When it comes to the Tyson Community in southern Stanly County, North Carolina, I never fail to be amazed at what a tale just one page of a 19th century census can tell.
So many of my ancestors, connecting relatives and people whose paths entangle with my ancestors dwelt here.
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This is a page from the 1880 census of Tyson. Tyson bordered the north side of the Rocky River right across from Anson County. It encompassed the town of Cottonville and north of Cottonville, Rocky River Springs, which was known at one time as "Silver" and the area that would become the little town of Aquadale. It was bordered to east by the Norwood area, known as "Center" and to the west by the Oakboro area, known at the time as "Big Lick Township".
House Number 57 shows Edmund Murry, who was sometimes shown, or called "Edmund Coley". He was the son of Benjamin Murray and Fannie Coley, who never married. Benjamin Murray was the brother of my 3rd Great Grandmother Priscilla "Prussia" Murray Aldridge. Therefore Edmund was a "Cousin" of mine and nephew of Grandma Prussia.
Edmund was a 53 year old farmer who was suffering from lung disease. He probably smoked. His 54 year old wife, Catherine Ledbetter Murray, was well. Still at home with them was their 20 year old daughter, Sarah, 17 year old son, John Edmund and 15 year old daughter, Margaret.
House Number 58 is his son Benjamin Murray, named for his grandfather, Edmund's father, Old Ben Murray, who died in Arkansas. Ben was an optimistic young farmer, buying land and equipment, going into debt to get his own operation up and going. His older brother and sister were already married, his sister Francis to Will Aldridge. Ben and Will were partnering some on the farming operation, signing a mortgage together. Ben was single, but no doubt on the prowl. Edmund had no clue that in just a few short years, he would be burying his enterprising middle son.
House Number 59 was the home of Edmund's tenant, Obedience "Beedie" Carpenter. She is listed as a widow, but must have misinformed the census taker to save face, as she never married. But she had two children, Nellie and John, and their father was Edmund Murray (Coley). Bedie was listed as a Housekeeper, with her 24 year old daughter as her assistant. Her 19 year old son, John, was already married to 17 year old Isabell and they had a one year old son, William J. Carpenter. It appears in the list like they had twins, William J and Nezzie E., but the girl, Nezzie, was the daughter of John's sister Nellie. Nezzie Elizabeth was born on January 23, 1879. She would marry Mitcell Calvin Brown, son of Louis Brown of the Tyson Community, in 1900 and become the mother of an enourmous family of 17 children.
Obedience Ann, "Beady" Carpenter was the daughter of Thomas Carpenter and Elizabeth "Betsy" Broadway. Thomas and Betsy Carpernter are my 4th Great Grandparents as I descend directly from their daughter Martha, who married John Hooks. This would make Beady my 4th Great Aunt and with Edmund being the nephew of my 3rd Great Grandmother, Priscilla Murray Aldridge, these families are all very tied up in my family tree. As they are all interwoven into the fabric of my family tree, it gives me a wonderful full picture of my family and the area, how they are connected and how they lived. People who go straight up a trunk are certain to find the path more difficult and uninteresting. How do you know if you have the right John or Elizabeth if you do not know how they are connected to everyone else around them?
John Ander or Anderson Carpenter, was 19 and already married to Harriett Isabell Cagle (Brown), 17, and their first child, William, had been born. Isabell was herself a misbegotten child. There is quite a story surrounding her origins that deserve a post of their own.
Isabell was the daughter of Millie Elizabeth Cagle, daughter of Charles Robert Cagle and Miranda Elizabeth Springer. Her father was my Second Great Grandfather, James Pinkney Aldridge. Isabell was born on December 24, 1861, at the inception of the Civil War. The year of birth for Millie Elizabeth Cagle ranged from 1825 in the 1850 census to 1850 in the 1880. Her tombstone gives the year of her birth as Christmas Day 1829. The average comes out to about 1839, which she is deemed to be in 1910. Her Death Certificate also lists her age as 83 in 1922, which gives her a birth year of 1839. So, I believe that her tombstone is incorrect and her year of birth was 1839. It fits in better with the birth years of her children. Her last daughter, Sarah Rose (or Ross) Brown, was born in 1882. If Bettie was born in 1829, she would have been 53 for Sallie's birth. 1839 puts her at 43, still at the end of her childbearing years, but more concievable.
In 1861, James Pinkney Aldridge was 14 years old. Soon after, he would be handed the task of running the family farm and taking care of his stepmother and younger half-siblings as his father, Josiah Aldridge and older brother, William Edward "Will Ed" Aldridge, went off to War. He'd lost his mother, Elizabeth Ledbetter Aldridge, in 1855, at the age of 7. His neighbor, Bettie Cagle, was 22.
This day and time, Bettie Cagle would be considered a child molester. In 1861, she simply became the mother of an illegitimate child. On the marriage certificate of Isabell and John, Pink Aldridge and Bettie Cagle, are listed as her parents. Sometime in the next several years, between 1863 and 1865, Bettie would marry Louis P. Brown, also considerabley younger than she, but age 18 upon the arrival of their oldest child, Mary Arrana "Ranna" Brown in 1865. She would also become the mother of Mitchell C. Brown, her next-to-the-youngest child, born about 1863, who would marry Nezzie, the niece of John A. Carpenter. This makes the relationships between the children of John and Isabelle Cagle Carpenter and those of Mitchell and Nezzie Carpenter Brown, well, rather complicated.
House Number 60 George Washington Hinson
George Washington Hinson is not directly in my family tree, but he fathered a large family, witnessed several deeds, served on several committees, settled several estates and swapped land back and forth with many people who are in my family tree.
The son of Joseph Benjamin Hinson and Catherine McIntyre Hinson, "Big George" as he was called, was born aroung 1838-1840 near Burnsville in the Upper Anson County area just south of Rocky River. George was a very common name among the Hinson family, who had originally settled on the Stanly County side of Rocky River, just below present day Oakboro. Therefore, the multiple George's of his day and time all seemed to have acquired nicknames from the locals in order to tell one from the other. This particular George was described as being, " Complexion: Florid, Hair: Auburn, Eyes: Grey, Height 6 ft 1" in the military papers of his spotty Civil War career when he was given the Oath of Allegiance at Elmira, New York in June of 1865.
![Death]()
Big George would marry Mary J. Sullivant who grew up in the Beverly community of Anson County and they would move to Tyson. George truly has a story of his own to tell, but that is another post. He would live until 1906, and was suffering an ailment that he knew would lead to his death, as he wrote a will. He was good friends with John A. Carpenter, also a Confederate Vet, who witnessed his will and is shown with him in the picture below.
The 1880 census of Stanly County was a snapshot in time for the George W. Hinson family. George and Mary had entered their 40's. Their first 4 children had been born. The last of Mary's children, Martha Elmer Hinson, would not arrive until 1882. The gaps in the ages of the children were not typical. Mary spaced her children wisely. One would think that perhaps some had died, especially during the 7 year gaps between James Henry and George Jr and between George Jr. and Mary Donah. But Mary survived until 1910 and appeared in both the 1900 and 1910 censuses. In 1900 she stated she had given birth to 5 children with 5 living. In 1910, she stated she she had given birth to 5 children, with 3 living and indeed, both her sons had passed, J. H. in 1904 and while the death of G. W. Hinson Jr. is not exact, he was alive to transact a deed with his wife in 1909 and she remarried in 1911. As his mother states she only has 3 living children in the 1910 census, it can be assumed he passed before April 16, 1910, when the census was taken, and his mother passed that same year, but afterwards.
George Washington Hinson, Sr. and his wife are both buried at Rehobeth.
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House Number 61: Lafayette Carpenter
Lafayette Carpenter was from a familiar family to this area. He was the younger brother of Obedience "Beadie" Carpenter in House 59.
In 1880, "Faith" and Bettie had started a young family, with the first two of their 4 children having arrived, William David and Stephen Atlas Carpenter. The couple had married on October 14, 1876.
Elizabeth"Bettie" Coley was the daughter of George David Coley and Ruey (or Retta or Runy) Hathcock. She was one of three children who had been orphaned when her mother died of consumption in 1860 and then her father had died at Elmira Prison in New York in New York, during the Civil War. The 1860 census showed her father as a shinglemaker and her mother as just passed, with little Bettie the middle one of the three children. In 1870, she resided with the older George Coley and his wife Mary, no doubt a relative of some sort, perhaps a Great Uncle, the Grandparents of Edmund Coley-Murray in Household 58.
Over the next few years, Faith and Bettie would have 2 more sons, Jesse Thomas and Jonah Lafayette. In the 1900 and 1910 censuses, that recorded the number of children a mother had and how many were still living, Bettie recorded in both that she had 4 and 4 were living, so the 4 brothers were all there were, a good record in that day and time.
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The Messenger and Intelligencer
(Wadesboro, North Carolina)25 May 1905, Thu • Page 2
They would move to just south of the county line to the "Wharf" area of Anson County in Cedar Hill Township near Ansonville. Wharf is a desolate area now, but at the time was a booming little community, well-documented in the local newspaper by John Alexander "J. A." Kendall, a Postmaster, Farmer, Justice of the Peace and all-around character, who called himself " Whale".
Faith would remain a resident of Wharf in "Upper Anson" until the 1920's, where he lived on "Salisbury Road", which would have been approximately Old Hwy 52. By 1930, he, Bettie and two of their sons had returned to Stanly County and were living on Fork Road, which veered off of the Salisbury road, west and reached to the forks of the rivers, Pee Dee and Rocky, some of the most fertile land in the county.
Faith died in 1933 and was buried at Concord United Methodist Church in Wharf. He'd lost his wife, Bettie, two years prior in 1931. Both had lived long, fruitful lives, 74 and 75, respectively, but were mere youngsters in comparison with Faith's mother, Betsy Broadway Carpenter, who lived with them until her death in 1905, at the tremendous age of 108.
House Number 62: Benjamin "Ben" Davis
Benjamin Davis, 66 and his wife Zilpha, 50, are shown as being tenant farmers, while their neighbor, Lafayette Carpenter, was notated as being a renter. Also in the home are Elizabeth, 24 and James W. Davis, 14, Ben's children by his first wife, Fanny.
They are also in the home with older brother, Marvel and sister Emaline, in the 1870 census of Tyson Community. "Marre" is a transcription error for Marvel. 80 year old Lucy, was, I believe, Fannie's mother and she was born in Virginia. We can probably safley guess, Mecklenburg County, Virginia. I will get to why in a minute.
Fannie Davis had died before the 1880 census and in September of 1875, Ben had remarried to Zilphia Lee Cochran. In this marriage license, the names of Ben's parents are given, Ben Lee and Hannah Nance. (Also a transcription error in "Irance".) Zilphia Cochran had a number of children by different relationships. She and Ben didn't have any as they were comfortably middle-aged by the time they married. Both lived to see the 1900 census.
Deeds exist where Ben bought his own property and seemed to be quite successful in farming as he was able to expand.
House Number 62 Daniel Davis
Daniel Davis and wife Eliza J, in house number 62, I believe may have been the son of Ben Davis and first wife, Fannie. The age matches up and they were both tenant farmers living close to each other, but there is not proof.
Ben, Fannie, and their older children, Marvel and Eliza, along with Daniel Davis, were all at one time the slaves of Job Davis. The first mention of them are in the wills of he and his wife, Sarah Winfield Howell Davis. It was like ramming a car face-first into an oak tree to come upon this fact. But there it was, and one of the heart-breaking, but undeniable truths of African-American genealogy.
The family is mentioned in an 1853 document that was a division of property among the four Davis son's. A committee had divided the slaves of Job Davis into 4 lots. Ben, Fannie, their daughter Eliza, who would have been an infant, and their son Marvel, were in Lot 2, drawn by James M. Davis. Daniel Davis was in Lot 3, drawn by Edward Winfield Davis. They were written in the following manner:
2nd Lot
Green $800
Fannie and Eliza Ann $600
Marvel (a child then) $200
Clarrissa $550
Ben $ 850
Total $3025 Drawn by James M. Davis
3rd Lot
Bob $700
Mary and Rosetta $750
Dockery $350
Liz $500
John - Mary's son $550
Daniel $650
Total $3500 Drawn by Edward W. Davis
Some of these people named lived to see freedom and show up in the 1870 census. Some of them are mentioned no more. Did they leave to find their fortune in the west or the north instead of remaining in the home they knew, and become tenant farmers? One can only hope. Some might question why any, like Ben, Daniel and their families would even stay, but a thorough study of history would see why.
The sons of Job Davis, like many others with large farms, gave each family a section of land to farm and shared the profits, as the land belonged to them. Many, like the heads of families of the former Davis slaves, like Ben, Frank, Jack, Dennis and Marvel, would in time, earn enough by share-cropping to buy their own land, some with the help of mortgages. It was a symbionic relationship. They needed each other, and for the former slaves, it was the security of what was known. Many of their children would migrate to the larger cities, like Durham or Greensboro, or up North, many to Philadelphia. Other descendants remain right here to this day.
Some, who tried to move right after the Civil War found no peace. They were traveling through a wartorn and desolate land. Everyone suffering and no one to show them compassion. The old newspapers of the day are full of tales of traveling freedmen, caught trying to steal food, a piglet or some corn, and being shot for it. Diaries of soldiers walking miles home from the War or a northern prison, tell of sites of the rotting corpses of former slaves, having starved or whatever befell them, lying beside the roads north. They met freedom with nothing. Perhaps the clothes on their backs, or a few days provisions, but at the time, even those meager possessions belonged to the family who had owned them.
It was a tough decision.
House Number 64: Shelby C Carpenter
Shelby Carpenter was the son of James Ludwell Carpenter and wife, Obedience Broadway Carpenter. He was the uncle of Beadie Carpenter and Lafayette Carpenter, both shown above. One can imagine the tract of land they lived on once being part of a larger tract belonging to Ludwell. While Faith Carpenter is shown as a renter of George W. Hinson, and Ben and Daniel Davis shown as tenant farmers, Shelby Carpenter was a land owner in his own right.
In 1880, Shelby's household consists of himself, 60, his second wife, Lana Ann Farmer Carpenter, and her mother, Winnie Farmer, just shown here as "W" and Shelby's son "J B" or Julious Benjamin Carpenter. Shelby is noted as having liver disease, and his mother-in-law as having no occupation due to "old age".
Shelby Carpenter and Lana "Lany" Farmer were married in 1875, her age being given as 38 and his as 56 on the marriage certificate. There were no children born to this union. Shelby's children, including J. B., were by his first wife, Mariah Woodruff Carpenter. Lana had not married before Shelby. She was the daughter of Thomas and Winnie Farmer, and had no children.
Shelby Carpenter fought in the Civil War, as did his older sons. He enlisted in the 42nd Regiment, Company C. Shelby, who was around 44 when he enlisted, made it home from battle, but two of his sons did not. Parham is buried in Richmond, Virginia, while Robert F. Carpenter is buried in Lynchburg.
![Robert W Carpenter]()
Shelby Carpenter's date of death is given as February 12, 1895. I have not been abled to verify this. I have my doubts as to it's accuracy as he has liver disease in 1880 and in that time, this would have been difficult to live another 15 years with. His oldest son, Wilson, is presumed to have moved west. He may be the Wilson Carpenter who settled in Cherokee County, North Carolina as did some of my Almond relatives. Shelby's descendants, locally descend from youngest son, Julius Benjamin and daughters, Alice Ann Carpenter McSwain and Mary Jane Carpenter Ledwell. 1880 was Shelby Carpenter's last census.
House Number 65 J. P. Aldridge, tenant.
James Pinkney Aldridge is another direct ancestor of mine, being one of my Second Great Grandfathers. He was the son of Josiah Aldridge and Elizabeth Ledbetter Aldridge.
In 1880, Pink was a young farmer enjoying a growing young family. He married Martha Susan Floyd on Nov 7, 1869. She was the daughter of Josiah Floyd Jr. and wife Sarah. Pink was also the father of Harriett Isabell Cagle, who married John A. Carpenter, mentioned above. And that is a story of it's own.
Pink was a tenant farmer for Shelby Carpenter. I won't dwell too much on Pink, because he will be getting a post all of his own. He passed away on January 24, 1926 and his buried at the old Rehobeth Church.
House Number 66: William J West and his sister, Sarah Turner
William J West was also a tenant of Shelby Carpenter.
In 1880, he is seen living with Sarah Turner and her twin 11 year old, Giles and Martin. While Giles appears as "Silas" in this one, further research proves his name was actually Giles or sometimes seen as "Jules" or "Julius". I went with Giles, because that seemed to stick as he reached adulthood. Sarah Turner is named as the sister of William J. West and the twins as his nephews.
I found William J West in the 1870 census, not once, but twice. As it took months for census takers to canvas the county, and the boundaries from one township to another were sometimes ill-defined, many times families and individuals were missed, and at other times, they were counted twice.
In one of these, William is shown as living with an 85 year old woman named Edy West, who was born in Viriginia. Right next to William and Edy are Daniel Turner and Sarah Turner, both 25, with sons Eli, 12 and 1 year old twins, Julius and Martin. Next to them is a 25 year old Samuel Turner and his family.
The second census taker recorded Edy's age as 68 and Williams' as 24. The transcriber incorrectly recorded it as 74, but looking at the actual document, it's clearly 24. Another individual that lived near them was a young man named Charles West, and it's his indentity that leads to their origins.
Charles West was the son of Hampton R. West. He was an ancestor of my youngest child. The family originated in Anson County and Hampton R. West moved to Stanly before his death in 1865. His estate was probated in 1866, so therefore there are no mention of any slaves he might have held, as they had been freed at this point. It's in the estate records of the father of Hampton, Charles W. West, whose estate was probated 9 years earlier that we find the names of William J. West, Edy and their family.
William West either did not live to make it to the 1900 census, or he migrated north. It's possible, as there is a William West from North Carolina in Philadelphia later on, or he could be a William West who originated from one of the coastal counties.
Sarah West Turner, did, however, survive and remain in Stanly County until 1900. She is found living with one of her twins. She is also noted as having been the mother of 5 children with 3 living. At some point, I would like to explore this family further. Jiles would marry Emma first. He would move later to Durham, become a minister, and eventually move to Philadelphia. He died in 1925 and is buried in Boston.
Martin Van Buren Turner also became a minister after farming for awhile. His first wife was named Sarah and his second was named Mary. He ended up in Marshville, in Union County, not too far from home and passed away in 1949. This family kept knowledge of their origins in Virginia.
This concludes my examination of just one page from the 1880 census of Tyson Township, Stanly County, North Carolina. It amazes me how a group of families from this one area can nearly all tie into my family tree in one way or another, from being a direct ancestor, a biological Great Great Great Aunt or Uncle, or even the heart-breaking and shameful fact of history, that a family had originated as slaves of a family in my family tree.
The underlying fact, is that from these individuals, and from this area, we are all one family, one people and swirling in my dna and that of my cousins and my own descendants is that of these people of Tyson.
Several spinoffs to follow.
So many of my ancestors, connecting relatives and people whose paths entangle with my ancestors dwelt here.
This is a page from the 1880 census of Tyson. Tyson bordered the north side of the Rocky River right across from Anson County. It encompassed the town of Cottonville and north of Cottonville, Rocky River Springs, which was known at one time as "Silver" and the area that would become the little town of Aquadale. It was bordered to east by the Norwood area, known as "Center" and to the west by the Oakboro area, known at the time as "Big Lick Township".
House Number 57 shows Edmund Murry, who was sometimes shown, or called "Edmund Coley". He was the son of Benjamin Murray and Fannie Coley, who never married. Benjamin Murray was the brother of my 3rd Great Grandmother Priscilla "Prussia" Murray Aldridge. Therefore Edmund was a "Cousin" of mine and nephew of Grandma Prussia.
Edmund was a 53 year old farmer who was suffering from lung disease. He probably smoked. His 54 year old wife, Catherine Ledbetter Murray, was well. Still at home with them was their 20 year old daughter, Sarah, 17 year old son, John Edmund and 15 year old daughter, Margaret.
House Number 58 is his son Benjamin Murray, named for his grandfather, Edmund's father, Old Ben Murray, who died in Arkansas. Ben was an optimistic young farmer, buying land and equipment, going into debt to get his own operation up and going. His older brother and sister were already married, his sister Francis to Will Aldridge. Ben and Will were partnering some on the farming operation, signing a mortgage together. Ben was single, but no doubt on the prowl. Edmund had no clue that in just a few short years, he would be burying his enterprising middle son.
House Number 59 was the home of Edmund's tenant, Obedience "Beedie" Carpenter. She is listed as a widow, but must have misinformed the census taker to save face, as she never married. But she had two children, Nellie and John, and their father was Edmund Murray (Coley). Bedie was listed as a Housekeeper, with her 24 year old daughter as her assistant. Her 19 year old son, John, was already married to 17 year old Isabell and they had a one year old son, William J. Carpenter. It appears in the list like they had twins, William J and Nezzie E., but the girl, Nezzie, was the daughter of John's sister Nellie. Nezzie Elizabeth was born on January 23, 1879. She would marry Mitcell Calvin Brown, son of Louis Brown of the Tyson Community, in 1900 and become the mother of an enourmous family of 17 children.
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| Mitchell C. and Nezzie E. Brown |
Obedience Ann, "Beady" Carpenter was the daughter of Thomas Carpenter and Elizabeth "Betsy" Broadway. Thomas and Betsy Carpernter are my 4th Great Grandparents as I descend directly from their daughter Martha, who married John Hooks. This would make Beady my 4th Great Aunt and with Edmund being the nephew of my 3rd Great Grandmother, Priscilla Murray Aldridge, these families are all very tied up in my family tree. As they are all interwoven into the fabric of my family tree, it gives me a wonderful full picture of my family and the area, how they are connected and how they lived. People who go straight up a trunk are certain to find the path more difficult and uninteresting. How do you know if you have the right John or Elizabeth if you do not know how they are connected to everyone else around them?
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| Old Rehobeth Church, where most of the people on this page attended and are buried |
John Ander or Anderson Carpenter, was 19 and already married to Harriett Isabell Cagle (Brown), 17, and their first child, William, had been born. Isabell was herself a misbegotten child. There is quite a story surrounding her origins that deserve a post of their own.
Isabell was the daughter of Millie Elizabeth Cagle, daughter of Charles Robert Cagle and Miranda Elizabeth Springer. Her father was my Second Great Grandfather, James Pinkney Aldridge. Isabell was born on December 24, 1861, at the inception of the Civil War. The year of birth for Millie Elizabeth Cagle ranged from 1825 in the 1850 census to 1850 in the 1880. Her tombstone gives the year of her birth as Christmas Day 1829. The average comes out to about 1839, which she is deemed to be in 1910. Her Death Certificate also lists her age as 83 in 1922, which gives her a birth year of 1839. So, I believe that her tombstone is incorrect and her year of birth was 1839. It fits in better with the birth years of her children. Her last daughter, Sarah Rose (or Ross) Brown, was born in 1882. If Bettie was born in 1829, she would have been 53 for Sallie's birth. 1839 puts her at 43, still at the end of her childbearing years, but more concievable.
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| The family of James Pink Aldridge, 4th from left, back row. My Grandmother is to the right of her Grandparents. |
In 1861, James Pinkney Aldridge was 14 years old. Soon after, he would be handed the task of running the family farm and taking care of his stepmother and younger half-siblings as his father, Josiah Aldridge and older brother, William Edward "Will Ed" Aldridge, went off to War. He'd lost his mother, Elizabeth Ledbetter Aldridge, in 1855, at the age of 7. His neighbor, Bettie Cagle, was 22.
This day and time, Bettie Cagle would be considered a child molester. In 1861, she simply became the mother of an illegitimate child. On the marriage certificate of Isabell and John, Pink Aldridge and Bettie Cagle, are listed as her parents. Sometime in the next several years, between 1863 and 1865, Bettie would marry Louis P. Brown, also considerabley younger than she, but age 18 upon the arrival of their oldest child, Mary Arrana "Ranna" Brown in 1865. She would also become the mother of Mitchell C. Brown, her next-to-the-youngest child, born about 1863, who would marry Nezzie, the niece of John A. Carpenter. This makes the relationships between the children of John and Isabelle Cagle Carpenter and those of Mitchell and Nezzie Carpenter Brown, well, rather complicated.
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| Tombstone of Lewis Brown and Millie Cagle Brown |
House Number 60 George Washington Hinson
George Washington Hinson is not directly in my family tree, but he fathered a large family, witnessed several deeds, served on several committees, settled several estates and swapped land back and forth with many people who are in my family tree.
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| George Washington Hinson |
The son of Joseph Benjamin Hinson and Catherine McIntyre Hinson, "Big George" as he was called, was born aroung 1838-1840 near Burnsville in the Upper Anson County area just south of Rocky River. George was a very common name among the Hinson family, who had originally settled on the Stanly County side of Rocky River, just below present day Oakboro. Therefore, the multiple George's of his day and time all seemed to have acquired nicknames from the locals in order to tell one from the other. This particular George was described as being, " Complexion: Florid, Hair: Auburn, Eyes: Grey, Height 6 ft 1" in the military papers of his spotty Civil War career when he was given the Oath of Allegiance at Elmira, New York in June of 1865.
29 Nov 1906
Albemarle, North Carolina
Big George would marry Mary J. Sullivant who grew up in the Beverly community of Anson County and they would move to Tyson. George truly has a story of his own to tell, but that is another post. He would live until 1906, and was suffering an ailment that he knew would lead to his death, as he wrote a will. He was good friends with John A. Carpenter, also a Confederate Vet, who witnessed his will and is shown with him in the picture below.
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| Bottom Row: George W. Hinson on the left, John A. Carpenter on the right. Back row: John A. Kendall on left, next to General William Alexander Smith in the middle. All other individuals unknown. |
The 1880 census of Stanly County was a snapshot in time for the George W. Hinson family. George and Mary had entered their 40's. Their first 4 children had been born. The last of Mary's children, Martha Elmer Hinson, would not arrive until 1882. The gaps in the ages of the children were not typical. Mary spaced her children wisely. One would think that perhaps some had died, especially during the 7 year gaps between James Henry and George Jr and between George Jr. and Mary Donah. But Mary survived until 1910 and appeared in both the 1900 and 1910 censuses. In 1900 she stated she had given birth to 5 children with 5 living. In 1910, she stated she she had given birth to 5 children, with 3 living and indeed, both her sons had passed, J. H. in 1904 and while the death of G. W. Hinson Jr. is not exact, he was alive to transact a deed with his wife in 1909 and she remarried in 1911. As his mother states she only has 3 living children in the 1910 census, it can be assumed he passed before April 16, 1910, when the census was taken, and his mother passed that same year, but afterwards.
| Name: | Geo. W. Hinson | ||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Age: | 42 | ||||||||||||||
| Birth Date: | Abt 1838 | ||||||||||||||
| Birthplace: | North Carolina | ||||||||||||||
| Home in 1880: | Tysons, Stanly, North Carolina, USA | ||||||||||||||
| Dwelling Number: | 60 | ||||||||||||||
| Race: | White | ||||||||||||||
| Gender: | Male | ||||||||||||||
| Relation to Head of House: | Self (Head) | ||||||||||||||
| Marital status: | Married | ||||||||||||||
| Spouse's name: | Mary Hinson | ||||||||||||||
| Father's Birthplace: | North Carolina | ||||||||||||||
| Mother's Birthplace: | North Carolina | ||||||||||||||
| Occupation: | Farmer | ||||||||||||||
| Sick: | Well | ||||||||||||||
| Neighbors: | |||||||||||||||
| Household Members: |
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George Washington Hinson, Sr. and his wife are both buried at Rehobeth.
House Number 61: Lafayette Carpenter
Lafayette Carpenter was from a familiar family to this area. He was the younger brother of Obedience "Beadie" Carpenter in House 59.
| Name: | L. Carpenter | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Age: | 22 | ||||||||||
| Birth Date: | Abt 1858 | ||||||||||
| Birthplace: | North Carolina | ||||||||||
| Home in 1880: | Tysons, Stanly, North Carolina, USA | ||||||||||
| Dwelling Number: | 61 | ||||||||||
| Race: | White | ||||||||||
| Gender: | Male | ||||||||||
| Relation to Head of House: | Self (Head) | ||||||||||
| Marital status: | Married | ||||||||||
| Spouse's name: | Bettie Carpenter | ||||||||||
| Father's Birthplace: | North Carolina | ||||||||||
| Mother's Birthplace: | North Carolina | ||||||||||
| Occupation: | Farmer | ||||||||||
| Sick: | Well | ||||||||||
| Cannot Read: | Yes | ||||||||||
| Cannot Write: | Yes | ||||||||||
| Neighbors: | |||||||||||
| Household Members: |
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In 1880, "Faith" and Bettie had started a young family, with the first two of their 4 children having arrived, William David and Stephen Atlas Carpenter. The couple had married on October 14, 1876.
Elizabeth"Bettie" Coley was the daughter of George David Coley and Ruey (or Retta or Runy) Hathcock. She was one of three children who had been orphaned when her mother died of consumption in 1860 and then her father had died at Elmira Prison in New York in New York, during the Civil War. The 1860 census showed her father as a shinglemaker and her mother as just passed, with little Bettie the middle one of the three children. In 1870, she resided with the older George Coley and his wife Mary, no doubt a relative of some sort, perhaps a Great Uncle, the Grandparents of Edmund Coley-Murray in Household 58.
Over the next few years, Faith and Bettie would have 2 more sons, Jesse Thomas and Jonah Lafayette. In the 1900 and 1910 censuses, that recorded the number of children a mother had and how many were still living, Bettie recorded in both that she had 4 and 4 were living, so the 4 brothers were all there were, a good record in that day and time.
The Messenger and Intelligencer
(Wadesboro, North Carolina)25 May 1905, Thu • Page 2
They would move to just south of the county line to the "Wharf" area of Anson County in Cedar Hill Township near Ansonville. Wharf is a desolate area now, but at the time was a booming little community, well-documented in the local newspaper by John Alexander "J. A." Kendall, a Postmaster, Farmer, Justice of the Peace and all-around character, who called himself " Whale".
Faith would remain a resident of Wharf in "Upper Anson" until the 1920's, where he lived on "Salisbury Road", which would have been approximately Old Hwy 52. By 1930, he, Bettie and two of their sons had returned to Stanly County and were living on Fork Road, which veered off of the Salisbury road, west and reached to the forks of the rivers, Pee Dee and Rocky, some of the most fertile land in the county.
Faith died in 1933 and was buried at Concord United Methodist Church in Wharf. He'd lost his wife, Bettie, two years prior in 1931. Both had lived long, fruitful lives, 74 and 75, respectively, but were mere youngsters in comparison with Faith's mother, Betsy Broadway Carpenter, who lived with them until her death in 1905, at the tremendous age of 108.
House Number 62: Benjamin "Ben" Davis
Benjamin Davis, 66 and his wife Zilpha, 50, are shown as being tenant farmers, while their neighbor, Lafayette Carpenter, was notated as being a renter. Also in the home are Elizabeth, 24 and James W. Davis, 14, Ben's children by his first wife, Fanny.
| Name: | Benjamin Davis | ||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Age in 1870: | 55 | ||||||||||||||||
| Birth Year: | abt 1815 | ||||||||||||||||
| Birthplace: | North Carolina | ||||||||||||||||
| Dwelling Number: | 123 | ||||||||||||||||
| Home in 1870: | Tyson, Stanly, North Carolina | ||||||||||||||||
| Race: | Black | ||||||||||||||||
| Gender: | Male | ||||||||||||||||
| Occupation: | Farmer | ||||||||||||||||
| Cannot Write: | Y | ||||||||||||||||
| Male Citizen over 21: | Y | ||||||||||||||||
| Personal Estate Value: | 150 | ||||||||||||||||
| Inferred Spouse: | Fannie Davis | ||||||||||||||||
| Inferred Children: | Marre Davis Eliza Davis Emaline Davis James Davis | ||||||||||||||||
| Household Members: |
|
They are also in the home with older brother, Marvel and sister Emaline, in the 1870 census of Tyson Community. "Marre" is a transcription error for Marvel. 80 year old Lucy, was, I believe, Fannie's mother and she was born in Virginia. We can probably safley guess, Mecklenburg County, Virginia. I will get to why in a minute.
| Name: | Ben Davis |
|---|---|
| Gender: | Male |
| Race: | Col |
| Age: | 62 |
| Birth Year: | abt 1813 |
| Marriage Date: | Sep 1875 |
| Marriage Place: | Stanly, North Carolina, USA |
| Father: | Ben Lee |
| Mother: | Hanah Irance |
| Spouse: | Zilphia Cockram |
| Spouse Gender: | Female |
| Spouse Race: | Col |
| Spouse Age: | 46 |
| Event Type: | Marriage |
Fannie Davis had died before the 1880 census and in September of 1875, Ben had remarried to Zilphia Lee Cochran. In this marriage license, the names of Ben's parents are given, Ben Lee and Hannah Nance. (Also a transcription error in "Irance".) Zilphia Cochran had a number of children by different relationships. She and Ben didn't have any as they were comfortably middle-aged by the time they married. Both lived to see the 1900 census.
Deeds exist where Ben bought his own property and seemed to be quite successful in farming as he was able to expand.
House Number 62 Daniel Davis
| Name: | Daniel Davis | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Age: | 35 | ||||||||||||
| Birth Date: | Abt 1845 | ||||||||||||
| Birthplace: | North Carolina | ||||||||||||
| Home in 1880: | Tysons, Stanly, North Carolina, USA | ||||||||||||
| Dwelling Number: | 63 | ||||||||||||
| Race: | Black | ||||||||||||
| Gender: | Male | ||||||||||||
| Relation to Head of House: | Self (Head) | ||||||||||||
| Marital status: | Married | ||||||||||||
| Spouse's name: | Eliza J. Davis | ||||||||||||
| Father's Birthplace: | North Carolina | ||||||||||||
| Mother's Birthplace: | North Carolina | ||||||||||||
| Occupation: | Farmer | ||||||||||||
| Sick: | Well | ||||||||||||
| Cannot Read: | Yes | ||||||||||||
| Cannot Write: | Yes | ||||||||||||
| Neighbors: | |||||||||||||
| Household Members: |
|
Ben, Fannie, and their older children, Marvel and Eliza, along with Daniel Davis, were all at one time the slaves of Job Davis. The first mention of them are in the wills of he and his wife, Sarah Winfield Howell Davis. It was like ramming a car face-first into an oak tree to come upon this fact. But there it was, and one of the heart-breaking, but undeniable truths of African-American genealogy.
The family is mentioned in an 1853 document that was a division of property among the four Davis son's. A committee had divided the slaves of Job Davis into 4 lots. Ben, Fannie, their daughter Eliza, who would have been an infant, and their son Marvel, were in Lot 2, drawn by James M. Davis. Daniel Davis was in Lot 3, drawn by Edward Winfield Davis. They were written in the following manner:
2nd Lot
Green $800
Fannie and Eliza Ann $600
Marvel (a child then) $200
Clarrissa $550
Ben $ 850
Total $3025 Drawn by James M. Davis
3rd Lot
Bob $700
Mary and Rosetta $750
Dockery $350
Liz $500
John - Mary's son $550
Daniel $650
Total $3500 Drawn by Edward W. Davis
Some of these people named lived to see freedom and show up in the 1870 census. Some of them are mentioned no more. Did they leave to find their fortune in the west or the north instead of remaining in the home they knew, and become tenant farmers? One can only hope. Some might question why any, like Ben, Daniel and their families would even stay, but a thorough study of history would see why.
The sons of Job Davis, like many others with large farms, gave each family a section of land to farm and shared the profits, as the land belonged to them. Many, like the heads of families of the former Davis slaves, like Ben, Frank, Jack, Dennis and Marvel, would in time, earn enough by share-cropping to buy their own land, some with the help of mortgages. It was a symbionic relationship. They needed each other, and for the former slaves, it was the security of what was known. Many of their children would migrate to the larger cities, like Durham or Greensboro, or up North, many to Philadelphia. Other descendants remain right here to this day.
Some, who tried to move right after the Civil War found no peace. They were traveling through a wartorn and desolate land. Everyone suffering and no one to show them compassion. The old newspapers of the day are full of tales of traveling freedmen, caught trying to steal food, a piglet or some corn, and being shot for it. Diaries of soldiers walking miles home from the War or a northern prison, tell of sites of the rotting corpses of former slaves, having starved or whatever befell them, lying beside the roads north. They met freedom with nothing. Perhaps the clothes on their backs, or a few days provisions, but at the time, even those meager possessions belonged to the family who had owned them.
It was a tough decision.
House Number 64: Shelby C Carpenter
Shelby Carpenter was the son of James Ludwell Carpenter and wife, Obedience Broadway Carpenter. He was the uncle of Beadie Carpenter and Lafayette Carpenter, both shown above. One can imagine the tract of land they lived on once being part of a larger tract belonging to Ludwell. While Faith Carpenter is shown as a renter of George W. Hinson, and Ben and Daniel Davis shown as tenant farmers, Shelby Carpenter was a land owner in his own right.
| ame: | Shelba Carpenter | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Age: | 60 | ||||||||||
| Birth Date: | Abt 1820 | ||||||||||
| Birthplace: | North Carolina | ||||||||||
| Home in 1880: | Tysons, Stanly, North Carolina, USA | ||||||||||
| Dwelling Number: | 64 | ||||||||||
| Race: | White | ||||||||||
| Gender: | Male | ||||||||||
| Relation to Head of House: | Self (Head) | ||||||||||
| Marital status: | Married | ||||||||||
| Spouse's name: | Lanar A. Carpenter | ||||||||||
| Father's Birthplace: | North Carolina | ||||||||||
| Mother's name: | W. Farmer | ||||||||||
| Mother's Birthplace: | North Carolina | ||||||||||
| Occupation: | Farmer | ||||||||||
| Sick: | Liver Dis | ||||||||||
| Neighbors: | |||||||||||
| Household Members: |
|
In 1880, Shelby's household consists of himself, 60, his second wife, Lana Ann Farmer Carpenter, and her mother, Winnie Farmer, just shown here as "W" and Shelby's son "J B" or Julious Benjamin Carpenter. Shelby is noted as having liver disease, and his mother-in-law as having no occupation due to "old age".
Shelby Carpenter and Lana "Lany" Farmer were married in 1875, her age being given as 38 and his as 56 on the marriage certificate. There were no children born to this union. Shelby's children, including J. B., were by his first wife, Mariah Woodruff Carpenter. Lana had not married before Shelby. She was the daughter of Thomas and Winnie Farmer, and had no children.
Shelby Carpenter fought in the Civil War, as did his older sons. He enlisted in the 42nd Regiment, Company C. Shelby, who was around 44 when he enlisted, made it home from battle, but two of his sons did not. Parham is buried in Richmond, Virginia, while Robert F. Carpenter is buried in Lynchburg.
Shelby Carpenter's date of death is given as February 12, 1895. I have not been abled to verify this. I have my doubts as to it's accuracy as he has liver disease in 1880 and in that time, this would have been difficult to live another 15 years with. His oldest son, Wilson, is presumed to have moved west. He may be the Wilson Carpenter who settled in Cherokee County, North Carolina as did some of my Almond relatives. Shelby's descendants, locally descend from youngest son, Julius Benjamin and daughters, Alice Ann Carpenter McSwain and Mary Jane Carpenter Ledwell. 1880 was Shelby Carpenter's last census.
House Number 65 J. P. Aldridge, tenant.
James Pinkney Aldridge is another direct ancestor of mine, being one of my Second Great Grandfathers. He was the son of Josiah Aldridge and Elizabeth Ledbetter Aldridge.
| Name: | J. P. Aldrage [J. Pink Aldridge] | ||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Age: | 32 | ||||||||||||||
| Birth Date: | Abt 1848 | ||||||||||||||
| Birthplace: | North Carolina | ||||||||||||||
| Home in 1880: | Tysons, Stanly, North Carolina, USA | ||||||||||||||
| Dwelling Number: | 65 | ||||||||||||||
| Race: | White | ||||||||||||||
| Gender: | Male | ||||||||||||||
| Relation to Head of House: | Self (Head) | ||||||||||||||
| Marital status: | Married | ||||||||||||||
| Spouse's name: | Martha S. Aldrage | ||||||||||||||
| Father's Birthplace: | North Carolina | ||||||||||||||
| Mother's Birthplace: | North Carolina | ||||||||||||||
| Occupation: | Farmer | ||||||||||||||
| Sick: | Well | ||||||||||||||
| Cannot Read: | Yes | ||||||||||||||
| Cannot Write: | Yes | ||||||||||||||
| Neighbors: | |||||||||||||||
| Household Members: |
|
In 1880, Pink was a young farmer enjoying a growing young family. He married Martha Susan Floyd on Nov 7, 1869. She was the daughter of Josiah Floyd Jr. and wife Sarah. Pink was also the father of Harriett Isabell Cagle, who married John A. Carpenter, mentioned above. And that is a story of it's own.
|
| Pink Aldridge and Descendants |
Pink was a tenant farmer for Shelby Carpenter. I won't dwell too much on Pink, because he will be getting a post all of his own. He passed away on January 24, 1926 and his buried at the old Rehobeth Church.
House Number 66: William J West and his sister, Sarah Turner
William J West was also a tenant of Shelby Carpenter.
| Name: | Wm. J. West | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Age: | 35 | ||||||||||
| Birth Date: | Abt 1845 | ||||||||||
| Birthplace: | North Carolina | ||||||||||
| Home in 1880: | Tysons, Stanly, North Carolina, USA | ||||||||||
| Dwelling Number: | 66 | ||||||||||
| Race: | Black | ||||||||||
| Gender: | Male | ||||||||||
| Relation to Head of House: | Self (Head) | ||||||||||
| Marital status: | Single | ||||||||||
| Father's Birthplace: | North Carolina | ||||||||||
| Mother's Birthplace: | North Carolina | ||||||||||
| Occupation: | Farmer | ||||||||||
| Sick: | Well | ||||||||||
| Neighbors: | |||||||||||
| Household Members: |
|
In 1880, he is seen living with Sarah Turner and her twin 11 year old, Giles and Martin. While Giles appears as "Silas" in this one, further research proves his name was actually Giles or sometimes seen as "Jules" or "Julius". I went with Giles, because that seemed to stick as he reached adulthood. Sarah Turner is named as the sister of William J. West and the twins as his nephews.
| Name: | William West | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Age in 1870: | 25 | ||||||
| Birth Year: | abt 1845 | ||||||
| Birthplace: | North Carolina | ||||||
| Dwelling Number: | 34 | ||||||
| Home in 1870: | Tyson, Stanly, North Carolina | ||||||
| Race: | Black | ||||||
| Gender: | Male | ||||||
| Occupation: | Farmer | ||||||
| Cannot Read: | Y | ||||||
| Cannot Write: | Y | ||||||
| Male Citizen over 21: | Y | ||||||
| Household Members: |
|
I found William J West in the 1870 census, not once, but twice. As it took months for census takers to canvas the county, and the boundaries from one township to another were sometimes ill-defined, many times families and individuals were missed, and at other times, they were counted twice.
| Name: | Danel Turner | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Age in 1870: | 25 | ||||||||||||
| Birth Year: | abt 1845 | ||||||||||||
| Birthplace: | North Carolina | ||||||||||||
| Dwelling Number: | 35 | ||||||||||||
| Home in 1870: | Tyson, Stanly, North Carolina | ||||||||||||
| Race: | Black | ||||||||||||
| Gender: | Male | ||||||||||||
| Occupation: | Farmer | ||||||||||||
| Cannot Read: | Y | ||||||||||||
| Cannot Write: | Y | ||||||||||||
| Male Citizen over 21: | Y | ||||||||||||
| Inferred Spouse: | Sarah Turner | ||||||||||||
| Household Members: |
|
In one of these, William is shown as living with an 85 year old woman named Edy West, who was born in Viriginia. Right next to William and Edy are Daniel Turner and Sarah Turner, both 25, with sons Eli, 12 and 1 year old twins, Julius and Martin. Next to them is a 25 year old Samuel Turner and his family.
| Name: | William West | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Age in 1870: | 74 | ||||||
| Birth Year: | abt 1796 | ||||||
| Birthplace: | North Carolina | ||||||
| Home in 1870: | Tyson, Stanly, North Carolina | ||||||
| Race: | Black | ||||||
| Gender: | Male | ||||||
| Occupation: | At Home | ||||||
| Cannot Read: | Y | ||||||
| Cannot Write: | Y | ||||||
| Male Citizen over 21: | Y | ||||||
| Household Members: |
|
The second census taker recorded Edy's age as 68 and Williams' as 24. The transcriber incorrectly recorded it as 74, but looking at the actual document, it's clearly 24. Another individual that lived near them was a young man named Charles West, and it's his indentity that leads to their origins.
Charles West was the son of Hampton R. West. He was an ancestor of my youngest child. The family originated in Anson County and Hampton R. West moved to Stanly before his death in 1865. His estate was probated in 1866, so therefore there are no mention of any slaves he might have held, as they had been freed at this point. It's in the estate records of the father of Hampton, Charles W. West, whose estate was probated 9 years earlier that we find the names of William J. West, Edy and their family.
William West either did not live to make it to the 1900 census, or he migrated north. It's possible, as there is a William West from North Carolina in Philadelphia later on, or he could be a William West who originated from one of the coastal counties.
| Name: | Sarha E Turner [Sasha E Turner] | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Age: | 76 | ||||||||||||
| Birth Date: | Jan 1824 | ||||||||||||
| Birthplace: | North Carolina | ||||||||||||
| Home in 1900: | Tyson, Stanly, North Carolina | ||||||||||||
| Sheet Number: | 7 | ||||||||||||
| Number of Dwelling in Order of Visitation: | 125 | ||||||||||||
| Family Number: | 129 | ||||||||||||
| Race: | Black | ||||||||||||
| Gender: | Female | ||||||||||||
| Relation to Head of House: | Mother | ||||||||||||
| Marital status: | Widowed | ||||||||||||
| Father's Birthplace: | North Carolina | ||||||||||||
| Mother's Birthplace: | North Carolina | ||||||||||||
| Mother: Number of Living Children: | 3 | ||||||||||||
| Mother: How Many Children: | 5 | ||||||||||||
| Can Read: | No | ||||||||||||
| Can Write: | No | ||||||||||||
| Can Speak English: | Yes | ||||||||||||
| Neighbors: | |||||||||||||
| Household Members: |
|
Sarah West Turner, did, however, survive and remain in Stanly County until 1900. She is found living with one of her twins. She is also noted as having been the mother of 5 children with 3 living. At some point, I would like to explore this family further. Jiles would marry Emma first. He would move later to Durham, become a minister, and eventually move to Philadelphia. He died in 1925 and is buried in Boston.
| Name: | Martin Turner [Martin Cromes] | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Age: | 57 | ||||||
| Birth Year: | abt 1863 | ||||||
| Birthplace: | North Carolina | ||||||
| Home in 1920: | Marshville, Union, North Carolina | ||||||
| Residence Date: | 1920 | ||||||
| Race: | Black | ||||||
| Gender: | Male | ||||||
| Relation to Head of House: | Head | ||||||
| Marital status: | Married | ||||||
| Spouse's name: | Mary Turner | ||||||
| Father's Birthplace: | North Carolina | ||||||
| Mother's Birthplace: | Virginia | ||||||
| Able to Speak English: | Yes | ||||||
| Occupation: | Preacher | ||||||
| Industry: | Home Church | ||||||
| Employment Field: | Wage or Salary | ||||||
| Home Owned or Rented: | Own | ||||||
| Home Free or Mortgaged: | Free | ||||||
| Able to Read: | Yes | ||||||
| Able to Write: | Yes | ||||||
| Neighbors: | |||||||
| Household Members: |
|
Martin Van Buren Turner also became a minister after farming for awhile. His first wife was named Sarah and his second was named Mary. He ended up in Marshville, in Union County, not too far from home and passed away in 1949. This family kept knowledge of their origins in Virginia.
This concludes my examination of just one page from the 1880 census of Tyson Township, Stanly County, North Carolina. It amazes me how a group of families from this one area can nearly all tie into my family tree in one way or another, from being a direct ancestor, a biological Great Great Great Aunt or Uncle, or even the heart-breaking and shameful fact of history, that a family had originated as slaves of a family in my family tree.
The underlying fact, is that from these individuals, and from this area, we are all one family, one people and swirling in my dna and that of my cousins and my own descendants is that of these people of Tyson.
Several spinoffs to follow.