 Jury Duty list, who was later excused from jury duty. The courts did not indicate why people were excused, but generally, they would excuse them, if they didn’t own land, were sick, or were no longer residents of the county.

Nathan Bess, I imagine, is likely related to John Bess.

The courts pooled jurors from the State Poll Tax, which included all male adults (21 and older). However, those pooled, that didn’t own land, were sick, or no longer a resident of the county, were often excused.

*The Sebastian (Boston) Best family do not appear to have a Nathan Bess/Best on their family tree.

Herron Estate Record 1811

But, the most intriguing record of them all, is a probate estate account for John Herron, which appears to list financial transactions related to his estate, and it includes John Bess.

Records indicate that John Herron’s wife is named Judith, and we see her on the 1810 census as a widow, on the previous page from John Bess (John Beas).

Who is John Herron? Any relation to Andrew Heron, father of Elizabeth and James Heron of Patrick County, Virginia, who were also close neighbors to the Vess family?

Cherokee County, South Carolina (Same Geographical Area)

Thickety Creek is located in today’s Cherokee County.

The record with Samuel “Vest” dated 1800, was for a property on People’s Creek, which is also located in today’s Cherokee County.

I currently believe that Samuel “Vest” is Samuel Vess from Patrick Country, Virginia, who disappeared from record, with the other Vess families, after 1797.

But, even more interesting, is that according to the military pension request from Nathaniel Vess, he stated he enlisted under the command of a “John Gaffney” and “Col. Richard Arnold,” who couldn’t be verified; therefore, his pension was denied.

Nathaniel probably meant Captain “Michael” Gaffney, whose company included a lot of Thickety Creek and Peoples Creek residents. There is no record of a John Gaffney – believe me, I’ve searched for years!

Col. Richard Arnold was likely Richard Arendell (another name for Arnold) and he has a deed entry before Thomas Phillips, where we see Samuel “Vest.” There are no records to suggest Richard Arendell / Arnold was ever a Colonel.

Again, not sure if it’s just coincidence or if it has any significant meaning, but it is an intriguing observation, nonetheless.

Could This Be Jonathan and Nathaniel Vess?

First off, I am 100% confident that Nathan “Bess” in 1818, Spartanburg Co. SC, is our Nathaniel Vess. But, I’m not 100% confident John Bess is our Jonathan Vess.

Jonathan Vess married Elizabeth Heron in 1792 Patrick County, Virginia. We see him in Wilkes County, North Carolina in 1803, but we don’t see him again, until 22 years later in Lincoln County, Missouri, prior to settling in Texas in 1829. We’re missing 22 years of his life!

Descendants of Jonathan and Nathaniel Vess are adamant that Jonathan and Elizabeth Vess were in South Carolina prior to settling in Texas.

BUT, there is clearly an age difference between Jonathan Vess and John Bess- comparing records. SO…my best guess, if John Bess is truly a VESS, is that John and Nathan Bess could be brothers; probably sons of Samuel and Catherine Vess, who I believe is “Samuel Vest” in the 1803 Spartanburg Co. land record for Thomas Phillips.

This John Bess, if a Vess, could also be the mysterious older “John Vess,” we see on Peter’s 1830 land record in Rutherford County, North Carolina, as Peter’s son, wouldn’t have been old enough to be listed as a witness.

So, where does that put our Jonathan Vess?
Well…Jonathan Vess could be the oldest son of the oldest William Vess in Patrick County, Virginia (instead of Samuel Vess), with Pryor and William Vess, being the children of the youngest William Vess. I discovered a record showing a William Vess Sr. and a William Vess Jr. (Too many darn William’s).

While I don’t know how everyone is related (as I keep finding more and more of them), I am confident that there are multiple generations of Vess families in Patrick County, Virginia between 1780-1797.

But, again… descendants of Jonathan and Nathaniel Vess are adamant that Jonathan and Elizabeth Vess were in South Carolina. AND, I agree!

Jonathan and Elizabeth “West” of Greenville South Carolina

I am currently researching a Jonathan “West” in Greenville South Carolina, as a potential candidate for our Jonathan Vess.

We know that Peter Vess and his wife, Margaret Vaughn, were listed under the “West” surname in Wilkes County, North Carolina between 1800-1803; so, there is a possibility, that Jonathan and Elizabeth Vess, may also be temporarily hiding behind a “West” surname too, possibly in South Carolina.

More South Carolina Records Coming Available

A few years ago, South Carolina had very few available online records, but genealogical websites like Ancestry, FamilySearch, and even the South Carolina Department of Archives have recently updated their databases to include more records, searchable via index and AI.

As more records become available, we might, someday, bring some light to the mysterious early Vess families of South Carolina.














Rockbridge Vess Family: A Rockingham County Record Found 1806

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The Vess family of Rockbridge County, Virginia.
A family whose origins are just as mysterious as the origins of the North Carolina Vess family.

We don’t know where the Vess family in Rockbridge County, Virginia originally comes from. Some say they are descendants of the West family, while others say Vest family.

Rockbridge County, Virginia Records: As Early As 1810

The Vess family first appears on record in Rockbridge County, VA, on the 1810 census, for Samuel Vess (Vass/Voss).

Between 1816-1818, we have records that tell us that Samuel Vess joined land with Henry Standoff, on a branch of Colliers Creek, and Hiram Vess joined land with Christopher “Coinhour” (Cokenour) on Brattons Run. Hiram Vess doesn’t appear on census until 1820.

Unfortunately, there doesn’t appear to be any clues, as to where they came from prior to 1810.

Rockingham County, Virginia: 1806

During my search for early Vess records this week, I discovered Samuel and Hiram Vess in Rockingham County, Virginia in 1806!

Familysearch.org


They are listed on the 1806 Rockingham County, Virginia Personal Property Tax List. I wasn’t able to find them in any other tax years though.

However, we might be on the right track, as there is a Cokenour family in Rockingham County, VA too. I apologize for misspelling their surname.

Hiram Vess married Polly Cokenour in Rockbridge County, Virginia in 1819. According to their marriage record, Polly is the daughter of Christian Cokenour. So, I wonder if “Christopher” whose land is next to Hiram Vess, is suppose to read as “Christian.” I’ve only seen the transcribed typed record.

However, the Cokenour family in Rockingham Co. Va is via Joseph and Jacob Cokenour (Cockenour). Joseph’s wife is named Barbara, and that’s about all I’ve uncovered thus far.

Perhaps, by researching their family, it might reveal connections to earlier ancestors of Samuel and Hiram Vess, as families often traveled together.

It will be interesting to see if any more records come up!

End The West vs Vest Debate with Y-DNA Testing

There are active DNA projects for the VESS, VEST, and WEST families on Familytreedna.com.

I strongly encourage descendants of the Vess family from Rockbridge County, Virginia to complete a Y-DNA test. We can see if your results match with the VESS, VEST, or WEST family. OR maybe a completely different family!

For the R1a2 Vess Lineage, we can check for a potential match now!
If you are a direct male descendant of the Rockbridge Vess family (with the Vess surname) and have already done an autosomal DNA test, check your results!

🔲 If your Autosomal DNA test was completed through 23&Me or FTDNA, check to see if your results show M420.

🔲 If your Autosomal DNA test was completed through Ancestry, download your raw DNA data and run it through The Clade Finder, to check to see if your results show YP4141 or R1a.

If your results show M420, YP4141, or R1a, please reach out to us, so we can talk about possible Y-DNA testing! You can reach the admins via the Vess Family DNA Project or send an email to vessgenealogy@gmail.com.









































Samuel Vest: Spartanburg Co. South Carolina 1800

/ J. L. / 1 Comment

The descendants of Nathaniel Vess are adamant that Jonathan Vess was, at some point, in South Carolina. I am not one to ignore family stories, so I promise ya’ll I’ve been searching for him in South Carolina for a long time!

Unfortunately, I haven’t found any evidence to suggest Jonathan Vess, himself, was ever in South Carolina, but there are records to suggest there was a “Vess” in South Carolina prior to 1830. I am just trying to figure out who…

The earliest known “Vess” records discovered thus far in South Carolina (to the best of my knowledge), date back to 1830, via land and census records for a Polly Vess in Greenville, South Carolina. Unfortunately, that is where it ends.

However, we do have two John Vess families during the 1850’s, that claim to have been born in South Carolina (around the early 1820’s), which indicates that there must have been an earlier Vess family in South Carolina evading the census records.

I have searched for years for a potential early Vess/Vest family in South Carolina and have found nothing, until now…

Nathaniel Vess: War of 1812 Pension Request

On Fold3, I was able to finally access Nathaniel’s full War of 1812 pension record. I’ve heard there was more to his record than what was available on Ancestry.com, but I was never able to find the entire record online until today!

In May of 1879, at the age of 85, Nathaniel Vess filed a pension request for his service during the War of 1812.

The claim states he served as a private (volunteered), in the company commanded by John Gaffney, of the South Carolina Militia, under Col. Richard Arnold. He enlisted at the age of 18 or 19 years old in Spartanburg County, South Carolina. It was noted that he was unable to remember specific dates. However, he claims to have served for 20 days and [illegible] and was discharged in Spartanburg County, South Carolina.

His discharge certificate is reported to have been consumed by fire.

The claim also goes into detail about his residency. He resided in South Carolina, then moved to North Carolina in 1845, having stayed for 18 years, before relocating to Tennessee.

However, census records show he arrived in North Carolina in 1830, and he was there for over 20 years. We have to remember, when he filed this claim, he was 85 years old! So, his memory might not have been the best.

Unfortunately, seven months after filing this claim, Nathaniel Vess died from consumption and his pension request was denied, because they were unable to find him on any of the muster rolls. I bet they couldn’t find him, because they misspelled his surname.

What We Already Know

So, with the new information obtained from Nathaniel’s War of 1812 pension record, I shifted my search to Spartanburg County, South Carolina (again). But, not without reviewing what we have already discovered first…

🔲 Nathaniel Vess married Clarinda Bellew, who is supposedly the daughter of John Bellew and Clarinda Gosnell. These two families (Bellew/Gosnell) are prominent families of Glassy Mountain, Greenville, South Carolina.

🔲 The earliest “Vess” records date back to 1830 for Polly Vess. She is on the 1830 Greenville, South Carolina census, suggesting she might be a “Vess” widow. She is also on a handful of land records with a Joel Callahan during the 1830’s.

🔲 We have two John Vess families in South Carolina during the 1850’s whose records state they were born in South Carolina prior to 1830. One has a Civil War record, claiming he enlisted in Greenville, South Carolina. Note: During the Civil War, to the best of my knowledge, Nathaniel and Peter’s children in North Carolina were still in North Carolina.

🔲 Records for Nathaniel Vess indicate that he was born in South Carolina. He enlisted in the South Carolina Militia at the age of 18 in Spartanburg County, South Carolina. And, census records, show him in North Carolina in 1830, listed next to John and William Bellew.

Records strongly suggest that there was an earlier Vess (or family with a similar surname to Vess) in South Carolina prior to 1830. They just don’t seem to be on record anywhere.

Spartanburg County, South Carolina: Samuel Vest

So, with the information we have so far, it does make the 1790 Spartanburg County, South Carolina census more interesting! Gosnell, Bellew, and Callahan!

All of them, eventually settled in Greenville, South Carolina! We have the Gosnell/Bellew (connection to Nathaniel through his wife) and Joel Callahan (connection to Polly Vess). Is there a connection between Nathaniel Vess and Polly Vess? Super interesting!

Ancestry.com



But, no Vess/Vest families are listed near them on the 1790 census. There is a curious “William West,” but nothing that stands out as a potential “Vess.”


However, browsing Spartanburg County records using the Full Text AI search in Familysearch.org, I came across a land record, dated 1800, between Thomas and William Phillips that was witnessed by a “Samuel Vest.”

Spartanburg Land Records 1803-1805

To the best of my knowledge, there are no known early “Vest” families in South Carolina; especially, during the early 1800’s. What makes this record even more intriguing, is that it is a “Samuel Vest.”

I lost track of Samuel Vess in Patrick County, Virginia after 1795! Could this be him?

New Theory: The Real Three Brothers, Jonathan, Peter, & Nathaniel

There is just something about Nathaniel Vess that tugs at me. While I am a 100% confident that Peter, Willis, Jonathan, and Nathaniel Vess are all related, and without a doubt, certainly related to the earlier Patrick County, Virginia Vess family, Nathaniel Vess, is the only one who doesn’t have an early connection to Wilkes County, North Carolina.

It’s also interesting, that Nathaniel doesn’t seem to have any close connections to Peter Vess in Rutherford County, North Carolina. You’d think, if brothers (half or not), they’d be close together on census, attending the same church, and sharing the same family connections. Isn’t that just strange?

I am looking back at the tax lists…Jonathan Vess disappeared from Patrick County, Virginia the same time as Samuel Vess! The last known record of them in Patrick County, Virginia, was on the 1795 tax list!

Do you think…maybe, Samuel and Jonathan Vess came down to Spartanburg County, South Carolina after 1795 from Patrick County, Virginia, and then Jonathan Vess went back up to Wilkes County, North Carolina in 1803, before making his way to Missouri? But, why leave Nathaniel Vess behind in South Carolina?

UNLESS, Nathaniel Vess has a different mother OR Nathaniel Vess is the youngest child of Samuel Vess of Patrick County, Virginia!

If Nathaniel Vess is the youngest child of Samuel Vess in Patrick County, Virginia, he would then, be the brother of Jonathan and Peter Vess of Patrick County, Virginia. AND, that would fit our family’s origin story referencing the three brothers: Jonathan, Peter, and Nathaniel Vess!

That would be wild, if true!



Let me know your thoughts on this theory in the comments.


That would explain, why autosomal DNA matches between the descendants of Peter and Nathaniel Vess are so distant from each other! They weren’t half brothers, but possibly uncle and nephew. It’s completely mis-leading to researchers, because Peter is slightly older than Nathaniel, but not entirely far fetched, because I know families, whose uncle and nephew / aunt and niece were born around the same time! It happens a lot in large families!

BUT…there is no evidence what so ever to say that this Samuel Vest in Spartanburg County, South Carolina is the same Samuel Vess in Patrick County, Virginia. But, the “Vest” surname in a South Carolina county where Nathaniel Vess says he later join the militia, is super intriguing!

I do hope Samuel Vest in South Carolina has more records!


















New Peter Vess Record!

/ J. L. / Leave a comment

I am always saying it! Just when I think there is nothing more to discover, I end up stumbling across something new!

This record is great, as it further supports a Vess-Crook connection.


In 2023, it was discovered, via genetic genealogy methods, that the maiden name of Peter’s wife, Catherine, is CROOK, instead of Cook. An incredible discovery that has opened the door to potential discoveries of Peter and Catherine’s earlier lives and family history.

Catherine Crook is the daughter of John E. Crook and Rachel Haynes of Rutherford County, North Carolina, with the Crook family also having ties to Buncombe County, North Carolina.

During the early 1800’s, John E. Crook, obtained land in Rutherford County, North Carolina, joining his in-laws property (Haynes) on Cove Creek near Broad River, close to Bill’s Creek Baptist Church.


In 1830, Zephaniah Crook, (son of John E. Crook, Catherine’s brother) obtained land joining his father’s land in Buncombe County, North Carolina (on the Swannanoa River), with the land record indicating that John E. Crook is deceased. I haven’t found any records as to what happened to his land; maybe it eventually transferred to Zephaniah.

In 1831, Peter Vess obtains land on Cedar Creek in Rutherford County, North Carolina (later to become Buncombe County). Although Peter lived in Rutherford County, NC, he appears to have a connection to Burke County, North Carolina (later McDowell County), with his children having connections to both Burke and Buncombe County, suggesting possible early family ties to both counties.

Some of the earlier families of Burke County, NC eventually settled in the same general area as the Crook family, in Buncombe County (including the Souther family). There is a family relationship between Peter and these earlier families, but those specific relationships have yet to reveal itself. We also find Peter’s youngest children in Buncombe County, after Catherine’s death.

In 1835, Zephaniah Crook sells his property on Swannanoa River to Frederick Burnett. Peter Vess is listed as a witness. I had to do a double take, because the document is titled, Buncombe Deeds 1890, yet, the land record itself, is specifically dated 1835, not 1890. This isn’t entirely surprising, as I’ve uncovered records from much weirder places.


By researching Catherine’s family, we might be able to find clues to Peter’s past, as I would think they would have met through mutual families.

Vess Genealogy: Remarkable Discoveries Between 2020-2026

/ J. L. / Leave a comment

Vess families have been pondering their family origins for generations, and in 2020, the journey to find out had official begun…

In 2020, when I started this genealogy adventure, I didn’t know my Vess family even came from North Carolina, let alone had been there for so many generations (over 200 years).

For all I knew, in all seriousness, our original Vess ancestors landed on America’s rocky west coast directly from Ireland (having taken the scenic route, I guess). I also didn’t know how to do genealogy, what in the world genetic genealogy was or how that worked, nor did I know my American history (rusty since high school). Furthermore, I never in a million years, imagined, I’d develop such a passion for genealogy itself!

In the last 6 six years, I’d say a lot has been accomplished in uncovering the history, lineages, and origins of the Vess family. None of which would be possible, without the Vess Family DNA Project admins, Michael Travers and Vincent Vess, the vast amount of Vess families (and those with similar surnames) sharing their own research with us, their incredible family stories, and providing consistent support and interest, motivating us to continue our research!

We Only Had Oral Tradition’s To Work With

In the beginning, we only had oral tradition’s to work with, on top of a handful of records that have been discover thus far.

We didn’t know Willis Vess of Franklin County, Alabama even existed, or that his family was related to the Peter Vess family. In the beginning, we were told that there were just only three brothers: Jonathan, Peter, and Nathaniel Vess. How many more early Vess families are left to be discovered?

The Vess family comes from three brothers from Ireland: Jonathan, Peter, and Nathaniel Vess, with Nathaniel believed to be a half brother. Jonathan settled in Virginia, Peter in North Carolina, and Nathaniel in South Carolina. No matter what lineage you talk to, everyone is adamant that the Vess surname is not their original surname. Jonathan married Elizabeth Heron, Peter married Catherine “Katie” Cook, and Nathaniel married Clarinda Bellew.


Below is a list of what has been discovered thus far, changing everything we were once told about the Vess family…

2020: Intro to Genetic Genealogy

🔲 A descendant of Willis Vess interestingly appears as a match on the R1a2 lineage (Y-DNA) with the Travers/Hays families.

🔲 Willis Vess is an unknown Vess, requiring further investigation.

🔲 It is eventually determined, by the end of the year, that the North Carolina Vess family (Haplogroup R) is unrelated to the early Virginia Vest family (Haplogroup I). This will become a valuable tool used to help sort out the different early Vess/Vest families.

🔲 It is determined, by reviewing available genealogical records for Nathaniel Vess, that he may have earlier connections specifically to Glassy Mountain, Greenville, South Carolina.

2021: The Vess Family DNA Project

🔲 A “Vess” family was discovered in Patrick County, Virginia (Deed record dated between 1790-1800).

🔲 We discovered that Willis Vess lived in Franklin County, Alabama and that he was born in North Carolina. He was extensively researched by genealogist Anna Popejoy, whose work was published in Whitlock Gleanings and FindAGrave.com.

🔲 We discovered Peter Vess and his family in the book, “Bill’s Creek Baptist Church: Two Hundred Year History,” by Helen M. Lu.



🔲 The Vess Family DNA Project was established.

🔲 Descendant of Peter Vess completed Y-DNA testing, resulting in a match to the R1a2 lineage with Willis Vess and Travers family. The match suggests, Peter and Willis Vess are related as part of the same Vess family.

🔲 Y-DNA results, reveal that Peter and Willis Vess are English in origin, and are descendants of the early Travers family of Lancashire, England (no specific lineage identified yet).

🔲 It is suggested that the the Vess surname might be a shortened version of TRAVIS (TRAVESS), a variant of the surname Travers.

🔲 The Vest family in White County, Tennessee peeks my interest, although there is no evidence to suggest a connection to the Vess family.

🔲 A family story about how the Vess family once adored a red-headed outlaw fascinates me, and leads me to explore a popular newspaper article about a William Vess and the auburn haired Great Western Land Pirate, John Murrell.

🔲 The DNA Triangulation Method directs our attention to the SPARKS, PARKS, and ROSE families in Wilkes County, North Carolina, suggesting a potential maternal Vess ancestor, requiring traditional genealogy methods to unearth records. The matches strongly suggest a connection more likely via ROSE, than Sparks or Parks.

🔲 We discovered, through genetic genealogy, that Sarah Jane Vess, wife of Jackson Pressely, is not a descendant of Nathaniel Vess, but of Peter Vess, via son, John Vess and wife, Elizabeth Taylor.

🔲 More records for the Vess family in Patrick County, Virginia were uncovered, dating further back to 1782, with a William and Samuel Vess. In addition to marriage records for Peter Vess and Poignance Vaughn and Jonathan Vess and Elizabeth Heron. Records reveal that the Vess family lived directly on the border of Henry/Patrick County, VA, on the Mayo River, near the Abraham Penn and George Hairston plantations.

2022 Wilkes County, North Carolina & Their Connection To Tennessee

🔲 We discovered Revolutionary War records under the “Vess” surname, via Samuel, William, and Col. Peter Vess, all from Dunmore County (now Shenandoah County), Virginia.

🔲 We discovered, a “Vest/Vess” family in Wilkes County, North Carolina, while researching the Sparks, Parks, and Rose families. These families include: Peter, Pryor, William, Jonathan, and Absalom.

🔲 Records suggest a potential DODSON family connection to the Vest/Vess family in Wilkes County, North Carolina. We see them as neighbors in Patrick County, VA, prior to seeing them again as neighbors in White County, TN. They are also related to the earlier Whitlock family.

2023: Irish Traditions Influenced By Crook Family

🔲 We discovered, through genetic genealogy, that the true maiden name of Peter’s wife, Catherine, is CROOK, not Cook.

🔲 We discovered, through traditional and genetic genealogy, that John Vess (son of Peter Vess) has a son named William River Vess.

🔲 We discovered, through land records, that the wife of Samuel Vess in Patrick County, Virginia is named Catherine.

🔲 We discovered, through newspaper articles, that Pryor Vest in Tennessee died a horrific death in 1831, while in jail.

🔲 We discovered even more earlier “Vess” records, via William and James Vess of Loudoun County, Virginia dated between 1760-1770.

🔲 We discovered, through traditional genealogy methods, that Peter’s wife, Catherine is of Irish descent. Her parents are John Emmanuel Crook and Rachel Haynes. The father of Rachel Haynes, William Haynes, is said to be the first pastor of Bill’s Creek Baptist Church, in the book, “Bill’s Creek Baptist Church: 200 Year History,” by Helen M. Lu. John Emmanuel Crook, is the illegitimate child of Andrew Crook(s) from Ireland. It is observed that all of Peter’s children are named after those on Catherine’s side of the family, suggesting our Irish traditions may stem from her side of the family.

2024: Exploring The Individual Vess/Vest Families

🔲 We begin to discover that the Vest family in Wilkes County, North Carolina also have records under the “Vess” surname, which are often used interchangeably.

🔲 We discovered records, revealing that Peter Vess in Patrick County, Virginia, is Peter Vest, in Wilkes County, North Carolina.

🔲 We discovered records, revealing the life of Absalom Vest (Vess) and his wife, Hannah Raymond (believed to be Reynolds).

🔲 We noticed that Peter Vess in Rutherford County, North Carolina has an unusual amount of records involving the Souther family, the same Souther family we see next to Absalom Vess in Wilkes County, North Carolina.

🔲 We discovered records in White County, Tennessee showing Peter Vess and Willis Vess together, transferring land to Zachariah Simmons. This record, among previous ones, suggests, Peter, Pryor, William, and Willis are part of the same Vest/Vess family from Wilkes County, North Carolina/ Patrick County, Virginia.

🔲 We discovered Pyror Vest has a history of causing trouble, with a growing list of court-records regarding assaults and affrays (disturbing the peace). These records often involve William and Peter Vess.

🔲 We discovered an additional “Vess” in White County, Tennessee, via James Vess, on tax lists with Willis and William Vest/Vess.

2025: Unexpected Discoveries

🔲 We discovered that Jonathan Vess in Jackson County, Texas, has a Will, but is only available in-person – not online.

🔲 A further look at the Stephen F. Austin Register of Families, for Jonathan Vess in Texas, state he came from Missouri, not South Carolina, as often told. The record also states he arrived with 2 children and 4 dependents, suggesting the children we were told he had, may not all be his biological children.

🔲 We discovered, through genealogical records, that the 3 youngest children of Jonathan Vess are actually the children of William Vess.

🔲 We discovered a court record in Buncombe County, North Carolina, that two children of John Vess (son of Peter Vess) were adopted by a Souther.

🔲 We discover court records in Henry County, Virginia, that Pryor and William Vest in White County, Tennessee are in fact, Pryor and William “Vess.” This led to discovering other Tennessee records under the “Vess” surname.

🔲 We discovered a court-record, suggesting Catherine’s full name, may be “Eleanor Catherine Crook.”

🔲 We discovered land and court-records for Nathaniel Vess in Haywood County, North Carolina.

🔲 We discovered records that tell us that Peter Vess, while a resident of Rutherford County, North Carolina, went to church and estate sales in Burke County, North Carolina.

🔲 We discovered further evidence to suggest Willis Vess of Franklin County, Alabama may likely be related to Pryor and William Vess in White County, Tennessee.

🔲 We discovered, through genetic genealogy, that the Vess family has DODSON matches, in addition to the SPARKS, PARKS, and ROSE matches. This suggests the Vess family may have a maternal ancestor related to one of these families. It is strongly suggested, that it might be specifically via a DODSON/ROSE family.

Interestingly, there just so happens to be a DODSON-ROSE family, from Richmond, Virginia, who are related to the DODSON families in Patrick County, Virginia. Furthermore, Absalom Vess is a witness to a land record, in Wilkes County, NC, for a DODSON, who is a direct descendant of the DODSON-ROSE line.

2026: Entering A New Chapter

🔲 We discovered a land record for Jonathan Vess in Lincoln County, Missouri dated 1825, mentioning his 2 sons, William and Lofton Vess.

Conclusion

Perhaps we finally have enough records to start piecing together a more comprehensive picture of the earlier Vess families, and hopefully, it may lead to new discoveries!

Please be sure to follow this blog, as we enter a new chapter in Vess Genealogy!!









Pardon The Mess: Motivation In Progress

/ J. L. / Leave a comment

Summers are generally when I take a break from genealogy.

But, this summer, I’ve been steadily busy uncovering new Vess-related records! So many new records, to the point, I realized that this website needs a major update!!

Also, I think I am finally ready to blog again!
I’ve had a serious writers block since 2023, preventing me from keeping readers up to-date on new discoveries. I mean, the research never stopped, just the posts.

At some point, I had lost direction and a lot of motivation.

There came a point when I truly thought the older Vess generation was right and that I probably should just “let dead dogs lie.”

That dreadful thought that the Vess Genealogy adventure was finally coming to an end, where there just simply wasn’t anything more to discover…

But, I reminded myself, this research exists because I refuse to let dead dogs lie. I will continue to dig up all those old dead dogs and see what secrets they hide!

And that is exactly what I’ve been doing all summer!

In the coming months, I hope to begin a weekly blog, keeping readers and family researchers up to date on new family discoveries, the continued effort in uncovering earlier Vess ancestors, and sharing my passion for the world of genealogy!

Please be sure to subscribe, to receive those discoveries directly to your inbox!












































New: Wilkes County, NC Vest Record

/ J. L. / Leave a comment

Reviewing unindexed Wilkes County, NC records of Civil Action Papers, I discovered the original 1807 court records for Pryor (Pryah) and William Vest regarding assault.

This record calls William and Pryor before the court, instructing that they cannot leave the court without being dismissed (I wonder if this is like an arrest warrant).

It also mentions Peter Vest!
Peter Vest and Mathew McKinney paid money for the appearance of Pryah and William Vest.

Interestingly, Mathew McKinney (based on available records) is not a resident of Wilkes County, NC, but a resident of Surry County, NC.

Why would a resident of Surry County, NC be involved?

With Peter being on the border of Wilkes and Surry County…could this be William Vest and Peter Vest listed on the Surry County War of 1812 record??? AND, possibly William Voss listed on the 1812 Surry County tax list (who didn’t turn in their lists)???

According to historical websites regarding War of 1812, the Surry County Militia would have included residents from Wilkes County, as Wilkes was formed from parts of Surry County.

Note: William Vest on earlier Wilkes County, NC records disappeared after the 1790 census.


This newly discovered document officially connects William, Pryor, and Peter Vess/Vest together in Wilkes County, NC!! Who we later see in White County, TN together after 1815, followed by a Willis Vess.

Could there be a connection to Willis Vess of Franklin County, Alabama?




Following The Souther Family

/ J. L. / Leave a comment

It’s extremely interesting…Where there is a Souther there always seems to be a Vest/Vess family!

While the Souther family doesn’t appear to be close neighbors, they consistently pop up in Vess research…so, who is this Souther family and could they be related to the Vess family?

Frequent Appearances

Bill’s Creek Baptist Church Rutherford Co. NC
The Souther family first appear in the book, Bill’s Creek Baptist Church Two Hundred Year History, by Helen M. Lu, listed as members with Peter and Katy Vest (Peter Vess and Catherine Crook) between 1829-1836. They were received at Crooked Creek in 1828 and dismissed (no date).


Sarah Souther
Elizabeth Souther
Mary Souther
Jane Souther
John Souther
Joseph Souther

Buncombe Co. NC
After we discovered Catherine’s family, I noticed that Stephen Souther is listed next to Rachel Crook (Catherine’s mother) on the 1830 Buncombe County, NC census.

Rutherford Co. NC Deed
In 1846, Peter’s land (109 acres) was transferred to Joseph Souther to cover a $50 debt. If the $50 was paid, the contract would become null and the property would be reinstated to the Vess family.


Marriage
In 1854, Joshua Souther married Elizabeth Taylor, ex-wife of John Vess (son of Peter Vess).

Michael and Jesse Souther

The Souther families mentioned earlier include Michael and Jesse Souther from Wilkes County, North Carolina. They are the sons of Stephen Souther and Mary Polly Bussell. Their siblings include: Joel Souther, Elizabeth Gilreath, Sarah Hampton, Henry Souther, and Capt. Joshua Souther.

The Souther family lived on Hunting Creek in the Brushy Mountain community, near the Fletcher, Smoot, Gray, and Rose families and, interestingly, also the Vest family (Absalom and Jonathan Vest/Vess).

Michael U. Souther: Connections and Observations

Michael Souther eventually settled in Buncombe County, North Carolina, while his brother Jesse Souther eventually settled in Old Fort, McDowell County. However, prior to that, they made a stop in Crooked Creek, Burke County, NC (now McDowell County) and Rutherford County, NC.

Michael Souther obtained 30 acres of land on Crooked Creek in Burke County, NC in 1802, joining his own land. His brother Jesse doesn’t appear in Burke County until 1810.

Michael Souther is believed to have married a woman named Agatha; unfortunately, her maiden name is unknown.

Their son, Stephen Souther, husband to Nancy Gilliam, obtained land in Burke county in 1818 on Broad River next to his father-in-laws property.

Stephen later relocated to Buncombe County, and is the one listed next to Rachel Crook on the 1830 Buncombe Co. census.

Michael and Agatha’s other son, Joshua Calvin Souther, married Dicy Gilliam, and later married the ex-wife of John Vess (Elizabeth Taylor).

In 1810 and 1820, Michael Souther is living in Rutherford County, NC, before relocating to Buncombe County in 1830, where he passed away in 1834.

I noticed Michael and his son, Joshua, are listed next to Ambrose Ownsby on the 1820 census. In 1830, Joshua is still listed next to Ambrose Ownsby, but also with Minyard Gilliam, his father-in-law.

Small World: Ambrose Ownsby is the father of Zillah “Granny Duck” Murphy, the grandmother of Cora Nevada Moffitt, wife of Pinkney Vess (son of Andrew Logan Vess and Malinda Halford).

It is also interesting to note that Joshua Souther, has a son named William Haynes Souther. Could that be a reference to the late Rev. William Haynes, Rachel Crooks (Haynes) father? Is that why, we see Stephen Souther, Joshua’s brother, next to Rachel Crook (Haynes) on the 1830 Buncombe County census?

Jesse William Souther: Connections and Observations

Jesse Souther appears in Burke County via the 1820 census. He married Nancy Jane Combs in Wilkes County, NC in 1800. They live in the Crooked Creek area (now McDowell County), eventually settling in Old Fort.

It is Jesse’s family who appears on the Bill’s Creek Baptist Church member list with Peter and Katy Vest (Peter and Catherine Vess) between 1829-1836. 

In 1831, Peter Vess obtained land in the Broad River Township of Rutherford County, NC, which is located in between both Souther families of Crooked Creek (McDowell County) and Fairview (Buncombe County).

The Vess family disappear from the Bill’s Creek Baptist Church member list between 1836-1843.
In 1838, Peter (Vest) is listed as a member of the Bethlehem Baptist Church in Burke Co. NC, located outside of Old Fort, not too far from Davistown Freewill Baptist Church where Andrew Logan Vess (Peter and Catherine’s son) is buried.

Bethlehem Baptist Church in Burke County, NC would be much closer to Peter’s property than Bill’s Creek Baptist Church, but not sure if the Souther family was also a member of the same church.

Absalom & Jonathan Vest/Vess Wilkes County, NC

Absalom and Hannah Vest in Wilkes County, NC also resided in the Brushy Mountain community near the Souther, Fletcher, Smoot, Gray, and Rose families.

We find Absalom Vest listed with the Souther family (Joel and John Souther) via the Wilkes County, NC 1805 tax list and (his wife Hannah) on the 1830 census.

Abslaom’s daughter, Elizabeth Vest, married Wesley Dishmond (Dishman). His brother William, married Hilley Souther, who is the daughter of Joel Souther and Patsey Brown.

Jonathan Vess is also believed to be in the same area, as he is listed as a witness to a deed record (dated 1805) between the Duncan and Fletcher families, joining lines with the Smoot family in Brushy Mountain. The Smoot and Souther families have been long time neighbors.

The Fletcher family seems to have some significance, as Absalom is mentioned in Estate records for the Fletcher family. Furthermore, recent research has uncovered parts of Absalom’s linage, revealing a family connection to the Fletcher family, through his daughter Lucy Vest who married William Fletcher.

While I have not found any records to show a direct Souther -Vess family connection, it is extremely intriguing how close they are to both Vest/Vess families (Absalom and later Peter).

So, the question remains – is the Souther family related to the Vess family, are they close family friends, or is it just all mere coincidence? An even bigger question is…could we be on the right track of finding the parents of Peter and Willis Vess!