Who is Appy MAPP?

This is a posting for my MAPP Family Group on Facebook.

Who is Appy MAPP?

For many of us on this group page, we are related through the recent bloodline of Appy MAPP.  For others, we have a common European connection through John MAPP I (circa 1625 in England and died February 1671 in Northampton County, VA). John MAPP I was the great grandfather of Littleton MAPP, Sr. who was born in Northampton County, VA and died in Georgia. Littleton MAPP, Sr. also had connections (land) to North Carolina and South Carolina.

One of my goals concerning the MAPP Family genealogy is to do further research about Appy MAPP.  What I know at this time is the following documented facts;

1.    DOB: June 01, 1842 in Accomack County, VA
2.    Died: November 01, 1916
3.    Married Mary Susan HARMON on August 04, 1892 in Accomack County, VA.  It looks like they had 10 to 15 Children throughout their marriage(s).
4.    Severed in the Civil War - 1863 Virginia, United States of America Private, Co. I 2nd Colored Cavalry.
5.    From 1870 to his death he lived in the Pungoteague Magisterial District of Accomack County, VA.  This also known as Saint Georges Parrish.
6.    His death certificate states that he was the son of Appie PARRAMORE and Leah MAPP.  It also states that he was buried in the Red Hill Church cemetery on November 02, 1916 by the undertaker W. E. REID and Company from Keller, VA.  His death was reported by Edward MAPP who lived in Wachapreague, VA.  NOTE: Keller and Wachapreague are towns in Accomack County, VA.
7.    Appy MAPP had several aliases or misspelling of his name.  His first name was recorded as “Happy”, “Appie” or “Appe”.  In his pension file, he was listed as Appy Mapp alias “Happy NAPP”.

By far this is the most information that I have found on any one person as long as I have been involved with genealogy.  With that said, I still have many questions than answers concerning Appy MAPP.

1.    Who was his father Appie PARRAMORE?  I find little information concerning him or his wife Leah MAPP. 
2.    Was Appy MAPP a runaway slave that joined the Union Army to fight in the Civil War?  I have searched the Registers of Free Negroes for Northampton and Accomack counties and have not found an Appy MAPP.  I did find several other men with the first name Appy, but no last names of MAPP or PARRAMORE.  On the flip side, I have not any documents listing an Appy or any variation of that name as slave inventory, engaged in legal proceedings, etc.
3.    What was the relationship between Edward MAPP and Appy MAPP?  Edward was the informant listed on Appy’s death certificate.
4.    What was the relationship between Appy and his wife Mary Susan HARMON?  They both married late in life, but the children look like they are theirs together.  Mary also seems to have been married to a Peter Taylor.
5.    What was the connection between the Black and White MAPP’s?  How are we connected to Littleton MAPP, Sr. slaves and/or family?

I hope to find the answers to these questions and develop a framework for a book. 

Appy MAPP’s Whereabouts

1863 Civil War

Virginia, United States of America Private, Co. I 2nd Colored Cavalry

1870 Census – Saint Georges Parish, Accomack CO, VA

George S. Mears - 26 - W - Farmer

Mary Anna Mears - 23 - W - Keeping House

VA Mears - 1 - W

Thomas White - 12 - B - Domestic Servant

Soyo (?) Jubilee - 11 - M - Domestic Servant

Molinaa (?) Mears - 21 - B - Domestic Servant

Appie Mapp - 28 - B - Farm Laborer

Mary Mapp - 25 - M - Farm Laborer

Luke Mapp - 2 - M

Eliza Mapp - 5 - M

1880 Census - Pungoteague Magisterial Dist. 8

1890 Veteran Census Index

Mapp, Appias                                      Pungoliaguo District

Napp, Happy                                       Pungoliaguo District

Looks like a duplicate entry with two different spellings of his name.  According to the Pension File, Happy Napp was an alias. Why would he have an alias?

1900 Census – Pungoteague Magisterial Dist. 13

South Boundary line commences at the mouth of Pungoteague Creek, continuing up said Creek to a point known as The Ware House, thence from said point along the County road to Bobtown, thence to Keller, thence turning S.W. along…

1910 Census - Pungoteague Magisterial Dist 15

Excludes Belle Haven town and Wachapreggue town, beginning at line north go as far south as the north side of Nandua Creek, then taking a by-road coming out in the main county road to the L J Hyslop lot, then following main county road to Pear Tree and then turning at the J R Sturgis farm and follow road to Painter, thence follow RR to point of beginning…

What is in a name?

Part 1

I will never forget the day I found out that my grandfather had an additional birth name.  I thought his formal name was EDWIN DOUGLAS DRIVER and his nickname was “BUBBA”.  I later found in the 1910 census someone by the name of HOBBED D. DRIVER who was the same age as my grandfather.  I was puzzled as to who this new person was.  Was he another brother that died young or was there a complete misspelling of my grandfather’s name?  This puzzle was solved when I had a chance to visit my grandfather’s brother and my Godfather, ELIJAH MORRIS DRIVER (also known as “BUSTER”).  I informed UNCLE BUSTER that I have been engaged in genealogy and found a person by the name of Hobbed.  He smiled and said that the name was actually HOBART and it was my grandfather.  My grandfather dropped the name and went by the remaining EDWIN DOUGLAS.

Over the years I tried to make since of family names and their origin.  I will be making several more postings concerning the DRIVER names, but I first want to finish my story about my grandfather’s name.

When I found out his first name was HOBART, I tried to find other older family members with that first or last name.  There were none, but I did notice that HOBART was similar to ROBERT.  Census takers were notorious for misspelling people’s names.  Often after a long day/week of going from house to house (by horse or cart and down long dusty roads), the census taker was exhausted and made mistakes.  If my grandfather’s first name was ROBERT that would have made plenty of sense.  After all I had found 15 other ROBERT DRIVER in our family from the 18^th and 19^th centuries.  That assumption was too easy and debunked by my uncle BUSTER when he informed me that the name was indeed HOBART.  So I had to go back to the drawing board and do some more research about the name.  I found that when my grandfather was born and named, the name HOBART was becoming popular and peaked in use in 1901.  I now understand where the name came from, but I am still curious as to why his parents did not follow the standard naming convention of the day.  If they had followed this convention, my grandfather (1^st oldest son) would have been named after his paternal grandfather, ADDISON DRIVER.  After all my uncle BUSTER (2^nd son) was named in accordance to the standard naming convention.  He was named after his maternal grandfather ELIJAH MORRIS.

Early Naming Conventions in the 18th and 19th Century

Child: - - Named for:

1st son: - - father's father

2nd son: - - mother's father

3rd son: - - father

4th son: - - father's oldest brother

5th son: - - father's 2nd oldest brother or mother's oldest brother

1st daughter: - - mother's mother

2nd daughter: - - father's mother

3rd daughter: - - mother

4th daughter: - - mother's oldest sister

More to come…….