As I build this blog, I realize how much family history I have learned in the last 8 years. I thought that with the incorrect "E" on the death certificate that this may be a dead end. But with the use of DNA and another cousin, Stacy White of Dallas, we have been able to substantiate more of our tree. Below is what I wrote in 2016. There will be much more to come. We have "CRACKED" the code 😊
Bridges Family History
Unfortunately,
I have never been able to "crack the code" on William L.
Bridges. Mattie Bell Bridges, his
daughter, is my link to this family and
I knew her as a small child which gave me confidence as I began my research. Records
and letters were sent to Lucy Jones Day by Dorothy Autry, Burwell Jones'
daughter, and so much was known about all the Bridges' 12 children. I felt confident that Mattie's father's name
was William " L" as I found a hand written marriage document from
1870 and a newspaper article in the Abilene Reporter about a family reunion
given by his daughter Lucy Ford dated October 1945, all of which reflects his
name as William "L" Bridges.
However, Lucy Day states on Mattie Bell Bridges' death certificate that
her father was William "E" Bridges, but I believe that is in
error. And still...others have followed
him as William "M" Bridges.
By taking away a middle name, there are MANY William Bridges in
documents in the same location during the same time period, including censuses
and military listings. During that
period of time, documents do not state other family members which makes it
difficult to establish a link. William's
history is given on the History Sheet of Harriet Ann Springfield. It appears that they were well-to-do
upstanding people.
Nancy Claire Quillin
Long
5 March 2016
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