Montgomery County, North Carolina is its own little study in topography. Located in the geographical dividing line between the Sandhills and the Piedmont, from east to west, the scenery and soil changes in a dramatic way.
North Carolina, herself has a diverse change from east to west and is divided into 5 unique divisons of topography. Begining with the coastal plains,and the outer banks with its beaches and sandbars, swamps and dunes, this landscape gives way to the Sandhills, where the ground rises and becomes less flat, but the soil remains sandy. It's a good area for golf courses and pine forests. This gives way to the Piedmont, with its ancient but small mountain ranges like the Uwharries in Montgomery, Stanly, Randolph and Davidson Counties and the Sauratown Mountains in Stokes and Surrey Counties. This is a rich farming area with several rivers, lakes and streams and scenic rolling hills. Traveling westward, the hills become steeper and the land more lush and rolling. You are now in the beautiful foothills that lead like steps to higher ground. The Blue Ridge can be seen in the distance on a clear day and the farmland is rich, if not lumpy.
The final fifth is the Mountain Region of the Blue Ridge, the Great Smokies, the Appalacians that share with our western neighbor, Tennesee. In Montgomery, the Sandhills meet the Piedmont.
During the mid to late 1700's, due to problems between the English and the Scotts, several waves of Scottish settlers came to North Carolina.The Second Wave, it was called, numbered in the tens of thousands and arrived primarily via Brunswick and Wilmington. They made their way up the Cape Fear River, many settling along the roadways from Wilmington to Cross Creek, a trading post, now known as Fayetteville. Continuing through the Cape Fear Valley, they would populate the modern counties of Hoke, Cumberland, Harnett and Moore.
Moore County is the eastern border of Montgomery County, and these industrious Scots followed the pine forests into eastern Montgomery and made a living producing tar, pitch and turpentine and sending it down Drowning Creek into Cumberland and on down the Cape Fever to the Wilmington shipyards and shipbuilding industry. They also farmed and raised livestock, notabley pigs and sheep, some horses and Scottish cattle. This is why in that area of Montgomery, especially, you find an abundance of Campbells and McQueens, McRae and McQuays, McCaskills and other names one might not think of as Scottish, but were.
It was into this Scottish settlement that Joseph Smith was born in Moore County, and decided to raise his family in Montgomery, along its eastern border with Moore.
Name: | Joseph Smith |
---|---|
Home in 1830 (City, County, State): | Moore, North Carolina |
Free White Persons - Males - Under 5: | 1 |
Free White Persons - Males - 20 thru 29: | 1 |
Free White Persons - Females - Under 5: | 2 |
Free White Persons - Females - 5 thru 9: | 1 |
Free White Persons - Females - 20 thru 29: | 1 |
Free White Persons - Under 20: | 4 |
Free White Persons - 20 thru 49: | 2 |
Total Free White Persons: | 6 |
Total - All Persons (Free White, Slaves, Free Colored): | 6 |
I first find Joseph Smith in the 1830 census of Moore County. He's a young man in his twenties with what appears to be a wife of the same age and 4 young children, 3 girls and a boy. As I only know of one, possibly two daughters who were born by this census, this suggests he had other children who were on their own by 1850 that I can't find the names of. Some may have died, others maybe not.
Joseph was the son of Nathan Smith and Jennett Richardson of Moore County. His brother, Isaac Smith, born about 1807, also moved to Montgomery County. Both were in Montgomery by 1840. There was a younger Isaac Smith who lived near Josephs brother Isaac Smith (b 1807). This was not Isaac's son, as he had a son named Isaac who was much younger than this Isaac. Both lived on the Fork Branch of Cabin Creek, which is the same Creek Joseph settled on. Family trees online have Isaac born in 1824, who married a Serena Jordan, as being one of sons of Jonathan Smith, who lived in a different area of Montgomery County. Due to the name, Isaac, and due to the location he lived in, I believe this Isaac may be the missing son of Joseph, who he named for his favorite brother.
The name Joseph Smith was of course, a very common one, even in the early years of the 19th century. There was a Joseph Smith in Mecklenburg County. There was a Joseph Smith in Anson County who had land grants before this Joseph Smith was born. In the 1840 census, there were two Joseph Smiths in Montgomery County, which at this time included the land on the west side of the Pee Dee River which would become Stanly County the very next year. One was a Joseph Smith who lived next to his mother, Mary and by the names of the neighbors, I could tell this was the Joseph Smith who married a Gilbert and lived in the Big Lick area of Stanly County.
The other Joseph Smith in the 1840 census lived near Archibald Campbell and Lockey Jordan and a number of Hurley telling me he was in on the East side of the Yadkin/Pee Dee River. In the book, 1800, 1810, 1830, 1840 Federal Census of Montgomery County North Carolina, published by the Stanly County Genealogical Society in 1985, it clearly lists this Joseph Smith in East Pee Dee, as the book divides them, so I can know this is the right Joseph Smith.
I became interested in the Joseph Smith family and its connected families through a possible genetic link on Ancesty.com DNA Thru lines. I have a 4th Great Grandmother named Mary Smith. She was born about 1795 and married James O. Mauldin, who was born in Moore County, North Carolina. He was the son of Claiborne Mauldin, who originated in Chatham County and moved to Moore. I had never put any effort into researching the roots of Mary Smith because, after all she was 1st, a Smith and second, her name was Mary. It was almost like having no name for her at all.
I felt really bad about Mary, because I have nailed down, after decades of research and now, using genetic genealogy and tracing the links between myself and cousin matches ranging from second to fifth, nearly all of my ancestors to the 5th Great Grandparent level and many far beyond. Except for Mary. I discovered the small but significant genetic links to this Smith family, Joseph and his siblings, some who migrated west. This family of Smiths follow the same migratory path of Chatham to Moore to Montgomery Counties that the family of her husband, James O. Mauldin did. I feel I might be onto something. Might being the big word, they are after all, Smiths, as numerous as stars in the sky.
I found 4 Land Grants attributed to Joseph Smith that I can conclude with a reasonable amount of certainty, belonged to the correct Joseph Smith.
The first one, dated January 18, 1836. was in Moore County. Remember, he was still in Moore County in the 1830 census. Grant 2019, No 2977 Book 143 Page 57, for 50 acres on the North side of Cabin Creek.
Cabin Creek begins just east of Candor in Montgomery County and joins with Cotton Creek north of Robbins in Moore County.
The second Grant came 13 years later and was in Montgomery County. Dated July 19, 1849, Grant 3491, Entry 796 Book 154 Page 685, was to Joseph Smith for 100 acres in Montgomery County, beginning at a Black Oak. Rather obscure.
The third Grant, dated February 20, 1855, was given in conjunction with his brother-in-law, Alexander A. McCaskill. Grant 7062 No. 3770 Book 160 Page 211 was for 100 acres beginning at Joseph Smith's corner Sweet Gum.
The last one, dated November 2, 1858 was in Richmond County, but that is where they lived, in that portion of Montgomery County, near the border of Moore where it met the border of Richmond. Also, later, his children would be involved in a deed of 33 1/2 acres, so I am fairly certain this was the same Joseph Smith. Grant 7853 Book 162 Page 439, began at a stake at 2 small pines.
Bryant McLendon House on Cabin Creek in Moore County |
Following grants, I discovered a few land records mentioning Joseph Smith.
to c
3281 Issued November 20, 1847 by Duncan McRae to Joseph Smith for 100 acres, joins Thomas Bunnel and others on the waters of Cedar Creek. Surveyed in December of 1847 by Lockey Simmons, on the waters of Cedar Creek, border, begins at a black oak supposed to be Thomas Bunnels line, joins McCaskills supposed line & Asa Bunnel, G. W. Bunnel and Thomas Bunnel, chain carriers.
Note: Thomas Bunnel was the son-in-law of Joseph Smith, having married his daughter, Sarah. Thomas and George W. Bunnel were sons of Asa Bunnel, who came to North Carolina from Connecticutt. Asa Bunnel's wife was Martha Ann Smith, born in 1791, only 9 years older than Joseph Smith. I don't think it would be a streach of the imagination to believe they may have been related, possibly siblings, due to the breadth of the connections and involvement between the two families. That would make the marriage of Thomas Bunnel and Sarah Smith a cousin marriage, which was quite common in those days.
3309 Issued March 23, 1848 by Duncan McRae to Arthur Davis for 50 acres on White Oak Branch, joins Joseph Smith, Jam MCaskill & Thomas Bunnel, 17 acres surveyed Nov. 13, 1851 by L. Simmons, on waters of White Oak Branch of Cedar Creek, border begins at Joseph Smith's corner red oak, Malcolm Lemons and Calvin McQueen, Chain Carriers. Arthur Davis paid purchase money for 85 acres in entry 830.
James McCaskill was another brother-in-law of Joseph Smith and here again is his son-in-law, Thomas Bunnel. Of note, is one of the chain carriers, Calvin McQueen, who would have been about 16 years old here, ends up marrying Margaret Smith, a daughter of Joseph Smith.
Name: | Joseph Smith | ||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Gender: | Male | ||||||||||||||
Age: | 50 | ||||||||||||||
Birth Year: | abt 1800 | ||||||||||||||
Birthplace: | North Carolina | ||||||||||||||
Home in 1850: | Montgomery, North Carolina, USA | ||||||||||||||
Occupation: | Farmer | ||||||||||||||
Industry: | Agriculture | ||||||||||||||
Real Estate: | 100 | ||||||||||||||
Cannot Read, Write: | Y | ||||||||||||||
Line Number: | 32 | ||||||||||||||
Dwelling Number: | 460 | ||||||||||||||
Family Number: | 462 | ||||||||||||||
Household Members: |
|
Arrives 1850, Joseph and Martha are living with their youngest known children. Sarah is already married. The 8 year gap between Martha Jr and James Andrew Smith appears like he could have well as been the son of Margaret or another unknown older daughter, but he claims only to be the son of Joseph and Martha Sr., making him a menopause baby.
The Smiths lived in Household Number 462. In house number 463 is 79 year old Arthur Davis, mentioned in the above deed, and his wife Darkus (Dorcas). In number 464 is 73 year old Asa Bunnel from Connecticutt and his 49 year old wife, Martha, from North Carolina. Son Washington, aka George Washington Bunnel, is 17 and still at home. He would have been 15 when he was a chain carrier. Youngest son, Durham was 12 here. They were followed by Norman Martin, Chainwheel maker, Enoch Sheffield, Jr. and Micajah Brewer.
In the other direction, preceding the Smiths were 42 year old John M. McCaskill and his family in 461 and 33 year old Alexander A. McCaskill, with whom he had shared the 1847 land grant, and his family with boarders Malcolm McQueen and his 17 year old son, Calvin McQueen, who was a chain carrier in the deed above and who was a future son-in-law of Joseph Smith.
Not far from them, in Household 455 is Thomas Bunnel and the Smith's daughter, Sarah, both 28, with two little boys, John M. 3 and William M., age 1. The 9 year gap between Sarah and Margaret alerts me that there may have been other siblings, grown and on their own, between Sarah and Margaret. Above them is Sampson A. Wright and his wife, Loveday, who appear on a deed with Joseph Smith and next to them is Sampson's mother, Fereby Wright, 65. Living with her is Wilson Williams, a 22 year old laborer and Alexander McQueen, 14, Calvin's little brother.
Issued Octomber 4, 1852 by W. H. McRae to Washington Bunnel for 100 acres on the waters of Cabin Creek, joins Asa Bunnel, Alexander Leach, & Joseph Smith, 100 acres surveyed Oct 15, 1852 by Lockey Simmons (he was a busy man), on the waters ofCabin Creek, begins at Asa Bunnel's 4th corner black jack, joins his third corner, & Alexander Leach. Sampson A. Wright and Joseph Smith were chain carriers.
So, now Washington, at 19, has his own 100 acres and there is neighbor, Sampson A. Wright, previously mentioned. And it's on Cabin Creek.
And lastly, issued May 6, 1854 ,by D. A. Campbell to Jos Smith & A. McCaskill, 100 acres on the waters of Cedar Creek and Cabin Creek, joins Joseph Smith, Washinton Bunnel & others, survey in 1854 by Mr. L. Simmons again, on waters of Lick Branch & Cedar Creek, border begins at JosephSmiths corner sweet gum in Asa Bunnel's line, Asa Bunnel & George W. McCaskill chain carriers.
So here we are with Joseph Smith and the Bunnels and McCaskills again. I hope this was a younger Asa Bunnel as old Asa would have been 77 by then and chain carrying was hard work. That's why they used strapping young teenagers most of the time.
Name: | Joseph Smith | ||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Age: | 58 | ||||||||||||
Birth Year: | abt 1802 | ||||||||||||
Gender: | Male | ||||||||||||
Birth Place: | North Carolina | ||||||||||||
Home in 1860: | Brutons, Montgomery, North Carolina | ||||||||||||
Post Office: | Troy | ||||||||||||
Dwelling Number: | 223 | ||||||||||||
Family Number: | 223 | ||||||||||||
Occupation: | Farmer | ||||||||||||
Real Estate Value: | 250 | ||||||||||||
Personal Estate Value: | 125 | ||||||||||||
Cannot Read, Write: | Y | ||||||||||||
Household Members: |
|
1860 in Montgomery County, Joseph and Martha are both shown as 58 with their 3 youngest children. They are in Household 223 and both John M and Alexander A. McCaskill are in Households 221 and 222, so they have not moved. Same Bat time, same Bat channel. Polly McCaskill, widow, is in 220 and James McCaskill, the other brother, in 219. Washington Bunnel, now 24 and married is in 216 with Angus Murhinson and his family in 215. Living with Angus Murchinson is a Hireling named Edmund Denson. He will come into play later in the story.
It must be noted at this point that Alexander A. McCaskill was married to Rejoicey Bunnel, a daughter of old Asa and sister to Thomas Bunnel. Rejoicey is a version of the Quaker name "Rejoice", a Virtue name and the source of the more modern "Joyce", my mother's name.
The area where both Joseph Smith and family and that of his daugther, Sarah, was now being called, "Brutons". While I don't know where the Smiths were buried, but some of the neighbors, like Asa Bunnel, were buried in or near the modern town of Biscoe. Others were closer to Candor, and later ones, even near or in Star. The McCaskill Cemeteries are all either in Biscoe, or between Biscoe and Candor, so this gives us a general area of where these families lived and died.
Marker in the old Bunnel Cemetery near East Montgomery High Scholl |
Name: | Thomas Bunnel | ||||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Age: | 37 | ||||||||||||||||||
Birth Year: | abt 1823 | ||||||||||||||||||
Gender: | Male | ||||||||||||||||||
Home in 1860: | Brutons, Montgomery, North Carolina | ||||||||||||||||||
Post Office: | Pine Grove | ||||||||||||||||||
Dwelling Number: | 171 | ||||||||||||||||||
Family Number: | 171 | ||||||||||||||||||
Occupation: | Blk Smith & Farmer | ||||||||||||||||||
Real Estate Value: | 700 | ||||||||||||||||||
Personal Estate Value: | 200 | ||||||||||||||||||
Household Members: |
|
In 1860, Thomas is shown as a Blacksmith and Farmer. He and Sarah have added 5 more children to their brood. William M. is no longer shown, and probably died as a child.
Name: | Margaret Smith |
---|---|
Gender: | Female |
Spouse: | Calvin McQuean |
Spouse Gender: | Male |
Bond date: | 7 Nov 1850 |
Bond #: | 000084922 |
Level Info: | North Carolina Marriage Bonds, 1741-1868 |
ImageNum: | 007391 |
County: | Montgomery |
Record #: | 01 026 |
Bondsman: | John McQuean |
Witness: | John McLennan |
Margaret Smith had married Calvin McQueen in November of 1850, just after the 1850 census. By 1860, the couple had moved to the town of Greensboro in Guilford County, where Calvin was working as a laborer. They had 3 children:Martha Jane, 6, James A, 4 and one month old Margaret E. McQueen.
They also had 40 year old woman living with them named J. A. Manuel and an 8 year old James Manuel. J. A. Manuel's race was given as "I" and the young boys as "M". This was something unusual I had not seen. "I" was for Indian and "M" for mulatto. Up until 1910 at the earliest, and in some places, 1930, I had not seen Native Americans in North Carolina recognized as Native Americans. In these early records, they were always listed as "Free People of Color", along with free African-Americans and people of Mixed ancestry and then in 1850 and after, everyone who was not clearly black or white was just labeled "M".
The transcribers messed up Calvin and Margarets names quite horribly, as they lived with a Scott M. Dunn. The transcribers gave Calvin and Margaret his name, while that of the children, on the next page, were closer to being correct. I found them simply while looking for Martha Jane, their eldest.
Name: | Margret J Dunn | ||||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Age: | 25 | ||||||||||||||||||
Birth Year: | abt 1835 | ||||||||||||||||||
Gender: | Female | ||||||||||||||||||
Birth Place: | North Carolina | ||||||||||||||||||
Home in 1860: | South Division, Guilford, North Carolina | ||||||||||||||||||
Post Office: | Greensboro | ||||||||||||||||||
Dwelling Number: | 1006 | ||||||||||||||||||
Family Number: | 1006 | ||||||||||||||||||
Occupation: | Servant | ||||||||||||||||||
Cannot Read, Write: | Y | ||||||||||||||||||
Household Members: |
|
Calvin volunteered for service in the Confederate Army on February 22, 1862 in Greensboro, Guilford County. His service didn't last long . Calvin died on July 27, 1862 in Mechanicsville, Hanover County, Virginia, of wounds recieved in battle. Margaret filed for his pension on June 22, 1863.
Calvin McQueen had signed for the marriage bond of George Washington Bunnel to Winnie Jane Smith in 1851. Alexander A. McCaskill was a witness.
Name: | Washington Bunnel |
---|---|
Gender: | Male |
Spouse: | Winney Smith |
Spouse Gender: | Female |
Bond date: | 4 Sep 1851 |
Bond #: | 000084577 |
Level Info: | North Carolina Marriage Bonds, 1741-1868 |
ImageNum: | 007450 |
County: | Montgomery |
Record #: | 01 005 |
Bondsman: | Calvin McQueean |
Witness: | A A McCaskill |
Joseph and Martha Smith must both have died between 1860 and 1870, as they no longer appear in census records. However, their children do and seem to be living in the exact same place they grew up in.
1870
Thomas and Sarah Smith Bunnel are living near Troy and their youngest, Lucinda, is 5. She is the end of the line for them.
Name: | Sarah Bunnel | ||||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Age in 1870: | 50 | ||||||||||||||||||
Birth Year: | abt 1820 | ||||||||||||||||||
Birthplace: | North Carolina | ||||||||||||||||||
Dwelling Number: | 55 | ||||||||||||||||||
Home in 1870: | Hollings Worth, Montgomery, North Carolina | ||||||||||||||||||
Race: | White | ||||||||||||||||||
Gender: | Female | ||||||||||||||||||
Post Office: | Troy | ||||||||||||||||||
Occupation: | Keeping House | ||||||||||||||||||
Cannot Read: | Y | ||||||||||||||||||
Cannot Write: | Y | ||||||||||||||||||
Household Members: |
|
Margaret, now a widow, has moved back to Montgomery County and is living in Troy, working as a housekeeper, her son James A. and daughter Margaret, are nowhere to be found, so undoubtably died as children, which was a horribly common occurance for the times.
Name: | Margret Mcqueen | ||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Age in 1870: | 30 | ||||||||||
Birth Year: | abt 1840 | ||||||||||
Birthplace: | North Carolina | ||||||||||
Dwelling Number: | 46 | ||||||||||
Home in 1870: | Troy, Montgomery, North Carolina | ||||||||||
Race: | White | ||||||||||
Gender: | Female | ||||||||||
Post Office: | Troy | ||||||||||
Occupation: | Keeping House | ||||||||||
Household Members: |
|
Martha Jane is now 13 and has survived. William is her son William Calvin McQueen, who survives to adulthood, and was actually born in 1861, a year before his father was off to war. He would have been more like 9 this year, but may have been small if suffering from malnutrician and numerous children did during those times. As well, Martha Jane should have been 16 instead of 13. Larkin, the last child, is shown as 4. That would have put him being born years after Calvin McQueen died, however, if you add 3 years to age, as in forming the correct years of birth for Martha Jane and William Calvin, who lived to adulthood., it puts him at 7. If Margaret was pregnant when Calvin died, which of course was possible, then Larkin could have been born postmortum and the ages would line up for him to have been Calvins child. We'll really never know because Larking evidentally did not live until adulthood.
Name: | Terry Smith | ||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Age in 1870: | 36 | ||||||||||
Birth Year: | abt 1834 | ||||||||||
Birthplace: | North Carolina | ||||||||||
Dwelling Number: | 90 | ||||||||||
Home in 1870: | Hill, Montgomery, North Carolina | ||||||||||
Race: | White | ||||||||||
Gender: | Female | ||||||||||
Post Office: | Aumans Hill | ||||||||||
Occupation: | Domestic | ||||||||||
Mother of Foreign Birth: | Y | ||||||||||
Household Members: |
|
The single sisters, Terry and Martha, appear to be living in their fathers old homeplace, surrounded by the same neighbors. Living with them is William Smith, whom if you look at the actual census form, is 8, not 18. He was the son of Martha Smith. Also living with them is hired hand, Edmund Denson, age 26. Ed Denson has alway lived near them. In 1850, he lived with Alexander Morrison, as did Neil McCaskill, as a laborer. In 1860, he lived with Angus Murchinson. In both of those censues, he is recorded as Mulatto. In this one they call him "black". Terry would be pregnant during this census.
Name: | James A Smith |
---|---|
Gender: | Male |
Marriage Date: | 31 Dec 1868 |
Marriage Place: | Montgomery, North Carolina, USA |
Father: | Joseph Smith |
Mother: | Paty Smith |
Spouse: | Susan Spivey |
Spouse Gender: | Female |
Spouse Father: | Joseph Lassiter |
Spouse Mother: | Elizabeth Deaton |
Event Type: | Marriage |
Youngest son, James Andrew Smith, is not to be found in this census, but the year before, he had married Susannah Lassister, daughter of Joseph Lassiter and Elizabeth Deaton of Richmond County. She was a Civil War widow, having been married to Mark A. Spivy of the Carter's Mills area of Sheffields Township in Moore County, by whom she had 2 children, Elizabeth and Daniel.
In 1870, her children are found living with their 55 year old Grandmother, Susannah Spivey, and not their mother. She is the head of a household of 14 people, two being her youngest children and the rest her grandchildren. He children were in their 20's and most of her grandchildren in their teens or nearly, so with the help of all of them, she appears to have kept the farm. Ten years later, Daniel would be living with his uncle, Spencer Spivey and Elizabeth in Hills, Montgomery County, near her mother, but with her uncle, Enoch Spivy.
It seems odd to us today that a mother would not have her children living with her when she remarried. It seems heartless, even cruel, but the laws of the day favored the father and his family, so many a family was split. Children without fathers were often called orphans, despite having living mothers.
1880
The area near Biscoe where Thomas and Sarah Bunnel lived is now called Hollingsworth. Here they still live with 5 of their 8 children.
Name: | Thomas Bundle | ||||||||||||||||
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Age: | 61 | ||||||||||||||||
Birth Date: | Abt 1819 | ||||||||||||||||
Birthplace: | North Carolina | ||||||||||||||||
Home in 1880: | Hollingsworth, Montgomery, North Carolina, USA | ||||||||||||||||
House Number: | 49 | ||||||||||||||||
Dwelling Number: | 57 | ||||||||||||||||
Race: | White | ||||||||||||||||
Gender: | Male | ||||||||||||||||
Relation to Head of House: | Self (Head) | ||||||||||||||||
Marital status: | Married | ||||||||||||||||
Spouse's name: | Sarah A. Bundle | ||||||||||||||||
Father's Birthplace: | Connecticut | ||||||||||||||||
Mother's Birthplace: | North Carolina | ||||||||||||||||
Occupation: | Farming | ||||||||||||||||
Neighbors: | |||||||||||||||||
Household Members: |
|
The oldest, John Milton Bunnel, married in 1878 to 17 year younger cousin, Francis "Fanny" Talbert, daughter of John Nixon Talbert and wife, Mary Ann Bunnel, a sister of Thomas. In 1880, they are found in Richmond County and had married in Cumberland. No children are living with them.
Son James Thomas Bunnel had married in 1879 in Amherst County, Virginia to Signora Allen, daughter of James Allen and wife Phoebe Tomlinson. They are living there in 1880.
Name: | James Bunnell | |||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Age: | 24 | |||||||||||
Birth Date: | Abt 1856 | |||||||||||
Birthplace: | North Carolina | |||||||||||
Home in 1880: | Pedlar, Amherst, Virginia, USA | |||||||||||
Dwelling Number: | 358 | |||||||||||
Race: | White | |||||||||||
Gender: | Male | |||||||||||
Relation to Head of House: | Self (Head) | |||||||||||
Marital status: | Na | |||||||||||
Spouse's name: | Signora Bunnell | |||||||||||
Father's Birthplace: | Connecticut | |||||||||||
Mother's Birthplace: | North Carolina | |||||||||||
Occupation: | Farm Laborer | |||||||||||
Neighbors: | ||||||||||||
Household Members: |
|
He was working as farm labor, and they would remain in Virginia for a few decades and then return to North Carolina, settling in High Point, in Guilford County, where they died and are buried.
Here is as good a place as any to recount the children of Thomas and Sarah Smith Bunnel.
They were:
A) John Milton Bunnel Born 1847 Died 1907 in Star, Montgomery County, NC
Married Fanny Talbert, no children. Age 60.
B) William M Bunnel Born 1849 Died before 1860. Only seen in 1850 census.
C) Daniel Robert Bunnel Born 1852, Died in 1922 in Pinehurst, Mineral Springs Township, Moore County, NC. Married Melinda Ann "Millie" Caddel. 6 children age 70
E) James Thomas Bunnel Born 1853 Died 1925 in High Point, Guilford County, NC ,age 72.
Married Sigmora Allen in Amherst, VA, 9 children.
Thomas and Sarah Bunnel had 8 children, 4 boys and 4 girls. The 4 boys came first and the 4 younger children were all girls.
F) Terry Catherine Bunnel - Born 1856 Died 1910 (age 54) in Darlington, South Carolina.
Married Jesse Dunn, 8 children.
G) Eleathia Elender "Ellen" Bunnel - Born 1859 Died 1925 (age 65) in Biscoe, Mont. Co. NC
Married Beaty T. Dunn 5 children.
F) Sarah Caroline "Duck" Bunnel- Born 1859 Died 1926 (age 67) in Biscoe, Mont. Co. NC.
Married 1st: Lockey Alexander Allen, 3 sons.
Married 2nd: John Franklin Burns, 1 son.
H) Lucinda Minerva Bunnel - Born 1866 Died 1853 in Biscoe, Montgomery County, NC.
Minerva was Sarah's menopause baby, being born when her mother was 44 and was also
the longest lived of all the children, making it to 87. She had a very interesting life that deserves
a post of its own. Suffice to say, she was married numerous times and had several children.
Margaret Smith McQueen in 1880
Name: | Margret Mc Queen | ||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Age: | 47 | ||||||||
Birth Date: | Abt 1833 | ||||||||
Birthplace: | North Carolina | ||||||||
Home in 1880: | Rockingham, Richmond, North Carolina, USA | ||||||||
Dwelling Number: | 212 | ||||||||
Race: | White | ||||||||
Gender: | Female | ||||||||
Relation to Head of House: | Self (Head) | ||||||||
Father's Birthplace: | North Carolina | ||||||||
Mother's Birthplace: | North Carolina | ||||||||
Occupation: | Keeping House | ||||||||
Neighbors: | |||||||||
Household Members: |
|
Margaret remains in Rockingham in Richmond County, where she was found in 1870. Living with her are her two surviving children, who have made it to adulthood. This time, the census is accurate on their ages. Margaret does not make the 20 year leap to 1900, but her children do. She most likely died in Rockingham, but when or where she is buried is unknown.
Her two surving children, Martha Jane and William Calvin, did marry and produce descendants.
1880 Terry Smith
In 1880, Terry Smith appears to be living at the old homeplace. Right beside her is her little brother, James Andrew Smith with his family. Jospeh Smith doesn't have a will or estate papers, but that doesn't mean there wasn't any as Montgomery is a "Burned County" 3 times over. When criminals or debters got desparate, they would set the Courthouse on fire to burn up evidence.
Name: | Terry Smith | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Age: | 35 | ||||||
Birth Date: | Abt 1845 | ||||||
Birthplace: | North Carolina | ||||||
Home in 1880: | Hill, Montgomery, North Carolina, USA | ||||||
Dwelling Number: | 13 | ||||||
Race: | White | ||||||
Gender: | Female | ||||||
Relation to Head of House: | Self (Head) | ||||||
Marital status: | Single | ||||||
Father's Birthplace: | North Carolina | ||||||
Mother's Birthplace: | North Carolina | ||||||
Occupation: | Keeping House | ||||||
Cannot Write: | Yes | ||||||
Neighbors: | |||||||
Household Members: |
|
The age is wrong for Terry, here, she is more like 45 than 35, and with her is her little daughter Sarah "Sallie" Smith. Terry never married and the interesting thing about Sallie, is that while her mother, Terry, is white....
Name: | Sallie Smith |
---|---|
Age: | 8 |
Birth Date: | Abt 1872 |
Birthplace: | North Carolina |
Home in 1880: | Hill, Montgomery, North Carolina, USA |
Dwelling Number: | 13 |
Race: | Mulatto |
Gender: | Female |
Relation to Head of House: | Daughter |
Marital status: | Single |
Mother's name: | Terry Smith |
Mother's Birthplace: | North Carolina |
Sallie is not. Listed as mulatto, it appears there was something going on between Terry Smith and Edmund Denson while he was helping her and her sister, Martha, work the farm. Ed would go on to marry someone else. More on Edmund at a later date.
The name "Terry" for a woman in this part of Montgomery County is rather unique. I haven't seen it anywhere else in this era. But here, along the Montgomery/Moore border, I've seen several Terry's. Of course Sarah Smith Bunnel named a daughter Terry Catherine, but there were others. Terry Reynolds, Terry Brewer, Terry Green, Terry Ingraham, Terry Simmons, Terry Deaton, Terry Bean, Terry Murchison, Terry Cupples, Terry Chaney, Terry Epps...just to name a few. For the most part, they were born during the 1820's - 1840's. It may have started with a very admired Teresa, called Terry for short, and became a trend. On the other side of the county, in the Uwharries, there was a trend of the name "Tero", primarily for males, that bled over into Randolph. It appeared out of nowhere and just became a trend for a few decades. There were so many, I don't really believe it began with a common ancestor of all these people that stated the trend. But someone did, and it looks like a lot of Momma's hunting baby names just jumped on the bandwagon.
Martha Smith Jr. in 1880
Name: | Martha A. Smith | ||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Age: | 35 | ||||||||||
Birth Date: | Abt 1845 | ||||||||||
Birthplace: | North Carolina | ||||||||||
Home in 1880: | Hill, Montgomery, North Carolina, USA | ||||||||||
Dwelling Number: | 127 | ||||||||||
Race: | White | ||||||||||
Gender: | Female | ||||||||||
Relation to Head of House: | Mother | ||||||||||
Marital status: | Single | ||||||||||
Father's Birthplace: | North Carolina | ||||||||||
Mother's Birthplace: | North Carolina | ||||||||||
Occupation: | Keeping House | ||||||||||
Neighbors: | |||||||||||
Household Members: |
|
Martha is also living in "Hills" in the 1880 census, possibly still on land inherited from her father, but not right up on her siblings, but Joseph had numerous plots. Her teenaged son, William is shown as the Head of the Household and now there are two little girls, Maude and Dora, ages 4 and 2. Their relationship to the head of household is shown as "daughter"s, but whose daughters were they? William or Martha's? I don't know anything as of yet about these two little girls or their future. The census jumps another 20 years by 1900, so they were probably married, if not dead, but I can't find a documentation for either, with some proof it could be them. William, however, does marry so Martha had descendants.
James Andrew Smith in 1880
Name: | Andrew Smith | ||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Age: | 30 | ||||||||||
Birth Date: | Abt 1850 | ||||||||||
Birthplace: | North Carolina | ||||||||||
Home in 1880: | Hill, Montgomery, North Carolina, USA | ||||||||||
Dwelling Number: | 14 | ||||||||||
Race: | White | ||||||||||
Gender: | Male | ||||||||||
Relation to Head of House: | Self (Head) | ||||||||||
Marital status: | Married | ||||||||||
Spouse's name: | Susan Smith | ||||||||||
Father's Birthplace: | North Carolina | ||||||||||
Mother's Birthplace: | North Carolina | ||||||||||
Occupation: | Farmer | ||||||||||
Cannot Read: | Yes | ||||||||||
Cannot Write: | Yes | ||||||||||
Neighbors: | |||||||||||
Household Members: |
|
As previously mentioned, James Andrew Smith had married a Civil War widow, Susan Lassiter Spivey, who had 2 children already. Together they had two more, Joseph and Viriginia. He's working his father's ground. I dna match with descendants of Sarah, Margaret and James Andrew, the matches to Sarah's descendants have a slightly higher cm count than those of Margaret and Andrew.
1900
Only two of the children of Joseph and Martha Smith survived until 1900. Sarah Smith Bunnel died in 1886. I have no idea when Margaret died or where she is buried, most likely in Richmond County.
Name: | Marthy Smith [Martha Smith] | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Age: | 57 | ||||||
Birth Date: | Jun 1842 | ||||||
Birthplace: | North Carolina | ||||||
Home in 1900: | Hollingsworth, Montgomery, North Carolina | ||||||
Sheet Number: | 11 | ||||||
Number of Dwelling in Order of Visitation: | 194 | ||||||
Family Number: | 195 | ||||||
Race: | White | ||||||
Gender: | Female | ||||||
Relation to Head of House: | Son in Law | ||||||
Father's Birthplace: | North Carolina | ||||||
Mother's Birthplace: | North Carolina | ||||||
Occupation: | Farm Laborer | ||||||
Months Not Employed: | 0 | ||||||
Can Read: | Yes | ||||||
Can Write: | Yes | ||||||
Can Speak English: | Yes | ||||||
Neighbors: | |||||||
Household Members: |
|
In 1900, Martha Smith, Jr. is living with her brother-in-law, Thomas Bunnel. The transcribers really messed up on this one, as they have deemed her his son-in-law, but it should read 'sister-in-law'. But we can see she it female and we know it was Martha. Her son William is still living in Montgomery County, just in a different, not too far away township. He does not, however, have a Maude or a Dora living with him, and neither does Martha. In fact, he didn't marry until 1884.
Thomas Bunnel dies two years later in 1902 and left a will. I don't know where Martha died or is buried, but I wonder if they buried her in the Bunnel cemetery in Biscoe?
The other surviving child was youngest son James Andrew.
Name: | Andrew Smith | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Age: | 50 | ||||||
Birth Date: | Mar 1850 | ||||||
Birthplace: | North Carolina | ||||||
Home in 1900: | Hill, Montgomery, North Carolina | ||||||
Sheet Number: | 10 | ||||||
Number of Dwelling in Order of Visitation: | 179 | ||||||
Family Number: | 183 | ||||||
Race: | White | ||||||
Gender: | Male | ||||||
Relation to Head of House: | Head | ||||||
Marital status: | Married | ||||||
Spouse's name: | Susan Smith | ||||||
Marriage Year: | 1868 | ||||||
Father's Birthplace: | North Carolina | ||||||
Mother's Birthplace: | North Carolina | ||||||
Occupation: | Farm Labor | ||||||
Months Not Employed: | 0 | ||||||
Can Read: | No | ||||||
Can Write: | No | ||||||
Can Speak English: | Yes | ||||||
House Owned or Rented: | R | ||||||
Farm or House: | H | ||||||
Neighbors: | |||||||
Household Members: |
|
He's still working the farm and the two children have flown the nest and set out into the world of the rapidly changing 20th Century. James Andrew Smith, his wife and both of his children are buried at Dover Baptist Church, which is considered to be in Star, but is actually just across the County line into Moore County. As Andrew remained on his father's property the entirity of his life, this shows just how close the Smiths lived to the county line.
The Smith genes carried on and all of the children have living descendants except for Terry. Her only child, Sallie, grew up and worked as a housekeeper. She never married or had children, but she did have a death certificate. My research of this family and its genetic ties to my own continue, but it all started with Joseph Smith .