Happy Imbolc and Happy Ground Hog Day too!

, originally uploaded by willisgirl.

Today, I had the day off work for Imbolc. I mainly spent the day researching my family roots. This was all inspired by watching a PBS mini-series called, African Americans Lives. The show is hosted by Henry Louis Gates, Jr. On the show he, (most likely his team of researchers) would basically research the roots of prominent modern day African Americans such as, Oprah Winfrey, Whoopi Goldberg, Quincy Jones, etc. After they finished their research they would then present their findings to the celebrities to get there reactions.

The reason I found this show fascinating was not only the familial insight I got into the background of African American celebrities but the whole focus on genealogy. You see I have always been fascinated with the idea of tracing my family roots. However, every time I tried to research my family I went up against a brick walls I even had an uncle now deceased who at the time was the oldest living Willis forbid me from researching the family. This of course made me wonder what was the horrible event that happened in my family that he was trying to hide. Was it murder, rape, incest, prostitution, or maybe they were gun runners or bootleggers?

Also, curiously, my family does not have an oral history like the majority of African American families do. So the only thing I know about the Willis family is that both my grandparents Edward and Mamie Willis were from Gloucester, Virginia and that there is some sort of a link with the West Indies. The most recent information I found out is that they lived in the Ware township of Gloucester, Virginia.

After feeling fired up from watching the mini-series I went to the African America Lives web site and read the suggestion that Henry Louis Gates, Jr. wrote for researching African American families. Gates suggested that research for African American families should start with the 1870 census. I had never heard that advice before. Wow!

I found the names of my grandparents whom I never met as well as their parents and siblings. Heck, my father does not even know his grandparents names and now I do! The reason is because by the time he was born in 1929 his grandparents had long since left this Earth.

First off, I did not bother with going to Ancestry.com because I feel that information like that should be free for every one and not held hostage for a price. Also I am suspicious of sites that seemed to be geared soley towards getting your credit card number. So I went over to the USGen Web Census Project. I love this site because it is 100% free!! Also it contains typewritten legible US Census Information. I imagine that if I went to ancestry.com I would have to decipher through the original handwriting of the census taker. On the USGEN Web Census Project website someone else has went through the herculean effort of deciphering old time handwriting in to modern day type.

While at USGen Web Census Project I found my grandmother, Mamie Evans at age 10 in the 1900 census. The Evans family appear to have been farmers. Also in the 1900 census I found a set of my fathers uncle and aunt. An interesting side note I found is that one of my maybe possible ancestors married a Cosby. I am not sure if this Cosby is in any way related to Bill Cosby. I only found this out because I found a curious family name of Cue Willis popping up during this period of history, 1870-1900. So I decided to do a Google search on the name and found someone who was a direct descendant of Cue and Phoebe Willis. He/She mentioned that Phoebes maiden name was Cosby.

1900 Census

My Fathers Mothers Family

William Evans.........50....Head of Household......Farmer (my great grandfather)

Ellen Evans.............40....Wife (my great grandmother)

Minkie Evans...........14....Daughter

William Evans..........12....Son

Bertha Evans............11....Daughter (my father recalls her visiting every year from Virginia)

Mamie Evans............10....Daughter (my grandmother)

Alice Evans..................4.....Daughter (I have very vague memories of Aunt Alice! I recall that she was a light skinned little old lady. She had a raspy voice and a slight mustache. She also seemed to be fond of drink. I found her to be very, very, scary!)


Some of My Fathers Uncle/Aunt Family

Farasser? Willis.........34........Head of Household...Farmer (I feel that the census taker misinterpreted the name and that it is in reality something different from Farasser. I think he could be either Alexander or Farmer? Willis son of Delia Willis my great grandmother)

Bettie Willis...............36........Wife

Orick Willis.................12.......Son...........................Farm Laborer

Purcell Willis.................8.......Son (My fathers Uncle Percy)

Nanny B Willis...............6......Daughter (My fathers Aunt Nan)

Frizell...............................4......erroneously listed in census as a daughter. The peculiar name of Frizell in my family is a male name. My fathers name is Frizell as is one of his nephews. They were both named after a male relative who became a lawyer.

Farasser? L........................1 (I feel that the census taker misinterpreted this name as well)


Next Door To My Fathers Uncle/Aunt Family (Farassers Cousin Benji?)

Benjamin F. Willis.....36.....Head of Household......Blacksmith
Susan Willis................32.....Wife
Tera E? Willis................1......Son

Four Door Down The Street (Brother to Benji and Farrassers cousin?)

Cue Willis..............38............Head of Household..........Carpenter

Phoebe Willis........35............Wife (maiden name Cosby)

Margaret Willis.......12............Daughter

Theotes? Willis.........8............Son

Annie Willis................6............Daughter

Bertha Willis...............4............Daughter

Ruth Willis...................2............Daughter

Hoke Willis..................2.............Son

Baby Willis..................0 Months Old

I also believe that I found my grandfather, Edward Willis in the 1880 census at age 2. It appears that his mother was a widow. Could the family shame be that my grandfathers mother, Delia Willis, was a single mother raising 7 kids alone? The next question I have to find out is when did her husband die? Was it before or well after little Edward was born? If it was after then, Oh Boy! This could be a case for Jerry Springer or Maury Povich, Who is Delias Baby Daddy? Or maybe the father is one of her brother in-laws who curiously enough is also a widower? What the heck happened to their spouses? Did they really die or maybe run off together? There are five billion questions running through my mind about this.

Another interesting fact I found out is that the Willis conglomerate of families lived next door to the Graham family. I have an aunt who married a Graham. I wonder if he was a descendant of the next door neighbors?

1880 Census

My Fathers Father Family

Delia Willis...............45.........Head of household.....Laborer (my great grandmother)

Alexander Willis......25.........Son.................................Oysterman

Farmer? Willis..........19.........Son.................................Oysterman (possible misinterpretation by census taker of this relatives true first name)

Julia Willis.................20........Daughter........................Laborer

Martha Willis.............16.........Daughter.......................Laborer

William H. Willis..........5.........Son

Edward Willis...............2..........Son (my grandfather)

The House Next Door (my great grandmothers son-in-laws?)

John Willis..............49.......Head of Household....House Carpenter

Margaret Willis.......46.......Wife................................Keeping House

John Willis..............25........Son................................Carpenter

Joseph Willis..........22........Son................................Carpenter

Thomas Willis.........20........Son................................Farm Hand

Cue Willis................18........Son................................Farm Hand

Benjamin Willis.......17.......Son................................Farm Hand

Maria Willis..............15.......Daughter.......................Domestic Servant

Elizabeth Willis........13.......Daughter.......................Farm Hand

Timothy Willis...........10.......Son

Margaret Willis............7.......Son

The House Next Door (Johns widowed brother?)

Cue Willis...................40........House Carpenter

Harriet Willis...............13........Daughter

Edith Willis.....................9........Daughter

I have not tried to research my mothers side of the family because I am sure that I can find out that information in less than five minutes. My mothers maiden name is Jiggetts and as far as I can tell ALL THE JIGGETTS ARE AFRICAN AMERICAN. They are not as mysterious about there background as my fathers side of the family is. No one from that side of the family has ever forbid me from looking up the family history. Heck, nearly every year the Jiggetts hold a big family reunion.

My mothers people were originally from South Hill, Virginia then moved to Nansemond County, Virginia which is where my mother was born. Sadly, Nansemond County no longer exits. It has long since been incorporated into Richmond, Virginia. From Virginia my grandparents, Bob and May Time Jiggetts moved on to Baltimore. They stayed in Baltimore until the day they died.

The most prominent members of the Jiggetts family that I know I am related to are George and Martha Jiggetts of New Jersey. They have owned theJiggetts Transportation bus company for well over 50 years. I remember as a child that they would come down to visit my grandparents Bob and May Time during the summer.

I just did a Google search on them and I found two nice aricles that someone wrote about them. One article talks about the struggle that George Jiggetts went though in migrating from South Hill, Virginia to New Jersey. The other article goes through a brief history of the Jiggetts Transportation Company complete with photos of George and Martha.

The only thing I can think to write is that if your last name is Jiggetts there is a 100% chance that we are somehow related. Also if anyone out there has any information about the mysterious Willis Family from Gloucester, Virginia in the Ware township circa 1870-1900 please send me an email.