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Archiver > DOVER > 2005-11 > 1133300024
From:
Subject: Re: [Dover] Francis Dover - 1/2 Cherokee?
Date: Tue, 29 Nov 2005 16:33:44 EST
For those of you who have Dover / Cross connections, please know that the
Cross data that was posted yesterday is full of wrong information so don't just
add it to your data.
The most important thing for the Francis J Dover descendants to remember is
that there has been absolutely nothing to date to explain what the "J" in his
name stands for. If someone has proof of what his full name was with some
kind of documentation, please share it with the rest of us. I know "Johnson"
was a guess from a researcher named Margaret Stewart back about 40 years ago
who included it in her book just because he had a son named Johnson -- not
because anybody knew it for fact or found documentation showing that to be his
name. It got posted on a website and I'm sure you can guess the rest of
that story.
The father of the Cross kids is not a John Thomas Cross b in Kings Mountain,
NC and there is no such person as Jesse William Robert Cross. This Jesse
William Robert Cross name is another of those things posted on the internet
that has spread like wildfire by those who choose to collect names and do no
research of their own. While I'm at it, I might as well tell you that there has
been no Indian maiden named Manoish found connected to this family either.
The Cross group that I work with was able to document the parents of the
Cross kids who md Francis J Dover's kids a few months back with a deed in Henry
Co, GA where one of the sons was deeding some property to his parents for
their use as long as they lived in 1824. The deed named both the mother &
father and included several referals to them as his parents.
This is the line up of the Cross family at this time ---
PARENTS -- JOHN CROSS / NANCY ___?
KNOWN CHILDREN --
HULDA CROSS b ca 1788 SC md Johnson DOVER ca 1810--1814 in SC. First child
b ca 1811--1815 in SC.
REBECCA CROSS b ca 1789 SC md James Brownlow 22 Oct 1813 in Pendleton Dist,
SC
THOMAS CROSS b ca 1789 SC md Rebecca DOVER 20 September 1812 in Pendleton
Dist, SC
JANE CROSS (not proven but family tradition) b ca 1790 - 1800 md Anderson
DOVER in SC ca 1816. First child born 1817 in SC
NANCY ELIZABETH CROSS b ca 1794 - 1804 md Richard Wade Wallace ca 1812 in
Pendleton Dist SC.
JESSE CROSS b ca 1797 SC md Celia DOVER in 1819 Hab Co, GA.
ROBERT CROSS b ca 1803 GA md Elizabeth Longino 19 May 1825 in Henry Co, GA
NOTE: Jane (Cross) Dover is the only child in this group that is not backed
up by records proving that they are all siblings.
From other deeds found we know that John & Nancy Cross were in Franklin Co,
GA at least from 1802 - 1805 which would also explain the birth of son Robert
Cross who maintained thoughout the census that he was born in GA. Notice
all the other children except Robert claimed to have been born in SC. Three of
the Cross kids have documented marriages that took place in Pendleton Dist
SC so it would appear that the Cross family left GA and returned to SC at some
point in order for the kids to meet and marry their mates in Pendleton Dist.
No earlier information is known at this time about the parents John & Nancy
Cross.
There were a number of Thomas Cross descendants who filed Cherokee claims
through him. I have copies of many of those and the amount of Indian blood
they are claiming for Thomas Cross varies from 1/4 to 3/4 depending on who is
telling the story. All claims that were filed through Thomas Cross were
denied. None of the claims that I have seen name his parents or mentions anything
at all about them. One claim I have was filed by Thomas's dau Talitha
(Cross) Whitworth. Talitha named her DOVER grandparents in her claim but left
blanks for the names of her CROSS grandparents. I don't doubt that Thomas must
have been part Indian because of the number of claims that were filed, but
there is nothing in any of the ones that I have seen that says which of his
parents was Indian. I sort of think that if these descendants who filed these
claims nearly 100 years ago knew that information at the time of their filing,
they would have included it because it was all about getting the Gov money
that was being offered to them.
I am not aware of any claims that were filed through any of the other Cross
siblings at this time.
I have yet to see a claim that was filed directly through Francis J Dover or
his wife who was "a Posey" according to Jesse Mercer Green, grandson of
Anderson Dover. Mary Mullinax does not appear to be the wife of Francis J Dover
until sometime between 1830 - 1838 after his children were all grown and
having their own families. The claim of Mary L Fox, Thomas's granddaughter, is
the only claim through Thomas Cross who mentions a possible Indian connection
for Francis J Dover seen so far. I have seen some earlier correspondence to
a Cross researcher by Bill Dover that Dennis just posted where he claimed
that the only reason Francis J Dover was allowed to come into Indian territory
was because of his mixed blood son-in-law Thomas Cross and the Cross family
prior to this article in the Hab Co Heritage book.
It is my belief, after years of research, that Jarrett Nelson Dover of the
article was the grandson and not the son of Francis J Dover -- he was just too
young. There is never a male his age found in the household of FJD. He
does however fit quite nicely into the household of Johnson Dover / Hulda Cross
in every census and is removed at the proper time to correspond with his
marriage.
From what Dennis posted --
Indian connections fathers side: Thomas Cross, Nicholas Whisenant
Indian connections mothers side: Rebecca Dover, Nancy Willson
NOTE: I just looked at the original record on this one because I didn't
remember that particular wording. It actually reads ---
16. State English and Indian names of your grandparents on both father's
and mother's side, if possible:
Father's Side:
Thos Cross
Nicoles Whisenant
Mother's Side:
Cherokee Hannah -- that name is marked through -- and above it is written
Rebecca Dover
Nancy Willson
NOTE: The Whisenant family info says that Nancy THOMPSON was the # 2 wife
of Nicholas Whisenant who was the father of Mary L Fox's father, George
Whisenant. I have no idea which is correct.
In answer to Gayle's question about where the Kells & Dovers reference is
found ---
It's on the page "Suplemental Application for Minor Children" filed by Mary
L Fox and dated 20 June 1910. The question ---
10. Were they ever enrolled for money, annuities, land, or other benefits?
If so, state when and where, and with what tribe of Indians: Kells and
Dovers were enrolled. (no other data given)
NOTE: There is no other reference to Kell in any of the other claims that I
have seen so far.
-------------------------------------
There are still many mysteries surrounding this line of family that have yet
to be solved. It's going to take a lot more digging for records to be able
to prove these things and solve these mysteries.
Sharon S
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