Aaron Sanders was a blacksmith who lived in Stanly County for awhile in the 19th century. He had emerged into the world at the commencement of it, being born about 1800, probably in Montgomery County, NC or some County nearby. He's not to be confused with Col. Aaron Harris Saunders, (1802-1885) who served for awhile as Sheriff of Montgomery County, and lived his life on that side of the PeeDee River.
He was supposedly the son of a Stephen Sanders and Mary Morris Sanders, but I've not delved into his past far enough to verify this. Aaron was a very popular name among the Sanders/Saunders family. There may be a connection to an original and honored progenitor of it. The name is seen spelled both ways. In this instance, I will stick to the Sanders spelling as that is how I found him.
I encountered Aaron Sanders in the Case Files of State vs Harris Melton and Ann Bird. They were a Stanly County couple who escaped to Gold Hill in Rowan County when their marriage was challenged. Ann Bird Melton was white, but Harris Melton had a white mother and a darker skinned father, who seemed to be of Native American or some combination of racial makeup akin to present day Lumbee or Melungeon's. Aaron was a witness for the defense and appears to have known the Melton family for a very long-time. Something about his family intrigued me, and deserved a closer look.
He appears in both the 1830 and 1840 census records, when he would have been 30 and 40 years old, having already crossed the river into West Pee Dee (Stanly County), from East Pee Dee, (Montgomery County).
In Stanly County land records, which began in 1841, in Book 1 Page 211, Aaron bought property from James Boysworth on July 8, 1842, for $200 that had descended to James from his father, James Boysworth, Sr. consisting of 75 acres bounded by William Davis on the north, Green B. Ross on the west, Eli W. Christian on the south and the Pee Dee River made the eastern border. Witnesses were William Swaringen and George Shankle. So, we know he lived on the river. James Boysworth had also been called as witness in the same proceeding and his sister, Nancy had married John Melton Jr., an uncle of the defendant, Harris Melton. Aaron Sanders is shown as having lived near John Melton, Jr. in 1840, two years before this land purchase.
In Book 1 page 349, Aaron Sanders sells to George Shankle 35 acres of the above property, leaving 40, to settle a note Aaron owed Daniel Freeman, a merchant, due December 25, 1844, that was currently in the hands of George F. Smith, who was the Albemarle Postmaster before there was an Albemarle. His Post Office was called Smith's Store and served the fertile area where Town Creek, Melchor's Branch and Cloverfork Creek poured into Little Long Creek just before it merged with Long Creek after being fed by a few other small streams. The note was for $50 and the action was witnessed by Isaac Swearingen and Neelin Hathcock. Neelin or Newlin was also involved in the trial but was a witness for the State and had a strong objection to the marriage of Harris and Ann, who had been charged with fornication as their marriage was being declared illegal.
Lastly, Aaron received a grant, number 5155, for 95 acres on Long Creek in February of 1850. This is found in Book 2 Page 285. The land met the property of Mathias Melchor and John Allen Mann, and had been applied for, or entered, all the way back on November 27th, 1838, when Stanly was still part of Montgomery and the grand was issued as "in Montgomery", although it was near Smith's Store.
| Name | Aaron Sanders |
|---|---|
| Gender | Male |
| Race | White |
| Residence Age | 50 |
| Birth Date | abt 1800 |
| Birthplace | North Carolina |
| Residence Date | 1850 |
| Home in 1850 | Albemarle, Stanly, North Carolina, USA |
| Occupation | Blacksmith |
| Industry | Miscellaneous Repair Services |
| Cannot Read, Write | Yes |
| Line Number | 1 |
| Dwelling Number | 887 |
| Family Number | 892 |
| Inferred Spouse | Nancy Sanders |
| Inferred Child | Mary A Sanders; Martha Sanders; Laura J Sanders; Nancy E Sanders; Wm J Sanders; Eliza C Sanders |
| Name | Age |
|---|---|
| Aaron Sanders | 50 |
| Nancy Sanders | 48 |
| Mary A Sanders | 26 |
| Martha Sanders | 22 |
| Laura J Sanders | 15 |
| Nancy E Sanders | 12 |
| Wm J Sanders | 10 |
| Eliza C Sanders | 2 |
| Alexander Sides | 22 |
1850 finds Aaron at 50, living in Albemarle District 9. He's blacksmithing and has an assistant, young Alexander Sides, who is also a blacksmith. Neighbors are Roland Mann, Isaac Calloway and Solomon Hathcock. Nancy Sanders, maiden name unknown, is 48. A list of younger Sanders follows, Mary A. 26, Martha 22, Laura J. 15, Nacy E. 12, William Johnson, 10, and Eliza C. a much younger age 2. I don't know if it would make more sense that Eliza was a grandchild than a daughter, taking in the consideration the age of Nancy. There is one child missing, oldest son , Stephen J. Sanders. Stephen is living nearby, and at 20, has already married to Dicy Morton, 22.
| Name | Aaron Saunders |
|---|---|
| Age | 61 |
| Birth Year | abt 1799 |
| Gender | Male |
| Race | White |
| Home in 1860 | Stanly, North Carolina |
| Post Office | Albemarle |
| Dwelling Number | 459 |
| Family Number | 463 |
| Occupation | Black Smith |
| Real Estate Value | 100 |
| Personal Estate Value | 155 |
| Inferred Spouse | Nancy Saunders |
| Name | Age |
|---|---|
| Aaron Saunders | 61 |
| Nancy Saunders | 58 |
| Polly A Saunders | 37 |
| Patsey Saunders | 33 |
| Laura Saunders | 28 |
| Betsey Saunders | 22 |
| Johnson Saunders | 20 |
| Eliza C Saunders | 18 |
| Catherine Heathtock | 13 |
| Nancy A Saunders | 6 |
| Franky Saunders | 5 |
| Martha Saunders | 1 |
Ten years later, in 1860, the family has expanded. They are living in Albemarle and Aaron, at 61, is still a Blacksmith. Nany is 58, and the daughters are shown by nicknames. Mary is now Polly A; Martha is now Patsy. Laura is still Laura and Nancy E. is now Betsy, meaning the "E" probably stood for Elizabeth. William J., now 20, is Johnson, and Eliza C., instead of being 8 years younger than her brother, is shown as only two years younger, at 18. They've taken in a girl named Catherine Heathcock (Hathcock), 13. There were close connections between the Sanders and Hathcock's. Neelin Hathcock, mentioned earlier, was married to a Brazilla Sanders, who may have been of some relation to Aaron. She is followed by three little girls, Nancy A. Sanders, Franky Sanders and Martha Sanders, ages 6 to 1. These were not additional children of Aaron and Nancy; they had to have been grandchildren. There were other grandchildren, by their one married child, son Stephen.
Stephen also lived near Albemarle, and followed in his fathers footsteps by taking up the trade of blacksmithing.
Stephen and his wife, Dicy Morton Sanders were the parents of three children; Mary Miranda Sanders (1849-1911), Sarah "Sallie" Sanders, (1852-1925) and William Ezekial Sanders, (1852-1922).
A different look at the Aaron Sanders family in the 1860 census shows that he was a town dweller, and also reveals a humous opine of his 20 year old son, Johnson. While Aaron, at 61, is a blacksmith, the occupation of his son, William Johnson Sanders is given as "nothing". I can envision a disgruntled father of a lazy post-adolescent son telling that to a census taker. The Sanders family was followed by A.C. Freeman, farmer. Farmer, yes, but also the son of Daniel Freeman, merchant, and also a merchant himself and heavily involved in real estate and business partnerships. He was followed by Thomas B. Haskle, a Tailor, from England. Yes, indeed, in her early days, Albemarle had a British Tailor. Brothers WJ Ross and John O. Ross, Merchants, WJ Montgomery, Lawyer, Augustus W. Walker, Methodist Episcopal Minister, J. M. McCorkle, Lawyer all followed. As you can tell, a town, as merchants, businesspeople and especially lawyers, liked to situate themselves near the Courthouse.
Then came War, and Aaron and Nancy Sanders lost both of their sons to it, one to the rampant diseases that passed through the ranks, and most infectiously, through the war-made prisons. The other to the ravages of battle.
Stephen, the oldest, was highly respected and was enlisted as a Sergeant in Rowan County. He later was reduced to private and spent most of the War as a POW, dying of diseases in Elmira, New York.
The younger son, William Johnson Saunders, 22, enlisted in Cabarrus County in April of 1861.
By then, he gave his occupation as a Blacksmith. He died in Battle on June 27, 1862, that same year, at Gaines' Mill, Virginia. As far as we know, he was unmarried.
The Sanders family was left with reassembling themselves.
The 1870 census finds Aaron and Nancy Sanders in their 70's. Aaron is still trying to support the family as a Blacksmith at 70, he's lost both sons and there is a whopping 13 mouths to feed in his house, maybe more, actually. He has his five unmarried daughters, Mary "Polly", 40, Martha "Patsy" 36, Nancy Elizabeth, 33, Laura, 35 and Eliza, 28. After them are 6 others, probably grandchildren, Martha 11, Nancy 21 (unknown why the older would be second in the list?), then four who had been born within the last decade, Mary 7, Tiny 5, Robert, 2 and Josephine 2 months. None of these were Stephen's children. The family was no longer living in Albemarle, but now in Ridenhour District, or bordering Cabarrus County, somewhere between the Richfield/ Misenheimer area and Millingport. I don't think they stayed there long.
So, where did all these loose children come from in the 1860 and 1870 Census records?
Tiny 5
1869
In September of 1869, Nancy Ann Sanders, was brought to court on a charge of Bastardy and named Benjamin Mauldin as the father of her child. Nancy Ann was not Nancy Elizabeth. Nancy Ann was the oldest of the assorted grandchildren who lived in the Sanders home. She was shown in 1860 as 6 and 1870 as 21. Whichever was closest, she was old enough to become a mother in 1869. The youth of the mother was not of consequence in the 19th century
There is no indication that either Joseph Morton or Ben Mauldin has anything to do with their Sanders children after paying their fines.
Eliza Sanders case was a little different. She was ordered to court and when appearing, refused to name the father of her child or children and was ordered to pay a $5.00 fine.
Oftentimes when married men, or men of good standing, were caught with their pants down, figuratively, they would offer a quiet payment for the woman to bear the burden and not name names.
That same year both Eliza Sanders and Mary E. Coley were reimbursed for attending the trial of State vs Green Hathcock as witnesses for the State. Again, there were multiple Green Hathcock's, but looking at the time period, around 1870, you had two, one in Big Lick, aged 12, and one in Albemarle, aged 45, so I believe it was clear which one this case was concerning. It also makes a lot of sense when other factors are taken into account.
| Name | Aaron Sanders |
|---|---|
| Residence Date | 1840 |
| Home in 1840 (City, County, State) | West Pee Dee River, Montgomery, North Carolina |
| Free White Persons - Males - 10 thru 14 | 1 Stephen J. |
| Free White Persons - Males - 40 thru 49 | 1 Aaron |
| Free White Persons - Females - Under 5 | 1 Nancy Elizabeth |
| Free White Persons - Females - 5 thru 9 | 1 Laura |
| Free White Persons - Females - 10 thru 14 | 2 Susannah and Patsy |
| Free White Persons - Females - 15 thru 19 | 1 Brazilla |
| Free White Persons - Females - 20 thru 29 | 1 Polly |
| Free White Persons - Females - 30 thru 39 | 1 Nancy |
| Persons Employed in Agriculture | 1 |
| Persons Employed in Manufacture and Trade | 1 |
| No. White Persons over 20 Who Cannot Read and Write | 1 |
| Free White Persons - Under 20 | 6 |
| Free White Persons - 20 thru 49 | 3 |
| Total Free White Persons | 9 |
| Total All Persons - Free White, Free Colored, Slaves | 9 |
Continuing on, back in May Sessions of Stanly County Court, Laura Sanders had been charged with bastardy. Like Eliza, she refused to name the father and was fined $5.00. This could have only applied to the oldest grandchild, Nancy Ann Sanders. Laura was also the mother of Franky Saunders. So, in the list of grandchildren that lived in the home of Aaron Sanders, it appears the following incomplete list.
Sometime soon after the 1870 census, the Sanders family left Stanly County. Only Dicy Morton Sanders and her children remained. It appears they first stopped in Warren County, where Henrietta was born to Eliza Sanders. They would end up in Raleigh, Wake County. There appears to have been multiple deaths in this decade, including the parents, Aaron and Nancy. As to their daughters Martha "Patsy" Sanders and Laura Sanders, it is unknown, but it does appear that Laura, at least, made it to Wake County.
These are the survivors of the move we find in Raleigh in 1880
The home is headed by oldest sister, Mary A "Polly" Sanders 56. With her lives sister Nancy E. Sanders, 43 and Eliza Sanders, 37, and nieces Mary E. 15 and H. R., aged 10. The sisters are dressmakers and niece Mary is a seamstress. Ten-year-old Henrietta is at school. I am not certain where the other two sisters are, except that they were no longer in Stanly County under their maiden names. They may have married, moved away, or passed away. It is also unknown what happened to the other grandchildren, except one.
| Name | Francis L. Lee |
|---|---|
| Age | 25 |
| Birth Date | Abt 1855 |
| Birthplace | North Carolina |
| Home in 1880 | Mount Airy, Surry, North Carolina, USA |
| Street | Rockford Street |
| Dwelling Number | 533 |
| Race | White |
| Gender | Female |
| Relation to Head of House | Wife |
| Marital Status | Married |
| Spouse's Name | M. Albert Lee |
| Father's Birthplace | North Carolina |
| Mother's Birthplace | North Carolina |
| Occupation | Housekeeper |
| Deaf and Dumb | Y |
| Neighbors | View others on page |
| Name | Age |
|---|---|
| M. Albert Lee | 30 |
| Francis L. Lee | 25 |
| James B. Lee | 3 |
| Mary E. Lee | 1 |
| Name | Mrs. Mary Gorman |
|---|---|
| Gender | Female |
| Residence Year | 1886 |
| Street Address | 402 s McDowell |
| Residence Place | Raleigh, North Carolina, USA |
| Occupation | Seamstress |
| Publication Title | Raleigh, North Carolina, City Directory, 1886 |
She married Albert Sidney Renn, 23, of Wake County, but originally of Vance County. He would take his bride with him back to Vance. Albert was the son of Harmon and Nancy Strum Renn or Wrenn. 
The descendants of Aaron Saunders were scattered like dandelion seed in the wind. The fate of many of his daughter's illicit offspring is yet unknown. Some, like Tiny and Robert must have died as children. Others, like Nancy Ann and her daughter, Josephine, and Martha, who made it to eleven, I still believe are unsettled. Something tells me they lived past 1870, probably marrying and under a different name. Only the children of his son, Stephen J. Sanders remained in Stanly and surrounding counties. There are still Sanders or Saunders descended from Willaim Ezekial living here today.
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