GEORGE-L Archives

From: "Jerry Bryan" <>
Subject: Unidentified subject!
Date: Fri, 13 Dec 2002 12:07:16 -0500

I wrote recently about my ggg grandmother Rebecca Frances George of Stokes
County, North Carolina. I think I may have discovered who her father was.
I think her father was Presley George Sr. But the evidence consists only of
family naming patters. I still do not have any hard evidence.

Rebecca Frances George was born 7 Mar 1816 in North Carolina, d. 5 Jan 1892
in Jefferson County, Tennessee. She married Thomas Fielden Slaton on 14 Feb
1840 in Stokes County, North Carolina. They moved to Jefferson County,
Tennessee in about 1848 or 1849, and lived in Jefferson County thereafter.

Jacob George, William George, and James George were enumerated in the 1840
census for Stokes County. I have wondered if one of them might have been
Rebeccas father. But just recently, I was looking at the 1830 census for
Stokes County. There we find James George, Presley George, William George,
and William H. George. Then it hit me - Uncle Press!

Uncle Press Harrison was my grandfathers uncle. My grandfather Emmert Oral
Bryan was the son of William Harley (Harley) Bryan and Nancy Virginia
(Nannie) Harrison. Press Harrison was Nannie Harrisons brother. Presss
full name was Pressley George Harrison, and he was the grandson of Rebecca
Frances George.

I have had Pressley George Harrison in my data base for several years. But
I either never noticed the "George", or else just assumed it was a standard
given name like in "George Washington". But in Uncle Press's case, I now
think his middle name of George was a family name, and that he was named for
Presley George.

Press Harrison was the son of Joseph Harrison and Susan A. Slaton. Susan A.
Slaton in turn was the daughter of Rebecca Frances George. So its worth
remembering that some of this naming of children was being done by Rebecca
Frances Georges daughter. The Joseph Harrison family did not follow a
standard naming pattern (first son named for fathers father, etc.), but
there does seem to be a naming pattern. Here is how I have charted it out.

Harrison brothers (grandsons of Rebecca Frances George)

1877 John David Harrison
1881 Thomas Slaton Harrison (twin)
1881 Daniel (Dan) Harrison (twin)
1884 William Alexander (Alex)Harrison
1889 Pressley George (Press) Harrison

father Joseph Harrison

grandfathers Daniel Harrison
Thomas Fielden Slaton, h/o Rebecca Frances George

g grandfathers David Harrison
unknown Brown
William Slaydon
unknown George, f/o Rebecca Frances George

None of the brothers were named for their father Joseph.

Thomas Slaton Harrison and Daniel (Dan) Harrison were clearly named for
their grandfathers, Thomas Slaton and Daniel Harrison, respectively. They
were the second and third sons, which is an unusual pattern for being named
after grandfathers. Also, since they were twins, I dont really who was the
second son and who was the third. So I dont know if the English order or
the German order of naming sons after grandfathers was being followed. The
English order was usually mothers father first. The German and
Scotch-Irish order was usually fathers father first.

John David Harrison was probably named after his g grandfather David
Harrison. I cant explain the "John". Perhaps "unknown Brown" was John
Brown. William Alexander (Alex) Harrison was probably named after his g
grandfather William Slaydon. I cant explain the "Alexander". I dont have
middle names for any of the g grandfathers, and that lack of data can make
analysis of naming patterns a little tricky.

That brings us to Pressley George (Press) Harrison. Possibly, he was named
for his g grandfather, which would mean that his g grandfather was Presley
George. Well, theres another option which is essentially equivalent.
Presley George was Presley George Sr. So if Thomas Fielden Slatons wife
Rebecca Frances George was the daughter of Presley George Sr., then she had
a brother named Presley George Jr. If Pressley George Harrison was named
for Presley George, whos to say if it was for Sr. or Jr.?

I think the presence in the family of a Thomas Slaton Harrison named for
Thomas Slaton is very suggestive. By analogy, it makes sense that Pressley
George Harrison was named for Presley George.

I found a GEDCOM for Presley George Sr. of Stokes County who married Mary
Cook, and the GEDCOM has a list of children. Unfortunately, my Rebecca
Frances George is not in the list. I dont know where the list of children
came from. Im guessing it came from Presleys will. And again Im
guessing, but I suspect his will would be found at

Preslly GEORGE, Stokes Co., NC, 1867, Will Book 5, page 40

Does anybody actually have a copy of the will who would be willing to share?

One problem with the will is that even if my Rebecca Frances George was the
daughter of Presley George Sr. and Mary Cook, Rebecca might not have been
mentioned in the will because she was living in Tennessee.

Here is the 1830 census entry for Pressley George Sr.

p.258, Stokes County, North Carolina, 1830
Presley George 0201201-1020201

00-04 1826-1830 0 1 Sarah M.
05-09 1821-1825 2 0 Andrew, Reuben
10-14 1816-1820 0 2 Elizabeth, Mary
15-19 1811-1815 1 0 Presley Jr.
20-29 1801-1810 2 2 William C., Martin, Charity
30-39 1791-1800 0 0
40-49 1781-1790 1 1 Presley George, Mary Cook

This census entry creates a problem for my theory. There is no room for
Rebecca Frances George b. 1816 to fit. There is an unfilled slot for a
daughter b.1801-1810, and I don't know how accurate the data is that I have
on the ages of the children. So I don't want to rule out Presley as
Rebecca's father just quite yet.

I cannot find Presley George Sr. in the 1840 census for Stokes County. Here
is my best guess as to where he was enumerated in 1840.

p.198, Tyrrell County, North Carolina, 1840
Presley George 001100001-001000001

00-04 1836-1840 0 0
05-09 1831-1835 0 0
10-14 1826-1830 1 1
15-19 1821-1825 1 0
20-29 1811-1820 0 0
30-39 1801-1810 0 0
40-49 1791-1800 0 0
50-59 1781-1790 0 0
60-69 1771-1780 1 1 Presley George, Mary Cook?

The children's ages don't line up quite right, but they often don't between
1830 and 1840. Also, Tyrrell County would, I think, be an unusual migration
pattern because it's pretty far east of Stokes County and families tended to
move east-to-west rather than west-to-east. So this may not be him, but
it's the best guess I have.

Here is the 1850 census entry for Pressley George Sr.

Quaker Gap Division, Stokes County, North Carolina, 15 Aug 1850
p.83b, HN 224, FN 225
George Presley Sr. 69 m w farmer $5000 VA
Mary 66 f w NC
Palmer Presley 17 m w farmer NC
Elias 15 m w VA
Mary J. 13 f w VA
Nancy 11 f w VA

The Palmer children were the grandchildren of Presley George Sr. and Mary
Cook. They were the children of Elijah Palmer and Charity George.

If the 1867 will is for this Presley George, then there should be an 1860
census entry for him. There probably is one, but I haven't found it yet
because I don't have an index for the 1860 North Carolina census.

Jerry Bryan


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This thread:

• Unidentified subject! by "Jerry Bryan" <>