As intriguing as the possibility was, I’m now convinced that the recently discovered grave in McDuffie County, Georgia is not that of my 5x-great-grandmother.
Phebe Brown Plot Twist
The great thing about having your own family history blog and website is that researchers can find you through Google. For example, if you Google “phebe brown georgia”, my website shows up on the first page of search results. This can have wonderful consequences.
Letters
I got two emails in two consecutive days from fellow genealogists who had stumbled across my blog. One was interested in an old letter that my ancestor had received, another shared old letters that my ancestors had sent.
Part 16 – Epilogue
Finding a 368-page probate file for an ancestor you didn’t know much about is HUGE. A big file usually means the probate was contested. It was surely bad news for the family at the time, but great news for the genealogist looking at the file 160 years later!
Part 15 – Settlement
Daniel Dill’s probate file has a gap of nearly six years, spanning the duration of the Civil War plus a year each before and after. Finally in December, 1866, Daniel’s friend and neighbor Frederick Bromberg made a petition to the court. He asked to be appointed as the administrator of the long-dormant estate.
