A brief commercial...
At the beginning of the year I could not find any new leads to follow to unearth the McDowell/McDole's past. I had considered writing to the counties in South Carolina that had McDowells living there in 1800, but that seemed like making cold calls.
I think a better way to identify the origin of the John McDowell clan is through DNA. Since writing in January, my sister, Kathy, and I have heard from three descendants of the McDowells or McDoles of White County. I haven't gotten to know anyone well enough to ask for a DNA sample, but I am hopeful. I will pay for the Y-chromosome test for anyone descending from the family of John McDole or from his father.
Obviously, it cannot be anyone who is not of the McDole/McDowell bloodline. That would leave out anyone whose father, grandfather, et al., was adopted by a McDole/McDowell.The McDowell DNA project is a good one. They are rather secretive with their results, but I believe they have found a few groups of McDowells were in the USA by the 1800. It would be great if we could identify which of those groups we descend from.
And the News about the McDoles...
Our new information on a descendant of of James and Eliza McDole comes from the genealogist who call himself Wolfman. I wrote about Jim and Eliza in the post dated 9/4/11 about relatives of Andrew McDole in the 1850 and 1860 censuses. Jim and Eliza were born approximately 1827 and 1826, respectively, and had died by the 1870's, leaving several children. Wolfman descends from their daughter, Mary, who is listed as being 17 in the 1880 census.
In the blog from last September 4th, I had found information from the online death record of Tom McDole who was Mary's brother, and was listed as an infant in the 1860 census. Wolfman had the death record for Mary McDole, and it lists her father as Jim McDole and her mother as Eliza Clouse. Eliza's last name had not been listed on any records I had seen.
Mary McDole was married first to Samuel Rice February 15, 1881 in White County. Samuel's parents were William Rice Jr. and Mary Massa, who lived in White County. Samuel's grandparents were William Rice Sr. and Eleanor of the Unknown Last Name. I looked at the 1840 census of DeKalb County and found a William Rice living near Andrew, John and Jane McDole. The families were close enough for their grandchildren to have easily met.
Mary McDole's second husband was Nathaniel S. Massa who was born Sep. 23, 1837. He had been married first to Amanda Minerva Campbell. Amanda's gravestone says she died in 1890. From the 1900 census of Civil District 8, Putnam County, TN, Nathaniel and Mary had married in 1891 and had their daughter in 1895. Little Mary Massa was listed as being born in January 1895.
Nathaniel Massa died February 17, 1915. He is buried in Baxter, Putnam County. Mary passed away March 30, 1919 in DeKalb County, TN.
