The "Mystery" of Jacob Akers Wife

   If you look up the wedding bond for Jacob Akers in Orange Co. NC, you will see something like this in whatever index you are using:

  Leeroy Akers   +   Rebecca Nealey     29 Oct. 180-    Bond:  Samuel Faucett

   If you further research the subject online, you will even see that some folks have gone as far as giving Rebecca "Neeley's" parents--which is an interesting accomplishment, seeing as how Rebecca's last name is incorrect in her wedding bond!

   Thanks, again, to cousin Rob Riley for digging out the original bond in the Orange Co Courthouse!
                                                               

    So there really was no transcription error.  John Taylor just made a total mess of the bond!  Complicating matters was the fact that there really was a group of Neeleys living nearby.

   The first real clue as to just how much of a mistake was made comes as we follow Leroy's move to TN.  In the 1840 census for Hickman Co. TN, we can see him right next to Thomas McNeeley (age 20-30) and the obvious widow, Mary McNeeley (age 60-70).  That's pretty suspicious.  What's a man married to a "Neeley" doing right next to two "McNeeleys?"
  The comedy of spelling errors doesn't get any better in 1850.  Still in Hickman, Leroy and Rebecca Akers are indexed in Ancestry with the surname "Aerois."  But, clearly it's them, and both are showing as having been born in VA.  Leroy's age gives us a birth year of 1786....
    By 1860, Rebecca has died, Leroy can be found in Humphreys Co. TN living with R. A. Singleton.  Leroy's birth place and year remain stable: VA in 1786.

   Luckily, there's a 15 year old post still remaining online that can put us out of our misery.  R.A. Singleton is Robert Singleton--son-in-law of Leroy Akers....

  The source is a compendium of Tennessee Civil War veterans who were questioned.  The first set of questions was sent to veterans in 1914 and 1915.   16,00 forms had been returned by 1922.  One of them was from the son of Robert Singleton-i.e. the grandson of Leroy Akers.

   For those wanting to read all the information on the posting, the link is here.

   As for the immediate concerns: here is the relevant information provided by grandson, James Leroy Singleton: to the questions:
8. Maiden name in full of your mother:...... she was the daughter of .....
(full name) and his wife ..... (full name) who lived at .....

Frances Stadley Akers; Leroy Akers; Rebecca Akers; Sugar Creek
Humphreys Co Tenn....


 My maternal grandfather was born in N.C. in about 1783 and
married Rebecca McNelly in 1806. Moved to White Co. Tenn in about
1832 and moved to Hickman Co 1836.

  We can forgive James Singleton for messing up his grandfather's birth state.  He certainly knew that Leroy came from NC and lived there at a young age. (We have to take Leroy's two statements that he was born in VA as gospel).  Transcription problems aside, we can see that Rebecca's surname has a "Mc" in front of it.  We can also get an idea of Leroy's journey west from Orange Co. NC from the further details.....

Given her birth year stated in the 1850 census, Rebecca would appear to be the sister of the James McNeeley who married Mary Yates in Caswell about the same time as Leroy and Rebeca married.  Most records show that Mary McNeeley died in Hickman Co. TN in 1846.  She looks pretty much assured to be the Mary McNeeley living right by Leroy Akers in the 1840 census....

Hopefully, this will resolve the error of Rebecca's surname in the wedding bond.

I'll leave the rest for Akers-McNeeley-Yates genealogists to work out and start to move back into the Ward line from here....
                                                                                      <Kevin>