Matrilineal Monday

Latitia Bixler

Recently I came up with a plan to research my matrilineal linage. So, I am researching and compiling a matrilineal tree entirely in the female line; that is, mother’s mother Mary Lavenia, my grandmother’s mother Eliza Jane, and her mother or my second great grandmother Latitia Bixler, and a third great grandmother Matilda Barclay.

The matrilineal lineage or my mother’s female line has been challenging. There is no one to ask questions about the maternal line ancestors since mother and all her siblings are deceased. My ancestors were farmers, and the paper trail has been scarce for those who settled in Pike and Lincoln Counties, Mississippi.

The matrilineal lineage is a continuous line from one woman to another as far back and as many generations. The matrilineal lineage in my tree is a difficult one; however, I am a person who doesn’t give up easily and will work to find my maternal line ancestry. I rather stumbled into the information on Eliza Jane; I did a Google search for A. M. Ramsey and wife Eliza Jane. The results came up with a family tree online, and Eliza Jane’s last name was listed in the family tree.  Once I found out the surname of Eliza Jane then the research on that particular line moved forward, and I proved that Eliza Jane Burnett was my great grandmother was married to Asa Martin Ramsey.

My third great grandmother is as far back as I have researched. The matrilineal lineage is Mother, Mary Lavenia, Eliza Jane, Latitia, and Matilda. There is very little information on Eliza Jane, her mother Latitia Bixler, and Matilda. 

Anyone who has been researching for long knows how difficult it can be to research the females in a matrilineal tree.  It is more difficult researching the female lines; however, it can be done by using clues when researching them. A timeline is helpful when you gather as much information as you can find on your female ancestor. When you look at the timeline you will see the areas where more research is needed.

The most obvious difference between researching male and female lines is that women usually change their names when they marry or become involved in a relationship, taking the name of their husband or partner. You will need to do a thorough search of the husband and gather as much information as you can on him. Latitia Bixler was first on the 1850 Police District 3, Pike County, Mississippi. Latitia is twenty-three years old and living with Harrison Burnett age 34. There is one child listed on the census with them. Since the census doesn’t state the relationship I don’t know if this is husband, wife and child. Matilda Bixler age fifty-seven and Matilda C. Nettles age thirty-two lives with them.  Letitia’s place of birth on the 1850 census is Mississippi. Living near Harrison and Latitia are relatives Benjamin Goodman and his wife Elizabeth. They are also maternal line relatives.
On the 1860 Pike County, Mississippi Latisha Burnett is thirty-two years old living with children William H. age ten, Eliza age eight, Matilda A. age six, Charles E. age three. Her restate value is one thousand dollars and her personal estate is seven hundred. Living near her is Mark Burnett age seventy-three years old her father-in-law. Latisha’s place of birth was Mississippi. Also, living close by Latitia, are Lewis Coon and wife Nancy C. maternal line relatives.

Latisha is forty-seven years old and is living with Mark Burnett, her father-in-law and her sisters-in-law, in Township 5, Lincoln County, Mississippi in 1870. This is where Latisha’s trail goes cold. I haven’t found her on censuses after 1870. There isn’t a record of death online, and trip to courthouses may provide other resources for Latitia Bixler Burnett.

Latitia Bixler was born circa 1827 in Mississippi, and died between 1870 and 1880.

Research for Latisha Bixler Burnett is ongoing. ■

Lincoln County, Mississippi
Image from Google Images