Land records are not my bailiwick, but in tracing the life of an ancestor from a century ago, or more, sometimes they are all we have. So, forgive my doggerel and attempts at piecing together a life lived two centuries ago.
John Work Means, my 4th Great Grandfather, was one of those quiet ancestors, who didn't make waves, or history, albeit coming from a group who did. There're small traces of him in land records, and little more, but what there is of him is as solid as stone. His story is like that of a grand bouquet of varying blooms that are tied together with a grand, bright bow. An arrangement of nasturtiums, gladiolus, pink roses, Peruvian daffodils, spider lilies and hollyhocks, with a dash of baby's breath, all brought together within this one couple, John Work and his wife, Margaret Wilson, which allows me to touch on several through this one ancestor instead posting on them separately.
John Work Means was born around 1795 in Gaffney, Spartanburg County, South Carolina. His father was William Melvin Means and his mother was Isabella Caroline Work. The incidence of these two surnames being brought together was serendipity.
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| The Tunis Hood Family Its Lineage and Traditions | | Author | Hood, Dellmann Osborne |
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Above, in the book, "The Tunis Hood Family Its lineage and traditions", author Dellmann O. Hood gives the genealogy of the Means family before their arrival to this area. The immigrant ancestors were a John Means born in 1718, in Londonderry, Northern Ireland and his wife, Isabelle Jamison, who had emigrated to Boston, Massachusetts, and from there to South Carolina. His father had been another John Means born in Scotland who had removed to Northern Ireland three years before his son was born. The surname is an oddment with conflicting meanings, dependent upon the origin. In England, the name came from the Middle English "mene", which meant inferior or common. In Gaelic, the name came from descendants of Miadhachán, and meant 'honorable' or proud. Researchers agree that the Means family that showed by in early Mecklenburg and Cabarrus Counties in North Carolina were of the Scotch Irish clans the area was known for. The first, John Work's grandfather, John Means, being appointed by the Cabarrus County court in 1796, the year after JohnWork was born in Gaffney, to help superintend the construction of a new courthouse and lay out the county seat of Concord.
Mr. Hood in his Tunis Hood book also brings to light the fact that Mary Means was a Great Great Granddaughter of Rev. Francis McKemie, a renowned early Presbyterian minister from Donegal Scotland, who graduated from the University of Glasglow in 1973. I've touched on Rev. Francis McKemie, (surname also seen as McCamey, MaKimie and other such alliterations) before in my post on ancestor, Rev. John McKemie Wilson. Both were influential and dedicated ministers and educators of the Presbyterian doctrine, but one was possibly related, but not necessarily a direct descendant, of the other.
The author of the above family history, Mr. Hood also declares Margaret Wilson, wife of John Work Means, also a second great granddaughter of Rev. Francis McKemie.
I'm not sold on the accuracy of this view.
Others have the McKemie line coming from one George McKemie. According to the Hood history, both John Work Means and his wife, Margaret McKemie Wilson, are descendants of Rev. Francis McKemie, but third or so, not close, cousins. Other histories have Margaret's father, Rev. John McKemie Wilson, descending from Martha, a daughter of George Mckemie. A history of the Leslie family mentions that his only son died, however, it appears he had three daughters, Sara, Martha and Margaret. Here, we touch a little be of history.
George McKemie was born around 1714 in Northern Ireland. He married one of the Hutchinson sisters, which I will touch on momentarily, by the name of Margaret. He migrated to America alone, having married in Ireland. Margaret would follow later. They purchased 220 acres on January 13, 1776, from Repentance Townsend, located on the north side of Waxhaw Creek, in Mecklenburg County, North Carolina, now in Union County, near the South Carolina border.
The Hutchinson Sisters
Francis Cyrus Hobart Hutchinson was born in Owthorpe, Nottinghamshire, England, about 1700, son of John Hutchinson and wife, Mary Hobart, of Owthorpe. He married Margaret Leslie (spelled Lisle then), daughter of a John Lisle, on May 5th, 1737, in Royston, Yorkshire, England. Francis Cyrus Hobart Hutchinson was the grandson of Colonel John Hutchinson and his wife, Lady Luc Apsley, daughter of Sir Allen Apsley, who was the 1616 Lord Lieutenant of the Tower of London and Tower Hamlets. This takes the family tree back several generations:
John Work Means and his wife Margaret McKemie Wilson were my 4th Great Grandparents.
Her parents Rev. John McKemie Wilson and Mary (Pretty Polly) Erwin, were my 5th Great Grandparents.
His parents Robert John Wilson and Martha McKemie were my 6th Great Grandparents.
Her parents George McKemie and Margaret Hutchison were my 7th Great Grandparents.
Her parents Francis Cyrus Hobart Hutchinson and Margaret Leslie were my 8th Great Grandparents.
His parents John Hutchinson and Mary Hobart were my 9th Great Grandparents.
His parents Colonel John Hutchinson and wife, Lady Lucy Apsley, were my 10th Great Grandparents.
Her father, Sir Allen Apsley, and his wife, were my 11th Great Grandparents.
In the other direct, down the tree, John Work Means and Margaret's daughter, Harriet Catherine Means (1826-1909), would marry John Q. Lemmonds and they were my 3rd Great Grandparents.
Their son Robert B. Lemmonds and his wife, Margaret Arleavis (Leavy/ Olivia) Starnes were my 2nd Great Grandparents.
Their son Harvey Lafayette Lemmons and his wife Lottie Louise Hill were my Great Grandparents.
Their daughter, Bertha Virginia Lemmons and her husband Burley Melvin Lambert were my Grandparents. Their son Melvin Eugene was my father.
Newspaper listing from 1832, showing letters held in Concord for both John W. Means and Rev. John M. Wilson, by that time, recently deceased.
Francis Cyrus Hobart Hutchinson and his wife, Margaret Leslie, were the immigrant ancestors. He died in Mecklenburg County, North Carolina. The Hutchisons had 6 daughters.
1730 Margaret Hutchinson married George McKemie. She died in South Carolina on April 30, 1790.
1732 Grace Hutchinson married James Crow.
1733 Mary "Mollie" Hutchinson married relative James Leslie.
1734 Janet "Jane" Hutchinson married James Crawford of Crawford Plantation. She died in Lancaster County, S.C.
1737 Sarah Hutchinson married relative Samuel Leslie, Sr. She died in 1811 in Mecklenburg County, NC. Sarah was a midwife and nurse. She delivered future President, Andrew Jackson. The Leslie's who married the Hutchinson sisters were brothers.
1745 Elizabeth Hutchinson married Andrew Jackson Sr. She had two sons and another on the way when she was widowed in 1767. She was off to bury her husband at the Old Waxhaw Presbyterian Church in Lancaster County, SC, when she went into labor. Some claim the event of the birth of Andrew Jackson took place at the home of Janet Hutchison Crawford, at Crawford Plantation. Stronger is the claim that he was born at the McKamie cabin in Waxhaw, home of George and Margaret, the oldest sister. The latter theory was supported by the testimony of Mrs. Sarah Lathen, whose mother was a midwife at the birth, and she swore that the birth was at the McKamie cabin.
The Hutchisons were from Ayrshire, Scotland and were linen weavers by trade. They first settled near Newcastle in Delaware and later removed to Lancaster County, Pennsylvania before coming to the Carolinas.
It was reported that George McKemie helped to care for his sister in-law and her young children in the aftermath of her husband's death and defended them after an attack from the local Cheraw tribe that inhabited the border area.
Above, a rendition of the George McKemey house in current Union County, NC.
George McKemie died on October 10, 1793, near Waxhaw, on the North Carolina side of the border, but was buried at the Old Waxhaw Presbyterian Church in Riverside, Lancaster County, on the South Carolina side of the border.
The Work FamilyLike the Means family, the Worke family had English origins with a common meaning. 'Worke" simply meant work, or a workman, and traces back again to Norman origins. The first known patriarch in my line was an Alexander Worke born about 1700 in Chester County, Pennsylvania who migrated to what is now Iredell County, NC and died there, while it was part of Rowan, in 1777. He was married to a Mary Isabella Baird. His second son, named John, Married Hannah Criswell and more on her momentarily. Their daughter, Isabella Caroline Worke married William Means and was the mother of John Work Means. There was heavy intermarriage between the Work family and that of the Guy, McCorkle and Loftlin families, but not in my direct lineage, but in the sibling branches. The Criswell or Cresswell family was of Irish origin who also came through Pennsylvania first. Hannah was the daughter of Richard Cresswell, born about 1717 and Mary Ann McElvin.
John Work Means
Now on to John Work Means, himself. He first appears in the census of North Carolina in 1820, living in Cabarrus County, near the current town of Mount Pleasant. The transcription has him erroneously as "John William", however, in the clip of the actual document, one can clearly see the John -capital W- and the name Means, with the cursive "M" leading in appearing as a small vowel, hence the confusion.
1820
| Name | John William |
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| Enumeration Date | 7 Aug 1820 |
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| Home in 1820 (City, County, State) | Cabarrus, North Carolina, USA |
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| Free White Persons - Males - 16 thru 25 | 1 |
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| Free White Persons - Females - 26 thru 44 | 1 |
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| Slaves - Males - Under 14 | 1 |
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| Slaves - Males - 14 thru 25 | 2 |
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| Slaves - Females - Under 14 | 1 |
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| Slaves - Females - 14 thru 25 | 1 |
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| Number of Persons - Engaged in Agriculture | 1 |
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| Free White Persons - Over 25 | 1 |
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| Total Free White Persons | 2 |
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| Total Slaves | 5 |
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| Total All Persons - White, Slaves, Colored, Other | 7 |
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In 1820, John would have been 20 years old. His homestead is showing him as a male 16 through 25. He has a female in the home age 26 to 44, no children, but with 5 slaves, all young. He didn't marry until 1822, so this may have been an unmarried sister, or a housekeeper, as his mother was already deceased, having passed in 1814, and would also have been too old. He seems to have been well established at this early age.
John Work Means married Margaret McKamie Wilson on May 27, 1822 in Cabarrus County, NC. John McClellan was bondsman and Isaac Alexander was witness. He married well, Margaret's father was not only a well respected minister and educator, but a very well off planter. John Work would have also had to have been a very devout Presbyterian to have gotten Rev. Wilson's permission to marry his daughter.
1830
| Name | John W Means |
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| Home in 1830 (City, County, State) | Cabarrus, North Carolina |
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| Free White Persons - Males - Under 5 | 1 unknown |
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| Free White Persons - Males - 30 thru 39 | 1 John Work |
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| Free White Persons - Females - Under 5 | 2 Sarah and Harriett |
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| Free White Persons - Females - 5 thru 9 | 2 Isabella and Mary |
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| Free White Persons - Females - 30 thru 39 | 1 Margaret |
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| Slaves - Males - Under 10 | 2 |
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| Slaves - Males - 36 thru 54 | 1 |
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| Slaves - Females - Under 10 | 1 |
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| Slaves - Females - 10 thru 23 | 1 |
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| Slaves - Females - 24 thru 35 | 1 |
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| Free White Persons - Under 20 | 5 |
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| Free White Persons - 20 thru 49 | 2 |
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| Total Free White Persons | 7 |
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| Total Slaves | 6 |
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| Total - All Persons (Free White, Slaves, Free Colored) | 13 |
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The 1830 census reveals a family headed by a couple in their thirties. There are 5 children; four girls, two under five and two between 5 and 9; and one little boy under five. They now have six slaves. Their only known son was not yet born, so this child must have died young.
Margaret's father, Rev. John McKemie Wilson, passed away on July 30, 1831. Judging by his will, his son in law, John Work Means, had gotten on his wrong side at some point. Rev. Wilson had accumulated a number of estates in his lifetime, quite impressive for a man of the cloth. His home plantation consisted of 425 acres, the Shelby and Harris plantation composed 350 acres, Martin Plantation held 350 acres, the Cromwell Plantation consisted of 200 acres. and the Spier Plantation, whose profits went to the support of Margeret "Peggy" Wilson Means and her children, held 250 acres. In total, that was 1575 acres of real estate, not counting the personal items, equipment, tools, machinery and livestock. He also held 29 people in slavery.
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Item In favor of my daughter Margaret I will and bequeath that all the property of John Means"
"purchased by me at the various sales of his property of whatever kind real or personnel, the Speers or Burns place excepted be repaired in the hands of her brothers viz Alexander Isaac and John, as trustees to be managed for her use and benefit and that of her family and finally that the whole property divined to her children securing to her will and pleasure. I further will and bequeath that should I gain the negro girl Margaret now has.."
Recall that Rev. Means is still alive when he wrote this. He had obviously kept John and Margaret Means from losing their property on multiple occasions by buying it out of debt for them, as parents still sometime do this day and time for struggling younger families. About the girl, he expected that he may have to do the same again before his death and required his son, Alexander to step in and purchase her before she was taken from Margaret, to keep the unnamed girl in the family home.
"of this $300 be & remain in the hands of my above named sons as trustees to be paid out to my daughter Peggy as her necessity may require"
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of the several children of John Means and my daughter Peggy the one half of the clear profits of the Gold Establishment on the Spear Plantation & by said Trustees to be paid over at desertion"Obviously, Rev. Wilson wanted to ensure his daughter, Margaret "Peggy" McKemie Wilson Means, and her children, were cared for, but he didn't want the money in the hands of her husband, John Means. Instead, he appointed his sons,to be in charge of the money as trustees. Later, in the estate file, a statement is made charging John Means to be insolvent.
"...that said Means in the lifetime of the testor became fully(?) embarrassed insomuch that his property was on several occasions sold under duress(?) against him ...further complain that said Means is as they believe totally insolvent..."
Proof of the intervention of Rev. Wilson into the lives of the Means can be found in the deeds and court records of Cabarrus County. His help continued past his death. In The Deeds of Cabarrus County 1837 -1847, page 260 is found,
"Whereas William A Archibald and A. J. Shankle Lewis B Krimminger and David Stark (I must interject here that anyone familiar with old Stanly County records, or even this blog, may recall the name of A. J. Shankle. Rev. Shankle was from Stanly County and married into my Davis family. He was, like Rev. Wilson, a businessman as well as a minister.) have become the security of John W. Means in a bond of one thousand dollars payable to John M. Wilson of the sum of $125 payable annually for the use and benefit of Margaret Mean wife of John W Means the first payment due on the first day of September 1839."
Recall that Rev. John M. Wilson died in 1831, so the John M. Wilson here refers to John Jr., Margaret's brother.
"John M Wilson....has agreed to present all the property both real and personal which was divided and bequeathed by the Rev. John M. Wilson...and others in trust for the use and benefit of Margaret Means and family to remain in the possession of the said John W Means so long as he may pay the sum of $125 annually."
The Burns Property mentioned in the later documents was purchase
In December of 1821, the year before John W. Means would marry, he purchased property in Cabarrus County from Walter F. Burns. The property was located on both sides of Caldwell Creek.
On E. Speer's line runs with Jenny Speers land...
This appears to be the origins of the Speirs Plantation mentioned in the estate records of Rev. John M. Wilson. John Work Means purchased the property originally, and Rev. Means purchased them out of indenture to keep the family from losing their lands, that is how several of the various plantations ended up being listed in the probate files. John W Means had used his property as collateral for loans he later could not pay.
The Burns plantation contained 248 acres.
On the 18th of October in 1828 there was a transaction between John W. Means and John N Phifer. Lots of Johns. For 5 dollars, Means had sold to Phifer multiple pieces of property in Cabarrus County.
Mentioned are the "Crummel" and "Uwhurrey" tract, the McGarity tract, the Archibald tract, the Spears tract and the Burns tract, the whole of it being between 900 and 1000 acres, bounded by the lands of Wiley Morgan, Robert McEvens heir, Alexander McLartier, John Neeley, W. Archibald, Benjamin Alexander , an illegible name with an "X" in it, and David Long, with added personal property like kitchen furniture. Five Dollars!!?? Really?! What was this all about?
Seems this was collateral to cover a loan as he was indebted to David Stark or Storke for $178, to Evan Alexander, guardian of George Means for $500, to James Wilson for $100 and to James Tremble for $198. It stated, "
Now if the said John W Means shall fail to pay unto the"
(Insert all the above named claimants) ...
then the said J. N. Phifer shall be the lawful Interes therein at or before the time specified ...the property would revert to Phifer, or his heirs and assigns.
Signed and sealed by John W. Means, witnessed by W. Morrison and Henry B. Williams
Walter F. Burns
I must digress to add a little note at this point to mention that Walter F. Burns was not a Cabarrus County native. His name was actually Walter Pharr Burns, and the Pharr family was actually associated more with Cabarrus County. Walter was born in Anson County in 1795, the son of James Burns and Penelope Farr. His mother was born in York County, Pennsylvania, was married in Mecklenburg County, NC and died in Cabarrus County. This may have been how Walter ended up owning a plantation in Cabarrus. He was obviously named in honor of his maternal grandfather, Walter Franklin Pharr, who married Sarah Martha O'Brien. This was the family who founded the town of Burnsville in northern An
"The said John W Means doth for himself...warrant to the said John N Pfifer the title to the property above specified against the claims of all persons lawfully claiming the same..." Signed and sealed by John W Means and witnessed by William Morrison and Henry B. Williams.
After his fathers-in-law's death, John Works seems to have become better at managing his own affairs, NOT. There was a Sheriff's sale of 778 acres of his property along Rocky River and Caldwell Creek. This put him at odds with his brothers-in-law, and from there on out, he seems to have only been a thorn in their side, and someone to help take care of Margaret and the children. But as the greed in an inheritance can divide families, so did this one, and it resulted in a suit.
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| 1836 Suit between John M. & Isaac Wilson and John W. Means |
This lawsuit began in 1835 and had originally involved Margaret's brother, Alex, who seems to have removed himself from it, after leaving the state, as he was a traveling minister, and taking with him one of the disputed persons, a girl named Margaret, with him as his moiety in the suit.
It took place Mecklenburg County with a complaint by the brothers against John.
The Wilsons complained that John Means had in his possession enslaved persons named
Jack, Zepp or Zippa, Ann and her child, and that these people had been left to John M. and Isaac in the Will of their father, Rev. John M. Wilson,
in trust, for the
benefit of their sister, Margaret and her children. They accused John Means of wanting to sell these individuals or remove them across state lines.
"You are commanded to take unto your possession the said (sd) negroes, Alexdr (Alexander) Jack, Zepp or Zilpha, Laura & Ann & her child and their safety keep to abide the Order of this honorable court."
In John's reply to their charges, he denies that he has any intention of removing them beyond the state lines, and also denies that he had any plans to sell them. He claims traders have had offered him "
Large funds" to sell them, but he refused to do so. John W. Means claimed, additionally, that in July 1835 were in possession of the above named people, they sold them to a man named Milton Morrison for far less than
"what he believes to be their value" and afterwards they took the enslaved people from John's possession by force.
They failed to take possession, and he moved them to a safer place, where they would not be found, but not out of state, just to a different county, which I believe was Union County, where he had inherited some property through his Means family.
He accused his brothers-in-law of only being concerned with their own private interests, not in the interest of the 'defendant' (John Means), or his wife and seven children, that "they were residing on a farm- and it would have been almost impossible for them to get on without the services of said slaves".
In the end, John made his point, that the land and property, including people, that were left for the benefit of Margaret and the children, were not the brothers to sell, or remove from the possession of the family and were indeed needed for the support of such.
The date of his response to the Wilson brothers' allegations were February 23, 1836. At this time John and Margaret had seven children. We know of the five daughters and son, John. That's six. The seventh must have been the male child under five in the 1830 census, who was not John M W Means, as he was not born until 1835. In 1836, this first son must have still been alive, and John was an infant. The older son would undoubtedly pass before the spring of 1840. In the midst of these papers, I saw a Robert mentioned while in the previous papers and that may have been the name of the first son, as it makes sense.
1840
| Name | John W Means |
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| Residence Date | 1840 |
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| Home in 1840 (City, County, State) | Cabarrus, North Carolina |
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| Free White Persons - Males - Under 5 | 1 John McKemie Wilson Means born 1835 (5) |
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| Free White Persons - Males - 20 thru 29 | 1 Unknown |
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| Free White Persons - Males - 40 thru 49 | 1 John W. Means |
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| Free White Persons - Females - 5 thru 9 | 1 Margaret Jane born 1832 (age 8) |
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| Free White Persons - Females - 10 thru 14 | 1 Harriett |
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| Free White Persons - Females - 15 thru 19 | 3 Isabella, Mary V. and Sarah |
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| Slaves - Males - 10 thru 23 | 2 |
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| Slaves - Males - 36 thru 54 | 1 |
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| Slaves - Females - Under 10 | 1 |
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| Slaves - Females - 10 thru 23 | 1 |
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| Slaves - Females - 24 thru 35 | 1 |
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| Slaves - Females - 36 thru 54 | 1 |
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| Persons Employed in Agriculture | 8 |
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| Free White Persons - Under 20 | 6 |
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| Free White Persons - 20 thru 49 | 2 |
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| Total Free White Persons | 8 |
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| Total Slaves | 7 |
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| Total All Persons - Free White, Free Colored, Slaves | 15 |
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The household for John W. Means in 1840 is a bit confusing. John is in his 40's. There is no female listed that could be Margaret, but she was still very much alive. There is also a male in his 20's, not a son, but perhaps a son-in-law or hired hand. All daughters have been born and are in the home. There are 7 slaves, possibly one family unit. Margaret may have been in a hospital, for reasons we will see in a minute.
In September of 1847, John W. Means entered a grant the waters of Clear Creek. By this time he was about 52 years old.
His grant was for 96 and a half acres. It met the properties of Henry Williams, R. Morrison and a Mr. Long.
Two years later, he's in court, after an evident dispute with his son-in-law.
In the October 1849 sessions, John was ordered by the court to enter into a bond of $100 with enough security to keep the peace towards "
all good citizens and especially towards Milas Lemmons." Milas was the husband of daughter Mary Virginia Means. Several of the Means daughters married into the Lemmonds or Lemmons family, including Harriett, my line.
The next line held State vs John W. Means, Joseph M. Scott and C. A. White. "John W. Means and John O. Wallace jointly...in the sum of one hundred dollars..to be void on condition that John M. Means keep the peace towards all he citizens of the state and especially towards Milas Lemmons and make his appearance at the next term of this Court.
It appears he did that very thing.
Yet, in 1849, Five hundred acres of his land was being sold at a Sheriff's sale.
Weekly Raleigh Register and North Carolina Gazette
When 1850 rolled around, John and Margaret were in their fifties. From the names of their neighbors, they appeared to have been living among the descendants of the German settlers from Dutch Buffalo Creek, but in the Clear Creek Community.
By 1850, John was a farmer with 3000 acres. All the daughters were married except Harriett, now 21, and their young son John, now 14, lived with them. A little girl, Sarah A. Means, lived with them. This was Harriett's daughter, Sarah Ann Catherine, born out of wedlock. Harriett would marry, two years later, to her brother-in-law Milas M. Lemmons' younger brother, John Q. Lemmons. Sarah would take the Lemmons surname, and her later documents would show John Q. as her father. Maybe he was her biological father, or perhaps just a loving stepfather. DNA testing of Sarah's descendants compared to John Q's descendants, like me, could possibly prove or disprove this.
The census also records that John, and the children were born in Cabarrus County, while Margaret was born in Burke County, spelled "Burk" in the record, nearly looking like Bush, however, she was in fact born in Burke. John was not born in Cabarrus County, by the way, but in Gaffney, which is in South Carolina, and other records corroborate that. A disturbing, yet continuing fact revealed in this same entry, was that Margaret had become, and would remain, insane.
| Name | ??ohn W Means |
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| Residence Date | 1850 |
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| Residence Place | Cabarrus, North Carolina, USA |
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| Number of Enslaved People | 8 |
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| Role | Slave Owner |
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Household members| Gender | Age |
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| Male | 65 |
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| Female | 60 |
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| Female | 30 |
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| Male | 25 |
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| Female | 24 |
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| Female | 10 |
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| Male | 5 |
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| Male | 3 |
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John appears to have still been in possessions of eight slaves in 1850. His 'wealth' may have actually been Margaret's, now his, and later records, or lack of them, suggest this. The old couple of a man and woman in their 60's, seem to have been with him for decades. There were also three young adults and three children.
1860
Ten years later, they and their son, John McKemie Wilson Means, were the only ones living int the home place, farming on 4000 acres. Jr was now 21 and Margaret was still notated as being "
Insane unknown", I would wager to mean for an unknown reason.
| Name | Jno W Means |
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| Residence Date | 1860 |
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| Residence Place | Subdivision East of NC Rr, Cabarrus, North Carolina, USA |
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| Number of Enslaved People | 10 |
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| Role | Slave Owner |
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Household members| Gender | Age |
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| Male | 65 |
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| Female | 65 |
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| Female | 50 Caroline |
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| Female | 35 Nancy |
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| Male | 35 Adam |
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| Male | 14 John Q |
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| Male | 12 Ephraim |
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| Female | 10 |
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| Female | 8 Lucy |
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| Male | 3 Anthony |
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On the slave schedule, the number of enslaved people increased from 8 to 10. It appears as if the older couple were enumerated at the same ages they were in 1850. Three more children have been born, two girls and a boy. The two youngest children in 1850 were two boys, five and three, which were probably now the boys shown as 12 and 14. The younger adults than the couple, here a 35 year old man and two women, 35 and 50, were listed in 1850 as a 25 year-old man, which fits, and the women, 24 and 30. While to 30 to 50 jump is a decade more than it should be, I believe this to be the same people. It lines up otherwise.
A decade later, in 1850, the only Means son, John M. W., is seen living alone and farming at age 37, and still near the Dorton's, which indicates he was living at the same place. Both parents had passed on, his father before his mother. His household was followed by that of two other families bearing the name Means, one headed by Alexander and the other, Anthony, which allows us to feasibly put names with the previous people noted only by age and gender.
In 1860, the two sisters who married two Lemmonds brothers, were living in Union County, NC under the Oak Grove Post Office. Henry Long is showing as a neighbor and as Henry is mentioned in other of the John Means land deeds as a neighbor, this shows he owned land at some point, in both counties, perhaps along the border, or corner, where the two counties met.
In the above historic map of Union County, Oakgrove is shown near Brief, in the northernmost corner of Union where tips of Mecklenburg, Cabarrus, Union and Stanly Counties come together. It makes absolute sense in the coming generations as a son of Harriett will marry a Starnes girl who will end up living in Brief after she is widowed.
Both John and Margaret died between September of 1860, when they were counted alive in the census and the December 1864 Division of Margaret's land and property. The probate of Margaret's estate would carry on over into the 1870's. They would lose a second child before their death, when second born daughter, Sarah Ann Work Means Finn, would pass away, leaving children as heirs in her place.
There were six shares of the estate, divided into six lots: 1) John M Means,2) the children of Sarah Means Flinn in her stead, 3) Harriett "wife of J. Q. Lemmonds", 4) Mary, "wife of M.M. Lemmonds", 5) Margaret, 'wife of James Dorton', 6) Caroline, "wife of W. Morgan".
The original division of personal property is dated December 15, 1864.
As we can see in the first pages, above, of he Division, dated December 1864, Sarah Flinn was still alive, but by the same time in 1865 on the first page naming her children as recipients of Lot 2, she had passed.
In November of 1872, the eldest daughter of Sarah Means Flinn was married and living in Panola County, Mississippi. The earlier proceedings had not correctly named the four children of Sarah, and so the issue took up time in the courts for a number of years.
Margarets estate had the misfortune of being sold during the course of the Civil War, wherein their only living son, John M W. Means, had served as a soldier. The property had been sold by order of the Court of Equity in Cabarrus and had been paid with confederate money, which by 1872, was worthless. R. W Allison stated that
"the balance of the Confederate money, after paying debt due to I. H. Wilson and tax to L. B. Krimminger Col. is in a box with some old papers at my house. These notes are registered per by S. McDonald Clerk of the Superior Court and are in my hands to be kept with my Equity receipts. No cost has ever been paid in the case by any of the parties- and I have never been paid anything for my services. R. W. Allison Dec 1876." No one was getting anything until the piper was paid.
Above, the Spears Plantation went to the Flinn grandchildren of John and Margaret Means.
Although there is no record I can find of the exact date of death for either John or Margaret, both were deceased before December of 1864. John had no estate record to be found, but the division of Margaret's estate is dated January 25th, 1865, with no mention of John, suggesting he predeceased her.
Only surviving son, John McKemie Wilson Means, received the homeplace. It met Tucker and Dorton's corner, Morrison's corner, and contained 106 acres. This lot was along "The Great Road", crossing it and an unnamed branch, twice. The Great Road through Cabarrus ran to Wadesboro in Anson and northeast to southwest.
Lot two went to the children of Sarah Ann Works Means Flinn, namely, Mary, John W., Harriett C., Harvey W. and Samuel E. Flinn. It was located on Caldwell Creek and consisted of 90 1/2 acres.
Lot three went to Harriett Means Lemmonds and was located on Duck Creek in Union County. It met Williams line and Even Lemmons corner, containing 146 acres.
Above, Duck Creek shown in northern Union County, near the connecting points of three counties.
Lot 4 went to Mary Means Lemmons and was also in Union County along Dutch Road and met Mr. Clontz's property and contained 140 acres.
Lot 5 went to Margaret Means Dorton and was in Cabarrus County and was located on Caldwell Creek near a ford and a stake in the Old Wagon Road, and met J. A. Dorton's own line, her husband. This Lot was 160 acres.
Lot 6 went to daughter Caroline Means Morgan, who lived in Tennessee. It was also in Cabarrus, met Pharr's corner and a lane in the Old Wagon Road, and consisted of 74 1/2 acres.
The known children of John WorkMeans and Margaret McKamie Wilson Means were:
1) Isabella Caroline Means lived July 4, 1824 - December 11, 1881. Married William Morgan. Removed to Tennessee. Died in Rutherford County, TN. Seven children: Samuel, Susan, Hetty, Emma, John "Jack", Jessie and Richard Carey Morgan.
2) Sarah Ann Work Means was born on January 13, 1824, and died between 1865 and 1870 in Panola, Mississippi. She married Andrew Meek Flinn on February 16, 1844, in Cabarrus County, NC. Five children: Mary Eugenia, Rev. John William, Rev. Harvey Wilson, Samuel E. (who died as a child, evidentially, but named in his grandmother's estate file, and Henrietta Octavia Flinn. Two of Sarah's children followed Great Grandfather Rev. John McKemie Wilson into the ministry. Sarah's husband would remarry and have one more son, James Lindley Flinn.
3) Mary Virginia Means born about 1825 and died before October 1880 in Union County, NC.
Married Milas Madison Lemmons February 20, 1867, in Cabarrus County. Ten children: John Harvey, William Thomas, James Evan, Cyrus Query, Alexander Wilson, Rebecca Caroline, Flora Adeline, Marcus Monroe, Elizabeth Matilda and Mary Virginia II.
4) Harriett Catherine Means was born August 20, 1826, and died February 3, 1909, in Oakgrove, Union County, NC. She married on February 2, 1852, to John Query Lemmons. She had one daughter, Sarah Ann Catherine, named for her sister, on January 7, 1847, before the marriage. Sarah, who married a Thompson, went by Lemmons until her marriage and claimed John Q. on her documents as her father Eight more children followed after the wedding: Margaret, Robert, Jarvis, Charles, Absolom Brown, Elizabeth Matilda, Janie Rea and John Harvey Lemmons. By this generation the "d" on the end of Lemmonds had dropped off.
5) Son Means, possibly Robert, born between 1825 and 1830, died as a child after 1836, when he was counted among his father's dependents, and before the 1840 census.
6) Margaret Jane Means was born on October 10, 1832, and died September 13, 1908, in Spencer, Rowan County NC. She married James A. Dorton on January 16, 1849, in Cabarrus County. Ten children: Virginia Caroline, Frances, Marshall W., Sarah A., Georgia Ellen, James Edgar, Joseph Harvey, William Pendexter, Minnie Dorcas, Emma E. Dorton
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| Obituary for Margaret Means Dorton |
7) John McKemie Wilson Means was born about 1835 and died on November 3, 1889. He was a veteran of the Civil War. After the War and his parent's deaths, the former enslaved people stayed on the farm and worked for John as farm hands.
John M W Means was buried in the Rocky River Presbyterian Church Cemetery in Cabarrus County. There is no headstone for him and John and Margaret's resting places remain a mystery.
