The Parentage of Barbara, wife of Jordan Ashley

Barbara's parentage is disputed, any input on the following theories is welcome.

AS SUBMITTED BY RITA FISHMAN

The following is copied from Jeff Weaver's New River site
THE FRANCIS FAMILY of the UPPER NEW RIVER VALLEY:

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Considerable discussion has gone on in the Francis Family Research Circle about who the two other children of Old Charlie Francis might have been...

...The second daughter of Charlie was one Barabra Francis, Born circa. 1804 and migrated to Kentucky prior to 1850. She was married to Primitive Baptist Elder Jordan Ashley who disappears from Ashe Co., NC church records about 1845, and this is a reasonable estimate of the date of their migration to Harlan Co., KY.

[Information from the Moxley/Hoppers/Toliver History by Lorene Moxley Sturgill of Piney Creek, Allegheny Co., NC]

Their known descendants are:
Barbara Francis & Jordan Ashley.
1. Franklin Ashley b.Letcher Co., KY
Md. Lucy Toliver 2/6/1847 B. / /1821-5 D.
She was the daughter of William Toliver and wife, Elizabeth or "Betsy".
1. Jordan Ashely B. / /1848 D. Md. Sarah
2. Leander Ashely B. / /1850 Md. Lucy Watts 1/7/1866
3. Elizabeth Ashley B. / /1852
4. Freelan Ashleyø6 B. / /1854
5. Greenville Ashley B. / /1856 Md. Rosa
6. William Ashley B. / /1868
>>

Some Descendants of Henry Francis according to Jeff Weaver's site:
HENRY FRANCIS was born Abt. 1734 in ,Cecil Co, MD, and died 1780 in Shallow Ford, Rev. War, NC. He married LEAH. She was born Abt. 1740 in ,Cecil Co, MD, (prob), and died in ,Montgomery Co, VA.

Child of HENRY FRANCIS and LEAH is:
CHARLES FRANCIS (HENRY1) was born Abt. 1765 in ,Montgomery Co, VA, (now), and died Bef. 1840 in Grayson Co, VA. He married SARAH ?. She was born Abt. 1770, and died Bef. 1830 in ,Grayson Co, VA
Burial: Fees Ridge Cemetery in Grayson County, Va

Children of CHARLES FRANCIS and SARAH are:

i. BARBARA FRANCIS, b. 1805, Ashe Co, NC; m. JORDAN ASHLEY

ii. ELIJAH FRANCIS.

iii. MARY POLLY FRANCIS, b. Abt. 1797; m. ISAAC VANCE WEAVER; b. Abt. 1795.

iv. ISAAC FRANCIS, b. Abt. 1800; d. young.

Here's why Rita feels Barbara Francis is a viable candidate:

• She was born in the right place at the right time
• Her father was a Primitive Baptist preacher
• Jeff's information came from an elderly [Blake] SPENCER and as we all know, they are related to us.  The information on Franklin is correct; Jordan and family did move to KY in the late 1840's.
• There is inter-marriage of female ASHLEY's into both the FRANCIS and WEAVER families

BARBARA AS THE DAUGHTER OF CHRISTIAN SEACHRIST PROVIDED BY DALE ASHLEY
FAMILY GROUP SHEET FROM THE ST LOUIS GENEALOGICAL SOCIETY.  YOU CAN CALL DOROTHY GRIFFITH AT 1-314-647-8547  THEY ARE OPEN THREE DAYS A WEEK: FROM 9AM TO 12 NOON ON TUESDAYS, THURSDAYS & SATURDAYS

BOB SECRIST CAN CONFIRM ALL CHILDREN LISTED ARE CHILDREN OF CHRISTIAN SECHRIST EXCEPT BARBARA, JESSE AND CATHERINE AND CLAIMS OTHER ERRORS IN GROUP SHEET

I have not been able to determine where Barbara or Barbara Ann came from. Accordingly, I have seen no information in Mechlenberg or Union County, North Carolina, for your Barbara.

Except for Jesse, born 1816, and Catherine, born 1819, all of the other children listed belong to Christian Sechrist and Maria Barbara Myers of Rowan and Davidson County, North Carolina.  I have church christening records showing that most of those children belong to [them], and other records associating them with Christian.  I do not know who Jesse and Catherine were.

The family group sheet might be correct that your Barbara Secrist's parents were Christian and Maria Barbara Sechrist. However, I have researched the Davidson County Christian Sechrists extensively and I have never found a daughter Barbara Secrist for them. I have found 13 children for Christian and Barbara Sechrist and have a written an extensive family history on that family. I actually travelled to Davidson County, North Carolina, to do my research one summer. Still not daughter Barbara Secrist showed up.

Do we know who wrote the family group sheet that you sent and the sources of their information? Unless we know the answers to those questions, we have to look at it with suspect. Maybe the family group sheet is correct, but I really doubt it especially because it has a couple of other errors:

Christian Sechrist was born on 2 March 1776 in part of Rowan County, North Carolina, that later became Davidson County, North Carolina.

Additionally, we are confident that Christian Sechrist's father was a George Frederick Sechrist, who was born circa 1750 and who lived in Rowan County, North Carolina, not Jacob Secrest.  We have proof that Jacob Secrest and Barbara Sims were in Mechlenberg County, North Carolina, circa 1773. I have not seen one piece of evidence that Jacob Secrest and Barbara Sims lived near Lexington where Christian Sechrist and his Sechrist relatives lived.  It is extremely unlikely that they went to Rowan County in 1776 to give birth to Christian Sechrist. Several years ago, somebody floated the notion that Jacob Secrest and Barbara Sims lived in Rowan County. However, Mecklenberg County was formed from Rowan County in 1762 and where they lived in southern Rowan County in the 1750s was what became part of Mecklenberg County in 1762.

Christian may have had a daughter Barbara Ann Seachrist, but I have seen no evidence of that.

Bottom line is that nobody has been able to show me any evidence of where Barbara Sechrist, who married into the Ashleys, came from. I would be excited if I ever saw documentation.

The Combs Theory

I HAVE NOT SEEN A RATIONALE OR SUPPORTING EVIDENCE FOR THIS THEORY

I HAVE NOT SEEN A RATIONALE OR SUPPORTING EVIDENCE FOR THIS THEORY

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