Finding Armstead T. M. Scott

Question

Hello all, I have hit a brick wall with my 3rd Great Grandfather, Armstead Thomson Mason Scott, born about 1821 in Loudoun County, Virginia.  I have updated his profile, Scott-52897, with all of the sources, biography, and research notes that I have available.  Short of hiring someone to rummage through attics looking for bibles, diaries, or photos of every old house in northern Virginia, I'm at a standstill on this relative.  If you have experience with records from northern Virginia and don't mind taking a look at his profile, I am open to any and all suggestions on where to look for more potential information.  Specifically I would like to locate a record of his parents so that I can keep taking my Scott line back in time.  Thank you, and have a great day!

Target:  Armstead T. M. Scott - Scott-52897

Respectfully,
Justin Scott

Answer 1

Hi -- I took a little walk around the park, and didn't find much, but I do wonder if --- Armstead is often spelled Armistead - did you try different spellings in your search? ... and ... This guy Wayne McKemmey - which apparently can be spelled about eight different ways,  McKemmie. McKimmie, McKemme, just for starters - also change the m's into n's -- anyhow, he was referred to as "guardian" in one ancestry tree I saw -- maybe that was even yours --- my point is that if you search for HIM, might you find him in a court record about guardianship, and thereby identify Armistead's  father and possibly mother.  This tree listed him as son of Charles Scott (1788 - ) and Elizabeth (  ) Richert (1790 - ), with Elizabeth being a widow, so assuming Richert is her married name.  They were married in 1817, which helps set up a window for Armistead's birth, if indeed, they are his parents.  My last wondering, therefore, is about the church they were married in -- New Jerusalem Lutheran Church in Lovettsville, Loudon, Virginia.  Might there be records there?  Of course, re: records in Virginia, we do know how handy they were for kindling during wartime, so it's possible that no records exist.  That said, I went to a Loudoun County page (not official) Loudoun County Records - that's not the name - but go there - and learned that Loudoun County records were rescued and stashed in maybe Campbell County or Albemarle County or --- I didn't finish.  But go read.  The whole site is fascinating.  Had I finished, I might know more about where they could be found if not in Leesburg. 

Sorry I couldn't be more help.  Just shared wonderings. 

Sandi

Comments

Thanks Sandi, the profile listing Charles and Elizabeth (and Wayne as Guardian) is mine.  I've added a note to the parent names to indicate "speculative" so as not to confuse anyone else.  I will try the variations in Wayne's name on my next research round.  I've looked for every potential spelling and abbreviation for Armstead's name.  There is an Armistead Scott (with the "i") in Virginia around the same time, but on the other side of the state.  The census and other records all omit the "i" for my guy, though.  I will check out the page about Loudoun records that you linked as I don't think I've seen that one before.

Answer 2

Justin,

I have several recommendations on places to look.

Newspaper also can be searched at Virginia Chronicle. That is the Library of Virginia's digital newspaper collection. You also can search at Chronicling America. This is the Library of Congress digital newspaper site.

A wealth of information can be found in deed books, will books, and court records for Loudon County, These are not indexed but are digital available for searching. Family Search Digital Images Find years from his date of birth. Most of the deed books and will books will have indexes in the beginning of the volume. Look for ALL the Scott surnames and I would also look for Wayne McKimme (including variation of his surname). Armstead might have been apprenticed to McKimme after the death of his father.

It is a long, laborious task but you might be surprised by what you find. I was able to untangle all the Sanders in Fauquier County, Virginia, doing this. Took me five years but I did it!

Comments

Thanks Nancy, I was just looking at Virginia Chronicle and wasn't able to find anything on Armstead there, but I did find a considerable number of mentions of one his ancillary line grandchildren (Bessie J Scott) who must have had a friend in the news business as I think every time she had a guest it got listed in the paper (along with a barn fire and some other happenings on her property).  I'll have to take a look through the Chronicling America site as well.  As far as the deed and chancery books, are you aware of any searchable indexes for those?  I spent several hours going through one of those for another ancestor and isn't something I relish repeating if it can be avoided (no Scotts in that one, sadly).  I am determined to find any shred of evidence about his/my Scott lineage, though, no matter how long it takes.