The McGee-Parr Family Reunion is in North Carolina this June, so I decided to come up with a scavenger hunt to identify places named after our family or places our family lived in the Carolinas. There is one quest at the end on DNA.
Responses to each quest can be in the form of photos, comments, drawings, or a blog contribution on your own page or posted here. All ages can participate whether you are going to the reunion or not.
Quest #1 – Morgan
Our reunion hostess lives in Morganton. Nearby is another town of Morgan. Who are these towns named after?
Hint:
Daniel Morgan, the famous Revolutionary War hero, is not related to us.
Perminter Morgan is our James Morgan’s oldest son. And he became a very well known and respected preacher. Although he has an unusual name, Perminter has a lot of descendants named after him.
Another son, James Jr., served in George Washington’s Continental Line during the Revolutionary War and was a teacher after the war.
Quest #2 – Charleston/Fort Moultrie
Take photos or create something that relates to Arthur Parr’s Revolutionary War service while in Charlestown.
Hint:
Review Arthur’s Revolutionary War service in these posts.
Fort Moultrie was renamed Fort Sumpter before the Civil War.
Quest #3 – Ninety Six
What was Ninety Six? What significance did it have in the Revolutionary War? How was our family involved in the activities at Ninety Six?
Hint:
Ninety Six is now a National Historic Site. Some family activities are described in this post.
Quest #4 – Battle of Camden
Arthur Parr’s last Revolutionary War battle was at Camden. Why was Major General Horatio Gates ordered to face a board of inquiry after the loss at Camden?
Hint:
The Battle of Camden was a total disaster for the Americans, and General Gates’s reputation was ruined. Many historical articles and controversies about General Gate’s behavior at Camden exist.
Quest #5 – Battle of Stono Ferry
Arthur Parr participated in the Battle of Stono Ferry. What was the point of this battle? What does the battlefield look like?
Hint:
Here is one article on the Battle of Stono Ferry. There are many more. But only golfers can see the battlefield.
Quest #6 – Missing Land in Rowan
Arthur Parr, Sr. and his wife, Margaret Wright, bought 640 acres of land on April 28, 1763. This land was on the west side of the Haw River in Rowan (pronounced row-ann) County. Richard Wright witnessed the purchase.
In October of the same year, they sold half (320 acres) to Margaret’s close relative, Richard Wright. Arthur died shortly after that while working for the Orange County Sheriff. What happened to the remaining 320 acres after Arthur died?
Hint:
I have checked the Rowan County Deed books without success. The record must in another type of court record.
Quest #7 – Uwharrie River
Family members who lived or owned land on the Uwharrie River include Arthur Parr, Jr. and his family, the Wrights, and the Morgans. There are references in their land records to the headlands of the Yadkin and Deep Water. Today the Uwharrie joins the Yadkin near Morrow Mountain State Park and becomes the Pee Dee River.
The red arrow points to the Uwharrie River as it heads down to the Yadkin River. The circled area is probably where Parr, Wright, and Morgan land was. This is now part of the Uwharrie National Forest and the Three Rivers Land Trust.
Go explore! Take photos, paint or draw pictures, or write about what you found.
Hints:
Quest #8 – Nigerian DNA
It could be from Chad or the Central African Republic, but the best guess is this tiny stretch of our DNA comes from Nigeria. For many years, I thought this came from my Dad’s side of the family because the family name translates to “black.” In Irish mythology, the black Irish are descendants of the Moors from Spain who came to Ireland. But no, this bit of DNA comes from Mom’s maternal side.
Aunt Candy would have been shocked to find out the black is from the Parr side, not the McGee side. Unfortunately, she did not live long enough to find this out. She had been convinced that there was African ancestry on the McGee side due to her father-in-law’s dark complexion and facial features.
Does anyone else have 1% Nigerian DNA?? Feel free to guess where it might come from.
Hint:
Our options are the
English: Parr, Fish, Harris, Davis, and Featherston families
Welsh: Morgan family
Unknown origin: Work, Reid, Spratt, Poland, and others with unknown names!
