Martha Bowdoin

This week, I thought I would tackle a "coded" Patriot as well as my first female Patriot. Martha Bowdoin is a "coded" Patriot in the DAR database. For various reasons, men and women have been "red-lined" in the database preventing their being used for future applicants unless someone fixes whatever problem the DAR has discovered along the way. There are many things that could cause someone to be red-lined, and there are many different "codes," but Martha's code is "Future Applications Must Prove Correct Service," or "FAMPCS."

FAMPCS says, "The proof of service used to establish this person as a patriot is no longer valid. Subsequent evaluation of the proof of service may have determined that the proof is not acceptable under today's standards (examples: tombstone, obituary, undocumented genealogy or county history, family tradition); the service belongs to another person of the same name; the residence of this person during the Revolution is inconsistent with the service, or multiple people have claimed the same service. Future applicants must provide proof of service (and possibly residence) that meets current standards." So, since the status of a Patriot is determined solely on the proof of the service they provided in the founding of our country, this is probably the most serious of all of the "codes" in the database.

As for Martha's service, legend has it that, when Martha was a mere 12-year-old girl, she delayed the Tories, who had intruded upon her family demanding a home-cooked meal, by turning their horses loose out of the barnyard. A small act, but one that took courage and a true American spirit.

Since proving that story would probably be the hardest thing to try to do without lucking upon a diary or letter written in the time, the best efforts for clearing Martha's FAMPCS code would be the find a new service altogether. I would imagine the best place to look for a new source of service for Martha would be that (seemingly) go-to source for North Carolina patriotic service, "North Carolina Revolutionary War Army Accounts." I also hope to figure out what they "originally" had as a source of service for Martha as that would probably be a good start on where to find new service for her.

Martha came from a family that all provided some kind of service to the American efforts. Her father furnished supplies, her sister Elizabeth's husband (John Macon) was a member of the board of auditors and also furnished supplies, and her father-in-law (Nehemiah Odell) rendered material aid. I'm sure in the midst of a family like that, Martha has to have some kind of record proving her allegiance to the American cause.

Here's what I do know about Martha (though mostly from family legend). She was born 13 Nov 1768 in North Carolina to William Boudouin and Elizabeth Macon. (This means the legend of her run-in with the Tories took place about 1780.) She married Isaac Odell sometime before or around 1790 (since they seem to be living together in the 1790 census). She died in 1800 in Randolph County, North Carolina.

Clipping from 1790 census showing one "tick mark" for Isaac and one (presumably) for Martha

As for Martha's descendants, I have not traced this family very much myself. I know, so far, of the name of the single child who is listed in the DAR.

• James Alexander Odell

According to census records, it appears as though the couple had at least a few more children (at least another son and two daughters), but I have not yet located a will, pension, or land record for this family in order to place names to the "tick marks" on the early census records.

Clipping from 1800 census showing one "tick mark" for Isaac, one (possibly) for Martha, one for a son under 10,
one for a son aged 16-25, and two for a daughter under 10

If you happen to know the names of the other children born to this marriage, or if you think you have proven the family legend of her service, let me know! I would love to see her opened back up for future applicants.

Sources:

• 1790 Randolph County, North Carolina U.S. Federal Census (accessed on Ancestry)
• 1800 Hillsboro, Randolph County, North Carolina U.S. Federal Census (accessed on Ancestry)

Jacob Lineberry, III

In my first post on my Civil War Souls blog, I posted about W. S. Lineberry. In addition to all of his personal and military accomplishments, he wrote a "Biography on the Lineberry Family." In this Biography, he tells a story of his great-grandfather, Jacob Lineberry, in the time of the Revolutionary War. This is what he says about him.

"There is an incident connected with my great-grand-father Jacob Lineberry that I feel bound to relate. In the time of the Revolutionary War he was a Whig. (God bless the name; I love it yet.) He came home at one time to see his family and get something to eat. Old grandmother got the big oven by the fire and was cooking him a big corn pone which we older ones loved, but the present generation knows but little of, and I must say that they have missed a great treat if they never tasted pone bread. 

Those who have read the history of the Revolution know how David Fanning, a British officer who commanded a company of men, mostly Tories, ravished the country from Fayetteville up to the mouth of Deep River, and how they committed murder, rape and arson, and how they left their path destitute wherever they went, committing all kinds of depredations.

North Carolina Highway Marker "Tory Raid"

Grand-father was sitting by the fire waiting for his bread, when some of the family looked out and said, Dave Fanning is coming! Grandfather seized his gun and poked it through a crack in the wall and took aim at Dave and no doubt would have brought him down, as he was said to be a good marksman, but grandmother seized his arm and with tears in her eyes begged him not to kill him, for if he did his men would murder the whole family. 

I imagine I can see him now, brave man that he was, standing there meditating what to do. Finally for the sake of his family he withdrew his gun, jumped out at the back door and ran. The Tories fired several shots at him, but their shots went wild and he made his escape. Some of the family took the bread, ran upstairs and hid it in the big chest, but Fanning's men smelled it and never left the house until they found it and carried it with them."

W. S. Lineberry's story about his great-grandfather, Jacob, is one of my favorites in this line of my husband's family. He has told the story a few times, but the facts always stay the same. I love tracing family stories down the generations, and this is a good one!

Jacob Lineberry is a proven DAR ancestor in their database, but unlike the other patriots I've covered in this blog, I haven't found a pension record, rejected or approved, for Jacob or his wife. The source of service the DAR uses for Jacob is the "North Carolina Revolutionary War Army Accounts" volumes. He is listed under the category of "patriotic service" having been paid for services or supplies.

According to the W. S. Lineberry stories, Jacob was away at camp before he came home for the home-cooked meal mentioned. I am still looking for information on his involvement in the camp. I need to order the microfilm of the source the DAR mentions in his Patriot file. That would be a good starting point, I think.

As for his descendants, so far Daughters have joined under the following children of Jacob's:

• Samuel
• Jacob
• George

This leaves a whopping eight children unaccounted for lineage! Here are the children of Jacob and Mary Catherine who would be considered "new children" in the eyes of the DAR:

• Francis (W. S. Lineberry's own grandfather)
• John
• James
• Thomas
• Solomon
• Catherine
• Mary
• Elizy Amey

I have traced all of these lines out except for Mary's. (Mary married a man with a common name for the area, and I am struggling to untangle each of the various families.) Even still, it seems Mary and her husband had children at least, so that means all of Jacob's children had descendants meaning all of Jacob's children should appear in the DAR database. They are simply waiting for people to join under them!

This family is a huge research interest of mine. If you or anyone you know descend(s) from this brave man and you're interested in joining the DAR, send me an email! I would love to help you on that journey and get this man's children accounted for in the DAR database.

Sources:

• Lineberry, W. S., Biography of the Lineberry Family, 1918
• North Carolina Highway Historical Marker Program
• Will of Jacob Lineberry