Our "Brick Walls"

The "Farthest Back" Individuals from the Wooddell, Stephens, Knight, Riggins, Denny, Shirey and Related Family Research


I would like to dedicate this page to those of our ancestors who so skillfully, confounded, obfuscated, evaded, concealed, or outright lied in order to thwart any attempt of having any record that could possibly prove that they or their families ever existed.

Playing "Is There Anybody Out There" From "The Wall" by Pink Floyd

Agrippa Atkinson

Agrippa Atkinson was born abt. 1777 in GA.

He is suppose to have been married in Hancock Co. GA.

I have a reference to an Agrippa Atkinson being a Revolutionary War Soldier but as my Agrippa wasn't born until 1777, I feel this may be his father.

I also know he was suppose to be a JP in GA between 1801-1806, but as he would have been only in his mid-twenties this may again have been another Agrippa.

I do know he was a JP in Bibb Co. AL.

He was one of the early settlers of Bibb Co. AL and settled near Mulberry Creek. This part of Bibb Co. is now Chilton Co. AL.

Benjamin Franklin Blankinship

The name is sometimes spelled Blankenship.

He was born in TN. I feel fairly sure it was Rutherford Co. TN.

His wife Elizabeth Lowe was born in Rutherford Co. TN.

He was in Cherokee Co. TX by 1850.

There was a Benjamin Blankenship appointed the 1st Constable of Murfreesboro (Rutherford Co.) TN in 1819. He was too old to be my Benjamin Franklin but could possible be his father.

There is a Benjamin Blankenship & Sarah Webb who were both born in VA and died in Rutherford Co. TN who are the right age to be his parents living in Rutherford Co. TN.

There is 1 Benjamin Blankenship in the 1820 Rutherford Co. TN census.

There are 2 Benjamin Blankenships in the 1830 Rutherford Co. TN census.

There is 1 Matthew Blankenship in the 1840 Rutherford Co. TN census.

Francis M. Cary

Francis Cary was born in England according to 1900 Coleman Co. TX census.

He had a sister Ann N. Cary living with him in 1850 Ouachita Co. AR census & 1880 Coleman Co. TX census.

There is a Robert Cary who is found living near Francis Cary in 1870 & 1880 Coryell Co. TX census who is the right age to be a brother or cousin.

Other people buried in Midway Cemetery in Coleman Co. TX with Francis Cary. 1. Mattie Whittington dau. of J. P. and R. A. (Cary) Whittington 2. Infant Nighton dau. of W. D. & N. (Kinter) Nighton 3. M. E. (Cary) Best.

There is a Martha Best living in Coleman Co. in 1880 with her grandaughter Lelia Shelley, possibly the M. E. (Cary) Best buried in Midway Cemetery.

There is a nephew David Nighton listed in 1880 Coleman Co. TX census in the household of John Thomas Cary.

There is a Rachel Peeler living in the household of Francis' son John Thomas Cary in the 1880 Coleman Co. TX census. She is listed as his grandmother. As John Thomas's maternal grandmother is named Nancy, I wonder if Rachel Peeler is not Francis's mother who remarried after his father's death.

John W. Garrett

There is a Garrett family listed in 1850 Claibourne Co TN census with a John the right age.

Possibly had a brother named Tom Garrett

Has a sibling named M. J. born Mar. 4, 1846.

George Gothard

He was born about 1800 in GA possible Merriwether Co.

He was married to Martha Unknown. She was born abt. 1810 in VA.

Sometime after 1840 he left Merriwether Co. GA & he moved to Tallapoosa Co. and then Talladega Co. AL.

There is a T. G. Gothard (26) & wife Aletha (22) with son George (11/12) living next door to my George in the 1850 Tallapoosa Co. AL census.

I lose him after the 1860 Talledage Co. AL census, but have a note that he might have died about 1884 in GA.

Charle Finley Lowe

He was possible born in MD.

His parents were possible Thomas Lowe & Velinda Finley.

He was in Rutherford Co. TN by 1810.

His wife's name was Mary (possible Sutton). She was born in MD.

He died abt. 1835 in Rutherford Co. TN.

Littleton Riggins

He was born in NC, possible Warren Co. Possible Orange Co. as that is where his wife Mary Gant was born.

He married Mary Gant daughter of John Gant & Susannah Phillips.

He might have moved to Jackson Co. GA before moving to the Mulberry Creek area of Bibb Co. AL (now Chilton Co.) by 1820.

He bought land in Bibb Co. & Shelby Co AL.

He is buried in Old Rasberry Cemetery near Isabella in Chilton Co. AL.

He donated land to build a Methodist Episcopal Church that closed in abt. 1850 then the Isabella Methodist Episcopal Church was organized there.

Wiley A. Wooddell

Different census state he was born in GA and TN (1860).

According to Helen (Crawford) Wooddell, his father's name may have been John and that he was a storekeeper.

There is a marriage between Thomas Woodell & J. Ann Gillott on May5 1836 in Tuscaloosa Co AL. Poss brother?

Last name is spelled Wooddell, Woodell, Woodill, Woodall, Woodiel by various county clerks etc.

We found a listing in book entitled "Tuscumbian Newspaper Marriages, Death & Legal Notices From Early Alabama Newspapers 1819-1893" stating that on Feb. 6, 1828 Issac Wiley & James Wooddell were given letter of administration for the estate of Evan S. Wiley who died Dec. 2, 1824. It was the final settlement of the estate.