For many years genealogists researching the family of one Alfred M.

Newly discovered records in reference to the family of Alfred M. Yancey

For many years genealogists researching the family of one Alfred M. & Lucy Ann Yancey have had much trouble in really documenting the family - both as to his parents and his children. Recently information was submitted by both Brenda Whitfield and Darlene Hough that helps better document the family. The documents provided by Brenda Whitfield appear to have been in the McMasters family for some time. They appear to have been written about 1890-1900. Following are transcriptions of a few important excerpts of these papers. These documents appear to document all the children of Alfred M. and Lucy Ann Yancey along with birth dates.

Note: Alfred M. Yancey of Giles County, TN was the son of John & Elizabeth L. (Moore) Yancey and the grandson of Bartlett Yancey Sr of North Carolina.

Below - Extracts from the Brenda Whitfield "McMasters Documents"

[document #1]

Burnsville Miss
Jany 1 [paper torn]
Jas B. Goff & son - Austin Texas

Your's of the 24th of Dec to hand your [paper torn] question was how many brothers and sisters [paper torn]

James Yancey have. He had (3) three to wit -

Alford Moore Yancey was born in the year of 1792 [looks like 1893 written over with 1792] and died Decr 12th 1871 in Giles Co., Tenn. He married his cousin Lucy Ann Yancey in the year of 1814 in Giles Co., Tenn and she died in the year 1869 in Giles Co. Tenn. The following is a list of the names of the children:

1 - Mary Louisa - (married Harvey Ross) 1835
2 - Elizabeth - Wm. Fondren
3 - Catherine - not married
4 - Rebecca Francis - J. McMasters
5 - Lucy Ann - James Henderson Burgess
6 - James Henry - not heard from since the war
7 - Thomas Bartlett - Martha Gillaspie

[document #2]

Alfred Moore Yancey [died] Decr 12 18[7?] [paper torn]

Lucy Ann Yancey [died] Apl 9 18 [69] [paper torn]
Born in Granville N.C.
Alfred Moore Yancey & Lucy Ann Yancey [md?] Dec 1 18 [??] [paper torn]

Mary Louisa was born Nov 8 1815
Elizabeth was born Dec 4 1816
Rebecca Frances was born May 10 1821
James was born [June?] 5 1823
Catharine was born Sept 10 1825
Thomas Bartlett was born July 10 1828
Lucy Ann was born July 6 1831

[document #3]

A list of names of Alexander & W D McMasters [. . .?]

Grandfather & mother & their children

Alfred M. Yancey was born in N. C. and died in L. Giles County, Tenn Dec. 1871.

Lucy Ann Yancey was born in Granville County, N.C. and died in Giles County, Tenn April the 9th 1869.

Alfred M & Lucy Ann Yancey children:

1. M. Louisa Yancey - married Harve Ross. Texas
2. Elizabeth Yancey - married William Fondren. Tenn
3. Frances Yancey - married Jonathan McMasters. Miss [over-written with "Died July 6 1885"]
4. Catherine Yancey - Not Married Ken Kamistey. Tenn
5. Lucy Ann Yancey - married Hen Burgess
6. ["Wm Henry" crossed thru] James Henry. [Monroe?]
7. Bartlett Yancey - Died 7th January 1883

Babe Yancey. Catherine Yancey daughter - she died the 6 day of December, 1881.

[document #4]

[Some quotes (validity uncertain) in reference to the parentage of Lucy Ann Yancey (wife of Alfred M. Yancey).]

". . . Lucy Ann Yancey was a daughter of James Yancey, a first cousin to Alfred M. Yancey"

" . . . Philip Yancey and Rebecca Yancey was [parents?] of [1] - John Yancey (this was Alfred M. Yancey's father.
[2] - Philip married and had a son named James who was Lucy Ann's father. [3] Elizabeth [4] James

DJY: This is the only document that I have seen that records the names of what appears to be all the children of Alfred M. Yancey with birth dates for all of them. This would seem to both answer a lot of questions and at the same time bring up some additional ones:

Over the years I have often corresponded with various Yancey researchers who descend from one Philip Henry Yancey and Sophrania Carden. Philip is to have been born 3 Jul 1825. ALL researchers who I have contacted on this line (most of them descendants) have recorded this Philip Henry Yancey as a son of Alfred M. & Lucy Ann Yancey - but it was only recently that I was able to find evidence for this relationship. Darlene Hough has provided me with copies of various family letters and church records that give the parentage of Philip Henry Yancey as Alfred M. & Lucy Ann Yancey. A LDS Baptismal record of Philip in 1883 also records the parents as such - on most all records his birth date is recorded as the 3^rd of July 1825. The documents above record the birth date of James Henry as [June?] 5 1823 and record the birth date of his succeeding sister,Catharine, as Sept 10 1825 - which creates some confusion and conflict. But various census records checked seem to indicate that the birth year of Catharine may actually be 1826 and the year of 1823 for James (Philip) Henry may correctly be 1825.

Some other Tennessee Yanceys that many have previously thought of as prime candidates for children of Alfred M. & Lucy Ann Yancey include the following:

Malissa Yancey who married William N. Hamilton 30 Nov 1841 in Lawrence Co., TN - has also been attributed to Alfred M. Yancey as a possible daughter - being born about 1821. She is not mentioned either.

Napolean B. Yancey married Lanier or Fannah Garner 11 Aug 1837 in Lawrence Co., TN - has also been thought by some to be a son of Alfred M. Yancey. He is not mentioned either in the above records.

How they are related is a mystery.

The other interesting info is the references to the parentage of Alfred's wife Lucy's parentage. She is recorded as having the maiden name of Yancey also - being the daughter of one James Yancey. This is the first time I have ever seen this. There are a few other records I have seen that record Lucy's maiden name as Dodd/Dobb - this seems to be the result of a confusion with one Alfred Yancey of Hall County, GA who married one Elizabeth Dobbs. There does not appear to be any close connection. The Alfred M. Yancey, of Giles Co., TN did have a cousin James, son of Bartlett Yancey, but this James left a Bible record and no Lucy Ann is mentioned. After analyzing this for a while - I began to wonder if Lucy Ann could have been the daughter of Philip Yancey, son of James Yancey of Granville Co., NC. This Philip married twice, 1st Sarah Chandler about 1775 in NC and then 2nd Agatha/Agnes Benson about 1790. This Philip Yancey did not leave a will - but there does exist various estate records mentioning how the estate was distributed. One of the Yanceys mentioned in the estate distribution is one Alfred/Alford Yancey - but years of research has not been able to identify this Alfred - who many thought was a child. This is about the only reference to an Alfred Yancey who could have been a child of Philip. I now seriously wonder if this Alfred Yancey mentioned in the estate records of Philip Yancey was Alfred M. Yancey (son of John &Elizabeth L. Moore Yancey) and that the reason he is mentioned is because he was a son-in-law - having married Lucy Ann Yancey - a daughter of Philip - of course I have no proof that Philip did indeed have a daughter named Lucy. And of course the documents above cited mention Lucy as a daughter of James and a granddaughter of Philip - but I have a feeling someone along the line got this turned around. Also the info concerning the parentage of John being one Philip & Rebecca Yancey seems questionable - Various Court records seem to all but prove that John Yancey was the son of Bartlett Yancey.

One other interesting point is the reference made to a daughter named Catharine Yancey who didn't marry. The 1850 census records one Margaret C. Yancey - and I have always kind of thought them to be the same. On some records she seems to appear as Cate/Kate. But I have her recorded as the mother of one Joel C. and Mary F. Yancey living with her and in the same household as Alfred M. Yancey. Some family records, though, record the parents of this Joel C. Yancey as one Abraham and Kate Yancey. I have to kind of doubt the existence of an Abraham Yancey - there just aren't any documents proving it - note document #4 that refers to a Ken Kamistey. Catharine (Kate?) appears to be a daughter of Alfred M. Yancey - and these two children appear to be children bore "out of wedlock" - also note 1880 census entry below.

1820-1880 Census Data for Alfred M. Yancey & relatives - provided by Darlene Y Hough.

1820 Census – Giles Co., TN
1 Male age 26-45
2 Females under age 10
1 Female age 26-45

1830 Census – Giles Co., TN
1 Male age 0-5
1 Male age 5-10
1 Male age 15-20
1 Male age 30-40
2 Females ages 0-5
2 Females ages 5-10
1 Female age 10-15
1 Female age 30-40

1840 Census – Giles Co., TN
1 Male age 10-15
1 Male age 15-20
1 Male age 50-60
1 Female age 5-10
1 Female age 10-15
1 Female age 40-50

1850 Census – Giles Co., TN (enumerated 12 Nov 1850)
Alfred M. Yancey – age 61, bn in NC
Lucy A. Yancey – age 57, bn in NC
Margaret C Yancey – age 24, bn in TN
Joel C. Yancey – age 4, bn in TN
Mary Yancey – age 1, bn in TN
Frances McMasters age 26, bn in TN

1850 Census - Pickens Co., AL
Henry Yancey - age 27 [note this would be a birth year of @1823 - the same as recorded for "James Henry" (Philip H Y)]
Saphronia Yancey- age 25
Alfred Yancey - age 8
Bart Yancey - age 6
Newton Yancey - age 4
Jasper Yancey - age 2

1860 Census – Giles Co., TN
Alfred M. Yancey – age 71, bn in NC
Lucy Yancey – age 67, bn in NC
Mary F Yancey – age 11, bn in TN

1870 Census – Giles Co., TN
Alfred Yancey – age 73, bn in NC
Margaret Yancey – age 41, bn in TN
Joel C. Yancey – age 24, bn in TN
Mary F. Yancey – age 21, bn in TN
Queen V. Yancey – age 8, bn in TN

1880 Census – Giles Co., TN
Mary F Yancey – age 29, bn in TN (head of household)
Catherine Yancey – age 53, bn in TN (mother)
Rebecca Yancey – age 10, bn in TN (daughter)
Luella Yancey – age 8, bn in TN (daughter)
James W. Yancey – age 2, bn in TN (daughter)
Ethelbelle Yancey – age 5/12 bn in TN (daughter)

1880 Census – Monroe Co., MS

P. H. Yancy - age 54, bn in TN
Sophrania Yancy - age 55 bn in AL
Albert Yancy - age 20 bn in AL
Emaline Yancy - age 13 bn in AL

Jasper Yancy - Age30 bn in AL
Sarah Yancy - Age 30 bn in MS
William Yancy - age 8 bn in MS
Thomas Yancy - age 6 bn in MS
Arthur O. Yancy - age 4 bn in MS
Mary Yancy - age 3 bn in MS
Money Yancy - age 1 bn in MS

I surely would appreciate any comments concerning this branch of the family and any further documentation that you may know of. Thanks in advance.

Dennis J Yancey.

Copy of a letter written before this discovery was made

Information concerning John & Elizabeth L. (Moore) Yancey