Fourth Generation Inclusive

Historical Documents of Genealogical Interest to Researchers of North Carolina's Free People of Color
February 26, 2013

Free Colored Inhabitants of the Town of Asheville, Buncombe County, 1850.

#13. Leander Wilson, 22, tailor, with Leander Wilson, 8, Betsey Wilson, 23, and Nancy Forster, 12.

#14. Sookey Baird, 40, in the household of G.W. Miller, inn keeper.

#25. L. Holly, 10, in the household of Ephraim Clayton, house builder & carpenter.

#31. Eliza Edney, 25, in the household of J.M. Edney, editor.

#46. Caroline Wilson, 17, in the household of A.F. Dickson, Congregational clergyman.

#48. Henry Hyatt, 5, in the household of Mary Baird. 

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February 26, 2013

Matthew Artis Post No. 341, G.A.R.

Matthew Artis Post, No. 341, was organized at Day March 10, 1866, with twenty-one members, as follows:

Commander, Bishop E. Curtis; Senior Vice Commander, Henry D. Stewart; Junior Vice Commander, James Monroe; Adjutant, Abner R. Bird; Quartermaster, Solomon Griffin; Surgeon, Harrison Griffin; Chaplain George Scott; Officer of Day, Zachariah Pompey; Officer of Guard, John Copley; Sergeant Major, James M. Stewart; Quartermaster Sergeant, James H. Ford. Members: Peter Saunders, Caswell Oxendine, Berry Haithcock, John Curry, Samuel Wells, John Brown, Martin Harris, Andrew Gillum, George Broairdy, L.B. Stewart. …

From L.H. Glover, A Twentieth Century History of Cass County, Michigan (1906).

In the 1850 Perry, Logan County, Ohio: Elisha Bird, 60, farmer, Sarah, 60, Nancy, 36, Mary A., 15, James, 20, Lawson, 17, Abner, 8, and John Bird, 23. Elisha, Sarah and Mary were born in Virginia; Nancy and John Bird in NC; and James, Lawson and Abner Bird in Ohio. In the 1860 census of Calvin, Cass County, Michigan: Wyatt Byrd, 37, wife Charlott, 32, and children Mary J., 10, Leander, 6, Eliza A., 3, Sarah J., 2, and Abner, 15. Wyatt was born in NC; Charlotte in Virginia; and their children in Michigan, except Abner, Ohio.

In the 1850 census of Frankfort, Clinton County, Indiana: Peter Copley, 40, wife Delila, 34, and children Elius A., 12, John A., 10, Mary M., 10, William C., 8, Caroline M., 7, Martha J., 6, Delily E., 4, and Matilda C., 1.  All born in NC, except the three youngest children, who were born in Indiana.  In the 1860 census of Porter, Cass County, Michigan: Peter Copley, 52, farmer, wife Delia, 44, and children John, 22, Wm., 17, Calvin, 16, Jane, 15, Elizabeth, 12, and Matilda, 10. All born in NC, except the three youngest children, who were born in Indiana.

In the 1850 census of Fugit, Decatur County, Indiana: Sally Hunt, 55, Celia Hunt, 22, Susan Hunt, 2, Levi Hunt, 1, Wiley Jones, 14, Jordon Jones, 12, Flora Oxendine, 10, Parmelia Oxendine, 6, and Caswell Oxendine, 4.  All born in NC except Levi Hunt, who was born in Indiana. In the 1860 census of Calvin, Cass, Michigan: Isaac Hunt, 36, wife Dorcas, 40, children Drusilla, 13, Susan, 10, Mary, 10, and Roxa A. Hunt, 6, plus C. Oxendine, 15.

Caswell Oxendine. Died 3 May 1914, Dowagiac, Cass County Michigan. Colored. Married. Farmer. Born 4 March 1844 in NC to unknown parents. Buried Calvin Center. Informant, Mrs. Oxendine.

In the 1850 census of Xenia, Greene County, Ohio: Berry Heathcock, 45, farmer, wife Fanny, 43, and William Lilly, 10, James A. Lilley, 8, Isaiah Lilley, 6, and Moses Daniel, 25, all born in NC. In the 1860 census of Burr Oak, Saint Joseph County, Michigan: Berry Hathcock, 35, born Ohio, in the household of Geo. Boyles, farmer.

Berry Haithcox. Died 16 March 1904, Porter, Cass County, Michigan. Married 15 years. 3 children, all living. Born 1825 in North Carolina to Mills Haithcox and Sarrah Byrd. Buried at Mount Zion. Informant, Roberta Haithcock, Vandalia.

In the 1850 census of Fugit, Decatur, Indiana: Arthur Gillam, 26, laborer, Margaret, 36, Harriet Bowden, 16, Mary Bowden, 14, Jackson Bowden, 11, Higgins Bowden, 10, John Bowden, 7, and Andrew Gillam, 4.  All born in NC, except Andrew and the two youngest Bowden children. In the 1860 census of Liberty, Union County, Indiana; Auther Gillam, 36, laborer, wife Margaret, 47, Mary Borden, 22, servant, Jackson Bowden, 20, laborer, Andrew Agillam, 13, and Taylor Gillam, 3, all classified as Indian. All were born in NC except Auther and Andrew, born in Indiana. 

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February 26, 2013

Wayne County Apprentices, 1807-1820.

Bennett Artis was bound to John Woodard in 1807.

Jonathan Artis, age 4, was bound to James Sparkman as a shoemaker in 1807.

Possibly Jonathan Artis, aged 24-36, head of a household of six free people of color in the 1840 census of Fayetteville, Cumberland, 1840.

Abram Johnston was bound to Joel Newsom in 1807.

Haywood Hagans was bound to Thos. Broadstreet in 1807.

Patience Hedgman was bound to James Reasons in 1812.

Welthy [no last name], age 15, and Ned [no last name], age 4, were bound to Stephen Woodard in 1820.

Kinnard Samson, age 7, Liza Samson, age 12, and Jere Samson, age 2, were bound to Stephen Woodard in 1820.

“Jere Samson” is possibly Jesse Sampson, 35, day laborer, with wife Mary, 30, and children Caswell, 10, Martha, 8, Elizabeth, 6, Temda, 4, and Gabriel, 6 months, listed in the 1850 census of North Side of Neuse, Wayne County. 

Rufus Seeberry, age 6, and James Madison Seeberry, age 8, were bound to Henry Best in 1820.

In the 1860 census of Neuse River, Johnston County: Rufus Ceberry, 43, miller, wife Dolly, 40, and children Nicy, 22, Willis, 21, Susanna, 19, John, 17, Polly, 15, Eliza, 12, Malena, 9, Melvina, 5, and Hanibal, 4.

Apprentice Records, Wayne County Records, North Carolina State Archives.

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February 26, 2013

Sold for taxes, redux.

No. 471. An Act for the relief of John Montgomery and William A. Lewis, of Forsyth County; Nancy Going, Adaline Page, Thursday, Isabella, De la Fayette, and Elmira, free persons of color, of the County of Columbia, and for other purposes therein specified.

WHEREAS, Bryant Oxendine, a free person of color, was taken up for failing to comply with the Registration Laws of this State, in the year 1850, and was found guilty and fined by the Inferior Court of Forsyth County one hundred dollars, and being unable to pay the fine was hired out, under the Laws of this State, for a term of eighteen months, for the price of one hundred dollars, to John Montgomery, on the 5th day of December, 1850, and the said John Montgomery gave his note due eighteen months after date, to the Justices of the Inferior Court of Forsyth County, for the sum of one hundred dollars, with William A. Lewis as security for the same. And,

WHEREAS, The said Bryant Oxendine ran away on the 28th day of August, 1851, and therefore failed to perform the service for the time for which he was hired.

…

SECTION I. Be it therefore enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the State of Georgia in the General Assembly met, and it is hereby enacted by the authority of the same, That the said John Montgomery and WIlliam A. Lewis be relieved, discharged and acquitted from the payment of so much of the said note, in proportion, as the service aforesaid was not performed, to wit: the sum of fifty-five dollars.

…

Acts of the General Assembly of Georgia, 1853-4 (1854).

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February 26, 2013

He was ignorant of his right.

59th CONGRESS, 1st Session}  SENATE. {DOCUMENT No. 471.

[Court of Claims. Congressional, No. 11397. Hardy A. Brewington, administrator of the estate of Raiford Brewington, deceased, v. The United States.]

STATEMENT OF CASE.

Senate Bill 4292, reading as follows, was introduced on February 10, 1904, and was referred to this court on April 28, 1904, by resolution of the Senate for findings of fact under the terms of section 14 of the act approved March 3, 1887, and commonly known as the Tucker Act.

…

FINDINGS OF FACT.

  1. Claimant’s decedent, Raiford Brewington, was a free colored man, residing during the late civil war in Sampson County, N.C., and throughout said war he remained loyal to the United States Government.
  2. During said war the United States military forces, under proper authority, took from claimant’s decedent, in Sampson County, N.C., for the use of the Army, quartermaster stores and commissary supplies of the kinds described in the petition, which at the time and place of taking were reasonably worth the sum of five hundred and thirty dollars ($530.) No payment appears to have been made for said property of any part thereof.
  3. It appears from the evidence that claimants decedent was a colored man, who was ignorant of his right to present a claim to the Claims Commission established by the act approved March 3, 1871, during the two years allowed by law for filing of claims before said Commission. There was no other opportunity for presentation of this claim save by petition to Congress. These facts are reported as bearing upon the question  of whether there has been delay or laches in the presentation of said claim.    By the Court.

Filed May 14, 1906.

A true copy: Test this 32st day of May, 1906 [seal.]      John Randolph, Assistant Clerk Court of Claims

United States Congressional Serial Set, Issue 4916, p. 41.

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