Short and Stout with a Dislocated Hip

Short and Stout with a Dislocated Hip. That was part of the description of one George Anderson Poplin on his World War I draft card.  He was also described as being a self-employed farmer with blue eyes, and light, or blonde, hair.

I came across George Anderson Poplin during my Mauldin family research, so how did he, a Poplin, end up in the middle of it?  George A. Poplin, born in 1885, was the youngest child of Confederate Solider William Henry Poplin.  W. H. Poplin first married Mary Charlotte Mauldin, the daughter of Benjamin R. Mauldin Sr. and Mary Cagle. There were many Mary's in the Mauldin family, so pulling Mary Charlotte from the heap was a part of untangling a very distraught and snarled ball of yarn. 

William Henry Poplin and Mary Charlotte Mauldin brought forth an enormous brood of about 9 children. Charlotte passed away on July 10, 1883, at the age of 58, and was buried at the Old Freedom Cemetery, in the Endy Community of Stanly County, NC. 

Afterwards, her husband, who outlived her, would marry another Mary, Mary Jane Foreman. Mary Jane Foreman was the daughter of Ferdinand F. Foreman and wife, Mary Kimrey Foreman. When they married on July 21, 1884, a respectable year after the death of his first wife, W. H. was 53 and Mary Jane was about 44. Despite being in their middle years, they had two children together, George Anderson the year after the wedding and Jennie A. Poplin, a few years later. 

William Henry Poplin

George's full sister, Jennie, would marry at the age of 18, on February 28, 1909, to William Canny Carpenter, 23, son of Julius Benjamin Carpenter and Mary Lucinda Harward. The young couple must have been elated about a year later, to discover Jennie was expecting their first child. Sadly, about 17 months after their marriage, neither Jennie, nor her daughter, survived the birth, both passing away on July 9, 1910, and being buried at Harward's Chapel Primitive Baptist Church Cemetery. Her husband, William Canny Carpenter, would remarry, in May of 1913, to Millie Jeanette Smith, another 'Jennie'.  They would have one child, Stella, born in November of the same year.  William Canny Carpenter would leave his little daughter fatherless when she was just an infant, passing away from Typhoid Fever in July of 1914, one of the earliest citizens of Stanly County to have a Death Certificate.   His wife and daughter survived and lived long lives. 

This left George Anderson Poplin the sole survivor of the union of William Henry Poplin and Mary Jane Foreman.  Other than this, there was nothing prodigious about George's life.  He lived to the respectable age of 76. He married, worked hard, and raised a family in the same county and community where he had grown up, himself.  What makes George extraordinary is that somehow, he has been coalesced with a separate George Poplin into one individual.

The merging of George Anderson and George Luther into one man, when they were twain, led to the causation of this post.  Two who lived during modern times have been amalgamated and now need to be disarticulated. Guess that has become my job.

The Will of William Henry Poplin mentioning his son, George A. Poplin

So let's first take a gander at who George Luther Poplin was. 

Born June 5, 1883, Luther was about two years older than Anderson, but they were contemporaries. George Luther was the son of Jeremiah "Jerry" Poplin and Mary Lutisha "Lou" Hatley Poplin.

George Luther looked nothing like the Nordic-appearing George Anderson. While George Anderson was short, stout, blonde and blue-eyed, George Luther tall, medium-built, with dark brown eyes and black hair. 

The first appearance in records for both was the 1900 census. 

Name	George A Poplin
Age	15
Birth Date	Mar 1885
Birthplace	North Carolina, USA
Home in 1900	Tyson, Stanly, North Carolina
Sheet Number	3
Number of Dwelling in Order of Visitation	59
Family Number	60
Race	White
Gender	Male
Relation to Head of House	Son
Marital Status	Single
Father's Name	William Poplin
Father's Birthplace	North Carolina, USA
Mother's Name	Mary J Poplin
Mother's Birthplace	North Carolina, USA
Occupation	Farm Laborer
Months Not Employed	0
Attended School	3
Can Read	N
Can Write	N
Can Speak English	Y
Neighbors	View others on page

Household members

Name	Age
William Poplin	72
Mary J Poplin	60
George A Poplin	15
Jinia A Poplin	12

George Anderson Poplin is shown as a 15-year-old farm laborer, living with his aging parents and 12-year-old sister.  They are living in Tyson Township, which is in the southern part of the county, covering the Aquadale and Cottonville area. W. H. and Mary Jane actually had their last child at 60 and 48 years of age!

Name	Geo L Poplin
Age	14
Birth Date	Jun 1883
Birthplace	North Carolina, USA
Home in 1900	Big Lick, Stanly, North Carolina
House Number	8
Sheet Number	2
Number of Dwelling in Order of Visitation	26
Family Number	26
Race	White
Gender	Male
Relation to Head of House	Son
Marital Status	Single
Father's Name	Jerry Poplin
Father's Birthplace	North Carolina, USA
Mother's Name	Mary L Poplin
Mother's Birthplace	North Carolina, USA
Occupation	Farm Laborer
Attended School	0
Can Read	Y
Can Write	Y
Can Speak English	Y
Neighbors	View others on page

Household members

Name	Age
Jerry Poplin	51
Mary L Poplin	43
Richard Poplin	18
Geo L Poplin	14
Ada Jane Poplin	11
Ida O Poplin	9
Mary Magaline Poplin	5

George Luther Poplin was portrayed as a 14 year old farm laborer in his parents' home in Big Lick, in the western section of the county. 

Name	Luther Poplin
Age in 1910	26
Birth Date	1884
Birthplace	North Carolina
Home in 1910	Albemarle, Stanly, North Carolina, USA
Sheet Number	18a
Street	Wiscassett Hill
Race	White
Gender	Male
Relation to Head of House	Boarder
Marital Status	Single
Father's Birthplace	North Carolina
Mother's Birthplace	North Carolina
Native Tongue	English
Occupation	Laborer
Industry	Rail Road
Employer, Employee or Other	Wage Earner
Able to read	Y
Able to Write	Y
Enumeration District Number	0116
Out of Work	N
Number of Weeks Out of Work	0
Enumerated Year	1910
Neighbors	View others on page

Household members

Name	Age
Julia Louder	46
Grace Louder	20
William Louder	18
Mame Louder	14
Lula Lowder	7
Luther Roblin	26
Richie Misenheimer	46

1910 : George Luther, now 26, has moved to the town of Albemarle. He is working for the railroad as a laborer. Called Luther, he is boarding in the home of a Lowder family.

While George Anderson, that same year,  found himself in a virtual  Poplins Grove. He had married Wincy Ellen Swearengen on December 6, 1906, and by 1910, they were already parents of two children, Harry and Leola..

Name	George Poplin
Gender	Male
Race	White
Age	21
Birth Year	abt 1885
Marriage Date	9 Dec 1906
Marriage Place	Stanly, North Carolina, USA
Spouse	Wincie Swaringen
Spouse Gender	Female
Spouse Race	White
Spouse Age	19
Event Type	Marriage

There were living, and farming, along the Concord Road, surrounded by family members. There was a reason for that. A family story concerning W. H. Poplin was that as his children grew up and married, many settled all around him on his property. He had a spring in the center, where they all came to get water. In time, his children all became arguementive with each other. To prevent this, he deeded sections of land to his children that all connected at the spring, with a path to it left in his property. An example of this is found in Book 26, Page 374, Stanly County Deeds, Stanly County Register of Deeds. In an alotment to his older son, William Martin Poplin, he states, 

"I, William H. Poplin have soled (sic) 2 acres off the above mentioned land which I except in this deed lying and being on the south side of the above mentioned Big Rode (sic) in witness of. 

Titus A. Coble

M. M. Poplin"

William Henry Poplin had far more daughters than sons, who survived to adulthood.

In 1912, George Luther Poplin also married, to Mary Ann Burris, daughter of Henry S. Burris and Catherine Elizabeth Treece. Born August 2, 1881, in Stanly County, Mary Ann first shows up in the 1900 census living in the town of York, York County, South Carolina, where her family had relocated, and working as a spinner in a Cotton Mill. By 1910, the family had returned to Stanly County, and were living on the Salisbury Road in Albemarle, and Mary Ann was now working as a Winder in a Cotton Mill.

                                                         - 1920 -

Name	George A Coplin
Age	34
Birth Year	abt 1886
Birthplace	North Carolina
Home in 1920	Tyson, Stanly, North Carolina
House Number	Farm
Residence Date	1920
Race	White
Gender	Male
Relation to Head of House	Head
Marital Status	Married
Spouse's Name	WI* Coplin
Father's Birthplace	North Carolina
Mother's Birthplace	North Carolina
Native Tongue	English
Able to Speak English	Yes
Occupation	Farmer
Industry	Farmer
Employment Field	Own Account
Home Owned or Rented	Owned
Home Free or Mortgaged	Free
Able to read	Yes
Able to Write	Yes
Neighbors	View others on page

Household members

Name	Age
George A Coplin	34
WI* Coplin	40
Howie Coplin	12
Leora Coplin	9
Coy Coplin	0

In 1920, George Anderson Poplin is shown in an obtuse a transcription error as a "Coplin" and Wincy's name is completely illegible. All three of their children have now arrived with little Coy, an infant. The three were, officially, Harvey Raleigh Poplin, aka Howie or Harry; Leola Virginia Poplin, here shown as 'Leora'; and Ray McCoy Poplin, or simply, Coy.

Name	Luther Poplin
Age	36
Birth Year	abt 1884
Birthplace	North Carolina
Home in 1920	Albemarle, Stanly, North Carolina
Street	Hill St
Residence Date	1920
Race	White
Gender	Male
Relation to Head of House	Son-in-law
Marital Status	Married
Spouse's Name	Mary A Poplin
Father's Birthplace	North Carolina
Mother's Birthplace	North Carolina
Able to Speak English	Yes
Occupation	Laborer
Industry	Cotton Mill
Employment Field	Wage or Salary
Able to read	Yes
Able to Write	Yes
Neighbors	View others on page

Household members

Name	Age
Henry S Burris	58
Katharine Burris	59
Luther Poplin	36
Mary A Poplin	38

1920 finds  George Luther Poplin married, and living on Hill Street in Albemarle, boarding with his wife's parents and working as a laborer in a Cotton Mill. He and Mary Ann are both in their thirties.

George Luther Poplin

 George Luther and Mary Ann Burris Poplin did not have any biological children of their own, but there was a daughter. She had escaped detection, as she was not with them in 1920, they were missing in the 1930, and she was married by the 1940. Her name is mentioned in her parents' obituaries and finding her led to a calamitous tale of its own. 

Name	Tom Holt
Age	22
Birth Year	abt 1898
Birthplace	North Carolina
Home in 1920	Albemarle, Stanly, North Carolina
Street	Hickory Street
House Number	X
Residence Date	1920
Race	White
Gender	Male
Relation to Head of House	Head
Marital Status	Married
Spouse's Name	Martha Holt
Father's Birthplace	North Carolina
Mother's Birthplace	North Carolina
Native Tongue	English
Able to Speak English	Yes
Occupation	Machinist Hlp
Industry	Aluminum Plant
Employment Field	Wage or Salary
Home Owned or Rented	Rented
Able to Write	No
Neighbors	View others on page

Household members

Name	Age
Tom Holt	22
Martha Holt	26
Therman Holt	5
Malanee Holt	1
Minenette Holt	1
Gladys Holt	0

Tom and Martha Holt were a young Albemarle couple in their 20's with 4 little children, in the 1920 census, their 5-year-old son, Therman, 1 year old twins, Melonee and Mignonette, and a newborn infant, Gladys. Tom was working at the Aluminum plant in Badin, NC, about 7 miles from Albemarle, and living on Hickory Street in Albemarle. 

Tom's full name was Thomas Mitchell Holt, born in 1896 to James Allen Holt and wife Frankie Sides Holt. His wife, Martha Jane Epps had been born in 1892 in Montgomery County. This idyllic grouping would be eradicated over the next few years. Martha died first, on June 19, 1923, of influenza and tuberculosis, at just 28 years old. 

Tom would follow in just 6 years, November 11, 1929, of a prolonged illness, at the age of 33.

Of his four children, it was reported in his obituary, that they all had been "provided with good homes". 

The oldest, Thurman, now 15, had went to live with his mother's brother, James Epps, in Big Lick. They had a son near his age, his cousin, Cecil Epps, shown below, in 1930.

Name	Thurman Holt
Birth Year	abt 1915
Gender	Male
Race	White
Age in 1930	15
Birthplace	North Carolina
Marital Status	Single
Relation to Head of House	Nephew
Home in 1930	Big Lick, Stanly, North Carolina, USA
Map of Home	Big Lick,Stanly,North Carolina
Street Address	Fifth street
Dwelling Number	73
Family Number	77
Attended School	Yes
Able to Read and Write	Yes
Father's Birthplace	North Carolina
Mother's Birthplace	North Carolina
Able to Speak English	Yes
Neighbors	View others on page

Household members

Name	Age
James E Epps	41
Fannie B Epps	36
Cecil Epps	13
Thurman Holt	15

Of the twins, both born on March 15, 1918, Migonette was adopted by Raymond Lee McLester and wife, Lula Estelle Smith McLester. At the time, they had a 7-year-old son, Melvin, and were living on Mason Street, in Albemarle. A second child, daughter Macie Deane, would be born five years later. After his children were all grown up, Raymond would divorce and remarry, and have a fourth child, a daughter, in 1955, with his second wife, thirty-seven years younger than Migonette. Cavernous spacing. 

The other twin, Melonee, was taken in as a foster child by the Walter Frederick and Gertie Jerome Sides Fraley family. The Fraley's would eventually have a son, Jimmie, in 1934.

Name	Mellince Holt
Birth Year	abt 1917
Gender	Female
Race	White
Age in 1930	13
Birthplace	North Carolina
Marital Status	Single
Relation to Head of House	Lodger
Home in 1930	North Albemarle, Stanly, North Carolina, USA
Map of Home	North Albemarle,Stanly,North Carolina
House Number	133
Dwelling Number	307
Family Number	327
Attended School	Yes
Able to Read and Write	Yes
Father's Birthplace	North Carolina
Mother's Birthplace	North Carolina
Able to Speak English	Yes
Neighbors	View others on page

Household members

Name	Age
Walter F Fraley	35
Gertie J Fraley	27
Mellince Holt	13

Melonee grew up in New London and was not adopted.  She never married and lived to be 78.

Gladys, the baby of the family, was adopted by George Luther Poplin and wife Mary Ann. She would marry a Morton.

Mary Burris Poplin

George Luther Poplin may, or may not have been the George Poplin who chose a brief career in law enforcement. He and his family are missing from the 1930 census.

. George Anderson Poplin,  is listed in the 1930 census, however. At this time, he has moved his family down to Tyson, out in the country, near the Rocky River. He is working as a salesman for the McNess Feed Company, and living on a dirt, or 'unimproved' country road. 

Name	George Poplin
Birth Year	abt 1888
Gender	Male
Race	White
Age in 1930	42
Birthplace	North Carolina
Marital Status	Married
Relation to Head of House	Head
Home in 1930	Tyson, Stanly, North Carolina, USA
Map of Home	Tyson,Stanly,North Carolina
Street Address	Unimproved Country Road
Dwelling Number	132
Family Number	132
Home Owned or Rented	Owned
Radio Set	No
Lives on Farm	Yes
Age at First Marriage	21
Attended School	No
Able to Read and Write	Yes
Father's Birthplace	North Carolina
Mother's Birthplace	North Carolina
Able to Speak English	Yes
Occupation	Salesman
Industry	McNess Need Co
Class of Worker	Wage or salary worker
Employment	Yes
Neighbors	View others on page

Household members

Name	Age
George Poplin	42
Wincie Poplin	50
Coy Poplin	11

By 1940, George Anderson Poplin had moved to Albemarle, in a rented house on Sibley Avenue. This was in an industrial area, where a little neighborhood had grown up around it, known as "Sibley Town". His children had now all grown up and were out on their own. It was now just he and Wincy.

Name	George A Poplin
Age	58
Estimated Birth Year	abt 1882
Gender	Male
Race	White
Birthplace	North Carolina
Marital Status	Married
Relation to Head of House	Head
Home in 1940	Albemarle, Stanly, North Carolina
Map of Home in 1940	Albemarle,Stanly,North Carolina
Street	Sibley Avenue
House Number	216
Farm	No
Inferred Residence in 1935	Rural, Stanly, North Carolina
Residence in 1935	Rural, Stanly, North Carolina
Resident on farm in 1935	Yes
Sheet Number	17A
Number of Household in Order of Visitation	350
House Owned or Rented	Rented
Value of Home	12
Attended School or College	No
Highest Grade Completed	Elementary school, 7th grade
Neighbors	View others on page

Household members

Name	Age
George A Poplin	58
Wincie Poplin	62
Hennitte Simpson	74
James Hattey	48
Dewey Poplin	22

 George was not listed with an occupation, but his wife, Wincy was noted as being a Waitress for the WPH, which was listed as Government Work. They had taken in three boarders, Henrietta Simpson, James Hatley and Dewey Poplin. Henrietta Simpson was 74 is this census and was shown with no occupation. She had no close or apparent relation to the Poplins. Born Henrietta Thompson in 1872 to David Thomas Thompson and Mary Ann Smith, of Montgomery County, she was the widow of George Thomas Simpson, son of old John B. Simpson, a notorious and at the same time, valiant, character about town, in Stanly County. 

Hickory Daily Record Hickory, North Carolina • Fri, Feb 18, 1955Page 6

Henrietta would live much longer than this. The mother of 9 children, in ten years, she is found living with her daughter Lilly, in Burlington, NC, in 1950. She would spend two years after that, with her son, Vance, in Hickory, before returning home to Albemarle, where she passed away in 1955 at the age of 83.

James Hatley was noted as a 48 year old male, working as a seamstress at a Sewing Mill. This terminology is confusing. In 1940, a man would not have been called a 'seamstress'. This was not James Cleveland Hatley or James Solomon Hatley, who were both also 48 years old this year, married and heads of their families. I'm not sure who this single, James Hatley, was.

Dewey Poplin, 22, was noted as George's nephew, and worked as an apprentice in a Construction Company. His full name was Dewey Patrick Popln, and he was the son of George's brother, Jonah. Dewey would serve in WWII, marry, move to Durham, raise a family and live a long full life.

Name	G Luther Paplin
Respondent	Yes
Age	56
Estimated Birth Year	abt 1884
Gender	Male
Race	White
Birthplace	North Carolina
Marital Status	Married
Relation to Head of House	Head
Home in 1940	West and North Albemarle, Stanly, North Carolina
Map of Home in 1940	West and North Albemarle,Stanly,North Carolina
Street	Oakboro & St Martin Road
Farm	No
Inferred Residence in 1935	Rural, Stanly, North Carolina
Residence in 1935	Rural, Stanly, North Carolina
Resident on farm in 1935	Yes
Sheet Number	16A
Number of Household in Order of Visitation	308
Occupation	Salesman
House Owned or Rented	Owned
Value of Home	775
Attended School or College	No
Highest Grade Completed	Elementary school, 4th grade
Hours Worked Week Prior to Census	40
Class of Worker	Working on own account
Weeks Worked in 1939	52
Income	0
Income Other Sources	Yes
Neighbors	View others on page

Household members

Name	Age
G Luther Paplin	56
Mary Ann Paplin	58

1940 George Luther is living in West Albemarle, on the upper part of the St Martin Road, that was also referred to as the Oakboro Road. I believe this is where the confusion really began, where the two men have been merged. Guess where he was working? The McNess Seed Company, as a Salesman, the job George Anderson Poplin had held a decade prior. 

Name	G Luther Paplin
Respondent	Yes
Age	56
Estimated Birth Year	abt 1884
Gender	Male
Race	White
Birthplace	North Carolina
Marital Status	Married
Relation to Head of House	Head
Home in 1940	West and North Albemarle, Stanly, North Carolina
Map of Home in 1940	West and North Albemarle,Stanly,North Carolina
Street	Oakboro & St Martin Road
Farm	No
Inferred Residence in 1935	Rural, Stanly, North Carolina
Residence in 1935	Rural, Stanly, North Carolina
Resident on farm in 1935	Yes
Sheet Number	16A
Number of Household in Order of Visitation	308
Occupation	Salesman
House Owned or Rented	Owned
Value of Home	775
Attended School or College	No
Highest Grade Completed	Elementary school, 4th grade
Hours Worked Week Prior to Census	40
Class of Worker	Working on own account
Weeks Worked in 1939	52
Income	0
Income Other Sources	Yes
Neighbors	View others on page

Household members

Name	Age
G Luther Paplin	56
Mary Ann Paplin	58

Luther and his wife were both 58 and their daughter, Gladys, had already married.

The 1950's - the last decade.

Name	G A Drye
Age	64
Birth Date	abt 1886
Gender	Male
Race	White
Birth Place	North Carolina
Marital Status	Married
Relation to Head of House	Head
Residence Date	1950
Home in 1950	Albemarle, Stanly, North Carolina, USA
Dwelling Number	424
Farm	No
Acres	No
Occupation Category	Unable to Work

Household members

Name	Age
G A Drye	64
Wincey S Drye	74

The 1950 census portrays George Anderson Poplin as a decade younger than his wife, Wincey, which was incorrect. They were labeled as 'Unable to Work', and lived next door to their daughter, Leola.

1950 George Luther and his wife, Mary Ann, were also unable to work, and still living in their home on St. Martin Road. 

Name	George L Poplin
Age	66
Birth Date	abt 1884
Gender	Male
Race	White
Birth Place	North Carolina
Marital Status	Married
Relation to Head of House	Head
Residence Date	1950
Home in 1950	Stanly, North Carolina, USA
Street Name	St. Martin Church Rd.
Apartment Number	Site
Dwelling Number	184
Farm	No
Acres	No
Occupation Category	Unable to Work

Household members

Name	Age
George L Poplin	66
Mary A Poplin	67

George Luther Poplin passed awayon June 9, 1962. He was 79 years old.  His wife Mary Ann would survive him for another four years.

Name	George Luther Poplin
Birth Date	5 Jun 1883
Birth Place	Stanly County, North Carolina, United States of America
Death Date	9 Jun 1962
Death Place	Albemarle, Stanly County, North Carolina, United States of America
Cemetery	Canton Baptist Church Cemetery
Burial or Cremation Place	Albemarle, Stanly County, North Carolina, United States of America
Has Bio?	Y
Father	Jeremiah P. Poplin
Mother	Mary Latisha Poplin
Spouse	Mary Ann Poplin

The above is from Find-A-Grave. George Luther was buried at Canton Baptist Church, a rural congregation west of Albemarle.

George Luther had been suffering for about a year and was treated at Stanly Memorial Hosptial. He passed of Cerbral Thrombosis, a bloodclot.

In the meantime, George Anderson Poplin had lost his beloved Wincey in 1952, just a few years after the last census record. He would not stay lonely and would remarry to a Mrs. Mary McMurray. Mary is a bit of a mystery. She shows up in Albemarle in 1955 in a hospital stay, and joins West Albemarle Baptist Church the same year. She is readmitted to the hospital in 1960, and by this time is married to George. She is mentioned in his death certificate and obituary, and then , no more information on her. Where did she come form and where died she go after his death? She is not buried with him. Mary is an enigma.

George A. Poplin lived to be 76, passing away of a cerebral hemmorrhage. He was survived by his wife, Mary and his three children.

Oddly, it was revealed that he had bee living at 221 Sibley Street, which is the only survivng house on that street. The above photo is of George Anderson Poplin and probably, Mary McMurray Poplin. He was still short and stout in his golden years.

The Salisbury Post Salisbury, North Carolina • Tue, Nov 7, 1961Page 15

There were two other George Poplins in the area who were contemporaries of G. Luther and G. Anderson, however, no one seemed to get them confused with anyone else.George Nathan Poplin was just a few years youonger than the above tow, being born in 1890. The son of  Richard Tillman and Frankie Poplin, he married Mary Alice Mabry, and died in1978. 

Then there was George David Poplin, born in 1883. This George was the son of William and Cornelia Miller Poplin, and grew up in the Stanfield area. He married Roxie Esther Clayton and died in 1960.

George Poplin was a popular name.

Temperance and Franklin

Some lives are but a whisper in the wind, a touch of breeze before a storm, a sprite that passes so quickly you hardly realize that it was ever there. Dowd Franklin Mauldin, my third Great Granduncle, and youngest son of James O. Mauldin and wife, Mary A. Smith Mauldin, was one of those whispers. He made it to adulthood, but died very young.

Until recently, I didn't realize that Franklin had ever married, but he did. No marriage license exists, and I don't believe any children survived them. His wife was named Temperance, her maiden name unknown, her location prior to matrimony, and her fate afterwards, remain a mystery. Yet, for one brief halcyon moment, there existed Temperance and Franklin.

Dowd Franklin Mauldin had lost his father at about 6 years of age. The first record of his existence was in his father's 1848 estate file. His mother, Mary, was the executress.  In the August  1850 Session of the Court of Pleas and Quarters for Stanly County, North Carolina, Mary Mauldin was appointed guardian of her own minor children, James, Benjamin, Eliza, Parham and Franklin Mauldin.She submitted a $200 bond in conjunction with John Mauldin, Thomas Mauldin and John F. Stone as securities. John and Thomas were two of the older, adult children of James O. Mauldin.

Household members

Name	Age
Mary Mauldin	52
James Mauldin	19
Mary Mauldin	21
Benjamin Mauldin	17
Eliza Mauldin	15
Parham Mauldin	12
Franklin Mauldin	8

The 1850 census gives the ages of those children. Mary was 52, her daughter, Mary Jr. was 21, and therefore of seniority and not given to her mothers guardianship. James O. Jr. was 19, Benjamin II (as James O. Mauldin's brother was the 1st and his son the Jr.) was 17, Eliza 15, Parham 12 and Franklin 8. At this time they were living in Freeman's township, off of Jacob's Creek, where James land grant was located, and probably near the area where the family cemetery still exists, off of McNeil Road, east of Albemarle and north of Norwood. 

A decade later, Mary has relocated among a number of Smiths, who lived off of the Salisbury Road, north of Albemarle and had properties adjoining David Kendall. Why had she moved into this family group of dozens of Smiths? Had this move betokened her origins?

Name	Frank Maulden
Age	20
Birth Year	abt 1840
Gender	Male
Race	White
Home in 1860	Stanly, North Carolina
Post Office	Albemarle
Dwelling Number	621
Family Number	628
Occupation	Day Laborer
Inferred Mother	Mary Maulden

Household members

Name	Age
Mary Maulden	62
Frank Maulden	20
Elizabeth Maulden	5
Ellen Smith	21
Mary F Smith	1

The 1860 census came with a basket of questions. Led by Mary 62, and Frank, listed as 20, when it was probably 18 or 19, instead, there were others in the household that left ominifarious questions. I have solved the question of whom 5 year old Elizabeth "Mauldin" was. I believe she was actually Mary's granddaughter, Mary Elizabeth Russell, born in 1854, who was the daughter of Eliza Mauldin, who had married William Henry Russell. Eliza had died in 1857, leaving her husband with two children, William Isaiah Russell born in 1852, and Mary Elizabeth. While Henry is found in 1860, living with his parents, Eli and Elizabeth Russell, along with his 7 year old son, his daughter is missing. This Elizabeth "Mauldin" appears to be the right age, and her surname was in error. There were two other individuals in the household, Ellen Smith, 21, and a baby, Mary F. Smith. Ellen was most likely the mother of Mary F. Smith. Who were they and how were they related to the Mauldins?

Archibald Mauldin, who passed away in 1857, included D. F. Mauldin in a codicil in his will.

"I bequeath to Franklin Mauldin thirteen 3/4 acres of land joining the part of land that falls to his share."

He left young Franklin nearly 14 acres that had joined Franklins part of their father's estate.

Another area where D. F. Franklin's name is found is in the estate papers of  Elizabeth Russell. Elizabeth is my 3rd Great Grandmother. Her husband, Eli Henry Russell passed away in 1854. The concantenation between this family and the Mauldins is complicated and plentiful.

My most direct connection is through their daugthers, Martha Margaret "Mattie" Russell, my second Great Grandmother, who married Frank Washington Mauldin, son of Thomas Alexander Mauldin, and a nephew of Dowd Franklin Mauldin. Another link is through their son, William Henry Russell, who married Eliza Mauldin, the youngest sister of D.F. Mauldin. It's also thought that Elizabeth's maiden name was Mauldin, but I'm begining to doubt that. I believe, instead, that someone,  somewhere along the line, confused Elizabeth, wife of Eli Henry Russell, with Eliza, who married her son, William Henry. Still, I have a presage that there may have been yet another link between the Russells and the Mauldins.

Elizabeth Russell was alive in the 1860 census. Her estate was probated in 1861. An estate sale took place on October 25, 1861. D. F. Mauldin and his brother, Parham made purchases on this day. Many purchases.

In the above section, D. F. purchased a cage, 12 lbs of picked cotton and 78 lbs of Cotton seed, while Parham purchased 4 1/4 lbs of picked cotton.

On this page, D. F. Mauldin purchased a side saddle, a tin pan, and one pitcher and dish. Parham bought a spinning wheel, a churn, 2 milk (spelled milch in those days) crocks, a coffee pot, and a pitcher. These purchases suggest both brothers were married by this time. D. F's purchase of a side saddle was probably either an engagement gift or a wedding present for his bride, Temperance. 

Other buyers at the estate auction were Sarah Tolbert (Talbert), John Thompson, Jerusha Hudson, Francis Marbury (Mabry), Alex Russell, (son of Elizabeth), Wiley Hudson, E. D.Swaringen, and John Poplin. 

Lastly, on this page, although there were multiple others, we find D. F Mauldin purchasing a 'slag', twice, from the estate of Elizabeth Russell, although I can't tell you exaclty what it was, possibily an aggregate of iron, glass or steel. Parham picked up a set of cups and saucers, and some slag himself. Other purchasers were Elizabeth's daughters Mary and Martha, Martha being my 2nd Great Grandmother, and  her son, Alexander. Again, the names of John Thompson, Ferdinand Foreman, Ben Upchurch, T. A. Simpson, George P. Ross, Sarah Tolbert and James Hinson are found. 

In the Court Minutes of the August, 1862 Session of  the Pleas and Quarters of Stanly County, NC we find the following three paragraphs, coincidentally right in a row. 

"Ordered by the Court that Sarah Mauldin be appointed administrator of James Mauldin, deceased upon her giving bond of three hundred dollars with W. F. Nash and W. J. Ross as Securities."

"Ordered by the Court that Temperance Mauldin be appointed administrator of Franklin Mauldin deceased upon her giving bond  of $200 with W. F. Nash and W. J. Ross securites, bond filled, she takes the usual oath  and letters of admininstration."

"Ordered by the Courth that James E. Mauldin be appointed administrator of David A. Mauldin."

L. Green, W. F. Nash and G.M Sides, were securities in the David A. Mauldin estate case.

So, Dowd Franklin had married Temperance between July 4, of 1860, when the 1860 census was taken by J. M. McCorkle, and August of 1862, when his bride was appointed the administrator of his estate. He was alive in October of 1861, when he made purchases at the Estate Sale of Elizabeth Russell. By the purchases of a few feminine items, such as a side saddle, he was probably married by then. It was a brief marriage.

Who were the other two Mauldins who seemingly died about the same time as D. F. Mauldin?

Name	James Mauldin
Enlistment Age	30
Birth Date	1832
Enlistment Date	15 Mar 1862
Enlistment Place	Stanly County, North Carolina
Enlistment Rank	Private
Muster Date	15 Mar 1862
Muster Place	North Carolina
Muster Company	K
Muster Regiment	28th Infantry
Muster Regiment Type	Infantry
Muster Information	Enlisted
Muster Out Date	27 May 1862
Muster Out Place	Hanover Court House, Virginia
Muster Out Information	Killed
Side of War	Confederacy
Survived War?	No
Residence Place	Stanly County, North Carolina
Title	North Carolina Troops 1861-65, A Roster

James Mauldin referred to James O. Mauldin, Jr., D. F. Mauldin's brother, who had married Sarah Ross. Sarah Ross was the daugther of Wiley Ross and Sarah Dudney, and the granddaughter of Williamson Ross and Elizabeth Odom. The W.J. Ross who served as security for both Sarah and Temperance was Williamson Jackson Ross, son of Green David Ross, who was also a son of Williamson Ross and Elizabeth Odom. This made Sarah Ross Mauldin and W. J. Ross first cousins. As an aside, George P. Ross, who was with the Mauldin brothers among the purchasers at the estate sale of Elizabeth Russell, was George Packingham Ross, who married Martha Nobles and was the son of  Woodson Ross and Mary Sarah Smith. Woodson Ross was also a son of Williamson Ross and Elizabeth Odom, so one big connected family.

As can be seen on the above record, James O. Mauldin, Jr., was a casualty of the Civil War, being killed in battle at Hanover Court House, Virginia.

The third group, James E. Mauldin and David A. Mauldin, were James Ervin (1827-1905) and David Arnold Mauldin, son of Benjamin R. Mauldin Sr., brother of James O. Mauldin Sr. and so these two brothers were first cousins of Dowd Franklin Mauldin and James O. Jr. 

David Arnold Mauldin also enlisted in the Civil War. His records on Fold3 are minimal and mysterious. A remark on his Muster Roll record, where it states he enlisted at Salisbury in February of 1862 by Major Gibbs for a period of 1 year informed that he "Refused to re-enlist for this War and was thrown into a 12 months company"

Another records gives a list of units or duties he was assigned to: 

Capt. Griswold Co. Local Defense (Provost Guard)

Goldsboro and Home Guards, Goldsboro

Capt. Hoskins Co. Local Defense and Capt. Howards Co. Prison Guards.

Below is a statement attached to his profile taken from "Ye Mauldins" by Ervin Mauldin.

David enlisted Feb 1, 1862  in Company D, 42nd NC regiment for only one year. He was assigned to be a prison guard at the Confederate prison in Salisbury, NC in Rowan County (the prison where so many Union soldiers died during the war.)  Apparently what he saw there was too much for him because he refused to re-enlist for a second year.  However, this refusal was not accepted and he was reassigned for another year and thrown into a 12 month company. The records do not say what he did the rest of the time he was in service nor if he was ever discharged. His descendants say he returned home where he died of a disease he contacted during the war. In 1863, David's land and home were awarded to his wife and four children.

David was deceased by August of 1862, we can know because of the entry in the August 1862 Court Minutes. His estate was probated beginning in August of 1862 and continued until 1866. He has a marker at Silver Springs Church in Aquadale, where he and his wife, Mahala Elizabeth Whitaker, daughter of Samuel Nelson and Sophia Murray Whitaker, attended.

There is no record that I can detect, that Dowd Franklin Mauldin enlisted in the War. However, it was a nearly mandatory act for young men of the era, willing or not. I wonder if David's refusal had anything to do with his demise. I also wonder if the War had anything to do with the death of D. F. Mauldin. Did he enlist and the record lost? There were reports of men hung or executed by the Home Guard, but no names attached, except for a few in Montgomery County. Was Franklin a victim of the Civil War in some manner? He was deceased by August of 1862 and only 19 years old.

The last record of the brief life of Franklin Mauldin was his estate papers. Here, we learn, he had a bride named Temperance.

There was not a great deal of anything to his estate. The above is primarily food items.

The auction of his estate took place on September 8, 1862. W. F. Nash was the biggest purchaser of items, including the side saddle Franklin had bought of the Elizabeth Russell estate. Other names were W. J. Ross, C. J. Laton, Alex Russell, son of Elizabeth Russell, neighbor Marcus Carter, Isham Tolbert and Franklin's brother, Thomas Mauldin.

So, who was Temperance Mauldin? It's hard to surmise. The next census would have been the 1870, and there is no Temperance, or Tempy Mauldin, anywhere. Tempy would have likely been young, as was Frank. She could have remarried. The marriage may have been so brief, that she returned to her maiden name. Yet again, like Frank, she could have died young.

Temperance was not an uncommon name for the time and place, but not close to being as common as say Mary, or Nancy or Sarah.

It's one of those Quaker names, like Obedience, or Charity or Patience. While Tempy may not have lived until 1870, she would have had to have been alive in 1850 and 1860. While she could have been older than Frank, she could have not been too much younger, as she would have been a child, he himself being so young. Another thing, since their marriage was so brief, there was a good chance that she didn't live too very far away from him either. Since the numbers of possible Temperances was not overwhelming, I decided to look for possible candidates. 

First, it would seem that the Ellen Smith who was living with Franklin and his mother, Mary in the 1860 census would have been a perfect candidate for a bride, unless she was a close relative, which she could have been. Was she Temperance Ellen Smith?  I have no apophena for this theory, as I can find no trace of Ellen Smith, or her possible daughter, Margaret F. Smith, either before this census, or after.

There were two Temperances, or Tempies, who lived fairly close to the Mauldins in 1860, but both were married and much older than Franklin. First, there was Tempy Randle, who was 50 in 1860, and lived with her husband James C. Randall, 76. This was Temperance Pennington Randall, who hadn't married her husband until 1851, and  James C. Randall actually outlived young Franklin Mauldin, passing away in 1866.

The other nearby Tempie was Temperance McDaniel Lisk, who was 44 in 1860 and the wife of  William Jackson Lisk, and also ruled out as she and her husband were still together and living in 1870.

And so it went. Tempie Green, Tempie Ledbetter, Tempie C. Ledbetter, Temperance Austin and Tempie Russell, the Albemarle City Seamstress, were too old or too married. Tempie Lefler, Temperance K. Green and Tempy McDaniel were too young, far too young to marry between 1860 and 1861.

There were only a few, nearby, of proper age, who were not ruled out by marriage or otherwise. 

Temperance Elliott was born about 1839 and was the daughter of Charles Pennington Elliott and his wife, Rebecca Haltom. 

Name	Miss Tempy Elliott
Gender	Female
Residence Date	Abt 1859
Residence Place	Stanly
Marriage Date	9 Dec 1859
Parents	Charles Eiliott
Spouse	James Clayton

Miss Tempie Elliott had actually married on December 9th of 1859 to James Clayton, in Stanly County, as reported in a newspaper called, The Spirit of the Age, January 5, 1859 edition, page 3. The marriage was no more by the summer of  1860 when Mr. McCorkle came around and enumerated Tempy by her maiden name back in her parents home. In fact, Temperance Elliott never went by another name in future records, except Elliott.

Name	Tempe Elliotte
Age	21
Birth Year	abt 1839
Gender	Female
Race	White
Home in 1860	Stanly, North Carolina
Post Office	Albemarle
Dwelling Number	1158
Family Number	1174
Cannot Read, Write	Y
Inferred Father	Charles Elliotte
Inferred Mother	Becky Elliotte

Household members

Name	Age
Charles Elliotte	52
Becky Elliotte	52
Tempe Elliotte	21
J M Elliotte
Margaret P Elliotte	12
M J Elliotte	9

Her temporary husband, James F. Clayton, was a Civil War soldier, and was killed at Frazier's Farm battle in Virginia on June 30, 1862. Above shows Tempie in the 1860 census, living with her parents as an Elliotte, not a Clayton. While mistakes were often made when family members or others of a different surname were living in a household, Tempie's husband was not living with her.

Temperance Elliott died in 1886 at the age of 47. She left a Will, naming her sisters, and some of the children of her siblings. Temperance Elliotte was buried a single woman in the Kirk and Clayton family cemetery near Badin.

Another Temperance in the age range was Temperance J. Colson. The daughter of Jacob Harris Colson and Zilphia Drake Threadgill, she was born in 1842 in  North Carolina. Every census she is in gives her birthplace as such, but in 1850, as a 7 year old, her family is found in Marshall County, Mississippi.

Name	Temperance J Colson
Gender	Female
Race	White
Residence Age	7
Birth Date	abt 1843
Birthplace	North Carolina
Residence Date	1850
Home in 1850	Northern Division, Marshall, Mississippi, USA
Attended School	Yes
Line Number	8
Dwelling Number	1127
Family Number	1127
Inferred Father	Jacob H Colson
Inferred Mother	Zelphy Colson

Household members

Name	Age
Jacob H Colson	30
Zelphy Colson	27
Temperance J Colson	7
Thomas K Colson	5
Jonas J Colson	4
William H Threadgill	16

They have returned to North Carolina by 1858, however, as her father passed away in Stanly County, NC on July 19th of that year. His will was probated in Stanly County, while his body was laid to rest in the Colson Family cemetery in Anson County, where Jacob had grown up. He was only 38 years old.

Name	Temperance Colson
Age in 1870	26
Birth Date	abt 1844
Birthplace	North Carolina
Dwelling Number	170
Home in 1870	Center, Stanly, North Carolina
Race	White
Gender	Female
Post Office	Albemarle
Occupation	At Home

Household members

Name	Age
Z D Colson	41
Temperance Colson	26
Jones J Colson	28
Elmo Colson	19
Carolina Colson	17
Sarah Colson	14
Charlotte Colson	12

In 1870, Temperance is found living with her mother and most of her siblings in Center, the Norwood area. Charlotte, the youngest, was born the year her father died. I wonder what had happened to this young father?

Temperance would become a mother. In 1878, she had a daughter, Theadocia Dorian Colson by John Thompson. He was a  married farmer and neighbor of the Colsons. Temperance would raise her daughter at her mother's home and after Theadocia married, would follow her to Davidson County, where she passed away in 1913. Temperance Colson never married, or did she?

The last possibility for who Temperance might have been may be the most conspicuous, due to proximity and familial connections.

Name	Eli Russel
Gender	Male
Race	White
Residence Age	46
Birth Date	abt 1804
Birthplace	North Carolina
Residence Date	1850
Home in 1850	Albemarle, Stanly, North Carolina, USA
Occupation	Farmer
Industry	Agriculture
Real Estate	49
Line Number	22
Dwelling Number	936
Family Number	941
Inferred Spouse	Elizabeth Russel

Household members

Name	Age
Eli Russel	46
Elizabeth Russel	39
Alxe Russel	24
Henry Russel	21
Caroline Russel	18
Isiah Russel	15
Temply Russel	13
Elizabeth Russel	8
Gabriel Russel	5
Catharine Russel	3

Temperance Russell was the daughter of Eli Henry Russell and wife Elizabeth, making her my 3rd Great Grandaunt. Her brother, Henry, would marry Dowd Franklin Mauldin's sister, Eliza. Her mother, Elizabeth, is the selfsame Elizabeth at whose  estate auction Frank and his brother , Parham,. made purchases, notably, that side-saddle. Was D. F. a son-in-law? 

Temperance Russell is a cromulent candidate for the wife of D. F. Mauldin. The controverisal element of this theory is that Tempy doesn't appear with ther family inthe1860 census. Lack of a corporeal acknowledgement doesn't neccessarily betoken her death. Mary E. Mauldin, sister of Franklin Mauldin, doesn't appear inthe 1860 census,either.

Household members

Name	Age
Thos Maulden	50
Mary Maulden	47
Mintie Maulden	31
Mary Maulden	21
Laura Maulden	18
Nancy Maulden	15
William Maulden	13
Henry Maulden	12
Lancy Maulden	11
Thomas Maulden	7
Mary Maulden	41

But there she is in 1870, living with surviving brother Thomas. Missing a census didn't mean the individual was deceased. Census takers made mistakes; older children sometimes went to work for neighbors or others to earn their own money, or were out visiting, or even traveling miles away to pick up supplies or 'shopping'. 

Family trees have Temperance Russell dying young, but she may not have died single.  Eli Russell died in 1854. His probate papers only mention his widow, both as "Betsy" and as "Elizabeth". No other heirs are mentioned. He did not leave a will. 

As previously mentioned, Elizabeth Russell's estate was probated in 1861. It's one of the documents of the existence of Dowd Franklin Mauldin, with the several mentions of purchases made by both him and his brother, Parham. Among the buyers were her sons, Alexander and Gabriel Russell, and her daughters, Mary and Martha.

There are even several mentions of John Thompson, who was discussed in an earlier paragraph. There are no mentions of Henry Russell, who was most definitely living at the time, or her older two daughters, Tempie and Caroline. Oddly, several people have noted in Caroline's profile, that she married an "unknown Mauldin". Could that Mauldin be determined, or did they have her confused with Temperance?

There is one more thing.  In the 'Mauldin Book', "Ye Mauldins", by Ervin Mauldin, mention is made of a possible child of Franklin and Temperance.  Quote, "Franklin and Tempy were married in 1861 in Stanly County. Franklin died that same year. I believe he had ason - William L. Mauldin b. 1862 -but I can not prove this -all evidence indicate William to be the son of Franklin, I cannot tie him in to any other family. "

Included was the following family listing:

(8) William L. Mauldin b. May 1862  m. Suffronia A. _________ b. May 1864.

       (9) Swiler E. Mauldin B. May 1891

       (9) Henry C. Mauldin b.Oct. 1894

-no further record - disappeared from the country.

Seeing the obvious transcription errors in the name of the 9-year-old child, I believe I have discovered where Cousin Ervin, who was limited to word of mouth, family bibles and dusty courthouse record books, for the most part, in his late 1900's research, found this individual Mauldin and his family. 

Name	William Manden
Age	38
Birth Date	abt 1862
Birthplace	North Carolina, USA
Home in 1900	Center, Stanly, North Carolina
Sheet Number	6
Number of Dwelling in Order of Visitation	101
Family Number	107
Race	White
Gender	Male
Relation to Head of House	Head
Marital Status	Married
Spouse's Name	Susph??a A Manden
Marriage Year	1884
Years Married	16
Father's Birthplace	North Carolina, USA
Mother's Birthplace	North Carolina, USA
Can Read	Y
Can Write	N
Can Speak English	Y
Neighbors	View others on page

Household members

Name	Age
William Manden	38
Susph??a A Manden	35
Sniler E Manden	9
Henry C Manden	6

William Mauldin, 38 with a wife, S? A. Mauldin (incorrectly transcribed as 'Manden', with two children, 'Sniler' E., age 9 and Henry C., age 6.

This record, and this family, were already in my family tree, for two reasons. Not only were they Mauldins, but they were also members of my Solomon family, and my Murray family. William David Mauldin was born May 11, 1863, the year after his father, David Arnold Mauldin died. David Mauldin was one of the three Mauldins whose widows were mentioned in three paragraphs in a row in the August 1862 Court Minutes referenced earlier in this post. He was a first cousin of Franklin Mauldin. His mother was Mahala Elizabeth Whitaker Mauldin, a daughter of Nelson Samuel and Sophia Murray Whitaker. Sophia was a sister of my 3rd Great Grandmother, Priscilla Murray Aldridge. That puts him in the Murray Tree. He married Saphronia A. Solomon, daughter of Henry Clay Solomon and wife, Mary Elizabeth Russell, and yes, that also puts them in the Russell tree, as Mary Elizabeth was a daughter of the afore mentioned Eli Henry and wife Elizabeth. As Cousin Ervin was looking at a "Sniler", and not a "Milas", as the first child of William David and Saphronia was actually named, I can see where it gets a little confusing. 

Name	W D Maulding
Age in 1870	9
Birth Date	abt 1861
Birthplace	North Carolina
Dwelling Number	12
Home in 1870	Salisbury, Rowan, North Carolina
Race	White
Gender	Male
Post Office	Salisbury
Occupation	At Home
Inferred Mother	Elizabeth Maulding

Household members

Name	Age
Elizabeth Maulding	36
J F Maulding	13
M E Maulding	12
B R Maulding	10
W D Maulding	9

William shows up first in Salisbury, Rowan County, with his widowed mother, Elizabeth Mauldin and three older siblings, James Franklin, 13, Mary Elizabeth, 12, and Benjamin Rufus, 10.

Mahala Elizabeth Whitaker Mauldin may have moved to Salisbury when her husband, David Arnold Mauldin, was working at the Confederate Prison in Salisbury as a prison guard. 

Name	David Mauldin
Age	20
Birth Date	Abt 1860
Birthplace	North Carolina
Home in 1880	Center, Stanly, North Carolina, USA
Dwelling Number	8
Race	White
Gender	Male
Relation to Head of House	Son
Marital Status	Single
Father's Birthplace	North Carolina
Mother's Name	Elizabeth Mauldin
Mother's Birthplace	North Carolina
Occupation	Works on farm
Neighbors	View others on page

Household members

Name	Age
Elizabeth Mauldin	45
Mary E. Mauldin	21
David Mauldin	20

She moved with her children back to Norwood in Stanly County by 1880. On April 18, 1884, they were said to be living in Montgomery County, when David, 22,  married 'Fronia' Solomon, 19.

Then we are back to the 1900 census, where William David Mauldin and family had returned to Stanly County, and were living in Norwood again.

They had three sons, Milas Eugene, Henry Clay and Arnold Dewey.

Name	David Mauldin
Age in 1910	46
Birth Date	1864
Birthplace	North Carolina
Home in 1910	Albemarle, Stanly, North Carolina, USA
Sheet Number	19a
Street	Wiscassett Hill
Race	White
Gender	Male
Relation to Head of House	Head
Marital Status	Married
Father's Birthplace	North Carolina
Mother's Birthplace	North Carolina
Native Tongue	English
Occupation	Laborer
Industry	Farm
Employer, Employee or Other	Wage Earner
Home Owned or Rented	Rent
Farm or House	House
Able to read	Y
Able to Write	Y
Enumeration District Number	0116
Years Married	25
Out of Work	N
Number of Weeks Out of Work	0
Enumerated Year	1910
Neighbors	View others on page

Household members

Name	Age
David Mauldin	46
Safhona Mauldin	44
Eugene Mauldin	19
Clay Mauldin	16
Arnold Mauldin	6

In 1910, the family of 5 has moved up to Albemarle and are living on  the 'Wisscassett Hill', which was one of the Textile Mill Villages that built Albemarle into a City after the turn of the century. David was farming, while his two older sons worked in the Mill. In those days, the children were often sent to work and brought their wages home to their parents, while the father usually worked too, but the mother stayed home and took care of the house and younger children. After child labor laws kicked, mothers started going to work and leaving the children home with either a Nanny, or older children taking care of the younger ones. Sometimes a grandmother or maiden aunt lived in to take care of the children, or the parents worked different shifts, passing like ships in the night. This prompted the shrinking of the American family, at least the ones who moved into towns or cities.

Saphronia Solomon Mauldin died in 1912, just before the popular use of death certificates in the state, at age 48. She was buried at Cedar Grove Church, near Norwood.

After Fronie's death, David married Martha A. Hinson, daughter of Jeremiah Hosea Hinson and Elizabeth Miley Harward. Martha was a Stanly County born and bred girl, who hadfirst married Charles Baxter Swicegood Sr. in Davie County.

Name	David Mauldin
Age	47
Birth Year	abt 1873
Birthplace	North Carolina
Home in 1920	Big Lick, Stanly, North Carolina
House Number	Farm
Residence Date	1920
Race	White
Gender	Male
Relation to Head of House	Head
Marital Status	Married
Spouse's Name	Martha Mauldin
Father's Birthplace	North Carolina
Mother's Birthplace	North Carolina
Able to Speak English	Yes
Occupation	Farmer
Industry	Farming
Employment Field	Own Account
Home Owned or Rented	Rented
Attended School	No
Able to read	Yes
Able to Write	Yes
Neighbors	View others on page

Household members

Name	Age
David Mauldin	47
Martha Mauldin	47
Arnold Mauldin	16
Samuel Mauldin	10
Charlie Mauldin	7

In 1920, they have now relocated to the western end of Stanly County, where David is farming in Big Lick. Arnold was the only one of his children still at home. Samuel and Charlie, mistakenly shown as Mauldins in the census, were not Mauldins and were not David's sons. This was Samuel Hosea Swicegood, and Charles Baxter Swicegood, Jr., Martha's sons.

1930 found the couple living in the town of Norwood on Kendall Street, with David's oldest son, Milas Eugene and his family. Davied was now 69 years old . He passed away the next year, on April 3, 1931. He was 69 years, 10 months and 22 days old. His cause of death was pellagra ,due to 'cerebral softening,' a far too common ailment in those days, due more to bad nutrition. Parents names given were David Mauldin and Haley Aldridge. Mahala wasn't an Aldridge. Martha may have mixed her up with her Aunt Priscilla.

Martha buried him next to his first wife at Cedar Grove. She them moved to Iredell County, where she lived the last four years of her life living with her youngest son, Charlie Swicegood. She died on June 17, 1940, and was buried in Mocksville, Davie County.

I end this post with as many questions as I started with. Why did D. F. Mauldin die so young? Did it have anything to do with the Civil War or resistence to service in the Civil War? Who was Temperance? Where was she before the wedding and what became of her afterwards? Was there a child born of this brief union?

I end with no definite answers, but I leave you with possibilities and ideas.