The details of 22Charlie Black's birth are frustratingly puzzling. As explained below, one can be confident that he was born in east central Georgia around the early to mid-1890's to his mother 45Julia Black, but further details remain elusive.

Problem: Unresolved When was 22Charlie born, who was his father, etc.? Conflicting Records All records agree that 22Charlie was born in the early to mid-1890's, but beyond that, the dates/estimates vary considerably, even for records made around the same time. For example, his death certificate states he was born 7 May 1892,1 but his tombstone (which presumably would've been carved around the same time) states he was born in 1890.2 The most curious conflict of all, however, is that two records give precise yet completely different dates of birth: His World War I draft registration card states he was born 15 February 1896,3 while his death certificate states 7 May 1892.1 Despite this glaring conflict, I'm reasonably confident that the two records do in fact describe the same person. The evidence conflicts again on 22Charlie's place of birth. His death certificate and obituary state that he was born in Laurens County,1,4 but his draft card states Montgomery County.3 The 1900 census (taken just a few years after his birth) shows him in Johnson County.5 The 1900 census explicitly describes 22Charlie as a grandson of 90Benjamin Burton Black,5 but I have found no records that explicitly state who his parents were. The 1900 and 1910 censuses show him living with 45Julia, so she is almost certainly his mother.5,6 I have absolutely no information—evidence-backed or otherwise—about who his father may have been. Considering my inability to find a marriage record for 45Julia, and considering that 22Charlie's surname (i.e., Black) is the same as his mother's maiden name, I strongly suspect that he was an illegitimate child. Unfortunately, the Georgia Archives does not have bastardy bonds for either Laurens or Montgomery counties. Lack of Y-DNA A Y-DNA test from a male-line descendant of 22Charlie might help to identify his father. So far, however, I've been unable to find any such descendant (but have not made an exhaustive search). Charlie did have a son Marvin.4,7 who in turn had a son "M. Phillip," born circa 1945,8 whom I've been unable to find in later records. In addition, Marvin is buried near Ronald Jean (or Gene) Black, born 1951,9 so perhaps Ronald is also a son of Marvin. Ronald lived in Waycross as of 1996.10 Inconclusive Autosomal DNA In June 2024 I attempted to separate my father's autosomal DNA matches on AncestryDNA into four groups, one for each of his maternal great-grandparents (i.e., 20Joseph Preston Geiger, 21Mattie Copeland, 22Charlie Black, and 23Viola Tant). I had hoped to see four distinct groups, including a cluster of matches that would reflect 22Charlie's unknown ancestors. Unfortunately, though, the results were underwhelming. Using data from AncestryDNA's Pro Tools, I made this spreadsheet to summarize how much DNA my father's matches share amongst themselves. I included all matches who met these two criteria: (1) AncestryDNA had auto-assigned the match as being on my father's maternal side; and (2) my father shares >59 cM with the match. As you can see on the spreadsheet, almost all of the unknown matches (i.e., those for whom a most recent common ancestor [MRCA] isn't readily identifiable from the family trees available or by traditional paper-trail research) have a lot of DNA in common with descendants of MRCA's on the 20Buck, 21Mattie, and 23Viola branches—in other words, there are few if any matches that seem likely to reflect the ancestry of 22Charlie Black. Indeed, Ancestry.com user otonili is my father's only match of >100 cM who has fairly low amounts of shared DNA with my father's other matches representing the 20Buck, 21Mattie, and 23Viola branches. The next closest such match is Garry Morgan. Some additional information about these two matches is below. Unfortunately, otonili and Garry Morgan are not matches to each other. Username Shared DNA (cM) Segments Match View Shared Matches List Screenshots Tree otonili 112 4 screenshot; link 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 1, 2 Garry Morgan 63 4 screenshot; link 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7

In 1900 22Charlie and his mother were living with his grandfather in Johnson County.5

1900: Three generations in one house in Johnson County, Georgia. Full page.5

22Charlie and his mother are still together in 1910, this time as live-in servants for another family.6 This is the first record that shows 22Charlie in militia district 1221 (map), where he seems to have remained for the rest of his life.

1910: Along with his mother, 22Charlie is a live-in laborer for Willie S. Johnson in militia district 1221 (map), Montgomery County, Georgia. Full page.6

22Charlie married 23Viola Tant on 19 April 1912 in Montgomery County.11

1912: 22Charlie's and 23Viola's marriage certificate. Full page.11

His World War I draft registration card describes him as medium height, medium build, blue eyes, and black hair.3

22Charlie's WWI draft registration card. Bigger copy.3

The 1920 census is the first record that doesn't also show/mention his mother 45Julia.12

1920: 22Charlie's family still in militia district 1221, Treutlen County, Georgia. Full page: 1, 2.12

23Viola died in 1924.13 Although I haven't found a marriage certificate, 22Charlie re-married to a woman named Mary Frost, as apparent from the 1930 census.7

1930: 22Charlie's family still in militia district 1221. Full page.7

The 1940 census shows him married to a woman named Malisa,14 although I haven't found their marriage certificate.

1940: 22Charlie's family still in militia district 1221. Full page.14

22Charlie died on 11 May 1946. He's buried in Red Bluff Missionary Baptist Church cemetery in Treutlen County at coordinates N32.39205 W82.68813. His obituary,4 death certificate,1 and a photo of his grave2 are below.

Sources Cited:

1: Treutlen County, Georgia death certificate 10802 for Charlie Black, who died 11 May 1946

2: Tombstone of Charley Black, Red Bluff Missionary Baptist Church cemetery, Treutlen County, Georgia at coordinates N32.39205 W82.68813. Photograph taken by 1Bryant Knight, circa 2011.

3: World War One Draft Registration Cards. Charlie Black, born 15 February 1896, Montgomery County, Georgia. NARA microfilm publication 1509. FamilySearch, <https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:KZZN-FKJ> accessed 6 April 2012.

4: "Black Funeral at Red Bluff," The Soperton News (Soperton, Georgia), Thursday 16 May 1946, page 1

5: 1900 U.S. Federal Census (Population Schedule). Johnson County, Georgia. Enumeration district 53, sheets 41B and 42A, dwelling 752, family 776, Burton B Black household. NARA microfilm publication T623, roll 207. FamilySearch, <https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HY-D1K9-F1K?i=81&cc=1325221&personaUrl=%2Fark%3A%2F61903%2F1%3A1%3AM3J8-FMP>.

6: 1910 U.S. Federal Census (Population Schedule). Miltia district 1221 (Lothair), Montgomery County, Georgia. Enumeration district 138, sheet 14B, dwelling 141, family 141, Willie S. Johnson household. NARA microfilm publication T624, roll 201. FamilySearch, <https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:33S7-9RJZ-4PJ?i=15&cc=1727033&personaUrl=%2Fark%3A%2F61903%2F1%3A1%3AML22-6N7>.

7: 1930 U.S. Federal Census (Population Schedule). Lothair (militia district 1221), Treutlen County, Georgia. Enumeration district 142-1, sheet 12B, dwelling 211, family 211, Charlie Black household. NARA microfilm publication T626, roll 388. FamilySearch, <https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:33S7-9R48-275?i=24&cc=1810731&personaUrl=%2Fark%3A%2F61903%2F1%3A1%3A3ZCB-K6Z>.

8: 1950 U.S. Federal Census (Population Schedule). Long Pond, Montgomery County, Georgia. Enumeration district 103-2, pages 3-4, dwelling 26, Marvin Black household. NARA roll 3922. FamilySearch, https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QHN-PQHW-YYTH.

9: The tombstones of Marvin E. Black (7 October 1921 - 20 February 2000) and Rev. Ronald Jean Black (29 April 1951 - 27 September 2001), Harmony Baptist Church Cemetery, Treutlen County, Georgia. FindAGrave, <https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/105996462/marvin-black> and https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/107453635/ronald-jean-black>.

10: An index of U.S. public records, an entry for Ronald G. Black, born April 1951, who in 1996 resided at 2624 Minnesota Ave, Waycross, GA 31503. Ancestry.com, <https://www.ancestry.com/discoveryui-content/view/113052223:62209>, accessed 17 May 2024. You can see a copy of the entry here.

11: Montgomery County, Georgia. Marriage record white 1 (1893-1916), page 502, marriage of Charley Black and Viola Tant, dated 19 April 1912. FamilySearch, <https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:33S7-LBZX-SQD?cc=1927197&personaUrl=%2Fark%3A%2F61903%2F1%3A1%3AKXJV-1VY>.

12: 1920 U.S. Federal Census (Population Schedule). Militia district 1221, Treutlen County, Georgia. Enumeration district 124, sheets 8A and 8B, family 143, Charlie Black household. NARA microfilm publication T625, roll 280. FamilySearch, <https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:33SQ-GR6S-QDV?i=14&cc=1488411&personaUrl=%2Fark%3A%2F61903%2F1%3A1%3AMJXJ-W4J> and <https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:33SQ-GR6S-Q6Y?i=15&cc=1488411>, accessed 15 February 2020.

13: Tombstone of Viola Tant Black, Red Bluff Missionary Baptist Church cemetery, Treutlen County, Georgia at coordinates N32.39205 W82.68813. Photograph taken by 1Bryant Knight, circa 2011.

14: 1940 U.S. Federal Census (Population Schedule). Lothair (militia district 1221), Treutlen County, Georgia. Enumeration district 140-1, sheet 6B, family 94, Charlie Black household. FamilySearch, <https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-L9M1-HJPQ?i=11&personaUrl=%2Fark%3A%2F61903%2F1%3A1%3AK7PR-84W>.