This page was last updated: May 20, 2020
WILLIAM JAMES YOUNG,Thomas, Dorty Index Page
Welcome to the index page for our Young family which started with our Elder William (James) Young and Dianne Thomas Young whose children were the above, Drucella born about 1835, Joann, born about 1844, Taylor born about 1848, Ralph, born about 1850, Clarissa born about 1852, Anna and Joseph Young.
Our family history was first documented in 1870 when the US Census recorded William (James) Young age 50, born about 1820 as the head of household living in a dwelling in Rapides Parish Bayou in Louisiana with his family as a farm laborer. It was also about 1870 when it was reported some of the “Young” family members changed their surname to “James”. Historic records showed it was a common practice to repeat the first names of both the male and female members of the family generation to generation. It was often necessary to look both at the birthdays as well as the names when referring to family members.
Since many of our family members in the earlier years lived on plantations and were not schooled it is apparent they did not write diaries so much has to be surmised. Including the enunciation and spelling of first and last names, which in most cases were written by others such as officials when marriage were performed. In the case of births it is common knowledge that most families wrote the births of new borns inside the covers of bibles.
According to US census reports many of the family members lived next door to each other and within extended families with as many as twelve in one household. It was also apparent in many cases that many of the women in our family had an average of seven children and many more times more than ten and elder members lived with their children and grandchildren.
The earlier family births were predominantly in Louisiana on several Plantations including Archinard Place, the Sousand Plantation and the Levin Luckett Plantation, and It is a matter of record that twins run consistently in the family. According to death records a number of the older family members were shown to have been previous residents of Virginia where the Luckett’s had at least one other plantation.
The men in our family seemed to live longer that the woman who died years earlier than their husband many times after giving births to multiple children at a time. Also many of our family members were born or lived on various plantations including Levin Lucketts Plantation in the area of Alexandria Louisiana where more than one hundred slaves were kept.Archinard Place was another plantation where many of our family members lived and were married.
A number of family members were ministers and owned thieir own homes and business as early as the 1870. Many also paid what would be considered hefty fees of $100.00 to be married and one record showed a payment of $200.00 which was a lot of money in those days.
Some of the family members were buried at 1st Evening Star Baptist Church Cemetery at Bayou Rapides including our great-great grandmother Diana Young (maiden name Thomas) and great-great grandfather William( James) Young who also was the pastor of the church at one point. Other family members were buried at Garden or Memories, Holly Oak Cemetery in Pineville.