Thursday, January 13, 2022

The Affair of Dennis and Jane

 In the February, 1849 Session of Court of Pleas and Quarters of Stanly County, two people were brought in front of the judge on the charges of Fornication and Adultery. These two were Jane Williams and Dennis Yow.

" February Session 1849 No 22

State vs Dennis Yow, Jane Williams - F & A - nol pros at to Jane Williams

Defts plead Not Guilty. Same Jury as Number 21 find defts. Guilty - Fined $100.

Deft confesses judgement for $30, John Honeycutt and Andrew Honeycutt as securities which judgement is to be discharged on payment of all costs in this case. "


This was not Jane Williams first appearance in court. She had been called and appeared in the August Session of Court in 1848.

"John and Isaac William, Illegitimate children of Jane Williams to be brought into court by sherriff on second Monday in November."

There is no mention of Jane or her sons in the November Session of Court, so she may not have made it in, but at sometime, it appears her children were raised by members of the Hartsell family near Big Lick.

This is one of those cases where a court case can break down a brickwall, especially when DNA is used to corroborate evidence. So who were these folks? 



So far, what we know about Jane Williams was that she was accused of having an affair with Dennis Yow, and that her two son, John and Isaac, were illegitimate.

Dennis Yow, on the other hand, was a married man, but don't let that get in the way. It doesn't now and it didn't then. 

Name:Dennis Towe[][]
Gender:Male
Age:52
Birth Year:abt 1798
Birthplace:North Carolina
Home in 1850:Smiths, Stanly, North Carolina, USA
Occupation:Laborer
Industry:Industry Not Reported
Cannot Read, Write:Yes
Line Number:37
Dwelling Number:663
Family Number:666
Household MembersAge
Dennis Towe52
Mary Towe48
John Towe24
Catharine Towe21
Mary Towe18
Delcey Towe14
William Towe12

In 1850, the closest census to his court appearance,  Dennis Yow is found in Smith Township of Stanly County. He is 52 years old, born around 1798, and he is living with his wife, Mary Schofner Yow and their children, the youngest of whom was William A. Yow, who was 12. Keep that in mind.

His neighbors were David Eudy, William Howard (Harward), Noah Efrid, Jerusha Hudson, Charles Cagle, John Honeycutt, (an ancestor of mine), and some Robbins mistakenly labeled as Honeycutts. John was one of the bondsmen for Dennis and Jane at the hearing.







Earlier, in 1836, Dennis Yow had apparently struggled to pay his bills. The above is from an 1836 lisitin of land sold for taxes in Lawrenceville, Montgomery County, which was the county seat of the combined counties before Montgomery was split in two and the western portion became Stanly. Dennis' property was sold for late taxes. 

But where was Jane Williams in 1850, and who was she?


Name:Jane Williams
Gender:Female
Age:30
Birth Year:abt 1820
Birthplace:North Carolina
Home in 1850:Almonds, Stanly, North Carolina, USA
Cannot Read, Write:Yes
Line Number:10
Dwelling Number:498
Family Number:499
Household MembersAge
Thomas Harrell80
Barbary Harrell60
Jane Williams30
Isaac R Williams9
John W Williams8
Tilla Williams4
Tiney Williams1

Jane was living with her parents, Thomas and Barbara Honeycutt Harvell. The Honeycutt family is a theme through this entire grouping of people. Jane was evidentally a widow, even though her children were called illegitimate. Trusting the research previously done for Thomas Harvell, he did indeed have a daughter named Jane, and this was her, his youngest child. 

Jane not only had the two sons, Isaac and John, mentioned in the court records, but now there were two younger ones, 4 year old Tilla, who turns out to be 'Matilda' and a one year old whose name on the actual document looks more like Jincy, or perhaps even, Lindsey. Jane would have been pregnant with the last child when taken to court with Dennis Yow. She was only 30 years old, which meant Dennis Yow was old enough to be her father.

The family lived in Almonds Township of Stanly County and their neighbors were several Burris's, Honeycutts and John Dick. 




Thomas Adams Harvell was born in Wake County, North Carolina in about 1770. He married Barbara Honeycutt there in 1805.

Name:Thomas Harvel
Gender:Male
Marriage Date:16 Dec 1805
Marriage Place:Wake, North Carolina, USA
Spouse:Barbary Honeycut
Spouse Gender:Female
Event Type:Marriage

The couple lived in Moore County for several decades before moving to the Western half of Montgomery County by 1840. Here they died, Thomas in 1857 and Barbara in 1855. They had 7 known children together, Jane being the only daughter. Thomas and Barbara are buried at Meadow Creek Primitive Baptist Church outside of Locust, near the Cabarrus County line. 

Jane, nor any of her children, are found in the 1860 census. Her parents died during that decade and her father did not leave a will. It is unknown what happened to her after that. She possibly remarried, but the most likely fate was that she died before 1870, as her children are found in that census, but she is not. I believe her children may have still been  in her care in 1860, as they were in 1870, and then were taken in by a Hartsell family. 

Matilda

Matilda Williams, born in the correct year, 1846, is found in the 1870 census living with the Adam Hartsell family. And she is not alone. 


Name:Matilda Williams
Age in 1870:24
Birth Date:abt 1846
Birthplace:North Carolina
Dwelling Number:54
Home in 1870:Big Lick, Stanly, North Carolina
Race:White
Gender:Female
Post Office:Albemarle
Occupation:At Home
Cannot Write:Yes
Inferred Children:William Williams
Household MembersAge
Adam Hartsell25
Mary C Hartsell30
Joseph A Hartsell5
Eliza E Hartsell
Matilda Williams24
William Williams3

First there is William Williams, 3, but this listing is at the bottom of the page, so at the top of the next page is

ame:Martha Williams
Age in 1870:4/12
Birth Date:Feb
Birthplace:North Carolina
Dwelling Number:54
Home in 1870:Big Lick, Stanly, North Carolina
Race:White
Gender:Female
Post Office:Albemarle
Household MembersAge
Martha Williams4/12

4 month old Martha Williams. She's not living on her own, so I am sure she belonged to Matilda, too. There are no other Williams famlies anywhere around except for Matilda's brothers. They are all living with or near members of the Hartsell family, so I feel they may have grown up with the Hartsells after Jane's death, either that or Jane married a Hartsell.  Next to Adam and Mary C. Hartsell is the William A. Hartsell family.



I don't know what happened to Matilda and her two children after this. She was still very young and could have gotten married, and she and her children went by a different surname afterwards. She could have died and the children adopted into other families and raised under a different name. They could have all died. Many of the families around her immigrated to other states, she could have went along for the journey. I just do not know. I did find a 10 year old Martha Williams living with a family that was not her own in Anson County in 1880. Was it the same one? Possibly. I even found a William Williams who was 13 years old living with a Willis Williams family in Stanly County in 1880, with other children, but no Martha. Could it have been the same one being raised by a relative? I suppose that is possible, too. All in all, I did not find a continuous trail for these children, or any corroborating documentation that these were indeed them.

As for the sons of Jane Williams, they were a little easier to follow. Both of them were in the Civil War, but the two brothers could not have been more diffirent.  Isaac was determined, dedicated, staunch and steadfast. His record below speaks for itself.


Name:Isaac Williams
Enlistment Age:19
Birth Date:abt 1842
Enlistment Date:5 May 1861
Enlistment Place:Stanly County, North Carolina
Enlistment Rank:Private
Muster Date:5 May 1861
Muster Place:North Carolina
Muster Company:H
Muster Regiment:14th Infantry
Muster Regiment Type:Infantry
Muster Information:Enlisted
Imprisonment Date:17 Sep 1862
Imprisonment Place:Sharpsburg, Maryland
Imprisonment 2 Date:31 May 1864
Imprisonment 2 Place:Cold Harbor, Virginia
Casualty Date:10 Mar 1865
Casualty Place:Richmond, Virginia
Type of Casualty:Hospitalized
Casualty Information:Per Confederate medical records. No furt
Side of War:Confederacy
Residence Place:Stanly County, North Carolina
Occupation:Farmer
Notes:Paroled, Per Confederate medical records; 1862-09-18 Confined, (Fort Delaware, DE), Estimated day; 1862-10-02 Transferred, (Aiken's Landing, VA); 1862-11-10 Exchanged, (Aiken's Landing, VA); 1863-01-30 Returned, Estimated day
Title:North Carolina Troops 1861-65, A Roster






Oath of Allegiance from Isaac Williams. 


John Edmund Williams case history was a different story.  He enlisted in Salisbury under Major Gibbs to become one of Gibbs Prison Guards. He was latered transferred to an Engineer Corp. Still, that didn't suit him. He deserted, then later changed his mind and reenlisted in Winston- Salem.

ame:John E Williams
Enlistment Age:21
Birth Date:abt 1841
Enlistment Date:1 Feb 1862
Enlistment Place:Rowan County, North Carolina
Enlistment Rank:Private
Muster Date:1 Feb 1862
Muster Place:North Carolina
Muster Company:C
Muster Regiment:42nd Infantry
Muster Regiment Type:Infantry
Muster Information:Enlisted
Muster Out Date:24 Aug 1864
Muster Out Information:Transferred
Side of War:Confederacy
Survived War?:Yes
Residence Place:Stanly County, North Carolina
Notes:1863-08-09 Deserted; 1863-09-15 Arrested, Estimated day; 1863-11-15 Returned, Estimated day
Additional Notes 2:Muster 2 Date: 24 Aug 1864; Muster 2 Place: North Carolina; Muster 2 Company: G; Muster 2 Regiment: 2nd Eng; Muster 2 Information: Transferred;
Title:North Carolina Troops 1861-65, A Roster






Oath of Allegiance of John Edmund Williams


The brothers also differed in their personal lives. As soon as he returned home to Stanly County, Isaac R. Williams married Martha Honeycutt, daughter of Elias B. Honeycutt and Leah Stough. Remember, his grandmother was a Barbara Honeycutt, so there may have been a connection. The couple hadone child, a daughter Tabitha Margaret "Maggie " Williams. 


Name:Martha Williams
Age in 1870:26
Birth Date:abt 1844
Birthplace:North Carolina
Dwelling Number:20
Home in 1870:Furr, Stanly, North Carolina
Race:White
Gender:Female
Post Office:Albemarle
Occupation:At Home
Cannot Read:Yes
Cannot Write:Yes
Inferred Children:Tobitha Williams
Household MembersAge
Eliza Huneycutt56
Martha Williams26
Tobitha Williams3

Isacc's time in the Civil War must have sent him home ill and weak. He died sometime between the conception of Tabitha and 1870, it is unknown where he was buried. In 1870, Martha and their little girl is living with her aunt, Eliza Honeycutt. It must be noted that Isaac R. Williams Uncle, Isaac S. Williams, also married an Eliza Honeycutt, and he also enlisted in the Civil War, despite being in his mid-forties. He did not survive. 

Name:Martha Williams
Age:40
Birth Date:Abt 1840
Birthplace:North Carolina
Home in 1880:Furrs, Stanly, North Carolina, USA
Dwelling Number:225
Race:White
Gender:Female
Relation to Head of House:Self (Head)
Marital Status:Widowed
Father's Birthplace:North Carolina
Mother's Birthplace:North Carolina
Occupation:Keeping House
Cannot Read:Yes
Cannot Write:Yes
Neighbors:
Household MembersAgeRelationship
Martha Williams40Self (Head)
Talitha M. Williams13Daughter

In 1880. Martha and Tabitha are on their own, living in the area of Furr Township, Stanly County, which is the western most part.


On December 27, 1888, James C. Hartsell applied for a marriage license for Aaron H. Hartsell, 26 of Stanly County, son of Houston and Jincy Hartsell, both deceased and ' Magey' Williams, 21, daughter of Isaac and Marthy Williams, father deceased and mother living. The wedding was performed by William R. Hartsell, a Justice of the Peace, at the home of the bride's mother. Witnesses were J. C. Hartsell, E. A. Honeycutt and D. L. Yow. 

Between 1888 and 1900 was a time of tragedy. Martha Honeycutt Williams, Isacc's widow passed away, as did thier daughter, Tabitha Margaret "Maggie" Williams Hartsell.

For some reason, her father, Aaron H. Hartsell, had went to Texas. He may have been planning to relocate there, which I suppose he did, because there he died and is buried. Her mother is not. He was only 32 years old.


Name:Aron H. Hartsell
Birth Date:15 Dec 1861
Death Date:6 Dec 1894
Cemetery:Holliday Cemetery
Burial or Cremation Place:Holliday, Archer County, Texas, United States of America

I've not been able to discover what happened to Aaron or why he was in Texas. While 1894 was becoming a very modern era here in NC and especially in the East Coast towns and cities, in Texas, it was still the wild, wild, west. Just a few months before, however, in April, Aaron had gotten a job as an inspector in the City of Concord, in Cabarrus County. 


CLIPPED FROM

Daily Concord Standard

Concord, North Carolina
03 Apr 1894, Tue  •  Page 2





But Aaron and Maggie, despite dying young, had left one thing behind, a daughter named Nannie.

Someone ordered Aaron a very nice stone. From find-a-grave.



In 1900, Nannie is living with her uncle, James C. Hartsell. She appears to be a daughter here, but her future documents disprove that. She was simply an oprhaned neice that lived with her Uncle and Aunt until she was at least old enough to fend for herself a little bit. Afterwards, she was taken under the kindly wings of Ezekial Morgan and his wife, Elizabeth.

Name:Nanny Hartsell
Age in 1910:21
Birth Date:1889[1889]
Birthplace:North Carolina
Home in 1910:Furr, Stanly, North Carolina, USA
Race:White
Gender:Female
Relation to Head of House:Servant
Marital Status:Single
Father's Birthplace:North Carolina
Mother's Birthplace:North Carolina
Native Tongue:English
Occupation:Farm Laborer
Industry:Home Farm
Employer, Employee or Other:Wage Earner
Able to read:Yes
Able to Write:Yes
Out of Work:N
Number of Weeks Out of Work:0
Neighbors:
Household MembersAgeRelationship
Ezekiel Morgan51Head
Elizabeth Morgan60Wife
Nanny Hartsell21Servant

In 1910, Nannie is listed as a servant of the couple. As they are moving from  middle-age into their last years, I'm sure the young girl was a big help to them. Four years later, on February 9th, 1914 Ezekial and Elizabeth Morgan sold to Nannie Hartsell for $26 Lot Number 399 from Book 21 in the town of Stanfield, Furr township,  to Nannie Hartsell. They sold the next Lot, Number 400, to another young girl, Mabel Gleen Hartsell. This struck me as odd because Mable was very young at this time, and not an orphan. She was the daughter of Pearl Joseph Hartsell and his wife, Tealie Tucker Hartsell.

Ezekial Morgan was the son of Mark and Nancy Morgan  and was born in 1847. He married Elizabeth Green. I don't believe there was any relation.




While speaking of land records, the only one attached to Aaron H. Hartsell was a deed between A. H. Hartsell and J. T. Lee dated June 1, 1889. It is located in Book 56 Page 504. A. H. and his wife, Magey, for $219 sold a lot in Furr Twonship adjoining William J. Love, Tillman Hartsell and others, 36 and a half acres, known as lot No. 3 first alotted to Magey Hartsell, 'thence changed to A. H. Hartsell'. This tells me that this might have been a lot inherited by Magey from her father, Isaac Williams. Aaron's brother, J. C. Hartsell, who took Nannie in, had sold a Lot to J. T. Lee a few years proor, in 1881.This also tells me Magey was still alive in 1889. James T. Lee was a brother-in-law of James and Aaron Hartsell, having married their sister, Annie.

CLIPPED FROM

The News

Albemarle, North Carolina
28 Jan 1919, Tue  •  Page 2


The lands of  Aaron H. Hartsell were not divided until 1919. I haven't gotten to that stage in her life yet, but I knew that Nannie, his only child, had married a Brattain, and in 1919, Nannie was still very much alive. So who were these people fighting over his land? W J Love, J H Furr and wife Oda Furr and others vs Elizabeth Lee?

They were nieces and nephews and their spouses, children of his deceased siblings. Oda Furr was Mary Oda or Odie Lee Furr, daughter of Anna Marie Hartsell Lee, Aaron's sister and wife of the J. T. Lee in the prevously mentioned deed.

I discovered Aaron had a probate file, under his initials, 'A. H. Hartsell',. It covered the dispersion of his personal property, and but his real estae and was dated December 1895. This was property left in North Carolina, even though he died and was buried in Texas. Most of the file was repetitive and not so informative, and it raised more questions than it answered, but yet, it answered a few.

First, Aaron's oldest brother, and the seemingly most dominate of the pack, James Calvin Hartsell, served as the administrator, which was no surprise. 

What did surprise me was the list of heirs. Tabitha Margaret 'Magey' Williams Hartsell was not mentioned, so I assume she passed away before Aaron. After everything was settled and the monies dispersed, the following was the list of heirs: First were those who recieved 1/6 of the proceeds, or $55.51 apiece:

J. C. Hartsell (James Calvin Hartsell)
Mary Rummage (Mary E. Hartsell who marriead J. Westley Rummage)
Anna Lee (Anna Marie Harstell who married James T. Lee)
J W Hartsell (Jonas Wiley Hartsell)

These were the living siblings of Aaron H. Hartsell.


Anna Marie Hartsell Lee




Then there were the heirs who had to divide the 1/6th by their numbers. First the heirs of John Hartsell, this was John Wilson Hartsell who had married Eva Caroline Treece.

Alice Barbee
Amanda Harvell
Coumbus Hartsell
John Hartsell

Next were the heirs of D. F. Hartsell, or Doctor Franklin Hartsell, who was not a doctor, but named for one, which seemed to have been a trend in those days. He had married  Benona Anceline Furr and had passed away young, at 41.

Jincy Hinson (Jincy  Elizabeth Hartsell) Married Ephraim Hinson.
Monroe Hartsell ( Houston Monroe Hartsell).
William Hartsell (William Franklin Hartsell).
Dividing their fathers share by one third, the received $18/.50.

But there was no amount of money put aside for Aaron's only daughter, Nannie. Now, why  was that? Perhaps because she was an innocent 5 year old child who could not argue against it. So these greedy adults divied it up as if they did not expect her to survive until adulthood and figure out how they had ripped her off. Or maybe I just don't understand the estae rules of the times. Yet, I've read many esate files where minor children were left and the court made certain of the funds set aside in a trust until they reached the age of majority, and other funds available to a court appointed Guradian for their care and education.


Nannie had been mentioned in the esate file, and it was clear that she had been appointed a guardian, or 'bound' as he put it, to her Uncle, James C. Hartsell, the administrator.



Superior Court of Stanly County, December 16, 1899 (Nannie would have been 9 years old).

"In the matter of teh Apprenticship of Nannie Hartsell, Jas. C. Hartsell Master
 Report
To R. A. Crowell Clerk of Superionr  Court,

I beg to report on the matter of the apprenticeship of Nannie Hartsell as follows:
I have complied with the stipulations of the indenture  have sent the child to school, and sending her to school now. She does not learn very well. She is healthy, she is stubborn and hard to get along with. I am tryng to do a good part by her. 
Sworn to  and subscribed before me this 16th Dec. 1899
R. A. Crowell C.S. C. 


J. C. Hartsell"

It appears as if this orphaned 9 year old was full of pain. I am not sure how much of her being ripped off of her inheritance she understood, but I believe she understood a great deal more than the Hartsells gave her credit for. 



Doctor Franklin Love

There was one other mystery that the estate papers gave some insight into. At one point their were two debts to the estate that were deemed collectible, yet remained unpaid and had postpned the distribution to the heirs at that point. (The estate papers covered the dates 1895-1899). James T. Lee, husband of Aarons sister Anna, owed $26.00  This is the J. T. Lee that he had sold property  to. Then  D. F. Love in Texas owed $250. I knew this D. F. Love was probably part of the reason that Aaron had gone to Texas. So who was he?


D. F. Love turned out to be Doctor Franklin Love, not to be confused with Aaron's brother, Doctor Franklin Hartsell. Born in 1850, he was the son of Jonah Askew Love and wife,  Margaret Tyson. D. F. Love had grown up in Furr Township, like the Hartsells, and had married Margaret Ann Moss. This also led to the question, 'Who was Dr. Franklin?'

After digging through many early North Carolna newspapers, and finding many references to Dr. Franklin, it became quite clear that they were all referring to Dr. Benjamin Franklin, so it was quite likley these boys were named for old Ben himself.

CLIPPED FROM

Fayetteville Semi-Weekly Observer

Fayetteville, North Carolina
30 Mar 1854, Thu  •  Page 2




D. F. Love was still in Stanly County in 1880.


Name:Doctor F. Love
Age:29
Birth Date:Abt 1851
Birthplace:North Carolina
Home in 1880:Furrs, Stanly, North Carolina, USA
Dwelling Number:170
Race:White
Gender:Male
Relation to Head of House:Self (Head)
Marital Status:Married
Spouse's Name:Margaret A. Love
Father's Birthplace:North Carolina
Mother's Birthplace:North Carolina
Occupation:Farmer
Neighbors:
Household MembersAgeRelationship
Doctor F. Love29Self (Head)
Margaret A. Love27Wife
Jonah F. Love7Son
John W. Love5Son
Henry H. Love2Son

D. F.Love first shows up in the Tax files of Archer LCounty, Texas in 1890.


Name:D F Love
Event Year:1890
Event Place:Archer County, Texas, United States
FHL Film Number:2282079

His last appearance is in 1896.


Name:Doctor F Love[Doel Love]
Age:49
Birth Date:Jul 1850
Birthplace:North Carolina, USA
Home in 1900:Justice Precinct 3, Wichita, Texas
Ward of City:3-9
Sheet Number:1
Number of Dwelling in Order of Visitation:2
Family Number:2
Race:White
Gender:Male
Relation to Head of House:Head
Marital Status:Married
Spouse's Name:Maggie A Love
Marriage Year:1873
Years Married:27
Father's Birthplace:North Carolina, USA
Mother's Birthplace:North Carolina, USA
Occupation:Farmer
Months Not Employed:0
Can Read:Yes
Can Write:Yes
Can Speak English:Yes
House Owned or Rented:Own
Home Free or Mortgaged:F
Farm or House:F
Neighbors:
Household MembersAgeRelationship
Doctor F Love49Head
Maggie A Love47Wife
Jonah F Love27Son
Henry H Love22Son
Marion F Love19Son
Hattie B Love15Daughter
Sophromia L Love6Daughter
Monroe W Word32Servant
Clarence E Sleid17Servant
Jos G Huckaby19Servant
In 1899, he was checking on Colleges for his children.





By 1900, he was in Wichita County, and his family would become Texans. Aaron Hartsell had been dead 5 years at this point. The question remained, had Aaron intended to relocate to Texas?




Aaron H.Hartsell is shown in the Tax reocrds of Archer County, Texas, but only for one year, 1891. Had he moved there, and left his wife and child in NC? Was Magey still alive in 1891? Had she died and he returend home for four years, just to return for money owed in 1895, and dying there? Was D. F. Love the one who bought him a mighty find tombstone? There's still many unanswered questions, but now I know of the Stanly County conneciton, D. F. Love, and that Aaron had bought land and paid taxes in 1891. He is buried in Holiday, which is close to the Wichita County line, so I assume they lived just  south of Wichita Falls. My guess is that Aaron sold his land in Archer to D. F. Love, and then retuned to Texas for money because it had not been paid.

Name:A H Hartsell
Event Year:1891
Event Place:Archer County, Texas, United States
FHL Film Number:2282079

D. F. Love's existance in Texas was not for long.




He died in Wichita County, Texas in 1907.

Name:Doctor Franklin Love
Gender:Male
Birth Date:8 Jul 1850
Death Date:7 Mar 1907
Cemetery:Highland Cemetery
Burial or Cremation Place:Iowa Park, Wichita County, Texas, United States of America
Has Bio?:N
Father:Jonah Askew Love
Mother:Margaret Tyson Love
Spouse:Margaret Ann Moss Love
Children:Sophronia Lottie DennyHenry Hampton LoveJohn Webster LoveJonah Franklin LoveFletcher Marvin LoveHattie Bobbit Troutman




However, he had left property in Stanly County, NC, where his estate was settled. 

Name:D F Love
Gender:Male
Residence Place:Texas, Wichita
Will Date:12 May 1909
Probate Date:1907
Probate Place:Stanly, North Carolina, USA
Inferred Death Year:1907
Inferred Death Place:North Carolina, USA
Item Description:Original Wills, Adkins, Wilson - Williams, J E

His estate file was simply a copy of his will, which made his wife, Maggie, executrix, and nearly sole,ieir, as long as she remained single, and at her marriage or decease, every thing to be divided between his chiildren, with an exception for his daughter  "Fronnie", or Sophronia. 





Nannie spent at least part of her childhood with her Uncle, James C. Hartsell, and was found in his home in 1900, and working as farm laborer, and in the home of the kindly Ezekeial and Elizabeth Morgan family in 1910, working as a Servant and Housekeeper.. She bought a lot of land from them in Stanfield, a burgeoning little town, and on September 20,1914, at the age of 23, she married Douglas Sylvester Brattain, age 20.

The marriage license names her paretns as Aaron and Maggie Hartsell, both deceased, and his as  W. E. and Martha Brattain, father deceased and mother living.
NameNannie Bratton
GenderFemale
Residence Year1918
Street AddressLydia av nr Parkwood av
Residence PlaceCharlotte, North Carolina, USA
SpouseD Sylvester Bratton
Publication TitleCharlotte, North Carolina, City Directory, 1918

D. Sylvester and Nannie seemed to have moved to the growing metropolis of Charlotte, at first. They are found there in 1918, in the City Directory, living on Lydia Avenue near Parkwood. Douglas was working as a carpenter, and it looks like he followed a few of his brothers in doing so.

An older home on Lydia Avenue in Charlotte, possibly like one Nannie may have lived in.



By 1920, the young family was back in 'The Village of Stanfield", where they would remain and raise their growing family. Sylvester was working as a Machinist in a Machine shop. 

Name:Sylvester D Bruttain[Sylvester Brattain][Sylvester D Brittain]
Age:25
Birth Year:abt 1895
Birthplace:North Carolina
Home in 1920:Furr, Stanly, North Carolina
Street:Village of Stanfield
House Number:X
Residence Date:1920
Race:White
Gender:Male
Relation to Head of House:Head
Marital Status:Married
Spouse's Name:Nannie Bruttain
Father's Birthplace:North Carolina
Mother's Birthplace:North Carolina
Able to Speak English:Yes
Occupation:Machinist
Industry:Machine Shop
Employment Field:Wage or Salary
Home Owned or Rented:Owned
Home Free or Mortgaged:Free
Able to read:Yes
Able to Write:Yes
Neighbors:
Household MembersAgeRelationship
Sylvester D Bruttain25Head
Nannie Bruttain30Wife
Dorman Bruttain4Son
Christine Bruttain2Daughter
The family would remain in Stanly County the rest of their lives and raised 4 children: Dorman Cornelius, Margaret Christine, Marie Kamille, and Eugene.

Nannie lived unitl 1956, when she died suddenly of natural causes, at age 65. Sylvester would live until the ripe old age of 95 and pass away in 1990.

Though Isaac died young of problems related to his stay in a Civil War Prison Camp, and only had one child, and that daughter only had one child, his family line lives on through the 4 children of that one child, Nannie.







John Edmund Williams

John Edmunds story  was entirely different than that of his brother Isaac, or the unknown fate of his sister, Matilda. He had entered the Civil War by enlisting as a Prison Guard in Salisbury, where a Prisoner of War Camp had been established, perhaps to avoid conflict. He then tired of that and went AWOL, at least for a time. He may have taken up with a pack of  Deserters known to have hidden out in the northern part of Montgomery County, deep in the Uwharries. Fearing the Homeguard and hanging, maybe, he then re-enlisted in Davidson County, and then the war was over, without John Edmund ever having seen battle.

Name:John Williams
Gender:Male
Marriage Date:28 Dec 1860
Marriage Place:Stanly, North Carolina, USA
Spouse:M E Morton
Spouse Gender:Female
Event Type:Marriage


All that was becasue unlike his older brother, Isaac, John already had a family. On December 28, 1860, John E. married Martha E. Morton, daughter of  Joseph Calvin and Margaret "Peggy' Hatley Morton, my 4th Great Grandparents. And, indeed, I have many matches that descend from her two daughters with J. E. Williams.




Name:Martha Williams
Gender:Female
Race:White
Estimated Birth Year:abt 1843
Birth Place:North Carolina, USA
Age:26
Death Date:Sep 1869
Cause of Death:Typhoid Fever
Census year:1870
Census Place:Big Lick, Stanly, North Carolina, USA





Martha died young, having passed away on September 20, 1869. We are fortunate to have ample reocrds of her death. First, there is the 1870 Mortality Schedule with the census. Too bad they did not do one of these for every year. This document gave us her cause of death. Then, there was her tombstone, as she was buried in a well-maintained cemetery, the Old Wiggins Cemetery, where her parents were also laid to rest.  Her tombstone gave us her exact dates of birth and death. She was born on May 24, 1843 and died on september 20, 1869 at age 26 years , 3 months and 26 days. 






John and Martha actually had three children:  Martha Llewellyn "Loula" Willimas in 1863, Julius H. Williams in 1868 and Margaret J. Williams, named for her maternal grandmother,on  May 10, 1869, so she was only 4 months old when her mother passed away. 

John may have gotten little Maggie out of the house when her mother took ill to save her life. 


Name:D E Williams (Actually J)
Gender:Male
Marriage Date:1 Nov 1869
Marriage Place:Stanly, North Carolina, USA
Spouse:Eliza Smith
Spouse Gender:Female
Event Type:Marriage



He wasted no time getting married, probably because he had small children, and found a wife in Eliza Manesie Smith, daughter of Edmond and Elizabeth Ledbetter Smith. On the marriage certificate, John gave his parents as Henry and Jane Williams and Eliza as Edmund and Elizathbeth Smith. So, who was Henry Williams?

In 1840, the cesnsus before John's first one, where  he, his mother and 3 siblings are living with Tom Harvel, his grandparents,  there is no Henry Williams in Montgomery County, which would have included Stanly County. However, there was one in Anson County, nearby.

Name:Henry Williams
Home in 1840 (City, County, State):Anson, North Carolina
Free White Persons - Males - 5 thru 9:2
Free White Persons - Males - 10 thru 14:2
Free White Persons - Males - 15 thru 19:2
Free White Persons - Males - 60 thru 69:1
Free White Persons - Females - 10 thru 14:1
Slaves - Males - 24 thru 35:1
Slaves - Females - 55 thru 99:1
Persons Employed in Agriculture:2
No. White Persons over 20 Who Cannot Read and Write:1
Free White Persons - Under 20:7
Total Free White Persons:8
Total Slaves:2
Total All Persons - Free White, Free Colored, Slaves:10




I suppose it is possible that Jane married Henry, an older widower from the looks of it, and in the early 1840's, and then he died soon afterwards. Perhaps the two boys, Isaac and John, were actually sons of this old Henry, and only the girls were illegitimate, and daughters of Dennis Yow, although the Stanly County Court was calling them illegitimate in 1848. 

Theres no way to really know.



Name:J E William
Age in 1870:29
Birth Date:abt 1841
Birthplace:North Carolina
Dwelling Number:201
Home in 1870:Big Lick, Stanly, North Carolina
Race:White
Gender:Male
Post Office:Albemarle
Occupation:Mechanic
Marriage Month:Oct
Male Citizen Over 21:Yes
Real Estate Value:400
Inferred Spouse:Eliza William
Inferred Children:Martha WilliamJulius William
Household MembersAge
J E William29
Eliza William23
Martha William5
Julius William3


1870 finds John and Eliza living in Big Lick, in Stanly Cuonty, where John is working as a mechanic. Martha and Julius are with them, but little Maggie is not, but she was alive and her marriage and death reocrds clearly show whoher paarents were.


Name:John E. Williams
Age:40
Birth Date:Abt 1840
Birthplace:North Carolina
Home in 1880:Lanes Creek, Union, North Carolina, USA
Dwelling Number:115
Race:White
Gender:Male
Relation to Head of House:Self (Head)
Marital Status:Married
Spouse's Name:Eliza M. Williams
Father's Birthplace:North Carolina
Mother's Birthplace:North Carolina
Occupation:Carpenter
Months Not Employed:5
Neighbors:
Household MembersAgeRelationship
John E. Williams40Self (Head)
Eliza M. Williams38Wife
Marthy L. Williams13Daughter
Julus H. Williams12Son
John W. R. Williams10Son
Elx S. Williams9Son
Elder R. Williams6Son
Irazona U. T. Williams4Son
Taxada T. Williams3Daughter
Ponce D. Williams1Son
Navado M. Williams1/12Daughter
Sivaston C. Williams1/12Son


Ten years later,the family has moved to Union County, to Lanes Creek, where John is now working as a carpenter. The family size has increased exponentially, with their first , John W. R. Willaims having been born September 11, 1870, 10 months after the wedding. 

Eliza, being a Smith, was quite inventive in the naming of her children. 

In additon to the three children by Martha E. Morton, John and Eliza were the parents of :

1870: John William Riley Williams
1871: Alexander Selkirk Williams
1874: Elder Ray William
1875: Arizona Utah Pratt Williams
1877: Texas Ada Tennesse Williams
1876: Ponce DeLeon Williams
1880: Nevada Mexico Williams
1800: Sebastian Cabot Willimas (twins)
1881: Lee Willimas (believed to be Robert E. Lee Willimas, died ataage 13) in 1893
1883: Minnesota "Minnie" Williams
1884: Commodore Falasque Williams

John Edmond Williams died September 25, 1886, in Union County, NC. His widow, Eliza, moved her family to Cabarrus County to work in the Cotton Mills and there she remained in the 1900, 1910 and 1920 cenuses. 


Name:Eliza Manesie Williams
Gender:Female
Birth Date:5 Jun 1847
Birth Place:Stanly County, North Carolina, United States of America
Death Date:10 Jun 1927
Death Place:Cabarrus County, North Carolina, United States of America
Cemetery:Oakwood Cemetery
Burial or Cremation Place:Concord, Cabarrus County, North Carolina, United States of America

In 1920, she is living with one of her grandchildren. Eliza M. Smith Williams would pass away in Cabbarrs County on June 10, 1927.



Commodore Falasque "Frank" Williams



As for the youngest of Jane Williams four children, Jincy (possibly Jane), born in late 1849, I have no further information on her. She was the one most likely to have been the child of Dennis Yow. Like many other child of that era, she may have just became an angel.





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