1935 & 1945 Florida State Censuses are Now Online

Ancestry.com has all three available Florida State censuses (1885, 1935 and 1945) online. There were other Florida State censuses, but these are the only ones that are intact. The 1885 census even has several counties missing.

There is a search index and images of the originals can be viewed, just like with a Federal census sheet.

I found them in with the other Florida databases by clicking the SEARCH tab.
And under Browse Records near the center of the page, clicking View All Ancestry Titles.
And then going to the bottom of the page in the Refine your search . . ., entering Florida as the Database and then SEARCH. The censuses are listed in the top 10.

These censuses offer no special information, other than the basic name, age, relationship, . . . . I think that the indices for 1935 and 1945 are poor.

About a month ago, I posted this link, Should the 1885, 1935 & 1945 Florida Cenuses be Online? on another blog. It announced that FamilySearch.org was asking for volunteers to index the 1935 & 1945 censuses. They still need help. Their final product would be a free online database.

I first saw the Ancestry.com announcement while reading Eastman's Online Genealogy Newsletter.

You Can Now Find Townships and Ranges on Google Earth

If you are trying to locate land in a "Public Land" state using townships and ranges, you are now have an assistant in Google Earth.

Public Land states are the states that were not part of the original 13 colonies or Texas or Hawaii. The non-Public Land states uses metes and bounds instead of townships and ranges.

Google Earth is a free product by Google (there is a commercial version, but you don't need it.) If you don't have Google Earth on your computer just Google, Google Earth for information on how to get it.

Google Earth allows clever people to write KMLs that are programs that run on Google Earth. [For this application, just consider them computer programs.] These KMLs can add items to your Google Earth like lightening strikes, cloud cover, tropical storm paths and more. The realtors at Earth Point have setup a KML to show the township and range maps some even include the sections. Look over the Earth Point webpage it will provide the longitude and latitude coordinate of the township and range.

You will still have to work with halves and quarters inside the section [these are the aliquots], but that part is easy.

Remember you can find these legal descriptions on deeds, in deed books, on some tax bills or receipts, in the county tax appraisers records or the BLM database. There is a Florida database and where you are searching may have a database. If you will, please share as a comment ideas where to find these legal descriptions.

The volunteer surviving soldiers from the Second Seminole Indian War received Bounty Land. George Washington Sanchez sold his bounty land certificate, but his brother Alexander Boneparte Sanchez setted on his land outside of Archer, FL. When the land was claimed the legal description with township, range and section is connected.

Miss Samantha

Introducing Samantha Lee who is the great great grandaughter of Jude Gadson Sanchez, who is the great great grandson of Francisco Xavier Sanchez.

Los Floridanos Picnic

I got an email today reminding me that the Los Floridanos Picnic will be happening on November 8 starting at noon at the Fort Matanzas National Park outside of St. Augustine.

This is a chance to meet some of your Sanchez cousins that you have never met.

The event is like what happened last year. Check this link.

Ancestors may be mentioned in Other's correspondence

In today's (Aug. 17, 2008) Heritage Hunting by Sharon Tate Moody (weekly feature in the Tampa Tribune) the article is Letters From Others May Mention Ancestors. She is pointing out that mention and stories of an ancestor can be in the letters of a relative, friend, official, or fellow soldier. She provides some tips at where to look.

I would like to ask for you to share information about caches of correspondences that mention our Sanchez kinfolk.

I will start with some collections that I have found:

• The Joseph S. Sanchez collection [boxes] in the St. Augustine Historical Society - Research Library. There is correspondence from form numerous relatives (brother, sister, nephews, and others). One example is a letter from his nephew, George W. Sanchez, who writes his uncle about the death and burial of John M. Sanchez, Joseph's brother.
• The Sanchez Family Papers in the P.K. Yonge Library of Florida History at the University of Florida in Gainesville has a lot of correspondence that Edward Carrington Francis Sanchez collected. His brothers were involved in businesses in Cuba.
• The book, Zéspedes in East Florida, 1784-1790 by Helen Hornbeck Tanner, is a collection of translated letters that include mention Francisco Xavier Sanchez and include one of his. Many of the large libraries in Florida have copies of this book.
• The probate files for Francis Roman Sanchez have a few letters. You will have to go to the Alachua County courthouse to see them. His probate file is large. Probate files are very informative. John M. Sanchez' probate file is at the court house too. It is unfortunate that in Florida, these old files are considered sensitive-data by the Florida Supreme Court.

If there are enough collections of correspondence reported, they can be added to something like the bibliography.

We have contributors and readers from cousins in different parts of the family tree. It would be good to hear from you. Anyone can add comments, just click "comments" on the next line.

Site to check out

I received 59 hits by searching for Sanchez on this Florida Heritage Collection site and 3 look interesting to me. The document called, "Petals Plucked from Sunny Climes," has F. R. Sanchez basically declaring war on the Seminoles after the Indian kill 3 people that happen to be have surnames I'm related to like Dell and O'Steen. One document is about Fort Diego and another about the purchase of Florida may be of interest. One claim I saw several years ago said West Sheffield had in his possession a deed of Florida and if this is true it probably came from the Sanchez line because the Sanchez family was much more prominent i that period of time. The deed is supposed to be in Starke. Warren Sanchez has several letters in the site's collection, as well. Some of you may recognize Sanchez's I'm not familiar with if you do a site search.
http://susdl.fcla.edu/fh/

Francis R. Sanchez, Collector of Lost Slaves

I came across an odd reference that lists Francis R. Sanchez as a collector of slaves that were left with the Creek Indians. The webpage is titles: Negroes brought into the Creek nation. The film refers to action between 12 Apr 1816 and 11 Apr 1818.

The webpage is part of an Creek Indian Researcher site.

This is almost off the topic except Francis R. Sanchez is involved.

Edward P. Gaines Sanchez

There are some links on Footnote.com that have information on Edward P. Gaines Sanchez, son of Francis Roman Sanchez.

He is listed in the 1860 Federal Census for Connecticut, Hartford County, Hartford, 3rd District, page 59 during the Civil War.

He received a Union Civil War Soldier's Pension. He served in the 3rd Connecticut Infantry Regiment, Company A. It gives his death as 8 Jan 1919.

Did F.X. Sanchez invent OJ concentrate

James Madison’s Phony War: The Plot to Steal Florida by Joseph Burkholder Smith
"Fresh meat as well as firewood for the residents of St. Augustine and its garrison were supplied on contract and administrated by the Spanish government. The Sanchez family held both contracts from the late 1790’s through 1811, when Enrique White died. They traded rum, too, just as had Don Tomas, and rice and citrus fruit as well. These clever Spanish entrepreneurs, in fact, shipped most of their fruit in the form of agria—a concentrated form. Unfortunately records of exactly how they managed to anticipate Minute Maid orange juice by 150-odd years have not yet been found. When Francisco Xavier Sanchez died in Oct 1807, his estate was probably the largest in East Florida. It consisted of lands, slaves, cattle, townhouses and lots and commercial interests. The Sanchez townhouse in St. Augustine was amply furnished in mahogany and had a staff of twenty-seven slaves. Another Sanchez house was rented to the lieutenant governor. Still another was rented to the garrison commander. Several other of his houses were used as retail stores for the sale of goods between the US and Cuba."

Alexander Boneparte Sanchez' Farm in Archer

I wanted to get this information posted about where the farm was located before the end of the Yulee Days Celebration this week (details were posted on this blog earlier.)

Using the Alachua County Appraiser's maps, the Bounty Land Grant and Google Maps it should be shown here, in the blue box. The legal description is the East half of the Northwest quarter and West half of the Northeast quarter of Section 17 of Township 11-S, Range 18-E. The area is 160 acres. The description comes from copy of Alexander B. Sanchez' Bounty Land Grant in Alachua County's Deed Book "E" page 124. A bit convoluted, but a treasure.

I hope to be in Archer on Friday and Saturday.

About the Hill ancestry in link to the right

I would be surprised if the ancestry that I compiled was completely correct and if anyone has anything different then please comment.

http://www.hilldna.com/results.html Hill DNA (The first group is probably our close relation because of the person denoted as Hinton A. Hill.)
http://archiver.rootsweb.ancestry.com/th/read/HINTON/2001-05/0989788842 Hinton info. The Hinton family has some prestigious roots and this site is the best that I have found.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samuel_Matthews Samuel Matthews I’m sure there are better sources for information but an in an encyclopedia seems to impress importance more than a bunch of words from another place.
http://www.thepeerage.com/p15757.htm Montague heritage

Who is George Warren "Buddy" Sanchez?

I found a picture of George Warren "Buddy" Sanchez in the Florida Photographic Collection of the State Archives of Florida, online of course. The details say that he was a State Senator from 1945 to 1951 representing Suwannee County.

Does anyone recognize him? Or better claim him as part of the Sanchez family?

Jose Simeon Sanchez Law office for sale

A home on Marine Street that was used by Jose Simeon Sanchez for his law office is now For Sale for a mere $2.1 million -- but it does have a wonderful view of the bayfront. The link to the real estate listing is below.

http://www.historicwaterfronthome.com/index.html

Click on the "History" link to read about all the various Sanchez connections to the property. Several of Jose Simeon's children and grandchildren lived in it up until about the early 1940's.

The property probably has potential as an Inn given its location. Anyone interested exploring investment possibility can contact me via e-mail -- bcoker@comcast.net

Is there a story here?

The advertisement shown here is from an 1859 Augusta, Georgia City Directory. I checked the 1860 Census for Georgia. I found a Bernardino S. Sanchez living with his wife, child, and mother. Bernardino is 27 years old, born in Candem County. I would guess him to be the son of Bernardino Sebastian Sanchez and Dorothy Fitzpatrick, and grandson of Bernardino Sanchez Ortigosa and Maria Antonia Hill.

Are there descendants?

Is anyone tracking this branch of the Sanchez family?

Jose Simeon (Joseph S.) Sanchez

I am descended from Francisco Xavier Sanchez through his youngest son -- Jose Simeon Sanchez. I will attempt to post the J.S. Sanchez lineage on the blog shortly. There was a detailed geneology commissioned by the family back in the 1950's that was conducted by Eleanor Phillips Barnes (perhaps a Sanchez descendant herself).

I live on Amelia Island and am currently researching Jose Simeon's role in the military actions that took place here in 1812 and 1817. In seeking a land grant from the Spanish governor for plantation property in Alachua County in 1818, he cites his service in the Spanish militia. The way he states his request, along with he fact that he had a long military career later in life, suggests he may have been a junior officer of the Spanish garrison in 1812 and perhaps a more senior officer at the Battle of Amelia Island (McClure's Hill) in 1817.

Bibliography & Descendant Chart Updated

One bibliography has reference to source directly connected to the Sanchez Family and the other bibliography refers to reference not having Sanchez Family connections, instead information on the world they lived in.

The descendant chart for Francis Roman Sanchez was also updated. It is no longer abridged. Alexander Boneparte and George Washington Sanchez' families are included.

These improvements come from the suggestions of family members. If something is missing something significant, make a comment so that it can be added. If something is a mistake, make a comment so that it can be corrected.

Hopefully you will not find yourself in the chart. An effort has been made not to include living descendants. And we do have some long-lived cousins out there.

I wish I could include our St. Augustine cousins, but my information is incomplete.

These updates are only four months later than planned.

Find A Grave

I received an interesting email from Barbara Roberts that I think needs more sharing. She found the grave of Lindley M. Scarborough on the Find A Grave website [www.findagrave.com]. He was the first husband of Mary Elizabeth Wilson (daughter of Rafaela Sophia Maria Sanchez).

Lindley M. Scarborough, died 15 Dec 1862 at age 30 years. He is buried in Scarborough Cemetery, Lake City (Alligator) Columbia county, FL. Even the grave stone is shown on the website.

Where does Barbara find these things?

Yulee Railroad Days 2008 [Friday, May 30 - Saturday, June 7]

Driving through Archer recently I saw a hand painted sign "Yulee Days - June 7."

The celebration is over the railroad that connected Cedar Key with Fernandina. The railroad was completed about 1860 and built through the political efforts of U. S. Senator David Levy Yulee.

Francis Roman Sanchez knew the Levys especially in court.

The old railroad bed is State Road 24 (Archer Road) and a short distance west of the intersect of US-27 (University Ave.) is the Davis Center of the Santa Fe Community College, looking northwest from the Davis Center parking lot into an open field is where Alexander Boneparte Sanchez' farm was located.

After the War between the States the railroad provided an access to other places outside Archer and Alachua County. And later some descendants worked on the railroad.

It is over a week long celebration with activities all along the railroad. However June 7th the last day appears to be the big day.

Check the Yulee Railroad Days 2008 out and may be see some cousins there.

Please Participate - I am lonely.

I didn't know that so many Sanchez descendants are without opinions.

Each and every Blog entry has a place for COMMENTS. Most still read "0 comments."

Anyone can make a comment!

If you want to my an original Blog entry, let me know [tomsantacruz@gmail.com]. I will get you signed up.

Your opinions are welcome. Most of the readers of this Blog are cousins. I hate just writing to myself, learning new things this way isn't too productive.

DNA Links to the Family

With the rest of the information on this blog using historical events or current happenings, DNA is a little out of place or is it.

The following are the Mitochondrial DNA [mtDNA] results for a maternal descendant of Louisa Colding:

HVR1

• 16256 - T
• 16519 - C

HVR2

• 93 - G
• 263 - G
• 309.1 - C
• 315.1 - C

Louisa Colding is the wife of Alexander Boneparte Sanchez. Maternal descendants are all of their children, the children of their daughters, the children of the daughters of their daughters, the children of the daughters of the daughters of their daughters, and so on.

Who else might have this code as a match? Other maternal descendants of Louisa Colding's maternal ancestors.

It is claimed that the maternal DNA is more stable over the generations than the paternal. This is due to the way eggs and sperm are produced in humans.

Don't just rush out their and have a test done, it costs about $150 for just mtDNA. [For females this is the only genealogical DNA test. Certainly they inherit DNA from their father, but not what is tested for genealogically.] A cheaper alternate would be to submit a sample to the Sorenson Molecular Genealogy Foundation [www.smgf.org/]. Then see if you match. Check the website for participation. Two important caveats are: you will not be given results, however your results will be searchable in the database, and your sample may be used for other tests (they claim they don't share the results.) Paternal DNA [yDNA] can also done this way.

I haven't found any paternal DNA information from this Sanchez line. If someone has some results, it would be interesting to compare with others. "To compare" is the reason it was done in the first place, isn't it. Realize you must be a male with the Sanchez surname for starters.

Challenges:

1. Are there any matches to the Louisa Colding results?
2. Are there results from other Matriarchs in the Sanchez family?
3. Are there any Sanchez paternal results?

DNA is a complicated topic. The Sorenson website explains a lot about it, even if you don't participate.

Old Time Sanchez Politics

I came across some newspaper articles that were in the Floridian & Journal in the 1850s that were politically charged. The Sanchez family in Alachua and St. Johns Counties were Democrats. They also appear to be active in the party.

The May18, 1850 article reviews the results of the Alachua County Convention. Francis Roman Sanchez’ sons, George W. and John J., are party officers. Other familiar surnames like Colding, Dell, & Standley are also mentioned. The resolutions from the convention are detailed and are certainly pro-slavery,

The August 3, 1850 article rehashes the replacement of U.S. Marshall Col. Joseph S. Sanchez with Maj. John Beard that was originally reported in the St. Augustine newspaper in Sept. 1842. The story goes on to say, Col. Sanchez was removed from office by the Whig (Federalist) Congress because he was a Democrat. However his replacement was also a Democrat since no Whig was nominated for the post. It was called whiggery.

I found these two articles using GenealogyBank which is an electronic database of some historic newspapers that is offered in the Hillsborough-Tampa Public Library. The coverage is spotty. I hope that you will be able to see the articles by clicking the dates.

Wife of F.R. Sanchez

I have been puzzled about the origins of Franchesca Young because there were so few people in Florida at the time. An adversary of F.X. Sanchez was Tonyn's henchman, Captain Young. The exodus of the English sen this guy to Bermuda and he did not seem a likely candidate to have fathered a daughter that would marry Francisco's son. It could have been a Romeo-Juliet but, I have my doubts. Henry Younge is someone that could have fathered a daughter but, I would expect to see a record because P.K Yonge was a descendent. Another Captain Young came with Andrew Jackson in the first Seminole War but the date doesn't match. The best fit may be from the Catawba tribe. Go to the following link, http://sciway3.net/clark/freemoors/Chapter4_The_Florida_Catawba.htm and you can see that Young is one of the surnames used by the tribe that migrated to Florida. I'm not sure it can be prove unless a DNA test does the trick but I thought some may find it interesting.

Our ancestors were important in the foundation of Jamestown and St. Augustine

You will find our Hill ancestors in the work below:

Jamestowne Ancestors, 1607-1699: Commemoration of the 400th by Virginia Lee Hutcheson Davis

When, not if, is the question concerning our ancestors playing a part in Jamestown history. The Hill's are apparently descended from several people listed in the above work (Marshall, Hinton, Scowen, and other families.) I'm sure all of us have Native American ancestry, as well. Women didn't flock to the colonies and the disparity in gender populations created a lot of mixed marriages.