As I was looking for Jeanetta “Jane” Samples the spouse of Samuel Samples in the Census I took the time to read several lines up and down. To my surprise I found she was surrounded by most of her children, a niece and several soon to be relatives.
I have listed some of this information on the profile for Jeanetta Samples , the daughter of Robert Samples and Mary Ann (Walker) Samples As far as I know Robert Samples and Alexander Samples (the father of Samuel Samples) are not related. I have a confusing family tree.
Listed by family visitation number are the following Samples (or soon to be) family members:
212 Janetta's niece Delila (Samples) Walker is living with her husband William Patterson Walker
213 Lewis Jackson White and Meriba Catherine (Elswick) White who’s daughter Levina May (White) Samples would marry the son of Hiram Samples Sr (brother of Samuel Samples husband of Janetta “Jane” below)
215 Jane, William H. Samples, Salathiel Samples, Delilah (Samples) Jones & Sarah Eveline (Samples) Moore
216 Louis Burdoff ( Lewis A. Burdette) and Amanda (Samples) Burdette
217 Andrew M Samples and Avaline (Ashley)Samples
218 John H Samplels and wife Rosanna (Jarrett) Samples
219 Jesse A Samples and Malinda (Ashley) Samples
220 Thomas Paxton and Dicena Paxton --( Parents of William Paxton, America (Paxton) Simmons and Virginia (Paxton) Samples )
221 William Paxton and Priscilla (Samples) Paxton
222 Lemuel Simmang (Lemuel Simmons) and America (Paxton) Simmang --
223 Thomas Samples and Virginia (Paxton) Samples
Doing this challenge sparked my interest at looking at all the recorded information on the record. All the heads of house are listed as farmers other than William Paxton who was a gunsmith. I found it interesting that even though Jane is listed as the head she had no recorded land value. Her 2 sons & 2 daughters still living in the home each have a land value of $300 listed. Could this indicate that Samuel’s land holdings were divided among the children. This seems to be supported when you look at the other children of Samuel and Jane living nearby. Jesse and Andrew Samples show land values of $300, John H Samples shows a land value of $600 and Thomas Samples shows a land value of $168. The married daughters land would have been listed with their husbands land totals.
So now as I look at the record I will try to remember to slow down, read more closely and look on the pages before and after. You never know you may find the clue you need to break that brick wall just a page over.
#52ancestors
