Sunday, January 13, 2019

The Children of Rev. John Lambert: The Firstborn - Rebecca

We don't have many records of Rebecca Lambert Almond, but what we do have is telling.

Records of female ancestors in the male-dominated 19th century are few and fleeting. They did not begin appearing in the census records by name until 1850, unless they headed their own households, which was rare. Some appear in land transactions as heiresses or widows selling their property or claiming their dower. Some single or widowed ladies of means left wills. Others were mentioned in wills by their fathers, brothers, husbands, grandfathers or uncles. Orphaned girls came up in guardian records. Poor, orphaned or illegitimate girls were bonded out. They may appear in court records if they got in trouble, or filed for divorce. Divorces were rare, but they happened. Some appear in marriage bonds or marriage records, but many marriage records were lost over the eons for various reasons, so just because a marriage record can not be found, doesn't mean it existed. If a woman went by her husbands name, this indicatied she was married. If she went by her maiden name, she was not married.

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Rebecca Lambert was no exception. Her first appearance in the census records, I believe, is as this female under age 10 in the Johnston County, NC census for 1800.


Name:John Sambart
[John Lambart] 
Home in 1800 (City, County, State):Johnston, North Carolina
Free White Persons - Males - Under 10:1 William age 3
Free White Persons - Males - 16 thru 25:1 Rev John
Free White Persons - Females - Under 10:1 Rebecca age 5
Free White Persons - Females - 16 thru 25:1 Phida
Number of Household Members Under 16:2
Number of Household Members:4



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Being born in 1795, she would have been 4 or 5 years old and the firstborn son, William, born in 1797, would have been 2 or 3.

Name:John Lambert
Home in 1810 (City, County, State):Johnston, North Carolina
Free White Persons - Males - Under 10:3 William, George, John Jr.
Free White Persons - Males - 26 thru 44 :1 Rev. John
Free White Persons - Females - Under 10:1 Unknown daughter, possibly named Susan
Free White Persons - Females - 10 thru 15:1 Rebecca
Free White Persons - Females - 26 thru 44:1 Phida
Number of Household Members Under 16:5
Number of Household Members Over 25:2
Number of Household Members:7



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Ten years later, the family structure still fits.



The Lambert family disappears in Johnston County after 1811. They may have moved to the area of Pole Bridge Creek and Running Creek in what became Stanly County at that time. John Lambert began showing up in the church records of Bear Creek by 1830. His son Frederick Lambert was mentioned in the court records of Cabarrus County in 1824 and 1825. It was mentioned he lived in Montgomery County (of which Stanly was part until 1841).  His son Nathan married in Cabarrus County in 1826.

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Rebecca Lambert Almonds' oldest son, Gideon, was born about 1819 or 1820, so I believe the entire family was in the area by then and Rev. John just escaped enumeration, or was living in some other household, where the family would have been dashes, until 1850. He may have travled around as intenerant ministers tended to do, and while he was active, just was not counted. I don't believe his family, especially his daughters, would have been here without him.

Name:Plearant Alenons
[Pleasant Almon] 
[Pleasant Ahnen] 
Home in 1830 (City, County, State):Montgomery, North Carolina
Free White Persons - Males - Under 5:2 John and Greem
Free White Persons - Males - 5 thru 9:2 Tillman and Alfred
Free White Persons - Males - 10 thru 14:1 Gideon
Free White Persons - Males - 20 thru 29:1 Pleasant
Free White Persons - Females - 10 thru 14:1 Lavina
Free White Persons - Females - 20 thru 29:1 Rebecca
Free White Persons - Under 20:6
Free White Persons - 20 thru 49:2
Total Free White Persons:8
Total - All Persons (Free White, Slaves, Free Colored):8



Rebecca's husband, Pleasant Almond, shows up first in the 1830 census of Montgomery County, on the West Pee Dee side (now Stanly). He was listed right beside John Lambert, who was younger, therefore was John Lambert, Jr. In early records, the surname Almond is seen spelled Alman, Allmon, Allmans, and various other versions. The first name "Pleasant", probably came from the surname Pleasant. I've seen various mentions of the Pleasant family in old Eastern North Carolina records, including Johnnston County.

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I have not researched the Almond family, with the exception of Rebecca's part in it. Going by the general consensus of family trees I am finding, Pleasant was the son of a John Richard Almond, who was the son of a Nathaniel Almond. One thing for sure, the Almonds were in this section before the Lamberts arrived, so it was most likely that Pleasant and Rebecca married either in Cabarrus or Montgomery Counties (Stanly side). As Montgomery County records were destroyed many times over, and Cabarrus County records are more intact,  the probability is that they married in Montgomery, sometime between 1815 and 1818. They named their oldest son Gideon G. Almond. There was another Gideon Almond in Rowan County in 1800, so there may have been some relation.


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During the 1830's, Pleasant and Rebecca were rebuked by the church for living apart. During this time, Pleasant began a relationship with a woman named Barbara "Barbary" Pliler Misenheimer. She was an abandoned woman, and I will get more into her later in the post. Together, they had a son named Nelson Ervin Almond. He was born in 1833. Calvin, the youngest son of Pleasant and Rebecca, was born in 1831. It is natural to assume that during this time, between 1831 and 1832,  is when Pleasant and Barbara began their relationship.


Name:Keasant Allmon
[Pleasant Allmon] 
Home in 1840 (City, County, State):Cherokee, North Carolina
Free White Persons - Males - 10 thru 14:1 Alfred
Free White Persons - Males - 15 thru 19:1 Tillman
Free White Persons - Males - 30 thru 39:1 Pleasant
Persons Employed in Agriculture:3
No. White Persons over 20 Who Cannot Read and Write:1
Free White Persons - Under 20:2
Free White Persons - 20 thru 49:1
Total Free White Persons:3
Total All Persons - Free White, Free Colored, Slaves:3



By 1840, Pleasant had moved to Cherokee County, NC. This was not long after the forced removal of the Cherokee from their lands. Pleasant took two sons with him as is shown in the 1840 census. These sons would be his second and third, Tillman and Alfred, as they met wives in Cherokee County and remained there.  He probably did not move until 1839, as in that year, he had sold a tract of land to Hezekiah Herrin.

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On the 15th Day of October, 1839, Pleasant Almond of the first part and Hezekiah Herrin of the other part, both of Montgomery County (Stanly would not be created from the Western part of Montgomery for another two years), sells to Hezekiah Herrin for $25 a plot of land on the waters of Pole Bridge Creek.  The tract began at Thomas Motley's line then ran along with John Lambert's line to Nathan ?'s line, then along with Hezekiah Herrin's own line, to Pleasant Almond's line. This indicated that Pleasant did not sell all of his property. He probably left a part for his wife and younger children, along with oldest son Gideon, to live and farm on, while he took his other two boys and moved to the mountains.

The lot he sold for only $25 consisted of about 200 acres and included the improvements and woods.

Witnesses were Hastin Hatley and Ransom Motley and it was signed by Pleasant Almond.
The deed was not proven in open court until May of 1851, some 12 years later.

Hezekiah Herrin, Hastin Hatley and John Lambert, were all long time and active members of Bear Creek Church. Had Pleasant Almond been "ran off" for his adulterous behavior? Or did he see some opportunity for economic improvement by moving to the land of the Cherokee?

It is not known how long he tarried there, but by 1850, he had returned.









This page from the 1850 census of Stanly County shows us a few things. It is the first page of the Furr District of Stanly County, NC. It immediately follows the last page of the Almond District, where the rest of the family is listed, on the last page, indicating that the Lambert family properties straddled the Almond/Furr Township line. It may have been divided by a creek or some other indicator, that they resided on both sides of, but still near each other as their properties connected as proven by multiple deeds.

This page is led off by the 78 year old Baptist Minister, Rev. John Lambert and his 76 year old wife, Phida. On the same property, 519, but listed in a different household 521 as opposed to 522, is Jonathan Lambert and family, whom I believe to be the youngest son of Rev. John and Phida, but this is still based on circumstantial evidence only. If he was not a son, he was a grandson, so still closely connected.

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After the Lamberts comes Pleasant Almond. He's age 57 and his property is listed with a value of $100, while Rev. Lambert's, his father-in-law, is listed as with a value of $60, and Jonathan as a laborer for Rev. Lambert.

Living with Pleasant is his youngest son Ervin, a laborer, aged 17, both in 522.

In 523 is a 50 year old single woman, Barbary (or Barbara) Honeycutt.

In 524, is Pleasant's other favorite son, John Almond, age 24, a laborer for his father, wife his 17 year old wife, Margaret, and 1 year old son, Rufus.

Other neighbors on down are Frederick Myers, who is seen in deeds and such, Elizabeth Shoe, Eda Treece, Godfrey Lipe, Wiley Blackwelder, Carper Clontz who was born in Germany, and Isaac W. Crayton. Most were descendants of the Dutch Buffalo Creek German settlement of a prior generation.






The second page that offers insight is this one from the Almond District. It leads off with David Starnes. Another Starnes, Nathan, plays heavily into Lambert documents as a witness, trader and neighbor. Next to him is John Lambert Jr, with his family. His adult son, William and wife Telitha, daughter of Hezekiah Herrin, is in the next household. Following the young family of my ancestor, William "Buck" Lambert, is his aunt, Rebecca Lambert Almond, 60, with her youngest son Calvin, 19, and her married son, Green, 22 with his wife Susan, also 22. Calvin and Green appear to be laborers on the farms of their Uncle John Lambert, with a $300 property and cousin William, with a $100 property.

Rebecca's household is followed by that of a Melchor Almond, who was a farmer on his own, and appears to possibly be one of her sons, but a check of land deeds seems to indicate he was not, but a member of the Killis Almond family, albeit a relative anyway, just not a son.



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Back in the Land Records of Stanly County, NC, from Book 6 Page 75, is a deed from Pleasant Almond to Abraham Blackwelder dated the 27th of December, 1856. For $165, Pleasant Almond sold to Abraham Blackwelder 66 1/2 acres on Running Creek. It adjoined the corner of John Lambert's property, probably John Jr. and fits the description of the land that Rev. John Lambert Sr was taxed for in 1841. Witnesses were Thomas A. Hill and Wilson Blackwelder. It was sealed by the signature of Pleasant Almond. It wasn't proved until September 26, 1869, the handwriting of Pleasant Almond was proved by the oath of J. F. Herrin. Signed J. M Redwine JPB.

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Another interesting deed concerning these individuals was found in Book 6 Page 487 and dated April 11, 1858. Within, John Almond, the "other favored son" of Pleasant Almond sells to a Daniel Blackwelder, a tract of land for $112.50 that bordered Pleasant Almonds corner, ran alond "Frederick Myers line formerly but now Ervin Almond's line", Ervin Almond's line to a rock in Abraham Blackwelder's line. Unlike his father, who could write an entire indenture on his own in a legible script, John Almond had to sign with a mark. It was registered on September 20th, 1869, again by J. M. Redwine, PBJ.

Pleasant Almond did not make the 1860 census. He wrote his will in March of 1858, probably after coming down with some ailment he felt, and correctly so, would be fatal. It was proved in court just two months later in May of the same year.


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The following is my transcription of Pleasant Almond's Will. The errors, mispelling, and punctuation (or lack thereof)  are his own.


Will of Pleasant Almond


In the name of God Amen
I Pleasant Almond being old and weak in body but of sound mind and memory blessed be god for the same and I being desirous to divide my worldly substance according to my own will and desire I reccommend my sold my soul to god who give it and my body to be buried  in a decent and christian like maner and the expenses there of and all my just debts to be paid out of my estate and I bequeth unto my beloved sons namely John Almond and Ervan all the remainder of my estate real and personal of every kind what so ever I may be seized with at the time of my death Eckwell divided among them two as they may chose either by sale or other wise at their own desirous and all the rest of my children it is not my will to give them anymore as I have given them allready what I intended them to have and as for my wife Rebecca I do not give her any more on account we have desolved by Mutual consent many years ago and divided our effects and agreed that each should do what the choose with what we acumulated there after I therefore have made this instrumen of writing to be and contain my last will and testament and I constitute and appoint my two namely John and Ervin Almond executors to this my last will in witness here of I set my hand and seal this 4th day of March 1858. 
                                                     Pleasant Almond (seal)

North Carolina Stanly County 

May Session 1858

         The foregoing last will and testament of Pleasant Almond was produced in open court and offered for probate and the executor thereof proved on oath of M. Widenhouse and Abraham Blacwelder the subscribing witnesses thereto whereso Evvan approved one of the executors therein named was duly qualified as executor and letters his testimony held to his and the said last will and testament ordered to be recorded and filed. 

R. Harris M. C. 


Rebecca Lambert Almond lived at least until 1870.



 In 1870, she was living with her daughter, Lavina Almond McLure and granddaughter Elizabeth. Rebecca was 75 years old. Living next to them was Caleb Wiley Lambert, Rebecca's nephew, son of her brother, John Lambert, Jr.

I do not know where Rebecca is buried or when she died. All we know is that she did not show up in the 1880 census. I am sure there is much more to find out about her children, which may reveal clues about Rebecca herself. For instance, there were McClures who also traveled to Cherokee County, NC. Was Rebecca there in 1840, but staying with her daughter and son-in-law? Any more information on Rebecca and her family is welcome.

The known children of Rebecca Lambert Almond and Pleasant Almond were:

A) Tillman Almond: Born about 1815 in the area of Stanly County, NC
                                  Died January 4, 1901 in Cherokee County, NC

                                 Married 1st: Delana (Lindia) Killan 8 children
                                 Married 2nd: Susan Killian 7 children
                                 His wives were sisters, daughters of David Killian and Rachel Whitener Killian

B) Levina (Livinia) Almond:Born about 1818 Died 1886 in Stanly County. Buried in Lambert Cemetery Number 3 with her grandfather, Rev. John Lambert, probably also the resting place of Rebecca Lambert Almond.
                               Married James B. McLure (McClure) on March 26, 1835 in Cabarrus County.
                               Two known children. A lot of mystery still shrouds this family. May have lived in
                               Cherokee County, NC as well.

C) Gideon Gilbert Almond: Born about 1820 Died May 6, 1898 in Cabarrus County.
                                             Married 1st: March 22, 1843 to Rachel McGraw 1 son
                                             Married 2nd: Feb 10, 1845 to Elizabeth Friesland 3 children
                                             Married 3rd: April 19, 1859 to Melinda Medlin  1 son

D)  Alfred Almond: Born about 1822 Died March 14, 1862 Civil War
                                 Married about 1840 to Carolina Turnbell 9 children
                                 Had migrated with father to Cherokee County, NC where his family remained.

E) John Almond: Born about 1824 Died January 11, 1902 John may have been the son of Rebecca Lambert Almond, but also may have been the son of Barbara Pliler Honeycutt.
                                 Married about 1849 to Margaret L. Blackwelder 19 children.

F) Green D. Almond: Born about 1828 Died Oct 16, 1864, of wounds recieved during the Civil War.
                                   Married Susannah Starnes (Sternes) 4 children. To make matters confusing, there was another Green Almond from this area who also served in the Civil War, but survived.



Civil War Death Notice of Green D Almond

G) Calvin M. Almond: Born December 25, 1833 Died January 23, 1865 of Pnuemonia. Also a Civil War Soldier. Buried in Oakwood Cememtery, Raleigh, NC. Married Darlene "Dollie" Dove. 8 children. There was also another Calvin Almond from the area, Calvin C. Almond, son of John Richard, who also served in the Civil War and survived until 1920.

Pvt Calvin Almond


G) Ervin Nelson Almond Born: About 1833, the same year as Calvin M Almond. Son of Pleasant Almond, but not Rebecca Lambert Almond. His mother was Barbara "Barbary" Pliler (Plyler) Honeycutt. Died March 24, 1888. Buried in Lambert Cemetery #1.
                                          Married 1st Piety Caroline Lambert, daughter of John Lambert (brother of Rebecca Lambert) and Mary Margaret Almond Lambert (sister of Pleasant Almond), his half cousin. 4 children born to this marriage. Married 2nd Nancy Ellen Reeves.




Piety Lambert Almond




Descendants of Pleasant Almond and Rebecca Lambert Almond are now located all over the country and indeed, all over the globe.




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