Veazey -> McBride -> Howell
Interesting how the pieces start to fit together….Albert Sidney Howell, Jr.’s (1898–1981) grandmother was Margery Elizabeth Veazey (1825–1898). Sidney traced his Veazey ancestors to James Veazey, born Aug 25, 1725 in Cecil County Maryland and who died in 1790 near Powelton, Georgia. The details are documented in his typed manuscript which was provided (p1), (p2) to us in February 2007 by Jim Brittain (noted here).
Unfortunately I could find no relationship between Albert Sidney Howell’s Veazeys, and our ancestor, Elizabeth C. “Betsy” Veazey McBride a.k.a. “Grandma Eley”. Betsy Veazy, her many marriages and her ancestors were basically a mystery until I received an email from Dr. John Guy Jackson in April this year, who explained:
I am a gg-grandson of John McBride and Elizabeth C. ‘Betsy’ Veazey via their daughter Melissa Frances McBride (Elmina McBride Howell’s sister); Melissa Frances married John Stephen Jackson in Taliaferro County on 14 Apr 1840.
Dr. Jackson further explained that he had written My Search For John Stephen Jackson, His Ancestors and His Descendants, and that the Veazey’s and McBrides were well documented in Chapter 9. Last weekend I received a copy and can hardly put it down! Chapter 9 contains 178 pages of text including extensive source references and photocopies of original documents. Here are a few of the things I learned about the Veazeys (also lots on the McBrides..but that is for later):
- ‘Betsy’ Veazey had 4 husbands and seven children. She was left a widow twice, and divorced once. She Married (1) John McBride ca 1813 in Greene Co.; six children (Elmina, Alonzo Church, Melissa Frances, Mary Elizabeth, Susan C, and Julia J). Mr. McBride died 26 Jun 1828 at Indian Springs. She m(2) Fauntleroy F. Chain in Fall 1831 in Houston Co.; one daughter (Angelina). Mr. Chain died Jan 1835. She m(3) Neil Ard 26 Oct 1837 in Houston Co.; divorced in 1838. She m(4) James J. Eley 9 Jun 1842 in Taliaferro Co.; he died in 1873. She died 21 Jan1869 at age 70.”
- Captain Abner Veazey (1776-1832) is Betsy’s father who married Delilah Rhodes in 1797 in Organge Co., North Carolina. There were two daughters – Mary born about 1798 and our ancestor Betsy born about 1799. Captain Veazey served as a citizen soldier in the Georgia Militia and was called into active service on three separate occasions: 1) in 1813 during the Creek Indian Wars, 2) in the Federal Service during the war of 1812 and 3) in 1818 during the First Seminole War. Abner Veazey was also a prominent member of the American Colonization Society, which was formed to: 1) suppress the slave trade, and 2) to aid in legally freeing slaves, and 3) to remove free Negroes from the United States to Liberia. “Listed among the charter members of the Putnam County branch were such prominent men as John McBride (Abner Veazey’s son-in-law)…Rev. Alonzo Church…Rev. Coleman Pendelton.
- Elijah Veazey (born 1745/50 in Cecil Co., MD; d. 1801) and Frances Hester were Captain Abner Veazey’s parents. They were married in Granville Co. NC and had 7 children (Elizabeth, Abner, Mark, Ezekiel, William Rebecca, Fielding). As a boy Elijah moved with his parents to Granville Co., NC. The 1800 US Census in the Dutch District of Granville County NC shows five males, three females plus five slaves in Elijah’s household.
- Edward Veazey (1721-1779) and Ann (1723-1787) were Elijah’s parents. Edward’s birth is recorded in the records of St. Stephens Episcopal Church in Cecil Co., Maryland. Edward and Ann had four children (Ann, Elijah, Elizabeth Lee, Rachel). During the 1750’s Edward migrated to what is known as ‘Veazey Ridge’ (now in Butner, NC), in the Knap of Reeds Community, Granville Co., NC. Here he purchased 320 acres in 1759 and another 200 acres in 1762. It is likely that Edward and Ann are buried in an old Veazey cemetery on Veazey Ridge.
- James E. Veazey (d. 1766) and Mary Mercer (d. 1766) were Edward’s parents. They had 8 children (Martha, Thomas, Edward, Elizabeth, James, William, Mary, Araminta) And here is where we discover that the James Veazey b. 1725 in Albert Sidney Howell’s genealogy is the same as the James in this family. (see family group sheet). This was our missing link and with this knowledge we now can connect Albert Sidney Howell’s Veazey’s and ours.
- John Veazey (1647-1700) born in Essex, England, and Martha Broccus were James E. Veazey’s parents. They had 5 children (William, George, Edward, James E., Robert). In 1687 John Veazey purchased a tract of land (quoting Guy Jackson) “in the southern portion of Cecil Co., MD, on the eastern side of the Elk River and on the south side of the Bohemia River near the point where the Bohemia empties into the Elk, the tract being part of a neck of land knon as ‘Veazey’s Neck’.” Their home was named Cherry Grove and was occupied by his descendants until about 1900.
View “Veazey Neck” and “Vezey Cove” in a map
Coincidentally when we lived in Philadelphia, Jack Howell and I would trailer the Lazer II to Tukey Point in Elk Neck State Park and spend the day sailing in the Elk River – just opposite Veazey’s Neck. Veazey Neck is listed as such on NOAA navigational charts.
So now, thanks to cousin Dr. John Guy Jackson, we know much more about our Veazey line going all the way back to John Veazey born 1647 in Essex, England and who settled in Cecil County, MD, and who is the 10x great grandfather of the youngest of our Howell’s today! (chart).
