Our Family’s Story

1. Our Family’s Story By Teresa Anne Fortenberry For a Thanksgiving season

2. This is the wonderful journey our family took when one man, Francis Cooke, made a decision to leave his home, cross a wide ocean and begin a new life in “the colonies”. There were personal perils, wars, a new government to create, freedoms to forge, and families to protect. Though the planning began many years before, the voyage took place in 1620. From the Wikipedia website.

3. Our Ancestors, from the Mayflower to the 20th Century Francis Cooke b. 1577 -- Hester le Mahiew b. 1582 Jane Cooke b. 1604 -- Experience Mitchell b. 1602 I have taken this down through the generations FROM the Mayflower to the sons of Ferman and Mae Simmons Fortenberry. As you read through the following information, there will be tabs at the top of the pages indicating the generation being discussed. Francis Cooke is generation 1 and the Nellie Mae Simmons is generation 11. Elizabeth Mitchell b. 1628 -- John Washburn b. 1620 Joseph Washburn b. 1653 – Hannah Latham b. 1656 Joseph Washburn Jr b.1686 – Hannah Johnson b. 1694 Seth Washburn b. 1723 – Mary Harwood b. 1728 Asa Washburn Sr. b. 1757 – Sally Upham b. 1758 Asa Washburn Jr. b. 1791 – Eunice Wellington b. 1791 Mary Jane Washburn b. 1826 – John Martin Covington b. 1818 Elizabeth Covington b. 1862 – William Eli Simmons b. 1858 Nellie Mae Simmons b. 1891 – FermanEscoFortenberry b. 1886 Victor Everett, Ferman Elmo, Adrian Woodrow, William Jackson, Donald Curtis, Homer Clyde

4. Generation 1: Francis Cooke and Hester le Mahieu are the parents of Jane Cooke We begin this journey across the Atlantic, in England. As you read in Andie’s blog entry “Our Pilgrim Connection,” religion had become a personal and political focal point for a number of people who were looking for a better way to live their lives. Before his journey began, Francis Cooke had already married Hester le Mahieu and started a family. Francis Cooke and their oldest son, John, made the arduous trip to the Americas while Hester stayed behind with the younger children.

5. Three years later, on the ship “Anne”, the rest of Francis Cooke’s familyimmigrated to the American colonies. Wife, Hester, son Jacob and daughtersHester and Jane were reunited with their loved ones in 1623. Daughter Jane Cooke would marry Experience Mitchell who also made the trip aboard the “Anne”. Both Jane and Experience were born between 1604 and 1608. The “Anne” and the “Little James” sailed at the same time in 1623. However, the “Little James” was separated from the “Anne” during the crossing and arrived at Plymouth a week or so later. The “Anne” had already made several voyages to the colonies and was built for passengers. The “Little James” was intended to remain with the colonists to protect the shores and was built with this duty in mind. This ship was also equipped with several small cannons and its crew was armed. Typical ship of the era. Image from a web page called Kadiro

6. Generation 2: Jane Cooke and Experience Mitchell are the parents of Elizabeth Mitchell Jane Cooke married Experience Mitchell about 1627. They remained inMassachusetts, helping to build the colonies and producing a family which flourished despite the many hardships of the time. Every adult in the colony had duties, not just to their families, but also duties assigned by their newly formed government. Families depended on this structure as well as each other for survival. Jane Cooke died at an early age, leaving Experience Mitchell with young children. Experience married a year later to Mary (unknown maiden name). Elizabeth Mitchell, daughter of Experience and Jane would marry John Washburn. Artist’s concept of an early American colony.

7. Though John Washburn did not arrive on the Mayflower, he was a very early emigrant to the American colonies. In 1635, when he was 14, he left England with his mother and brother aboard the “Elizabeth and Ann”. John Washburn and Elizabeth Mitchell were married in 1645 and were the parents of 11 children! Because there were two previous John Washburns in England, this one is referred to as John Washburn III. Generation 3: John Washburn and Elizabeth Mitchell are the parents of Joseph Washburn Photo by Teresa Fortenberry

8. Generation 3: John Washburn and Elizabeth Mitchell are the parents of Joseph Washburn Joseph Washburn Sr., son of John Washburn III and wife Elizabeth Mitchell, was the fourth of their eleven children. Joseph, born 1653, was married about 1677 to Hannah Latham, a Mayflower descendant herself! An interesting side note here is the fact that many of these people would have witnessed the “Great Comet of 1680”! It is reported to have been visible in the Northern hemisphere even during the day!

9. Generation 4: Joseph Washburn and Hannah Latham are the parents of Joseph Washburn, Jr. Sometimes, in reading the histories of our ancestors, it becomes necessary to investigate the validity of other people’s research. In doing so, a surprise has been uncovered that perhaps even Aunt Edna Simmons (our original Mayflower researcher) did not know about! We have a claim to a second Mayflower passenger! In the previous information, it was stated that Joseph Washburn Sr. was married to Hannah Latham. In following the research completed on her line, these proven facts were found: Hannah Latham was the daughter of Robert Latham and Susanna Winslow (born shortly before 1630 in Plymouth). Susanna was the daughter of John Winslow (b. Apr. 1597, England) and wife Mary Chilton. Mary Chilton is our second Mayflower ancestor. http://online.wsj.com

10. Mary Chilton arrived aboard the Mayflower with her parents, James Chilton and Susanna Furner. According to Mayflower folklore, it is said that Mary, age 13, was the first female to step off the Mayflower in 1620. Unfortunately, both of Mary’s parents died during the first year at Plymouth as did about 50% of the colonists. One was fortunate to have made it through that first difficult year! James Chilton died in December of 1620 and his wife, Susanna, died a few weeks later in January, 1621. There is some discussion as to where Mary may have lived until she was married. Some say she lived with the John Alden family while others say she remained with the Miles Standish family. There is proof in the Plymouth records that Mary received lands entitled to her AND her deceased parents before 1623. Mary (Chilton) Winslow did leave a will naming her daughter, Susanna, as one of her heirs. http://www.histarch.illinois.edu/plymouth/timeexcerpt.html

11. How our second Mayflower ancestor fits into our family tree! James Chilton b. 1556 – Susanna Furner (no proof) Francis Cooke b. 1577 -- Hester le Mahiew b. 1582 Jane Cooke b. 1604 -- Experience Mitchell b. 1602 John Winslow b. 1597 – Mary Chilton b. 1607 Elizabeth Mitchell b. 1628 -- John Washburn b. 1620 Robert Latham b. ~1623 – Susanna Winslow b. ~ 1630 Joseph Washburn b. 1653 – Hannah Latham b. 1656 It should be noted here that Wikipedia and the records of Mayflower descendants state that there is no solid documentation on the name of James Chilton’s wife. Joseph Washburn Jr b.1686 – Hannah Johnson b. 1694 Seth Washburn b. 1723 – Mary Harwood b. 1728 Asa Washburn Sr. b. 1757 – Sally Upham b. 1758 Asa Washburn Jr. b. 1791 – Eunice Wellington b. 1791 Mary Jane Washburn b. 1826 – John Martin Covington b. 1818 Elizabeth Covington b. 1862 – William Eli Simmons b. 1858 Nellie Mae Simmons b. 1891 – FermanEscoFortenberry b. 1886 Victor Everett, Ferman Elmo, Adrian Woodrow, William Jackson, Donald Curtis, Homer Clyde

12. Next, our line follows Joseph Washburn Jr., the son of Joseph Washburn Sr. He was born about 1690, the fifth of nine children. Joseph Washburn Jr. married Hannah Johnson in 1715 and were the first family group to move inland. They settled in Leicester, MA (now in Worchester County) which saw its first settlers only two years before their marriage. Imagine the pristine wilderness they experienced! Generation 5: Joseph Washburn Jr and Hannah Johnson are the parents of Seth Washburn Plymouth Colony Leicester Wikipedia.com

13. Generation 6: Seth Washburn and wife Mary Harwood Seth Washburn was the son of Joseph Washburn Jr. Married in 1750 to Mary Harwood, Seth took up the great responsibility of protecting the American colonies FOR the British. He served during the “Seven Years War”, also known as the French and Indian War. Seth moved up the ranks in his military career which prepared him for the Revolutionary War with England. Late in the Revolutionary War, Seth became a Colonel, now protecting America FROM the British.

14. Generation 7: Asa Washburn and Sally Upham are the parents of Asa Washburn Jr. Nine of the ten children of Seth and Mary Washburn survived into adulthood, with our ancestor, Asa Washburn Sr., being their third child. Asa, born 1757, married Sally Upham and moved to Putney, Vermont, a further westward movement for the family. Asa also fought in the Revolutionary War, but not in the same unit as his father. This is the marriage record of Asa Washburn and Sally Upham from the Massachusetts Town and Vital Records, 1620 – 1988. As seen below, Asa and Sally were married November 16, 1780. Asa was from Leicester, MA and Sally was from Spencer, MA. Please note that the Revolutionary War was still not over when they married! Google Earth Leicester, MA to Putney, VT

15. Generation 8: Asa Washburn Jr. and Eunice Wellington are the parents of Mary Jane Washburn. Asa Washburn Sr. and wife Sally had 11 children. Their sixth child, Asa Washburn Jr. is our ancestor. As seen below, he was born 3 December 1791 and was married to Eunice Wellington 20 February 1816. Our weakest link with our Mayflower ancestry has always been definitively proving our link with the well known Washburn family from New England. With a little detective work by Terry, we now have the information we needed to prove Mary Jane Washburn was the daughter of Asa and Eunice Washburn. Mary Jane was their sixth child and the Grandmother of Nellie Mae (Simmons) Fortenberry! Evidently a delayed record of birth was done for all of Asa and Eunice’s children after the last child was born in 1835. Birth record for Asa Washburn, Jr. These birth records were recently located through the historical records of Putney, Vermont and provided by Barbara Taylor.

16. Understanding the Shirk connectionMary Jane Washburn’s older sister, Elizabeth Sarah married Milton Shirk.Milton Shirk was born in Ohio and attended Madison College in New York. After graduation in 1848, he met and married Elizabeth Washburn and by 1850 they were living in Liberty, Mississippi. In 1853, Milton Shirk helped establish The Amite Female Seminary in Liberty, Mississippi. Mary Jane moved to Liberty and along with her sister, was a teacher at the school. By 1854, Elizabeth, Mary Jane, Emma, Charles, and Henry were all living in Amite County, Mississippi. Sometime during 1854, perhaps in escorting Henry and Emma down to Mississippi, their mother, Eunice, died in Liberty at the age of 63. From Find a Grave E. S. Shirk (Elizabeth Washburn) and E. H. Washburn (Hannah Emeline) are Mary Jane’s sisters.

17. An Unsolved Mystery Why did some parts of the Washburn family move to Mississippi? That was a long way from their colonial roots in the northeastern states! By the time Eunice Wellington Washburn died in 1854, there was already a lot of political tension between the Northern and Southern states. What event lead to the children of Asa Washburn choosing to move so far from an area where their family had lived for over 200 years? Maybe more research will provide an answer! Google Earth

18. A brief look at Mary Jane Washburn. Many people seem to have a very difficult time connecting Mary Jane to her father, Asa Washburn Jr. We now have official proof even though the family KNEW it to be true! Mary Jane was my Grandmother Fortenberry’s Grandmother, after all! Mary Jane was married to Hugh McGehee for only six months when he died. In 1856, Mary Jane Washburn McGehee married John Martin Covington. The Covingtons raised mules and horses in Kentucky and would drive them down to southern Mississippi and Louisiana where they could sell the animals for a very good price. By 1850, John Martin owned and operated a grocery store/ drug store in Liberty. It was from Liberty, MS that John joined the Confederate Army in 1862. Sadly, John Covington became ill during the Civil War, and died in 1864. The Union soldiers took advantage of a woman alone and devastated her estate, killing well over 100 hogs, looting the house, stealing the horse and wagon and leaving the town of Liberty in ruins. Except for the music building, even the school Rev. Shirk ran was burned. Though it seems like a story straight out of the pages of “Gone With the Wind”, this is the bravery and courage of our very own ancestors. THIS information is on a website called Fold3. If you would like to read through it, I have downloaded the pages and would be only too happy to share them with you.

19. Generation 9: Mary Jane Washburn and John Martin Covington About John Martin Covington and Mary Jane Washburn Mary Jane Washburn is shown living with her sister and brother-in-law (Milton Shirk) in 1850 Mississippi. Both Mary Jane and Elizabeth give their place of birth as Vermont. Please notice their occupations! Schoolteachers. 1860 Amite County, Mississippi census shows John and Mary Covington. Further down are Mary’s brothers, Charles and Henry Washburn. Charles, Henry and John are all listed as merchants.

20. Generation 10: John Martin Covington and Mary Jane Covington are the parents of Elizabeth Covington Elizabeth Covington, daughter of John Martin Covington and Mary Jane Washburn, was born in 1862. Whether she remembers the events of 1864 from her own recollections or from the stories often told by her mother is unclear. However, she did pass down to her children as many of these painful stories as she could remember. “Lizzie” Covington, as she was often called, married William Eli Simmons. These are Granny Fortenberry’s parents. Married in 1881, William Eli and Lizzie Simmons lived all of their lives in Simmonsville, Mississippi. This is 1910 Pike Co, MS and Granny is “May”. Elizabeth Covington

21. Generation 11: Elizabeth Covington and William Eli Simmons are the parents of Nellie Mae Simmons William Eli Simmons and Lizzie Covington were married April 7, 1881 at the Shirk home in Osyka, Mississippi. Their marriage was officiated by Reverend Shirk, Lizzie’s uncle by marriage. Nellie Mae Simmons was the sixth of their twelve children. This photo of William Eli and Elizabeth Covington Simmons was taken sometime in the 1930s. William Eli died in 1945 and Lizzie died in 1939.

22. Generation 11: Elizabeth Covington and William Eli Simmons are the parents of Nellie Mae Simmons Since they lived in the same small community and had relatives in common, Mae Simmons and Ferman Fortenberry grew up knowing each other. After Ferman was discharged from the Navy in August of 1913, he and Nellie Mae Simmons were married on December 24, 1913. Ferman and Mae had six sons. (Generation 12) Standing left to right – Jane in front of husband Everett, Claudia (Elmo’s wife), Caroline in front of husband Jack, Clyde, Adrian with arms around wife Wanda. Below – Don in front of Elmo, Don’s wife Iris, Joyce (Clyde’s wife)

23. Generation 12: Nellie Mae Simmons and FermanEscoFortenberry are the parents of 6 boys After spending a few years in Arkansas (where the jobs were), by 1930, Ferman and Mae Fortenberry had moved back to Pike County, Mississippi. All six boys are home together. I can’t even begin to imagine whatlife was like for six active Fortenberry boys!

24. In order to provide for his family, Ferman Fortenberry moved to the Atlanta, GA area and began work in construction. Mae would follow with the younger boys and settle in Clarkston. Below is the 1940 Federal Census that shows Ferman and his family living on Indian Creek Drive in Clarkston. Notice that Elmo and Claudia live next door and have already started their family. Everett was working in Mississippi and Adrian was in his third year in the Navy.

25. So now, in addition to Francis Cooke, Mary Chilton has joined our Mayflower family. What discoveries will be made in the future? Through family stories and research, we know our ancestors have experienced wars, births, deaths, adventures, and the simple struggle for life. If Aunt Edna and Andie Criminger had not done a great deal of this research before me, I may have never found quite a lot of this information. From Seth Washburn back to Francis Cooke, the family lineage is easily found on the internet and in fact quite well documented. From Seth Washburn to us, some deeper digging and more specific documentation was necessary. But it is now documented and complete. The Washburn, Simmons, and Covington families all provide ancestors who were involved in the Revolutionary War….and that’s just the easy families!! Hopefully, in a few months, I will be able to report back to you with more good news! Till then, wonder what diamond Andie will share with us next??? Nellie Mae Simmons Fortenberry Happy birthday, Granny! November 28, 1891 – May 27, 1974