Chicken of The Woods

Chicken of the Woods is a mushroom that grows naturally in the Piedmont and Mountain regions of North Carolina. It is an edible mushroom who got its name from the chiche, "taste like chicken. This common fungus is a polypore, meaning it spreads its spores through small holes, or pores on the underside of it cap. There are various species of Chicken of the Woods. Some feed on dead trees, meaning they are saprotrophic, other species are parsitic and attack living trees causing rot and eventually death. They're also base feeder, prefering the bottom of the trees.They are easily identified by their yellowish orange colors and their stacked growth like houses on a hill. 

During the September session of the Superior Court of Montgomery County, North Carolina in the year of our Lord, 1859 and the 83rd year of our Independence, Miss Mary McQueen and Kendrick Stewart had been ordered to appear in court on charges of Bastardy. Mary McQueen had been delivered of a child out of the binds of marriage, which child could be chargeable to, and therefore a burdon upon, the county. Kendrick Stewart had been named the father of the child and together he and Mary Catherine McQueen were required to post a $500 bond for the maintenance of 'said' child.

In the 1860 census, just one year after their court appearance, we find this unusual family grouping. 

Mary McQueen has given birth to a little boy named Marquis Lafayette McQueen who is now 7 months old. True to his word, Kendrick Stewart is apparently taking care of his ill-begotten son, and his mother. In a situation we would find appalling today, he has moved the pair into his home with his wife, Sarah Thomas Stewart (or Stuart), whom was his second wife, that he married in 1842. The teenagers, William and Martha, were two of the children from his first marriage to Elizabeth Fersperman. He and Sarah have had 4 of their own, the youngest, James Buchanan "Buck" Stewart only a year old!

Oh my, how Sarah must have felt about this situation! And future patterns may  have been a result of her pain and scorn. 

So who exactly was Kindred or Kendrick Stewart (or Stuart)? 

Born probably in Mecklenburg County, Kindred was an American, and North Carolinian of several generations, but of Scott origins. He was the son of William Everette Stewart and Mary Scarbert Stewart. In February of 1836, he had married Elizabeth Fesperman in Mecklenburg County. She was the daughter of John and Rebecca Fersperman of German origins and her folks were from Cabarrus County originally. 

He and Elizabeth would have 3 children: Martha Ann, Lucinda Rebecca and William Everett II. After her death, he returned to Mecklenburg County and married Sarah Stewart. 

In the 1850 census, Kindred is listed as a Wagonmaker. I believe they lived in a town, because his near neighbors included Sewell Freeman, Deputy Sheriff and Blacksmith Archibald Lammonds. Skilled craftsmen, professionals and merchants made up most of the neighborhood. 

Living with him is his 73 year old father, Everette, also listed as a Wagon Maker for Railroad and misc.transportation equipment. They were professional tradesmen. While Everett lived with Kindred, his inlaws, John and Rebecca Fesperman, parents of his first wife, lived right next to him. Fred is 65 and Rebecca is 54, and he is listed as a Laborer.

The long-suffering Sarah must have been accustomed to compromise. First she married into a ready made family while barely more than a child herself, but she had to live with her husband's former inlaws next door as well, and on top of that, while she is pregnant, her husband has an affair, and then get dragged in to court, just to bring his mistress and her child into live with them.

So how did that situration turn out? 

Tragic, I am sad to say.  Kindred's father, Everette Stewart died in 1854 at the age of 77. He was buried in the Old McCallum Cemetery west of Candor and off of Lovin Hill Road. This area is in the Uwharrie National Forrest now and very sparsely populated. It must have been a thriving community in its day, perhaps even a town, at the number of various names and tradesmen within them, in the cemetery. There is thought to have perhaps been a church here, the dirt path or road it is down, looks to have been a well-traveled road at one point in time, now abandoned.

Also in the cemetery are two of Kindred and Sarah's daughters who died as children: Sarah Jane Stewart born on Feb. 16, 1852 and died Oct 25, 1856, aged 4 and Nancy Emeline Stewart, born Sept. 23, 1861 and died Oct. 5, 1863, age 2. 

Here, also, we find the tragic end of Marquis Lafayette (McQueen) Stewart. Kindred must have loved his boy as much as he loved his other children. In the end, he had given him his name, Stewart, and buried him with a good marker for this grave in the cemetery with his grandfather and sisters. Marquis was 10 days away from being 4 years old. His date of birth was November 15, 1859 and his date of birth was November 5, 1863. As he died only one month after his half-sister, Nancy Emeline, I wonder if it could have been from a contagious disease they both caught. 

After the death of his illegitimate son, Kindred Stewarts responisibility to his son, to Mary McQueen and to the County of Montgomery was over.

The marriage of Kindred and Sarah seemed not to suffer much. Sarah had given Kindred a son, James Buchanan "Buck" Stewart, the same year that Marquis was born. In fact, as Buck was born on March 5, 1859, Sarah was pregnant when Mary was impregnated by Kindred. Two years later, Sarah would have Nancy, who would tragically pass out just one month before Marquis. Two sons, Jefferson Davis and Benjamin Franklin Stewart, were born in 1863. More on that later. The point is, Sarah not only dealt with Kindred moving his mistress into the home, she continued to have children with him afterward. Modern, liberated women can not fathom the mindset of 19th century women to endure this kind of humiliation and treatment. However, at the time, women were all but completely powerless. Men had all of the freedom, albeit illegal, to pursue who they may and impregnate who they may. It was an entirely different life for women. And still is, to some extent, today.

Sometime between 1877 and 1870, after the close of the Civil War, Kindred would relocate his family with Sarah Thomas to Paducah, Kentucky. Situated at the confluence of the Tennesee and Ohio Rivers, Paducah had been a strategic point during the war, and had been founded due to it's ideal location for and trade and transportation route, by Henry Clark of the infamous Lewis and Clark Expedition. 

Here, Kindred is listed as a farmer. He's also said to have been born in Virginia, with Sarah being born in North Carolina. Some how, Benjamin Franklin Stewart was left out of this census.

Sarah would die in 1872, just after the birth of her youngest child, Murdock. She is buried in Grahamville, Kentucky. 

Kindred, now 57, would resettle just across the river in Massac County, Illinois. He would remarry in 1877 to a widow, Mrs. Matilda White. 

In 1880, Kindred and family are living on the Illinois side of the Ohio River in Jackson Precinct, Massac County, Illinois. With him are youngest sons, Benjamin Franklin Stewart, Murdock Martin Stewar and Calvin Johnson Stewart. They are a little off on Murdock's age, as he wasn't born until 1872, Calvin was actually older, having been born in 1867.  Also in the home is Matilda's daughter, Mary Caroline White. Matilda had been born Matilda Henley in North Carolina and married John C. White of Illinois. They only had the one child, Mary Caroline. 

A quick synopis of the children of Kindred Stewart to follow:

1) Lucinda Rebecca Stewart 1843-1877, married Daniel McLeod Thomas, 9 children. 

     In 1870, was in Montgomery, NC.  Died in McCraken County, Kentucky.

2) William Everett Stewart 1844-1915 Married Jennett Elizabeth Monroe, 6 children.

     In 1880 was in Jackson, Massac, Illinois. Died in Biscoe, Montgomery County, North Carolina.

3) Martha Ann Stewart 1847-1923, Married Willis Hughes, 4 children. 

    In 1880 was in Woodville, McCraken, Ky, died there in 1923.

4) John Kindred Stewart 1849-1911, married Mary "Mollie" Purcell, 5 children.

    In 1880 was in McCracken, KY, also died there. 

5) Sarah Jane Stewart 1852-1856. Died in Montgomery County, NC at 4 years old.

6) Daniel Ambers Stewart 1854- 1909, married Charity B Maners, 3 children.

    In 1882 was in McCraken, KY, died in Humphrey County, Tenn.

7) Mary Ann Stewart 1856-1872, died in McCracken County, KY. Unmarried. Died as a teenager.

8) James Buchanan "Buck" Stewart 1859-1931.  In 1880 was in McCracken County, KY. Married 

    Nancy Elizabeth Batton in Richmond County, NC in 1844, 2 children. Married 2nd to

    Mary Jane "Mollie" Brown in Cumberland County, NC in 1909, 6 children. He moved around. 

    Buck was in Hamburg, Jackson County, NC in 1900.

    He was in Biscoe, Montgomery County, NC in 1910, working as a Beef Market Salesman.

    He was in Albemarle, Stanly County, NC in 1920, working in an Aluminum Plant, living on Pine.

    As nearly everyone else on Pine Street worked in the Aluminum Plant, I will guess he was actually

    in Badin. 

    He was still on Pine St in 1930, and was the Proprietor of a Cafe at age 71.

    He died the next year in Badin, NC at 72 and is buried there.

9) Marquis LaFayette (McQueen) Stewart 1859-1863. Died in Montgomery County, NC, almost 4.

    Son of Kindred Stewart and Mary McQueen, daughter of Malcolm and Nancy McQueen.

10) Nancy Emeline Stewart 1861-1863. Died in Montgomery County, NC 2 years old.

11) Jefferson Davis Stewart, 1863-?, only shows up in the 1870 census in McCracken County, KY.

12)Benjamin "Ben" Franklin Stewart 1863-1932. Married Lydia Pearl Miller, No children.

      In 1880 in Massac, Illinois with father, brothers Calvin and Murdock.

      Died in Humphries County, TN.

      I have to pause for a minute to reflect on the previous two. Both were born in 1863. Were they

      Twins? Jefferson only appears in the 1870 census. Ben appears in the 1880 census, and all

       after that until his death. He is absent from the 1870 census. Was he just left out, or, consider

      this, could they have been the same person? In 1863, the family would still be in North Carolina.

      Naming a son for the President of the Confederacy was a pretty common thing in the 1860's. 

      But after moving to the Kentucky/Illinois border? Possibly a name change for the boy was

      in order. Possible???

13) Calvin Johnson Stewart 1867-1961. Married Missie Pearl Marberry. 11 children.

       In 1880 was in Massac County, Illinois with father, brothers Ben and Murdock and stepmother,

       Matilda and her daughter, Mary. Died in Humphries County, Tennesee.

14) Murdock Martin Stewart 1872-1924, Married Olema Frazier from Yazoo, MS 2 children.

      In 1880 Massac, Ill,  in 1910, working as a Turpentine Woods Boss in Washington, FL

      In 1920 Houston, Alabama working as an Operator, Fitter in the Turpentine Industry.

      Died in Putnam, Florida. Did not show up in 1870 census, not born yet. Age in 1880 incorrect.

Side note, the death records of Murdock Martin Stewart claim he was born on August 5, 1872 in Raleigh, Wake County, North Carolina. Yet in 1870, two years before his birth, his father had already migrated to Paducah, Kansas. Kindred Stewart must have been involved in some kind of industry that involved a great deal of travel.

That was the end of the line for Kindred Stewart. His line goes on, all over the country, and I dare say, world, in 2020. But what about Mary?

Mary first appears in the 1850 census as a teen, living in the home of John and Christian Morrison, a couple whose children had apparently grown and gone, if they indeed had any at all. So, how did I determine this was Mary? First, one must understand that the area of Montgomery County where the McQueens had settled was on the Moore/Mongomery border. The 1860 census, when Mary and child were living with Kindred Stewart, it tells us that Mary was born in 1839. There were 3 other Mary McQueen's in the area in 1850. One was her grandmother, who was 80 years old. Another was her cousin, who was 4, and not old enough to be Mary. The other was Mary Catherine McQueen, daughter of James Batten McQueen and Nancy Britt McQueen, James Batten being a brother to the 4 year old Mary. Mary Catherine was born in 1850, so would not have been old enough to have a child in 1859 either. That left the 15 year old Mary, who was indeed born in 1839 and would have been 20 by 1859 and also an orphan at that time.

There are two connections between this couple and the McQueens. First, in the estate papers of Mary's grandfather, Alexander Murdock McQueen, there are several papers labeled John Morrison vs Admin of Alexdr' McQueen. At this juncture, I am not certain of the connection between Murdock McQueen and John Morrison, but there was one of some sort, wherein John Morrison felt entitled to an inheritance. Perhaps his first wife was a daughter of Murdock who predeceased him. I say this because John had married Christian, his wife in 1850, just 6 years prior. Murdock died in 1831.

Christian Morrsion was Christian McCaskill when she married John Morrison. Now, this couple was up in age. They were in their middle years when they got married, so there was a good possibility that Christian was a widow when she married John Morrison and McCaskill was not her maiden name. That said, Mary's mother was Nancy McCaskill McQueen. There could have also been a family connection there. Christian may have been her aunt. For the moment, I do not know the exact connection between the Morrison's and Mary McQueen, but there were positively two possibilities.

I do not find Mary past the 1860 census, but I do know she was alive until at least 1873, and this is why. Again, the hint lies with John and Christian Morrison. 

In 1860, when Mary and her infant son, Marquis, are living with his father, Kindred Stewart, in the home of John and Christian McQueen, Mary's adoptive parents, is another McQueen, 4 year old Isabella, and Isabella has a full story of her own. 

Finding her, I somehow knew that she had to have been the daughter of Mary Mcqueen, who would have been 17 when she was born, and that Mary had left her the care the Morrisons, who had raised Mary for half of her life. I don't know who Sarah Isabella McQueen's father was. I don't think it was Kindred Stewart, as she wasn't living with him and Mary and Marquis was.

Neither Sarah Isabell McQueen, or her mother Mary, are to be found in the 1870 census. They may have been living together by then, and just missed, as the Morrisons had passed away by then, or they may have been living in the household of another family and inadvertantly been given the wrong surname. The abundance of the names Mary and Sarah make it impossible to determine that.

But in 1873, in Montgomery County, at the age of 15, Sarah Isabelle McQueen married Neil Nicholson McQueen.

Neil is the youngest son of Alexander Marcus McQueen and his wife Sallie Ann Batten McQueen. Alexander was the brother of Isabelles' grandfather, Malcolm McQueen, therefore making Isabelle and Neil first cousins once removed. 

The marriage certificate lists Neil as 23 and the son of Alexander M and Sarah McQueen, father living and mother living and Sarah Isabella McQueen daughter of unknown and Mary McQueen and father unknown and mother living. Therefore we know that on February 27, 1873, Mary McQueen was still living. They have Isabelle as being 18, however, comparing her age at death and in further census records, which match with her being age 4 on the 1860 census, she was 15, no more than 16.

Neil Nickelson and Sarah Isabella McQueen had a long and apparently happy life together and lots of children, as was common for the day. In 1880, they were farming in Montgomery County, Twenty years later, they had moved down to Richmond County.

Isabella reported that she had been the mother of 13 children, with 10 living. She was also literate and could read and write. By 1910, they had returned to the town of Biscoe, in Montgomery County, where they would remain in the 1920 and 1930 censuses, until their deaths. Neil died March 13, 1910, at the age of 61.

Sarah Isabella McQueen McQueen would live another two decades. She spent her last years with her daughter, Lillie McQueen Cagle and above is shown with her little granddaughter, Queen Isabella Cagle. 

Sarah Isabelle McQueen passed away on December 6, 1931, at the age of 74. She was laid to rest beside her husband Neil, at Laurel Hill Church. Her death certificate gives her birthdate as May 1, 1857 and that she was born in Montgomery County, the daughter of father "Don't Know" and mother, Mary McQueen. She died of Bright's Disease and the informant was her son, John. So her children knew their grandmother. I wonder where Mary had been hiding. 

The 13 Grandchildren of Mary McQueen, Children of Neil N. and Sarah Isabella McQueen were:

1874-1928 James Caspar McQueen, Died in Kannapolis, Cabarrus County, NC.

1875-1875 Baby Boy McQueen

1875-1875 Baby Girl McQueen

1877-1930 Lula McQueen, Died in Montgomery County, NC

1878-1956 Nanny Elizabeth Mc. Brewer, Died in Candor, Montgomery County, NC.

1880-1928 Murdock Alexander McQueen, died in Baltimore, Maryland.

1882-1942 William Butler McQueen, died in High Point, Randolph County, NC 

1884-1950 Annie Belle Mc. Leach, died in Troy, Montgomery, NC.

1886-1969 Sarah Jane Mc. Crook, died in Troy, Montgomery, NC.

1889-1990 John Calvin McQueen, died in Lexington, Davidson County, NC.

1894-1968 Cornelia Florence Mc. Gray, died in High Point, on the Guilford County side of it.

1898-1998 Archie Lee McQueen, the third child who died by 1900, besides the twins. Biscoe.

1899-1982 Lillie Mae Mc. Cagle, died in Biscoe, Montgomery County, NC.