I've seen a picture of Jonah Mauldin in his younger days. It once sat on my grandmother's bureau and showed a young, but enervated man, with dark hair, deep dark eyes, in working clothes and leaning on a tool of some sort, possibly a shovel. I'm not certain what happened to the picture, I hope it survives and remains with family. The one above is from a family grouping when he was much older. This was made around 1915, when Jonah, born in 1879, would have been 36 years old and looked every bit of 60. Life was hard and Jonah was sick. His illness was a common one now, but much rarer in his day and time.

Jonah Mauldin was my Great Grandfather, but I never met him, neither did my mother or any of her siblings. He died in 1930, before any of them were born. That doesn't mean that his genes were not strongly represented among his descendants, because they most certainly are. I believe my own deep-set brown eyes came down from him to my grandmother, skipped my blue-eyed mother and hit me, two of my children and four of my eight grandchildren, not to mention a legion of his other grandchildren, great-grandchildren and beyond.

Walter Jonah Mauldin was born April 24, 1879, in Stanly County, North Carolina. He was the son of James Duncan Mauldin and wife, Margaret Winifred Solomon. His father was born around the community of "Rest", or near present day River Haven, and his mother was born on Jacobs Creek. The Stanly County branch of the Mauldin family began with a man named Clayborn Mauldin, who was born between 1750 and 1760 in Granville County, NC, it is believed. Clayborn is also seen spelled as "Claiborn" or "Claiborne", and Mauldin is sometimes spelled with a "g" on the end as in Maulding.

ame	Claton Molding
Home in 1790 (City, County, State)	Chatham, North Carolina
Free White Persons - Males - 16 and over	1
Free White Persons - Males - Under 16	1
Free White Persons - Females	6
Number of Household Members	8

Clayborn is enumerated in Chatham County in the 1790 census of Chatham County, NC, with a family of eight, one male over 16 and one under, with 6 females in his home. His land in Chatham bordered that of his father-in-law, Connor Dowd, whom I have already posted on in this series.

It can be accessed here

Clayborn and Connor also had connecting properties in Cumberland County records. Connor Dowd had been driven from the country during the Revolutionary War days, due to his siding with the Loyalists, but his wife stayed and fought for the survival of herself and her children. Clayborn Mauldin had married their daughter, Sarah.

Name	Claborn Malden
Home in 1800 (City, County, State)	Pittsboro, Chatham, North Carolina
Free White Persons - Males - Under 10	2
Free White Persons - Males -10 thru 15	1
Free White Persons - Males - 45 and over	1
Free White Persons - Females - Under 10	1
Free White Persons - Females - 10 thru 15	2
Free White Persons - Females - 16 thru 25	2
Free White Persons - Females - 45 and over	1
Number of Household Members Under 16	6
Number of Household Members Over 25	2
Number of Household Members	10

In 1810, the Mauldin, or "Malden", family is counted as living in Pittsboro, Chatham County, NC and has now increased to a family of ten, with parents over 45, two females between 16 and 25, two between ten and 15 and one under ten, one male between 10 and 15 and two under ten. While all three of Clayborn's sons have been identified, only four of his daughters have.

His predecessors are suspected to be a Thomas Richard Mauldin Jr. (Abt. 1710 to 1800), born in Orange County, Virginia and died in Fayetteville, Cumberland County, NC and his wife, Sarah Jackson. This line has been documented, but not directly from him to Clayborne, although circumstantial evidence is convincing. Thomas's family tree dates back to:

Captain Richard Maulding Sr. (1674 -July 9, 1752) known as Richard, born in Calvert County, Maryland, died in Caroline County, Virginia married a Jane Taylor, twin sister of a James Taylor. The Mauldin's descend from Welsh immigrants beginning with a Francis Molding who had a son named Francis Jr. who was the father of Captiain Richard Molding. The surname simply meant 'Crossroads', or a family who lived at a crossroads.

Clayborne and Sarah Mauldin raised their family on Raccoon Branch of Indian Creek, beside her parents, where Clayborn had received a grant for 100 acres.

Remains of Tombstone of Sarah Dowd Mauldin

Clayborn Mauldin died between 1800 and 1810. His wife Sarah "Sallie" Dowd Mauldin survived until around 1829, when her estate was settled. The Executor of the estate was oldest son John, who remained in Chatham and was a blacksmith, and married a lady named Ruth.

Claiborne and Sarah Dowd Mauldin had three sons: John, Benjamin and James O. Mauldin. Two of them would meander from Chatham through Moore, into Montgomery and finally settling in the part of Montgomery that would in time, be severed into and the part they lived in, on the West side of the Yadkin-Pee Dee River would be called Stanly. Benjamin and James, both sons of Claiborne and Sarah, would end up here. James O. Mauldin would marry Mary Smith, parents yet undetermined, and have a son they named Thomas Alexander Mauldin. Thomas would marry Mary "Polly" Blalock, daughter of David Blalock and Martha Patsy Dennis. Together they would found a dynasty of 14 children. Among those 14 children, James Duncan Mauldin was the firstborn, after the birth of three sisters came the birth of the second son, Frank Washington Mauldin. I descend from them both.

James Duncan would enlist in Company C, 42nd Infantry, when the Civil War ensued and survived. After he arrived back home, he immediately married his sweetheart, Margaret Solomon, daughter of Rev William Solomon and his wife, Tabitha Marks Solomon, of the Stony Gap area east of Albemarle. They were married on September 16, 1865. This union would bring forth five children, four daughters and one son, Walter Jonah, born April 24, 1879. Jonah, or "Joney", was the fourth child of the five, with three older sisters, Eva Jeanette aka "Nettie" and Floratine Rose, aka "Tine", Mary L. called "Babe", and younger sister, Minnie Lee.

In 1880, the family, who grew up "off Green Top Road", in the area between the Troy and Albemarle Road and the Norwood Road. That road, rerouted slightly differently, is now named Indian Mound Road. Walter Jonah is seen as a one-year-old in this first census.

Twenty years later, all of the children are home, except the oldest, Eva, and Minnie Lee has completed the pack. Two granddaughters are also living with the family, and we begin to see some cracks in the porcelain. Willie Alice was the daughter of unmarried daughter Mary L. Mauldin and Scrappy B., (Bertha), was the child of unmarried daughter "Tine", (Florentine). Both were three years old. Jonah would end up raising Scrappy for most of her life.

That very same year, Jonah starts his own family. He didn't look far for a bride.

On December 27, 1900, with Christmas festivities over and the year coming to an end, Walter J Mauldin applied for a license, for himself, age 21, of Norwood, and Wincie Mauldin, also 21 and also from Norwood. Wincie was the daughter of Franklin and Martha Mauldin, and I remember her well.

The marriage was performed by D. J. Allen, Justice of the Peace, at the home of the groom and a trio of Blalock's were witnesses. Wincie Ann Mauldin was the daughter of Franklin Washington Mauldin and his wife, Mattie Russell, daughter of Eli Henry Russell and his wife, Elizabeth, a couple who are a complete dead end. If you recall, Jonah's father was the oldest son of Thomas Alexander Mauldin and Frank was the second oldest son. They were brothers and Jonah and Wincie were first cousins. Wincie Ann was the sixth in a procession of nine children and I have featured her in an early post on this blog called "The Woman Who Loved Mauldin's".

Jonah would build his family steadily over the next decade. Grover would arrive the next year, 1901, Fred in 1903, Pearl in 1906, and my grandmother, Maude, in 1909. She would never recall her grandparents.

Stanly News and Press - 17 Feb 1910 - Page 3

James Duncan Mauldin and his wife, Margaret Solomon Mauldin, both died-on February 10th, 1910, within hours of each other, both having the same illness. It must have been going around and they possibly caught it from their oldest daughter, Eva Janette Mauldin Thompson, who died at age 40, on November 3, 1909, and probably during her illness, they went to live with their single daughters, Mary and Florentine Rose. They were buried together at the Anderson Grove Baptist Church Cemetery, along the Albemarle to Troy Road. I remember visiting the graves with my Grandmother.

The obituary, shown above, states that the older couple had been living on the "Efrid Hill" in Albemarle. The town of Albemarle sits in the Uwharrie foothills and is composed of multiple "hills" and a few small mountains about, rising up from Long Creek and Little Long Creek, and the multiple branches that weave through it. Beginning before the turn of the century, and with the arrival of railroads, Albemarle, like many others of its kind throughout the South, began to have textile mills, and with them, Mill Villages, on the outer rims of the little towns and cities, which helped them grow into larger municipalities. These manufacturing jobs pulled in farm families from all over the county and adjacent counties, and many continued operating farms while sending their teenage and even preteen children to work in the mills to bring in extra income. Duncan and Margaret Mauldin's two single daughters had moved to town and gotten jobs in the mill.

In the 1910 census, above, Mary and Florentine Rose Mauldin, now seen as Rosy, were living on Efird Street, or on the Efird Hill, indicating their parents had been staying with them at the time of their death, having moved from the vicinity of Norwood. The sisters were working as winders in the Cotton Mill, while their 13-year-old daughters, Willie for Mary and Scrappy for Rosy, were working as Spinners. They had a boarder, 41-year-old John Thompson, who was a laborer and a former neighbor when they lived along the Green Top Rd.

In 1910, Jonah and Wincy were raising their family along the Allenton Ferry Road near Norwood, NC. So far, it had been a healthy bunch. Wincy was the mother of four with four living. They lived beside William H. Aldridge, a relative of Maude's future husband.

He was friends with Robert Poplin.

I've dated the above photo using the estimated age of the children. Of course, the adults are Jonah and Wincy. The four children standing across the back are left to right, Walter, born in 1901, Scrappy, Jonah's niece, born in 1898, Fred, born in 1903, and Pearl, born in 1906. The small boy sitting on Jonah's lap would've been Walter, born in 1911. The little girl standing in the middle is my grandmother, Maude, born in 1909 and the baby on her mother's lap, is Rilla Estelle. Rilla was born on January 14th, 1914. Tragically, she would pass away at the age of 18 months old on July 16, 1915, of gastroenteritis. To me, she appears to be roughly six months old in this picture, give or take, placing the date of the photo around the summer or early fall of 1914, making Scrappy 16, Walter 13, Fred 10, Pearl 8, Maude 5 and Walter 3. The family looks a little malnourished and Jonah looks much older than around 36. He may have already developed the issues that would end his life prematurely.

Between 1910 and 1920, Jonah and Wincy would have two more children. The year after Rilla, (Grandma pronounced it "Riller"), died, a son was born, Holly Benton, born on April 28, 1916. He would die as an infant, too, and passed away on June 9, 1918, at the age of two years, one month and 2 days of ulcerated colitis. In May of 1919, another son was born, Robert Franklin, and this one would survive until adulthood. The 1920 census finds them with their surviving six children, still living in Norwood, or near it, beside Jonah's youngest brother, Thomas. Uncle Robert was 8 months old, and his nearest sibling, Walter, was 9. Grandma was 11, Pearl 14, Fred 15, and Grover 18. They grew up on a farm in Norwood is what she would always tell me, on the Old Allenton Road that leads to the river where the ancient town of Allen once was, and part of it now underwater due to the river being damed.

Scappie, Jonah's niece, from the picture, moved back to Albemarle to work in the Cotton Mills again in 1919.

Jonah had to register for the draft during the World War I era, but he didn't have to serve due to his age, 39, and number of dependents. He is seen as a self-employed farmer from Norwood.

He was described as being of medium height and weight, with grey eyes and black hair.

By 1930, Jonah had sold the farm and moved the family to Albemarle, NC.

Name	Walter J Mauldin
Birth Year	abt 1880
Gender	Male
Race	White
Age in 1930	50
Birthplace	North Carolina
Marital Status	Married
Relation to Head of House	Head
Home in 1930	North Albemarle, Stanly, North Carolina, USA
Map of Home	North Albemarle,Stanly,North Carolina
Street Address	Old Salisbury Road
House Number	252
Dwelling Number	15
Family Number	15
Home Owned or Rented	Rented
Home Value	4.40
Radio Set	No
Lives on Farm	No
Age at First Marriage	21
Attended School	No
Able to Read and Write	Yes
Father's Birthplace	North Carolina
Mother's Birthplace	North Carolina
Able to Speak English	Yes
Class of Worker	Wage or salary worker
Employment	No
Neighbors	View others on page

Household members
Name	Age
Walter J Mauldin	50
Amie Mauldin	44
Maude Mauldin	20
Walter Mauldin	19
Robert Mauldin	10
Louise Mauldin	7
Hazel Mauldin	8
Elvin J Mauldin	0
Viola Mauldin	32

He was now 50 years old and the last child, Ada Louise had been born in 1922. Grandma, 20, was still in the home and Walter was now 19, Robert 10 and Aunt Weezy, as I knew her, was 7. The other children, Hazel and Elvin J Mauldin, were not Jonah and Wincy's children, they were grandchildren. Viola, the "other relative" in the household was Viola Martin Mauldin, wife of oldest son, Grover. Hazel and Elvin Jasper Mauldin were their children. It is unknown where Grover was at this time, but he would have two more children, Lanny and Sylvia, with a Geraldine Morris in the late 30's and early 40's.

They were living at 252 Old Salisbury Road, a block that no longer exists. The road was rerouted, and became industrial. The residential area now begins in the 500 block.

Another look at the 1930 census revealed that Jonah and Wincy had moved to Albemarle and living on the Salisbury Road, which we now call the Old Salisbury Road. Grandma and Walter were working in the Cotton Mill and Jonah was unemployed, having only worked 3 months that year. Viola also worked in the Cotton Mill, while Wincy watched the children.

With serendipity, the Mauldin family had moved next door to the William H. Davis family, The Davis family had moved up to Albemarle from the Rocky River area south of Cottonville. In this household of ten, eight living children and one on the way, was a 17-year-old Lewis, who would marry the girl next door just a few years later to become my grandparents. Yes, she was three years his senior, a fact she was always embarrassed about, because it was against tradition but mattered naught.

That was not the only fact that was swept under the carpet. Until I began genealogy, I was unaware they had not had a church wedding. They were married on April 13, 1933 in Chesterfield, South Carolina, which was a popular marriage destination for folks from this area. Their baby girl would do the same some decades later. Another discovery was that their first child would arrive in November of the same year. The math wasn't mathing. They had kept a little secret. They were human.

Another fact that had been swept under the carpet was the circumstances of the death of Walter Jonah Mauldin. The census in 1930 was taken on April 5th of 1930. Jonah died a few weeks later on April 28th.

All I knew about my Grandma's father was that he had died rather young, and before any of her children met him. No one ever discussed the reason. Wincie, his widow, would go on to remarry, the same year my grandparents did, in 1933, except they would go to Rowan County, not South Carolina, and lived a long life.

Jonah's death certificate stated he was 52 years and 4 days old at his time of death. Dr. L. V. Dunlap gave the spurious, and rather callous statement of "Don't Know", as his cause of death, then under contributory causes he wrote the words, "Drug Addict". Jonah was addicted to drugs?! What was out there in 1930 that a middle-aged farmer could have gotten addicted to?

Just a quick google search gave some possible answers. The country was in the middle of the Great Depression. This may have spurred the moves from the farms to the cotton mills.

The Albemarle Press

Thu, Jan 22, 1925 Page 4

Jonah had moved his family from the fertile "Forks of the River" area to town by 1925, when a community notes section of the newspaper recorded a return visit to Fork to visit his family who remained there. What was knows as the "Fork-Mauldin Road" all the way into the 80's, is now only known as Fork Road. Was access to addictives one of the reasons? The Great Depression did not acquire its name without reason. People were depressed. The most common substances turned to during this time were opiates. A 50- year-old man who'd lived a life of back-breaking labor may have turned to morphine or alcohol for relief.

The newspaper report of his death was kinder. He had died at his home on the Wiscassett Mill Hill, or village. He was buried in the Norwood Cemetery. It was recorded that he had suffered a stroke a few weeks prior. That was not written on the death certificate. They made a mistake in the children, four sons, Grover, Fred, Walter and Robert, survived, with three daughters, Pearl, Maude and Louise, not two.

Stanly News and Press

Albemarle, North Carolina • Fri, Jul 2, 1937Page 1

A few years later, brothers Walter and Robert Mauldin, the two youngest sons, along with two of their friends, Marshall Wise and Ernest Talbert, were driving along the Norwood -Swift Island Road, which I believe is the same road that became Green Top Road and presently, Indian Mound Road. It was 1937 and very few roads were paved. This one obviously was not, neither was it wide. Traffic had stirred up a bunch of dust, and a mile out of Norwood, crossing a bridge over what may have been David's Creek, they ran head on into another car they couldn't see for the dust in the air, driven by a Mr. Walter Hubbard from Badin. All of seven of the men, in the days before seatbelts, were strewn all over the gravel road. All of them recovered, except for Walter, who died at just 26 years old. He was survived by his wife, Onnie Clayton Mauldin, and his son, Clayton Ray, who was just two years old. The papers reported two young sons, but I've not found record of any other child. I've met Clayton Ray on several occasions, a tall slim man with dark hair, much like his grandfather. His mother remarried, but had no more children.

Wincy Ann Mauldin Mauldin remarried to James William Mauldin, a widower and her second cousin. A bit better. Papaw Jim, as we knew him, was the son of Franklin Mannesseh Mauldin and Ella Sophronia Huckabee Mauldin. Their fathers were first cousins instead of brothers. She really liked keeping it in the family. Jim was the only grandfather my mother and her siblings knew on their mother's side.

Both Wincy and Papaw Jim lived long enough for me to remember them. I remember Wincy as a big-boned, blue-eyed woman strong as an ox. I recall her silver bun and abundance of wise old sayings. When I would cry, she would hold out her hand to catch the tears to water her flowers with, and I would automatically stop. From her came the knowledge my Grandmother would repeat, that love multiples and doesn't divide. Pawpaw Jim I remember as a soft-spoken, humble old man, with a warm smile, who gave us silver dollars on our birthdays, most dated before 1900. Wincy passed in 1965, when I was 5 and Jim joined her the next year. She was buried at Anderson Grove and Jim was buried beside her.

The 9 Children of Walter Jonah Mauldin were:

1) Grover Littleton Mauldin (1901-1957) Married 1st: Viola Mauldin - two children: Hazel Maxine and Elvin Jasper. Elvin died as a toddler. Married 2nd: Geraldine Morris, two children: Lanny Richard and Sylvia.

2) James Fred Mauldin, (1903-1967) named after his two grandfathers, married Nora Bell Mann, two children: Jewell Astella, and Herman R. Mauldin.

3) Ethel Pearl Mauldin (1906-1970) Married Henry Clifford Thompson, two children: Hallie Frances and Robert Henry aka Bobby.

4) Annie Maude Mauldin (1909-1991) Married Lewis Theodore Davis, four children: Lewis Douglas, Walter Kenneth, ( named for her brother), Sylvia Joanne and Nancy Joyce.

5) Walter Lee Mauldin (1911-1937) Married Onnie Agnes Clayton, one son, Clayton Ray.

6) Riller Estelle Mauldin (1914-1915)

7) Holly Benton Mauldin (1916-1918)

8) Robert Franklin Mauldin (1919-1975) Married Rellie Leona Eudy. No children.

9) Ada Louise Mauldin (1922-1999) Married Ralph Franklin Vanhoy, Three children; Hollie Keith, Frankie Suzanne, and Jonah Williams.