Early Poindexters in America Research Committee

1. Early Poindexters in America Research Committee Certification Panel Report on two issues related to our Immigrant George Poindexter

2. EPARC • Founded in 1985, charged with gathering facts with sources and information concerning our immigrant George (1) and the first generations to descend from him in America. • Reports published in the newsletter since 1987. • All reports to date are also available on the PDA web site for all to review (see Family History and Research section). • In 2002, EPARC Chair, Ed Poindexter, assembled a certification panel: • to review more than a decade’s worth of Reports . • to benchmark what we know from the Reports. • recommend future direction of research. • and present the most plausible lineage tree for adoption as the official PDA lineage. • Future research may surface documents that may change this lineage, but until then, we have a benchmark lineage to work from. Poindexter Descendants Association

3. EPARC Certification Panel • The panel selected two BIG questions to focus our attention on this past year: • Who is Susannah, wife of George (1) our Immigrant and founding mother to all Poindexters in America. What is her maiden name, Nicholle, Marston, Marsden, Benskin)? When and where were they married? • Is Thomas Poindexter (who married Sarah Crawford) the son or grandson of our Immigrants George and Susannah? • Panel provided paper copies of all reports. • Many documents referenced in reports are not available with the reports or presented in a later report. • Panel was charged with benchmarking sources and content contained within the Reports. • Panel not charged with finding missing cited documents or to seek new sources of information. Poindexter Descendants Association

4. Poingdestre-Poindexter A Norman Family • The “Bible” for many Poindexter researchers! • By John Poindexter Landers after he did extensive research in America, England, Jersey and France • Published 1977 by Robert Downs Poindexter • Sections in the book: • Poingdestre and related families in the Middle Ages on Jersey. • Jean Poingdestre, our immigrant’s great half-uncle. • Lt. Bailiff of Jersey, Latin Secretary to Charles l, educated at Oxford, royalist in English civil war, etc. • PDA web site has a copy of Jean’s “Caesarea-A Discourse on the Island of Jersey” on our web site. • Section on the Poindexter Family in North America • Library of Congress 77-90527 • Some data missing, some has been disputed. Poindexter Descendants Association

5. 1. The Susannah Questions: • Who is Susannah, wife of George (1) our immigrant and founding mother to all Poindexters in America? • What is her maiden name, Nicolle, Marsden, Marston, Benskin? • When and where were they married? Poindexter Descendants Association

6. 1. The Susannah Questions: • Definitive civil and church records have not been found. • England, Jersey, France, America • English Civil War in progress so a document may never be found. • Parliamentarian control of England forces Church record keeping underground or non-existent. • Marriage could have taken place in France, on a ship or elsewhere. Poindexter Descendants Association

7. 1. The Susannah Questions: • Oral Traditions (hear-say), such as: • She indentured herself and children to come to Virginia, where George paid there passage. • George and Susannah marriage fell out of favor with Charles ll or with Parliament, so they came to America. • George came first, she and children later. • George owned ships, so may have traveled back to England often before settling down in America. Poindexter Descendants Association

8. 1. The Susannah Questions: • Conclusion and Recommendation: • We do not have definitive original documentation (civil, church, legal) or sources to dispute the Landers tree at this time. • Until such documentation is discovered and reviewed by EPARC, the Certification Panel proposes that the official PDA lineage recognizes Susannah Nicolle as George’s wife and mother to his children. Poindexter Descendants Association

9. 2. The Thomas Questions: • Is Thomas the son or grandson of George (1) the Immigrant? • Landers says he is the grandson of George (1) but fails to cite his sources. • Past attempts by PDA to access his research notes failed. • Some Landers’ dates have been questioned. • Alternate lineages have been suggested. • Landers is repeated in many genealogies by people today. Poindexter Descendants Association

10. 2. The Thomas Questions: The Landers’ Tree (male lines in question so are only ones shown) George Poindexter 1627-1690 (the Immigrant) George (2) c1651-1716 (child immigrant) John (2) c1652-? no issues (child immigrant) Sarah Crafford (aka Crawford) George (3) = 1673-? Mary (Overton) Thomas (3) = c1675-1707 Poindexter Descendants Association

11. 2. The Thomas Questions: Alternative Tree #1 (male lines in question so are only ones shown) George Poindexter 1627-1690 (the Immigrant) George (2) c1651-1716 (child immigrant) John (2) c1652-? no issues (child immigrant) Sarah Crafford (Crawford) George (3) = 1673-? Mary (Overton) Thomas (3) = c1662-1700 Poindexter Descendants Association

12. 2. The Thomas Questions: George’s brother or uncle back in Jersey? Alternative Tree #2 (male lines in question so are only ones shown) George Poindexter 1627-1690 (the Immigrant) George (2) c1651-1716 (child immigrant) John (2) c1652-? (child immigrant) Sarah Crawford George (3) = 1673-? Mary Overton Thomas (3) = c1675-1707 Poindexter Descendants Association

13. 2. The Thomas Questions: • Conclusion and Recommendation: • We do not have definitive original documentation (civil, church, legal) or sources to prove the Landers tree is in error in Thomas’ placement as grandson to the Immigrant George (1) at this time. • Until such documentation is discovered and reviewed by EPARC, the Certification Panel proposes that the official PDA lineage recognizes Thomas as the son of George (2, child immigrant) and grandson of the adult immigrant, George (1). Poindexter Descendants Association

14. Panel Challenges • The Reports constitute a huge collection of information on paper with no index or cross references. • The Reports are not electronically indexed and not easily searchable across Reports. • Many sources or possible sources mentioned are not included with the Reports or are provided in a later report. • The Panel members are all volunteers: • distance was not the challenge, time was. • we used email and web to communicate and archive. Poindexter Descendants Association

15. Recommendations to EPARC • An inventory be made of all citations and references to documents that may be vital to these two questions. • Use funds allocated for EPARC research as needed to obtain copies of documents we do not already have (foreign researchers, copying, digitizing, etc). • Electronic copies be made available to the Panel and published and on the PDA web site, possibly in the newsletter as space allows. • Members need to volunteer to help collect and index the documents. • EPARC review documents and propose any new probable lineages to the Panel. • The Panel review EPARC’s proposed answers and recommend changes to the official PDA benchmark lineage accordingly. Poindexter Descendants Association

16. Volunteers Needed! Poindexter Descendants Association