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Archiver > BLACK > 1998-10 > 0909336459
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Subject: [BLACK-L] My reason for starting Genealogy
Date: Sun, 25 Oct 1998 12:27:39 EST
I started back in 1990 after my father, Stanley Dee Pruitt who had researched
some 30 years, made a discovery that would expand his research in the Black
Family that he knew little about. His grand mother, Martha Elizabeth Black ,
had married his grand pa, Robert James Pruitt. Grandma Martha would keep all
of her children, 14 of them, together and care for them and her grand
children. My dad remembers that Grandma Pruitt was part Cherokee Indian and
would perform special medicines to her grandchildren. Grandma Martha Pruitt's
father was Granderson Deroyceton Black who was born in Washington, Hempstead
Co., Arkansas on Oct 5, 1830.
Granderson was the second born of James Black. The first was William Jefferson
born in 1829. Sarah Jane Black was the next born in 1832 and then
Thomas Colbert Black born in 1834 and last was Syndiham James Black born in
1835. James Black was born about 1800 in either New Jersey or Penn. and had
married Ann B. Shaw, daughter of William Shaw of Hawkins Co, Tenn.
My dad had called me on the telephone one night about 9:30 and told me that he
had made a remarkable discovery in that he found where his grandma Martha
Black Pruitt granddad was from and wanted me to come over so he could share
this discovery. Well I was preparing for bed and I had asked him if he had
lost his mind and he stated "No" but to come on over. Well I had always minded
my dad, well maybe most of the time, and travelled to his home. He then shared
that he found James Black in a little town named Washington in Hempstead Co.,
Ark. , just to the northeast of Hope, Ark.
He stated he found where James Black was a blacksmith and worked in a shop
owned by William Shaw. James fell in love with William Shaws daughter, Ann,
and they finally got married in 1828 without the approvel of her father. Well
they had the five children and life for them was good. James built his own
blacksmith shop and he was very good in his making of knives. In fact he was
so good that word spread through out all the Southwest that James made very
good knives and they were durable and would hold up towards the elements of
fighting and hunting for meat.
Then around the year of 1830 a gentleman rode into town and asked James to
build him a knife for him and he would return later to pick it up. Several
months passed and the man would return and bought the knife and the man was
none other that Colonial James Bowie, who would become famous with his knife
and later died at the Alamo in San Antonio, Texas in 1836.
Well word got around that James Black made a knife for Bowie and when folks
would order a knife they would order a Bowie knife.
In 1835 James wife, Ann, died and it nearly killed James since she was the
apple in his life. James now had five kids to raise. Well as the story goes
his father-in-law almost kills him one day and James lost his eyesight and his
livelihood. James travels east to find a doctor to cure him and comes back to
Washington only to find his father-in-law had left with his children and he
never saw them again. James lives to be 72 years old and dies in Old
Washington.
William Shaw took his grandchilden to Cherokee Co.,Texas and raised them.
When I heard this story it motivated me to Family Research and ever since I
have been trying to find my past. I took Dad in 1991 to Old Wasington, Ark. at
a family reunion where he got to see where his family lived and worked and
meet all of his newly found cousins. He was sure excited that trip.
I lost dad last Feb. 12, 1998 and now I am carrying on what he started some
30+ years ago. There are good days and bad days. Sometimes I can't wait to
research more and then other days I get burnt out on research. When I find
another cousin I get excited and now I write this little story of how I got
started. Is there a cousin out there that I have not met yet, only time will
tell.
I sure wish I could find James Black father and mother or even a brother or
sister.
Mike.........
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