H. D. Percival Alert!

I have an account for Newspapers.com and have had this for several years. I set up an alert for H. D. Percival, my dad's grand uncle (or great uncle) for a specific time period. I get alerts on him fairly frequently, and today, BINGO.

A little refresher on the backstory for H. D.  His name is Herbert D. Percival. I suspect the D is for Davidson, his mother's maiden name.  Herbert was born in 1859 in Lafayette county, Missouri, most likely in Dover or Waverly. His younger brother, my great-grandfather, was John Henry Percival.  Their father was John Stearns Percival, Jr, who died during the battle of Bayou Meto Pass, Arkansas in 1863. Herbert went to live with his Uncle Jabez Percival, in Covington, Kentucky. He would study medicine and get his M.D. at the University of Cincinnati. While in Covington, he met and married his wife, Catherine "Kate" Gray. They lost a child there. Later they would migrate to Dakota Territory and then on to Los Angeles where Uncle Jabez and family had moved.

While attending University, with his cousin, William Bush Percival, I get the impression that William outshined Herbert. William had a thriving medical practice in Los Angeles, while Herbert, or H. D. as he was known by now was in practice with a Doctor Adams in Monrovia.  This is where fact and fiction are thrown in.  

The family story is that Herbert was out collecting accounts and that he was waylaid and probably murdered as he was never seen again.  There is some truth to the story, he was collecting accounts. 

A Monrovian Gone.

Dr. H. D. Percival Suddenly Disappears

Much to the Grief of a Large Number of Creditors.

Correspondence of the Express.

Monrovia, Oct. 20. - Has anyone seen anything of Dr. H. D. Percival? A short time ago he retired from the firm of Adams & Percival, at the former's wish, because Percival had collected money to the amount of $500, and had neglected to give credit for the same on the books of the firm. Dr. Adams will not be the loser for the reason that there is enough on the books yet uncollected to save him from loss. But other citizens have not fared so well. He owes about $500 to different persons here - some of it to merchants, but mostly borrowed. The morning before he left - the 8th instant - he drove to a near-by canyon and borrowed $6 from an Italian gardener. Mr. Lancaster is out $125, money loaned. His worst escapade was with a man named Hodge, an employe on the Baldwin ranch. Hod had a $500 time check, but could not get it cashed immediately. Percival told Hodge that he could get it cashed for him, and the unsuspecting fellow let Percival have it. Investigation shows that Mr. Unruh gave Percival $260 in three checks, but of this some Hodge only received $36. Percival agreed to pay Hodge the balance on the 8th, but he has not been seen since.  Hodge swore out a warrant for his arrest. Percival is, or was, a member of the Democratic County Central Committee from this place, and was a delegate to the State Convention and an ardent supporter of Colonel Messmore. He left his wife without a cent of money, and she very much worried over his disappearance. He has turned her husband's horses and buggies over to the creditors.

Copyright 2010-2023, ACK for Gene Notes

Asking for a Friend

I have been working on some family lines for a friend of mine, and the information is not coming easily. The more recent stuff - 1900 - 1957 is covered with obituaries, but the older stuff is being stubborn. 

The families I'm researching are White, Naylor, Brooke, and Gibbons.  They're all from the Maryland, Washington, D.C. and Virginia areas. Some moved on to Ohio later on. The problem is the census. This is the 1860 census. In it you see John C. Naylor, presumed wife Susan, and presumed children: daughter Florence,  son Henry, and daughter, R. C.  Also enumerated with this family is Robert Brooke, wife Caroline and daughter Anne E.  

In this family, the person I was interested in was Henry Naylor, whom I presume to be the son in this family, and whose name is Henry Brooke Naylor.  

When I went looking for this family in 1870, I did not find John C. Naylor, instead the head of household is Henry Naylor, wife Susan, daughter Florence, and son Henry. No R. C. Naylor and no Brooke family. I went back to that 1860 census and I think the census taker carried down the name from the family above. This happens far more often than you might think.  I try not to let the ages concern me, because you really don't know who gave the information. It might have been a neighbor, or the people being counted might have been intimidated by an official of the U. S. government. 

This is just the first discrepancy I've found while working on these lines. There are more!

Copyright 2010-2023, ACK for Gene Notes

Not What I was Looking For. I'm Not Complaining!

A friend, who also happens to be a very distant cousin (by marriage) and fellow researcher, always says, "Review! Review Review!"

I agree with this wholeheartedly. And it was because of this that I took a look at Find-a-Grave to see if I could find any burials for my Webb family of Orange County, Virginia. I did find a Find-a-Grave record for her and an article celebrating the 250th anniversary of Blue Run Baptist Church, Somerset, Orange County, Virginia. You can find the article here.

On Find-a-grave, there is a photo of her tomb along with the explanation that the tomb was probably built by the family slaves on the spot where she died after being thrown from her horse at the age of 42. The transcription says the stone says 1785; the story and the family bible say 1783. 

I find it ironic that this woman is the only one of her immediate family that is entombed or even has a marker. 

I hope you click on the link. It's an interesting story about the church.

Copyright 2010-2022, ACK for Gene Notes