Ongoing Brick Wall Projects
Discover our ongoing family mysteries, the stories and ancestors we’re still trying to trace.
Each project includes what we know so far and what we still hope to find.
The Ancestry of John Laird and Mary Snodgrass
John Laird was born about 1758 in Donegal, Ireland of Scot-Irish ancestry. He married Mary Snodgrass, and they had six known children, all while living in Ireland. He came alone to Pennsylvania as an indentured servant ca 1795 and sent for his family ca 1800 and they all settled in Washington County, Pennsylvania. His ancestry is not clear.
George Sargent
George first appeared in records in Frederick County, Maryland ca 1776. He married a woman named Catherine, and they had at least nine children. They all moved to Knox County, Ohio ca 1815. Where did George and Catherine come from?
Currituck County Families
The Taylors came to Fountain County, Indiana from Currituck County, North Carolina ca 1835. The first Taylor was in Currituck records in the 1690’s, and they intermarried with Nicholson, Doxey, and other families. Where did they come from, and who were their family members during those years in Currituck County?
Sanks
The first Sanks were in Maryland ca the mid-1700’s. The spelling was Senck, Sank, and more. They appear to be of German ancestry. Where did they come from, and who were the first immigrants?
Priest
William Priest first appeared in a court record in Culpeper County, Virginia (now Rappahannock County) in 1763. His children were born before that, likely in Virginia, and three of his sons served in the Revolutionary War. All surviving children and grandchildren went to Ohio between 1800 and 1812. Where were our Priests from?
Kinney
Nathaniel Kinney was in Frederick County, Maryland in the 1790’s, where he likely married Barbara Sargent. His daughter’s Ohio biography states that Nathaniel was from Northumberland County, Pennsylvania. Who were his parents, and where did they live?