My great aunt, Beulah (Peters) Brewer, got me interested in genealogy about 18 years ago. One of our ancestral lines are the Randolphs of Virginia. Here’s the story she emailed me of what got her interested in learning more about her family:
Myrtle Mae (Coppenbarger) Peters painting (Probably the photo taken for the newspaper)
James Madison Randolph is the reason that I started doing genealogy. Mother had a copy of the paper that had his obituary in it, and his part took up about four pages. It was one of the smaller papers. Mother started doing oil paintings when she was in her late 70s, and the paper came out to take her picture and then they wanted some of her background history. She was so proud, and when she showed it to me, I asked her why she had them put all the Randolph data down? It had been handed down by word of mouth for generations and you couldn’t convince any one of them that it wasn’t so. In Lee County, Virginia, they still tend to believe it.
Image of Pocahontas from Wikipedia
So, what did the family believe for generations? That we were related to Pocahontas.
Just last week I came across a typed copy of the obituary of James Madison Randolph my great grandmother probably showed her daughter, Beulah. (I found it on De Witt County’s Rootsweb.) Besides being related to Pocahontas, it states our family is related to a handful of other prominent people! Wouldn’t that be neat? However, my great aunt said that her finding showed that, though we are descended from the Randolph family of Virginia, we aren’t a part of the more famous Randolph family of Virginia. Here’s the wonderfully lengthy obituary:
Dated April 8, 1927; Paper: Unknown
JAMES MADISON RANDOLPH PIONEER OF THIS COMMUNITY.
Laid to Rest Under Sheltering Branches of Ancestral Oaks in Randolph Cemetery.
The subject of this sketch, James Madison RANDOLPH, was born June 27, 1846 in Logan county, Illinois, on the old homestead which had been taken from the government about two years before by his father. He was the oldest son of Willoughby H. and Louvicy (BARR) RANDOLPH, and the Randolph family of three brothers- James, Brooks, and William RANDOLPH had emigrated to Illinois from Virginia ,a sixteen years previous, before the winter of the big, snow in 1830. William RANDOLPH was his grandfather and James RANDOLPH was the father of J. S. RANDOLPH, better known as “Shelt”. While he and “Shelt” were thus second cousins, yet all their lives and until the death of J. S. Randolph a number of years ago, their association was almost that of brothers, instead of distant cousins. He was thus one of the few remaining pioneers of the first generation and with advancing years took delight in recounting experiences of his boyhood. He told of one occasion of starting to Clinton with a load of grain and two yoke of oxen and having a serious breakdown on the present site of Kenney. He was married to Elizabeth G. JETT on December 30, 1871 who survives him. Seven children were born to this union; G. A. RANDOLPH, of Richmond, Va., R. J. RANDOLPH, of Kenney; Jett and John RANDOLPH, Mrs. Mack CARLLEY and Mrs. A. P. ROBERTSON, of Tulsa, Okla. One daughter, Grace, died at age of five. Two sisters, Mrs. Emma HILDRETH, and Mrs. Mary FORREST are living, both residing On Pacific Coast, and there are ten grandchildren. Always a deep student and constructive thinker, he spent the years 1865 and 1866 at Shurtleff college, Alton, Ill., and but for several years of weak eyesight from an epidemic of eye trouble, he would have graduated as a civil engineer and made this his life work. Generous with his family, tolerant of the opinions of others and yet with firm convictions of his own, his life showed continually the workings of a well balanced and orderly mind. Baptized in the Christian church at Kenney, following a revival in 1888, he talked freely in his last illness of the state of his soul and said he was prepared to meet his God. In all the trials of life, in withstanding the “Slings and Arrows of Outrageous Fortune,”‘ he showed the iron determination of his forbears who stood at Crecy and Agincourt.
In the summer of 1923, he visited his son, G. A. Randolph at Richmond, Va., and took great delight in looking up the site of the home of his ancestor, William Randolph, of Turkey Island, and in visiting the monument of the Indian Princess, Pocahontas, at Jamestown Island, from whom he was descended. On a boat trip down the historic James, the captain, on learning his name and ancestry, showed pleasure in pointing out the sites of the homes of the Randolphs in this locality, so aptly called the “Cradle of the Republic.”
Among his relatives were, John RANDOLPH, of Roanoke, Peyton RANDOLPH, President of the First Continental Congress, and Edmund RANDOLPH, Governor of Virginia and First Attorney General of the United states. Thomas JEFFERSON, Chief Justice MARSHALL, General Robert E. LEE and Carter H. HARRISON of Chicago were kinsmen, their mothers being Randolph’s. After being in remarkably good health for a man of his years, the final illness came in January and he passed away at his home in Tulsa, Oklahoma on March 26. The remains were brought to Kenney to the home of his sister-in-law, Mrs. Sabra BUCHANAN.
Funeral arrangements on March 28 were handled by R. B. PULLEN and the services were at the Christian church in charge of Rev. O. P. WRIGHT, who is an old friend of the family. He delivered a most feeling discourse. A quartet composed of C. A. TROWBRIDGE, Ned WARRICK, H. K. CANTRELL, and E. *. HOGGARD, rendered appropriate selection with Miss Nina WARRICK at the piano. The pall bearers were four grandsons James HOMER, Ross and Harry RANDOLPH and two nephews, Roy and Ralph BUCHANAN. Services at the cemetery were conducted by Kenney Lodge I.O.O.F. of which he had been a member nearly 50 years.
Under the sheltering branches of the ancestral oaks of his grandfather Randolph’s farm where he had wandered happily with his cousins, Levi and Whitney REGAN and Frank and Josiah COPPENBARGER, all that was mortal of James Madison Randolph was laid to rest.
Do we share common ancestors? If so, I’d love to hear from you! Please leave a comment or contact me at drleeds@sbcglobal.net.
14 thoughts on “Family Lore: Related to Pocahontas”
I am the daughter of Dorothy Grace Randolph. My mother’s grandfather was James Madison Randolph who married Elizabeth Jett Randolph.
My niece is very interested in our family tree. Buelah was a name that my mother mentioned in her quest of our tree. I believe Buelah corresponded with my uncle John Randolph.
I have scads of genealogy material on the tree and have no idea where to start digging.
My email is scanlonbj@hotmail.com
If you like I would be interested in corresponding on genealogy history.
My name is Stephanie. I have a very complicated story. My father’s name was James Arthur Randolph. I don’t know much about him. He was born in West Virginia on July 11, 1912 and came to Chicago around 1922. He was much older than my mother. This is all the information he shared with her. He passed away in 1982. I would like to find more about his family. I am considering Ancestry.com to find relatives. Any advice?
Hi, Stephanie. I would definitely try Ancestry! I did a quick search and found one record for a Black man named James Arthur Randolph who was born 11 July 1913 in Alabama (not WV) and was living in Chicago in 1940. His wife at that time was named Willa Mae. He was also living in Chicago in 1950 with a son named Samuel. And there is a link to his 1982 Social Security Death Index. Ordering the actual form would show how he filld it out and should include his parents’ names! So if this is your father that would be very helpful!
If this isn’t your father, there are still likely records you can find at Ancestry. I also recommend DNA testing! It can answer so many questions. I recommend starting by testing at AncestryDNA. You can transfer your raw DNA results to two other sites: MyHeritage and FamilyTreeDNA. Another great place to test is 23andMe.
Dana. Thank you so much! I actually thought I might not get a response. I am so happy I searched again. This is so amazing. I certainly will do exactly as you said. This is a huge find for me!!! I will keep you informed of anything I fine. Thank you so much again!!!
Yes that is my father. If I failed to say that. Willa Mae is not my mother. Samual was their son and he passed away before I was born. My mother was actually born in 1940. He met my mom around 1958. Not clear no how he got to West Virginia. His obituary said that’s where he was from. He and Willa Mae remained married even after he and my mother had 4 children together. But my mom and him didn’t stay together so he went back with his wife. I believe she knew more about him than my mother. Thanks again.
so I’ve been working on my family history and it seems like we’re both related to the same people. My family is from Virginia, Tennessee, Oklahoma and Texas.
Hi,
I was wondering if you knew much about Cleopatra, Pocahontas sister.
I have Native American DNA from that area…I descend from a miss mash of people. One legion I descend from sister to Pocahontas and , from the West line , from boiling /bowlings . Can you help me confirm Pocahontas had a sister cleopatra and some of her descendants?
my tree sounds to wild to be true…..If it’s correct….(.I didn’t do the work ) if it’s correct there isn’t anyone I’m not related to lol
( well I know I am related to everyone, we all are , but I mean directly)
The characters on my tree seem to preposterous to be true, like
King Phillip of king Phillips war . the mayflower, Pocahontas sister , if you believe
Pocahontas was married to kocohem m descendant from him as well…the settlers of Santa Fe , lord Delaware. Etc…. And cousins !?! Mind boggling .
It sounds to unbelievable to me .
Until I got dna back now wondering if grain of truths there. My native dna places me in right spots …Virginia, Mass, Santa Fe
Other family on tree (why I question ) is I’m related to everyone from members Salem witch trials . The Doans sent a note that Washington crossing Delaware. The culper spy ring , first woman executed in America . My family has been captured by Indian Deerfield raid, related to The Samuel fullers Brewster Bradford how lands Allertons And on and on if true cousins amazing cogswell sign language, Churchill , Grant , Laura little house prairie…..everyone.
I am the daughter of Dorothy Grace Randolph. My mother’s grandfather was James Madison Randolph who married Elizabeth Jett Randolph.
My niece is very interested in our family tree. Buelah was a name that my mother mentioned in her quest of our tree. I believe Buelah corresponded with my uncle John Randolph.
I have scads of genealogy material on the tree and have no idea where to start digging.
My email is scanlonbj@hotmail.com
If you like I would be interested in corresponding on genealogy history.
Barbara Scanlon Hibbard
Hi, Barbara. I’m so glad you wrote! I’d love to correspond with you. I’ll email you!
Are you related to Elizabeth Pocahontas Randolph b1829 in Ky, m 1854 James Morton Brown in Greene County,Il. d1871 in Illinois?
Hi, Denise. No, I’m pretty sure I’m not related to her. I love that she has Pocahontas as a middle name though.
Hi Dana,
My name is Stephanie. I have a very complicated story. My father’s name was James Arthur Randolph. I don’t know much about him. He was born in West Virginia on July 11, 1912 and came to Chicago around 1922. He was much older than my mother. This is all the information he shared with her. He passed away in 1982. I would like to find more about his family. I am considering Ancestry.com to find relatives. Any advice?
Hi, Stephanie. I would definitely try Ancestry! I did a quick search and found one record for a Black man named James Arthur Randolph who was born 11 July 1913 in Alabama (not WV) and was living in Chicago in 1940. His wife at that time was named Willa Mae. He was also living in Chicago in 1950 with a son named Samuel. And there is a link to his 1982 Social Security Death Index. Ordering the actual form would show how he filld it out and should include his parents’ names! So if this is your father that would be very helpful!
If this isn’t your father, there are still likely records you can find at Ancestry. I also recommend DNA testing! It can answer so many questions. I recommend starting by testing at AncestryDNA. You can transfer your raw DNA results to two other sites: MyHeritage and FamilyTreeDNA. Another great place to test is 23andMe.
Best wishes!
Dana. Thank you so much! I actually thought I might not get a response. I am so happy I searched again. This is so amazing. I certainly will do exactly as you said. This is a huge find for me!!! I will keep you informed of anything I fine. Thank you so much again!!!
Yes that is my father. If I failed to say that. Willa Mae is not my mother. Samual was their son and he passed away before I was born. My mother was actually born in 1940. He met my mom around 1958. Not clear no how he got to West Virginia. His obituary said that’s where he was from. He and Willa Mae remained married even after he and my mother had 4 children together. But my mom and him didn’t stay together so he went back with his wife. I believe she knew more about him than my mother. Thanks again.
You are quite welcome!!
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so I’ve been working on my family history and it seems like we’re both related to the same people. My family is from Virginia, Tennessee, Oklahoma and Texas.
Hi, Ruth. I’d love to talk or be able to see your tree! Thanks for the comment!
Dana
Hi,
I was wondering if you knew much about Cleopatra, Pocahontas sister.
I have Native American DNA from that area…I descend from a miss mash of people. One legion I descend from sister to Pocahontas and , from the West line , from boiling /bowlings . Can you help me confirm Pocahontas had a sister cleopatra and some of her descendants?
my tree sounds to wild to be true…..If it’s correct….(.I didn’t do the work ) if it’s correct there isn’t anyone I’m not related to lol
( well I know I am related to everyone, we all are , but I mean directly)
The characters on my tree seem to preposterous to be true, like
King Phillip of king Phillips war . the mayflower, Pocahontas sister , if you believe
Pocahontas was married to kocohem m descendant from him as well…the settlers of Santa Fe , lord Delaware. Etc…. And cousins !?! Mind boggling .
It sounds to unbelievable to me .
Until I got dna back now wondering if grain of truths there. My native dna places me in right spots …Virginia, Mass, Santa Fe
Other family on tree (why I question ) is I’m related to everyone from members Salem witch trials . The Doans sent a note that Washington crossing Delaware. The culper spy ring , first woman executed in America . My family has been captured by Indian Deerfield raid, related to The Samuel fullers Brewster Bradford how lands Allertons And on and on if true cousins amazing cogswell sign language, Churchill , Grant , Laura little house prairie…..everyone.
That’s why I find it hard to believe.
Hi, Marty. What fascinating family lore!
And, while some of it may be correct, it’s quite possible some of it is only “lore.” (And I do not know if Pocahontas had a sister, Cleopatra.)
I’d suggest doing some DNA work! I’d start with the Leeds Method. I have a new YouTube video, so if you’d rather watch videos let me suggest two. First, watch this one: https://youtu.be/zMDbU72_-Ms?si=n-Gj_6K3R5L32vl1 And then watch this: https://youtu.be/pJSbPdFWevc?si=EaPKd7LFG8kckfCV
Hope this helps! And I now have a newsletter you can sign up for to stay more informed if you’re interested: https://danaleeds.myflodesk.com/
Dana