Fourth Generation Inclusive

Historical Documents of Genealogical Interest to Researchers of North Carolina's Free People of Color

Tag: Onslow County

January 16, 2013

Punch goes home.

State of Tennessee Maury County        } To all to whom it concerns, know ye that my Negro Man Punch, from his faithfull services and careful disposition is deserving of some favor for his former Services, and having an inclination to return to Onslow County No Carolina from where I brought him, have by these presence permited him to return to that place and spend the remnant of his days as a free man, and all and every person or persons has liberty to contract with him as such.  Given under my hand this 23rd March 1811.   A. Johnston

[On reverse] Onslow County   In Court of July Term 1811 This instrument of writing was proved by Lem’l Dotys proving the hand writing of Amos Johnston. Ordered to be registered Attest Nath’l Loomis

Slave Records, Onslow County Records, North Carolina State Archives.  US Population Schedule.

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January 6, 2013

Onslow County Apprentices, 1817-1818.

Ann Whitehurst, Bill Whitehurst and Edward Whitehurst were bound to Whitehead Humphrey in 1817.

Elisha Boon and Sarah Boon were bound to Jesse Orrell in 1817.

Abe Barrow was bound to Jesse Humphrey in 1818 to learn the trade of shoemaker.

Nancy Whitus and Elijah Whitus were bound to Whitehead Humphrey in 1818.

Elisha Boon and Sarah Boon, children of Betty Boon, were bound to Turner Ellis in 1818.

Peter Calton Boon and Betsey Boon were bound to James Johnston in 1818.

Mary Hammonds were bound to James Barrow in 1818.

Durant Henderson and Willis Henderson were bound to John Jones in 1818.

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

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December 16, 2012

Properly instructed, he has become a constant communicant.

In that year [1760] besides the immediate duty of my own Parish I visited the Parishes of St Martins, Bladen & St John’s, Onslow; and in these 2 counties I baptized 55 Children whereof 9 were negroes & I baptized 2 adults, 1 white & 1 black by immersion.  In my own Parish, I baptized 9 white and 4 mulatto Children, 1 Adult Mulatto woman belonging to Coll’n Dry, & 4 Adult Negro women, belonging to the Hon’ble Mr. Hasell.  In the year 1761, I baptized in my own Parish in Bladen & in St James’ Wilmington 35 Children & 1 adult negro man.  In this Current year 1762 I have already baptized 33 children & 2 Adults; 1 a free negro man, who after proper instructions, is since become a constant communicant; the other a Captain of a vessel who died here, & on his death bed acquainted me, that he had never been baptized & prayed he might then receive that Sacrament.

Extract, letter from John McDowell to Daniel Burton, June 15, 1762, Brunswick NC.  Colonial and State Records of North Carolina.

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December 6, 2012

Onslow County Apprentices, 1813-16.

Asa Hammonds was bound to Joseph Mitchell in 1813.

Asa Hammonds married Charlotte Jarman on 28 Oct 1817 in Onslow County. Joseph Mitchell was bondsman and Banister Lester, witness.  The 1820 census of L.R. Lands [Lower Richlands] district, Onslow County, lists an Asa Hammonds as the head of a household that comprised one male aged 26-45, one male under age 10, one female aged 16-26 and one female under age 10, all white.  The 1860 census of Lower South West district, Onslow County shows Asa Hammonds, 65, in the household of Calton Boon, 52, wife Catherine, 40, and children John, 6, and Elizabeth Boon, 4.

James Shepard was bound to Hill Williams in 1813.

John Waldron was bound to Edward Erwin in 1813.

James Shepard, son of Betsy Shepard, a white woman, was bound to John Johnston in 1814.

Joshua Whitehurst was bound to Whitehead Humphrey in 1816.

Frederick Potter was bound to Daniel Bradham in 1816.

In the 1850 census, of Tuckahoe, Jones County: Frederick Potter, 50, wife Laney, 58, plus Thursey Cummings, 26, and Lewis Cummings, 1, all mulatto.  Frederick Potter married Elany Cummings on 10 January 1835 in Duplin County.

Apprenticeship Records, Records of Onslow County, North Carolina State Archives; Onslow County Marriages, Register of Deeds, Onslow County; Duplin County Marriages, Register of Deeds, Duplin County; US population schedules.

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November 29, 2012

Free-Issue Death Certificates: DOVE.

Ned Dove.  Died 13 December 1918, Jacksonville, Onslow County. Colored. Married to Maria Dove.  Born 1846, Onslow County to Durant Dove and Annie Dove. Farmer. Buried Dove graveyard.  Informant, William Dove.

Jane Dove. Died 24 April 1926, Woodington, Lenoir County. Colored. Widow of James Dove. Born 1836 in Onslow County to Durant Dove and Jane Dove, both of Onslow. Informant, James Dove.

Willie Dove. Died 10 March 1927, Woodington, Lenoir County. Colored. Married to Mary Dove. Farmer for Blackledge Harper. Born Onslow County to Durant Dove and Annie White, both of Onslow. Informant, Blackledge Harper.

Henry Dove. Died 2 October 1915, Kinston, Lenoir County. Colored. Married. Born 1850, Onslow County to Durant Dove and Annie White of Onslow County. Informant, John H. Dove.

In the 1850 census of Upper Richlands, Onslow County, Durant Dove, 40, mulatto, wife Anny and children Margarett Ann, Eliza Jane, Wm., Julia, Nancy, Durant, Edward, Mandy, Joshua, and Henry.

Amos Dove.  Died 31 August 1924, Richlands, Onslow County. Negro. Widower of Mercy Dove. Age 78. Father, Sanders Basden. Mother, Nurcy Edwards. Buried Green Branch cemetery.  Informant, Oscar Dove.

John H. Dove.  Died 14 December 1925, Kinston, Lenoir County. Colored. Widowed. Born 1854, Lenoir County to Jim Dove of Lenoir County and unknown mother. Informant, Jim Dove.

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November 28, 2012

James Henry Henderson.

James Henry HendersonJAMES HENRY HENDERSON was born about 1838 in the Upper Richlands district of Onslow County. His father was James Henderson (1815-ca1890) and his mother might have been named Sally Skipp. With his father and siblings, he migrated to Sampson, then southern Wayne County. He married twice and died near Faison, Duplin County, in 1920.

[Sidenote: James H. Henderson was the brother of my great-great-great-grandfather Lewis Henderson. — LYH.]

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November 27, 2012

Surnames: Onslow County, 1850.

BOON, CAESAR, CAVENDER, CHANCE, CONNER, CREEL, CRAWFORD, DAVIS, DEVERS, DOVE, FIELDS, FREE, HAMMONS/HAMMONDS, HARRELL, HARRISS, HENDERSON, HOWARD, HUMPHREY, JARMAN, KING, LITTLETON, MASHBURN, MERRICK, MUCK, PETTIFOR, PITTMON, PRESCOTT, RODGERS, SAMPSON, SHEPHERD, SIMMONS, SKIPP, STILES, TYLER, WARD,WEBB, WHITE and WHITUS. 

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November 25, 2012

Without consent or knowledge.

State of North Carolina, To the Sheriff of Onslow County — Greeting

Whereas James Barrow had by the Court of Pleas and quarter sessions for the county of Onslow some courts back had bound to him a certain child a person of Coulor by the name of Mary Hammond without the consent or knowledge of the mother of said child and where the said mother Serena Hammond hath made application for us to grant her a relief so as to have said child taken from said Barrow and bound unto some other person and we willing to do the premisis whatever seems right you are therefore commanded to make known to the said James Barrow to appear before our County Court to be held for the County of Onslow at the Court house in Onslow on the first Monday of August next then and there go Show Cause if any he has why said Indentur should not be recinded and herein fail not and have you then and there this writ

Witness Banester Clerk of our said at Court at Onslow the first Monday of May 1819 and in the 43rd year of American Independence           BANESTER LESTER CCC

Apprentice Records, Records of Onslow County, North Carolina State Archives.

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November 13, 2012

Onslow County apprentices, 1812.

The following free children of color were appenticed in Onslow County in 1812:

Elisha, Peter, Carlton and unnamed Boon, children of Betsey Boon, to Nathaniel Loomis.

Elisha Boon and Calton Boon appear in the 1840 census of Onslow County, each heading households comprised of two free people of color.  In 1850, Calton Boon, 46, cooper, wife Kitty, 30, and daughter Clarrissa, 1 month, are listed in Lower South West district, Onslow County.  In 1860, in the same district, Calton Boon, 52, fisherman, wife Catharine, 40, children John, 6, and Elizabeth A., 4, and Asa Hammonds, 65, farmer.  Elisha Boon, 50, fisherman, appears by himself in Half Moon district, Onslow County.

Jim [no last name given] to Jesse Sandlyn.

Mary Hammons to Cader Cooper.

Susannah Hammons to Hester Willey.

Apprenticeship Records, Onslow County Records, North Carolina State Archives.

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November 12, 2012

Herring, Union soldier.

Hillary Herring enlisted in the 37th Colored Troops in 1864.  At the time, he was 23 years old, 6 feet 1/2 inches tall, light-complexioned, with black eyes and dark hair.  He was born in Onslow County and worked as a farmer. Herring was discharged from the army on 11 February 1867.  After a two-year acquaintance, he married Kizzy Dudley on 18 December 1869 in Burgaw, Pender County. Rev. Elisha Boon performed the ceremony. It was Hillary’s first marriage, but Kizzy had married John Herring in 1863 and was left a widow when he died in August 1866.  Hillery Herring died 30 June 1876 in Bentonsville, Johnston County, of “disease of lungs.” Dr. Martin Harper attended him during his final illness.  Lewis Hood furnished his coffin and served as undertaker, and Rev. John James Harper, a white man, preached the funeral sermon.

At the time of her application, Kizzy Herring lived in Lonoke, Lonoke County, Arkansas. Many of her witnesses had known her in North Carolina and had also migrated West.  She was poor and little able to support herself.

Abstracted from “#563,970. Claim of Kizza Harring, widow of Hillary Harring, Co. A, 37 U.S.C.T., for Widow’s Pension.”

In the 1850 census of the South Side of the Neuse, Wayne County: John Herring, 50, wife Charity, 40, and their children John Green, 18, Solomon, 16, Daniel, 14, Hillery, 12, James, 10, Outy, 7, Harriet, 4, and Doctor, 0.

[Sidenote: On 21 November 1872, my great-great-great-grandparents, Lewis and Margaret Henderson, and Hillery and Keziah Herring sold two tracts totalling about 80 acres to John P. Cobb and Jesse Hollowell, these being tracts purchased from William R. Davis.  There was no deed recording the purchase from Davis. Both Lewis and Hillery were born in Onslow County.  Were they related?  If not, why did they buy land together? — LYH]  

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