I've been having fun lately doing some deeper research into my family. Four years ago I drove a few hundred miles to Foosland, Illinois and visited the grave of Henry Profitt Cornelius, my third great grandfather (Henry Profitt Cornelius > Jesse Profitt Cornelius > William Seborn Cornelius > Floyd Cornelius, Sr. > Floyde Cornelius, Jr.). Since then, I discovered the grave of Henry's father, John Cornelius (1776 - 1857), who is buried in the Cornelius Family Cemetery in Christian County, Kentucky.
John's wife (our fourth great grandmother) is Martha "Patcey" Profitt Cornelius (1790 - 1876) and is the obvious origin for Henry and Jesse's middle names. Using Google, I found an interesting website for the Profitt family which traces their origins farther back.
Warning, you might want to take an Advil right now!
Martha “Patcey” Profitt was born in Goochland County, Virginia and was apparently the only child of Jesse S. Profitt (1766 - 1839) and his first wife, Mary Mollie Moseley (1768 - 1857). Jesse and Mary apparently divorced or otherwise split as he married another Mary (Mary Jane Bryant) in 1807!
Jesse Profitt was the third child of William Profitt (1738 - 1812) and his wife, Sarah Thurston (1743 - 1780). Like Martha, Jesse was born in Goochland County, Virginia.
Going even farther back, William was born in St. James, Northam Parish, Goochland County, Virginia. He was the son of Silvester Profitt/Prophet (1698 - 1767) and Alice Pleasants (1698 – 1771).
Silvester, my seventh great grandfather, is apparently the patriarch of the American Profitt (or Prophet) family as he was born in Eassie, County Angus, Scotland and was the son of James or John Prophet. Silvester arrived in America in 1716.
Note: The surname is spelled three different ways – Proffitt, Profitt and Prophet. I am not sure which is the “correct” spelling. For consistency purposes, I am using “Profitt”.
