William Stanford is my oldest known Stanford ancestor. Direct evidence of his vital information remains a mystery. Census records lead me to believe that he was born in the Carolinas about 1820 and died in Alabama between 1900 and 1910. The 1870 census shows that most people with the Stanford surname, in Barbour county, over the age of 40, were born in the Carolinas.
The power of writing this blog about my 4x great grand father and divine intervention has shown me that I indeed have direct evidence. I just found marriage evidence. Folks, it is strange and delightfully overwhelming at the same time. Here is the blow by blow:
While writing this blog I have open: The Master Genealogist with William Stanford in view. Additionally I have my homemade form for writing a narrative lineage which I created from the BCG Standards Manual. The first part of the narrative, according to the manual, is a genealogical summary of vitals and parentage.
As you know I am still in the vitals section, of which I have, (had) no direct evidence. A search for vital documents has been performed. No birth record, as William was born in the 1820’s before most had registrations. I will need a collection of indirect evidence to prove this one. No death record, although I believe that I can recheck this for the following reasons.Barbour County had death registrations at least as early as 1906 and the state of Alabama began registrations in 1908. Both were checked, but a second look would not hurt. No marriage record, he would have been in his 40’s at the end of slavery and may not have applied for the official document. I did not find him in the marriage registers for the county….until tonight.
I said to myself, Shamele, look again. First I checked my digitized marriage registers, taken at the ADAH. Mistakenly I opened the beginning of the Stanford in the index when I wanted to view the end of the Stanfords, as his name was William. But, instead of moving ahead I decided to take a look anyway. Stanford, Bill caught my eye. Reading to the left I saw Kitty. Kitty, I thought. Bill. Kitty. BILL AND KITTY! These are my folks. This time I did not dance and sing a little diddy. I just paused.
I knew that I would learn something about my ancestor while writing this piece, but I did not think that I would find direct evidence in my own home. Then, just to make myself feel even more ridiculous I searched for Bill and Kitty’s marriage at familysearch.org. There is was, in the IGI, on the WORLD WIDE WEB. OK.
Back to the life of William “Bill” Stanford.
William “Bill” Stanford married Kitty Stanford on December 2, 1865, in Barbour county, Alabama. His parentage is unknown. As a farmer, William Stanford worked on the plantation of Hosia Bailey in 1883. He mortgaged his possessions of “one little sorrel horse named Henry and all of my entire crops of cotton and cotten seed. Corn fodder peas, rice, cane and potatoes except our bale cotton for new,” to produce crop by the first of the year. The mortgage was $29.87 and held by DH Blair.
Then in 1896 he worked on PP Anderson’s plantation. At this time his possessions were:” one yellow mare mule named Kit one red and white spotted cow named Reddy, and her yearling heifer calf also red, and red white spotted”. This time the mortgage was $42 and was owed to TR Parish & Brother.
Finding the 1896 mortgage this fall was very exciting, as the index for the volume listed the record as Stanford, Wm and wife. This was the first non-census record that I found which shows this relationship. But now, tonight, I found the marriage evidence, which blows this lil’ ole mortgage record out of the water, which was indirect anyway.
Vital evidence on Kitty Stanford has yet to be found. According to census records she was born about 1829 in the Carolinas. I have yet to find even a whiff of her parentage.
William Stanford and Kitty were the parents of the following children:
- Tilda Stanford, born about 1850
- Green Stanford, born about 1854
- Lewis Stanford, born about 1860
- Jane Stanford, born about 1861
- Dick Stanford, born about 1862
- Lonnie Stanford, born about 1864
- Vicky Stanford, born about 1865
- Jamie Stanford, born about 1869
- William Stanford, born about 1870
I am a descendant of Green Stanford, who I will write about at another time. My goal was to discuss what I know about a member of my 1870 Barbour County Dream Couples. LINK Additionally I was taking my first stab at writing a narrative. Instead, what I did was attempt to flesh out a narrative in a bloggy sort of way. I have learned plenty. Now I have an item to add to my “To Do” list when I visit Alabama in June. Also, I know that I am a great distance away from writing a true narrative lineage.
Thank goodness that I am taking Helen Leary’s writing course at Samford’s IGHR. But first, I must write a draft of a three generation narrative lineage for this course. This type of report was my choice. I could have chosen to bring a draft of something else genealogical, but I thought, what the heck, go for the gusto. One day I would like to apply for certification and kinship determination is one of the requirements. IGHR will be a great time to get expert assistance with enhancing my narrative. As you can see from my attempt above, I need all of the help that I can get. Stay tuned for my attempt at fleshing out the life of Green Stanford, the son of William Stanford.
Alabama Genealogy in Color 
TrueAnn said
Hello
Have you made your trip to Union Springs yet? Where in PA do you live?
Emily
My family too is from Barbour, Bullock Co. and Midway. Miles, Daniels, Hooks, Jordan,Lewis, and Ivery.
All around the same time, I would like advice for when I make my trip to Union Springs. I’ve done a lot of research over the net, and need to go to the ancestral home. I’m trying to get our “story” together also. I’m from Pa. had our last reunion in Detroit. Thanks for any advice, it looks like I’ll be following some of your tracks.
Idetrorce said
very interesting, but I don’t agree with you
Idetrorce
Ric Edwards said
Is your Jane Stanford the same Jane who married Wilson Caraway? If so, she is my GG Grandmother and I have her photo.
Fred said
The Stanford side of my family were the slave owners of this family line. I have done extensive research. They moved to Barbour County from Duplin County NC. I will share whatever information that I have. Greenie or Green Stanford in particular stands out.
brenda said
my name is brenda stanford my father’s name was charles stanford born to will stanford and hattie in 1932 they lived in barbour county alabama wills father was named green stanford which i believe is the same green stanford in this article the dates would be right please keep me posted and thanks for the research
B. J. Stanford of CHAFES Prayer Minsitries said
Hi, Brenda Stanford I attended the Dennis Stanford 50th Family Reunion this August 2, 2015 I did not see you there and I am not sure I would know you again if I had seen you. My name is Beverly Stanford and I may be your cousin you see my father was Mack Stanford and he had a brother named Charles Stanford who was in the US Army, out of
Chicago. My grandfather was William Stanford and my grandmother was Hattie Stanford, and their youngest son may have been your father Charles Stanford, who had another brother Fred Stanford that lived in Englewood, New Jersey not fare from us in Teaneck, New Jersey. Uncle Charles use to come and visit us and my parents keep a picture of him in his younger years in our picture book. I hope and pray that if you are the daughter of Charles Stanford I will get to meet you some day, and share our story to test it and see if it is true. God bless and may the Lord keep you and be with you until we meet.
B. J. Stanford
CHAEFS Ministries
bjchafes@gmail.com
brenda said
fred please contact me by email asap i need more information on the slaveowners side of the stanford family, and how we got from the carolinas to alabama
George Richard (Dick) Stanford said
Kitty,
I do not know if the following data add anything to your records, but I thought I would send it to you and also to say thank you for your work.
My grandparents were George P (1874 – 1936) and Cornelia Venable Stanford. He was a tobacco farmer in North Carolina. One of George’s brothers was Leland, also a tobacco farmer. He was not the famous Leland of the University, but it seems strange that we had a Leland Stanford in our family at roughly the same time.
The Stanfords farmed in and about Siloam/Pilot Mountain where their three daughters and then two sons were born. The fourth child was my Dad, George Kermit Stanford born in 1910. The Stanford family moved to Arcadia, Florida, to become citrus farmers. I was born there in 1937 and, through my mother (Virginia Parker Watkins) was the fourth generation born in that city. Dad and his brother, my Uncle Alfred Woodrow Stanford, enlisted in the armed forces several months before Pearl Harbor. Uncle Woodie was a bombadier and ended World War II in Italy with more points than any other Floridian. (Points were comprised of missions flown, decorations, and days in the war theatre.)
My family, including sister Statia Jane Stanford born in 1940, moved to California during the war. I later graduated from Stanford University. An old family story is that there is a family tie to the Stanfords who founded the University. I wrote about that in my entrance essay. I think it assisted my being accepted to Stanford from which I graduated in 1959.
I would be glad to discuss these data with you should you wish to do so.
Dick Stanford
BJ Stanford of CHAFES Ministries facebook said
Thank you so much for the information sorry it has taken me so long to get back to you, I have been moving, and am at the Stanford family reunion as I typ this email trying to find as much information as I can to pass out at the family reuion this week end, because Black lives matter, and if Black lives matter all lives matter.
BJ Stanford said
Dear Mr. Dick Stanford who claims to have ties to Stanford University I am not good at keep up with people now that I am a senior, but I think you should know that most of my family are Black Native African Americans and have our family reunion every and or every two years I invite you do contact them on facebook Stanford, Dennis-Stanford, Stanford-Harris, and Stanford-Bess web pages introduce yourself and see what family information you can find . Most of our grandparents are from the Mississippi, Alabama, Florida, Carolina, Arkansas, Oklahoma, areas and a few inter cities places like Chicago, New York, California and Detroit. I invite you to check us out on facebook and get to know you for yourself.
BJ said
You graduated from Stanford University and your name is Stanford, wow.
patricia stanford said
my stanford family are also from alabama .abbeville,birmingham, fort gains georgia, jim stanford,(deceased 2007) was my grandfather and grandmother was bertha davis stanford,
William and Kitty Stanford of Barbour County « Alabama Genealogy … | LineageArea.Com said
[…] Here is the original: William and Kitty Stanford of Barbour County « Alabama Genealogy … […]
cfranklin said
I have put a partial list of marriages from the Barbour County Freedmen marriage book 4-A on line
( only marriages listed by grooms so far)
I really enjoyed reading your blog. I found the information on Liberia especially interesting.
My website is
alabamafreedmenmarriagesathomestead.com
CHAFES Ministries said
Just what I have been looking for that their just might be a link between the white and black families of America across the fifty states and Stanford University and that some one with the last name Stanford has graduated from this University. One day if God allows I would like to meet him or those with the last day Stanford who have graduated from Stanford University and are African American. This would make a news worth story. Thanks for the information. You made my day!
demp109 said
Is anyone familiar with the “Sanford” plantation in Barbour County today?
Jessica Bean said
This is so interesting! My grandfather was Roy Stanford from Barbour County (Eufaula, AL). He continued farming on the land his father bought. My parents currently are farming the land. Sadly, I don’t know what my great great grandfather’s name was…
Would anyone happen to know how my family is connected?
BJ Stanford of CHAFES Ministries facebook said
Dear Jessica, My names is Beverly Stanford, I am your cousin and I attened the Dennis Stanford amily reunion the last time it was in Eufaula, AL and I am attending the Stanford/Harris family reunion right now as I typ this email, for I just got out church hear in Little Rock and I am tyring to complet my information for the banquet to night. Thanks for listening.
BJ Stanford said
Dear Brenda if you get this email it will be God’s answer to prayer. You have not heard from me because I moved, work two days a week, attend school two days a week and have illness in my family. Please feel free to check out the Stanford facebook pages. Stanford, Dennis/Stanford, Stanford-Harris, Stanford/Bess, and share who you are.
BJ Stanford said
Dear Jessica: Sorry I am not good at getting back to people now that I am 66 something but Green Stanford family may have been from the Carolina and there is a Stanford Bean Farm in Eufaula,LA a other family farms as of Lannie Stanford. Check out the S & B Stanford Bean From the work with A & M Univeristy of AL and Tuskeegee and you can learn more about the Stanford family farms. Then check out the Stanford, Denis/Stanford, Stanford-Harris, and Stanford/Bess family facebook pages and tell them like I did what you are looking for and prayerfully maybe they can assist you. God bless!
Hans Mayeshiba said
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Sandra Walker Jenkins said
Hello
I just ran across your blog regarding tge Stanford family. Very interesting. As I read the comments of others, I find that some of those who have replied are indeed my relatives as they speak of Eufaula and Barbour County and family reunions. Every 5 years we come back to Eufaula cause that is home. My great grandfather is Issac Stanford. I have some information that may be beneficial to you or not. I would love to email it to you. Also would like to know what else you have come across.
carole Stanford said
Hi My name is Carole Stanford My grandparents and father are from Barbour County (Eufaula )My grandfathers name was John Stanford and my grandmother’s name Rose lee Stanford. My father who was born in 1934 is named Lonnie “C” Stanford. We don’t know many of our relatives because we were raided primarily on the West Coast;California in particular. I am very keen to learn about our family lineage. I have written a small book that depicts our experience from our experience as Black kids growing up in a Military (Navy) structure in the 50’s,60’s 70’s and 80’s.
I would love to be able to uncover some additional information that reminds not only us but our children who we are and what we bring to this nation. I am the mother of 3 adults boys. They have hyphenated last names. I did not the Stanford part of their heritage to be lost.
Ironically I live Northern California not far from Stanford University.
BJ Stanford said
Dear Carole Stanford; I am not good at getting back to people I have working in school, have sickness in my family and have moved eight times in eight years, and now that I am 55 life seem to just to be slipping away from me with old age because the world is for the young not the old or middle aged. If you would like more information about the Stanford familys please check out the Stanford, Dennis-Stanford, Stanford/Harris, Stanford/Bess Family Reunions on facebook and make plans to meet and greet at one of them to find out who you may be related to. BJ Stanford on facebook as BJ CHAFES.