The Uneven Yoke by Lela McDowell Blankenship (1962)

The Uneven Yoke by Lela McDowell Blankenship (1962)

The author stated: "The book tells the story of three young families who moved to White County, Tennessee, from Caswell County, North Carolina, in 1823, seeking cheaper land and a better chance to live a good life. They were average people, but many of us are in reality and practically all of us are average in the reach of a few generations. I have checked each incident, each statement, looked up deeds and wills in Tennessee, and in Yanceyville, North Carolina, where the wagons began their journey.

"The three young families were the Rascoes, the Swindells, and the Knowles. One of the more memorable characters in the story is Patsy Pleasant Rascoe, whose vivacity, energy, and enjoyment of life and red dresses provides several hilarious episodes, such as the one with the circuit rider who forgot himself and tried to get her to go off to Texas with him. He appears later in the story as a Bishop!

"In the early spring of 1865, good John Rascoe falls in the furrow, but he will be succeeded as head of the family by his son Christopher, and Christopher has the traits of gentle firmness, steadiness, and thorough work that are necessary. We end the book happy that the three young families have established themselves in the new country of Tennessee."

Blankenship, Lela McDowell. The Uneven Yoke. Nashville: Tennessee Book Company, 1962. The author is a Rascoe family descendant.

Latest sales price: $246.00 (June 2022)

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Editor's Comment: One aspect I find interesting is these families moved from Caswell County in 1823 in search of "cheaper land." Had Caswell County land become so expensive in the early 1800s? Factors to consider: large families with adult male members seeking land of their own; how land was depleted and forests cleared for access to new arable land; and the influx of families from other states (such as Virginia) that placed additional pressure on land prices.