The Doldrums

Sailors used to dread being caught in the doldrums, no wind, just the rolling sea and constant featureless vista in every direction. Well, that is exactly where my search for George Perkins is. I pore through the records, and peer over piles of ancient-and-gone Perkins' and see no sign of George, who was my 3rd great-grandfather. The genealogical sea ripples with Perkins families, none of them apparently willing to claim my George.

I'll tell you what I know. He is silent and uncooperative. He told the census takers that he was born in 1781 in Georgia. He married a woman named Elizabeth and had two sons and five daughters; John W, Keziah, Rachael, Nancy (my gg-grandmother), William, Rebecca and "Polly" (usually a nickname for Mary). He owned a fair amount of property in the area of Mobile Alabama in 1830-1850, then he and Elizabeth moved to Union County Louisiana to live next to their son John W. John and other members of the family moved on by 1860 to Angelina Co Texas, finally settling in Robertson Co Texas. But George doesn't appear to have gone with them. He and Elizabeth disappeared for good between 1850-1860, last seen in Union Co Louisiana.

Another researcher says George was the son of Jacob Perkins and Betsy Cole Perkins of Richmond Co North Carolina. This is possible, as a George Perkins in the right age category lived next door to Jacob in 1810. This theory is strengthened somewhat by the fact that George's first child (John W) was born in 1810 in North Carolina. But there is no mention of a George in the well-documented lists of Jacob and Betsy's children. Nor can I find any other documents which tie George and Jacob together in any way.

You always come to a dead end with genealogy (no pun intended). There comes a point when historical records fail, but for the most part that's been long before 1781 for me. One thing Colonial America was good at was keeping records.

So, George, if you read blogs, and have any pity at all, please step from the shadows and drop some documentary evidence of your parentage into my mailbox. It's the right thing for you to do, because I know you didn't spring fully formed from a mushroom patch.

Of course, I'd take hints or documentation from anyone with Perkins blood, or data. :))