Annie died of burns she sustained in a gas stove explosion in her home on November 19, 1929 (see obituary), several months after she wrote this letter.
My great-grandfather on my mother's father's side came from England -- was born there -- he married a Deborde -- he and six brothers came over in 1770 or somewhere near that. His name was Bloodworth. I don't know his first name. Mother's father's name was Hardy Bloodworth. He married Sarah Carroll. That's my mother's father and mother. Mother had three sisters and one brother. Their names were Charles, Fannie, Martha and Elizabeth -- Fannie married James Bagby of Iowa. I don't remember who Martha married, she died quite young. Elizabeth married Jim Kaylor, was in Kansas the last we heard of them. They had one boy named Jim. I've seen him. I had one great-great-grand aunt on grandfather Bloodworth's side that I know of, she was a doctor. Her name was Lidia Deborde. Fay, when I see you this summer maybe I can figure it all out better.
My father's ancestors came over at the time of the Huguenot War. Whenever that was -- thirteen of them -- two girls and eleven boys, they were Debordes. You seee, Mother and Father were about fourth or fifth cousins. My great-grandmother on my father's side was a Deloche, came from France. My grandmother on my father's side's name was Polly Franklin. Father's grandfather's name on his father's side was Isaac Deborde, and father's father's name was Solomon Deborde. The two Deborde girls that come over from France with eleven brothers, one of the girls was deaf and dumb -- unusual for a Deborde.
Notes from Hurshel Debord:
A close reading of the letter doesn't say that Isaac was a Huguenot or that he came from France. It does say that her father's ancestors were Huguenots and came from France. I believe the 11 brothers and 2 sisters referred to are children of the John Debord born 1730 in Richmond County, VA. And that John Debord was probably the grandson of the immigrant James Deboarde that shows in Old Rappahannock County, VA before 1690. That James was probably the son of James Deboarde of Berwick Upon Tweed, England. That James would have been born about 1640 and he was possibly the Huguenot that fled France for England sometime before 1660. The James christened 1666 appears to be the only one that came to America.
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