Talitha Jane Whitley was never a mother and her mother, Mary, was never a wife. So, without descendants, it appears I'm the first person to breathe life back into Talitha Jane's existence, or to wonder who she was.
The ignominy of unwed pregnancy any time before the hippie era, has been the source of many a genealogical conundrum. I know I'm not the only person who wondered "Who was she married to?", when she wasn't married at all. That was the case of Mary Whitley of Big Lick Township in Stanly County, NC, or "Austin Road Mary".
Big Lick, a little town named for a large natural salt lick, seemed to be a regular haven for such illicit relationships. I'm not sure of the reason why. Was it the families themselves, the atmosphere or the addititudes, or lack of a bounty of little white churches or fire and brimstone preachers? Can't say, and not saying it didn't happen elsewhere in the county, or in the surrounding counties. It did. Big Lick seemed to have an epidemic of it, however.
I may have came across the above document before, without knowing who the individuals were. It stated that Mary Whitley, a single woman, had been delivered of a child, which child was a 'bastard' and could become chargeable to the county. She named William Hinson as the father and an order was given to the Sheriff to apprehend him and bring him to the next session of Court. The order was dated October 29, 1855.
There were as many Hinsons in Stanly and other nearby countries in the 1850's as there were Whitleys, but when it came to a young woman in a very rural setting before the arrival of the railroad, it was all about location. As to which William Hinson could have been the father of her child, the question turns to, was there a William Hinson of the compatible age in close proximity to Mary?
The answer to that last question is, yes, there was. Shown above, in the 1860 census, is Mary, with her mother, Nancy and brothers, Pinkney, Taylor and Hardy, married, above them. Listed below is the Sampson Hinson family, with a young married family, headed by a William Hinson, below them.
This would have been five years after the Bastardy Bond, in which Mary had named William Hinson as the father of her child, which would be a daughter she named Telitha Jane, who was born about that time.
William being married in 1860 would not have been out of the ordinary. As his child was one year old, he probably married around 1857 or 1858, after his day in court. It was more common than not that a single man, brought to court on charges of fathering a child out of wedlock, would turn around and marry, not the mother of his child, but a "good girl", suspectedly a virgin, as his wife.
Ten years earlier, five years before the court case, we find Nancy and her children under one roof, in the same place, but under a different name. They were Whitley's, but here they were Hatley's. The times I've seen families under the wrong name; it was one of three circumstances. Either it was a transcription error, where the handwriting was so illegible, it had been transcribed as something else entirely. Or in the case of someone who had multiple surnames due to unmarried parents, who were sometimes seen with their father's name, and at other times, with their mothers. In other instances, a married woman with children by a first husband, would have children show up only by their first names, causing them to be given the stepfather's name in the record. This was none of those instances. I've even seen people's names written in reverse order, last name first instead of vice versa, and so their given name be listed as their surname.
Nancy was in the right order with the wrong name, or was it? I get the feeling the census taker asked her what her name was in a way that she responded with her maiden name instead of her married name, and that she actually was a Hatley. It makes a lot of sense based on where she lived, and other circumstances, including the naming of her children. They are shown living next to Alfred Ledbetter, who I know had property that connected to, or adjoined, theirs. His family continued on the next page.
At the top of the above page, are the remainder of the Ledbetter's, ending with John Brooks. There are a few Austins, (they lived along the Austin Road, after all, a road my distant cousin and talented researcher, George, informed me now embodies Highway 205), after which is the home of Sampson Hinson, and at this point, his son William is a teenager living in his parents' home, instead of beside it. The page was ended by the family of Nathan Safely, a family that will play a part in my next post.
So, five years later than the above, William Hinson would have been about 22 or 23. Mary Whitley about 25 or 26. The slight age difference would not have mattered. Mary have already been a compromised woman, 'deflowered' so to speak. Her youngest 'brother', Zachary Taylor Whitley, was born in 1849, the year Zachary Taylor became President of the United States. Mary was about twenty at that time. Her mother Nancy, born about 1798, would have been about 51 or 52 when he was born. I believe it was much more likely that Mary was the mother of Taylor than Nancy was, especially considering that Nancy was a taxable landowner, or a widow, by 1847, two years before Taylor was born.
I don't know where the little girl, Talitha Jane Whitley, was in 1860. She may have been in her grandmother's house, with her mother, and they hid her. Or she may have been bound out or given temporarily to a neighbor or relative to raise. Her first appearance is in the home of next-door neighbor, Alfred Ledbetter, in 1870.
Telitha Jane is 14, by then. This was during the days of the falling ashes, or the recovery from the Civil War. There were orphans and half-orphans everywhere, things seemed down-right lawless at times and illegitimacy exploded as widows and orphaned girls, with no power or property, reached out to, or were taken advantage of, by the remaining men in the community in order to survive. Many of us with deep Stanly County roots descend from these surviving families.
At this same time, ol Billy Hinson was in his same spot in the Big Lick fields, growing more crops and having more babies. He had fought in the Civil War at this time, and was one of the fortunate ones to make it home, but not unscathed.
William Hinson enlisted in Co K 28th Regiment, North Carolina Infantry. He was taken prisoner in May of 1864. He was sick in the Lychburg hospital at some point, but escaped being wounded. William came out of the War pretty fortunate.
1880
| Name | Mary Whilly |
|---|---|
| Age | 60 |
| Birth Date | Abt 1820 |
| Birthplace | North Carolina |
| Home in 1880 | Davidson, Iredell, North Carolina, USA |
| Dwelling Number | 249 |
| Race | White |
| Gender | Female |
| Relation to Head of House | Self (Head) |
| Marital Status | Married |
| Father's Birthplace | North Carolina |
| Mother's Birthplace | North Carolina |
| Occupation | Housekeeper |
| Cannot Write | Y |
| Neighbors | View others on page |
| Name | Age |
|---|---|
| Mary Whitley | 60 |
| Teletha Jane Whitley | 24 |
| William A. Whitley | 17 |
By 1880, Mary Whitley had followed her brother, William Pinkney Whitley, up to Iredell County. There were several families from the Oakboro and surrounding area who removed to Davidson, Iredell County. I've already explored one branch, the family of Civil War Casualty, Adam Whitley, in my post The Informant.
Another Whitley family who relocated to Iredell County was the widow and younger children of John Whitley, one of the older generation of Whitleys, including a son named William, which made the chase even more confusing. I covered Jane, widow of John, and her family, in my previous post called The Courage of the Calla Lillies . Even Nathan Safely, who we saw lived next to William M. Hinson in 1860, removed to Iredell County and is buried at Mount Mourne. I desire to uncover the magnetism of Mount Mourne for Stanly County residents after the War. What was the draw?
Mary's age was exagerated by a decade in the 1880 census. She was born closer to 1829, making her more like fifty. She had another and final child on April 8, 1868 in Stanly County. She and her baby boy were hiding somewhere in Stanly Couny in 1870, I'm pretty sure. Jane and her brother, William Alexander Whitley, would stick together like glue for the rest of their lives. His father remains unknown at this moment in time. Due to the age difference between he and Jane, I doubt that William M. Hinson was also his father. There is a gap in the bonds during this time, so I don't know if that mystery can be overturned.
| Name | Jane Whitly |
|---|---|
| Gender | Female |
| Marriage Date | 12 Dec 1882 |
| Marriage Place | Iredell, North Carolina, USA |
| Spouse | Alex Springer |
| Spouse Gender | Male |
| Event Type | Marriage |
Mary and her two children had traveled to Davidson with her brother William Pinkney Whitley. Sometime in the later part of the 1860's, he married Margaret Malinda Springer, widow of Israel Springer, another Civil War casualty. Israel and Malinda had a son, John Alexander Springer, in 1861. It was Israel who started this tangent. I had begun with Tuckers and Hinson, fell into the Springers, and did a complete belly flop into the Whitley's. Alex and Jane were married on December 12, 1882, in Iredell County, NC.
1880 William Hinson family.
In 1880, William M. Hinson and his wife, Mary Ann Hathcock Hinson are still raising their large family in the Big Lick area of Stanly County, NC. They are living beside Allison Whitley and his family, a distant relation of Mary. The family ended with Elizabeth Jane Hinson, shown as a two-year-old in this record.
There is no more information on Mary Whitley. We can postulate that she left her earthly body behind in Iredell County, sometime before the turn of the century as she made her way to her heavenly home. Her two children were at this time in Davidson, Iredell County, living side by side.
The census excerpt above shows Rebecca, the wife of William Alexander Whitley, leading their host of children, while her husband was listed on the previous page. After the last Whitley child are John Alexander Springer and wife, Telitha. It's a bit difficult to read, but the 1900 is one of the worst.
1900 William Hinson was still alive in 1900 to welcome a new century. He was an aged man, and his days were numbered.
At this time, Bill is 68 and Mary 64. Three children are living with him, Ellen, who never married and Abigail, who hadn't yet. His youngest son, Boston, would remain with his parents and take care of them until their dying day. He would be well rewarded.
William M. "Bill" Hinson passed away on July 3, 1905, at the age of 71. Knowing his health was failing, he penned his Will on August 26th, 1910, seen above. He gave all of his land and personal property to his youngest son, Doctor Boston Hinson, aka "Boss", with the stipulation that he keep taking care of himself and his wife, Mary, the mother, until their deaths. He left all of his other children a nominal one dollar apiece. A dollar was worth much more then than now, but still probably a bit of shock for the Hinson younglings.
| Name | William M Hinson |
|---|---|
| Gender | Male |
| Birth Date | 6 Aug 1833 |
| Death Date | 3 Jul 1905 |
| Cemetery | Hinson Cemetery |
| Burial or Cremation Place | Big Lick, Stanly County, North Carolina, United States of America |
William M. Hinson was buried at the old Hinson Cemetery off of Sandbar Road, out of Oakboro, NC. I have never been there; however, it is said to be very near the Rocky River.
Above is a photo of Bill's tombstone, from Find-A-Grave. I find it ironic that the photo that preserves his memory online was taken by a Jane Whitley, the name of the child he left out of his Will completely and possibly his mind. Most men of this era were of the opinion that they had no responsibility to their children born outside of the bonds of marriage, beyond what the courts forced of them in the early years. A few men embraced their children, married or not, Bill was not one of them, apparently.
His children with Mary Hathcock Hinson, Hathcock being another name often associated with Whitley's, were:
1859-1944 Winna Caroline Hinson Walters (Marion Craig Walters). Polkton, Anson County.
1861-1921 John Irvin Hinson (Married Mollie Liles and Nancy Gurley) Settled in New Salem, Union.
1862-1949 Laura Ellen Hinson, unmarried, Buried at Smith's Grove Church Cemetery.
1865-1916 Mary Malinda Hinson Love (Gustavus Beauregard Love) Albemarle, Stanly County.
1867-1918 Rufus A. Hinson (Julia Huneycutt and Sarah A. Simpson) Charlotte, Mecklenburg.
1872-1942 Adam Franklin Hinson (Lydia Adeline Simpson) Buried at Pleasant Hill, New Salem, Union
1873-1923 Abigail Hinson (William Wesley Meggs) Buried at Edwards Family Cemetery, Anson.
1874-1954 Doctor Boston "Boss" Hinson (Cora Cagle) Buried at Mineral Springs Church, Oakboro
1878-1952 Elizabeth Jane "Betsey Hinson (Lindsey Alexander Burgess) Mineral Springs Church. Oakboro.
Mary Hathcock Hinson lived until 1914. The 1910 census listed her, and her yet unmarried children, on Coble Mill Road in Big Lick Township. This would probably have been the Bill Hinson Homeplace.
In 1920, only Boss and Ellen remained and this time they were placed on Brooks Road.
Coble Ford Road
In an attempt to place the location of the family, I went to the historic maps from the NC Archives, found online. Above is a clip from the historic overlay map, showing some modern features over a 1916 Soil Survey map of Stanly County. I can't place where the Mill was, but as it was on the river, or perhaps a creek, the location of the "Coble Ford" could be a good guess. The old map shows a road that roughly follows Hwy 205, and crosses the river at Coble Ford, near the present Oakboro Blueway. You can see a Hinson School up the road, and several paths that lead down to the river.
Ledbetter Ford
In comparison, the Ledbetter Family Cemetery is located off Ledbetter Ford Road, which makes sense. This was the Ledbetter Family that the family of Nancy Whitley lived next to, her land bordered theirs, and where Telitha Jane Whitley is first found living with at age 14. On the above map, you can see an old road closely following the current Ledbetter Ford Road, with the old road continuing down to the Rocky River, and crossing it at Vance's Ford, near the mouth of Island Creek. The ford literally crosses at the Island in the Rocky River I'm speculating that Island Creek was named for.
Brooks Road
A portion of the Brooks Road, mentioned as the location of Boss and Ellen Hinson before he married Cora Cagle, with whom he had one child, still exists outside of Oakboro. On the old map, it follows along, but seems to stop at an old road that traveled from an old road that branched off of what is now Oak Grove Road down to the Morgan Mill on the Rocky River. Today it stops at Buster Road, but on the far right, one can see the mark of the Brooks family cemetery.
Hinson Cemetery, described as being off Old Sandbar Road, very near the Rocky River, is where William M. Hinson was buried along with his parents, and others of his family. It was also above the Coble Ford.
Hatley Grove Church where Caroline Whitley is buried. On the above map, one can see where the now abandoned Hatley Grove Church, which wasn't called Hatley Grove for nothing, was located near the dead end of the present Howard Road.
Talitha Jane Whitley Springer and her husband, John Alexander Whitley, would move to the Mt. Ullah Community in Rowan County by 1910
A beautiful area, the family found there, with nieces, Mary, 22 and Louisa 5, living with them, daughters of her brother, William Alexander Whitley. Louisa's mother, Rebecca Helms Whitley, died three days after the little girl was born. It appears she was given to the Springers to raise, as Alex Whitley already had his hands full with the older children. Mary, unmarried, may have moved in to help with the baby, or either she didn't approve of her father marrying her mother's young sister, which he did three years later, adding to more children to his clan.
1920 finds the new compiled family, still in Mount Ullah.
Mary, now 30, and Louisa, now 14, are still with them. When Louisa marries, Jane Whitley Springer has passed on, but her Uncle J. A. Springer is the guardian who gives permission for her marriage to Clarence Thomas Wensil, in Cabarrus County, as she was underage. Louisa would change her name to the more sophisticated "Louise", but kept her maiden name as 'Whitley', despite listing the Springers as her parents.
Talitha Jane Whitley died so soon after the 1920 census, that she must have been ill when it was taken. She died the last day of February in 1920 at the age of 64 of heart trouble. It only tells us that the Undertaker was in Mooresville, but not where she was buried. Her husband Alex would live another three years.
Talitha Jane Whitley may not have given birth, but she did raise a child. Not having descendants, no one had looked for her, but thanks to the discovery of her father-in-law being married, and no one seeming to know, I found Jane. I know who her parents and grandparents were, I know where she lived. I don't know where she was buried, but at least she is now remembered. I hope she can rest in peace.
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