Join me as I begin a trek backwards, investigating my local Leesburg roots through my mother's paternal lineage, the Houghs. My grandfather, Dewey Hough, worked and lived on a dairy farm north of Leesburg on Rt. 15 known even today as Rockland Farm. When we visited our grandparents, hanging over the chest freezer (which usually had coffee ice cream in it) in the back bedroom was an old copy of the original Town of Leesburg survey, surveyed I was told by a relative of mine. Perhaps through my journey to see where this surveyor, John Hough, might appear on my family tree, you'll be inclined to start research into your own ancestry

APRIL, 2010 ~ I was sitting in Mr. Well's office asking a few questions of him and Mayor Umstattd. We had wrapped up business and were talking about odds and ends. Mr. Wells has a copy of the original survey of Leesburg hanging in his office. I mentioned that it was family lore that the man who surveyed the town, one John Hough, was supposed to be a relative of mine, but that I wanted to verify that someday. Mayor Umstattd suggested I get in touch with Mary Fishback at the Balch Library, an expert in geneological matters.

MAY 31, 2010 ~ While attending the Leesburg Memorial Day Ceremony, C.M. Piggott, civil war re-enactor, introduces me to Mary Fishback. I explain to her that Mayor Umstattd recommended I get with her to begin my quest. Mary tells me that there is a wealth of information on the Houghs, to come by.

JUNE, 2010 ~ After working on another project at Balch, I run into Mary Fishback.  She introduces me to the Tavenner Collection, photocopies of notebooks created by one Mr. Tavenner who spent a gazillion hours at the County Clerk's Office making family name indexes from birth, death and marriage records. Amazing that anyone would spend so much time doing that.

JUNE 25, 2010 ~ At the Balch Library, bleary-eyed from reading Mr. Birkby's handwritten 1861 town council minutes, but still with time left in the day, I seach out the Tavenner volume which contains his index of the Houghs. There are 21 notebook pages and well over 400 entries, all in his tiny script!  Here's what I find:

#315 Dewey E H (1900-1973) - son of #248 (this is my grandfather on my mother's side)

#248 Chas M H                -son of #35? (this number is nearly illegible)

#35 Wm N? H (1812-91) - son to #435

#435 Wm H (      -1842)

This is a good start, even though I don't see entries going back to the 1700's.  I asked my mom (Hilda Janet Hough Dickens Tyson) if she recalled having a grandfather by the name of Charles.  She didn't. And while the link between Dewey and Charles seems probable, beyond Charles it starts getting murky as I'm not sure if  #35 is actually correct.  Time to go see Gary Clemens at the court house and look at the actual records.