Hi Sheila,
Well, it only took 3 weeks for me to DRASTICALLY modify the Adkins line. I’m taking it with a grain of salt…ha ha!
As I had stated on the Nov.23rd post, Landon Cole Alfred Adkins (#6) was listed as the son of Elijah Adkins (#5). I have since found (via the 1860 Wise Co., VA Census) that Landon, his brother Sidney, and mother Matilda were living in the home of Henry Adkins and his wife Sarah Bowman/Vance/Adkins. Matilda is listed as a mulatto servant and Landon and Sidney are listed as her mulatto children. Their last names are “Alfred”.
This census also shows Henry and Sarah as having a daughter named Sarah (age 3). Henry would have been quite old to father this child and Sarah wouldn’t have been a spring chicken either. There is some speculation that little Sarah is actually a granddaughter of Henry’s. If Sarah actually did birth little Sarah…well, kudos to her I guess! Maybe Matilda moved in there to help her. Another mystery…hhhmmm…
On the 1870 Wise Co. census, Landon and Sidney are still living with Sarah but Henry has died by this time and their mother Matilda is no longer living there. For some reason (and at some point), Landon and Sidney took the last name of Adkins. I have found that their mother (Matilda) is a step sister to Sarah Bowman/Vance/Adkins. At this point, I don’t know what became of Matilda. Landon is the only one who listed her as his mother on his marriage certificate in 1878. Both have the last name of “Adkins”.
It is my understanding that the race listed on the census record is pretty much at the discretion of the census taker. Landon’s daughter Ida is as white as white can be…no evidence of any mixed race. Following censuses list Landon as white. Either way, it’s not a problem…just confusing. More questioning of Melungeon lines I guess. I can only imagine what happened to drive the boys away from their mother…maybe she passed away…I don’t know.
Do you think there would be records of some kind if Henry or Sarah “adopted” the boys? Or maybe someone may have this information in their Adkins tree?
Thanks again for the wonderful blog to post my speculations! If I don’t write again before Christmas, I wish you and yours a very “Merry Christmas”!