Winter Wonderland

Over the past few months I've neglected this blog in favor of my Norwegian heritage site (What's in a Nordic Name?) and life's daily demands.  In family gatherings over the week of Christmas I anticipate family conversations about shared ancestors and the cultures and circumstances in which they lived.  The focus will be on the family present this holiday season, so, I don't expect to be back to blogging for a while.  When I resume, it will most likely be on my Starkey family site.  However, I want to post one more 2009 blog for my Blackley ancestors.

The mid-Atlantic states are currently experiencing a heavy snowstorm.  Smyth county Virginia, home of the Davis' and Blakely families in the 1700's, is in the path of that storm and is currently blanketed in white.  Travel in the area has become difficult to impossible and many holiday travelers have had to detour to hotels, motels and shelters in the area as roads became treacherous.  An online, local newspaper, SW VA Today, posted a photo of a snow covered main street worthy of a holiday card.  And another local website, SWVaNow, posted a slide show of picturesque snowscenes in the area. 

(broken links removed - 8/7/2017)

So pull up a comfortable chair, grab a cup of coffee, tea or wine, check out the winter wonderland scenes in these links and imagine Charles and Margaret Blackley preparing for a holiday celebration with their family during the last quarter of the 18th century. Did they begin their celebrations of the Christmas season on December 25th (The Nativity of Jesus)?  Did they have a horse-drawn sleigh for visiting family nearby?  Did they gather together with neighbors and family to worship on Christmas Day or read the Bible to each other at home?  Or did they, as many Scots-Irish did, celebrate "Old Christmas" on January 6th?  What foods did they prepare for their feast -- ham?  wild turkey?  venison?  Did they shoot celebratory rounds from their muskets?  Did they end the day with a bonfire?  If James, Alexander, Sarah, Jesse, Mary, Martha, Charles, Joseph, John or Agnes could tell us their favorite memory of Christmas, what would it be?

Wishing you special memories this Christmas!

Charles Blackley's Last Will and Testament

I expect it to be a while before I am able to add new material to the Charles Blackley family story.  In the meantime, I'll post a few of my research findings that may be of interest.  Below is Charles' Last Will and Testament.  It was written 17 July 1816 in Knox county, Tennessee and was submitted to court for probate in October of that year.  This document provides the married names of Charles' daughters, including a daughter who had presumably preceded him in death (wife of Joseph Adamson).

The last Will and Testament of Charles Blackley dec'd was produced to Court for probate, whereupon James Covey & John McMillan, two of the subscribing witnesses thereto, made oath that they saw the said Chales Blackley deceased sign seal & heared him pronounce publish and declare the same to be his last Will and testament and that he was at the time of publishing the same of sound mind and memory to the best of their knowledge and belief and that they saw Jacob Adamson sign his name as a concurring witness to the same which Will is ordered to be recorded and is in these words, to wit, 

"I, Charles Blackley of the County of Knox & state of Tennessee, being weak and inform in body but of sound mind and memory do hereby make and declare this my last Will and Testament in the words following,  

(Viz) First, I give and bequeath to my beloved wife, Margaret Blackley, all my household furniture and the land I now live on during her natural life & at her Death the land to decend to my son, Joseph Blackley, containing one hundred and forty six acres. 
Second, I give to my son, James Blackley, one dollar. 
Third, I give to my son, Alexander Blackley, one dollar. 
Fourth, I give to my Daughter, Sarah Williams, one dollar. 
Fifth, I give to my son, Jesse Blackley, one dollar. 
Sixth, I give to my daughter, Agnes Dodd, one dollar. 
Seventh, I give to my daughter, Mary Routh, one dollar. 
Eighth, I give to my daughter, Martha Patton, one dollar. 
Ninth, I give to my son-in-law, Joseph Adamson, one dollar. 
Tenth, I give to my son, Charles Blackley, one dollar. 
Eleventh, I give to my son, John Blackley, one dollar. 

I further give and allow my son, Joseph Blackley all my stock of Beasts of every kind and farming tools & all dues owing by him, paying all my just debts of every description and furneral expenses & what ever other expenses may necessarily accrue on the execution of this my Will. 

I do hereby constiture and appoint my son, Joseph Blackley, & William Dodd Executors of this my last Will and Testament; further I do hereby revok & annul and declare void all former Wills & Testaments by me made, Ratifying allowing and confirming this & no other to be my last Will and Testament. 

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand and affixed my seal this 17th day of July in the year of our Lord one thousand Eight hundred and sixteen.

Charles Blackley (SEAL) 
Signed sealed published and declared  by the said Charles Blackley to be his last Will & Testament in Presence of us 
James Covey 
Jacob Adamson 
John McMillan