My Paternal Lines

The following are surnames of my paternal lines. Each line is at a different stage of research, including the very beginning (meaning I only know how the name is connected).  The names are listed in alphabetical order; continue on to read a very brief synopsis of what I know about each line. 

Searching my paternal side of the family has proved challenging to say the least, at any rate, here are the surnames of which I am aware and what limited information I have.

Gullick ~ The Gullick family, which survived slavery, had its roots in Wayne County, Tennessee.  From Tennessee, the family moved to Oklahoma.  Later migrations led family members to states such as Kansas, Missouri and Michigan.  I have the family back to 1870 with Anthony Gullick and wife Lucy as the patriarch and matriarch. I hope to soon be able to pursue promising leads regarding the last enslavers of Anthony and Lucy.

Harlan ~ Biracial members of the Cherokee (Cherokee and European-heritage) had once enslaved this family of Cherokee Freedmen. Thus far, the farthest I have been able to go is Bass Harlan (also spelled Harlin) born in the late 1830s.  The Harlan's lived in Indian Territory, which was later divided into Indian and Oklahoma Territories. The Harlans continued to reside here after Oklahoma statehood.

Kimbrough ~ Having its beginnings in Kentucky, the family first set roots in Massac County, Illinois sometime between the 1880s and 1890s.  Later movement saw family members move into St. Clair and Knox counties in Illinois.  It is widely accepted that the most probable patriarch of this family, Thomas Gaines Kimbrough had at some point been Melinda’s—the family matriarch—enslaver.

Lowery ~ Currently, the only information I have in regard to this line is that this was most likely the maiden name of Isekella (Ella) Kimbrough, wife of my great grandfather, Isaac (Zeke) Kimbrough (based on death records).

McConnell ~ The McConnell family appears to have been one of the thousands of families that saw freedom upon the end of the Civil War and the passage and ratification of the 13^th and 14^th Amendments to the United States Constitution. The family, as far as I have gotten, originated in Arkansas prior to relocating to Indian Territory (present day Oklahoma)

Napier/Seaman ~ This is a very interesting research puzzle. Napier was the surname of Nancy (Nannie) Gullick, wife of George W. Gullick. Nannie, as we was more commonly referred to, and her family have been located in census records in Tennessee. These records show Nannie as a child in her Napier home; however, early census records show Nannie with her mother and two sisters listed with the surname Seaman. It has been suggested by other researchers that perhaps this was an example of enslaved persons from neighboring plantations being allowed to have a family. Sometimes, when this occurred, it took time for the family to settle on a surname. By 1880, the family is found strictly under Napier. Of course, more work will need to be done and it is likely we may never know for sure if this theory is 100% correct.

Roach ~ This was the surname of Bass Harlin’s father, Jesse (it is, for the time being, surmised that Jesse took his mother’s name, although some very recent information hints at the fact that his mother was at first a Ross). Jesse, was an enslaved man, perhaps enslaved by a woman named Elmira and her husband (more work is taking place to verify or shift this). Jesse was a Cherokee Freedman.

Snordan ~ It is believed, and preliminary evidence suggests that this was the maiden name of Melinda Kimbrough, and that she was enslaved by a Snordan family. Much work is to be done with this exploration. It should be noted that Tolliver is another name that Melinda may have used at some point in her life. This will certainly be researched when and as time allows.