Seeking Susie

I have decided to accept the challenge of Amy Johnson Crow over at No Story Too Small blog. Amy challenges us: 52 Ancestors in 52 weeks. I think this is an excellent challenge as I tend to focus on my brick walls, and this will force me to fan out in my tree and focus on other ancestors.

Nancy (Allen) Triggs is my 3rd great-grandmother. This is week ten, and my tenth post in the challenge.

I don’t have a photo of Nancy.  I don’t have any personal stories of Nancy, but I have put together pieces of her life from documents left, and knowing the history for the time period, I have a pretty good idea of what her life must have been like.

Her husband, and my 3rd great-grandfather, Rev. John James Triggs, left a very well documented bible.

In this bible, he lists her birth.

Nancy Allen birth from Triggs Bible

It reads: “Nancy Allen was born in Columbia Cty Geo. Sep, 21, 1821. She was the daughter of Francis T Allen and Jane Allen. Thank you for this information I would have probably never found any where else.

He also documented their marriage:

John and Nancy Triggs Marriage Record in Triggs Bible

It reads: “John J. Triggs and Nancy Allen were married in Columbia County by Rev. Wm H. Evans, September 16, 1845.”

I confirmed this date by finding the marriage record in Columbia County.

John J Triggs to Nancy Allen Marriage Records

I found Rev. Triggs and wife Nancy leaving in Waynesboro, Burke Co., Georgia at the time of the 1850 Census. I know from research that Rev. Triggs was not land poor at all. He had homesteaded, and also been granted land for his service during the war of 1812. So, when it says that he had real estate worth $3,000 on the 1850 census, I was not surprised. That would have been about $81,570 in 2012 according to an inflation calculator. They are shown as living with my 2nd great-grandmother, Jane Matilda (Triggs) Parks, and my great grand-uncle, Francis A Triggs.

1850 Census Triggs Family

I know from the bible that she had three children with Rev. Triggs.

• Jane Matilda Triggs Parks (1845 – 1913)
• Francis Allen Triggs (1850 – 1876)
• George Persons Triggs (1853 – 1855)

Now, between the 1850 census and the 1860 census, Rev. Triggs died on the 20th of December 1856. This is a transcription of the part of his will that pertains to Nancy.

Item fourth – The rest of my property consisting of lots of land in the twenty third district of originally Lee now Stewart County ____ number one hundred and eighteen (118) and one hundred and thirty nine (139) also two acres from one hundred (107) adjoining the aforesaid lot one hundred eighteen also my negro man Tom my negro man Toney, my negro boy Ned – my negro woman Hagas, Lucy, Leah and her child Cranford and Frances, together with any children that may hereafter be born of any of the aforesaid negro women – also my horses, mules, cattle and hogs: – Also the household and kitchen furniture and plantation tools: – and everything that is mine not previously disposed of whatever or whereas it is shall belong to my dear wife Nancy and her two children, ___ Jane Matilda and Francis Allen and any other child or children that may hereafter be born to me – the above property to be kept together for the maintenance of my wife and children and for the education of the children, until my wife or one of the children marry or one of the children arrives at the age of twenty one years – then if required a division shall be made as nearly equal as possible, between my wife and the children – the party requiring the division shall receive his or her part – the rest of the property shall be kept together for the maintenance and education of the next until another division is required or contemplated above – provided always that the division mentioned above shall not be so continued or to divide the land so long as my wife lives and remains a widow.

So, this explains why on the 1860 census she is living in Lumpkin, Stewart County, Georgia by herself with her two children, and an overseer and his son.

1860 Census Triggs Family

Who knows what she had to go through while taking care of all that, with the war between the states going on. She had $4,000 worth of real estate property and $7,300 worth of personal property. I have no way of knowing, but I bet men were lined up wanting to marry her and take over her plantation, and Rev. Triggs took care of that in the will. Had she remarried, it would have gone to her children. She was after all only 38 years old in 1860.  I imagine he assumed she would remarry and his son would come of age and take over.

She didn’t have long to think about any of this. She died of Paralysis on September 6, 1863 according to the Triggs Bible.

Nancy Triggs death in Triggs Bible

Her estate was divided up between my 2nd great-grandmother, Jane Parks, and my great-grand uncle Francis Triggs. He died in 1876 and I don’t know what became of anything after his death.

I don’t know where Nancy is buried, who knows what happened with the war going on, but I hope to maybe find this out if I can ever make a research trip to Georgia!

Thank you to cousin Robert Mann, for sharing the bible records with me!

This is how I descend from Nancy.