Wednesday's Woman: Janet "Jenny" Freeman

Mystery by ~randis, deviantart.com

Janet "Jenny" Freeman remains a mysterious part of our family history.  Thus far, I don't know of anyone who has been able to break through the "brick wall" which has prevented her current descendants from finding out more about her.  She is listed in my records and the records of countless other researchers as Janet "Jenny" Freeman, but even most of her name is based on family tradition rather than actual fact.  

I received an email, dated January 7, 2012,  from Michele Simmons Lewis who has repeatedly attempted to find out more about our Janet.  She wrote:

There is a lot of 'family lore' about Janet, none of which has been confirmed with credible sources.  All we know for sure is that Silas Simmons was married to a woman named Janet who was born in SC per the 1850 census records.  Janet died before the 1860 census was taken.  Our biggest roadblock has been the fact that the Perry Co, MS courthouse burned in 1877 and there are no records to be had.  Perry Co, MS was formed from Greene Co and the Greene Co courthouse burned in 1874.  The only records that survived these two courthouse fires were the county property tax rolls which were sent to Jackson every year.  Unfortunately, even though Silas shows up in these records repeatedly, there is no account of Janet.  Here are some of the 'theories' that Simmons researchers have been claiming over the years:

1.  Janet was born near Georgetown, SC

2.  She was called "Jenny" or "Jennie"

3.  She was a Choctaw or Cherokee Indian.  Thus far all contact with the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians has been fruitless (several researchers, including myself, have tried to get the Choctaws to search through their records but they have been very uncooperative).  In Wiliam Houston Simmons' Family Bible, the following entry is made:  Silas Simmons from Kentucky [North Carolina is written, then marked out with Kentucky written above] 18 [it appears the first two digits of a date were written but not completed] married Indian girl (Squerloque Miss) [it is unknown where this is].  Possibly Shuqualak?  There were two Shuqualaks, one in Noxubee Co and one in Neshoba Co both of which was located in Choctaw lands.  It is less likely that she would have been Cherokee.  In another part of William Houston Simmons' Family Bible he made the notation, "Indian (Choctaw)" [Note:  Some researchers have Janet's "Indian name" as Squerloque!  This is completely wrong!  Squerloque is definitely a PLACE.]

4.  Janet's last name was Freeman or McCarter or McCardle

5.  Janet was an orphan raised by a family named Brown

In the email, Michele Simmons Lewis went on to explain the pursuit of the Indian connection by some of Janet's descendants in relation to the 1830 Treaty of Dancing Rabbit Creek.  She wrote, "In the 1940's, the Choctaw Nation sued the state of Mississippi saying they had been cheated out of their land and they wanted compensation."  According to Michele, some of Janet's descendants tried to prove their Indian connection thinking they would be compensated because of the aforementioned lawsuit.  Michele states she tried to follow up on those family claims with the Choctaw Nation but they denied everything and they were very uncooperative.  

To sum it all up, we have a lot of family lore surrounding Janet, but no actual proof of anything except her first name.

On the 1820 census, there was a Thomas McCardle, Silas Simmons, Cornelius Freeman and James Freeman all on the same page:

Thomas McCardle- line 8

Silas Simmons- line 10

Cornelius Freeman- line 21 (he was the right age to have been James Freeman's son)

James Freeman- line 22

The 1830 and 1840 census are in alphabetical order.  On the 1850 census, Silas Simmons is dwelling 185, Thomas McCardle is dwelling 97.  By that time, Cornelius and James Freeman were both deceased.  

Who was Janet?  Was her surname Freeman or McCardle?  I wish I knew with certainty.  

If anyone has clues to the mystery surrounding our Janet, please get in contact with me.  Thank you!

Wednesday's Woman: Mary Louise Landry Rockforte

Mary Louise Landry Rockforte was married to my husband's "Uncle Peter".   She was also my husband's Godmother.  We simply called her "Aunt Mary".  

My husband and I always enjoyed our trips to see Aunt Mary.  When she found out we were coming, she would usually plan to cook one of her delicious cajun dishes, like Crawfish Stew, Gumbo or a Mirliton Casserole.  Oh my, now that woman could whip up some cajun dishes! We never left her house hungry- maybe "miserably overstuffed", but never hungry!  

We usually spent an entire day with her, sipping on her strong (and I do mean STRONG) coffee and catching up on all the latest "family gossip".  Aunt Mary seemed to know a little bit about everyone.  She probably knew so much because of all the years she was one of the top Avon representatives in the area.  She traveled 5 days each week, going door to door, taking Avon orders and making deliveries, and she did that for many, many years.  I can only imagine how much information she amassed on local families during that time.  

For several years, Aunt Mary spent her spare time doing crafts- she loved working with yarn and fabric and had tons of craft supplies in one of her spare bedrooms.  She would sell her handmade items to individuals and at local craft festivals.  I still have the beautiful personalized Christmas stockings she made for each of our children; they became part of our Christmas decor for many years. 

After she retired from the Avon business, Aunt Mary became heavily involved in researching the family history.  Walking into her kitchen had become like walking into the public library.  Bookcases lined her kitchen walls, from end to end, and the shelves were stacked with notebooks filled with information on the family surnames.  Aunt Mary is the one who ignited my desire to begin my own family research.  She was my very first teacher in genealogy.  She spent hours upon hours thumbing through the diocese records and through books at the library.  Aunt Mary was hopelessly hooked on genealogy, much like I am now.

Aunt Mary was a strong, vivacious woman who was also outspoken and opinionated, much like my own mother.  Perhaps that is part of the reason I liked her so much :).  One never had to guess what Aunt Mary was thinking. 

I really miss her.  I miss spending the day with her, talking about our progress on the family research and exchanging information.  I miss her enthusiasm and her warm smile that always greeted us at the back door.  I miss her delicious cajun meals.  However, I can't honestly say that I miss her strong coffee, whew!  Coffee creamer and half-n-half would only disappear when poured in the muddy waters of my cup.  Just imagine, my Mississippi family thinks that I make strong coffee- they know nothing :))

Sometimes when I think of Aunt Mary, I imagine her being in heaven with her notebook and pen handy- scribbling down information on the surnames of the Saints.  I would be willing to bet that she knows all of the latest news up there :)

Christmas stockings made by Aunt Mary,

photo taken in 1998