Thomas B Royston – Family Locket

Three Names, Two Households: What Naming Patterns Can and Cannot Prove

Sep 6, 2026

Identifying naming patterns among ancestors and their relatives can be key evidence in proving relationships- but only if the records support it. One of my first research projects was the Royston line. My 2nd great-grandfather, Robert Cisney Royston, had a unique middle name that proved important in tying him to his Alabama and Georgia origins. It also provided the clue that set me on the path that identified the next generation of Roystons. In this...

No Marriage Record, No Problem: Proving the Marriage of John Dawson and Elizabeth “Betsy” Cessna

Aug 30, 2026

When a marriage record cannot be found, how do you connect two individuals in the early years of the 19th century? In researching and writing about Thomas Beverly Royston and his family connections, I discovered more about his half-sister, Elizabeth “Betsy” Cessna. I had seen the name John Dawson connected with the Royston and Cessna records, but it wasn’t until I wrote my case study on Thomas that I finally formed a solid conclusion about...

Piecing Together a Family Story: Thomas B. Royston’s Land and Headstone in Chambers County, Alabama

Apr 27, 2025

On my recent trip to Alabama, I had the opportunity to visit Chambers County, where my third great-grandparents, Thomas and Cynthia Royston, settled in the mid-1800s. I visited the cemetery where Thomas was buried and viewed the land he owned. I previously wrote about researching him at the Alabama Department of History and Archives and the Chambers County Courthouse, and in this blog post, I’ll use that research as well as my previous findings to tell...

Back to the Basics with Probate Records – Part 2

Jan 15, 2018

Have you discovered a will for your ancestor but are puzzled by the legal terminology? You might have extracted some information like names of sons or daughters but aren’t sure what to do with the rest. Back to the Basics with Probate Records – Part 1 discussed what information might be in a probate record and how to locate the records for your ancestors. Now it’s time to learn about the document that is often first...