Merry Christmas! . . .

By Jarrelyn Lang

(Unless otherwise stated, all information is from about.com.)

   The English word “Christmas” has its origins in the Old English Cristes Maesse (Christ’s Mass). The Dutch word for Christmas is Kerst-misse. In Italian it is Il Natale, and in German Weihnachtsfest.

   In late antiquity, Christmas was a solemn occasion, marked by a special mass and a calling for prayer and reflection. The first record of a celebration of Christ’s birth is from Egypt, about 200 A.D. Until the fourth century, no fixed date had been formally set.  It was observed in April or May in some places, in January or November in others. The December 25 date was set by Pope Julius, sometime between 337 and 352 A.D.

   In Medieval England, the Epiphany was celebrated more commonly than Christmas. Epiphany marks the day that the Magi visited the Christ Child and bestowed their gifts on him.  Thus began the present-day tradition of exchanging gifts. Epiphany, observed on January 6, marks the 12^th day of Christmas and is still celebrated in many European countries.

   Boxing Day, an English custom begun in the Middle Ages that continues today, is observed on December 26.  On that day, Medieval churches would open their “alms boxe,” a box into which parishioners would drop monetary gifts, and distribute its contents to the neighborhood’s poor.  The modern tradition is to give small gifts to postal workers, delivery personnel, etc.

   During the reign of Oliver Cromwell, a devout Puritan who was Lord Protector of England from 1599 to 1658, Christmas was banned in England.  In The Christmas Book (online), author Francis X. Weiser writes that the Puritans condemned Christmas, declaring that “no feast of human institution should ever outrank the ‘sabbath’.”   Anti-Christmas pamphlets were published. Town criers went through the streets shortly before Christmas each year, to remind citizens that “Christmas day and all other superstitious festivals” were not to be observed.  Shops and stores remained open, carrying on their usual business. According to Mr. Weiser, “[Many] people paid scant attention . . . and continued their celebrations [in private].”  When the monarchy was restored with the coronation of Charles II in 1660, Christmas was openly celebrated once more.

   A similar occurrence took place in America, as well. Puritans in Massachusetts passed a law that forbade the celebration of Christmas: “ . . .It is therefore ordered by this court and the authority thereof that whosoever shall be found observing any such day as Christmas or the like . . .shall pay for every such offence five shilling as a fine to the county” (from the records of the General Court, Massachusetts Bay Colony, May 11, 1659).  The law wasn’t revoked until the middle of the 18^th century (“Once Upon a Time When Christmas Was Banned . . .,” online at masstraveljournal.com).

Notable events on December 25:

800 – Charlemagne, considered to be the

   first Holy Roman Emperor, was crowned.

1066 – William I (the Conqueror) was  

   crowned King of England.

1642 – Sir Isaac Newton, English

   mathematician and scientist, was born

1776 – General George Washington crossed

   the Delaware River with 5,400 troops,

   hoping to surprise the Hessians camped

   at Trenton, New Jersey.

1841 – Clara Barton, founder of the Red

   Cross, was born.

1973 – US astronauts onboard Skylab took a

   7-hour walk in space and photographed

   the comet Kohoutek.

1991 – Mikhail Gorbachev resigned, ending

   the existence of the Soviet Union.

Genealogy Rules

By Bill Dollarhide, founder of the “Genealogy Bulletin” & author of Map Guide to American Migration, 1735-1815

(written with original spellings, etc.)

Contributed by Charles H. Middlebrooks

1. Death certificates are rarely filled in by the person who died.
2. When visiting a funeral home, wear old clothes, no make-up, and look like you have but a week to live – the funeral director will give you anything you ask for if he thinks you may be a customer soon.
3. The cemetery where your ancestor was buried does not have perpetual care, has no office, is accessible only by a muddy road, and has snakes, tall grass, and lots of bugs … and many of the old gravestones are in broken pieces, stacked in a corner under a pile of dirt.
4. A Social Security form SS-5 is better than a birth certificate because few people had anything to do with the information on their own birth certificates.
5. Leave no stone unturned – tombstone, that is.
6. The application for a death certificate you want insists that you provide the maiden name of the deceased’s mother – which is exactly what you don’t know and is the reason you are trying to get the death certificate in the first place.
7. If you call Social Security and ask where to write for a birth certificate, tell them it is for yourself – they won’t help you if you say you want one for your great-great-great-great-great-great grandfather who died in 1642.
8. When you contact the state vital statistics office in your home state and ask if they are “on-line,” and they respond “on-what?” you may have a problem.
9. A census record showing all twelve children in a family proves only that your ancestors did not believe in birth control.
10. Work from the known to the unknown. In other words, just because your name is Washington doesn’t mean you are related to George.
11. With any luck, some of the people in your family could read and write … and may have left something written about themselves.
12. It ain’t history until it’s written down.
13. A genealogist needs to be a detective. Just gimmy da facts Ma’am.
14. Always interview brothers and sisters together in the same room … since they can’t agree on anything about the family tree, it makes for great fun to see who throws the first punch.
15. The genealogy book you just found out about went out of print last week
16. A good genealogical event is learning that your parents were really married.
17. Finding the place a person lived may lead to finding that person’s arrest record.
18. It’s really quite simple. First, you start with yourself, then your parents, then your grandparents … then you QUIT … and start teaching courses in genealogy.
19. If it’s not written down, it ain’t history yet.
20. In spite of MTV, computer games, or skateboards, there is always a chance your grandchildren will learn how to read some day.
21. “To understand the living, you have to commune with the dead … but don’t commune with the dead so long that you forget you are living!” (from Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil, by John Berendt)
22. It is a known fact that St. Peter checks all your Family Group Sheets for accuracy before you are allowed to enter the Pearly Gates.
23. Locating the county where your ancestor lived is the first step in finding records about the time he was hauled into court for shooting his neighbor’s dog; threatening the census taker with a shotgun, or making illegal corn whiskey behind the barn.
24. When leaving town for genealogical research, you will always find information on the ancestor for whom you brought no notes.
25. When in a courthouse miles from home, you will always find the breakthrough court record at 4:55 pm on Friday afternoon.
26. Genealogy is the examination of the maximum amount of data in the maximum amount of time for a minimum result.
27. If you can remember your ancestor’s marriage date but not your own, you are probably an addicted genealogist.
28. Genealogy is an addiction with no cure and for which no 12-step program is available.
29. I’m crazy about genealogy, but not necessarily yours.

The family tree is worth bragging about if it has

consistently produced good timber, and not just nuts.

                                                Anonymous

Who Is This Soldier??

Submitted by Joyce Arnold, with thanks to Dianne Middlebrooks and Jarrell Plantation personnel

   Could this soldier be Thomas Green Middlebrooks? Born August 14, 1842, in Jones Co., GA, to Anderson Joseph and Emily Childs Middlebrooks, Thomas Green Middlebrooks married Mary Jane Temperance “Tempie” Glover on January 14, 1866, in Jones Co. Thomas lived in the Graball area of Jones County, located in the northwest section.

   “Tom” enlisted in the army in August 1861, in Cobb Co., GA, and was elected 4^th Sergeant shortly afterward. He was promoted to Corporal, then to Second Lieutenant. His unit was Company E, 3^rd Battalion, Georgia Infantry, which was reorganized in 1861 as Company C, 37^th Regiment, Georgia Infantry. The company was known as the “Holloway Grays of Upson County, Georgia” because they trained at the Old Upson Campground.  The men in the unit came from Monroe and Pike Counties as well as from Upson County.

   Thomas was wounded in the foot at the Battle of Chickamauga (GA) in 1864.  Following his recovery, he was captured near Nashville, Tennessee, on December 18, 1864, and sent to Johnston Island, Ohio, as a POW. After his release on May 19, 1965, Thomas returned to his farm in Georgia.

   Thomas and his wife had five children, two of whom, Carrie and Henry, died in infancy. Daughters Nanine “Nannie,” Emma “Emmie” C., and May (Mary?) Middlebrooks grew into adulthood and married.

   Thomas Green Middlebrooks died June 6, 1916, in Jones County, GA. Mary Jane Temperance “Tempie” Glover Middlebrooks died September 26, 1913, also in Jones Co. Both are buried at Bradley Baptist Church, Jones Co.

   Thomas’s gravestone reads: Lieut. T.G. Middlebrooks Fought in battles of Murfreesboro Penn Chickamauga Missionary Ridge Peachtree Creek Atlanta Franklin Tenn. 2^nd Battle of Murfreesboro Tenn. Captured at Nashville Sent to Johnston Island, OH Dec 1864. A Masonic emblem is also on the stone. There is also a service marker that reads: Thos G Middlebrooks 2^nd Lt Co C 37, GA INF CSA.

   The picture below appears to be the same person as in the one above, taken at a later time in his life.

   If anyone recognizes either picture as being someone other than Thomas Green Middlebrooks, or can verify that the identity is indeed correct, contact Joyce Arnold at joycenjim@sbcglobal.net. Joyce will also send copies of the pictures to

anyone who would like to have them.

Surname Origins

By Jarrelyn Lang

Information from: “Origin of Surnames: An Essay on the Origin of Family Names,” by

William Arthur, published online

      Ancient Jews named their children on the eighth day after birth. Children born to the Greeks were named on the tenth day, and the new parents provided entertainment for the guests who were present for the occasion. Romans named their female children on the eighth day but waited a day later to name their sons. The naming ceremony included a feast known as the Nominalia.

   Choosing the right name was important. There is a story about Louis VIII, king of France, who sent ambassadors to King Alphonso of Spain to negotiate a marriage with one of Alphonso’s daughters.  There were two daughters, Urraca and Blanche.  The ambassadors chose Blanche, even though Urraca was the more attractive of the two.  Their reasoning was that the king of France would prefer Blanche because her name, which meant “fair and beautiful,” would bring good luck. The Romans had a proverb for this precedent: bonum nomen bonum omen, meaning “[A] good name [is a] good omen.”

   To begin with, people had only one name, such as Joseph (Hebrew), Amasis (Egyptian), Ulysses (Greek), Romulus (Roman), Ariovistus (German), or Edric (Saxon). Often, nicknames were given later in life by someone other than parents, to distinguish one person from another. Such terms as “Henry the Contentious,” “John the Proud,” “John with the yellow hair,” “James the Swarthy,” and “the Brown-haired O’Connor” were used by Irish Gaels. The English might refer to “Henry the Fowler,” “William Rufus (the Red),” Henry Beauclerk (fine Scholar),” etc. From this practice, surnames gradually evolved.

   The first use of surnames in France was around the year 1000, and the French probably brought the practice to England with the Norman invasion in 1066. The word “surname” is either from the French surnom or the Latin super nomen, meaning “above the name.” Originally, the surname was written above the given name, not after it as we do now.

   In forming surnames, many Irishmen used the names of their fathers preceded by the word “Mac,” meaning “son of,” as in MacWilliam. The Welsh used various prefixes to mean “son,” such as “ap,” “mab,” “ab,” or “vap”; for instance, Evan Ap Rhys, “Evan, the son of Rees.” Old Normans preferred to use the term “Fitz” as their prefix for “son.” Fitz is from the French fils, which comes from the Latin word filius, “son.” Thus we have names such as Fitz William, “the son of William,” which is the same as the modern Williamson. Of course, the custom of using a prefix plus the father’s name meant that surnames were subject to change with each generation, creating confusion for genealogists.

   A side note about the use of the term Fitz concerns children in all parts of England who were born out of wedlock. Whatever the ethnic origin of the child, many times the Fitz was made to precede the mother’s name, or the father’s name if known, so as to give the baby two names.  This custom was often employed, also, when naming the illegitimate children of royalty.

   Examples of other terms used to denote “son”:

            Witz, Russian – Paulowitz, son of Paul

            Sky, Polish – Petrowsky, son of Peter

            Ing, Teutonic (Saxon) – Cuthing, son of Cuth

            Son, English – Johnson, son of John

            -s, Welsh – Jones, son of John

            Kin, German – Watkin, son of Wat

            Let, Anglo-Saxon – Willet, son of William (or little William).

   Some names were derived from place names, such as: Scott (Scotland); Gorman (Germany); Brett (Britain); Fleming (Flanders); Burgoyne (Burgundy); Cornwallis (Cornwall); Gaskin (Gascony); and Romayne (Rome). Another practice was to identify a person by adding a prefix to his location: Tom At Wood; James By-field; John Under-hill, etc.

   Additional words used to indicate the nature of a person’s residence:

            Ford, Saxon “way” or “road” – Crawford

            Ley, Legh, Leigh, Saxon “pasture” or “field” – Stanley

            Ton, Tune, Saxon – or Tun, Dutch – “an enclosure” – Leighton

            Dun, Din, Gaelic and Welsh “hill” or “fortified place” – London

            Wick, old Saxon “castle” or “fort” – Sedgewick

            Ceaster, Saxon “camp” – Rochester

            Thorpe, Anglo-Saxon “village” – Winthrop

            By, Danish “dwelling” or “village” – Selby

            Over, Anglo-Saxon “shore” – Westover

            Beck, Anglo-Saxon “brook” – Beckwith.

   Trades and occupations gave many people their surnames.  Most well-known among these are Smith, Carpenter, Joiner, Taylor, Barber, Baker, Brewer, Sherman (a shearman who sheared cloth), and Naylor (nail-maker).

    As a lark, many people in England took names of civil and ecclesiastical offices, although they were never associated with those offices.  Such names as King, Prince, Duke, Lord, Earl, Knight, Pope, Bishop, Priest, Monk, Marshall, Bailey, Chamberlain, etc., became very popular.

   Other names came from personal characteristics, including color and complexion, mental or moral qualities, hair color, etc.  In this category would be names like Black, Brown, White, Fairfax (fair hair), Goodman, Wise, Wiley, Meek, Bliss, and Moody. 

   Animal names were often used, also.  Byron (bear), Wilbur (wild boar), Todd (fox), Hart, Roe, Stagg, Pike, Bass, and Swan are examples. Minerals and vegetables were not left out: Steele, Stone, Thorne, and Ash, for instance. Sometimes names were taken from armor and dress, as in Strongbow or Broadspeare. Seasons and days gave us names such as Winter, Friday, and Morrow.

   Not every name’s origin can be explained, but all names must have originally been significant to someone, whatever the reason.

A good name is rather to be chosen than great riches.

                                Proverbs 22:1

Jarrell Plantation:

    From Cotton Farm to

    Historic Landmark      

By Jarrelyn Lang, with special thanks to Philip Jarrell Haynes and Doyle Middlebrooks

How it all began

   The cotton farm known as Jarrell Plantation, located near Juliette in Jones County, Georgia, was established by John Fitz Jarrell and his first wife, Elizabeth Williamson Middlebrooks, daughter of William Sims Middlebrooks and granddaughter of Thomas Middlebrooks b. 1763. The plantation has been inhabited by members of the Jarrell family since 1847.  Although a portion of the farm was ceded to the state of Georgia in 1974 as a State Historic Site, there is still a privately-owned home on the plantation, where one of John’s descendants still lives.

   The land where Jarrell Plantation is located was once a hunting ground for the Hichiti and Muskogee Indians of the Creek Nation.  In 1805, the U.S. acquired the entire region through a treaty with the Indians, then divided the land into lots for sale to white settlers.

   In 1847, on their property near the Ocmulgee River, John and Elizabeth built a simple house made of heart pine.  John also built the furnishings, which included a huntboard, a table topped with a thick, solid piece of wood.  As it name implies, the huntboard was used for dressing game after a hunt, then cleaned off to be used as a dining table.  John’s family was quite large (7 children with Elizabeth, 8 with his second wife, Nancy Ann Burden James), so John, and other men present, usually stood to eat their meal, allowing his wife and children to sit at the table.

   A brochure from the plantation reveals that “John’s plantation began mid-sized, then grew larger. The simplicity of his house and furnishings shows that he was a man who spent extra money on the farm rather than furniture. . . . Plantations represented in movies and television (such as Gone With the Wind) are an example of the wealthiest of the wealthy – perhaps only 150 Georgia families. John’s wealth was like that of about 3,500 Georgia plantation owners in 1860.  Compared to most Georgians, John was well off, evidenced [by the fact] that he owned about 900 acres at his death.”

Life on the plantation

   John and Elizabeth had 4 sons and 3 daughters and were strong advocates of education.  The shed room on the front of their home, known as the “honeymoon room,” was often used to house the local schoolteacher.  John even stood surety for the teacher’s pay when necessary.

   John and Elizabeth’s children were: Levi Williamson (1834); John Randolph (1836); Thomas (1838); Anderson Joseph (1840); Elizabeth L. (1844); Mary Jane (1846); and Susan Lavinia (1850).

   “[John Fitz Jarrell] was a resourceful and versatile man. In addition to being a farmer, he was a blacksmith, carpenter, wagon smith, wheelwright, stonemason, tanner, and maker of leather goods. All of this made him self-efficient [sic],” said Beatrice Jarrell Bittaker (granddaughter of John and his second wife, Nancy) in her speech at the dedication of Jarrell Plantation’s Visitors’ Center on April 9, 1989, and again on October 20, 1991, at the Jarrell Family Reunion.  As a carpenter, John made coffins when necessary.  He also made wooden screw presses for baling cotton.  He invented a shuttle for his loom and called it the “flying shuttle.” With it, Jarrell could weave about 20 yards of cloth a day. Most of the farm implements were made in the farm workshop and blacksmith shop. Hides were tanned and made into shoes for his family and slaves.

    John and Elizabeth told their children that, when they reached the age of 21, each could choose to receive either ten slaves or a college education. Son John Randolph chose the 10 slaves and moved to Panola County, Texas, in order to marry. Daughter Mary Jane “Jenny” Jarrell chose the education but had to leave school after only one year when the Civil War broke out.

   According to Theda Conner, whose husband George is a Jarrell descendant, “Sons Levi and Joseph chose college and attended Emory College at Oxford, GA; both became Methodist ministers. John once said that he had sent them away as Primitive Baptists and Whigs, but they came back as Methodists and Democrats.” John himself was a licensed minister in the Primitive Baptist Church.

   By 1860 John and Elizabeth had accumulated 600 acres, which were farmed by 39 slaves.

   Sometime around 1860, a syrup mill was built on the plantation. Still in existence, the syrup mill resembles a modern-day barbecue pit.  Syrup-making, a process that involved boiling down the juice from sugar canes, usually took place in November. 

   John and Elizabeth lost their son Thomas in 1850, at the age of 12. Their oldest son, Levi, died in 1861. Elizabeth and two of her daughters, Elizabeth L. and Susan Lavinia, succumbed to typhoid on the same day, October 23, 1864.  Sons Randy and Joe had married and were no longer living at home. John and his one surviving daughter, 18-year-old Jenny, were left alone.

The Civil War and its aftermath

   Beatrice Bittaker writes, “It was one month later (following the death of John’s wife and daughters) that General Sherman left Atlanta and wrecked [sic] havoc throughout middle Georgia. When Sherman’s army reached the Jarrell Plantation, they burned John Jarrell’s cotton gin and 300 bushels of wheat, poured out the syrup, and took all the mules and horses.”  In addition, Sherman’s men took the wagons and what food they could find, and they freed the slaves.

   The meat had been hidden under a large pile of cane mashes, called “pummies.” A slave by the name of Prince Clarke told the Yankees where the meat was hidden. They searched for the meat but failed to find it.  Believing that Prince had lied, they hung him out the barn window by his thumbs, with his toes resting on a nail. He was left there till he fainted, then someone took him down.

      Many years later, Allene Jarrell Yeomans, Beatrice’s older sister, would recall that their older brother Willie “often found a bullet that was fired from the gun of one of Sherman’s men as they came through burning and plundering, seeking treasures as well as necessities.  Today, they (the bullets) may be considered as treasures, but they are also mementos of a terrible struggle for survival.”

   Yeomans, in her book Mem’ry Motes, drew pictures of some of the plantation’s features.  She included a drawing of the syrup kettle, which was “not only used for syrup making, but at the close of the war, during the shortage of salt, it was taken to Savannah and used to distill ocean water to obtain salt. It took a week to get to Savannah, a week to distill the water, working day and night, and a week to return. They returned with enough salt for the family and some of the neighbors.”

   John found some worn-out stock left by the Yankees and used them the following year. He built a new gin on the place where the other one was burned. Many of the slaves returned to work on the plantation as tenant farmers and farm hands.

   Two months after losing Elizabeth, on December 23, 1864, John married Nancy Ann (Burden) James, widow of William J. James.  Nancy brought two children from her first marriage, Ellen and James, when she came to live on the plantation. The house was filled once more.

    John and Nancy gave birth to eight children: Jesaro (1866); Benjamin Richard (1867); Robert Lee (1868); Sallie (1870); Martha (1873); Chapman Burden (1875); Stephen (1877); and Nancy Ann (1880).

A change of command

     “In January 1881, John Fitz Jarrell fell and broke his leg.  He recovered sufficiently enough to walk with a stick,” writes Theda Conner. She adds, “His mind became impaired in his old age.” John Fitz Jarrell died August 1, 1884, and is buried in the Jarrell Plantation Family Cemetery.

   After John’s death, the plantation was taken over by his son Benjamin Richard “Dick” Jarrell, who gave up his teaching career in order to manage the farm. He also bought some land from his widowed mother, located about a stone’s throw from her home, and started his own farm/plantation.                  In 1895, Dick began building the mill complex that still stands on the property. The complex houses “a sawmill, grist mill, cotton gin, cane press, planer, and shingle mill, powered by two steam engines,” according to a video from the Georgia Dept. of Natural Resources.

   In that same year, 1895, Dick built another home for his growing family. He had married Mary Elizabeth “Mamie” Van Zandt in 1891, and they had two children by 1895.  They would eventually give birth to ten more children; nine of their children grew into adulthood.

   Dick and Mamie’s children were: Benjamin Richard, Jr. (1893); Willie Lee (1895); John Milton (1897); Hiram Van Zandt (1899); Mary Allene (1901); Unnamed son, b. 1903, died in infancy; Charles Franklin (1905); Nancy Elizabeth (1907); Stephen Blakely (1908); Sarah Julia (1909); Martha Beatrice (1912); and Mildred Winifred (1916).

   In 1904, Dick’s brother Robert died.  His children (Thurman Randolph, b. 1895; Robert Edward, b. 1899; Ida Belle, b. 1901; Annie Florence, b. 1902; and Willie Maude, b. 1904) were brought to the plantation to live with Nancy, their grandmother. (Robert and his wife, Lula Smith Jarrell, had another child, Cynthia, b. 1898, who died in infancy.) Mattie, Dick and Robert’s sister, moved back home to help care for her mother and her nieces and nephews. Nancy Ann died in 1911. Mattie continued to care for Robert’s children and lived in her parents’ home till her death in 1957.

   A brochure about Jarrell Plantation provides the information that “A back room off the dining room (of the original Jarrell home) was a general store from about 1901 to the 1920s. It housed the Cardsville Post

Office for three years. Mattie Jarrell ran the store, selling items such as matches, flour, kerosene, starch, soda, soap and candy.”

   Dick added many other improvements to the plantation: a garden in the 1890s; a smokehouse in 1909, for hanging salted meat to cure (Although it was referred to as a “smokehouse,” no smoke was actually used.); a chicken house in 1912; a barn, also built in 1912, to replace one that had burned down; and an evaporator house in 1917, which contains the evaporator pan Dick built in 1905 – “With this pan and the belt-driven cane-mill, sugar cane syrup was made more efficiently than at the old stone syrup mill with its kettles and mule-driven cane press,” according to the Jarrell Plantation brochure. The last building constructed on the plantation was an implement shed, built in 1945 by Dick and his son Willie to house the threshing machine, mower, hay rake,  log cart, and tractor.

   Even while making improvements on his farm, Dick found time in 1905 to help build New Hope Baptist Church, where four generations of Jarrells were to attend.

   From 1916 to 1920, with the help of his sons and nephews, Dick Jarrell built a third home on the plantation, which is described as a “plantation country house with walls and ceilings of rare heart pine … from trees felled on Jarrell land, sawn to size on the Jarrell sawmill, and assembled by Jarrell hands.” Dick, his wife, and their ten children moved into the home later that same year.

   At its height, the plantation’s cotton crop stretched all the way to the Ocmulgee River, about a mile from the house.  Sometime prior to the 1920s, however, that was to change.  The boll weevil, a member of the beetle family that measures just ¼ inch long, entered the United States in 1892, crossing the Rio Grande from Mexico into Texas.  As it spread, the boll weevil ravished thousands of acres of cotton, including that which was growing on the plantation.  Dick Jarrell would never raise cotton again. Instead, he turned to wheat, corn, rye, turnips, peas, sweet potatoes, and sugar cane.

Southern agrarian history lives on

   Although his siblings left the plantation to find lives elsewhere, Willie Jarrell, Dick and Mamie’s second eldest son, stayed on to help his father and to take over the operation when Dick died in 1958.

   In 1974, 7 ½ acres of Jarrell Plantation were donated to the state of Georgia as a State Historic Site, and all the buildings were placed on the National Register of Historic Places. Charles Middlebrooks of Waco, Texas, writes, “Dad and Mother (Doyle and Stella Lou Middlebrooks) corresponded with the Georgia Historical Society and others to introduce them to the Jarrell Plantation. Senator Culver Kidd was on the Senate Historical Society and was a big help in helping introduce the Jarrell Plantation to the state of Georgia. Finally, in 1974, Willie Jarrell spent the night in the Governor’s Mansion with (then Governor) Jimmy and Rosalyn Carter. The next day Willie and the family donated the Plantation to the state of Georgia as it became one of the twelve significant historical sites of Georgia.”

   Philip Jarrell Haynes, John Fitz Jarrell’s great grandson, adds, “More than anyone else, Doyle and Stella Lou are responsible for the Jarrell farm becoming the State’s Jarrell Plantation. They kept after state officials and delegates for years to accept the site.” Willie Jarrell remained on the plantation, living in his parents’ 1895 home,

till his death in 1984.

   Jarrell Plantation State Historic Site is a living exhibit of Southern agrarian history, with plantation personnel, assisted by volunteers, demonstrating various skills on special occasions. A fee is charged for all events.

   In June, a Junior Ranger Day Camp, “the History Trunk,” teaches children ages 8 to 12 about farm life in the 1850s. The children get hands-on experiences in spinning and weaving, cooking on a wood stove, making their own toys, and doing various farm chores. Added to the Junior Ranger Day Camp is a Family Farm Day, when adults can join the children and participate in hands-on learning, also.

   Every 4^th of July, guests hear a reading of the Declaration of Independence at noon, then they are given the opportunity to participate in various races, an egg toss, and a tug-of-war. Throughout the day, volunteers demonstrate traditional crafts and skills.  Labor Day is also celebrated with demonstrations of old-time crafts and chores.

   “Syrup Makin’ and Story Tellin’,” a re-enactment by Plantation volunteers that is held the first Saturday in November, demonstrates how syrup was made, using the plantation’s sugar cane mill, syrup kettle, and steam engine. Added to the fun is a lot of storytelling.

   Early in December, usually on a Saturday, there is a ¼ mile candlelight tour of the Plantation that includes the two houses, which are decorated for the holidays in the typical style of the period. Refreshments are offered, along with stories and entertainment around a campfire.

      Today the state owns 50 acres of the plantation. The 1920 house, which is on original plantation land, is not part of the State Historic Site. Dick and Mamie’s grandson, Philip Jarrell Haynes, and his wife, Amelia, live in and operate the 1920 house as a Bed and Breakfast.  According to their website (jarrellhouse.com), guests there receive a free tour of the Plantation.

    Jarrell Plantation State Historic Site is located at 711 Jarrell Plantation Road, southeast of Juliette, Georgia. A small admission fee is charged, and group rates are available with advance notice.

   The Plantation is open Tuesday through Saturday and Sunday afternoons. It is closed on Mondays (except for legal holidays), Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s

Day. When it is open on a Monday legal holiday, it is closed the next day (Tuesday). Details are available by calling 1-800-986-5172 or online at http://www.gastateparks,org/info/jarrell/.

Sources:

   “Jarrell Plantation Historic Site.” Georgia State Parks & Historic Sites, online.

   Ford, Gerry. “Step Back in Time.” Macon Telegraph, Sept. 6, 2005. (courtesy Doyle Middlebrooks)

   “The Jarrell 1920 House Bed & Breakfast,” online.

   “Jarrell Plantation State Historic Site.” Brochure of Georgia State Parks & Historic Sites.

“Jarrell Plantation.”  Early brochure of Georgia Parks.

   Thompson, Chuck. “Opening the History Trunk.” Macon Telegraph, Jan 14, 2006. (courtesy Doyle Middlebrooks)

   “Jarrell Plantation.” State Parks & Historic Sites, online.

   “Historic Jarrell Plantation.” Monroe County WWW Information Server, online.

   “Guarding the Years at Jarrell Plantation.” Southern Living, Nov. 1979.

   Yeomans, Allene Jarrell. Mem’ry Motes. Buford, GA: Moreno Press, 1980.

   “Jarrell Plantation,” video from GA Dept of Natural Resources, 2000. (Film & Video, Atlanta, GA)

    Conner, Theda.  Various e-mails.

    Bittaker, Beatrice Jarrell. “A Brief History of the Jarrell Plantation.” Speech delivered 9 Apr 1989 & 20 Oct 1991. (courtesy Doyle Middlebrooks)

    Middlebrooks, Charles. “Jarrell Connection.”  Original essay.

    Haynes, Philip Jarrell. Various e-mails.

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Top 5 Thanksgiving Traditions

From About .com:

1. Turkey Dinner

2. Football Games

3. Watching the Macy’s Parade

4. Making a wish on the turkey’s    

       wishbone

5. Giving thanks

             Jarrell Reunion

By Philip Jarrell Haynes

Jones County, Georgia – 36 descendants of Blake Fitz Jarrell of Jones County, Georgia, held an annual family reunion Sunday, Oct. 22, 2006, at the 1920 home of Dick and Mamie Jarrell, currently the home of Philip Jarrell Haynes (grandson of Dick and Mamie) and his wife Amelia.

   The home sits next to Jarrell Plantation, a State of Georgia Historic Site that includes some 20 structures (two homes) built by the John Fitz Jarrell family during the mid 19^th

century and by his son Dick Jarrell during the first half of the 20^th century.

Ten people connected with the Plantation, including staff members and families, were guests of the Jarrell Family for the 1:00 pm lunch at the 1920 home, which is still in private hands.

   After lunch, the family convened at the AV room of the Jarrell Plantation

Visitors’ Center and were provided a one-hour presentation by Bretta Perkins, a Jarrell Plantation Interpretive Ranger, about Jarrell family members involved in the Civil War. Individuals researched included several Jarrells, Middlebrooks, Burdens, Patricks, and one Adams. Wayne Dobson, a Civil War re-enactor, and Brenda Banks, a Jarrell Plantation Staff member, then made a half-hour presentation of clothing, weapons, and food used by Confederate soldiers.

   There have been some 25 Jarrell reunions at the 1920 house over the past 30 years, and a reunion is now held annually. Attendance numbers have ranged from the mid-30s to over 100.

Changes Being Made to LDS Family History Library

   The LDS Church is launching a digitizing project that, when completed, will allow images of information such as census records, birth, death, marriage, tax and land records to be accessed online almost instantly. Those records, at present, are only available on microfilm and must be purchased through family history centers or libraries. When the current project is completed, all these records will be indexed and made accessible online free of charge.

   Most of the work is being done by volunteers; at present, volunteers from Utah, Indiana, and Ohio have already begun. As word of the project spreads, it is expected that others will join in, also.  Carrie A. Moore, a staff writer for Salt Lake City’s Deseret Morning News, writes in her article “A Family History Overhaul,” (September 20, 2006): “Errors are bound to occur, but should be caught because the system is designed so every record is entered twice – by two different people working independently of each other. If one record disagrees with the other, an arbitrator will decide which one is correct.”

   The complete article can be found online at: http://www.deseretnews.com/dn/view/0,1249,650194998,00.html.

-Contributed by Neal Middlebrook

Age Differences Between Censuses:  Census Taker’s Instructions

1860 – Age as of census day

1870 – Age at last birthday

1880 – Status of individual as of June 1

1900 – Age at last birthday

1910 – Status as of April 15; age as of last birthday

1920 – Status as of January 1 (Children born after January 1, but before enumerator’s

            arrival, were not listed, but persons who died before enumerator’s arrival were

            included.)

1930 – Status as of April 1 

If the actual birth date of the person fell within the above parameters, an age difference would be noted between the various census years. 

–Contributed by Leonard Middlebrooks

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The Four Stages of Life

1. You believe in Santa Claus

2. You don’t believe in Santa Claus.

3. You are Santa Claus.

4. You look like Santa Claus.

                                                                        -Copied

THIS-AND-THAT

(Editor’s note:  This section will be a place for your input.  If you have a favorite genealogy-related website, book, location, insight, etc., send it to me at thelangs@hotmail.com, for inclusion in a future quarterly.)

2006 Meeting CD / Dues  –Leonard Middlebrooks

   If you have not paid your 2006-07 dues, this newsletter will be the last one you receive. If you have questions about your dues, contact Leonard by snail mail: Leonard Middlebrooks, 404 Rustling Pine Drive, Slidell, LA 70458; or by e-mail at gambol@juno.com. Dues should have been paid by the end of September.

    Leonard is working on a CD of the 2006 MFA meeting in Natchitoches. Upon completion, the CD will be available to all who have paid their dues. His plan is to create a quality CD that is more than just the PowerPoint presentations that were made. He intends to include some commentary, also, to fill in any gaps in the presentations.

Alert!  -Neal Middlebrook

   If you have any NARA information requests, you may want to get those in before the first of the year. The last time I requested information from NARA, it was $44.00/request. After January 1, it will be $96.00/request.

   NARA has a $20 million budget cut for this fiscal year, so they are passing a portion on to us.

Websites

   – Neal Middlebrook

   This website has a selection of rare maps from the time of the Colonial Period through the early 20^th Century. The collection is located at the University of Georgia’s Hargrett Library Rare Book and Manuscript site. It’s definitely worth a look: http://www.libs.uga.edu/darchive/hargrett/maps/revamer.html.

   -Jarrelyn Lang

   My favorite website is about.com.  It literally contains information about almost any topic you can think of.  I used its history information to add interest to my classes when I was teaching English Literature and Latin.  I have even found information on needlepoint and dollhouses. Not surprisingly, there is also a genealogy division.  Kimberly Powell maintains the site, located at genealogy.about.com. You can sign up for a free newsletter if you’d like, or you can just browse. Check out the (Blog) Carnival of Genealogy.

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Daily Dangers – number of injuries received each year while doing some routine activities, from AARP the Magazine:

Brushing your teeth or gargling – 3,925 Reading – 11,243

Barbecuing – 15,952                                        Stapling paper – 15,974

Bowling – 17,916                                             Riding a stationary bike – 43,117

OBITUARIES

DALE MIDDLEBROOKS

   Allen Dale Middlebrooks, son of Jim Lee and Myrtie Lee Reeves Middlebrooks, died September 6, 2006, in Littlefield, TX.  Funeral services and burial were also in Littlefield. Dale is survived by his wife of almost 57 years, Danny “Sue” Powell Middlebrooks.

   Other survivors include a daughter and son, three grandchildren, one step-grandson, one great grandchild, and several nieces and nephews.  He was preceded in death by his parents, a brother, and two sisters.

   During World War II, Middlebrooks worked in the Pantex Munitions Plant in Amarillo.  Later, he owned and operated a service station in Bula, TX. In 1976, the family moved to Abilene, where Middlebrooks bought and operated a Bowes franchise.  He moved his family back to Bula in 1978 and ran the Bula Service Station for about 45 years. He and his wife retired to Irving in 1990.  Middlebrooks was living in the Littlefield Hospitality House at the time of his death.

   The Middlebrooks Family Association extends deepest sympathy to Dale’s family (descendants of Isaac 1753), and especially to his daughter, MFA member Dana Middlebrooks Samuelson.

MAXINE FITZGERALD

   Lena Maxine Middlebrooks Fitzgerald passed away September 15 in Bartlesville, Oklahoma.  Graveside services were held in Moore Memorial Gardens, Arlington, TX, with her nephew, Charles Middlebrooks, officiating.

   Maxine was born in Jack County, TX, to Columbus Enos and Leona Kelly Middlebrooks.  She was a registered nurse until her retirement in 2002.

      She was preceded in death by her parents, her first husband, C.R. Martin, a brother,

and two children.  Survivors include second husband, H.W. “Bill” Fitzgerald, one daughter, one son, three grandchildren, one brother, and several nieces and nephews.

   The Middlebrooks Family Association expresses their sympathy to all of Maxine’s family, especially to her brother Doyle Middlebrooks and his wife Stella Lou, her nephew Charles Middlebrooks, and her niece Jan Rogers, all of whom are MFA members.  This family descends from Thomas 1763.

NANCY LONNEGAN

   Nancy Ruth Carrigan Lonnegan, whose family descends from Thomas 1763, was born November 19, 1919, in Hope AR, and passed away September 12, 2006, in Shreveport, LA. Graveside services were held September 15 at Rose Hill Cemetery in Hope, AR, and a memorial service was held at All Saints Church of Shreveport on September 16.

   Nancy was the daughter of Adolphus and Ruth Middlebrook Carrigan. She was married to Dr. Joseph A. Lonnegan. Preceding her in death were her parents, her husband, a brother, and a sister. Survivors include a nephew, two grand nieces, and many cousins.

   Nancy Lonnegan taught English in Shreveport for many years. She published an English grammar textbook, several family histories, and essays about her memories of growing up in rural Arkansas.

    The Middlebrooks Family Association conveys their sympathy to Nancy’s family, and especially to her cousin Henry Middlebrooks, who is an MFA member.

Some Jack County Obituaries From the Past

Joyce Arnold sent these three obituaries from the archives of the Jacksboro (Texas) Gazette.

Thursday, October 8, 1908

   (Mary Jane “Jenny” Jarrell Middlebrooks was the daughter of John Fitz Jarrell and his first wife, Elizabeth Williamson Middlebrooks Jarrell. See the article in this issue about the Jarrell Plantation.)

   Mrs. Mary J. Middlebrooks, wife of Mr. J.F. Middlebrooks, was born in Jones County, Georgia, 9 July 1846. In 1872, Mr. Middlebrooks moved to Texas. They moved to Jack County in 1880 and have resided in

the county since that day. Since 1904, they have made their home in Jacksboro.

   Since 1905, Mrs. Middlebrooks had been an invalid. Since March 1908, she has been confined to bed. She quietly fell asleep last Monday (October 5).

   Six children survive the mother, all of whom live near the old homestead, save one son, who resides in East Texas.

   For 42 years, Mr. And Mrs. Middlebrooks had lived happily together and last Monday, this devoted husband said to the minister conducting the services, “This is the saddest day of my life.” But the hope of immortality brings to view a reunited and larger life.

   Mrs. Middlebrooks was converted at the age of 12. She joined the M.E Church, South, and lived [as] a consistent member the rest of her days.

   The funeral service was conducted at the Jacksboro Cemetery last Monday by the pastor of the Methodist Church.

Thursday, March 25, 1909

   (John Floyd Middlebrooks was the son of Anderson Joseph and Emily Childs Middlebrooks. Anderson Joseph’s father was William Sims Middlebrooks, son of Thomas Middlebrooks, born 1763.)

   J.F. Middlebrooks died Wednesday of heart failure. Mr. Middlebrooks was one of the oldest members of the Methodist church in Jacksboro and an old time citizen of Jacksboro, but for several years, [he] had lived on his farm on West Fork (the West Fork of the Trinity River), where he died.

   Mr. Middlebrooks was born 25 December 1847 in Jones County, Georgia. He was a farmer boy when the Confederacy called him into the field as a soldier in 1864. He joined Captain Tuff’s company, Colonel Blunt’s regiment, and went into the trenches before Atlanta [fell], in defense of Atlanta. He fought around Atlanta until it fell and soon afterwards surrendered at Macon, Georgia, to a part of Sherman’s army.

   When the war closed, he went back to the farm, where he married a year later (1866), and continued there until 1872, when he moved to Panola County. Leaving Panola County, Texas, in 1880, he landed in Jack County, where he resided until his death.

   He was a member of the Confederate of R.E. Lee Camp No. 1315.

Thursday, November 14, 1912

   (Earnest Loyd Middlebrooks was the grandson of John Floyd and Mary Jane Jarrell Middlebrooks.)

   One of the very sad accidents that has happened in Jack County for some time was the death of Loyd Middlebrooks, eldest son of Mr. and Mrs. Randy Middlebrooks of Roberts Prairie, which was caused by his falling from a wagon which was loaded and the wagon running over him.

   He had just arrived to young manhood, with prospects of a useful life opening up before him. His parents are well known of [in] Jack County and also have many friends in Jacksboro who sympathize with them in the death of their son.

Thursday, November 21, 1912

   Ernest Loyd Middlebrooks was born in Jack County 20 March 1897 and died 27 October 1912. He leaves both parents, 2 brothers, four sisters, other relatives, and many dear school mates to mourn his death. One sister and one brother had gone before him.

   His parents have lost a kind and dutiful son; brothers and sisters have lost a loving and affectionate brother.