Always searching....

Today I joined this web site in hopes of learning more about my family through connecting with more "cousins" and friends of our families. I am going to try and add information about people in my family, their stories as I have learned about them. I hope you will join me in reading about their lives, adventures, thoughts and times.  

My father's side of the family, though with plenty of questions and mysteries, is a much easier (and I use that term lightly) to find and research. They are all in North Carolina, since the 18th century at least.  His mother's family is from in and around Lenoir County and his father's family are in Halifax County. The most historical of figures being my 5th great grandfather, the First Governor of North Carolina, Richard Caswell. I am currently writing a book on Richard Caswell and his experiences with being a member of the Continental Congress and his many other contributions to both country and state.

My mother's is a bit more frustrating and mysterious. She was born in Illinois, Moline to be exact. Her mother's line coming from Scotland and England, with her English grandmother arriving in 1893 and her grandfather's family coming from Scotland about 20yrs earlier. On her father's line they are as new as her Northern Irish grandfather coming over in the early 1850's to her grandmother's Mayflower roots, a direct descendant of 5 of the Mayflower passengers. I must admit to being quite interested many years ago to learn that my 3rd great grandmother was a tried, convicted and hung witch, Susannah North Martin. I like to remind my husband of that fact now and again. :)

So, I find my family quite interesting in having those who founded the country, fought to free it, fought to keep it free and those who sought it's freedoms and opportunities. I would like to post here some of their stories, photos and maybe, hoping, to make a connection or two....