When I was little, my mother and I lived with her parents for a number of years. As I had a working mother, a great deal of time was spent with my grandfather. My father was in the army, but they later divorced. Many a summer night was spent swinging on the front porch while my grandfather sang me to sleep, or told me old family stories that had been passed down to him. My grandfather loved history and I loved my grandfather. My passion for genealogy was born in those nights. The source for many of those stories about people who had lived and died long before he did came from his own grandmother. Her name was Julina.
Francis Julina Aldridge had been born in 1856 to Henry Garner Aldridge and his wife Priscilla "Prussia" Aldridge. She was a twin, and she and her twin, Julia, were the youngest daughters. There were two sons that followed, John Adam and Joseph, making 12 in all. She died in 1935. My grandfather had grown up and married by then and his two oldest chidren had been born. He knew her well. I knew her son, my Great Grandfather, William Hampton Davis, he lived until I was in my teens. But Will wasn't the storyteller. It had been Julina.
Name:Julina Aldridge
Age:4
Birth Year:abt 1856
Gender:Female
Home in 1860:Stanly, North Carolina
Post Office:Albemarle
Dwelling Number:257
Family Number:257
Household Members:
Julina's life had not been easy. I suppose the first most tragic thing to happen to her was the death of her twin sister, Julia. I don't know exactly when Julia died, but she did not make it to adulthood. I do know she was buried at a farm on Aldridge Road on property eventually purchased by Kimreys, in a small family plot that also included some children that Julina had given birth to early that died as infants. The cemetery had been plowed along with lands around it, which disturbs me to this day. How much cotton can you grow on a childs grave?
The second tragic thing in her life would be the death of her father. She was a Civil War orphan. Garner, in his 40's, was paid to serve in the place of a wealthier man in the community, a Mr. Green. He did not last long and died of disease his first year in. Julina's mother, Priscilla, called "Prussia", was not financially able to care for her large family. Her oldest son, Hamp, as Walker had died as a teen, had also served in the War, was married. The daughters in their teens were married off young and quickly to older men in the community. The younger children, including Julina, were bound out, or place in the homes of neighbors and relatives in intact families. Families with a father.
Her brother, John Adam, went to live with his Uncle, Josiah Aldridge. He was fortunate. Julina was placed in the home of Benjamin Lindsey Whitley. Whitley had a housefull of boys. Julina was used and abused by those boys. She got pregnant by them several times. A few of the babies died or were stillborn. Those were buried with Julia. Some lived, her oldest daughter Mollie and son, Filmore, were the children of Ephraim Whitley, B. L. Whitley's son. Her own mother, Prussia, would have a child, a little girl, Matilda, 7 years after her husband had died, and well into her 40's.
Julina eventually would begin a relationship with an older neighbor, Horton H. Davis. He had came from a family that hdd been wealthy before the Civil War, but devasted after. His own father had become the blacksheep of the family after becoming an alchoholic.
I never knew it, but had shockingly discovered in the old court records of Stanly County, that Hawk and Julina had been arrested for fornication in the 1880's. And indeed, several of their children had been born before 1889, when they got married. But they did.
Hawk was a good man. In the Aldridge family history is a quote of his haned down to Don Aldridge by his Aunt Maudie Scarboro, that Hawk was once told that half those children were not his. He said he knew, but he loved them all the same. This did not mean Julina was unfaithful while they were together, though I do not know. Perhaps it just referred to the ones she already had.
My Great Grandfather, Will, was born 2 years after the marriage. He is the small boy second from left in the above picture. Julina had 11 children whose names we know, and supposed, the two girls who died as infants. Hawk died in 1906 and she lived until 1935. Her obituary states she was a devout Christian lady and notes nothing of her checkered past. In the end, she gained back her reputation. My grandfather only knew her as a loving grandmother.
Happy Mother's Day my Second Great Grandmother, Julina.
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| Julina Aldridge Davis and Horton Hampston Davis |
Francis Julina Aldridge had been born in 1856 to Henry Garner Aldridge and his wife Priscilla "Prussia" Aldridge. She was a twin, and she and her twin, Julia, were the youngest daughters. There were two sons that followed, John Adam and Joseph, making 12 in all. She died in 1935. My grandfather had grown up and married by then and his two oldest chidren had been born. He knew her well. I knew her son, my Great Grandfather, William Hampton Davis, he lived until I was in my teens. But Will wasn't the storyteller. It had been Julina.
Name:Julina Aldridge
Age:4
Birth Year:abt 1856
Gender:Female
Home in 1860:Stanly, North Carolina
Post Office:Albemarle
Dwelling Number:257
Family Number:257
Household Members:
| Name | Age |
|---|---|
| Henry G Aldridge | 42 |
| Prusia Aldridge | 38 |
| Martha Aldridge | 19 |
| Hampton Aldridge | 17 |
| Emmaline Aldridge | 16 |
| Wm H Aldridge | 10 |
| Margaret Aldridge | 7 |
| Rosetta Aldridge | 5 |
| Julia Aldridge | 4 |
| Julina Aldridge | 4 |
| John Aldridge | 2 |
Julina's life had not been easy. I suppose the first most tragic thing to happen to her was the death of her twin sister, Julia. I don't know exactly when Julia died, but she did not make it to adulthood. I do know she was buried at a farm on Aldridge Road on property eventually purchased by Kimreys, in a small family plot that also included some children that Julina had given birth to early that died as infants. The cemetery had been plowed along with lands around it, which disturbs me to this day. How much cotton can you grow on a childs grave?
The second tragic thing in her life would be the death of her father. She was a Civil War orphan. Garner, in his 40's, was paid to serve in the place of a wealthier man in the community, a Mr. Green. He did not last long and died of disease his first year in. Julina's mother, Priscilla, called "Prussia", was not financially able to care for her large family. Her oldest son, Hamp, as Walker had died as a teen, had also served in the War, was married. The daughters in their teens were married off young and quickly to older men in the community. The younger children, including Julina, were bound out, or place in the homes of neighbors and relatives in intact families. Families with a father.
Her brother, John Adam, went to live with his Uncle, Josiah Aldridge. He was fortunate. Julina was placed in the home of Benjamin Lindsey Whitley. Whitley had a housefull of boys. Julina was used and abused by those boys. She got pregnant by them several times. A few of the babies died or were stillborn. Those were buried with Julia. Some lived, her oldest daughter Mollie and son, Filmore, were the children of Ephraim Whitley, B. L. Whitley's son. Her own mother, Prussia, would have a child, a little girl, Matilda, 7 years after her husband had died, and well into her 40's.
| Name: | Julina Aldridge |
|---|---|
| Gender: | Female |
| Race: | White |
| Age: | 35 |
| Birth Year: | abt 1854 |
| Marriage Date: | 10 Sep 1889 |
| Marriage Place: | Stanly, North Carolina, USA |
| Father: | Garner Aldridge |
| Mother: | Prusid Aldridge |
| Spouse: | H H Davis |
| Spouse Gender: | Male |
| Spouse Race: | White |
| Spouse Age: | 42 |
| Spouse Father: | Henry Davis |
| Spouse Mother: | Martha Davis |
| Event Type: | Marriage |
Julina eventually would begin a relationship with an older neighbor, Horton H. Davis. He had came from a family that hdd been wealthy before the Civil War, but devasted after. His own father had become the blacksheep of the family after becoming an alchoholic.
I never knew it, but had shockingly discovered in the old court records of Stanly County, that Hawk and Julina had been arrested for fornication in the 1880's. And indeed, several of their children had been born before 1889, when they got married. But they did.
Hawk was a good man. In the Aldridge family history is a quote of his haned down to Don Aldridge by his Aunt Maudie Scarboro, that Hawk was once told that half those children were not his. He said he knew, but he loved them all the same. This did not mean Julina was unfaithful while they were together, though I do not know. Perhaps it just referred to the ones she already had.
 |
| Hawk and Julina Davis and Family |
My Great Grandfather, Will, was born 2 years after the marriage. He is the small boy second from left in the above picture. Julina had 11 children whose names we know, and supposed, the two girls who died as infants. Hawk died in 1906 and she lived until 1935. Her obituary states she was a devout Christian lady and notes nothing of her checkered past. In the end, she gained back her reputation. My grandfather only knew her as a loving grandmother.
Happy Mother's Day my Second Great Grandmother, Julina.