Misc

The first known member of my family with HD was my grandfather, Henry McRAE, born May 2, 1887, in Eastman, Dodge Co., GA, and died March 12, 1943, in Milledgeville, GA at the State Hospital. His father was William MCRAE who died Feb 13, 1900 at age 55 in Eastman, Dodge Co., GA. William MCRAE's obituary states that "he was successfully engaged in his last years in the mercantile and agricultural pursuits." If this is true it is unlikely that he had HD. The mother of Henry MCRAE was then the probable carrier of the HD gene. She was Sarah Amanda DANIEL, born Oct 27, 1843 in Barnwell County, SC, and died Feb 20, 1910 in Milledgeville, GA in the State Hospital, where she had been institutionalized for about 8 years "as the result of nervous and physical collapse following the death of her husband" according to her obituary.

The father of Sarah Amanda DANIEL was Seth DANIEL, who died at the age of 75 on Feb 26, 1883 of "heart disease (living only about 30 minutes after he was attacked)" according to his obituary. Seth DANIEL was born about 1808 in Georgia, but I have been unable to find out any other family data on him. If his obituary is correct (and families were certainly capable of lying when it came to HD), he probably did not have HD. The mother of Sarah Amanda DANIEL was Ann Amanda ALLEN, born Sept 1821 in Florida. Her place and date of death are unknown. As I put this puzzle together, she probably had HD.

The mother of Ann Amanda ALLEN was Sarah Elizabeth BRYAN, born Dec 11, 1799 in Barnwell District, SC, and died at an unknown time in Florida. I have corresponded with several individuals who have researched the BRYAN line very well and they do not find any evidence of HD in the BRYAN line. That leads the trail to (probably) Josiah G. ALLEN (referred to in one document as Isaiah G. ALLEN). Josiah G. ALLEN was born about 1795 in SC, lived in Tallahassee, FL, and died in 1824, probably in Barnwell District, SC. Josiah died intestate, leaving a large estate which was not probated until 1843 in Jonesboro, GA. I think that he likely had HD.

I have found no information on the parents of Josiah G. ALLEN, but have a clue in that his widow, Sarah Elizabeth BRYAN, married Joseph ALLEN in 1826. I suspect that Joseph was the brother of Josiah G. ALLEN. Joseph ALLEN was the son of Joseph ALLEN and Sarah BRYAN. Whether or not this Sarah BRYAN (step grandmother and possibly grandmother of Ann Amanda ALLEN) was related to Sarah Elizabeth BRYAN (mother of Ann Amanda ALLEN) is unknown, but likely, since they all seem to be from Barnwell District, SC. After much conjecture, I believe that Josiah G. ALLEN had HD and (since the BRYAN line is silent about the possibility of symptoms of HD) and that possibly his (possible) father Joseph ALLEN did also. I would certainly appreciate hearing from anyone with any connections to or further information on these ALLEN, BRYAN, DANIEL, and McRAE lines.

JP