JAMES 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.]
20 Nov 1822. Ordered that Arthur Martin be appointed overseer of the road from Bass’s old ferry to the Beaver dam & that the hands of Solomon Grantham, Bryan Pipkin, Henry Stanley Benson & Barna Burnett work thereon.
Minute Docket 1820-23, Court of Pleas and Quarter Sessions, Records of Wayne County, North Carolina State Archives.
Locust, Daniel to Eliza Ann Goins, 1 Jan 1858, at H. Locust’s.
Lynch, Sherrard to Harriet Moore, 12 July 1855, at Gatlin Lynch’s.
In the 1860 census of Goldsboro, Wayne County: Gatlin Lynch, 44, wife Lovy, 40, children Emily, 14, and Betsey, 11, and Henry Coster, 13.
Mitchell, Henderson to Jane Dolinson, 18 March 1852, at Geo. Dolinson’s.
In the 1850 census of North Side of Neuse, Wayne County: Henderson Mitchell, 20, Council Hall, 23, and Jessee Hall, 21, all described as mulatto day laborers, in household of white merchant Ste Barnes, 28. Also, shoemaker George Dollerson, 63, wife Easter, 52, and Jane, 19, Nathan, 7, and Virginia, 9 months.
Munday, William to Emily Langley, 1 March 1855.
Read, Benjamin to Benanijah Hall, 25 November 1851, at Nahunta Depot.
In the 1850 census of North Side of the Neuse, Wayne County: Hilard Artice, 37, wife Vina, 24, and children Joshua, 15, Mary, 13, Sarah, 11, Elizabeth, 8, Isaac, 6, John, 5, Daniel, 3, and Hilliard, 2 months, plus Benjamin Read, 20. Also, Sherrard Hagins, 39, Mary, 39, Samuel, 20, Winifred, 18, Benjamin, 16, Mary, 13, Smithey, 10, Narcissa, 7, Robert, 7, and Nancy, 1. [This family used the surnames Hagans and Hall. “Benjamin,” a girl, was in fact the Benjah Ann Hall who married Benjamin Read.]
Reid, Laurence to Winny Hall, 10 Apr 1853, at Wm. Hooks’.
In the 1850 census of North Side of the Neuse, Wayne County: Sarah Read, 60, with Pearcy, 28, Laney, 22, and Laurence Reid, 21. See, also, “Winifred Hagans,” above.
Rowe, William to Delpha Bass, 15 July 1858.
Sampson, Lawrence to Eliza Seabery, 7 March 1861, at Theophilus Sampson’s.
In the 1850 census of North SIde of the Neuse, Wayne County: Theophilus Seaberry, 44, wife Rachell, 32, and children Kennean, 17, Sararna, 16, Eliza, 15, Aaron, 10, Litha, 8, Vicey, 7, Henry, 3, and Theophilus, 1, plus Calvin Smith, 22. In the 1860 census of Nahunta, Wayne County: Kinyon Artis, 50, wife Vina, 45, and children Lawrence, 24, Mary A., 22, Isaac, 18, Betsey, 17, Hill, 11, and Rhody, 9, and Martha P. Hall, 3. [Oddly enough, this is same family listed as above in 1850 as Hilard and Vina Artice, etc. The 1880 census of Pikeville, Wayne County, lists Lawrence Artis and his wife Eliza as Lawrence and Eliza Sampson.]
Simmons, Bryan to Elizabeth Winn, 24 August 1859, at Limestone.
Smith, John to Esther Dolerson, 5 January 1854, at Ephraim Jones’.
Sugg, Hinton to Martha George, 11 September 1856, at Goldsboro.
In the 1850 census of Greene County: Hinton Sugg, 16, mulatto, in the household of Martha Edmundson, 60, a white woman.
Toler, John to Apsilla Musgrave, 24 February 1853.
Troublefield, Peter B. to Nancy Adams, 19 January 1855, at Jesse Martin’s.
MATHEW W. ALDRIDGE was born about 1857 in Sampson County to Robert Aldridge and Mary Eliza Balkcum Aldridge. He married Fannie Cora Kennedy and operated a small grocery in Goldsboro, where he died in 1920.
WILLIAM MARSHALL ARTIS was born in 1875 near Eureka, Wayne County, to Adam T. Artis (1831-1919) and Frances Seaberry Artis (1845-1878). He lived and farmed in the area all his life and died in 1945.
[Sidenote: Louvicey Artis Aldridge was William M. Artis’ sister.]
State of North Carolina, Wayne County July 23rd 1853
Mary Wiggs after Being Duly Sworn Deposeth & Says as follows in (viz) that she was acquainted and knew one certain Fareby Simons a free woman of Color that lived with one William Burnham of Duplin County and State aforsaid and that Said fariby Simon was living with Said Burnham as an apprintice and after the Expiration of hir appriaticeship she the said fareby Simon had some Several Children in the time She livd with Burnham the Deponant further Say she heard Burnham tel hir father Samuel Herring that said fariby Simons and hir children was free and that he the said Burnham was to assist and Rais hir Children and have the use of them untwell they arived to the age of Twenty one years and then he the said Burnham was to let them go as they came of age the Deponant further Says that She has known Fariby Simons sixty or Sixty five years and knew hir before Burnham Told hir father that she was free further the Deponant Sayeth Not. /s/ Mary X Wiggs
Sworn to and Subscribed to Before Me the 23rd July AD 1853 Test George Flowers J.P.
This is one of three sworn statements by whites attesting to Fereby Simmons’ freedom.
Records of Slaves and Free People of Color, Wayne County Miscellaneous Records, North Carolina State Archives.
Z.L. was born in the late 1970s in Chicago, Illinois. She is descended from:
(1) Arthur Locklear [1831-??, NC/Indiana] via Andrew Locklear [1854-??, Ind.]
(2) Leasy Hagans [ca1800-ca1855, Nash/Wayne County] via Louisa Hagans [ca1824-ca1875, Wayne County] via Napoleon Hagans [1840-1896, Wayne County]
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]
On 20 September 1865, Montreville Simmons, 22, born in NC, residing in Chatham Township, Kent County, Ontario, Canada, son of John C. and Hepsie Simmons, married Victoria Brown, 16, born in Indiana, daughter of John and Mary Brown. Witnesses: Edwin Simons and C. Moore.
In the 1850 census of the South Side of the Neuse River, Wayne County: Calvin Simmons, 42, wife Hepsey, 46, and children Harriet, 13, Susan, 11, Montrival, 9, Jno. R., 7, Margaret, 5, Dixon, 3, and Geo. W. Simmons, 1, plus Robert Aldridge, 26, hireling.
In the 1861 census of Chatham and Gore townships, Kent County, Ontario: John C. Simmons, 50, wife Hepsy, 55, and children S.M., 16, Montreville, 15, John R., 14, Margaret A., 12, Dickie, 10, and George Simmons, 9. All reported being born in the US, and all were Baptist.
By 1870, Calvin Simmons and his youngest sons had returned to North Carolina, and are listed in Brogden township, Wayne County: Calvin Simons, 63, and Montville, 29, John R., 26, Dickson H., 21, and George W. Simmons, 20. On 3 March 1871, in Duplin County, Montville Simmons, son of Calvin Simmons and Hepsey Whitley, married Anna Henderson (1852-1906), daughter of James Henderson and Louisa Armwood.
By 1881, Montreville Simmons (40, farmer), wife Annie (29) and children Elizabeth (8), Doctor T. (7), Susan M. (4) and Montreville (2) are listed in the census of Chatham, Kent, Ontario. All were born in the US except Doctor and Montreville jr., who were born in Ontario, and all were Baptist. By 1900, the family was back in the United States, and are found in the census of Eel, Cass County, Indiana: on Park Avenue in Logansport, farmer Montville Simmons (Apr 1850), wife Anna (Mar 1861) and children James R. (Dec 1879), Montville (Jun 1881), and Dock (Dec 1879). Montville and Anna were born in NC; their sons in Canada. Montville and Anna had been married 28 years and reported 5 of 5 children living.
Marriage Registers, Kent County, Ontario, Canada; Canada census records; marriage register, Register of Deeds, Duplin County NC; US population schedules.
Fourth Generation Inclusive 