The following free children of color were apprenticed in Onslow County in 1811:
Joshua White, son of Elizabeth White, to Henry Horn.
Joshua White to Robert Wallace.
Durand Henderson, son of Nancy Henderson, to Henry Hyde.
Oma and Elijah White to Eli Cox.
Sukey Henderson to Richard Trott.
Naomi Henderson to Adam Trott.
James [no last name] to William Paradis.
Apprenticeship Records, Onslow County Records, North Carolina State Archives.
Free Oscar, Free Carolina, Free Jacob, Stephen Johnson, Free Rachel, Free Betsey, Simion Dove, William Skipp, Benjamin Jarman
State of North Carolina, Onslow County }
Court of Pleas & Quarter Sessions, March Term 1860
To the Worshipful, the Justices of Said Court: The petition of Omar White, humbly complaining, showeth unto your Worships that she is a free woman of color: that her Mother, Elizabeth White was born a free person of color in the County of Pitt of the State of aforesaid and removed to this the county and state aforesaid when your petitioner was born, raised and has always resided. Your petitioner further showeth to your Worships that she is now about sixty years, is at present residing where she has resided with her family, which is numerous, for the last twelve years on the premises of of Basil M. Barry, Esquire, and with his permission: that she is the mother of thirteen children and has [blank] grandchildren, all of whom, under the age of twenty-one years, respectively. Your petitioner further showeth that, after her said children shall have attained the age of twenty one aforesaid and shall have fulfilled all the requirements of the law in such cases made and provided for Apprentices, it is her wish and desire that they shall remove from the state aforesaid and settle in a free state. Your petitioner further showeth unto your worships that the facts set forth in this her petition are in the knowledge of many persons now living and such knowledge is the only evidence of her freedom: that she is growing old and her witnesses are also much advanced in years: that by the time he said children shall have reached the age of twenty one aforesaid, when they shall be free to emigrate from the state aforesaid, it may not be in their power to show the facts herein set forth.
To the end therefore that such testimony may be perpetuated and become a part of the record of this Worshipful Court, your petitioner humbly prays your Worships for permission for a rule to take such depositions as may be necessary to sustain the allegations set forth in this her petition. And your petitioner humbly begs your Worships for further and such other relief as your Worships may deem necessary and proper.
And your petitioner as in duty bound shall ever humbly pray etc. L.W. Humphrey, Attorney for Pet.
Elizabeth “Betsey” Whitehurst’s children were apprenticed extensively in Onslow County — Omy [Naomi, also called Oma, and the petitioner here] in 1806, 1811, 1818, 1819; Joshua in 1806, twice in 1811, 1816, 1818 ; Elijah in 1811; Esther in 1813 and 1830; Ann, Bill and Edward in 1817 and 1827; and Morris in 1827. Their last name appeared as White, Whiters and Whitehurst. See Apprentice Records, Wayne County, North Carolina State Archives. She is probably the “Betsey Free” listed in the 1820 census of South Richlands district, Onslow County, with a household comprising four people of color. In the 1830 census of Onslow County, she is Betsey Whitehurst with a household of seven. In the 1850 census, she is listed in her son Edward White’s household in Cypress Creek, Jones County.
Omy White’s children also cycled through Onslow County Court as apprentices — Betsy Jane in 1827, 1835, 1839; Nancy in 1827; Sarah in 1834; Lindey in 1834; Elijah in 1835; Linda and Jack in 1844; Edward “Ned,” Esther and Robert “Bob” in 1844 and 1849; Naomi in 1844; and Alfred in 1849. In the 1850 census of Half Moon district, Onslow County, Omy “Ward” and four children are listed in one household (headed by B.M. Barry, a lawyer) and son Jack is in another.
The following free children of color were apprenticed in Onslow County in 1810:
Charles, Nancy and Ezekiel Chance, children of Charity Chance, to Williams Cox.
Thomas Corbett to Hardy Gregory.
Elisha, son of Sall [no last name] to James Orril.
Rachel, Sam, Billy, Harriet and Polly Smith, children of Margaret Smith, to John Ballard.
George, son of Hannah, [no last name] to William Murrell. Father a slave of Murrell.
Apprenticeship Records, Onslow County Records, North Carolina State Archives.
The following free children of color were apprenticed in Onslow County during the period 1801 through 1809:
Salona Hammons to John Willey, 1801.
Asa Hammonds to John Willey, 1801.
Henry Mashburn to Hach James, 1804.
Omy Whiters to Henry Horn, 1806.
Joshua Whiters to Henry Horn, 1806.
Rose Boon to James Thompson, 1807.
Hardy Jarman to Frances Willey, 1808.
Sucky Henderson to Richard Trott, 1809.
Polly Henderson to Isaac Barber, 1809.
Apprenticeship Records, Onslow County Records, North Carolina State Archives.
State of North Carolina } Court of Pleas and Quarter Sessions
Onslow County } June Term 1858
On motion is is Ordered that a Notice issue from this Court to Margary and Auphine Free women of color living in the White Oak district to bring all their Children Subject to apprenticeship to the next term of this Court to be bound out
Jasper Etheridge
David Jarman v. L.W. Humphrey, 51 NC 28 (1858).
The case was brought to try the question of L.W. Humphrey’s right to hold David Jarman as a slave. Jarman was once the slave of Edward Williams and is Humphrey’s slave, unless he has been legally emancipated. Benjamin Jarman filed a petition in Onslow County Superior Court attesting that he had been the slave of John Jarman and had been lawfully manumitted by the court for meritorious services; that, while a slave, he fathered a child named David, who was now about 30 years old; that David’s master, Williams, had been offered a large sum of money to free David but had refused and had, instead, sold David to his father Benjamin for a reduced price. Williams attested that he had owned David about 30 years; that he reposed unusual confidence in David; and that he had refused higher sums in order to sell David to his father. At September term, 1822, the Onslow County Superior Court entered a judgment that David was liberated, and he had conducted himself as a free man since. However, Humphrey asserted that Benjamin himself was a slave at the time he petitioned for David’s emancipation and therefore could neither have owned nor freed him. State Supreme Court held that Williams’ acquiescence in and recognition of David’s freedom demonstrated that the transfer of title had been valid and as “he and all other persons had treated and regarded [David] as free for more than thirty years, every presumption ought to be made in favor of his actual emancipation.”
See also State v. William Patrick, 51 NC 308 (1859), a Brunswick County indictment for carrying firearms: “It is clearly settled that it is evidence in favor of a negro, in a suit for his freedom, that he is generally reputed to be free, and has always acted and passed a free man. … If such evidence be admissible to establish the fact of a negro’s being free, when it is to operate in his favor, it seems to us, that it must equally be so when it is to operate against him.”
“Patsey Henderson a free woman of color in Onslow County came into court and desired her two sons (viz) James Henderson and Bryan Henderson be bound to Jesse Gregory agreeable to law and give Jason Gregory and Hezekiah Williams for securities in the sum of $1000 each.” [February Term, 1821]
Gatsey and William Henderson, “colour’d children the reputed children of Simon Dove dec’d,” apprenticed to James Glenn Sr. [August Term, 1822]
Bryan (14) and James Henderson (9), “the baseborn children of Patsey Henderson,” apprenticed to James Glenn sr. Betsy and Gatsy Henderson, children of Nancy Henderson, apprenticed to Lewis Mills. Miranda Henderson apprenticed to Elizabeth Williams. [August Term, 1824]
Minutes, Onslow County Court of Pleas and Quarter Sessions.
[Sidenote: Patsey Henderson was my great-great-great-great-great-grandmother; her son James, my great-great-great-great-grandfather. — LYH]
Sarah Bennet [Burnet?] duly sworn that she lived at Nus River in North Carolina in Onslow Co. in the year 1775, that she was well acquainted with a woman by the name of Ann Edens and the said Ann Edens was delivered of a black child who is now Isaac Edens. The said Anna Edens employed the deponent to raise her child and this deponent did so until he the said Isaac was 21 years of age and the said Isaac Edens was free born as his mother was a white woman. July Ct. Term 1799
11 July 1799 /s/ Sarah X Bennet [Burnet]
Wayne County Estates, Vol. B, Part 11, 1795-1807, page 300.
Fourth Generation Inclusive 