When I began researching family history, I knew that when I started tracing Lanmon Short, I would have an easy time of it, because there could surely be only one person in the whole world with that particular name. The first surprise was that his birth name was Landman Short, JR. Further, there appeared to be numerous men with the name Landman Short, living simultaneously in the southeastern and mid-western parts of the United States, within a 125-year time span.

There is a network of persons studying the various Short families that resided in Virginia and North Carolina in the 1600's and 1700's. These researchers maintain an active correspondence on the Short Rootsweb, but no paper trail has been found which links these early Virginia families together. I am deeply indebted to cousin Marilyn Owen for the exhaustive research she has done on the Shorts of Virginia, North Carolina, Kentucky, and Tennessee, and for the collaboration of Esta Anderson, Dana King, Steven Short, Glenda Wolfe, the late Marilyne Short Payne, Roberta Abrams, Kay Nance Linn, Sarah Bone, Vicky Seibel, Ruby Caroline Reddin, Willie Ray Short, and Jim Short.

We have reduced the number of men with the name of Landman Short to SIX. This is because we believe that some of the men who lived in various states were actually the same person. In order to differentiate among these men when they are being discussed, I have assigned identifying numbers or phrases to each of them. Although much effort has been made to find a link between the first three men listed (who are related), and the second three men (who appear to be related), we have found no evidence to date (other than their first names) that the two groups are connected. Landman Short, Sr.

The first three men, who were related to each other, are:

1. Landman Short, Sr., born ca. 1737, is the oldest man we know with this name. He served in the Edgecombe County, NC, Militia in the 1750's, patented 700 acres in Johnston County, NC, in 1762, and appeared on Wake County, NC records from 1771 until 1804. Between December 1778 and April 1780 Landman acquired 1,880 acres in Wake County. He transferred several parcels of land to men believed to be his adult children. The particular deed book for this time period has been lost, but the index to the deed book has survived, mentioning only the names of grantor and grantee. In May of 1802, Landman Short (Sr.) transferred land to Josiah, Needham, and Burwell Short, proved by Nathaniel Jones. In November of 1804 Landman Short, Sr., transferred land to Landman Short, Jr., proved by George Crowder. In 1797 Landman Short (Sr.) served as security for the second marriage of Sion Short. Based on these documents, is assumed that the sons Landman Short, Sr., were Sion Short, Needham Short, Josiah Short, Burwell/Burrel Short, and Landman Short, Jr. All but Burrel Short, who went to White County, TN, were in Barren County, KY, by 1810. There is some evidence that Landman Sr. may have lived long enough to accompany his sons to Barren County, KY, because an early Tax List (about 1807-1811) in Barren County, KY, exempts one Landman Short from paying taxes. Exemptions were usually given to persons of advanced age.

2. Landman Short, Jr., born 24 April 1782, in NC, is assumed to be the son (and probably youngest child) of Landman Short, Sr. He dropped the 'd' in his given name and went by Lanmon. Lanmon was in Barren Co, KY, in 1810, Monroe County, KY, in 1820; Allen County, KY, in 1830; and Cole County, MO, in 1840. He died on 27 Dec 1862, in Cole County, MO, and his will named his wife, Elizabeth (Carpenter), ten children, and one foster daughter.

3. Landman Short, III, was b. ca. 1800-02 in NC. Because of his age, and the fact that he was first taxed in 1823 in Monroe County, KY, along with Sion Short (while the other Short brothers had moved on), he is assumed to be the son of Sion Short and Sion's 2nd wife, Dicey Ashe. Landman III married Nancy Pare/Parr, daughter of William Pare/Parr, also of Monroe County, KY. By 1830, Landman III had moved to Hardeman County, TN, and by 1850, he was in Lafayette County, MS. He died there and his will was probated in Lafayette County, MS, on 12 October 1865. He and Nancy were the parents of nine known children.

The last three men appear to be related.

4. Landman (of Westmoreland) Short, was the second oldest man with this name, so designated because records for him are found in Westmoreland County, VA. He married Susannah Tait on 28 May 1793 in Westmoreland County, with William Bettisworth, security. This Landman made his will on 12 October 1799, naming his wife, Susannah, step-son Kennady (sic), and three sons, Landman Mitchel, James Kennedy, and Thomas, all presumed to be surnamed Short. Executors of the will were William Short Jett and Baldwin Lee, Esq.'s. Witnesses were Robert Currin, Harriott Johnson, and Fanny Cannaday.

5. Landman Mitchel Short, son of the above Landman (of Westmoreland) Short, was probably born no earlier than 1793, if Susannah Tait/Tate was his mother. I believe he is a good choice to be the same person as Landman Short who married Nancy Gobble on 9 March 1814 in Washington County, VA. She was the daughter of John George Gobble, b. 17 February 1758 in Montgomery County, PA, and his wife, Elizabeth Linder.

On 15 February 1814, Landman Short was appointed guardian of James Short and Thomas Short in Washington County, VA, with securities Elijah Gillenwater, Cannaday Tate, and George Gobble. It is unclear whether Landman, brother (and guardian) of James and Thomas Short, was a full brother. If he was the son of Susannah Tait, he would barely be 21 years old at the time he was appointed guardian.

Researchers of this family believe that this Landman Short is also the same person as Landman Short who moved to Indiana by 1820. He married 2^nd Lydia Like / Lyke on 28 January 1836 in Rush County, IN. Landman and Lydia were enumerated on 1840 and 1850 Rush County, IN, census records, and in 1860 in Decatur County, IL. In 1850 he and Lydia reported their ages as 62 and 33, respectively. In 1860, their ages were reported as 83 and 44.

My assumption that Landman of Rush County, IN, was the son of Landman and Susannah Tait Short of Westmoreland County, VA, was based solely on the fact that near Landman Short in Rush County, IN, is a Canaday family. There were many Cannaday families in Westmoreland County, VA. Note that the will of Landman Short of Westmoreland County, VA, was witnessed by Fanny Cannaday. However, there was also a Canaday family in Wake County, NC, near Landman Short, Sr. While this doesn't constitute documentary evidence, I believe that it is a clue as to the possible places of origin of the older Landman Shorts (# 1 and # 4 above). The evidence that Landman Mitchel Short was the son of Landman (of Westmoreland) has been further supported by the paper trail that has recently been found for Landman Short # 6.

6. Landman Short # 6, born ca. 1847 in Indiana, and the youngest man found to date who carried the first name of "Landman," married Ardelia Fox on 12 June 1869, in Burlington, KS. This Landmon (mis-indexed as Sanmon Short) has been located on the 1850 Indiana census, age three, with his parents, George Short and Anna Nipp, who married on 9 March 1834 in Rush County, IN. He was enumerated in 1870 as Lyman Short, and in 1880 as Lanman Short on Coffey County, KS, census records; his marriage bond spells his name as Landmon. It appears that George Short, born ca. 1815 in VA, and father of Landmon, was probably the first child of Landman Mitchel Short and Nancy Gobble. George named his first daughter Susannah, his first son James, and his second son Landmon, which also suggests that George descends from Landman (of Westmoreland) and his wife Susannah.

A comprehensive study has been done for all the men believed to be sons of Landman Short, Sr: Sion Short, Needham Short, Josiah Short, Burwell/Burrel Short, and Landman Short, Jr.

Participant # 1970: Landman Short, Jr., received a transfer of property from Landman Short, Sr., of Wake County, NC, in November Court, 1804. Sometime after 1804, Landman Short (Sr. or Jr.?) received a warrant for property in Bedford County, TN, witnessed by Josiah Short, and which Landman assigned to Josiah Short in 1808, witnessed by Andrew Simpson.

By 1810, Sion, Needham, Josiah and Landman, Jr. were in Barren County, KY, where Landman Jr. married Elizabeth Carpenter on 1 March 1810. Sion Short was on the 1806 Barren County Tax List, and in 1814 he, along with Landman, Jr., witnessed the controversial will of Rueben Cochran, relationship unknown. At the time of Rueben's death, Landman, Jr. lived on the property of Rueben Cochran.

Landman appears to have dropped the "d" in his name shortly after arriving in Barren County, KY, and hereafter referred to himself as "Lanmon" Short. He was married as Lanmon Short to Elizabeth Carpenter, by the Rev. Lewis Bryan, in Barren County on 1 March 1810.

Elizabeth, of German descent, was the daughter of Samuel Carpenter and Catherine Eaker, who had come to Barren County from Rutherford County, NC, where Samuel had been a prominent figure through 1798. He owned over 1,000 acres, and had served in the North Carolina House of Representatives. Samuel Carpenter was born Samuel Zimmerman. The changing of the surname from Zimmerman to Carpenter is proved by the marriage bond of Joseph Carpenter/Zimmerman, brother of Samuel Carpenter, dated 11 April 1786 in Rutherford County, NC. Joseph applied for the marriage license under the name of Joseph Carpenter, but signed his name Joseph Zimmerman.

Samuel Carpenter made his will in Barren County on 30 March 1811. He named as executors his wife, Elizabeth, and his son-in-law, Landman Short (spelled Landman in the will, but administrative documents spell it as Lanmon). In addition to his land, Samuel had 13 slaves, and each of his eight children received at least one slave. Elizabeth Carpenter Short was given a slave named Mose.

Lanmon was a Justice of the Peace in Barren County, and his name frequently appears on Barren County documents. Tragically, all Allen and Monroe County courthouse records were destroyed for this time period, so no records survived (other than census records) concerning Short activities in these two counties.

Shortly after the 1830 Monroe County, KY, census was taken, Lanmon Short and his brother-in-law, Enoch Enloe, husband of Elizabeth's sister, Frances Green Carpenter, headed for Missouri. For the next 31 years, Lanmon and Elizabeth Short lived in Cole County, MO, near Russellville, which borders the Moniteau County line.

Lanmon Short died 27 December 1862 in Cole County. His estate, which included land and slaves, was probated in Cole County, and his oldest son, Samuel E. Short served as administrator. Lanmon's estate was divided between his widow, Elizabeth, nine living children, and the heirs of one deceased child. The family Bible gives vital information for all ten children, and one foster child, Zerviah Tomlinson, Jr., whose mother died when she was two days old. Zerviah Jr. was the baby sister of James Tomlinson, Jr., who married the Short's oldest child, Mary B. Short, in 1829. The parents of Zerviah Tomlinson Jr. were James and Zerviah Eubanks Tomlinson, Sr.

Samuel E. Short was born 5 September 1812 in Barren County, KY. He married Mary Ann "Polly" Simpson on 20 June 1839. They were enumerated on the 1850 census in Cole County, MO, and in 1860 in Moreau County, MO, where the value of Samuel's real estate was $2,400, and his personal property was $2,900. Samuel and Polly were the parents of seven children. He died on 20 May 1865. There have been five transmission events between Landman Short, Jr., and Participant # 1970.

Participant # 58088 is a proven descendent of Burwell Short, born ca. 1772-1774, the only son of Landman Short, Sr. who went to Tennessee instead of going to Kentucky. Burwell married Mary Cole by 1793 in North Carolina. Mary is probably the daughter named Mary who was mentioned in the will of John Cole in 1803 in Wake County, NC. John Cole did not mention the last names of his seven daughters, but the one named Milberry / Milbry was already the mother of six children and the widow of John Traywick by 1801, and remarried to William Short in 1804. The William Short who married Mrs. Milbry Cole Traywick was born by ca. 1775, and is thought to be the son of William Short (Sr.) born by 1750, who also lived in Wake County, NC. This William Short, Sr. died in 1795 in Chatham County, NC, where his will was proved, and he did leave a son named William Short. Because of the Wake County interaction between the families of William Short, Sr., born ca. 1750, and Landman Short, Sr., b. ca. 1837, it is believed that they were closely related.

Upon leaving North Carolina, Burwell went to White County, TN. He appears to have changed the spelling of his given name to Burrell. His death in 1810 in White County, TN, at about age 37, left Mary with six fatherless children between the ages of one and 14. Mary died after 1850 in White County.

Jonathan Short, born ca. 1794 in North Carolina, was the oldest child of Burrell and Mary Cole Short. Jonathan's wife (and the mother of his children) was Mary, last name unknown. Mary died in 1870 in White County, and Jonathan married 2^nd Nellie Yates on 30 January 1874. Jonathan died in 1878 in White County, TN. Jonathan and Mary were the parents of at least eight children. Their youngest child was Alphonzo Deloy Short.

Alphonzo Deloy Short was born in 1840 in White County, TN. He married Melindy Elizabeth Moore ca. 1859, daughter of Benjamin and Nancy Moore. Alphonzo and Melindy they were the parents of one child, James Pembroke Short, born in 1860. Alphonzo enlisted as a private in the Confederate Army and died September 1862 in a military hospital in Pikeville, Bledsoe County, TN. Melindy died in August of 1864, and is buried in the Dodson Cemetery. Their young son, James Pembroke Short, was raised in Tennessee by Melindy's brother, whom James Pembroke called "Uncle A" Moore.

James Pembroke Short, born 1860 married Nancy Leannah Woods in 1881 in Tennessee, and they went to Texas shortly after their marriage. They lived in Ellis and Dallas Counties, and were the parents of ten children. When Uncle A Moore was an old man, he came to Texas once to visit James Pembroke and his family.

There have been five transmission events between Burwell Short and Participant # 58088. The DNA results reported above for descendents of Landman Short, Jr., and Burwell Short, show one mutation difference on the 25-marker Y-chromosome test, which is well within the expected results for the paper trail of these two families.

Josiah Short, son of Landman Short, Sr., and Landman Short, III, son of Sion Short and grandson of Landman Short, Sr., lived in Hardeman County, TN, in 1830. There were three other Short men in Hardeman County at this same time. Two were William W. Short and his son, Marcum Short. The third was Thomas Short, who remains unidentified. A descendent of the William and Marcum Short family, who has become my friend, has conducted extensive research on this family and traced it back to at least 1731.

There was a man named Nathaniel Markham / Marcum, who witnessed the sale of Mary Cole Short's land in White County, TN, in 1838, and proved it in 1844, and who lived very near Jonathan Short in 1830 and 1840. In view of the fact that two branches of Landman Short's family had lived near persons with either the first of last name of Marcum, it seemed prudent to pursue a comparison of the DNA of a descendent of Marcum Short. The results of the Y-chromosome test for a descendent of Marcum are presented in Group 2.

Participant 43662: William Shortt (born by at least 1735), died by 1762 and left a will in Princess Anne County, VA. He named his three children, Markum, Elizabeth, and John Shortt.

Marcum Short, born ca. 1756, married Winifred Ward, daughter of William Ward who died in 1793 in Bertie County, NC. Marcum and Winifred lived in Martin County, NC from 1785 to 1787, and were in Beaufort County, NC by 1790. Marcum died in 1796 in Beaufort County. His will named ten children, including William W. Short.

William W. Short was born ca. 1778 in North Carolina. He married Winifred Williams about 1800. William and his son, Marcum Short, II, were in Hardeman County, TN, in 1830.

Marcum Short, II, was born ca. 1803 in NC. He married Mary Lavincia "Polly" Lowe, daughter of James B. Lowe and Theodocia "Dorsha" Unknown, on 12 February 1825 in Greene County, AL. Marcum filed a claim for land on Spring Creek in Hardeman County, TN, in 1829. By 1836, Marcum and family had moved to Lowndes County, MS, where he bought 240 acres for $419.84, close to the Tomigbee River at Nashville, TN. In 1851 he and Mary sold the land to Andrew H. Thomas, for $1,000, except for the one acre they had set aside for a school and meeting house. The 1850 Lowndes County census showed Marcum and Mary with six children and seven slaves. Marcum died in 1861 of typhoid fever.

James Lowe Short, born 29 July 1831, the son of Marcum Short and Mary L. Lowe, married Mary Frances Dodson. James and Mary were the parents of eight children. Mary died in 1886 and James died in 1903 in Columbus, Lowndes County, MS.

I had hoped that Participant # 43662 (William Shortt) would match the Y-chromosome signature of Landman Short, Jr., and Burwell Short, but the results show a difference of eight mutations between the two groups.

Participant # 12989: The results of this participant were sent to me privately by a long-time Short collaborator and friend who descends from this family. We noted that, unfortunately, our families do not appear to share a recent common ancestor. Due to the death of my friend, I have only the briefest amount of information on this family:

Andrew Short was born ca. 1789 in Virginia. He and Leantha Thomas were married in 1828 in Ross County, OH. They had ten children and all moved to Clarke County, IA, in 1851.

Greenberry Cummins Short was born in 1842 in Ross County, OH.

James Sanford Short was born in Red Oak, Montgomery County, IA, in 1874.

There have been five transmission events between Andrew Short, born 1789, and Participant # 12989. This participant is nine mutations away from the descendent of Landman Short, Jr. (Participant # 1970), and six mutations away from the descendent of William Shortt (Participant # 43662). For this reason, he has been placed in a separate Short DNA group.