I have recently updated much of the information in my database.  I have posted various versions of the database on Ancestry.com.  These are available to other researchers or family members o review.

Southern Roots – this database contains ancestors and descendants that lived in Cleburne County AR or Coosa County AL.  Many migrated to Cleburne County after the Civil War from NC, TN, and AL.  While it does contain information on my ancestors, its has many non-ancestors as well.  Approximately 20,000 individuals.  Not updated as often as the other, but for general research.

Martin-Haile Research – contains information about the Martin-Haile line.  If you are a descendant of Hubert Munsey Martin or Samuel Eugene Haile, this is the database you should use to research or enter information.

As a starting point, I have linked to the grandparents of Janet and I.

Hubert Munsey Martin, wife Maud Ulan Cranford

Milam Harvey Parish, wife Ara Lucille Jackson

Samuel Eugene Haile, wife Gertrude P. Houston

Pious Macon Logan, wife Minnie Judith Towell

See instruction for gaining access to the “private” parts of these trees, or adding your information as a contributor.

The Capture of Charleston

{ln:Camden}
A stunning defeat for the Patroits, but it started the rise of General Greene

{ln:The Battle of Kings Mountain} 
A pivotal battle in the south, Samuel Martin was a Captain of North Carolina Militia during this battle.
{ln:KingsMountain 'Captain Samuel Martin at Kings Mountain } 

{ln:Cowpens}
A Patroit victory and morale booster

{ln:Guilford Courthouse}
This batle, while a numerical tie, forced the British to retreat toward Yorktown.

{ln:Yorktown}
The Miracle Convergence of Patroit and French forces, force a British surrender.

Ours is truly a diverse family.  If America is the "melting pot" we are a great example.  My father's family is of Scots-Irish ancestry, migrating to America prior to the Revolutionary War. Finally settling in North Carolina.  There they married with descendants of Pennsylvania Dutch (Germans from the Palatine Region) and Native Americans (probably Cherokee).  My mother's family comes from England and Ireland, emigrating to America (Virginia) prior to the Revolutionary War, and then migrating to Tennessee and eventually Arkansas.  My Parish line is also rumored to have some Cherokee blood in it.  My great grandmother Rebecca Parish was thought to be one quarter Cherokee.  My wife's family is from England, even including some links to English royalty.  Emigrating to Virginia prior to the Revolutionary War, then on to Tennessee and finally Arkansas, after the Civil War.  My children have married persons of African-American, Hispanic, and Vietnamese ancestry.  As you can see our family is truly diverse.

My Martin ancestors descended from Scots-Irish stock.   They migrated from Scotland in the early 1700's, remaining there for a couple of generations, then coming to America from Ulster, Northern Ireland.  They arrived prior to 1750.  Originally settling in Pennsylvania, then migrating to North Carolina.

Janet's Haile ancestors descended from English stock.  There is even linkage to British Royalty.  They emigrated to the tidewater area of Virginia.  Later generations migrated to Tennessee and finally Arkansas.

The Jackson's came from England to Virginia.  They then moved into eastern Tennessee, then Arkansas and were there prior to the Civil War.

The Parish name is of English or Irish descend.   Although originally Celts from France (Paris) most spread to England and Ireland after being defeated by the Romans.  My Parishs probably came the route of most southern English, Virginia to Tennessee, then to Arkansas after the Civil War.

The Kever name is of German origin.  These ancestors came from Germany during the Palatine Migration. Settling first in western Pennsylvania, then migrating to North Carolina.  They followed roughly the same route as the Scots-Irish Martins.

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My ancestors were of basic European stock.  Coming to this country from England, Scotland, Ireland, and Germany.  Most arrived here prior to the Revolutionary War with the remainder coming soon after.  They came for a multitude of reasons, some to escape persecution, others to escape the feudal systems of Europe.   But mainly they came looking for a better life and increased opportunity.   They were hard working and industrious, mainly from the then emerging middle class (known as middlin in the British Isles).  Listed below are some of our surnames and the places of origin.

My Martin ancestors descended from Scots-Irish stock.   They migrated from Scotland in the early 1700's, remaining there for a couple of generations, then coming to America from Ulster, Northern Ireland.  They arrived prior to 1750.  Originally settling in Pennsylvania, then migrating to North Carolina.

Janet's Haile ancestors descended from English stock.  There is even linkage to British Royalty.  They emigrated to the tidewater area of Virginia.  Later generations migrated to Tennessee and finally Arkansas.

The Jackson's came from England to Virginia.  They then moved into eastern Tennessee, then Arkansas and were there prior to the Civil War.

The Parish name is of English or Irish descend.   Although originally Celts from France (Paris) most spread to England and Ireland after being defeated by the Romans.  My Parishs probably came the route of most southern English, Virginia to Tennessee, then to Arkansas after the Civil War.

The Kever name is of German origin.  These ancestors came from Germany during the Palatine Migration. Settling first in western Pennsylvania, then migrating to North Carolina.  They followed roughly the same route as the Scots-Irish Martins.

Both the Scots-Irish emigration and the Palatine German emigration followed roughly the same course.  Many of the Germans were assisted in their migration by the British, first coming to Ireland then to America.  The most familiar landing spot was Philadelphia.  From there they traveled westward across Pennsylvania, through the Susquehanna River Valley, looking for land.

Although they traveled the same route, they seldom traveled or settled together.   In some areas one side of the river, or the road, was Scots-Irish and the other was Pennsylvania Dutch.  The Dutch (Germans) considered themselves to be more cultured and peace loving that the Scots-Irish.  The Dutch got along with their neighbors much better, especially the Native Americans, often taking them as brides.  The Scots-Irish on the other hand were much despised by the Indians.  They had a notorious reputation as great Indian fighters and were known for giving no quarter.

Both these cultures were forced ever westward and finally southward as each succeeding generation needed land.  The migration moved through the Susquehanna River Valley, then southward down the Shenendoah Valley of Virginia into North and South Carolina.  The Martins arriving prior to the Revolutionary War, the Kevers shortly after.

There Samuel Martin garnished a reputation as an Indian fighter and Revolutionary War Captain of Militia.  All this while raising a family and building a profitable farm.

There also, Jacob Kever took as his bride an American Indian woman (probably Cherokee).  The history of North Carolina  tells how it was common practice for the Pennsylvania Dutch emigrates to marry with the Native Americans in the area.  Photographs of the Kever family clearly show the Native American features.  I assume Cherokee since it was the predominant tribe in the area.

From what we read, there are basically two distinct groups of families. The older lines come from ancestors who were from Paris, and made it to England where the letter "h" was added as part of old english. The newer lines are derived as someone who came from a church or civil parish. Also, it evolved in the 17th and 18th centuries from orpans who were raised by a church parish, hence they took the last name.

In 1997, Elaine Parrish provided this account of the Parish name origin to us: The most informed source I have spoken to is J. M. Parish in Canada. He recommends – among others – the books: 'The Parisii' by Harold Ramm (this covers the arrival in Yorkshire up to Medieval times) and 'The Conquest of Gaul' by Julius Caesar – written about 50 A.D. In short (what Joe maintains and what was confirmed by [and added to by] several other sources):

The Parisii were a Celtic clan that lived in a place called Paris (now Paris, France). The Roman Empire was out conquering everything everywhere.They went to battle with the Parisii, but the Romans were too great in number and won. The Parisii that could, fled to an isolated strip in what is now England and from there went to what is now Ireland.

Since Parisii was an odd name and since it was a custom of the time for a last name to be simply "of [placename]", and since some wanted to blend in , etc, the name Parisii began to change. Some kept Parisii; some changed it and it became "Paris" or "de Paris" (of Paris); As they moved into Ireland, the "h" was added; variations became O'Paris, O'Parish, and Parish. Then "The Church" came along and used "Parish" to denote areas, so the second "r" was added by some so as not to be associated with the Church.

The name changes happened over many generations and was prompted by a variety of reasons (including: a desire to fit in or not stand out as different; to gain favor with or avoid conflict with "the powers that be"; or just because people were not educated and it just happened – as in census takers and tax roll compilers here change spellings).

Joe said that one "r" Parish was more common in Canada and Down Under; while the two "r" Parrish was more common in the U.S.

The European Origin of the Parish Name

According to family histories in general the name of Parish evolved from two main distinct origins. In other words, there are at least two families branches, unrelated, namely:

Of French extraction or from Paris – evolved from "de Paris", (of Paris) from the city of Paris, as a Norman French name, originally "de Paris" which translates from French into English as "of Paris", and eventually became Parish, Parys, etc. One Englishman, Matthew Paris, the English chronicler of the early part of the thirteenth century, acquired his name from his study at the University of Paris. Paris sometimes added an h to his name to make it Parish or Parrish.

Of a locality or church parish – Parish or Parrish as a name taken from locality or even a church parish. A name local in origin, persons from this branch are not necessarily French in origin as the lines which derived from Paris above. Also in the 17th and 18th centuries, the surname was occasionally bestowed on foundlings brought up at the expense of the parish…… the young person who was an orphan of the church – in the days before welfare and state aid, an orphan with no surname may have picked up the last name of Parish as being "of the Parish"

A third, less common origin of the name comes from the rare medieval given name Paris, probably a form of Patrick, but associated with the name of the Trojan prince, Paris, which has been speculatively traced to an original Illyrian form Voltuparis or Assparis "Hawk".

Janet and I were born and raised in Heber Springs, Arkansas.  We were high school sweethearts and married young.  After high school, I joined the US Army and travelled all over the world. Upon my retirement from the military, we settled in Washington state and except for a 3 year span of living in Arizona have remained there.

During my military service I was an Aviation Warrant Officer and flew helicopters and fixed wing aircraft.  I had tours of duty in Vietnam (2) Germany, Alaska, Hawaii, and many different places in the US. After retirement from the Army I turned my hobby (computers) into a paying job and have worked for the State of Washington and the State of Arizona managing various computer operations.

While I was out "playing Army" Janet raised our four children. Melissa, who now lives with her husdand Vince, in Arizona, and has two daughters, Jessica and Danielle. Douglas, who with his wife Tiffany, lives in Washington, and has a son, Mitchell, and a daughter, Sabrina. Allison who with her husbad John, lives in Washington and has two daughters, Ara and Simone, and one son, Zirin. Justin, who with his wife Diane, lives in Washington and has one daughter, Isis.

So after four children, 8 grandchildren, and travelling all over for 20 something years, we are now living back in Washington state to be close to the majority of grandkids and contemplating retirement.

This site contains stories of my ancestors, my musings about family, my stories of growing up, and general information about the genealogy research I do when there is time. Enjoy.