While a Maelstrom has its nautical origins, as a word, it can also refer to a state of confusion or turmoil, all aswirl. My next subject was most definitely a case of all of that.
I've been exploring the subjects of old local court cases from the 19th century, after pouring over a CD of them, and examining some of the more interesting ones that could be of genetic interest to people with ancestry in the area of Stanly County, North Carolina and surrounding counties.
The subject of my last post was a Mary Ann Tucker, who had married a Springer, then a Potts, and was divorced twice. She was living in 1884, and I did not find record of her further. I did, however, find that many had merged her with another Mary Springer. This Mary was another person entirely, had been born in Stanly County and moved to its southern neighbor, Anson. She was also a frequent visitor to the Courtroom due to her illegal lifestyle choices. This is her story, which must be told, to separate her from the other Mary Springer.
State vs Allen Ledbetter and Mary Springer Anson County Docket
-Fall Minutes 1884
-Spring Minutes 1885
Charges: F & A and F& A& C
(Fornication and Adultery and Fornication and Adultery and Cohabitation.)
It could be easily assumed that Mary Tucker Springer Potts, fresh from her second divorce, could have crossed the narrow Rocky River and into the arms of one Allen Ledbetter, but that did not happen. This is what I have discovered about the other Mary Tucker.
The name- Mary's middle name is shown in one document of her daughter's. It's not clearly legible and is longer than Ann. It was transcribed as "Auson", so I have been calling her Mary Auson Springer, to not confuse her with Mary Ann Tucker Springer Potts. After magnifying and analyzing the word circled in yellow below, and asking second and third opinions, I've came to the conclusion that her middle name may have been 'Annis', which was used in the area during this era.
So, Mary Annis Springer she will be, or 'Auson' if you prefer. Mary first appears in records in the 1850 census of Stanly County in the home of Lewis and Rachel Springer in Furr's Township. First, maybe, and I will get to that.
| Name | Mary A Springer |
|---|---|
| Gender | Female |
| Race | White |
| Residence Age | 7 |
| Birth Date | abt 1843 |
| Birthplace | North Carolina |
| Residence Date | 1850 |
| Home in 1850 | Furrs, Stanly, North Carolina, USA |
| Attended School | Yes |
| Line Number | 4 |
| Dwelling Number | 557 |
| Family Number | 560 |
| Name | Age |
|---|---|
| Lewis Spunger | 56 |
| Rachel Spunger | 49 |
| George Spunger | 21 |
| Linda Spunger | 19 |
| Leah Barber | 11 |
| Elizabeth M Barber | 10 |
| Israel Springer | 15 |
| Sarah Springer | 13 |
| Dovey Springer | 8 |
| Mary A Springer | 7 |
Mary is shown as a 7-year-old here. The family is not "Spungers" but Springers. Old script can be challenging, even to people who know the area and its early citizens. Thanks to the Blog, "They Lived Upon a Rocky River", by researcher, expert platist and writer, George Thomas, my distant cousin, I know that Lewis Springer lived near the present town of Stanfield. Lewis Springer was also the brother of Reuben Springer, who was the son of Aaron Springer, husband of Mary Ann Tucker Springer, so there were connections. Not all the children of Lewis Springer are living in his home here. At least three, Lavina Barbara, John Uriah and Rutha Caroline Springer, were already grown and gone. The two Barber children do not belong there.
Looking at the actual document, one can see that the household of Lewis Springer had been split on to two pages, with Israel, Sarah, Dovey and Mary A. appearing on the next page. Above Lewis and Rachel is the family of Gabriel and Sarah Barber (Barbee). Under Sarah's name is an asterisk (*). Leah and Elizabeth Barber, ages 11 and 10, respectively, are also denoted with an asterisk, meaning that they should have been listed beneath Sarah Barbee, their mother. Many folks have them in Lewis Springer's household. They do not belong there.
| Name | Lewis Springer |
|---|---|
| Age | 71 |
| Birth Year | abt 1789 |
| Gender | Male |
| Race | White |
| Birth Place | North Carolina |
| Home in 1860 | Stanly, North Carolina |
| Post Office | Albemarle |
| Dwelling Number | 106 |
| Family Number | 106 |
| Occupation | Farmer |
| Cannot Read, Write | Y |
| Inferred Spouse | Rachael Springer |
| Inferred Child | Mary Springer; Davy Springer |
| Name | Age |
|---|---|
| Lewis Springer | 71 |
| Rachael Springer | 58 |
| Mary Springer | 19 |
| Davy Springer | 18 |
| Sallie Springer | 22 |
A decade later, only Mary, Dovey and Sarah "Sallie" Springer remain in the home of Lewis and Rachel. Notice how I say "in the home" and not "daughter". Here is why.
Lewis Springer, probably being in bad health and cognitive of his own mortality, wrote a Will on May 13th, 1862. I have translated it below.
"Lewin Springer Will
In the name of God amen. I Lewis Springer of Stanly County and state of North Carolina being weak in body but of sound memory blessed in God this day, the 13th of Mary in the Year 1862 make and publish this my last Will and Testament in manner following that is to say first my loving wife Rachel I give all tha I am now possessed of during her natural life and at her death to be equally divided between our children, and I make my loving wife Rachel Springer executor of this my last Will."
Lewis signed it with a mark and B L Green and neighbor Gabriel Barba, (Barbee), witnessed the signature.
The Will was Probated in November of 1863, on the oath of Gabriel Barba. Not only had Lewis died sometime between those two dates, but his wife Rachel had also. Clerk D. A. Underwood accepted the document into open court and assigned another neighbor, F. A. Klutzz as executor.
The Probate file of Lewis Springer is 42 pages long and consists mostly of receipts of debts paid and notes owing collected. On the last two pages are listed the heirs of the estate of Lewis Springer.
Notably missing is George Springer, 21 in 1850, who predeceased his father with no issue of his own.
The list consists of 8 names, getting 1/8th each of the remainder of Lewis's estate:
Barbara Ramsey
Malinda Stogner
Sarah Springer
Rutha C Teeter
Dovie Ann Springer
Elizabeth Whitley
John Springer heirs
Israel Springer
Who was alive, but not listed as an heir? Why Mary Annis Springer. Why would she not be included in this list? Because she was not a child of Lewis and Rachel Springer. Lewis had not excluded any children. His Will specified that anything left be divided equally.
Then who was she? She was a Springer, therefore I am pretty certain she was a close relative. Was she a grandchild?
John Uriah Springer predeceased his father and left heirs.
He married Mary Teeter and appeared in the 1850 census with 3 children. His widow appears in the 1860 census having had 3 more. The youngest, James Wilson, was born in 1855, so John probably died in 1854 or 1855. His surviving children would split his share.
If Mary was the child of a deceased child of Lewis Springer, would she have not been an heir to their share? The other option was if she was the daughter of a living child, but who? I have a theory, but I always have a theory.
In the August Session of Court, 1849, is the below admission.
"Sheriff is to bring into court _____(illegible) Springer, a girl, the child of Peggy Springer, deceased"
I believe Mary Springer may have been this girl. She was certainly the right age and no one else in the Springer Universe fits this child. This revelation brings in the question, "Who was Peggy Springer?"
Knowing Peggy was the nickname for Margaret, as they used Polly for Mary, Patsy for Martha, Sally for Sarah, Jincy for Jane, etc., I looked for a Margaret Springer whose foot might fit the shoe. Lewis had a sister named Margaret, but she was married, and under a different name by this time. There was no other known Margaret old enough to have had a child in the mid-1840's. Plus, we know she was deceased by 1849, probably fairly close to 1848 or 1849. Was she a widow or a single woman? There's no way to know, but that she was probably a young mother, as only one child is mentioned, and as there was no father to take custody, she was likely single. It wasn't beyond the berth of the Springer women to have children out of wedlock. Lewis's sister Barbara did, as well as several of his daughters. I have no doubt that Mary was related to Lewis Springer, as she was in his home in two censuses, being raised by him and Rachel. If she wasn't a daughter, she was a close relative, bearing the same name, in all likelihood, possibly a granddaughter or a niece.
Could Lewis have had a daughter named Peggy? Let's analyze.
1830
| Name | Lewis Springer |
|---|---|
| Home in 1830 (City, County, State) | West Side Pee Dee River, Montgomery, North Carolina |
| Free White Persons - Males - Under 5 | 2 John (1827) & George (1829) |
| Free White Persons - Males - 30 thru 39 | 1 Lewis |
| Free White Persons - Females - Under 5 | 1 Rutha (1828) |
| Free White Persons - Females - 5 thru 9 | 2 Elizabeth & Barbara (1822-1826) |
| Free White Persons - Females - 10 thru 14 | 1 Unknown |
| Free White Persons - Females - 30 thru 39 | 1 Rachel |
| 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 |
1840
| Name | Lewis Springer |
|---|---|
| Residence Date | 1840 |
| Home in 1840 (City, County, State) | West Pee Dee River, Montgomery, North Carolina |
| Free White Persons - Males - Under 5 | 1 Israel |
| Free White Persons - Males - 10 thru 14 | 1 George |
| Free White Persons - Males - 15 thru 19 | 1 John |
| Free White Persons - Males - 40 thru 49 | 1 Lewis |
| Free White Persons - Females - Under 5 | 1 Sarah (1837) |
| Free White Persons - Females - 5 thru 9 | 3 Malinda, two unknown |
| Free White Persons - Females - 10 thru 14 | 2 Rutha, Barbara |
| Free White Persons - Females - 30 thru 39 | 1 Rachel |
| Persons Employed in Agriculture | 4 |
| No. White Persons over 20 Who Cannot Read and Write | 1 |
| Free White Persons - Under 20 | 9 |
| Free White Persons - 20 thru 49 | 2 |
| Total Free White Persons | 11 |
| Total All Persons - Free White, Free Colored, Slaves | 11 |
He certainly could have. In 1840, even Dovie and Mary were not yet born, so were not living in the household. This is what we can speculate of Mary's early life. Her adult life was on the horizon.
In 1870, Mary Springer is brought to trial. The above picture is a little difficult to read, unless it is blown up. It states, not in its entirety, "To any lawful officer of the said County...Whereas information hath been made to one of the Justices of the place for said County that Mary Springer of the said County is with child which child when born will be a bastard or may become chargable to the county...therefore be commanded to appear...Febrary Session."
The second part states; "State of North Carolina Stanly Cjounty
J. A. Hartsell one of the Justices of the Peace for said County this day....the examination of Mary Springer Whereupon she....John O Tucker is the father of said child." It was then ordered that John O. Tucker to be brought before the Court on February 16, 1870. John O. Tucker accepted responsibility for the child.
A few pages beyond are the above written document stating that "$60 received of John O Tucker sixty dollar in full satisfaction and payment to me made for the maintenance of a certain bastard child begotten of my body A female borned the 26th day of April 1870.
This September the 1st, 1870". Signed by Mary Springer with an 'X'.
The child of Mary Springers that was born that year was Mary Lula Springer. She was not Mary's first child, but this may have been the first time someone reported Mary for having children out of wedlock.
John O. Tucker
John Oliver Tucker was bron on May 12, 1835, in Stanly County, NC, the son of Duncan Tucker (1813-1837) and Catherine "Katie" Green (1812-1892). Not to be confused with Duncan T. Tucker of my previous posts, John Oliver would also name a son Duncan, for his father, of course, but they were related down the line leading me to believe there may have been an original Duncan further up the family tree.
At the time of Mary Lula Springers' conception, John O. was 35, while Mary was about 26. He was also a married man, having married Mary Ann Dry about 15 years previously, and would continue to be. He had six children prior to the birth of Mary Lula, and a son, John McCollum Tucker, born the same year as she, by his wife, 4 months prior, in fact. There would be 3 more to follow.
John O. grew up in Furr Township, but raised his family in Big Lick, that notorious hotbed of iniquity. Like most men of his age and era, he had been destined to be a Civil War Veteran, and survived, as many did not. He farmed in Big Lick until the turn of the Century, at which time, he would cross the Pee Dee River and become a Blacksmith in the old town of PeeDee. He would pass away there in 1915, at the age of 80, and is buried in the ancient Zion Cemetery. Ancient for this part of the world.
At the time of his affair, John lived in Household number 224 in Big Lick. The rest of his children were listed on the next page.
Mary Springer, and her three children were living in Household # 233, so they were bascially neighbors as he crow flies. Mary was joined by her first born son, Andrew Jackson Springer, daughter Eva Catherine, and little Mary Lula, just two months old.
Mary was the mother of two children, both out of wedlock, before she ended up in court with her third. Her first child was Andrew Jackson Springer, shown incorrectly as "Jason" in the 1870 census. A J Springer would become a sucessful man, and we will return to his story later, but allow this divertissement into his origins.
Andrew Jackson Springer was born on March 25, 1863, when his mother was about 18 years old. 1863 was the Springer family year of death. Lewis Springer passed away, leaving a wife, who died before his estate was probated. Youngest son, Isreal had died of Thyphoid Fever in Virginia, fighting in the Civil War. They had lost their two older sons between 1855 and 1860, as George appears in a land record, alive in '55 and Johns youngest child was concieved and born that year, and neither are living in 1860.
In his marraige certificate with Jenny Braswell, on March 23, 1893, in Anson County, A. J. Springer reveals that his father was a "J. Green".
Mr. John Brammer shared the above photo in 2022. They were found side by side in an old photo album. The man on the left is Andrew Jackson Springer, son of Mary Springer and Mr. Green. Descendants, some of them at least, have claimed a James Finley Green (1817-1892), son of Robert Green and Mary Chappell Green, as their ancestor. Mr. James Finley Green lived his entire life in Montgomery County, on the far side of the river.
He lived in Pekin, in Rocky Springs, located in the far southeast corner of Montgomery County, while Mary lived in the most distant part of Stanly County, in the southwest portion. I have another theory. Of course.
Incidentally, the William R. Ramsey family below the Greens, was the family of Lewis Springer's daughter, Lavina Barbara Springer Ramsey.
The second born child of Mary Springer was Eva Ann Catherine Springer (Teal), born on July 20, 1865, when Mary was about 20 years old. She was the daughter of Isham Teal.
This fact was revealed in her documents, like her death certificate, above, which also reveals her mother, Mary's difficult-to-decipher middle name.
| Name | Eva Teal |
|---|---|
| Age | 13 |
| Birth Date | Abt 1867 |
| Birthplace | North Carolina |
| Home in 1880 | Gulledges, Anson, North Carolina, USA |
| House Number | 57 |
| Dwelling Number | 334 |
| Race | White |
| Gender | Female |
| Relation to Head of House | Daughter |
| Marital Status | Single |
| Father's Name | Isham Teal |
| Father's Birthplace | North Carolina |
| Mother's Name | Sarah Teal |
| Mother's Birthplace | North Carolina |
| Occupation | On Farm |
| Cannot Read | Y |
| Cannot Write | Y |
| Neighbors | View others on page |
| Name | Age |
|---|---|
| Isham Teal | 76 |
| Sarah Teal | 67 |
| Liza Jane Teal | 21 |
| Eva Teal | 13 |
| Hellen Teal | 7 |
Eva is also seen living in the home of her father in one census. It appears she went back and forth. Isham Teal was from Anson County, where Mary would take refuge after her day in court. He was also 42 years her senior, so when she became pregnant with Eva at 20, he was 62 years old. Like her other lovers, so far, he was a married man, to a Sarah Tarlton, with whom he had eight children. His son, Isham Jr., arrived the same year as Eva.
1880
By 1880, Mary Ann is living in Anson County and has added three more children.
She is counted as living next door to Allen Ledbetter, with whom she had a lengthier relationship than the rest of her 'baby daddies', for lack of a better term. They are near an ancestor of mine, Rev. Samuel Parsons Morton, whom I just know had been preaching to them, knowing tales of his character. This also clues me in to their probable location, near Red Hill Church.
The children were listed on the next page, Andrew Jackson Springer, now 16, Eva Catherine, 12, and three new faces, Rebecca Jane, 7, Melinda "Lindy", age 4, and James Cephus Springer, age 2. Missing from this group was Mary Lula Springer, who would have been about 10. Oddly, she is shown living with relatives of her future husband, and as 12, which she was not. The three younger children, born in 1873, 1875 and 1878, were the children of Allen A. Ledbetter, meaning Mary was in Anson by at least 1872. Also living in the home was Andrew Jackson Ledbetter, a son of Allen A. Ledbetter by his wife, aged 10. Mary and Allen had both honored the President from North Carolina with their sons names, separately. They would often be confused by future family tree builders.
Then in 1884 and 1885, Mary was dragged back into court again, this time in Anson County, for Session after Session, with the law wanting to control her love life.
Allen Ledbetter & Mary Springer - Living together not being married.
State vs Allen Ledbetter and Mary Springer, Indictment for Fornication and Adultery.
In the end, the couple was sentences to a few months in the pokey and fines and ordered to live apart.
But it looks like, from the duration of their relationship, that Mary may have finally found love, and this time, not to a married man. Allen had been married but no longer was married.
Allen A. Ledbetter
Allen A. Ledbetter had been born in May of 1827, on the Anson side of the Rocky River, some say the banks of the Rocky River, to (supposedly) William Johnson Ledbetter (1797-1847) and (definitely) Penelope "Nelly" Wall Ledbetter. W. J. Ledbetter had another wife, Martha Wall, but Allen was not her son. It's a bit confusing, and I've not dug into it very deep. Allen was an only son, but he also had several sisters. These were Belinda Obedience "Biddy" Ledbetter, (1820-1865), who married William R. Ramsey: Elizabeth Ledbetter, (1822-1855) who married Josiah Aldridge, Catherine "Katie" Ledbetter (1823-1906), who married Edmond (Edward) Coley-Murray, Annis "Annie" Ledbetter (1827-1905) who married Harborn Hubbard "Hubert" K Ramsey, Rowena Ledbetter (1829-1880), unmarried, and Sarah Ledbetter (1841-1868), unmarried. They certainly married into my family tree. Every husband was either a brother or nephew of one of my ancestors, descended from Caleb Aldridge, Jesse Murray or Stark Ramsey.
1850
| Name | Allen Ledbetter |
|---|---|
| Gender | Male |
| Race | White |
| Residence Age | 18 |
| Birth Date | abt 1832 |
| Birthplace | North Carolina |
| Residence Date | 1850 |
| Home in 1850 | Burnsville, Anson, North Carolina, USA |
| Occupation | Farmer |
| Industry | Agriculture |
| Line Number | 41 |
| Dwelling Number | 753 |
| Family Number | 753 |
| Name | Age |
|---|---|
| Nelly Ledbetter | 60 |
| Annice Ledbetter | 23 |
| Rowena Ledbetter | 21 |
| Allen Ledbetter | 18 |
The 1850 census shows an 18-year-old Allen in the home of his mother, Nelly.
In 1860. the Ledbetters are living near two more of my ancestors, James Ludwell Carpenter and Julius Hill, followed by a young George Hinson and wife, Mary, and two-year-old daughter, Jane Susannah. Sometime in the early 1850's, Allen married Sarah Hinson, daughter of Joseph Benjamin "Big-Eyed Joe" Hinson and wife, Catherine "Katie" McIntyre. Their first child, daughter Elizabeth, was born about 1853. Elizabeth was followed by Alfred, John Frank, Sophronia and Andrew.
Allen A. Ledbetter, of course, was swept up in the Civil War, as were all men of his generation, in one way or another.
The above document is an application for a Pension that he filed for in old age, explaining his service and debilitating injuries.
The couple were both in their 40's and living with their 5 children in Burnsville in 1870, but by the early 1870's, he had moved on to Mary, their first, Rebecca Jane being born in 1873.
The date of death and place of burial for Mary Annis Springer is unknown. Her death can be placed between October 2, 1890, when the marriage license for Rebecca Jane Springer to John David Burris shows her as living, and the marriage of James Cephus Springer to Ida Tucker, shows her as deceased by April 2, 1899.
Despite being 18 years her senior, Allen Ledbetter outlived Mary by a decade or two.
| Name | Allen Ledbetter |
|---|---|
| Age | |
| Birth Date | May 1827 |
| Birthplace | North Carolina, USA |
| Home in 1900 | Burnsville, Anson, North Carolina |
| House Number | 0 |
| Sheet Number | 19 |
| Number of Dwelling in Order of Visitation | 338 |
| Family Number | 339 |
| Race | White |
| Gender | Male |
| Relation to Head of House | Head |
| Marital Status | Divorced |
| Father's Birthplace | North Carolina, USA |
| Mother's Birthplace | North Carolina, USA |
| Occupation | Farmer |
| Can Read | Y |
| Can Speak English | Y |
| Home Free or Mortgaged | F |
| Farm or House | F |
| Neighbors | View others on page |
| Name | Age |
|---|---|
| Allen Ledbetter | 23 |
The 1900 census shows him living alone in Burnsville Township, in pretty much the same place he had spent his entire life. He's a divorced farmer, and his age of 73 was incorrectly transcribed as 23.
 |
15 Jul 1909 Wadesboro, North Carolin |
Allen Ledbetter would live another nine years, passing away at age 82. He was buried at Rocky River Baptist Church in Anson County.
The children of Mary Annis Springer, relative of Lewis Springer and Rachel Sides Springer were:
1) Andrew Jackson Springer born March 25, 1863. Son of "J. Green".
Per tigeredge and DNA questions from PeopleSearcher: Her birth is recorded in the Andrew Huneycutt Bible, as is that of her brother Andrew J. Springer. It is likely that this is "my " Eva, in spite of the variances in dates. It is possible that the Huneycutts, who also link to Tom's (and Dave and Pete’s) DNA, are linked through George Whitley and Rebecca Hunnicutt/Honeycutt/Hunneycutt..or is Mary the dtr of a Honeycutt male?
The Andrew Honeycutt (Huneycutt) Bible indicates in part: Eva Syrina Luiza Springer born January 9, 1868 (Who is this? Could this be "our" Eva?) Is this, instead, proof that "our" Eva is NOT this one?
Andrew J. Springer born March 25, 1863
This interesting note above is attached to the profile of A J Springer, and his sister Eva on ancestry.com. Apparently, the names of the two oldest children of Mary Springer were recorded by Mr. Andrew Honeycutt, a prominent figure in Big Lick history, whose name pops up in various documents involving the family of Lewis Springer, as witness, or bondsman, or executor. He was a close neighbor and obviously a friend. Was he related, or just a chronicler of Big Lick lives and history?
Tuesday, June 2, 1903, THE MONROE JOURNAL (Union County, N.C.)
-Mr. Andrew HONEYCUTT, the oldest man in Stanly county, died last Friday, in his 95th year. The journal made mention some weeks ago of the fact that Mr. HONEYCUTT had bought a monument for himself and wife. He was a link between the present and the past, and was full of interesting reminiscences of the past. He had shot buffalo and deer at the famous Big Lick, years and years ago.
-Mr. Andrew HONEYCUTT, the oldest man in Stanly county, died last Friday, in his 95th year. The journal made mention some weeks ago of the fact that Mr. HONEYCUTT had bought a monument for himself and wife. He was a link between the present and the past, and was full of interesting reminiscences of the past. He had shot buffalo and deer at the famous Big Lick, years and years ago.
A J, as I will call him, married in March of 1893, at the age of 29, to Virginia "Jenny" Braswell, daughter of Christopher Columbus Braswell and Winny High.
 |
| AJ Springer and 1st wife Jenny, with their oldest two children |
He would establish himself as a businessman and productive citizen of the town of Cedar Hill in Northern Anson County.
There are countless mentions of him in the papers over the span of his lifetime.
This one tells of his building of one of his several enterprises, a blacksmith and woodshop, where another one had burned.
This is the actual sign that stood above his shop, saved and treasured by a grandson of his.
AJ Springer and wife Jenny had five children:
1894 - Lance C. Springer
1897 - Bettie Mae Springer
1899 - Ella Belle Springer
1902 - James M. Springer
1905 - Lilla W. Springer.
Then tragedy struck.
A J Springer lost his wife Jenny to pneumonia. That would not be the only tragedy in his life.
The above is a transcription of a newspaper article on a tragedy that occurred in 1905 at a sawmill he owned. But his life wasn't marked by all tragedy in those days.
On September 24. 1912, A J Springer, now 49 years old, would marry Bessie Simpson, daughter of Abner Irving Jackson Simpson and Annis S. Edwards, a mere 22. This marriage would result in five more children:
1914 - Abner Jackson Springer
1916 - Mary E. Springer
1919 - William Preston Springer
1921- Baby boy who died at birth
1924- Lina S. Springer
Andrew Jackson Springer died on September 30, 1935, at the age of 82
He was buried at Red Hill Baptist Church.
 |
The Charlotte NewsWed, Oct 02, 1935 Page 16 |
His wife Bessie would live another 38 years, passing away in 1973.
2) Eva Ann Catherine Springer, born July 20, 1865, daughter of Isham Teal. Eva married in 1886, at 21, to James Lee Dawkins, 25, son of James and Martha Eason Dawkins. The couple first settled in White Store, then moved to Lanesboro, where they farmed. The marriage would produce seven children:
1887 - Martha Francis Dawkins
1891 - Arthur V. Dawkins
1893- Mary Dawkins
1895- Mattie L. Dawkins
1900- Glenna Belle Dawkins
1903- William Lester Dawkins
1904- Edward Eugene Dawkins
In 1929, James Dawkins died at Broughton Hospital of senile psychosis and general arterial sclerosis. He was 66, and was buried in Marshville, Union County.
Eva lived another 5 years and died on May 10, 1934. at 68, in Albemarle, NC and was taken to Deep Creek Baptist Church, in Marshville for burial.
3) Mary Lula Springer was born April 26, 1870, according to the bastardy bond, daughter of John Oliver Tucker. She married December 23, 1888, at the age of 18, to William Thomas Deese, 24, son of James Brazelle Deese and Harriett Jane Beachum. They settled in the Gulledge Community of Anson County, where they raised an enormous family of a dozen children.
1890 - Edgar Jackson Deese
1892 - John Zebulon Deese
1894 - Prentice Dalton Deese
1897 - Fincher Postal Deese
1898 - Lorena Marie Deese
1901 - Rosa May Deese
1903- Minnie Harriett Deese
1905- Grace Thomas Deese
1908- Addie Zoe "Zozo" Deese
1910- Mary Payne Deese
1911- Clemmie Jay Deese
1913 - Ruth Elizabeth Deese
William Thomas Deese passed away in 1923, at the age of 58. Lula then moved to Albemarle in Stanly County to live with her son Prentice Dalton Deese, who worked at the Aluminum Plant. She would pass away there in 1935, at the age of 65, and was buried with her siblings at Deep Creek.
4) Rebecca Jane Springer was born in May of 1923, daughter of Allen A. Ledbetter. She married John David Burris, son of William Archie and Martha Patsy Burris, of Big Lick, on October 20, 1890, under the name Rebecca Jane Ledbetter. The bride was 17 and the groom was 20. They spent their brief marriage farming in Big Lick. There would be no children. Something happened to Jane. By 1910, she was in the asylum at Broughton in Morganton.
She died and was buried there in 1927, at about 54 years old. Her husband, John David Burris, remained in Albemarle and died there, not having remarried, in 1941
5) Malinda Margaret "Lindy" or "Maggie" Springer was born June 10, 1875, in Polkton, NC, daughter of Allen A. Ledbetter. She married on November 7, 1900, in Rockingham, Richmond County, NC to James Marshall, son of William Henry Sasser and Hattie Vick Sasser. The bride was 25 and the groom was 48. They would have one daughter, Rachel Lee Sasser, in 1911. Sadly, the girl would pass away in 1919, at age 7, of the flu.
J. M Sasser would die in 1935 at the age of 83. Lindy would support herself as a seamstress following. They lived in Rockingham, Richmond County, for the duration of their marriage. Melinda lived on her own for two decades. She passed away in a hospital in Lumberton at the age of 79.
 |
The News and ObserverWed, Jan 26, 1955 Page 22 |
6) James Cephus Springer was born about 1878, son of Allen A Ledbetter. He was a man of mystery whom I have created a separate post about. You can find the post here: The Absence of Light
He married at the age of 21, in Stanly County, NC to Ida Elizabeth Tucker, 16, daughter of Leonard Tillman Tucker and Margaret Ellen Morton Tucker, oddly, a brother of the Mary Ann Tucker who married Aaron Springer, that Mary Springer (unmarried) has been merged with by several people.
James C. Springer is found in jail in Wadesboro, Anson County in 1900, and settles in the Bridgeport Community of Stanly County, where he has some success at farming and trapping. His files for divorce from Ida, with some scandalous and raucous charges following. He afterwards disappears into the midst after 1904, while his wife lives a long life and has a family, passing away in 1962 at 79.
I did find a possible mention of James in 1914, with a mention of a property suit with his Bridgeport neighbor. Then, as I look into all of the newspaper clippings of his older brother, A. J. Springer, I find this:
In the Cedar Hill News, authored by "Blue Eyes" for The Messenger and Intelligencer - 29 Jul 1920 - Page 8, there is a mention of the Springer family. A. J. and wife Bessie, visit her parents. His daughters Belle and Lilla visit family in Red Hill. Then it mentions Mr. Jim Springer, who had been saw-milling in Montgomery County coming 'home' for Christmas. Was this James Cephus? I can't think of another Springer named James or Jim that would consider Cedar Hill home. The search continues.
Mary Springer drifted into the mists of lost records and the diaspora of a chaotic life outside of societal norms. Her life was a maelstrom, but it was hers, and not that of her Big Lick contemporary, Mary Ann Tucker Springer Potts.
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