The Elusive George Pool

James F Poole

The Census of 1790 and 1800 enumerate a George Pool living in Spartanburg county, South Carolina. Using the Census age brackets, he was born before 1774.1 The family in 1800 consisted of one male age under 10 years, one male age 26-44 (presumably George) and four females age less than 10 years, one female age 10-15, and one female 26- 44 (presumably the spouse).

George Pool of Spartanburg does not appear in the Census of 1810 or 1820, at least in Spartanburg or Laurens counties. The next appearance of a George Pool is in the 1830 Census, in Laurens county, South Carolina.2 While it is tempting to connect the two, I do not believe that there is sufficient circumstantial evidence to support a connection. Continue reading “The Elusive George Pool” →

Seth Pool, Junior

James F Poole

We first suspect that there were two men named “Seth Pool” in the Laurens county area in the early 1800’s while examining the 1819 Probate papers of Robert Pool.1 In the sales papers are references to sales to “Seth Pool” and a sale to “William Pool for Seth Pool”. This suspicion is confirmed in the 1822 Probate papers of William Petty Pool, when sales are noted to both “Seth Pool” and “Seth Pool Sen’r”.2 Continue reading “Seth Pool, Junior” →

Elizabeth R. Poole

James F Poole

As with her brother John Belton Poole,  tradition describes Elizabeth as the daughter of Robert Pool and a granddaughter of Seth Petty Pool (c. 1754- 1837) of Laurens county, South Carolina.  This tradition is recorded in the book- Bessie P. Lamb, Mary-Mack Poole Ezell, A Genealogical History of the Poole, Langston, Mason Families and Kindred Line of Upper South Carolina, 1931- on page 12:

(2) Robert Poole and His Children:  Robert Poole son of (1) Seth Poole, married Elizabeth Davis…. His children were (3) Belton (1816-) and (3) Elizabeth R. (Sept. 17, 1818).

To date, no independent confirmation of this linage has been found.  The children of Seth Petty Pool (d. 1837) were not fully enumerated, and Robert Pool has been found only in scattered citations from 1810 through 1815;  has not been reliably located in any Census; and his probate in 18191 does not list any family members.

Elizabeth was born 9 March, 1817.2  Sometime before 1840, she married William H. Fowler.3

Continue reading “Elizabeth R. Poole” →

John Belton Poole

James F Poole

By tradition, Belton Poole is the son of Robert Pool and a grandson of Seth Petty Pool (c. 1754- 1837) of Laurens county, South Carolina. This tradition is recorded in the book- Bessie P. Lamb, Mary-Mack Poole Ezell, A GenealogicaL History of the Poole, Langston, Mason Families and Kindred Line of Upper South Carolina, 1931, on page 12:

(2) Robert Poole and His Children: Robert Poole son of (1) Seth Poole, married Elizabeth Davis…. His children were (3) Belton (1816-) and (3) Elizabeth R. (Sept. 17, 1818).

To date, no independent confirmation of this linage has been found. The children of Seth Petty Pool (d. 1837) were not fully enumerated, and Robert Pool has been found only in scattered citations from 1810 through 1815; has not been reliably located in any Census; and his probate in 1819 1 does not list any family members.

Continue reading “John Belton Poole” →

Joshua Craig Poole

James F Poole

Joshua Craig Poole was born on 27 Jun 1898 in the Scuffletown township, Laurens county, South Carolina, the seventh surviving child of Thomas Pitts Poole (1861-1926) and Jemmie Elizabeth Alexander (1861-1937). 1

On 12 September 1918 Josh was required to register for the World War I draft. He reported his occupation as farmer, living at Rte 2, Laurens. The registrar reported him to be of medium build, with brown eyes and red hair.2

The 1920 Census enumerates Joshua as a farm laborer, living with his parents in Scuffletown, along with his elder brother Martin and younger sister Mattie Bobo.3 Continue reading “Joshua Craig Poole” →

English Ancestry of the Pettypool Family of Colonial Virginia

James F Poole

A new publication, English Ancestry of the Pettypool Family of Colonial Virginia, by Carolyn Hartsough is available for download at http://www.pettypool.com/England/index.html. This 137 page document describes the origins of the Pettypool surname in medieval England, and traces the family from its Essex roots through the departure of William Pettypool for colonial Virginia in the 17th century. An excerpt from the paper follows: Continue reading “English Ancestry of the Pettypool Family of Colonial Virginia” →

Chance Favors the Prepared Mind

Carolyn Hartsough

One of “three youngest Sons”: Identifying a
Missing 18th Century Pettypool Family Member

Carolyn Hartsough

My favorite genealogical moments involve discovering the identity of extended family members who are known to exist but haven’t been identifiable using easily accessed historical sources and “reasonably exhaustive research.”1 Although one such individual has eluded my best efforts since I started to research the early branches of the Pettypool family over 35 years ago, a concentrated review of one Pettypool family branch along with a chance “hit” on an online database seems to have solved the mystery.

I finally published “The William Pettypool Family of Southside Virginia: Lineage Review Based on Current Review of Evidence” in 2003 knowing that some lines had not been fully extended and that one line, in particular, was missing an un-named heir. The individual in question was a son of William(4) Pettypool (ca 1720 – ca 1774), fourth in a line of Pettypool men all named William, the first of whom was the mid-17th century English immigrant to colonial Virginia.2

Continue reading “Chance Favors the Prepared Mind” →

Nina Pitts Poole

James F Poole

A life cut short, 1887- 1914

Nina, the second child born to Thomas Pitts Pool and Jemmie Alexander of the Scuffletown township of Laurens County, SC, arrived on Thursday 17 February 1887. The 1900 Federal census finds 13 year old Nina “at school”. 1

Nina exhibited skill with flower arranging. The 26 November 1902 issue of the Laurens Advertiser noted that they were “…indebted to Miss Nina Poole for a rarely beautiful bouquet of geraniums, ferns and other conservatory plants. One seldom sees such choice flowers”.2

By March 1905, Nina was a student at Lander College3 in Greenwood, SC. The 8 March 1905 Laurens Advertiser reported that “Mr. T. P. Poole went to Greenwood Saturday to visit his daughter, Miss Nina, who is attending school there.4

Continue reading “Nina Pitts Poole” →

Like Father, Like Son

James F Poole

In the summer of 1912, James Furman Poole, called Furman by his family, had a more complicated visit to North Carolina than he expected. As the 3 July 1912 edition of the Laurens Advertiser noted, his intention was to attend the wedding of James A. Poole:

Mr. Furman Poole left last Friday [June 28] for Benson, NC to attend the marriage of his cousin James A. Poole of Clinton [SC] and Miss Dora Hodges.

James Augustus Poole was the son of William Augustus Poole (1854-1928) and Mary Duval. He was Furman’s second cousin.

On Monday July first, Furman’s father Thomas Pitts Poole received a message: Continue reading “Like Father, Like Son” →

Recovering From the War: a Story of Four Grandfathers

James F Poole

The Civil War and Reconstruction brought great social and economic stress to the citizens of South Carolina, and maintaining or starting a family after war’s end was challenging. Examining the 1880 Federal Agricultural Census Schedule gives an interesting snapshot of how well four of my grandfathers coped with the challenge. Continue reading “Recovering From the War: a Story of Four Grandfathers” →