Tabitha Dale, 1769-1849

Pedigree and brief bio

Tabitha Dale is my fifth great grandmother on my mother's side. Here is the pedigree: Tabitha Dale, mother of John West, father of Barney West, father of James West, father of Cora West, mother of my grandmother, mother of my mother, mother of yours truly.

Tabitha Dale was born on August 12, 1769, in Snow Hill, Maryland, the daughter of John and Tabitha Melbourne Dale. She married Thomas West on November 30, 1791, in Sussex, Delaware. They had one child--that I know of--during their marriage, John Franklin West, in 1796. She died on March 2, 1849, in De Kalb, Tennessee, having lived a long life of 79 years, and was buried in Alexandria, Tennessee.

Records and using Find A Grave

Since Tabitha was born in the eighteenth century, there are no federal census records to verify her birth, life, and death. One tip I often give to beginning genealogists is to work backwards, in other words start with the ancestor's death date and work back towards their birth. I often begin these types of searches on FindAGrave.com. This website is growing from the addition of tens of thousands of entries daily. Researchers can search for a grave or memorial by the peron's name, date of birth and/or death, and location. Researchers can also volunteer and add information to the site in the form of memorial creations or by adding photos. Members also request photos and those requests are filled by volunteers. Once you find out when and where a person died (and often his or her birth date and family relations), you can continue your search for vital records.