Sorting the Troutman Names: A Little Background

A little background on my paternal great-grandfather Daniel A. Troutman’s people and the place where they lived in North Carolina:*

The Piedmont, a relatively flat area between the western mountains and the eastern coastal region of North Carolina was a fine place for many early Scots-Irish and German settlers who began arriving in the mid-18^th century. Attracted by fertile farm ground, abundant game, and plenty of water, Johann Melchior ^A Trautmann (24 Apr. 1729, Gross Gumpen, Hesse, German – before 9 Nov. 1778, Rowan Co., NC) was one of these early setters arriving about 1770. With his wife, Anna Elizabeth Heist (abt 1730 in Germany – bet 1790 and 1810 in Iredell Co. NC), and family, he first settled in Rowan County.

Melchior and Anna had four known children:

       i.         John Adam¹ Troutman (28 Oct 1752, Upper Milford Township, Northampton, PA – before Mar 1797, Iredell Co., NC); married Anna Eva Kennert (abt 1775 – bet 1810-1820, Lincoln Co., NC) between 1775-1776 in Rowan County.

     ii.         Maria Catherine¹ Troutman (2 Aug 1755, upper Milford Township, Northampton, PA – unknown).

    iii.         Anna Elizabeth¹ Troutman (27 Sep 1761, upper Milford Township, Northampton, PA – unknown).

    iv.         John (or Johann) Jacob¹ Troutman (2 Mar 1767, upper Milford Township, Northampton, PA – 18 July 1846, Iredell Co., NC); married Margaret Fesperman (1771 – 1840, Iredell Co., NC) about 1795 in Iredell Co., NC.

After Melchior’s death, Anna moved to Iredell County with her youngest son Jacob, age eleven. As an adult, Jacob began purchasing land in the vicinity of the present town of Troutman. In the mid-1850s, two of his grandsons, Sidney and Jacob Troutman, sons of John Jacob, opened a wagon making shop and created a lively business at a crossroads that became known as Troutman’s. The name stuck.

Descendants of the first Jacob Troutman call him “Jacob, the Pioneer.” Born 2 March 1767 in Upper Milford Township, Northampton, Pennsylvania on 2 March 1767 to Johann Melchior Troutman and Anna Elizabeth Heist, Jacob was the first generation born in America of German immigrants. He died 18 July 1846 and is buried in the Troutman Family Cemetery near Troutman, North Carolina.

1.   Jacob¹ Troutman married Margaret Fesperman (1771-1840) about 1795; they had eight known children:

       i.         Henry² Troutman, born 12 December 1797, near the present day town of Troutman, Iredell County; married Margaret Elizabeth Leonard (25 July 1802 – 19 Dec. 1874), 29 May 1821; died 29 July 1876, all in Iredell County. Henry was a farmer and a sheriff of Iredell County.

     ii.         John Jacob² Troutman, born 2 Apr. 1799 and died before Dec. 1831; married about 1820 to Anne Woolford (2 Apr. 1805 – 9 May 1875), all in Iredell County, NC.

    iii.         Daniel Troutman, born about 1804 in Iredell County; died between 1850 and 1860, Crawford Co. Missouri; married about 1824 to Anna Leonard (b. about 1803).

    iv.         William² Troutman, born about 1806 and died after June 1880; married about 1826 to Caroline Hoover (4 Jan. 1807 – abt. 1836) in Iredell County; second married Oct. 1837 to Malinda Jane Cowan (24 Feb. 1818 – 1 Nov. 1863), Iredell County; third married 9 November 1864 to Elizabeth Ann (born about 1827 in TN) in Knox, TN.

     v.         Anna² Troutman, born about 1808, Iredell County, and died after June 1850; married Jacob Holshouser.

    vi.         Adam² Troutman, born about 1812 and died 8 June 1852; married about 1830 to Margaret Hoover (6 Aug. 1810 – bet. 1861 and 1865), all in Iredell County.

  vii.         John Jefferson² Troutman, born 27 June 1815 and died between 1880 and 1900; married about 1849 to Isabella Elizabeth Waugh (born about 1827), all in Iredell County.

 viii.         Absalum² Troutman, born about 1817, died after June 1860; married about 1834 to Elizabeth “Betsy” McKee (born about 1816), all in Iredell County.

Jacob’s first born, Henry, was my great-grandfather Daniel’s father.

2.   Henry² Troutman and Margaret Elizabeth Leonard had eleven known children. The naming of these children rather fascinates me. The oldest, Jacob, of course was named for his paternal grandfather. Henry Martin was named for his father. Robert Leonard was named for Henry’s wife’s family. Daniel Absolum was named for two of his father’s brothers. Adam and John were named for Henry’s brothers, but where they got Burette and Carmi is a mystery. A man named Theophilis Falls who lived in the area must have been such an much admired friend that Henry and Elizabeth named a son for him. As for the girls, Margaret Elizabeth, of course, was named for her mother, Anne maybe for her great-grandmother; the others are anyone’s guess. Levina seems to have been a popular name at the time, for poring over census records of that era, I’ve noticed it often.

       i.         Jacob³ Troutman (20 Dec. 1821 – 1 July 1891) first married Elizabeth Clodfelter (7 June 1827 – 24 Jan 1863) about 1847; second married Sarah Susannah Collins (2 May 1840 – 26 Jan. 1909) 11 Nov. 1863; all in Iredell County near the present town of Troutman.

     ii.         Ester (or Easter) Levina³ Troutman (7 Sep 1823 – 1865) first married John Thomas; second married Fielding Kyles, all in Iredell County.

    iii.         Henry Martin³ Troutman (14 Dec 1825 – 28 Nov 1904) first married Katherine Clodefelter (1 Mar 1827 – 19 May 1865) about 1846; second married Ellen Jane Sumroe (5 Dec 1830 – 9 May 1888) on 23 Aug 1876, all in Iredell County.

    iv.         Robert Leonard³ Troutman (22 Dec 1827 – 1918); first married Margaret Kestler ( 23 Oct 1833 – 7 Nov 1877) about 1854; second married Margaret Luticia Reynolds (Oct 1849 - ?) on 27 Nov 1879, all in Iredell County.

     v.         Margaret Elizabeth² Troutman (28 May 1830 – Feb 1836), Iredell County.

    vi.         John Burette³ Troutman (26 Dec 1833, Iredell Co. – 24 Aug 1864, Reams Station, Petersburg, VA); married Sarah Anne Waugh (19 Dec 1835 – 31 Jan 1897) about 1857, other than John’s place of death, other events took place in Iredell County, NC.

  vii.         Daniel Absolum³ Troutman (20 July 1835, Iredell Co – 21 Mar 1918, Smyth Co., VA); married America A. Pratt (10 Sep 1845 – 4 Jan 1929, both in Smyth Co., VA) on 3 Feb 1869, Chatham Hill, Rich Valley, VA. (This one is my great-grandfather!)

 viii.         Anne Melissa³ Troutman (18 Oct 1837 – 9 Nov 1845, both in Iredell Co.)

    ix.         Adam Carmi³ Troutman (17 Feb 1841 – 13 Dec 1911); first married Barbara Lavinia Collins (7 Mar 1845 – 10 July 1895); second married Laura Christine Josey (19 Apr 1863- 1 May 1932); all in Iredell County.

     x.         Sarah Jane³ Troutman (6 July 1843 – 11 May 1896); married Samuel Leander Tays (27 May 1828 – 17 Jun 1895), date unknown; all in Iredell Co.

    xi.         Theophilis Falls³ Troutman (13 Apr 1849 – 26 Oct 1935) married Charlotte Teresa Ann Bustle (10 Feb 1851 – 8 Jul 1923) on 26 Dec 1971, all in Iredell Co.

*This information can be found in Descending Jacob’s Ladder, compiled and edited by Thomas L. Troutman. The children of Jacob Troutman are all named in his will, and a transcription of the record of the division of the estate, from Deed Book X, page 495, Iredell County, NC, is published in the book on pages 47 and 48. Also, I have a copy of this deed in my possession.

Daniel A. and America Troutman: First Eleven Years of Marriage

In 1869, Grandpa Clint’s father, Daniel Absolum Troutman, was a newcomer to Rich Valley, Smyth County, Virginia. The story goes that he drove a herd of horses from Iredell County, North Carolina, to sell in Virginia, probably in 1868. Now that’s a long way across a difficult mountainous terrain to drive horses, but that’s the story. By this time, Daniel was 33 years old and had been through three years of the horrors Civil War battlefields, not to mention a Yankee prison, so maybe the difficulties seemed minor.

In Virginia, he met and apparently fell in love with America Ann Pratt, the 23-year-old daughter of Nicholas and Sarah (Thomas) Pratt, long time residents of the valley. Family lore says he wrote to his parents that she was the “Flower of the Valley of Virginia.” Daniel and America were married at Chatham Hill on 3 February 1869.[1]

After they married, the family story goes, Daniel took America by horse and buggy to North Carolina to meet his parents. When they arrived at the Troutman home place, he drove the buggy around the house whooping and hollering to announce their arrival. His family members ran outside and joined in the merriment, shouting their greetings to the groom and his bride. America was taken aback by the outburst and the lack of dignity.

She was unhappy in North Carolina, so Daniel took her back to the valley of her birth where their first child, a daughter they named Laura Estelle, was born in February 1870.[2] They called her Stelle. Less than two years later, a little boy, John William, was born on 23 December 1871. They called him Bud.[3] The third child was another boy, Clifton P., born 22 June 1874.[4] Child number four was a girl named Sarah Bessie J., born 10 January 1877.[5] Next came Mary Ellen 12 November 1878.[6]

The next year, tragedy struck twice. Five-year-old Clifton and baby Mary Ellen fell ill and died of flux, a common name for dysentery. Mary Ellen succumbed on 15 September 1879[7] and thirteen days later, Clifton died.[8] If that wasn’t tragedy enough, the following spring, Bessie fell ill with diphtheria and died on 6 April 1880.[9] Daniel and America had been through more than their share of sadness.

The 1880 census taken that summer lists D. A. (age 41), America A. (age33), Stella (age 10), and John W. (age 7). They can all read and write. Daniel’s occupation was “Tenant,” which probably means tenant farmer. Sadly and starkly absent from the list are three names: Clifton, Bessie, and Mary Ellen.[10]

Dates of birth and death on this tombstone differ from birth and death records at the Smyth County Courthouse. In the text, I have used the dates found in court house records, which evidence shows to be more accurate. This new tombstone was added in the 1950s by James Henry Troutman, a brother born after these three children died.

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[1] Smyth County, Virginia, Register of Marriages, Book 1: 30, D. A. Troutman and America A. Pratt, 3 Feb. 1869.

[2] 1900 U. S. census, Smyth County, Virginia, population schedule, Broadford Precinct, p. 119 (stamped), enumeration district [ED] 84, sheet 10-A, dwelling 166, family 167, Estella Worley, digital image Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 10 August 2014); NARA microfilm publication T623, roll 1728. This census tells the month and year of Estella’s birth, and place as Virginia; the exact day is uncertain. Apparently, Daniel and America apparently never reported Estella’s birth at the courthouse, for it is not recorded in Smyth County. Negative searches also resulted online of Virginia Births and Christenings, 1853-1917, on Family Search and of Smyth County Virginia Births on Ancestry. An online search of records from Washington and Bland Counties was also negative.

[3] Smyth County, Virginia, Register of Births, Book 1: 62, No Name Troutman (male), Dec. 1871. This birth was reported by N. H. Pratt, the baby’s maternal grandfather.

[4] Smyth County, Virginia, Register of Births, Book 1: 112, entry for Clifton P. Troutman; County Clerk’s Office, Marion.

[5] Smyth County, Virginia, Register of Births, Book 1: 133, entry for S. B. J. Troutman; County Clerk’s Office, Marion.

[6] Smyth County, Virginia, “Register of Births, Book 1”: 141, entry for Mary Ellen Troutman; County Clerk’s Office, Marion.

[7] Smyth County, Virginia, “Deaths, Vol. 1, 1857-1896”: 141, entry for Mary E. Troutman; County Clerk’s Office, Marion. Records conflict regarding Mary’s cause of death. The courthouse record states, flux; the Mortality Schedule states dysentery, which is crossed out, and above it is written Hydrocephalus.

[8] Smyth County, Virginia, “Deaths, Vol. 1, 1857-1896”: 52, entry for Clifton P. Troutman; County Clerk’s Office, Marion.

[9] “U. S. Federal Census Mortality Schedules, 1850-1885,” database image, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 24 February 2014), Bessie Troutman, April 1880. Also, Smyth County, Virginia, Deaths, Vol. 1, 1857-1896: 54, entry for Sarah B. Troutman; County Clerk’s Office, Marion. Also, “Virginia Deaths and Burials Index, 1853-1917,” database Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 24 February 2014), Sarah B. Troutman, 6 April 1880. On the mortality schedule, diphtheria is crossed out and above it is written dysentery; the Smyth County Death Book states cause of death as diphtheria.; the index does not state a cause of death.

[10] 1880 U.S. census, 84^th District, Smyth County, Virginia, population schedule, enumeration district (ED) 84, p. 2 (penned), dwelling 32, family 32, D. A. Troutman; digital image, Ancesrty.com (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 14 August 2014); citing National Archives and Records Administration microfilm publication T9, roll 1390.

© 2014, Z. T. Noble

One Lovely Blog: Who, Me?

Not long ago, I received a surprise message on one of my blogs. A guy named Charlie let me know that he had nominated my blog for a One Lovely Blog award. My heart gave a little leap (smile) and I wondered, now what is that? Not being "in the loop," so to speak, I had no clue. I did a little Googling and found that it's an award that bloggers have been passing around for a while. It's a way to let other bloggers know you appreciate their blogs, a way to promote your own, and a way to give other blogs a boost. Just a fun and friendly thing!

Although I saw variations of the rules on several web sites, I’m presenting them as Charlie offered them to me:

1.     Thank the person who nominated you.

2.     Share 7 things about yourself.

3.     Name fifteen bloggers you admire (or as many as you can think of).

4.     Contact those bloggers and let them know you’ve tagged them for the One Lovely Blog award.

So, thank you Charlie! It’s always a bit of a surprise to me that anyone reads my blog, so your nomination made my day. His blog, Carolina Family Roots, is definitely cool, so give it a read.
Seven things about me:

1.     Potatoes—mashed, fried, baked, boiled, as chips, or pancakes, or soup, or any other form—may be my favorite food.

2.     One year, I coached a girl’s high school track team. (That was the year Title IX passed and the school was desperate for women coaches.)

3.     I’m named after my mother’s desk mate in school, Zola Mullins, and my two grandmothers who shared the name Mary.

4.     When I was a child, Roy Rogers was my hero.

5.     In my high school band and orchestra, I played drums and a bassoon.

6.     Nebraska, Florida, Missouri, Michigan, Indiana, and Virginia have been places I’ve called home.

7.     I don’t like spiders.

I must confess that I do not read many blogs—I don’t know how anyone finds time—but when I do read one now and then, I’m impressed by the humor, research, insight, knowledge, expertise, etc. that I see. Here are a few that have impressed me.  These are all genealogy related.

Appalachian Heartwood , Denise Smith. Appalachia is in my blood, and Denise transports me there.

The German Genealogist’s Blog , Josiah Schmidt (now isn't that a good German name!) Josiah's tips are fantastic!

Indy Genealogy , Ron Darrah. Ron offers hidden gems about researching in Indiana and anywhere.

Genealogy Certification: My Personal Journal , Jill Morelli. Jill is my inspiration.

Clue Wagon , Kerry Scott. Wish I had Kerry’s humor gene.

Trippin’ Over Roots , Barry Kline. Barry doesn’t post often, but when he does I'm hooked. This particular blog post expresses his feelings about Virginia, which I share.