I always find myself fascinated by the new discoveries I make every time I venture into my ancestry/genealogy hobby. It’s always even more surprising when I find family history from hundreds of years prior just miles from where I grew up.

Captain James Kell is my 6th-great-grandfather. He was born in Pennsylvania in 1760 and moved with his family down to Orange County, North Carolina as a young child. He was also in the militia, and fought in many battles during the American Revolutionary War including Camden, Lindley’s Mill, and most notably to me, Charlotte.

I was born and raised near Charlotte, so learning that my own ancestor fought against General Cornwallis in 1780 in what is essentially my hometown was mind-blowing to me. He was also married at and briefly lived in the town I currently reside in, which is even crazier to me that I have at least two familial ties to a place I never knew was connected to me in that way.

Capt. Kell’s other family members also have some fascinating history. His great-grandfather, Jean Postell, was a French immigrant, known in the 1600s as a “Huguenot,” who fled to Charleston, South Carolina with his parents, wife, and children to escape religious persecution happening in France. The Postell’s held to their Protestant faith, and fled along with thousands of other like-minded individuals to escape the catholic government that posed a threat to their safety.

I definitely plan to dig more into the small bit of information I’ve found so far so I can better understand the history and the lives of my ancestors. Thank you for reading!

– A.B.