Today in Family History - 08 Jul

Today's event in family history is a bit speculative, not so much because the date is uncertain but because the lineage is uncertain.

John Pleasant Worsham and Mourning Bennett were married on this day in 1785 in Pittsylvania County, Virginia. I am unsure of the exact source of this date, but I have seen it transcribed in a few listings of Pittsylvania County marriage records, so I believe it is likely correct.

Signature of John Pleasant Worsham [1]

John and Mourning are presumed to be the parents of Jeremiah Worsham, my 4th great-grandfather (Baldwin line). John was a Patriot of the American Revolution who died in Washington County, Alabama in 1849. He was a Private in the Captain William Dicks Company, the Captain John Wynn Company, the Captain Charles Hutcherson Company, and the Captain Thomas Guess Company of the Virginia Regiment. He fought in the Battle of Weitzel's Mill and the Siege of York [1, 2].

John had lived in Washington County for many, many years dating back to as early as 1811 [1, 3]. His brother Jeremiah Worsham, Jr. (born cir. 1762, a different Jeremiah than my 4th great-grandfather) was also living in Washington County. John can be seen on the United States census in 1830 [4] and 1840 [5] in Washington County, Alabama.

Before emigrating to Mexican Texas in 1835, Jeremiah Worsham lived not far from Washington County, Alabama. He is seen on the 1830 United States census in Marengo County, Alabama[6]. The only other Worshams in the Alabama census that could logically be his parents are the brothers John and Jeremiah, Jr. The children of Jeremiah, Jr. are fairly well documented, and Jeremiah does not fit in the list. So, it has been presumed that John Pleasant Worsham is the father of Jeremiah Worsham.

This is a very speculative conjecture. But, after some discussion with Larry Washam, who is well-versed in the Worsham/Washam family, it seemed a very good hypothesis that John and Mourning are the parents of Jeremiah. (The result of this discussion appears on page 646 in the addenda of his book.)

References

[1] Records of the U. S. National Archives and Records Admin: Revolutionary War Pension Files. File #S11658, John Worsham. Sworn testimony, John Worsham, 10 Dec 1833. Page 1 Page 2 Page 3 Page 4.

[2] Records of the U. S. National Archives and Records Admin: Revolutionary War Pension Files. File #S11658, John Worsham. Pension documents, John Worsham. Page 1 Page 2.

[3] Waddell, Barbara and Doris Brown, Records of Washington County, Alabama, 1988. Page 11, Washington County, Mississippi Territory 1816 Census.

[4] 1830 United States Census. Washington County, Alabama, Page 249 B.

[5] 1840 United States Census. Washington County, Alabama, Page 280 B.

[6] 1830 United States Census. Marengo County, Alabama, Page ?.