All Surnames in the Family Trees of
Thomas Samuel Vance and
Patricia Douglas Vance
Most of our families come from Scotland, Ireland and England to Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia, North and South Carolina and Middle Tennessee
The information on these pages came from long research comprised of interviews with family members, famly bibles, correspondence, extensive research in libraries and on line searches. I have tried to keep up with my sources.
If you find a source with a .ftw extension, that means I imported it from a famly file in my research. As a general rule, I put my sources on "notes" for the individual. Be sure to check them. If you find what you think may be of help in your search, contact me and I will furnish any further information I can.
Notes for UNKNOWN
[whitake1.FTW]
Higdon records name as Vina Jackson.
In a letter dated 2 May 1997, to Ken Whittaker, Benton D. Henry writes, '... I can tell you that the name "Vina J." (as wife of our John Whitaker) is pure fiction - - the writers of 'HIGDON - WHITAKER' simply latched onto the wrong John Whitaker (probably our John's nephew) - - because they hadn't done their homework! '
A summary of the Whitaker transactions recorded in the Madison County, Alabama Deed Index was included in the aforementioned letter. It reflects a John H. Whitaker & Vina J. deeded property to one Andrew J. Atchley (book QQ, page 321) in 1871. {Our John died in 1869}
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Henry continues - 'I have not seen the actual deed to verify the date (1871) - - but it doesn't matter - - it is plain to see where the name "Vina J." came from - - and even if the date was earlier the name wouldn't jibe with any of the actual records (census, pension, estate) we have of our John .... And if she'd been buried back in Monterey, what is she doing here, forty years later??? We should ask the writers of "HIGDON - WHITAKER" that question - - I'd be very interested in their explanation.
The unfortunate thing is that sloppy research, such as this, has consequences - - especially if it is printed into a book. Books have a kind of "authority" that they don't always deserve. Back in Putnam County the name "Vina J." was picked up and repeated by others as if it were "Gospel" - - as far as I know no one has questioned it, or bothered to research it!
I've felt the name was phony since I first saw this item from the DEED INDEX back in 1985. But even with all the "stuff" I'd collected on our Alabama Whitakers I was not very familiar with them - - they are complicated, and I wasn't able to pin down on this "John H. Whitaker" who m. "Vina J." for certain - - until now.
{Information, not necessarily facts, regarding the first wife are recorded for future research purposes.}
Both sources reflect that John's first wife was the 1st burial in the Whittaker Cemetery in Monterey. The tombstone reads "MRS. JOHN WHITTAKER - MOTHER OF T.J. WHITTAKER - FIRST GRAVE IN WHITTAKER CEMETERY". {Some accounts indicate that the burial preceded the establishment of the cemetery.}
Since Thomas Jefferson was born in 1818 and Delilah/Dilila/Delila B. Harrison was born between 1804 - 1808 and the first wife died in about 1832, there isn't any question in the preparers' mind who is not buried in that grave - Delilah Harrison.
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Research by Patricia Douglas Vance using all sources available to me. If you family members see something you do not want included, please notify me.
Updated June 20, 2004
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