Dr. Linda Craine Grynkewich is the Great, Great, Great Granddaughter of Joseph Caswell Haddock and Mildred “Milbry” Barnes of Haddock Plantation, later Haddock Station, between Gray and Milledgeville. Although Linda was born in Macon, she spent every weekend and every summer in Jones County visiting her Grandmother Louise Craine. In fact, Linda’s early passion for genealogy was fueled by the presence of dozens of centenarians within a family that loved to share stories. She was also greatly influenced by the words of her mother’s dear friend, Carolyn White Williams, the author of “The History of Jones County, Georgia 1807 - 1907.”
In the preface of her book, Mrs. Williams began with a Rev. Gannon quotation stating, “All true civilization is ninety per cent heirlooms and memories- an accumulation of small but precious deposits left by countless generations that have gone before us.”
Mrs. Williams then goes on to say that, “These words have meaning for all of us who want to help make the world a better place. They remind us that in every field- art, industry, science or religion- we have a legacy reaching back thousands of centuries. Each of us is a trustee of the past, we have the important task of living up to our heritage- and adding something to it.”
Linda adds, “I truly grew up in the oral tradition of the Deep South, then spent my early adulthood synthesizing it all. Now I am ready to share it! I also wish to express my sincere appreciation to Donna Haddock Cooper of Missouri, who has spent much of her life conducting groundbreaking research into this extraordinary family. I have always been told that all a family needs is one serious genealogist each generation, but the Haddock family has been blessed to have several.”
After living away for nearly two decades, Linda returned to middle Georgia to raise her own children. The mother of six, and an internationally acclaimed educator, she has a strong sense of commitment to improving the present and the future, which she believes can be maximized by understanding the past. Linda now invites her readers to retrace that journey into the past that she began with her grandmother so many years ago. Excerpts from her recently written novel, “Haddock: A Story of Captains and Kings,” are intriguing tales woven around research documenting centuries of true events.”
“My grandmother would be thrilled to know that the people of Jones County would be learning about the Haddock family of which she was so proud. She and I would spend long afternoons traveling about the county walking through old cemeteries and making photos of old abandoned farmhouses of which only her generation knew the historical significance. I lingered on her every word as she shared all that she knew. Now, if you please, linger with me for a while as I tell you of captains and kings who made Jones County, Georgia their home.”
Wednesday, November 10, 2010
In the Beginning
“You have all your things ready, sugar?” the kind woman with the wispy gray bun and deep blue eyes asked her eight-year-old granddaughter.
“Yes, Ma’m. I’ve got my Bible, my black pen, my pencils and my pencil sharpener. ”
“That‘s good,” the grandmother spoke encouragingly as she placed two tall glasses of ice-cold coca-cola on table. “So let’s just see where we left off last time. Let’s look at what you have so far.”
The little girl opened her black leather-bound Bible to the center, where the Family Tree Pages divided the Old Testament from the New. She ran her long, olive-toned index finger down through the names she had last recorded. When her grandmother observed that the tracing had stopped, she began the discussion.
“Okay, now beginning with yourself, go all the way back in time ‘til you get to the last name you recorded.”
“Beginning with me, I know my father’s name and my father’s mother’s name because that is you, Grandma! So Ida Louise Craine nee Vincent is the name of my paternal grandmother. Paternal means my daddy’s family. Nee means maiden name.”
Gazing down at a recently recorded date of death, the little girl looked up with misty eyes. “I am sorry that your mother just died, Grandma. I know you loved her. I loved her, too.”
“I know, sweetie. It’s all right. That’s why it is so important to remember as much as we can about our loved ones, so that they still live on in hearts and minds forever. Now, do you have her whole name written down?”
“Yes, Ma’m. Her name was Lena Victoria Vincent nee Batchelor, but her husband called her Doll.”
“Now who was that sweet lady’s mother and father?”
“My great, great-grandmother was Matilda Bluford Haddock who married James Early Batchelor. Joseph Caswell Haddock was Bluford’s father. His wife was Mildred “Milbry” Barnes Haddock. That’s as far as I know.”
“Well, that’s pretty good note taking! Make another line for the next level. Take a sip of your drink, too. It’s easy to see why they call August the dog days of summer, ’cause it sure is hot. Now, let’s see where were we? Oh, yeah, Bluford’s grandfather was called Adnil, but his real name was Admiral.”
“Grandma, did you say, Admiral? You mean he was an admiral?”
“No, sugar, his name was Admiral.”
“Grandma, why would somebody name a baby Admiral? That‘s like a title or something, right? It just doesn’t sound like a baby‘s name.”
“Sometimes, Sugar, people name a baby to send a message. Like your mama and daddy named your little brother, James, after my husband. They wanted to honor James Otis Craine. In World War II, some people came home and named their babies after friends they had met in the army. What do you think the Haddocks were trying to say by naming a baby Admiral? What do you think they wanted you and me to remember?”
“Something about the oceans or ships?”
“Well, that’s what I’ve always thought. And that is precisely what you and I are going to find out. ‘Cause when we find out things like that we learn the real history of our family, but that means we also learn who we really are. What I want you to know is that Haddock is not just an old railroad station between Gray and Milledgeville; it was the plantation home of a great family. And that family had something to do with the oceans!”
Domesday Book Entry
When her grandmother asked her why she thought someone would name a baby “Admiral,” the little girl responded that it must have something to do with oceans or ships.
The grandmother agreed saying, “Well, that’s what I’ve always thought. And that is precisely what you and I are going to find out. ‘Cause when we find out things like that we learn the real history of our family, but that means we also learn who we really are. What I want you to know is that Haddock is not just an old railroad station between Gray and Milledgeville; it was the plantation home of a great family.”
The documented story of Haddock begins a very long time ago, across the Atlantic Ocean in an area not too far from London. There were people near the Prittle Brook on the northern bank of the Thames River in England, thousands of years ago. Originally hunter-gathers, they eventually settled down in the area. There is also much archeological evidence of Roman occupation with a central villa near the brook. Following the fall of the Roman Empire, Saxons raided, thus making it part of the East Saxon kingdom during the 5th and 6th centuries C.E. (stands for “common era,” previously referred to as A.D.). Prittleuuella became the Saxon town’s name. Eventually, the word “Essex” emerged as a shortening of the “East Saxon” kingdom.
In 1086 C.E., the Domesday Books of William of Normandy, also known as William the Conqueror, were completed as the first census since Roman times. William was descended from earlier Vikings who had reached a peace agreement with France that had allowed them to reside in Normandy.
The Haddock family is listed among the inhabitants of Essex in the district of Legra, later to become Leigh-by-the-Sea in Southend. Southend refers to the south end of Prittleuuella, or Prittlewell as it was called by then.
“Nay, we have no choice Goodlad, but to comply with the conqueror’s request.” “Tell, me then, Haddock, why does such a man want to survey each and ev’ry one of us? It makes me cold to think what a Viking might do with such knowledge. He already says that all land is held by him, the King! No king has been so bold.”
“He has fewer than 10,000 Normans trying to hold onto all Saxon lands. He won‘t make the same error as the Danes by accepting mere taxes. He will grant lands to as many Normans as he pleases. I tell ye I don’t think he means harm to us. Folk and family have been here thousands of years, Goodlad. What can William do to Essex that the Saxons did not already do to the Romans who’d settled here at Prittle Brook? Alas, e’en the conqueror of the Saxons, the Danish Sweyne, has hastily switched his allegiance to William to secure title as Lord of the Manor here.”
“Yes, but what have we to gain, Haddock? You can hardly travel a mile without gazing upon one of William’s castles or forts.”
“We gain the right to remain free men fishing and farming and taking care of our families here. I’ll have an heir to keep the Conqueror and his Normans at bay; and I will record that I’m a free man having 1 horse, 5 cows, 5 calves and 100 sheep. You follow your own conscience. King William will do with men like us as he wishes, whether we record or not.”
Therefore, it falls into the Domesday Book exactly as Haddock spoke.
The grandmother agreed saying, “Well, that’s what I’ve always thought. And that is precisely what you and I are going to find out. ‘Cause when we find out things like that we learn the real history of our family, but that means we also learn who we really are. What I want you to know is that Haddock is not just an old railroad station between Gray and Milledgeville; it was the plantation home of a great family.”
The documented story of Haddock begins a very long time ago, across the Atlantic Ocean in an area not too far from London. There were people near the Prittle Brook on the northern bank of the Thames River in England, thousands of years ago. Originally hunter-gathers, they eventually settled down in the area. There is also much archeological evidence of Roman occupation with a central villa near the brook. Following the fall of the Roman Empire, Saxons raided, thus making it part of the East Saxon kingdom during the 5th and 6th centuries C.E. (stands for “common era,” previously referred to as A.D.). Prittleuuella became the Saxon town’s name. Eventually, the word “Essex” emerged as a shortening of the “East Saxon” kingdom.
In 1086 C.E., the Domesday Books of William of Normandy, also known as William the Conqueror, were completed as the first census since Roman times. William was descended from earlier Vikings who had reached a peace agreement with France that had allowed them to reside in Normandy.
The Haddock family is listed among the inhabitants of Essex in the district of Legra, later to become Leigh-by-the-Sea in Southend. Southend refers to the south end of Prittleuuella, or Prittlewell as it was called by then.
“Nay, we have no choice Goodlad, but to comply with the conqueror’s request.” “Tell, me then, Haddock, why does such a man want to survey each and ev’ry one of us? It makes me cold to think what a Viking might do with such knowledge. He already says that all land is held by him, the King! No king has been so bold.”
“He has fewer than 10,000 Normans trying to hold onto all Saxon lands. He won‘t make the same error as the Danes by accepting mere taxes. He will grant lands to as many Normans as he pleases. I tell ye I don’t think he means harm to us. Folk and family have been here thousands of years, Goodlad. What can William do to Essex that the Saxons did not already do to the Romans who’d settled here at Prittle Brook? Alas, e’en the conqueror of the Saxons, the Danish Sweyne, has hastily switched his allegiance to William to secure title as Lord of the Manor here.”
“Yes, but what have we to gain, Haddock? You can hardly travel a mile without gazing upon one of William’s castles or forts.”
“We gain the right to remain free men fishing and farming and taking care of our families here. I’ll have an heir to keep the Conqueror and his Normans at bay; and I will record that I’m a free man having 1 horse, 5 cows, 5 calves and 100 sheep. You follow your own conscience. King William will do with men like us as he wishes, whether we record or not.”
Therefore, it falls into the Domesday Book exactly as Haddock spoke.
Pork Chops and Purses
Regardless of the time of day, the grandmother would cook for the little girl when she visited. Generally, it was pork chops and some form of potatoes. The food always tasted delicious because it was lovingly prepared.
These meals were special in other ways, too. Grandmother’s youngest son, Franklin Akin Craine had served in the U.S. Navy in Japan
As she placed the white dishes with the rich hand-painted, purple orchids on them on the table, the grandmother inquired. “Did you bring your boots?”
“Yes, Ma’m. They’re on the front porch.”
“Good, ’cause after we eat I want you and me to ride over to the Haddock Cemetery
By now, the child had learned to always bring her Bible with her to Grandmother’s. The little girl’s mother had even found an old purse that could be used to tuck the Bible down inside for protection against the elements. For more than once, the young adventurer and her grandmother had been caught out in the rain on one of their treks across the Jones County
Uncle Pearson was the oldest of “the boys,” as Grandma referred to her brothers. “Pearson is the oldest and Gordon acts like the youngest, but the real baby boy, Bennett, lives in Gray. Gordon had what some people use to call “wanderlust” and moved to California Maryland , then to North Carolina , and eventually to Jones County , Georgia
She continued as the child chewed the crispy pork chops, savoring the wonderful taste lingering in her mouth. “There’s something else pretty important about the Haddock genes. Haddocks live long. Look at some of those dates you have as we’re riding in the car today.”
Gazing at her Bible pages again, she began the subtraction necessary to calculate some of the Haddock lifespans. Just then, Uncle Pearson knocked on the screen door calling out, “Louise, are you ready to go?”
“Hold on, Pearson, we’re ready. Just grabbing my coat.” Leading the child by the hand, she spoke quietly, “Come on, sugar.”
In just a few minutes the three of them were settled in the big blue car, and heading for Haddock. Now there’s not much distance between Gray and Haddock, so the little girl spent most of the time putting all her supplies into the purse holding the Bible. Her Kodak Brownie camera and journal would allow her to document everything.
Reminiscing in the Cemetery
The little girl liked being on trips with more than one adult because she could gather information just by listening to their conversations. They would say things to one another that either they thought she already knew, or didn’t especially mind her knowing. She was all ears! Of course, they knew she was listening because she was standing right there beside them.
When they arrived at the Haddock Family Cemetery
Once inside the fence, Uncle Pearson and Grandma Louise began reminiscing. They talked about their grandmother, Bluford Haddock, just like they were children. “Remember that time Grandma made all those big fat biscuits for company coming?” Louise asked laughingly.
“Yeah, but then they didn’t show up, so we got to eat all those fluffy biscuits. I punched a hole in the top of mine, and poured syrup inside. That biscuit was so big I thought it was goin’ to take the whole jug of syrup to fill it up!” Pearson was practically rolling in the grass as he giggled about how the sticky syrup had dripped all over his little shirt that day.
Pretending not to listen, the little girl began to compare her dates with those on the headstones.
Milbra J. Barnes Haddock, born May 30, 1816 and died August 21, 1885
Joseph Caswell Haddock, born August 1, 1812 and died September 13, 1883.
Matilda Bluford Haddock Batchelor, born 1846 and died June 18, 1916.
James J. Early Batchelor, born 1835 (?) and died February 14, 1887.
She read her notes, “Early Batchelor was one of six brothers to enlist in the Confederate States of America Lena Victoria) were, so she gave her this picture to remember him by. Mama passed it on to me. One day when I’m gone, I want you to have it.”
It bothered the child whenever her grandmother would talk like that because she could not imagine Grandma Louise ever not being around. It was better hearing her laugh like she was with Uncle Pearson just now.
She tried not to think about the picture and her grandmother’s allusion to her own mortality, but that was hard to do in a cemetery.
What's in a Name?
The grandmother taught the little girl that names often repeat themselves in families. For example, Joseph Caswell Haddock named a daughter Bluford who married Early Batchelor. In turn, Bluford Batchelor (nee Haddock) named one daughter, Lena Victoria after her older sister Francis Victoria Haddock.
Suddenly, all that Bible genealogy began to make sense. So I have a list of names just like Jesus does in the Bible, the little girl thought, feeling pretty special. So where does mine begin?
The general consensus among Haddock genealogists is to begin with the Domesday Books’ entry. However, there was no additional documentation until more than two centuries thereafter in a document that reads as follows:
“Then in 1309, John Haddock and William Haddock were living in Leigh-by-the Sea in England where there were nine free tenants renting land from the Lord of the Manor. William rented nearly four acres which he called Heyronesland-Tenement. He paid his rent in the form of attendance at the manor Court and two shillings at Michaelmas.”
It is important to remember that England England Britain
Names within the Haddock family remained consistent, however. Richard and John were repeated over centuries. In fact, those two names are the only male first names (with the exception of one Robert and one William) in the little girl’s direct line for nearly 400 years. Leaving out all the “begots” the Haddock, Georgia
By 1453, the first Richard Haddock, his wife Christine and their 10 children had already been honored with a brass monument at St. Clement’s Church in Leigh. According to Leigh history, the family of Richard Haddock continued in its public service by providing ten captains, two admirals, knights, and even Controllers of the Navy at the height of British Naval supremacy.
Home Sweet Home
Grandmother Ida Louise Craine (nee Vincent) had taught her granddaughter to take notes even regarding directions to the places they visited. “That’s so these places won’t be lost in the future. Now, go ahead and read me what you have so far, sugar.”
“When you’re leaving Gray, go straight over the railroad tracks on Highway 22 toward Milledgeville. You’ll pass
Morton Roadon the left, andPine Ridge Church Mt. Zion Cemetery
Morton Roadon the left, and
The little girl shifted a bit, trying to remember another sign she’d seen. “Oh, yeah. There’s also a sign that says Haddock Unincorporated. Grandma, what exactly does unincorporated mean?”
“Well, I think it means that Haddock does not have a city government, and of course, no one can be hanged there.”
Fully accepting her grandmother’s explanation, the child continued. Then when you get to the crossroads, you’ll see Cousin John Haddock’s store on the right corner and a gas station on the left. Turn left onto that road. Turn again at the second road on the right onto
Haddock Drive.”
Haddock Drive.”
That was as far as she had written as they pulled into the gas station for a co-cola and a pack of salted peanuts. Dropping peanuts into a cold coke, then drinking the nuts and coke together was a real treat. Funny how different the coke made the nuts taste.
Uncle Pearson’s heavy car turned easily onto
Haddock Drive, cruising quietly. Grandma Louise smiled and waved to an elderly woman rocking on a porch. The little girl liked how her grandma seemed to know everyone around here.
Haddock Drive, cruising quietly. Grandma Louise smiled and waved to an elderly woman rocking on a porch. The little girl liked how her grandma seemed to know everyone around here.
Slowly they drove past the newer houses and farms, then weaving through groves of huge trees on both sides of the road. “Whose house is that, Grandma?”
“That’s a Haddock house, too. It’s real pretty how it sits at the edge of the pecan grove, don’t you think?”
“It’s beautiful, Grandma.”
“Just a little ways on down the road and around a curve, then we’ll be there.”
Two big rocks alerted the grandmother to the upcoming driveway. Suddenly, there were two more distinct granite outcroppings with a few trees at the end of the drive just off the main road. Grandma was practically holding her breath now. She was so excited! The big car pulled barely into the driveway and stopped.
“See, child, at the top of that long driveway! See it sitting cradled by those huge old trees? That’s where Maggie, Ammie, Pearson and I were all born. That’s where some of Grandma Bluford’s grandchildren lived, at least us Vincent ones!”
The little girl could make out a house of notable size amongst the trees. The porch seemed to go around at least three sides. However, the chain across the drive meant they would have to be contented with gazing from afar, but they were fine with that. Grandma was home.
The Crooked Billet, Our Home in England
The Crooked Billet is an early 16th Century (1500’s) timber-framed house with a cross-wing at the east end. It is generally accepted that this is the home of Sir Richard Haddock. Between Gilmans and the Crooked Billet,
Billet Lanejoined the Street. The lane was named after The Old Billet; the original Haddock family home built in 1430 on the east side of the lane.
Billet Lanejoined the Street. The lane was named after The Old Billet; the original Haddock family home built in 1430 on the east side of the lane.
The present day sign displayed outside Sir Richard Haddock’s affords several possible explanations for the name. A “crooked billet” is a boomerang-shaped tree branch, such as the one in the painted sign. Some scholars believe that a “crooked billet” marked the home of a noble gentleman, based on the symbol’s use in heraldry. Others believe that this bent tree branch signified an “inn” in medieval times when very few people could read.
Christina Haddock carefully leaned over the fireplace, gently stirring the large black cauldron of stew wedged down amongst the coals. Even this close to the fire, she could feel the chill from the night ocean breeze coming through the walls and windows. It was a wonderful home, large and sturdy. Plenty of room for all her children.
Suddenly, a gust of cold caught her back. “Is Father home yet?” young Richard called out as he attempted to close the heavy door behind him.
“Nay, Richard. He must be fishing farther out than usual.” The middle-aged woman pulled her woolen shawl more snuggly around her shoulders.
“A storm’s a coming. But Father won‘t even notice. He’s been in far too many to mind a little rain,” Richard continued trying to allay any fears he might have caused his mother by even mentioning the storm.
She seemed preoccupied as she focused on the heavy black pot of stew. The medley of meat and vegetables, especially the turnips filled the room with warm assurance. Stew was the staple of most families’ diets, but it was also the best thing to cook on a night like this. No telling how late the fishermen would be returning home, but for sure they’d be starving.
She and Mary Goodlad had talked about this often, “It’s as though our husbands don’t eat a thing while they’re out on the sea.”
When Christina and Richard were first married he was able to come home nearly every evening. Now he’d make it back twice a week at best. ’Cause now he had to bring enough fish to fill all the king’s tables at court. Christina had been pleased that her husband and his friends were now the King’s appointed fishermen, but she had not imagined how much fishing would be required.
Still providing food worthy of a king, the Haddock home is officially ranked # 10 in the top 30 restaurant/pubs in all of England
Saturday Morning and the Dutch Oven Man
There were two especially great things about going to Grandma Louise’s house on Saturday mornings. One was that she allowed the curtains to remain closed until the Saturday morning cartoons were over. The second was the Dutch Oven Man.
The little girl would spend Friday nights at her parents’ cabin close to the nearby lake. Then she would awaken early enough on Saturday morning to run down the dirt path to arrive at Grandma’s before 8 A.M. For at 8 A.M., the magic of Saturday morning truly began!
There’d be one 30-minute cartoon after another until “Sky King” came on at noon. Then depending on the weather, she’d stay the hour to watch good triumph over evil in the persons of Sky King and his niece Penny flying their plane, the Songbird, over the Arizona
These shows coupled with co-colas for the little girl (because she hated milk), and Dutch Oven treats started every weekend off perfectly. On Friday afternoons, the Dutch Oven man would pull up in his step van, parking at the edge of the great oak tree near the grandmother’s back porch. Although Louise Craine didn’t have much money, it was no secret that she spent every dime of it on her grandchildren and friends. Therefore, she felt it dutiful to stock up on as many cakes and pies as she could afford before Saturday.
Thus, it had become a tradition that before the Saturday morning shows, the granddaughter would enthusiastically search the shelves of the pie safe and the refrigerator. It was guaranteed that Grandma Louise would have bought at least four delicious items each and every week!
The grandmother’s favorite was the coconut cake, but it was too hard to say which one the child preferred. There was an amazing dark chocolate cake with lighter chocolate frosting that tasted best if kept really cold. And… the meringues were simply put, “To die for!” Almost too pretty to eat, with lemon leading the list.
The fruit pies were baked to a perfect golden color, and had those little breathing holes made with a fork on top. The fact that they came in every berry imaginable plus apple meant that no two Saturdays need ever be the same.
Whether or not the Dutch Oven Man made it all the way to Haddock, the little girl could not be certain. What she did know was that every Saturday afternoon she and her Grandmother would pack up one pie and one cake, then head to Haddock. Every week was a visit to a different friend.
For a while the little girl aspired to driving a Dutch Oven van through the Jones County
Family Heirlooms
“Grandma, can you explain what an heirloom is?” The little girl had heard the word a few times, especially when Uncle Pearson and Aunt Maggie were around. Apparently, the two of them with their sister Louise were always trying to figure out how to handle the various Haddock, Batchelor and Vincent heirlooms that each of them had inherited.
“Well, sugar, in the olden days, an heirloom was personal property that was part of an estate that passed to the “heir,” usually the oldest son. “Loom” meant “a tool,” so in even older days, the tool would pass to the heir. Nowadays, it is anything that has special meaning to someone passed on to anyone, usually to another generation. Would you like to hear a story about a very special Haddock heirloom?”
Taking her pen and paper out of her purse, the little girl settled into the big red and white glider on the front porch and said, “Yes, Ma’am.”
The Grandmother sat next to her and began. “In 1672, your Grandfather Richard Haddock became the captain of the Earl of Sandwich's flagship, the Royal James. Now this was a big ship with 100 guns.”
“Grandma, did you say, “Sandwich ?”
“Yes, actually, I did, and I’ll explain all that later. Don’t let me forget it, sugar,” Grandma Louise continued, smiling, knowing full well that her granddaughter had far too much curiosity to forget something like that. “Now, Captain Richard Haddock fought at the Battle of Solebay in the Dutch Wars with England
Grandma Louise continued, “On July 3, 1672, the Earl of Sandwich was buried in Westminster Abbey after a state funeral that started with a procession of five boats along the River Thames. When Richard Haddock returned to London England
“And, Grandma, what about the Earl of Sandwich ?”
“Well, my understanding is that his great-grandson, the 4th Earl of Sandwich, was the one who walked around on the deck of his ship eating meat and cheese between two parts of bread because he didn’t want to slow down enough to sit at a table. The story goes that this style of eating also worked well for him at a table while playing cards, his favorite pastime. Not exactly an heirloom, but still very interesting, don’t you think?”
Lena Victoria Vincent nee Batchelor
Lena Victoria Batchelor, one of Joseph Caswell Haddock’s granddaughters, was born in Haddock , Georgia Lena was in her late 70’s and early 80’s. She was also very beautiful.
Built on a tall, thin, six-foot frame, she had a uniquely aristocratic sense about her. For example, she would always drink with her pinky finger extended quite naturally, not as an affectation. When she walked, she glided softly across a room like an angel.
During her seventh decade, she had begun taking turns living with her children and grandchildren. Since this meant that she was always around people, she dressed formally. Each day she would attire herself in either a solid navy blue or black dress with a white lace collar. She did own one navy blue dotted Swiss, however.
On the collars would sit one of several exquisite Victorian brooches. The little girl’s favorite was the white and dark brown carnelian shell cameo with matching earrings. Although pierced earrings were not very popular in the 1950’s South, Lena Batchelor Vincent wore hers stunningly in the form of cameos, pearls and gold studs. Yet her signature accessory was perhaps the large tortoise shell compact that she used to powder her nose just before someone would enter the room.
Her shoes were totally old-fashioned. High top, lace-up, “granny” shoes that resembled fancy, low-cut boots. The great-granddaughter had never seen any shoes remotely similar in stores, and often wondered where you could even buy such things.
Being thin, the great-grandmother was always cold, so she would drape a handmade white lace shawl about her shoulders, even in the summer. In harsher weather, she would don a long, beautiful black wool cape before stepping outdoors.
Her husband, Hugh Webb Vincent, called her “Doll.” Some say it was because she was so young when they married that she still played with dolls. Others say it was because she was as pretty as a doll.
She did have a lot of pretty habits. Like propping on one elbow with her fingers running through the side of her silver French Twist hairdo. Or like the way she crossed her legs and pointed her toes.
It was during one of those wonderful month-long visits that the little girl’s mother, Lillian, was able to observe the great-grandmother and child together on a daily basis. One day, Lillian suddenly paused as she was walking through the room where Lena and the child were sitting side-by-side. “Atavistic, that’s the word! I knew there was something that meant family traits that skip generations, and I just remembered it. You’ve got atavistic traits from Grandmother Vincent. You look and act just like her.”
The little girl looked up into Lena Vincent’s beautiful eyes and smiled, as if to say thank you.
With the light beginning to fade, the grandmother tore the sheet of paper from the notepad and folded it. Grandma Louise had cautioned that what you call someone depends entirely upon which two people you are putting together each time. As she handed her granddaughter the paper to put into her Bible she added, “I think you should just write them out every time with you as one of the two people, sugar. After all, you will be the one who will be doing all this explaining one day.”
The Fish Fry and The Letter
As strange as it may seem, it was at a family fish fry that the little girl first suspected that the Haddocks might be descendants of royalty. All that day Grandmother Louise had been distracted by a letter that she had been carrying around in her apron pocket since morning. It was later that evening at the fish fry that the contents were made known.
Nearly every summer Saturday night, most of the uncles, aunts and cousins would gather just behind Grandma Louise’s house in an area along the dirt path that the little girl knew so well. The underbrush had been cleared away, with just the older hardwoods left to shade the picnic area. Years ago, several members of the family had pitched in to help build a brick barbecue grill under the trees. They had also built half a dozen sturdy picnic tables. Even the children had helped by painting them.
The nearby lake from where the fish came was built by Mr. Walter Williams. For the little girl’s daddy, it had been love at first sight when he had seen it. On long walks, he would tell his daughter that there was something almost heavenly about the trees’ reflections along the water’s edge. Eventually, he purchased the lake. Ever since, weekend fish fries had become almost commonplace.
Generally, it took all day to catch enough fish to feed more than 30 relatives! Homemade French fries, cole slaw and hushpuppies completed the outdoor feast. Everyone agreed that bream, bass and catfish all tasted best when fried in a huge metal pan on top of the grill. It was while her son was turning the fish that Louise Craine decided to pull out the letter she had received earlier in the week to share with her granddaughter.
“Sugar, I’ve got something to show you,” the grandmother announced as she carefully unfolded the legal size envelope with its foreign stamps.
Although the little girl did not fully understand the contents of the letter written in legal jargon, her grandmother had summarized each paragraph for her. Apparently, Ida Louise Craine of Jones County , Georgia , had been named in someone’s will in England
“Grandma, are you going to go to England
With a slight sense of regret in her eyes, the grandmother replied, “No, child, I can’t afford to. But don’t forget about this letter, you hear? ‘Cause one day I want you to go find out what this was all about.”
“I will, Grandma, I promise.”
Explaining Relationships
Following every family gathering, the little girl always had questions for her grandmother. “Grandma, I just get confused about what to call people sometimes!”
“Well it’s hard, sugar, ‘cause we don’t always call them by the rules. Let me see if I can explain.”
The little girl accepted the cold co-cola her grandmother offered, and made herself comfortable in the red and white glider on the front porch. Louise Craine walked back into the living room to pick up her pad of paper and a pen before joining her granddaughter. There was just enough afternoon breeze to make this August day a bit more bearable.
“So, sugar, you understand all about parents, grandparents and great-grandparents, right? Now you can imagine that if you go back any farther the writing gets a little cumbersome.”
“You mean like my Great-Great-Great-Grandfather Joseph Caswell Haddock?
“Yes. See you could write it all out just like you said it. Or you could even write GGG-Grandfather instead. Another way would be to write G3 Grandfather, kind of like in math, as powers of Great.” On that last note, the child giggled to herself thinking, Who would have thought that genealogy could be written like mathematics?
The grandmother drew a line across the paper before starting the next section. “Now your aunts and uncles are your parents’ sisters and brothers. Like your Uncle Carlton and Uncle Franklin are your daddy‘s brothers.” The child nodded enthusiastically because this part was not at all confusing.
“Now my sisters and brothers would correctly be called your Grand-Aunts and Grand-Uncles, but down here we call all aunts and uncles past your parents’ siblings, Great. Like you call my brother, Great-Uncle Pearson, instead of Grand-Uncle Pearson. I don’t think I’ve ever even heard anyone saying my Grand-Uncle so-and-so.”
“What about cousins?” Now this explanation was one the granddaughter really needed. Cousins were the most confusing of all!
Slowly and methodically, the grandmother began sketching a chart on the notepad. “Cousin is a confusing term to everybody, not just you. Generally, we call cousins across all generations just cousin. Like you have grown up calling kinfolk from Haddock who are my cousins, Cousin Annie Lou and Cousin Lonnie also. Although, I do think you need to understand the whole system to take your family notes accurately.”
After stepping away just long enough to get another co-cola, Louise Craine settled back down and began the simplest way she knew how. “If two people have the same grandparents, then those two people are first cousins. If two people have the same great-grandparents, then those two people are second cousins. If two people have the same great-great grandparents, then those two people are third cousins…and so on…and so on.” The child thought, easy so far.
Then the grandmother prepared her for the harder part. “Now, listen closely. Your daddy’s or mama’s first cousins would be your first cousins, one generation removed. Those same cousins will one day be your children’s first cousins, two generations removed.”
With the light beginning to fade, the grandmother tore the sheet of paper from the notepad and folded it. Grandma Louise had cautioned that what you call someone depends entirely upon which two people you are putting together each time. As she handed her granddaughter the paper to put into her Bible she added, “I think you should just write them out every time with you as one of the two people, sugar. After all, you will be the one who will be doing all this explaining one day.”
Royal Haddocks
The little girl discovered years later that the castle referred to in Grandma Louise’s letter would link the Haddocks of Jones County, Georgia to all the most powerful royal families of Europe ! For Joseph Caswell Haddock’s Great9-Grandparents were the Queen of England, Katherine (sometimes spelled with a “C”) de Valois, and the royal Welshman, Sir Owen Tudor.
In the film version of William Shakespeare’s play, Henry V, Queen Katherine is played by the famous actress, Emma Thompson. The play ends in May 1420, with Katherine’s marriage to King Henry V, King of England. After the defeat of Katherine’s father, King Charles VI of France
Upon Henry’s death in 1422, Catherine continued to live in the royal palace with her infant son, the heir to both the English and French thrones. Eventually, the widowed queen married a Welsh royal, Owen Tudor. However, as the infant son of Henry V grew, his enemies grew in number and in power.
The baby was crowned Henry VI, King of England at a mere eight months old on 31 August 1422. When his Grandfather, Charles VI, died later that October, the infant also became the King of France. Reagents and advisors ruled his kingdom until 1437,
When the teenage Henry VI did begin his true reign, he wisely surrounded himself with people he trusted, including his half-brothers, Edmund and Jasper Tudor. Edmond
Henry Tudor was born in 1457, the grandson of Queen Katherine and the only son of Edmund Tudor. Since Edmund died two months before his baby was born, Jasper became his formal guardian. Eventually, Jasper chose to flee to France
Since Joseph Caswell Haddock’s Great8-Grandfather Jasper was an experienced military commander, he taught the young boy everything he knew. Then in 1485, the uncle and nephew returned to England to claim the throne of England
As the military mastermind behind the decisive Battle of Bosworth Field, Jasper and his colleagues were able to defeat King Richard III who had long threatened the life of the heir. On the battlefield that very day, Henry Tudor was crowned Henry VII, the first monarch of the Tudor dynasty.
One of the most intriguing periods of English history thus began, and the royal Haddocks were right in the middle of it…not as observers, but as members of the ruling family!
Trail Riding
As the years progressed, the little girl began viewing Haddock much as her grandmother did, as a refuge in times of trouble. That area of Jones County
By high school, the granddaughter had developed the habit of trail riding through Haddock with her parents and siblings. Her favorite horse was a huge American Saddle Horse named Lady. The Encyclopedia Britannica states “… the American Saddle Horse possesses several easy riding gaits and great vigour and style.” Lady belonged to a couple of Joe and Lillian Craines’s best friends who often rode with them.
Grandmother Louise didn’t ride horses anymore, but she delighted in knowing that her precious granddaughter could forget all her troubles in the same woods that had brought her peace and calm for over 60 years.
Typically, the riders would saddle up just outside Gray, at Craine’s Lake . Lady was so tall that even the leggy teenager had to climb into the saddle from the back of a pick-up truck! Once in the saddle, however, it was nothing but smooth riding. Lady was the Cadillac model of horses. She listened and responded to everything her rider needed.
Trail riding is definitely a different way to see the world. One of the family’s favorite routes was to ride to
Morton Road, then connect to an old dirt road called Old Fortville. Then they would wind farther and farther northeastward through the woods. In the 1960’s and 1970’s, there were still dozens of ante-bellum and Victorian mansions scattered across the Haddock countryside.
Morton Road, then connect to an old dirt road called Old Fortville. Then they would wind farther and farther northeastward through the woods. In the 1960’s and 1970’s, there were still dozens of ante-bellum and Victorian mansions scattered across the Haddock countryside.
The riding party carried cameras, photographing the remains of a bygone era. There was one particular home that lured them in every time. More in tact than most, the weatherworn, columned porch beckoned. The house was no longer accessible by car. Perhaps it never had been. Grandmother Louise identified it from one of the photos as one of the many Haddock homes that had been abandoned before the turn of the century. There were no signs of any kind outside, but Louise was also certain that several members of her own family had once lived there.
Downstairs, vandals had long since looted the place, judging from the busted jewelry boxes and broken china cabinets. However, the inside stairs were in good enough shape to take the visitors all the way into the attic. There the young lady’s imagination could wander as she perused the old books and Civil War photos that still remained.
The riders would spend more than a half hour, reading and pondering the past here. They would leave every time convinced that the owners had been forced to flee their beautiful home. The young lady was always reluctant to leave, as she climbed into the high saddle from the front porch.
After dozens of such rides on Sunday afternoons, she finally asked her grandmother. “Why do you suppose that I can feel so peaceful after seeing such destruction and obvious sorrow in that old home, grandma?”
“Well, sugar, that’s not all you’re picking up on when you’re there. You’re sensing all the good times, not just the bad. And evidently, judging by how you always feel, there was just a lot more good.”
The History of the Batchelor Family
William Batchelor, Richard Berry and John Biggs were arrested and punished in Buckinghamshire, England in 1648, for being Quakers. All appeared in the Maryland and Virginia colonies later that year, with William arriving in Virginia on December 21, 1648. Batchelor family historians assume that the three friends were either deported or fled for religious reasons. William had named his son Richard (for his friend Richard Berry) and Richard had named his son William.
Richard Batchelor had been born in Buckinghamshire, England about 1643/1645. He sailed from Bristol, England on August 27, 1661. He had signed a four-year contract as an indentured servant to William Dunning of Virginia to secure free passage to the new world. Upon completion of his contract, Richard acquired 300 acres in Lower Norfolk County in 1665. He also married Ann Biggs, the daughter of his father’s friend, John Biggs. At the time of his death in 1682, Richard Batchelor owned 3,000 acres of land in Lower Norfolk County (“The Batchelor-Williams Families and Related Lines,” by Lyle K. Williams).
Richard’s son, Joseph Batchelor, was born in the 1660’s in Norfolk County, Virginia. He and his wife, Mary Manning, had many children. Stephen was born in 1702, in Virginia and died in Nash County, North Carolina. Stephen’s son, Solomon, was born in 1750, in Nash County, then moved to Franklin County, North Carolina.
Solomon’s son, Jesse, was the first of this Batchelor branch to live in Georgia. He was born in 1775, in North Carolina and died in Putnam County, Georgia. His son, Cordy, had been born in 1808 in Franklin County, North Carolina. On January 13, 1829, Cordy married Mary Corine/Conine in Putnam County, Georgia. He and his six sons (Cordy Jr., David, James Early, Leverett, Richard and Solomon) all served in the Civil War.
According to military records, Leverett was severely wounded at the battle of McDowell, Virginia on May 8, 1862, but recovered after several months. He continued to serve and was present at the Confederate surrender at the Appomattox Courthouse on April 9, 1865. Leverett’s story is part of a memoir written by Robert Young about the Batchelor family’s remarkable service as Confederate soldiers.
“Thus did the aged father give up all his boys to the Southern cause. David was killed at Spottsylvania on May 10, 1864. Solomon, Cordy, Richard, and Early suffered for months in northern prisons. At the close, Leverett and his four brothers returned home, and as good citizens, entered heartily into the work of restoring the Southland. In this, Leverett was engaged almost to the end of his life, having worked more than 40 years after surrender. I am all the more pleased to write this memoir because my comrade was so quiet and unassuming in life. May he rest in peace." by Robert Young, Commander of Putnam County GA Volunteers.
A second clipping tells that when David Batchelor was mortally wounded, Leverett stayed with him on the battlefield until he died. Then Leverett buried him in a shallow grave dug with his bayonette.
James Early Batchelor had first become a POW on May 30, 1862 at Front Royal, Virginia, but was exchanged on August 5 that same year. Then upon the death of his brother, he was once again captured as a POW on May 10, 1864 at Spotsylvania. After being released on July 26, 1865 from Elmira, New York, he returned to Georgia. Matilda Bluford Haddock, the daughter of Joseph Caswell Haddock, had married him in the midst of the Civil War in 1863. Afterwards, the two resumed their life together in Haddock, Georgia where they lived happily until Early Batchelor’s death on Valentine’s Day, 1887.
A Long Walk Home
Now that the teenage granddaughter could drive, she and Louise Craine would spend hours on the road re-tracing their ancestors’ steps. It was on one such trip, as the twosome rounded the curve along a dirt road leading from Old Cumslo Road, the grandmother began her story. “Now, sugar, I don’t exactly know when this happened, but I do know that my mother, Lena Victoria, was already married to Webb Vincent. They lived right over yonder,” she said pointing across the kudzu field.
As the car stopped, she continued. “You see, there was a disease called pellagra that was mighty common in the South after the Civil War. Everybody now knows that it is caused by a vitamin deficiency so it belongs in the same category as beriberi and scurvy. That was not always the case, however. When your great-grandmother got it, the thinking was that pellagra was contagious.”
With sadness in her eyes, Louise Craine continued, “During the Civil War, there were 10,000 deaths from pellagra in one brief period down in Andersonville Prison. After the war, everybody was getting it. By the early 1900s, pellagra was an epidemic in the South. There were 1,306 reported pellagra deaths in South Carolina during the first ten months of 1915; 100,000 Southerners were affected in 1916. At some point, my mother became one of them.”
“She broke out in these patches all over her arms, just wouldn’t quit scratching, and was in so much pain. She acted almost crazy from her discomfort. That coupled with the idea that pellagra was infectious, prompted her to be put in the Georgia State Sanitarium. That’s the old name for Central State Hospital in Milledgeville.”
“Oh, my goodness!” the teenager gasped. That hospital was a place for pellagra patients? What happened to her, Grandma? How long did she have to stay?”
“Well, that’s the thing of it. I think there must have been a lot of pellagra patients there. It was one of the places where some experiments were conducted later by a Dr. Joseph Goldberger. He eventually proved that pellagra was not contagious, and was even able to help sufferers just by changing their diets.”
“When my mama was there, there was no treatment except isolation from everyone who didn‘t have the disease. She began to feel helpless and hopeless. Fortunately, she never gave up, and decided to escape. That night and over the next couple of days, she walked over 25 miles to get home.”
“She used to talk about how frightened she’d been that first night when she escaped into the moonlight. Since she had no choice but to follow the roads, she walked at night and rested in the woods during the day. By the second night, she realized that no one from the sanitarium was going to pursue her. The ratio of patients to doctors was so high that apparently Lena Vincent was the least of the doctors’ worries.”
“When she finally arrived home, Mama was so itchy and uncomfortable that she jumped into the well! One of the farm hands heard her screaming and ran to get my daddy. The two of them managed to pull her up with the bucket and the ropes. Eventually, she recovered. One can surmise it was from a change in diet.”
The granddaughter sat there staring at the dilapidated old well, trying to imagine the whole set of circumstances. “It’s amazing that your mama could walk such a long way home!”
Louise Craine smiled encouragingly, “Well, sugar, it’s just a testament to the fact that the human spirit is capable of great feats when it needs to be.”
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