Finishing up Virginia Caroline Wright's paternal lines

The Hands: The Last of Virginia Caroline Wright South’s Paternal Lines

Hands

James Hand Sr. (1760-1834) 4xggf We have two DNA matches where James Hand Sr. and his wife Sarah Edmiston/Edmondson are the common ancestors between the matches’ trees and ours.

Although some of the Hand relations I am in contact with feel fairly certain that our Washington County, Virginia, Hand family began in what is a quite large family of Hands in Cape May, New Jersey, [extra points for those who recall that county being pointed out in the discussion of the Vestals and the many Quakers making their way to Alloway Creek, New Jersey, near Cape May County], although none has ever found a direct link that would make them comfortable with that assertion. I think the DNA evidence might move me off the mark one day, but for now I will stick to the prevailing Hand family belief that at this time this is no good proof of  the parents or origins of James Hand, Sr. whose earliest solid record is likely the land grant awarded him for 205 acres on the south side of the middle fork of the Holston River in 1795. He was at that apparently taking over the grant of someone else who did not settle the land. Two years later in 1797 his land is mentioned in another land grant; in the description of boundaries, James Hand’s land is mentioned. In 1803 James married Sarah Edmiston /Edmondonson as recorded in two collections of Virginia marriages. James’ first were born before this date, so the Hand family members I am in contact with believe that Sarah was James’ second wife. The last daughter, Rebecca, likely from that first marriage as well, married David Snodgrass Kincannon Wright, Virginia Caroline Wright South’s grandfather. James Hand was listed in Washington County, Virginia, in the 1810, 1820, and 1830 federal censuses. He had other land grants for 100 acres and 20 acres in 1804 and 1822 respectively, and died in 1834. I do not have a copy of his will, but should I be able to go to Washington County, Virginia, again, I will be searching for that.

Rebecca Hand (1802-1870) 3xggf

If we accept that Rebecca’s mother was not likely to have been Sarah Edmiston/ Edmondson, a daughter from a neighboring family to James Hand, Sr. whose marriage records were one year after Rebecca’s birth, then only her father is known to us. Like most women of this era, Rebecca left no traces for us other than her marriage to David Snodgrass Kincannon Wright, in 1824 and her appearances on census records. In the 1850 census she and David lived with James (listed as Joe, but the age is right for James), an elderly John Wright, a Robert Wright likely David’s brother, and Martha Wright, the ward of David. In 1860 the family lives near other Wrights and daughter Mary is listed with them as a weaver, James is at home with them and his daughter from his first wife, Margaret, and Martha Wright, David’s sister and ward, and a “spinster” Sarath Sutherland, possibly a housekeeper. In the 1870 census, which must have been taken just before her death, Rebecca is listed with David and his sister Martha who is termed an “invalid.” She is said to have died of lung congestion in December, 1870. A mystery to me is what happened to Rebecca’s daughter, Mary Kincannon Wright. She had an aunt roughly the same age and named Mary Kincannon Wright as well, who married the town legend Henry Mock. But Mary, sister of James Hand Wright, is MIA for me at this time.

I was all set to go with some Edmiston/Edmondson folks, but since they are not likely kin to us as Rebecca’s grandparents, I am leaving them out.

Resources

Resources I found helpful from those posted on Ancestry.com were the Federal Census Collection, Virginia, Marriages 1740-1850, and Virginia, Select Marriages, 1785-1940.

Most of my Hand family information comes from a paper chart sent me by Bobby Hand, a retired college professor still living not far from the area around Damascus, Virginia. Thanks also go to Shelby Hand, an Ancestry contact who has kept me from straying into supposition, and Connie Catron Hunt, whom I met on Facebook and have corresponded with.