Dicy Thomas, Possible Mother to James "Speck" Thomas?

I decided to look into the 1850 Lee County, VA census in any attempt to find anymore clues to a possible connection with James "Speck" Thomas and Lee County, VA.  I did find a Dicy Thomas, aged 57.

Name:	Dicy Thomas
Age:	57
Birth Year:	abt 1793
Birthplace:	Virginia
Home in 1850:	District 31, Lee, Virginia
Gender:	Female
Family Number:	1377
Household Members:	Name Age Dicy Thomas 57 George Thomas 37 Jane Thomas 20 Margaret Thomas 17 Nathaniel Thomas 15

Source Citation: Year: 1850; Census Place: District 31, Lee, Virginia; Roll: M432_955; Page: 401A; Image: 330.
Source Information:
Ancestry.com. 1850 United States Federal Census [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2009. Images reproduced by FamilySearch.


Intrigued by the name since James "Speck" Thomas did have a daughter named Dyceann, I decided to see if I could find Lee County Dicy again.  I located her in the 1870 census this time in OWSLEY County, KY.  Note as well the "A" middle initial.  Hrmm!

Name:	Dicey A Thomas
Age in 1870:	79
Birth Year:	abt 1791
Birthplace:	Virginia
Home in 1870:	Booneville, Owsley, Kentucky
Race:	White
Gender:	Female
Post Office:	Booneville
Value of real estate:	View image
Household Members:	Name Age Nathaniel Thomas 36 Margaret E Thomas 8 George A Thomas 6 Dicey A Thomas 79

Source Citation: Year: 1870; Census Place: Booneville, Owsley, Kentucky; Roll: M593_494; Page: 307A; Image: 9; Family History Library Film: 545993.
Source Information:
Ancestry.com. 1870 United States Federal Census [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2009. Images reproduced by FamilySearch.


And again in the 1880 census still in Owsley County, KY.

Name:	Dicy A. Thomas
Age:	91
Birth Year:	abt 1789
Birthplace:	Virginia
Home in 1880:	Booneville, Owsley, Kentucky
Race:	White
Gender:	Female
Relation to Head of House:	Mother
Marital Status:	Widowed
Father's Birthplace:	Virginia
Mother's Birthplace:	Virginia
Neighbors:	View others on page
Occupation:	At Home
Cannot read/write: Blind: Deaf and dumb: Otherwise disabled: Idiotic or insane:	View image
Household Members:	Name Age Nathaniel Thomas 45 George A. Thomas 16 Dicy A. Thomas 91

Source Citation: Year: 1880; Census Place: Booneville, Owsley, Kentucky; Roll: 438; Family History Film: 1254438; Page: 295D; Enumeration District: 079; Image: 0273.
Source Information:
Ancestry.com and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. 1880 United States Federal Census [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2010. 1880 U.S. Census Index provided by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints © Copyright 1999 Intellectual Reserve, Inc. All rights reserved. All use is subject to the limited use license and other terms and conditions applicable to this site.


Owsley County, KY is one of the prominent Kentucky counties in our Thomas line, so this bears further research to see if perhaps Lee County Dicy is possibly a relation.  Perhaps she was the mother of James "Speck" Thomas who later named a daughter after her...

James "Speck" Thomas and Lee County, VA

Its been awhile, but the search is still on-going.  Last I heard, no one has any new information on our missing James "Speck" Thomas.  I did find a reference to Lee County, VA being his birthplace on the birth registry of his son, Wilson Thomas.  However, armed with this new information and looking up the 1840 Lee County, VA census left me with more questions.  Namely, how to proceed from there.

Wilson Thomas birth registry, 1874

I looked up the 1840 Lee County, VA census and found a George Thomas, James Thomas, John Thomas and two Joseph Thomases.  Our James "Speck" Thomas was born around 1827 which would put him roughly at 13 yrs. old in 1840.  George, James and John Thomas on the census all have 2 male children ranging in ages from 10-15.  Could one of these be our James "Speck" Thomas?

1840 Lee County, VA census

1840 Lee County, VA census

How could we even find out?

Sherman L. Thomas, The Grand Uncle

Birth: 19 Sep 1917 in Adair, Kentucky
Death: 7 March 1943 in Ottawa, La Salle, Illinois, USA


SIX KILLED IN AUTO-TRAIN COLISION


 DAILY REPUBLICAN-TIMES


 OTTAWA, ILL.,


 MOMDAY, MARCH 8, 1943

 in-part:

FOUND BODY OF NEWBORN BABY WITH MOTHER: 8 children Orphaned by tragedy; Victims Badly Mangled.

Six deaths, including a baby born prematurely during the accident, resulted from a railroad crossing collision of a train and auto here at 4:27 p.m. yesterday. Eight children were orphaned by the tragedy. The dead are Leslie Robinson, 31, and his wife, Edith, 26, Sherman Thomas, 25, his wife, Ethel, 33, and prematurely born male child of eight months' gestation, and Mrs. Edna Robinson Disier, 19, a recent bride, whose husband, Pvt. Donald Disier, is stationed at Indiantown Gap, Pa.

Mrs. Disier, Mrs. Thomas and Leslie Robinson were sisters and brother.

The accident occurred at the East street crossing of the Rock Island Railroad a short distance west of the King and Hamilton manufacturing plant. The crossing is seldom used, and is unprotected by flagman or gates.

The automobile, driven by Robinson, was struck by an east bound extra train pulling 13 empty Pullman's and a caboose. The auto was carried on the cowcather of the locomotive a distance of about five blocks to Guion street, where the train was stopped.

Children Orphaned.

Orphaned children of the accident victims are being cared for at the Thomas home by neighbors until other arrangements can be made.

Mr. And Mrs. Robinson are survived by four children. Thomas, 9, Richard, 5, Ronnie, 4, and Bobbie, 3. Mrs. Thomas who was an expectant mother, had four children, Phyllis Ann Thomas, 3, Peggy Joyce Thomas, 2, Bradley Reynolds, 12, and Hugh Reynolds, 17, Mrs. Thomas was formerly the wife of Joseph Reynolds, from whom she was divorced.

Robinson, Mrs. Thomas and Mrs. Disier were children of Lee Robinson of 407 East Michigan street. Their mother is deceased, Surviving relatives include four brothers, Bert and Hugh Robinson of Ottawa, Hansford of Camp Bellville, Ky., and Garland, who is in the army.

Thomas' survivors include Wayne Thomas, a brother, who is in the army, and three sisters, Inez, Pauline and Clora, A sister, Flora Thomas, is deceased. Mrs. Leslie Robinson was Edith Halloway, and formerly lived at Lexington, Ill., where her parents reside.

Mr. And Mrs. Thomas and Robinson were born in Kentucky; Mrs. Robinson was born in Ottawa, and Mrs. Disier was born in Marseilles. Since her recent marriage. Mrs. Disier had resided at the Thomas home. The Robinson home was at 1212 Division street.

Robinson was employed by the Libbey-Owens-Ford company, and Thomas by the Chicago Bridge and Iron company at Seneca. Mrs. Disier was employed at the Ford-Hopkins drug store in Ottawa, in the soda fountain and lunch room department.

Funeral arrangements for the accident victims had not been completed this afternoon, but services were tentatively planned for Wednesday.

Six years ago, Walter Robinson, brother of Leslie, was killed in an automobile collision at Superior and Chestnut streets.

On Nov. 1, 1940, Barbara Disier, the 8-year-old sister of Pvt. Disier (whose wife was killed yesterday) met death on U.S. Highway 6, when hit by an automobile on Brewery Hill.

Two inquests Conducted.

Henry Thomas - The Great Great Grandpa!

Unfortunately I have not run across any old photos or stories of Henry Thomas... hopefully even a few stories still exist in the minds of people I haven't met yet.  So the only things I know about Henry Thomas are the records I have diligently tracked down for about 10 years now, and they are few.  Really this all began with trying to find him - some people search for Bobby Fischer.  I was searching for Henry Thomas.

Henry Thomas was born in McKee, Jackson County, Kentucky on Feb. 26, 1890.

The earliest record I have of Henry is from the 1900 census which incidentally was the 12th census of the United States.  He was 10 years old and living in Horse Lick, Jackson County, Kentucky.  He could read but not write.  He helped out on his father's farm.  He lived with his parents and his brother Harvey and he had 5 little sisters: Sarildy (probably after Mary Moore's mother, Sarilda Pennington), Lina (probably after Gelina Hundley), Maudy, Lucinda (probably after Lottie Robison's mother, Lucinda Stevenson Lewis), and Angeline.

1900 Census

By 1910, the family had moved to Casey Creek in Adair County.  By this point, Henry had learned to write, and he had even MORE sisters!  Bessie, Emma, Cora and Ella.  He also had a new baby brother, Jesse.

1910 Census

On June 5, 1917, Henry registered for the World War I drafts.  He was 27 years old and living in Speck, Adair County,  Kentucky.  He listed no previous military service and is described as short and stout with blue eyes and brown hair.

WWI Draft Registration

In 1920, we find Henry Thomas living in South Lebanon, Marion County, Kentucky with his wife Lottie Robinson and a small farm.  They have twin baby girls, Clora and Flora, and two sons: Sherman and Wayne (my grandfather).

1920 Census

Between 1920 and 1927, Henry had more daughters: Violet, Augusta, Inez, and Pauline.

Henry died at the young age of 37 in Spurlington, Taylor County, Kentucky of acute peritonitis and appendix abscess on December 12, 1927.  He was buried the next day at Union Ridge cemetery which is now called Spurlington United Methodist Church Cemetery, and I'll try to find his grave in August.

Death Certificate

The Hunt Continues

Well after going through every birth record in Owsley County in 1852 - 1859, 1874, 1876 - 1879, I found a birthplace of Lee County, Virginia listed for James "Speck" Thomas.  Having never heard of Lee County, VA as a place of interest in all this research before, this is exciting!

Now I'll have to tackle some surrounding counties and Laurel county's records.

On a sidenote - I think it was a prerequisite of recorders in those days to go through special schooling and learn how to write in the same tiny, scrunched-up, eye-jerking penmanship.

Captain Levi Pennington

Capt. Levi Pennington (1821 - 1862)

is your 4th great grand uncle

Abel Pennington (1797 - 1881)
Father of Capt. Levi

Preston Pennington (1826 - 1864)
Son of Abel

Sarilda J. Pennington (1849 - 1941)
Daughter of Preston

Mary E Moore (1868 - 1946)
Daughter of Sarilda J.

Henry Thomas (1890 - 1927)
Son of Mary E

Wayne H Thomas (1919 - 2003)
Son of Henry

Wayne H. Thomas Jr. (1948 - )
Son of Wayne H

C. Thomas
You are the daughter of Wayne H. Jr.
*****

Father
Abel Pennington (1797-1881)
Mother
Elizabeth Bolling (1794-1866)
Spouse
Rachel Cornett Combs (1824-1908)
Married 1842
Children
Elisha "Elihu" (1843-)
Nancy "Mannery" Jane (1845-)
Preston (1846-)
Ellander "Ella" (1848-1927)
Martha (1849-)
Mary Magdalene (1852-)
Lucy Jane (1854-)
John (1856-)
Orlena "Arlena" (1858-)
Minatree Lincoln "Link" (1861-)

*****

Name: Levi Pennington

Enlistment Date: 19 Aug 1861
Rank at enlistment: 1st Lieut
State Served: Kentucky
Survived the War?: No
Service Record: Commissioned an officer in Company C, Kentucky 7th Infantry Regiment on 22 Sep 1861.
Promoted to Full Captain on 05 Dec 1862.
Mustered out on 29 Dec 1862 at Chickasaw Bluffs, MS.
Sources: Report of the Adjutant General of the State of Kentucky
*****

Name: Levi Pennington
Spouse: Rachel Cornett Combs
Parents: Abel Pennington, Elizabeth Bolling
Birth Place: Perry Co, KY
Birth Date: 30 Aug 1821
Marriage Place: Perry Co, KY
Marriage Date: 10 Nov 1842
Death Place: Vicksburg
Death Date: 29 Dec 1862

Levi Pennington died in the "Battle of Vicksburg" during the Civil War. He was Captain of Company C, 7th. KY. Volunteers. Family is taken from 1860 Census, Jackson Co., KY and information given by Susie Powell, daughter of Minatree Lincoln Pennington. Family listed in 1860 census, Johnson Co., KY.

Genealogy Makes You Learn History

The earliest record we have found on James Speck Thomas places him in Owsley County, Kentucky in the year 1850.  Owsley County had only been formed 7 years before that from parts of Clay, Estill, and Breathitt Counties, and it was only 51 years before that on June 1, 1792 that Kentucky became the 15th state to be admitted to the union with full consent from Virginia.

Kentucky Counties 1818

Kentucky Counties 1855

There were a handful of other Thomas families found in the 1850 census in Owsley County, and all but one listed their birthplace as Kentucky.  There is ANOTHER James Thomas (40 years old) whose birthplace is listed as Virginia.  He's married to a Polley (birthplace listed as KY, 28 years old) and their children Ann, Presley, Amanda and America.  Whether or not there may be a connection to our James is still a mystery - I'm only using the birthplace as a clue to another investigation.  It may mean nothing.  Trying to figure out James Speck Thomas' parentage has been at a standstill now though for years - I may just request the assistance of you male Thomas' for DNA testing!  Whose interested?