August 12, 2008-Always Looking for Manning Clues

As you know, before my obsession with genealogy, I was obsessed with buying and selling antique and vintage books. Well, I am still buying books on a small scale. With my focus on genealogy, I have begun to seek books with family histories or significant historical events. My favorite place to buy books has always been the Croatan Bookery in Nags Head, North Carolina.

In late June 2007, we were back in Nags Head for a visit and I went to the Bookery. I always stay there far too long and and leave with a big box full of books. I was about to check out when I passed a stack of soft cover books. The one that caught my eye had a great black and white photo of a woman on the front. When I opened it, I was amazed at page after page of black and white pictures. Each picture had the names of the persons in the picture. I knew I must have found a great reference for someones genealogy. Imagine how surprised I was when I looked at the title and author information. The title is "Down to Earth People of Appalachia" and the author/photographer is Kenneth Murray. Looking closer, I noted that the forward to the book was written by Ambrose Manning.

A Manning clue!!! When I opened to the title page, there was an inscription signed by Marie Manning Brown. Manning and Brown, this had to be fate. I knew I had to have the book. But, also the book was published in Boone, North Carolina which is in the county where the Browns were from. I couldn't wait to get back home so I could find out about Ambrose Manning.

I did try to research Ambrose and his Manning ancestors, but I was still too new at knowing the best genealogy records to locate them. I let much time go by without trying again to find him.
I did learn that he was an authority on the places and people of Appalachia, a professor at East Tennessee State University, and that he was from North Carolina. I won't go on and on about everything I learned because as it turns out, Ambrose Manning was not a relative. I learned he was not a relative in June 2008, when I tried again to research his family. I found his entire family in an online obituary of Ambrose who had just died a week earlier. Named in the obituary was Marie Manning Brown, who had signed the inscription.

I keep this book right on my desk and look at it from time to time.