Sippy McDole, daughter of Andrew, wife of William Steele

I have been working on relatives of Sippy McDole for two days, after finding a variety of names for her in other family trees. Her name in her marriage record and two census records is always Sipy, Sippy or Cippe. Some people seem to believe the double "p" in Sippy is a double "s". It is not. If it was a double "s", the first letter would look like an"f" and the second one would look like an "s". For example, in an abbreviation for the state of Massachusetts, it looks like Mafs or Map. Sippy's name does have two "p's" in it. Sippy is usually a nickname for Mississippi, but I have never seen her listed by anything except the nickname.

Sippy married William Steele. She is listed with him in two censuses: 1850 and 1860. However, some time after the birth of her last child in 1861, she passed away. By 1870, William married Elizabeth Vickers. Elizabeth was a widow. In the 1870 census her son is living with her and William. He is listed as Green B. Vickerus. Elizabeth's older son, William, is in the house next door. Apparently, some researchers have thought Sippy and Elizabeth were the same person and have listed her with as many as three names: Elizabeth Sissy Sippy McDole.

Sippy McDole married William Steele on 8 October 1848 in DeKalb County, Tennessee. In the 1850 census they are in District 14, DeKalb County with one child. The census says:
William Steel 23 Male Tennessee
Cippe Steel 20 Female Tennessee
John E. Steel 9/12 Male Tennessee
Rebecca Cherry 43 Female

In 1860, the family has grown. Their local Post Office is listed as being at New Ark, and they are in District 8 in DeKalb County. The parents are listed as Sippy C. and William Steel. The children are listed this way:
John Steel 11
James Steel 10
Andrew W. Steel 7
Henry Steel 5
Elizabeth Steel 3
Charles W. Steel 1

In the 1870 census, William has married Elizabeth Vickers, and her son, Green B. Vickers, lives with them. Everyone was born in Tennessee.
William Steel 43
Elizabeth Steel 44
Andrew Steel 17
Henry Steel 15
Bettie A. Steel 13
William Steel 9
Green B. Vickerus 13

In 1880, William and Betty Steel live in the house by themselves.

SMITH MCDOLE'S DEED

After I posted this yesterday, I realized the age of Andrew's son Smith would not work out with the age of the man buying this land. This deed is from 1831. Deeds are usually granted to persons at least 21 years old.

1. There was a SMITH McDOLE who was evidently a son of Andrew McDole. In 1839 an S.McDole married Nancy Dildine in White County on April seventeenth.

In the 1850 census, Smith and Nancy are together in District 6, White County, TN.
Smith McDole 30 Tenn
Nancy McDole 28 Tenn
Mary C McDole 11 Tenn Deaf & dumb (Read the last column.)
Jonathan McDole 8 Tenn
Harriet E. McDole 5 Tenn
James L McDole 3/12 Tenn

In the 1860 census, District 6 still
There is no Smith or Mary C, but there are two more children.
Thomas W. McDole 7 Tenn
Andrew Mcdole 5 Tenn
Nancy McDole lives near James Dildine.

2. Is there an older Smith McDole/McDowell? Someone who could be 21 or more in 1831? I have not seen him yet. In a post I wrote in September 2011, I comment on who this older Smith McDole might be. I think he is Andrew's cousin or brother. This deed seems to be the only written proof we have that there was a Smith who was an adult in the 1820's. Maybe I can find a tax record.

WHITE COUNTY, ROLL NO 128, BOOK C, PAGE 625-626
TYPE RECORD Mountain Land Grant

State of Tennessee No 1992

To all who shall these presents come Greeting
Know that for and in consideration of one cent per acre paid into the office of the Entry Taker of White County and entered on the 22nd day of December one thousand eight hundred twenty-seven pursuant to the provisions of an act of the General Assembly of said state passed on the third day of December 1825 by No 1506 there is granted by the said State of Tennessee unto Smith McDole ass. of Andrew McDole assignee of Janus Angel a certain tract in Parcel of land containing two hundred acres by survey bearing date the Second day of June 1829 lying in said county on Dry Creek and ------ed --- follows Beginning at a white oak marked J A standing on the bluff of said creek. Running there so East crossing several dry hollows and a branch of a dry creek in all one hundred and sixty poles to a white oak and mulberry in a deep hollow. Thence north crossing said branch of dry creek several times in all two hundred poles to three dogwoods & pointers. Thence west one hundred and sixty poles to a red oak and sourwood. Thence South two hundred poles to the Beginning including said Angel's house and improvement.
With the Hereditaments(sic) and appurtances. To have and to hold the said Tract or parcel of land with its appurtenances to the said Smith McDole and his heirs forever.

In Witness whereof I William Carroll Governor of the state of Tennessee has hereunto set his hand and caused the Great Seal of the State to be affixed at Nashville on the 14 day of February in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and thirty one & of the Independence
of the United States the Fifty Fifth.

Th H Fletcher By the Governor
Secretary Wm Carroll

So was the Name McDOLE or McDOWELL?

ANSWER: It depends on which generation you asked.

When John McDowell came to White County in 1810, it was always McDowell. His name is recorded in the County Court Minute Books as McDowell a few times. It might sometimes be McDowal or McDowel in public records, but I didn't start seeing McDole used until Andrew (born 1799), John's son, was an adult.

In 1840 it is especially noticeable that Andrew, John, and Jane are all listed as McDole. At that time they were living close together in DeKalb County. It was not a mistake by the census-taker. The census-taker (Does anyone know a synonym for that?) spelled the name "McDowell" for Luke and Curtis McDowell who lived nearby. So it was not a case of an illiterate recorder.

Sometimes I think Andrew just wanted to set his family apart from Luke McDowell's family, by insisting that they were McDoles. Andrew's son Smith used the name McDole in the 1850 census, and his widow used it in the 1860 census. Some of their children continued with the McDole spelling, also. I imagine they may have even pronounced it McDole instead of McDowell. I have read that in some places some families changed from McDole to Madole; which is another name to consider researching.

I mentioned Jane McDole in the 1840 census. She lives nearby in a few census records. I'm still thinkin' on that one, and will write out an idea I have later. If you know about Jane McDole, please write me. She was born in South Carolina about 1795.

Information Regarding the Land Grant John McDowell Used

Note 10/3/2011: This post refers to a man named who was born by 1760. Willis is his first name, and he lived in North Carolina. Some of you are looking for a man who lived in Texas one hundred years later. This is not him.

June 3, 2011

I spent a few hours tonight looking for data on W. Anderson on the Patriot Rolls and the Bounty Land Warrants of North Carolina. Willis has a land warrant number 4566. On the North Carolina list of Bounty Land the largest number of a land warrant was 3975. I cannot find a Willis Anderson listed on the muster rolls or Patriot Lists of either North or South Carolina.

That doesn't mean he is not there. I seem to find several patriots named William Anderson in both states. It's possible Willis was recorded as William when he enlisted, so I check each of those records as they come up. Right now I think that Willis may have enlisted in North Carolina, but received his land warrant through South Carolina because he is not on the list of land grants issued through N.C.

One fact I did glean is that for Willis to have earned 640 acres of Bounty Land, he must have served 84 months or seven years as a private. Therefore, I investigated a William Anderson who was a N.C. troop who served 84 months under Col. John Armstrong. Unfortunately, that William had land grant #522 and he received it years before Willis was awarded his.

It looks like I may have to pay the National Archives to have a copy made of Willis' Bounty Land grant file. I have gotten the picture that Willis was probably a young, single man to keep re-enlisting for 7 years. When he was listed in 1790 with one son, that may have been his first child, not the last child of a large family.

May 31, 2011I just found out from Ancestry.com that Willis is in AGBI listed with a birth date of 1750, but then every Anderson I looked at was listed as being born in 1750, if they were the head of the household in the 1790 census. ERROR: In the 1790 census he is the only male in his household over 16, with a boy under 16, and 1 woman. Willis' location in 1790 is listed as Ninety-Sixth district, Edgefield, SC. CORRECTION: There was more than one Willis Anderson. The one in Edgefield County was not the one from whom John McDowell got the warrant. I am still looking for the location of the Willis who served 7 years in the Revolution and died before 1796.

May 23, 2011

I have been stumped trying to figure out anything more about where John McDowell came from before he arrived in White County, TN, in 1810.

Last night I decided to try Ancestry again to locate anything about W. Anderson, who was the Revolutionary vet that John got his land through. John was Willis' assignee of the 30 acres on Fallingwater River.
1. I already knew that W. Anderson had Warrant 4566 granted on Feb. 9, 1796.
2. Last night I found out that Willis was listed in Revolutionary War Bounty Land Grants. It says Anderson was a N.C. Private. 9 Feb 1796. 640 acres to heirs.
So Willis was from North Carolina when he enlisted. By 1796 Willis had passed away. He or his family must have filed the appropriate paperwork to receive a bounty when that legislation was passed by the Federal government. I think that happened in 1792.
This new information begs some questions:

Was John McDowell an heir of Willis Anderson? No, it appears there was not relation.
Did John McDowell live near an heir of Willis and purchase the warrant from the heir? Still don't know the answer to that in July 2012.

Can warrants be purchased? ANSWER: Yes, they can. 10/03/2011
Why did John get 30 acres out of 640? Usually heirs would get 1/4 or 1/8 or 1/10 of the estate. One tenth or 10% would be 64 acres, and John got 30 acres, less than 5%. Maybe John's mother was an heir and she divided up her portion between her children.
Was Willis Anderson granted a larger portion of land in Tennessee, and John just took part of it? Could other people who lived near John McDowell in White County be sharing part of Willis Anderson's land?

JOHN McDOWELL, the father of Andrew McDowell

I'm taking a break from Andrew McDowell for a while. Let's talk about his Dad. John McDowell very likely was in Tennessee by 1810. Unfortunately, the 1810 Census from Tennessee and other states no longer exists. It was lost or destroyed some time long ago, so I cannot search through White County or any other county to find John. I would really like to see if he was living with his wife and had other children in addition to Elizabeth and Andrew. However, we are not going to be able to do that until we know where he lived in South or North Carolina.
John McDowell was in Sparta, White County, Tennessee on October 15, 1810. He was at the Entry Office to enter his request to buy 30 acres on the shore of Falling Water River. John was the assignee of Willis Anderson for a part of Warrant 4566 dated February 9, 1797. The land was not surveyed until October 6, 1814 and was granted to John on June 16, 1817. Grant number 10172. I read somewhere that John could have squatted on the land until it was surveyed. Waiting 4 years for a survey was a long time. John's land was right on the water; making me wonder what kind of business he was in. Was access to the water necessary for his work? Or did he want a view of the water? I have been on the land of his neighbor, Col. Burgess. Burgess' land is now a state nature area, and the location of the falls at the top of this blog. I was there in June on a day that was more humid that the ones before it. It was a lovely place to live. I was sympathetic to the women who had to wear long dresses in that humidity. I'm sure their blouses were absolutely soaked in perspiration many days of the year. I wondered what they were allowed to do to cool off. Hitch their skirts up above their ankles? Wear a sleeveless top? That information is not in the history of costume books that I have seen.
The big breakthrough I have had is discovering Willis Anderson's story . Willis is the man who was originally given the land grant (for military service) that was later used by John McDowell. Willis had survived the Revolution, but died after he came home to NC. He had married and had a son, and the land grant for 640 acres was given to his estate.  note 9/24/2013. Other researchers have let me know that the purchaser of the land grant could have bought it without knowing the soldier's family.

When we are able to trace John McDowell back to his family group in South Carolina, we will probably be able to connect him to his immigrant family. In Edgefield there were descendants of Ephraim McDowell at the time John was born. It's possibly just a matter of figuring out which grandson of Ephraim was John's father. I say "just" with my tongue firmly planted in my cheek; by time these immigrants had grandsons, they usually had 8 grandsons with the same name!

Who was Married to ANDREW McDole/Mcdowell ?

I have found one woman who may be Andrew's widow. I have not yet found her attached to a spouse.

In 1850 with a McMinnville Post Office, District 4, Warren County, Tennessee. Family 493.

William Roberts .....25 .....Ten
Centitha Roberts....24.....Ten
Stacy M. Roberts.....4.....Ten
William A. Roberts...3.....Ten
Adrian Roberts....3/12.....Ten
Sarah McDowel.......50.....N. C.
James McDowel......18.....Ten

From the census, it seems Cynthia could have been Andrew's oldest daughter. James McDowell would fit the birth date of the youngest son. Sarah is the right age and from a reasonable location to be Andrew's wife. McMinnville isn't far from DeKalb County; it's one of the larger cities on the road SW of Sparta.

There is another Sarah McDowell, a widow, living in Missouri in 1870 who was married to Samuel McDowell of Coffee County, Tennessee. They are living together in 1850. For about an hour I thought she might have been Andrew's widow as I chased down her various children, but then I found Sarah with her husband. I have saved the data in my computer in case Samuel turns out to be a relative. He's a good candidate to be Andrew's older brother.

Another woman considered to be a daughter of Andrew and his wife, Mississippi [Sippy] McDowell, is married to William Steele . William Steele and Sippy McDowell married in October 1848 in DeKalb County, Tennessee. From the 1850 and 1860 census she seems to have been born in 1829 or 1830. This is too old to be the youngest daughter in the family; the youngest girl seems to have been born after 1835, if the information in the 1840 census is correct. Again, I don't have many answers, but I'll share with you what I have found.

ANDREW McDOLE Deed 1829 Transcribed

Andrew McDole Land Record 1 July 1829


To all to whom these presents shall come Greeting. Know ye that for and in consideration of the sum of one cent per acre paid into the office of the Entry taken of White County and entered on the 22nd day of February 1827 pursuant to the provisions of an act of the General Assembly of the said state passed on the third day of December one thousand and eight hundred and twenty five by No. 1311 there is granted by the said state of Tennessee and unto Andrew McDole and Wesley Greene a certain Tract or parcel of land containing one hundred and fifty acres by survey bearing date the 26th day of Augt 1828 lying in said County on the Waters of the Falling Water on Cane Creek and bounded as follows. Beginning at a white oak on Barnett Kemp’s south boundary line on the north side of the creek thence west two hundred and eighteen poles to a chestnut South West corner of another fifty acre ___inary of said Kemp’s---then South one hundred and ten poles and a sixth to a stake. thence East two hundred and eighteen poles to a stake then North one hundred and ten and one sixth poles to the Beginning. with the ____ ____ _______ and appurtenances to have and to hold the said tract or parcel of land with its appurtenances to the said Andrew McDole & Wesley Green and their heirs forever. In witness thereof William Hall Governor of the State of Tennessee has hereunto set his hand and caused the Great Seal of the State to be affixed at Nashville on the first day of July 1829 and 53 year of our Independence. By the Governor. Daniel Graham Secretary. W. Hall


This is how I interpret the dates in this document. Please let me know if you know more about it.

1. Dec. 3, 1825: The General Assembly of the State of Tennessee passed legislation that allowed Andrew and Wesley to buy this land for one cent per acre.
2. February 22, 1827 Andrew and Wesley entered that they wanted this land in White County, Tennessee. It sounds like the $1.50 was paid unto the office of Entry in White County on this date.
3. August 26, 1828 The date the land was surveyed.
4. July 1, 1829 The Deed was signed by William Hall the Governor of Tennessee and recorded.