Re: Lancasters of Edgecombe Co., NC
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In reply to:
Lancasters of Edgecombe Co., NC
9/26/00
Ann,
I found an archived post by you on the Lancaster Family -
http://www.webcom.com/hamlet/genealogy/exchange/00000029.txthttp://www.webcom.com/hamlet/genealogy/exchange/00000029.txt - plus your post here, and thought you might be able to advise me on my search.
I have for a while been searching for information on the three Lancaster sisters, Sarah, M. L. A. and P. R. Lancaster, composers of songs in an old tunebook called "The Sacred Harp" - "Last Words of Copernicus", "I'm On My Journey Home", "Sardis", "New Harmony", and "Oh, Sing with Me!". I haven't found much, and am wondering if you might be aware of anything that could help me determine who they are and what became of them.
I believe they might be the daughters of James L. and Charity Lancaster, who came to Georgia from Edgecombe County. If so, I believe they would be sisters of your ancestor James Drew Lancaster.
Most of what I have is based on the information given by J. S. James in his "Brief History of the Sacred Harp" (1904) and "The Original Sacred Harp" (1911). He originally wrote that Sarah died in West Point, Ga, but retracted that in the OSH, stating that these sisters had moved to Texas. He thought Sarah was still alive in 1911, and that the other two were probably dead. Concerning M. L. A. (406, OSH) he says she moved to Texas before the Civil War. He further gives her first name as Mary in his Brief History. Concerning P. R. (374, OSH) he says that she lived in Harris County at the time she composed "Oh, Sing with Me!" (1859), and moved to Texas with her sisters. Concerning Sarah (112, OSH) he says that she was still living in Texas at an age of around 90 years, and further says that she lived in Harris County, Ga at the time she composed "I'm on My Journey Home" (1859). His writing indicates he was not personally acquainted with these ladies, and therefore some of this information may be "hearsay" and not correct.
I found this family in the 1860 Marion County, Georgia Census
Family 580
James L. Lancaster M 50 North Carolina
Charity Lancaster F 54 North Carolina
Ann Lancaster F 26 North Carolina
Sarah Lancaster F 23 Georgia
Henry Lancaster M 21 Georgia
Priscilla Lancaster F 19 Georgia
Charles Lancaster M 15 Georgia
The names of these daugthers will work with the initials I have - M. L. A(nn), P(riscilla) R. and Sarah. The ages work pretty well for young ladies who wrote songs in 1859 and 1869. Up to this point this is the only Georgia family I've found with names that could possibly fit for three sisters in one family. I have not been able to pin down any records in Texas.
Based on James' information, I am expecting that:
1. M. L. A. and P. R. were not married in 1859, based on their being listed as "Miss" at the time their songs were written.
2. Sarah's birth date should be circa 1821, if she was 90 years old in 1911. My inclination is to think she was born quite a bit later than that.
3. Sarah was not married in 1869, based on her being listed as "Miss" at the time "Last Words of Copernicus" was written.
4. If they married, their marriages probably occurred in Texas rather than Georgia, assuming they came to Texas before the Civil War (and were still "Misses" in 1859).
Any help or advice will be appreciated. Thank you.
Robert Vaughn
Mount Enterpise, Texas
More Replies:
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Re: Lancasters of Edgecombe Co., NC
Kaye Shearin 7/29/10