This week Amy has given us the phrase, "Unusual Source" for inspiration for our blog. I guess one of the most unusual circumstances for finding a source would be when I was in the Dallas Public Library many years ago and I went up to the Reference Desk in the Genealogy section and began sharing with the gentleman behind the desk about a family I was researching - the McLean Family. He listened carefully and then asked me to give him a moment while he went to retrieve something. A few minutes later, he appeared with a bound book that was very thin. He told me that his name was Lloyd Bockstruck and he had recently found this and it came to mind while we were visiting. I thanked him and took the book and eagerly read it and copied it for further study.
It was actually a typed letter extracted from a larger collection of William Bethell Williamson housed in the Southern Historical Collection at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina. The letter was written August 26, 1885 by Judge Alney McLean of Middleton, Tennessee to his nephew, Sam Stockard, of Springfield, Missouri.
In the letter, Judge Alney tells the story of two McLean brothers, Ephraim (1730-1823) and Charles (1728-1805), who came to America from Scotland with their father, John (1698-1741), settling first in North Carolina.
I have not been able to locate a grave marker for Charles, (1728-1805).
Alney was the grandson of Ephraim (1730-1823) and so had a great deal of information about this family. In the letter, Alney tells about the death of his grandfather Ephraim when Alney was just eight years old. Alney's father, Charles (1771-1825) was the sixth of twelve children born to Ephraim (1730-1823) and his wife, Elizabeth Davidson (1743-1820). Alney himself was the third of ten children born to Charles (1771-1825) and his wife, Sarah Vance (1780-1847). His father died when Alney was only ten years old. He also shares quite a bit of information about the Davidson family, in addition to the McLeans.
Since Alney was part of a very large family, he shared many stories about the family: who married into each family and a great deal about their involvement in the formation of this country, including their participation in the Revolutionary War, state politics and the religious movements of the time. In fact, Ephraim McLean (1768-1813), a son of Charles McLean (1728-aft 1796), became the first ordained minister in the Cumberland Presbyterian Church and the story is right here in this letter.
Some of the family Alney knew very well, so he had amazing details about their lives, families and even their deaths, and others he knew less about. He shared about their migration into Kentucky, Tennessee, Mississippi and Texas. He shared stories about Ephraim, his children, grandchildren and future generations. Alney also shares about his own siblings.
My ancestor is Ephraim's son, Samuel (Alney's uncle), and he is only mentioned in two sentences in this lengthy letter.
In researching for this blog post, I came across another amazing document about Samuel McLean, which was found in the Lawrenceburg Library, Lawrenceburg, Tennessee. In this document, I learned that Samuel's father, Ephraim and family, once owned a large acreage in the area now inside the city limits of Nashville, Tennessee on the Cumberland River. Not long after the McLeans left the area, another family built on it and there is now an historic home called Riverwood on the property. Here is a video about Riverwood that mentions the McLean family!! http://www.riverwoodmansion.com/history/. Also, in this article I learned that Samuel McLean (1775-1850) was also connected to the Cumberland Presbyterian Church and
I am very happy that I came across this amazing letter, presented to me in this unusual circumstance. And for all of the places it has led me for more answers and more ancestors and cousins than I ever imagined!
Much later, I learned that Mr. Bockstruck was a very well known genealogist, speaker and writer. To me, that made his offering even more special! I learned last week that Mr. Bockstruck passed away earlier this year. His obituary can give you more details about who he was and how important he was to the genealogical world: https://www.legacy.com/obituaries/name/lloyd-bockstruck-obituary?pid=189188827.
"Til Next Time!
#52Ancestors
It was actually a typed letter extracted from a larger collection of William Bethell Williamson housed in the Southern Historical Collection at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina. The letter was written August 26, 1885 by Judge Alney McLean of Middleton, Tennessee to his nephew, Sam Stockard, of Springfield, Missouri.
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Find A Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com : accessed 21 September 2018), memorial page for Alney H. McLean (10 Apr 1815–22 Jun 1892), Find A Grave Memorial no. 19152575, citing Williams-McLain Cemetery, Midland, Rutherford County, Tennessee, USA ; Maintained by Margaret's Daughter (contributor 46613025) |
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| Find A Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com : accessed 21 September 2018), memorial page for Capt Ephraim MacLean, Sr (1730–1823), Find A Grave Memorial no. 9122587, citing Caney Station Cemetery, Greenville, Muhlenberg County, Kentucky, USA ; Maintained by Margaret's Daughter (contributor 46613025) . |
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| This chart shows how I am related to John McLean from Scotland |
Since Alney was part of a very large family, he shared many stories about the family: who married into each family and a great deal about their involvement in the formation of this country, including their participation in the Revolutionary War, state politics and the religious movements of the time. In fact, Ephraim McLean (1768-1813), a son of Charles McLean (1728-aft 1796), became the first ordained minister in the Cumberland Presbyterian Church and the story is right here in this letter.
Some of the family Alney knew very well, so he had amazing details about their lives, families and even their deaths, and others he knew less about. He shared about their migration into Kentucky, Tennessee, Mississippi and Texas. He shared stories about Ephraim, his children, grandchildren and future generations. Alney also shares about his own siblings.
My ancestor is Ephraim's son, Samuel (Alney's uncle), and he is only mentioned in two sentences in this lengthy letter.
My father, uncle Sam, Uncle Ephraim and Uncle William lived and died in Tenn... Uncle Sam lived and died near Lawrenceburg this state.Even though Alney did not share much information about his uncle Samuel, I will add a bit of information here. Samuel McLean was born January 27, 1775 in North Carolina. On August 3, 1798, in Logan County, Kentucky, he married Elizabeth Irvine, who was born September 28, 1778 in Kentucky. Sam and Elizabeth had 10 children, one of which was Margaret Rebecca McLean (1821-1896) who married Stephanes Busby (1812-1875), who were my 3rd great grandparents! Samuel died April 10, 1850 and Elizabeth died July 28, 1846 and they are buried in the McLean/Busby Family Cemetery, on top of a hill just outside Lawrenceburg, Lawrence County, Tennessee. Here are photos of their grave markers I took in 1991 when my mom and I took a genealogy trip through Tennessee and Mississippi!
In researching for this blog post, I came across another amazing document about Samuel McLean, which was found in the Lawrenceburg Library, Lawrenceburg, Tennessee. In this document, I learned that Samuel's father, Ephraim and family, once owned a large acreage in the area now inside the city limits of Nashville, Tennessee on the Cumberland River. Not long after the McLeans left the area, another family built on it and there is now an historic home called Riverwood on the property. Here is a video about Riverwood that mentions the McLean family!! http://www.riverwoodmansion.com/history/. Also, in this article I learned that Samuel McLean (1775-1850) was also connected to the Cumberland Presbyterian Church and
Between the sessions of the organization meeting, Samuel walked down by the Cumberland River and there cut a hickory bush which had a rattan vine growing in a spiral around it. He dressed it down, and later killed a buck deer and dressed a part of one of its horns and fitted it on the "cane" for a handle ---- quite a neat job, which still remains quite perfect, after passing of more than 150 years. He used this cane for many years, but before his death, he willed it to his daughter Margaret's husband, Stephanes Busby, who had been made an elder in the Presbyterian Church on South Military Street in Lawrenceburg, and asked him to pass it down each generation to the youngest boy in his family. The walking cane is now in the family of Horace Busby, Samuel's great grandson.I shared this story with some of my Busby cousins just today and found out that the cane is still in the family! Here is a newspaper article that I found telling about the passing of THE BUSBY WALKING CANE from one generation to the next! https://newspaperarchive.com/abilene-reporter-news-feb-12-1963-p-1/. We are hoping that in the next few weeks, we can find out exactly who has the cane at this time and get more of the story of this cane that is now over 200 years old!
I am very happy that I came across this amazing letter, presented to me in this unusual circumstance. And for all of the places it has led me for more answers and more ancestors and cousins than I ever imagined!
Much later, I learned that Mr. Bockstruck was a very well known genealogist, speaker and writer. To me, that made his offering even more special! I learned last week that Mr. Bockstruck passed away earlier this year. His obituary can give you more details about who he was and how important he was to the genealogical world: https://www.legacy.com/obituaries/name/lloyd-bockstruck-obituary?pid=189188827.
"Til Next Time!
#52Ancestors
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