The One That Got Away

George H W Springer

My recent romp through old Court records has turned into an expose' of the Springer family. Apologies, but inconsistencies abound, and inconsistencies bother me. 

Delving into NC Land Grants for the Springer family, I don't find an overwhelming number of them. In Montgomery, the mother county of Stanly, where the Springer family I am researching lived, I find but one, and that was to George Springer, the Stanly Springer Patriarch, dated 1800, for 200 acres on the Southwest side of the Pee Dee River. In Stanly, we find 100 acres for Lewis in 1844, 27 acres on Bear Creek for Randle, (who was actually Reuben if you read the actual document), in 1846, 9 acres for Reuben in 1854 and there is one all the way in 1912 to a D. W. Springer in Almond Township. 

There's also one in Orange County in 1790 to Uriah Springer, which is related to these, because I believe they descend from this man. The one that has me flummoxed is one to a George H. W. Springer, in 1844, the same year as Lewis. The chain carriers were Dempsey Springer, a brother of Lewis who would move to Cherokee County, Georgia, and Adam, a nephew of Lewis and Dempsey, son of their sister, Barbara.

Who was George H. W. Springer? I don't find him in any other records in Stanly County. 

The deed itself describes the tract as being on Stony Run and Bear Creeks, adjoining Dempsey Springer's line and others, it met John Perry's corner, who married Margaret, one of the Springer sisters. This repitition of the family name, and the properties connecting to each other suggests that this was family land and that George H. W. Springer was a member of this Springer family. 

I do find one other mention of a George H. W. Springer, 

Name	George W. H. Springer
Enlistment Rank	Private
Muster Place	Georgia
Muster Company	F
Muster Regiment	3rd Cavalry
Muster Regiment Type	Cavalry
Muster Information	Enlisted
Transfer From Unit	F
Transfer To Unit	K
Side of War	Confederacy
Title	Index to Compiled Confederate Military Service Records

that of a Confederate soldier from Cherokee County, Georgia. Which coincidentally is the area Dempsey Springer, one of the chain carriers from the above documents, ends up in around 1845. 

Dempsey Springer was one of the sons of George Springer, the progenitor of the Stanly County Springers. Born January 2, 1804, the date carved into his tombstone, he first shows up in the 1830 census of Montgomery County, NC, in the half that will become Stanly. His property was along Bear Creek and Stony Run Creek. 

Name	Dimpry Springer
Home in 1830 (City, County, State)	West Side Pee Dee River, Montgomery, North Carolina
Free White Persons - Males - Under 5	1 Josiah
Free White Persons - Males - 20 thru 29	1 Dempsey
Free White Persons - Females - Under 5	2 Marissa and ?
Free White Persons - Females - 30 thru 39	1 Katie HInson Springer?
Free White Persons - Under 20	3
Free White Persons - 20 thru 49	2
Total Free White Persons	5
Total - All Persons (Free White, Slaves, Free Colored)	5

He's in the same place in 1840. By 1845, Dempsey is in Georgia and by1850 his wife has passed away. Dempsey first arrived in Forsyth County, Georgia, but by 1850, and settled in what would become Ball Ground, Cherokee County, Georgia. 

Ball Ground describes itself "We are a city of 3,500 residents located in Cherokee County, Georgia — on the northern edge of metro Atlanta — nestled in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains. Our quaint city is known for its historic main street characterized by unique shops and restaurants, numerous historic homes and great recreation opportunities."

The town of Ball Ground was originally Cherokee Territory, and its name is derived from its origins as a flat playing field for a game played by the Cherokee tribe. They would hold competitions there with their Creek neighbors and swap land back and forth during tournaments. 

Name	Dempsey Springer
Gender	Male
Race	White
Residence Age	45
Birth Date	abt 1805
Birthplace	North Carolina
Residence Date	1850
Home in 1850	Division 15, Cherokee, Georgia, USA
Occupation	Farmer
Industry	Agriculture
Real Estate	700
Cannot Read, Write	Yes
Line Number	23
Dwelling Number	967
Family Number	971

Household members

Name	Age
Dempsey Springer	45
Josiah Springer	23
Rutha Springer	13
Marripa Ann Springer	11
Rush Springer	9
William Springer	7
Marissa Owen	20

He has added two children, Jerusha, also seen as "Rush" or Rucy" and William born in 1844, the same year that the Confederate soldier from the same area, George H. W. Springer, was born. His daughter, Marissa, is already a widow at 20, it seems. She will remarry again.

Josiah Springer will move to Missouri and serve in the Civil War.

So, George H. William Springer joined at 18 in 1862, which again, gives him a birthyear of 1844. As the land grant in question was filed that same year, I doubt very seriously that these are the same George H. W. Springers. I've came across boys still in their teens receiving land grants, as in the case of my Half- Third Great Uncle, Peter Howell, but not one in utero. 

The only possibility for the Land Grant Springer is an unknown son of George the Progenitor and a brother Dempsey named a son for. 

Let's look at that possibility. In the 1790 census, George Springer is still in Orange County, where he was from. By 1800, he's in Montgomery County, North Carolina.

Name	George Springer
Home in 1800 (City, County, State)	Montgomery, North Carolina
Free White Persons - Males - Under 10	1
Free White Persons - Males - 45 and over	1 George
Free White Persons - Females - Under 10	4
Free White Persons - Females - 10 thru 15	1
Free White Persons - Females - 26 thru 44	1 Sylvia
Number of Household Members Under 16	6
Number of Household Members Over 25	2
Number of Household Members	8

The census shows that Sally was younger than her husband. They appear to have possibly had 5 daughters and one son by this time. Miranda was born in 1789, Sarah Jr. in 1791, Mary in 1792, Margaret in 1797 and Barbara in 1800. Five daughters. The only son by 1800 was Lewis in 1794.

Name	Geo Stringer
Residence Date	6 Aug 1810
Residence Place	Wagster, Montgomery, North Carolina, USA
Free White Persons - Males - Under 10	3 Reuben (1801), Dempsey (1804) Missing boy born between 1800-1810.
Free White Persons - Males - 16 thru 25	1 Lewis
Free White Persons - Males - 45 and over	1 George
Free White Persons - Females - 10 thru 15	3 Barbara, Margaret and Mary
Free White Persons - Females - 45 and over	1 Sylvia
Number of Household Members Under 16	6
Number of Household Members Over 25	2
Number of Household Members	9

1810 has the family in "Wagster", Montgomery County. The two older daughters have married, and three sons were born between 1800 and 1810. Reuben was born in 1801 and Dempsey in 1804. There is indeed a missing son. 

George Springer passes away before 1830, and there is no 1820 census in Montgomery County, as it was lost to time.

In 1830, Syliva is the head of household. She is with her daughter, Barbara, undoubtedly, the one who doesn't marry.

Name	Sylina Springer
Home in 1830 (City, County, State)	Montgomery, North Carolina
Free White Persons - Females - 20 thru 29	1 Barbara
Free White Persons - Females - 50 thru 59	1 Sylvia
Free White Persons - 20 thru 49	1
Total Free White Persons	2
Total - All Persons (Free White, Slaves, Free Colored)	2

As she is again in 1840.

Name	Sylvia Springer
Residence Date	1840
Home in 1840 (City, County, State)	West Pee Dee River, Montgomery, North Carolina
Free White Persons - Males - 5 thru 9	1
Free White Persons - Females - 30 thru 39	1
Free White Persons - Females - 70 thru 79	1
Persons Employed in Agriculture	1
No. White Persons over 20 Who Cannot Read and Write	1
Free White Persons - Under 20	1
Free White Persons - 20 thru 49	1
Total Free White Persons	3
Total All Persons - Free White, Free Colored, Slaves	3

By this time, Babara has given birth to her son, Adam, also a chain carrier on the Land Grant, and whom I have posted on already. This suggests that all of the sons were on their own, but only Lewis and Dempsy show up. Reuben does not show up in the 1840 census for Montgomery County, or any other nearby. Neither is there a George. Perhaps they were either missed, or working for another family, and not head of household. 

To wrap up Dempsey Springer, by 1860, Dempsey was down to four children in the home.

Name	Dempsy Springer
Age	48
Birth Year	abt 1812
Gender	Male
Race	White
Birth Place	North Carolina
Home in 1860	Forsyth, Georgia
Post Office	Cumming
Dwelling Number	266
Family Number	266
Real Estate Value	800
Personal Estate Value	2300
Cannot Read, Write	Y
Inferred Child	Rutha Springer; Eliza Springer; Riva Springer

Household members

Name	Age
Dempsy Springer	48
Rutha Springer	20
Eliza Springer	18
Riva Springer	17
Wm Springer	14

William, or George H. William Springer, was now a teenager. Eliza was Maniza Aneliza Springer, who never married and Riva, was Jerusha, who was "Rush" in the census ten years prior. There are multiple land and court records during this time. By 1870, only Dempsey and Maniza were in the home. 

There is a court case involving the two of them being robbed in 1874.  Maniza was home alone when a group of men set on stealing her father's whiskey man-handled her and threatened to kill her. I will not report on that court case her, but it inspired her father to deed property to here, in the chance of his own demise. 

Dempsey would live a long life, however. In response. I believe, to Maniza's being alone when he was on the road engaged in trade and business, Dempsey would remarry. 

On August 13th, 1874, 70-year-old Dempsey Springer married 18-year-old Martha E. Jones, and he would outlive her. 

Name	Dempsey Springer
Age	75
Birth Date	Abt 1805
Birthplace	North Carolina
Home in 1880	Cross Roads, Cherokee, Georgia, USA
Street	Innaq 4th
House Number	8
Dwelling Number	159
Race	White
Gender	Male
Relation to Head of House	Self (Head)
Marital Status	Married
Spouse's Name	Martha Springer
Father's Birthplace	North Carolina
Mother's Birthplace	North Carolina
Occupation	Farmer
Cannot Write	Y
Neighbors	View others on page

Household members

Name	Age
Dempsey Springer	75
Martha Springer	24
Anelizer Springer	35

And here they were in 1880, in Crossroads, Cherokee County, Georgia.

Dempsey Springer died on August 3, 1899. He was 95 years old. Despite being 70 years old upon his second stride down the aisle, Dempsey managed to father a child during his second marriage. Sadly, the boy passed away as an infant. 

The known children of Dempsey Springer with his first wife, Catherine "Katie" Hinson Springer were:

A) Josiah Springer (1827-1863) Died in Missouri.

B) Marissa Springer (1829-1919) Married 1st Mr. Owen, married second Newton Wilson, Died in Clarke County, Georgia. 

C) Dempsey J. Springer (1830-1889) Married Martha C. Pennington. Six children: Adaline, Martha Emma, Marion Frances, William Harrison, Henry, and Laura D. Settled in Mississippi, died in Tennessee.

D) Rutha L. Springer (1838-1916) Married Epsy M. Priest. One child, George W. Priest. Died in Forsyth County, Georgia.

E) Maniza Aneliza Springer (1839-1920) Lived and died in Cherokee County, Georgia. 

F) Jerusha Mahala Springer (1843- aft 1920) Married Thomas Butler Fowler. Two children: Allen Jackson Fowler, George Fowler.

G) George H. William Springer (1844-1864) Died in Missouri. 

H) George H. Springer (1894-1918) son of Dempsey Springer and Martha Jones Springer just discovered.

Springer row at Old Hightower Baptist Church Cemetery, Ball Ground, Cherokee County, Georgia.

Lucy the Lioness

  

Lucy Whitley was a Lion! And she came with a Pride. Still quixoticlly searching for the origins of William T. P. L. Whitley of  Fallstown, Iredell County, his wife Margarter Malinda, and their son, William Alexander Whitley, who was born in 1868, in Stanly County, NC, I've been looking at the Whitleys, in particular, the William Whitley's. There, I found the intrepid Lucy. 

Her actual name appears to have been Lucinda H. Whitley, or Lucy for short, as that is how her father addresses her in an 1860 land Indenture. 

Name	Lucy Whitley
Gender	Female
Race	White
Residence Age	21
Birth Date	abt 1829
Birthplace	North Carolina
Residence Date	1850
Home in 1850	Albemarle, Stanly, North Carolina, USA
Cannot Read, Write	Yes
Line Number	18
Dwelling Number	897
Family Number	902
Inferred Father	Wm Whitley
Inferred Mother	Martha Whitley

Household members

Name	Age
Wm Whitley	63
Martha Whitley	62
Lucy Whitley	21
Davidson Whitley	19

Lucy was born around 1829, one of the two youngest children of William "Old Billy" Whitley and wife, Martha. She had a younger brother, Davidson Whitley, who was a stalwart existence in her life. William was born about 1775, and his wife not too far behind him. He would live a very long time, and that is why he is called "Old Billy", to differentiate him from the other Williams. His wife is supposedly a daughter of Benjamin Hathcock, and one of Lucy's brothers who lived long enough to have a death certificate, has Martha Hathcock as his mother, so that could be accurate. I'm not an in depth Whitley researcher, so I'm open to debate and proof of anything otherwise. My own Whitley roots hale back to Johnston and Franklin Counties, with likely connection to the Union/Anson/Stanly/Cabarrus County Whitleys, but I haven't journeyed downward this  far.

The William Whitley family lived in Albemarle District No. 9, in Household number 897 on the roll of,  J. H. Tomlinson, census taker, and Family number 902. Pretty darn close to them in Household number 894 and Family number 899, also in Albemarle District #9, was one intriguing cousin, just 16 to  Lucy's 21 years of age.

Name	Columbus Whittey
Gender	Male
Race	White
Residence Age	16
Birth Date	abt 1834
Birthplace	North Carolina
Residence Date	1850
Home in 1850	Albemarle, Stanly, North Carolina, USA
Occupation	Laborer
Industry	Industry Not Reported
Line Number	41
Dwelling Number	894
Family Number	899
Inferred Mother	Rebecca Whittey

Household members

Name	Age
Rebecca Whittey	56
Susanna Whittey	25
Columbus Whittey	16
Benona Whittey	15
Wm R Burris	5

His name was Columbus Whitley. Columbus was from a broken home, and in 1850, was a 16 year old living with his divorced mother and two sisters, Susanna and Benona Anceline. Five year old William R. Burris, was the son of his sister, Susannah, by her lover, Joshua Christian Burris, by whom she would have four children. I've mentioned William Rufus Whitley a few times in recents posts, due to his marriage to Sarah Tucker, daughter of Lewis Tucker. He went by both Burris and Whitley, but seems to have settled with Whitley as an adult.

Columbus Whitley's father was George N. Whitley III, (1787-1858) and his mother was Rebecca Cagle Whitley, (1791-1873). The couple had a sizeable family and then George hooked up with a younger woman named Martha Harvell Owens,  by whom he would add about five more children, and headed off to Cherokee County, Georgia, which coincidentally, was the same county in Georgia that Dempsey Springer would end up. Who knows, they could have been traveling companions. Rebecca, abandoned and angry, would file for a divorce, which would be granted in 1847. 

Rebecca was also a lioness. She had been married to George for 30 years and had brought about 15 children into the world. She claimed George had been an acceptible husband until his relationship with Martha Harvel Owens, a woman with one child already. At that point, he had become a "drunkard and spendthrift, wasting his substance to the impovershment of his family." He abandoned Rebecca and her children, albeit most of them were adults by the time, she took him to court and won the divorce, and all that had been his in Stanly County was now hers. 

This is a 'quick and dirty tree' of how Lucy and Columbus were related. 

                                    George Benjamin Whitley (1735-1800)

1st wife: Martha Castles                -                  2nd wife: Rebecca Honeycutt 

son: George Whitley II        -half brothers -     son: William "Old Billy" Whitley

with Caternah Tucker                                                 with Martha Hathcock

son:George N. Whitley III    -first cousins -            daughter: Lucinda H. "Lucy" Whitley

with Rebecca Lousie Cagle

son: Columbus Eli Whitley -  first cousins once removed - to Lucy Whitley.

In 1856, it was now William "Old Billy" Whitley taking Columbus to court. Columbus, who must have inherited some of his fathers wiles and wistless ways, was now 21 years old.

The witnesses in the case for William Whitley, plaintiff, were Allen Burris, James C. Tucker, John W. Morton and Lucy Whitley. As best as I can tell about the case, it was a Breach of Contract charge.

On June 2nd of 1858, a warrant was issued for the arrest of Columbus Whitley and his older brother, Benjamin Lindsey Whitley, who were under a bond of $200 and owed the Plaintiff damages of $100. The issue in question was "the relation of Lucy Whitley'.

In a Separate case, hitting the courts at the same time, Columbus Whitley was facing a charge of Bastardy, and ordered to pay, in conjunction with his brother Benjamin L. Whitley, who had signed a bond and contract for his younger brother, to Lucy Whitley, $60, in $25 increments.

Lucy had given birth to a child. a son, on August 24, 1855, whom she named Alexander.

On January 17, 1856, five months after the birth of his son, Columbus Whitley married Amarintha Eudy, daughter of William Ransom and Sarah Furr Eudy, aged 20.

On November 7, 1856, Aramantha Eudy Whitley gave birth to a son they would name Benjamin, probably after Columbus's brother.

In most of these cases, the woman or girl who had an out of wedlock pregnancy would be taken to court and ordered to name the father, who would then be found financially responsible for the child, for at least its first years of life. When the child was deemed old enough, it would then be "bound out" to an intact family, to learn a trade. Some of these situations were successful, especially if the child went to loving grandparents or an uncle. Other times, they were placed with tyrants and abusive guardians. Not all of them survived. The Whitleys were a different type of family and Lucy Whitley was a different kind of woman.

It seems that Columbus, in conjunction with his brother B. L. Whitley as bondsman, had entered into an agreement or contract of marriage, with Lucy Whitley, daughter of William Whitley. Lucy was not a loose woman, but within the promise of engagement, from a combination perhaps of infatuation and maybe fear of loss, she had given into Columbus's concupiscence and lusty overtures, such as young men become overwhelmed by.  Allen Burris, James C. Tucker, John W. Morton, Joseph Morton and of course, Lucy Whitley, were all witnesess to his promises of marriage. Columbus had broken his contract by marrying Aramantha "Rincy" Eudy and leaving Lucy, literally holding the bag, or should we say bundle. 

Alexander would be the only child Lucy would ever have, and she would protect him fiercely. He grew up knowing exactly who his father was.

1860

On November 8th, 1860, William Whitley sold to his daughter, Lucy Whitley, for $100 paid by "Lucinda H. Whitley" , a tract of land , beginning with a pine in Nathan Coleys' line, in a deed with about the worst handwriting I've ever attempted to read. The tract met T. A. Coley's corner, James Little's line, Davidson Whitley's line and back to Nathan Coley's property on Camp Branch. There was a stipulation for 'their proper use'. The witnesses were Thomas W P...n? and Davidson Whitley.

Neither Lucy or her parents were listed in the 1860 census. It appears they missed an entire hunk of Whitleys that has been deleterious and an incumbrance to my research into the origins of the Iredell County Whitleys, who were born in Stanly County.

Name	Columbus Whitley
Age	28
Birth Year	abt 1832
Gender	Male
Race	White
Home in 1860	Stanly, North Carolina
Post Office	Albemarle
Dwelling Number	1097
Family Number	1112
Occupation	Farmer
Real Estate Value	825
Personal Estate Value	400
Inferred Spouse	Amantha Whitley
Inferred Child	Benjamin Whitley; Ephreim Whitley

Household members

Name	Age
Columbus Whitley	28
Amantha Whitley	24
Benjamin Whitley
Ephreim Whitley	1

Columbus Whitley, with his little family, did appear in the 1860 census. He had acquired a third son, Ephraim, and seemed to have been close to the same spot he was before. His wife would have been expecting a fourth son, the third for her, at this time, Columbus Jr. and Columbus Sr. was about to enter the War. 

Columbus Whitley

He would survive and he and Aramantha would have five more children after his return from War. This was a total of eight for the two of them, six sons and two daughters, before Columbus's death on January 6, 1890. They settled and raised their family in Big Lick, Stanly County.

1870

Name	Lucy Whittey
Age in 1870	31
Birth Date	abt 1839
Birthplace	North Carolina
Dwelling Number	112
Home in 1870	Furr, Stanly, North Carolina
Race	White
Gender	Female
Post Office	Albemarle
Occupation	At Home
Cannot Read	Yes
Cannot Write	Yes

Household members

Name	Age
William Whittey	84
Martha Whittey	84
Lucy Whittey	31
Alex Whittey	15

In 1870, Lucy is the only child still living with her parents, Billy and Martha, who would live extraordinarily long lives. They are in Furr Township in westernmost Stanly County, and her son Alexander is listed as 15. He is one of the Alexanders I looked at in my search for the origins of William Alexander Whitley of Iredell, who was born in Stanly County in 1868. Ages can be very off in the census records in my experience.

Davidson Whitley

Living right next to William and Martha was their youngest son, Davidson, who seems to have been the man to take care of everything.

Name	Davidson Whitley
Age in 1870	39
Birth Date	abt 1831
Birthplace	North Carolina
Dwelling Number	111
Home in 1870	Furr, Stanly, North Carolina
Race	White
Gender	Male
Post Office	Albemarle
Occupation	Farmer
Male Citizen Over 21	Yes
Personal Estate Value	300
Real Estate Value	350
Inferred Spouse	Mary E Whitley
Inferred Children	William C Whitley; Lucy Whitley; Allen G Whitley; John Whitley; Judith Whitley; James D Whitley

Household members

Name	Age
Martha Whittey	8
Mary Whittey	6
Aranna Whittey	2
Samantha Whittey	8/12
Davidson Whitley	39
Mary E Whitley	37
William C Whitley	18
Lucy Whitley	17
Allen G Whitley	15
John Whitley	13
Judith Whitley	12
James D Whitley	10
Lura Barber	10
Lundy Barber	8
Mertha Barber	8

Davidson had married Mary Burris, the daughter of Allen Burris and wife Lucy Hinson Burris, just after the census, in 1850. Despite having ten children of their own already, they had taken in three little Barbee girls, a name seen in old records as Barbee, Barbara and Barber, for the same family. These girls were the daughters of Josiah Barber, who had passed in 1866, and wife Mary Little, who was still living. 

On April 13, 1876, Lucy's son, Alexander, would marry a Barber at age 19 or 20. She was named as Lorena on the marriage document, but as Cerena on her tombstone. 'Rena' was the daughter of Noah Barbee and Sophia Little. A year later, on February 1st, 1877, their daughter Flora E. Whitley was born. 

This happy beginning would soon be overshadowed by a tearful ending. On July 19, 1877, Cerena would pass away at the tender age of 19, her little daughter only five months old. She was buried at Meadow Creek Primitive Baptist Church in present day Locust.

Lucy would step in to help care for little Flora. It seems she was always there for Flora. Still, Alexander needed a helpmate, and would soon find one in the person of 17 year old Sarah A. Honeycutt, daughter of Thomas Franklin Honeycutt and wife, Elizabeth Dry.

 They were married on May  20th, 1878, in Furr Township, by Calvin H. Brooks, a Justice of the Peace, at his office. Alexander was now 22.

The young couple wasted no time expanding their family as their son Silas came 15 months later on August 17, 1879.