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daffodilsYour Rice Family E~Zine
    
Generation by Generation ~ Century by Century 

        

   VOL.  4,   NO.  5   ~     April 23,  2011

  
In This Issue
Letter from the Editor: Spring and the Royal Wedding
Our Feature: Rice and Middleton Descendants of Robert Hobbes
Profiling Georgia (Rice) Harper of West Virginia
Migrations: The Shelton Rice Family - from VA to KY, TN and MO
Southern Family Trees: Rice Marriages in Bartow/Cass Counties, Georgia
What the Readers Write (including a list of Putnam Co., Indiana Rice marriages)
Fun for Root Diggers and Branch Climbers
Links & Tips
The Family Circle
 IN OUR NEXT ISSUE

 

 

Using Allied Surnames to Trace Rice Ancestry: The Rices of Lorain County, Ohio, and Their Pennsylvania Origin.

 

 

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The Rices of Warwickshire (Part 3 in our series about an English Rice family)

 

 

  pen and quill cream

 

Letter from the Editor

 

We've put on our spring colors. It's nice to see things warm up.

 

The royal wedding is only days away.   For our  wedding coverage I have outlined below how the English Rice family we featured last week shares ancestry with Kate Middleton.  Next week we will trace these Rices back over several centuries.  If readers would like to know more about Kate's ancestry, including how Kate and Prince William share some royal ancestry,  there are links at the end of the Middleton/Rice article. 

                                                                         

                                                                             Rosemary

 

PLEASE NOTE: There were unsolvable formatting problems with the RICE/MIDDLETON article.  Towards the end there are extra spaces.  Scroll down.  The three links are the end of the article.

 

 

 

Kate Middleton
Kate Middleton

 

Kate Middleton's Rice Cousins

 

Shared Ancestors: Robert Hobbes

          and Elizabeth Davenport Ashford

 

Our story begins with Robert Hobbes/Hobbs (1773-1817), a young attorney, and Elizabeth Davenport Ashford (1777-1825). They were married Jan. 16, 1800 at Holy Trinity Church in Stratford-on-Avon in Warwickshire.

  

Both died before they were 50 years old.

  

Robert's oldest brother, Capt. John Thomas Hobbs, served in the Royal Marines and was a friend of the Duke of Clarence, who became King William IV. Robert and John were sons of Jonathan Hobbs and Katherine Ward,  who were married at  New Church, Birmingham, Feb. 3, 1761.  

  

The Hobbs ancestry can be traced with certainty only as far back as the Charles Hobbs who died in 1700 and is buried in the churchyard of the cathedral at Gloucester.  

 

 KATE MIDDLETON'S DESCENT

 

Kate Middleton descends from Robert and Elizabeth (Ashford) Hobbs as follows:

   

Their daughter CHRISTIANA MARIA HOBBES was born on Christmas Day of 1819 and died April 30, 1899 "of natural decay".  She married THOMAS DAVIS (1804-1887), an Oxford graduate who was rector of St. John's Church in Roundhay near Leeds in Yorkshire.  He died of "senile decay".  Both are buried in the cemetery adjoining St. John's Church.  

HARRIET ALBINA DAVIS (1850-1892)  died of "influenza and peritonitis."  She married FRANCIS MARTINEAU LUPTON (1848-1921) April 6, 1880 at Roundhay and both are buried there on the grounds of St. John's Church. He was a cloth merchant and woolen manufacturer in Leeds.  Members of his family were wealthy and held many leadership positions in Leeds. 

OLIVE CHRISTIANA LUPTON (1881-1936) is one of Kate Middleton's most interesting ancestors. Many people in her family died young and she ended up with not only the family fortune, but also the family business.   She married RICHARD NOEL MIDDLETON, who was born on Christmas Day of 1878 and died in 1951. They were wed Jan. 6, 1914 at Mill Hill Chapel in Leeds.  Richard was a lawyer.  

PETER FRANCIS MIDDLETON (1920-2010) almost lived long enough to see his granddaughter marry Prince William. Peter married VALERIE GLASSBOROW (1924-2006) on Dec. 7, 1946 in Leeds. She was born in Marseille, France. 

MICHAEL FRANCIS MIDDLETON and his wife, the former CAROLE ELIZABETH GOLDSMITH, are Kate Middleton's parents.

 

THE RICE FAMILY DESCENT

 

The Rice family descent is summarized here.  In our next issue we will be giving more details of the Rice family background.

 

In our last issue we focussed on the family of Charles Hobbs Rice.  Here is this family's descent from Robert and Elizabeth (Ashford) Hobbs, their common ancestor shared by Kate Middleton

     Mary Ward Hobbs m. David Rice

          Charles Hobbs Rice m. Eleanor Vernon Macan

               The Rice daughters featured in our last issue

                       (Bimmy's grand-daughter in New Zealand) 

 

 

 

 THE RELATIONSHIP

 

 

 Kate Middleton's great-great-grandmother, Harriet (Davis) Lupton, and Charles Hobbs Rice were first cousins.  That is the kissin' cousins scenario!

 

 

 Here's the kicker: If Bimmy Rice's granddaughter in New Zealand is watching the royal wedding on April 29, she may not realize that 4 generations ago her ancestor, Mary (Hobbs) Rice, and 5 generations ago Kate's ancestor, Christiana (Hobbs) Davis, were sisters! 

 

 

 

SOURCES: 

  • "The Ancestry of Kate Middleton," compiled by the late William Addams Reitwiesner and Michael J. Wood.
  • The Lupton Family (British National Archives at Stratford-on-Avon repository).
  • Blog of Charles Hobbs Rice Descendant

 

 

 

TO READ MORE ABOUT KATE MIDDLETON'S ANCESTRY:

 

 

Prince William and Kate Middleton Share Ancestors

The Luptons of Leeds

Olive Lupton (Kate's Great-grandmother)

 

 

 

 

 

PROFILE: GEORGIA (RICE) HARPER

 

A Community Organizer

In the Old-Fashioned Way

 

Lindbergh welcome

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That's not snow, its a ticker-tape covered crowd of millions--yes milllons--gathered in New York City the summer of 1927 to welcome Charles Lindbergh's return from Europe after having been the first person to complete a solo flight across the Atlantic.  He did it in 33 1/2 hours.  The parade was up Broadway and somewhere in that vast crowd was Georgia (Rice) Harper, a West Virginia dairy farmer who knew how to add zest to her life as a farmer's wife, homemaker and mother. 

 

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Georgia (Rice) Harper expressed her rugged individualism when, at age 20, she drove down the road in a red Ford.  It was the first car in that West Virginia County.  Georgia continued to amaze people the rest of her life.

 

Much was sandwiched into Georgia's life between the day she drove the red car down Dotson Run Rload and the day Secretary of State A. James  arrived in Elkins, West Virginia, to honor 86-year-old Georgia with West Virginia's Order of the 35th Star award. 

.

Although she spent most of her life as a home-maker, mother and long-time dairy farmer, Georgia was one of those multi-taskers who can juggle a lot of simultaneous activities.  She had a knack for quickly and efficiently speeding through the humdrum aspects of her life so she could fit in some work on behalf of others, or put some added zip into her life.

 

Perhaps behind the scenes Georgia was a dreamer with an active and healthy imagination. She was about 27 when she climbed into an airplane to become the first female flown out of Elkins to Washington, D.C.  They took off from the dairy farm she operated with her husband for 27 years.  The dairy farm became the Elkins-Randolph County Airport.

 

Georgia organized the Midland Farm Women's Club in 1922 and later sat on the National Advisory Board of the West Virginia Extension Homemaker's Council.  That is only prelude to a long list of leadership and service positions she held.  Georgia was an officer of the World War I Barracks' 1060 Auxiliary, the American Legion Auxiliary, Davis Memorial Hospital Auxiliary, Order of the Eastern Star and the Rebekah Lodge. She also was an active member of the American Association of Retired Persons,and the Randolph County and West Virginia Historical Societies.  In 1966, savoring life in her 70s, Georgia was Randolph County's "belle" to the Glenville State Folk Festival.

 

During her early years of becoming involved in her community, Georgia took another break from her routine and it, too, had to do with flying.  In 1927, when Georgia was age 34, she was among some 40 million jubilant people who gathered in New York City to welcome Charles Lindbergh back home after he became the first person to fly across the Atlantic Ocean, making the record-breaking journey from Long Island to Paris.  

 

Georgia was active in the First United Methodist Church for more than 50 years. A charter member of its women's group, she was also involved in the Sunday School.

 

Georgia, then in her early 80s, was honored for her community service on multiple occasions in 1976.   People paid tribute to her as thanks for her community service at Jackson's Mill, at Camp Pioneer and at Camp Caesar.

 

What was the significance of the Order of the 35th Star award Georgia received when she was 86?  It goes to people over age 80 who have distinguished themselves by devoting more than 50 years of service to their fellow citizens, displaying "integrity, diligence, courage and rugged individualism."    That's what Georgia (Rice) Harper's life was all about.
 

THE ANCESTRY OF GEORGIA (RICE) HARPER

 

Georgia was the daughter of Joseph Robert Rice, who was born June 13,1870, and died June 2, 1950.

 

Joseph Rice was the son of John Rice, born Feb. 10, 1832, and died July 29, 1907.  He married Susan Denton and had eight children. One of those was Joseph's brother, Dr. Charles Rice, a doctor who married a beautiful Kentucky girl and died just a few years later during a typhoid epidemic.  His mother and a  brother's wife also died from typhoid at the same time.  Many family members are buried in Randolph Co., West Virginia.


John Rice was the son of Rev. Thomas Rice (1794-1849), a Southern Methodist minister who in 1828 married Martha Stephens (1805-1881), daughter of Rev. Lawrence Stephens of Wythe Co., Virginia. Five of their sons served in the Civil War.

 

Thomas Rice was a son of John Rice (1767-1836) and Lucy Jones (1767-1843), who were married in 1791. She was a daughter of Ambrose Jones of Culpepper Co., Virginia. John Rice was a large landowner. He and his wife are buried near Dayton, Virginia.   John was a son of Benajah Rice, who is believed to be son of a William Rice.

 

SOURCE: Information received from Sam Rice of Clearwater, Florida, in the  1980s.

 

log cabinpioneer wagon2

 

Migrations

 

 

THE SHELTON RICE FAMILY:  FROM VA TO TN TO KY TO MO
 

Shelton Rice was born in Virginia and his family migrated west in stages, which is a common pattern.

 

After Shelton married Lucy Williams he settled in Tennessee. From there, he moved to Mercer Co., Kentucky, in 1795. 

Shelton and Lucy had these children:

Absalom, Polly, Nancy, Joseph, Newton, Harvey, Lucy and Kittura Rice

 

Absalom Rice married Ellen Hensley, who was from Kentucky, and in 1831 they settled in Callaway Co., Missouri.  He was a minister and organized the first Christian Church in Callaway County in1853.  Our source says he and his wife lived together 50 years, during which time a cross word never passed between them . Their children were:

Amanda, William, Mary and John Rice

 

SOURCE: Pioneer Families of Missouri, by William S. Bryan and Robert Rose, 1876

 

 

 

Southern gentleman

 

Southern Family Trees  

 

Rice Marriages

in

Bartow & Cass Counties, Georgia

 

 MARRIAGES

 RICE DATE (See note)  BOOK/PAGE
Crowder, KelsoRice, Emma15 Apr 1930 M/122
Reagan, BenjaminRice, Georgia Ann19-Sep-1872 F/217
Chapman, William B.Rice, Josie19 March 1916 K/517
Beaver, JohnRice, Julia A.12 August 1883 H/103
Jackson, LeeRice, Lula18 April 1897 I/496
Tidwell, Joe Rice, Mamie 1/31/1910 Colored/238
Cothran, DavidRice, Mary13 December 1910 K/218
Henderson, FeltonRice, Nolen24 December 1901 J/153
Guthrie, ClaudeRice, Virginia17 November 1940

 bride and groom


NOTE: These marriages are from courthouse records. The date is likely to be the date the marriage was recorded, rather than the date the wedding took place.

 

 

 RICE                          

 MARRIAGES                 RANDOLPH CO. WEST VIRGINIA
Rice, A.H.Donnal, Kizza12-Nov-1872 F/222
Rice, Andrew H.Russell, Emma 05 January 1858 E/147
Rice, BenjaminLaw, Pearl22 December 1912 K/310
Rice, DanielWalker, Elizabeth01 July 1838 B/016
Rice, GilbertAbernathy, Julia19 Oct 1930 M/145
Rice, J.W.Franklin, Stella12 October 1933 M/306
Rice, JohnSkinner, Martha24 December 1882 H/094
Rice, Luftin B.Cothran, Vinie08 February 1914 K/413
Rice, WilliamRudd, Martha27 September 1876 G/103
Rice, William A.Wilson, Nancy19-Aug-1852 D/16

 


 

pen and quill cream 

What the  Readers Write 

 

 

EILEEN BRIDGES WRITES:
  
Hi - Your Rice newsletter was forwarded to me after I had asked for information concerning James Rice who died 1817 in Loudoun Co., VA.  He is the one in Group 6  (DNA Group 6) in the newsletter.
  
In this newsletter, you said you knew someone researching this line.  Would it be proper to forward my email address to him?
  
I am trying to determine if James Rice and his first wife [5 children named in his will] could possibly be the parents of Jane Rice who married Joseph Cann, coming to Montgomery Co., KY by 1810 and later this became part of Bath Co., KY at its formation.    There are Canns also in Loudoun Co., Va at the same time but again I don't know if they are Joseph's.  There was also another couple, Enoch Burns and wife, nee Susanna Rice, who also migrated the same time period and location to Kentucky. 
  
I would appreciate anything that might give me confirmation.
  
Thank you - I appreciate your time.
  

 

EDITOR'S REPLY:

  
Bill Rice, who has been researching this branch of the Rice family for decades, will see your summary here. Hopefully, there are other readers who can help.  I only know this line as one that has, for researchers, reached a dead end.  The significant new thing may be the extra dimension you bring to this ancestral puzzle.  There may be some Cann family records that shed more light on the migration path of the two families, as well as additional info on the Virginia ancestors.
  

Here is a tidbit for both of you to pursue, if you haven't already. The names of soldiers, family members, dates of payment, and gentlemen assigned to provide for those families were listed on the last four pages of Loudoun County Order Book G, Volume II.  The list includes James Rice, soldier, plus his widow, Hannah, and two children.  This entry is dated Oct.9, 1780, and they are assigned to William Wesley.

 

      

BECKY CHOWNING WRITES: 

I need help in finding where my 5th Great Grandfather is from.   I have hit a brick wall.   Would you have anything in your research that you could share ?

  

Here is what I know:  

 

His name is Elias F Rice    ( I think the F stands for Franklin )

He was born around 1760-1770 in Virginia   (Some say Hampshire Co.   My family was always told it was Wales or Ireland) , but I don't think he was, maybe his father.

 

He married a Catherine between 1790 and 1800. I can find him in the 1810 Census for Breckinridge County , KY. Catherine died somewhere between 1810 and 1820 as she does not show up on the 1820 census for Little York, Hardin Co., KY

 

Some of their children were:   William, Daniel, Elizabethtown , Susannah.

Elias remarried in Nelson County, KY to a Jane Rogers Ruby.

 

The 1830 census still shows him in Hardin County , KY.  In the early 1830's he moved to Putnam County , Indiana. He died in Putnam Co, IN in April 1845

  

Thank you.

 

Becky Chowning 

 

  

EDITOR'S REPLY:

 

The only thing I have been able to find in my records is a list of Rice marriages in Putnam Co., Indiana.  Sometimes if we run a check on a spouse's surname we end up with another family's genealogy that has info on our Rices.  (There will be a good example of this in our next issue.)

 

Some of the people mentioned in these marriage records may be a child or grandchild of Elias Rice.  If so, in the case of his children, they may name him or provide other clues about Elias and his family. Here are those marrriages:

  

Rice, Adaline; m. Joseph Maxwell Dec. 8, 1853

Rice, Anna Belle; married Francis M. Coffman, June 29, 1883

Rice, Algernon; married Louisa Booker Feb. 2 , 1871

Rice, Calvin, married Mary E. Tompkins, Sept. 4, 1867

Rice Charles F married Etta George Dec 5 1888

Rice Charles W Martha Ritchey Oct 1 1887 7 587

Rice Clyde Hasel Bowen Nov 12 1888 W Nov 122 1913 14 393

Rice Corline Harry Marchant Oct 4 1859 3 4

Rice Edgar O Jennie Louis June 21 1880 W May 31 1919 16 409

Rice Edmond O Nellie L Rich Oct 1 1890 8 304

Rice Edward Minnie Weavel Sept 25 1898 9 523

Rice Eliza John R Allison Jan 1 1855 2 18

Rice Elisabeth John Kilcollan Nov 21 1860 3 135

Rice, Elsephus; married Effie Thompson, Sept. 4, 1883

Rice, Elizabeth; married John W, McKee, Aug. 29, 1860

Rice, Elizabeth; married George W. Brown, Feb. w1, 1858

Rice, Ellie K; married William H. Rich, Nov. 25, 1903

Rice, Fred G.; maried Mary F. Howard, July 25, 1882

George L. Rice; married Goldie Todd, April 8, 1888

Harriet A. Rice; married Joseph A. Liggett, Dec. 13, 1893

Harriet E. Rice; married Henrhy Writer, March 18, 1875

Henry Clair Rice; married Marian M. Collins, Dec. 16, 1884

Ida B. Rice; married Frank M. Busby, Oct. 6, 1895

James Rice; married Lyuda Ann Smith, Aug. 10, 1852

James Ricemarried Nancy Boswell, Dec. 11, 1856

James Rice; married Parthina Busby, Feb. 4, 1850

James Rice; married Catherine Ago (date not given)

James A, Rice; married Sarah E. McKee, Feb. 5, 1863

James C. Rice; married Ida M. Burford, April 14, 1904

Jane Rice; married William J. Scabury/Seabury, June 25, 1855

John Rice; married Ann Gardner, June 8, 1857

John C. Rice; married Melinda A. Hurst, March 3, 1850

John C. Rice; married Mary F. Brook, Feb. 22, 1880

John T. Rice married  Julia A. McCurdy, Aug. 27, 1874

John T. Rice married Mary A. Lester, Feb. 15, 1880

Joseph Rice married Sarah A. Booker, Nov. 2, 1871

Lewis Rice maried Elizabeth Richards, Dec. 14, 1851

Lillie D. Rice married William E. Alspaugh June 17, 1891

Lizzie Rice maried Albert Sears June 28, 1893

Llewellyn J. Rice married Clara M. Curtis Jan. 20, 1886

Lovila Rice married Jesse V. Batman Sept. 12, 1882

Mary Rice married Franis H. Keller Dec. 17, 1871

Mary Rice maried Henry Lawson May 15, 1850

Mary Rice married  Dennis Curren (date not given)

Nancy A. Rice married Andrew Allen April 7, 1863

Nettie Rice married Howard Rusie April 29, 1897

Sarah E.Miles married  May 6, 1858

rda H. Rice married Lou Miller Feb. 16, 1886 

Peter F. Rice married Sarah E.  Mils May 61858

Peter Rice married Delitha McCullough Jan. 13, 1850

Sarah A. Rice married David Dikerson Aug. 27, 1871

Sarah F. Rice married Michael L. Craver Dec. 19, 1871

Sebina E. Rice married George H. Michael Dec. 19, 1865

Sophia Rice married John Clark (date not given)

Sophia Rice married Henry Brady Aug. 22, 1883

William Rice married Ella Wollever Jan. 2,7 1884

William D. Rice married Mollie F. Vaughan, June 1, 1876

William M. Rice married Huldah C Riggle, Feb.18,1875

William H. Rice marriecd Martha E Smith Mar. 8, 1868

William A. Rice married Sarah C. Michael Aug, 1867

William H. Rice married Ellie K Rice Nov. 25,1903

 

 

 

 

FUN FOR FAMILY ROOT DIGGERS

AND TREE SHAKERS

 

NOT NAMED FOR A COOKIE

 

This is the tiny story of a little boy named Orie O.--Orie O. Bradford, that is.  His family lived in Embarrass Township, Illinois.  Orie O. was sandwiched in the middle: He had an older brother and two older sisters, plus a younger brother and two younger sisters.   

 

Orie must have been the embarrassed boy who lived in Embarrass.  Imagine all the Nasbisco jokes and the taunting by classmates.  Well, he didn't have to put up with that until he was about to enter his teens.  He was 12 when the Oreo cookie made its debut.  (See 1910 census for Edgar Co., Illinois)

 

THAT'S NOT AN OCCUPATION

 

There seems to be an almost endless list of unusual things named as occupations by census takers. 

 

1870 Census, Moorland Twp., Michigan

Olive A., occupation listed as "drinks whiskey" (Now that occupation could have some good benefits.  How many people do you know who get paid for drinking whiskey?)

 

1880 Census, somewhere in Pennsylvania

Listed in the household of farmer Lewis Piersol, 59, is his mother, Sarah Piersol.  Her occupation is listed as "Ever Lasting Talker"


 


 

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