Information on John M. Stewart...etc.

From Branson's Business Directory, 1896

TOWN OFFICERS

MONROE – Mayor, Dr. J.W. Stephenson; Commissioners, H.A. Shute, J.M. Blair, B.A. Morrow, S.W. Parham;Clerk, J.M. Stewart; Treasurer, J.M. Stewart; Marshall, N.S. Ogburn.

The year of Sarah Hortense Davis Stewarts death and the year after her divorce, her father-in-law held not one, but two offices in the town of Monroe. I am sure if William, who was teaching at a Music School in Chester, South Carolina, was a little low on funds for a lawyer, his father would have gladly helped out. Hortenses father had already passed away by this time and her mother had married a drunkard who had came from money, but by the time of their marriage, his was long gone. They lived off what she could muster from her deceased first husbands estate. 

J. M. Stewart was still alive and well in Monroe in 1902. 

From the Freepages.genealogy Union County Deeds:

Deed Book 32 pages 544-545

Therefore let the said deed, together with this certificate, be registered March 21, 1902. 

E. A. Armfield CSC

Filed for registration March 21

st

1902 at 1:50 oclock pm

JM Stewart, Register

E. C. Williams commissioner to S. E. Hamilton

State of North Carolina

Union County

This indenture made this  15

th

day of March A.D. 1902 between E. C. Williams commissioner of 

the County of Union, State of North Carolina party of the first part and S. E. Hamilton of the 

County and State aforesaid, party of the second part, Witnesseth that whereas in a special 

proceeding regularly instituted in the Superior Court of Union County before the block and 

entitled M. A. Newsome, et al, Plaintiffs and Addie Pusser, et al defendants for the partition and 

division of certain premises mentioned in the petition in said proceeding an order was made by 

said Court that a sale of said premises be made and appointing and directing E. C. Williams, 

party of the first part, commissioner to make said sale of said premises at public auction to the 

highest bidder at the Court House door, in said County, after giving notice according to the law 

of the time and place of such sale, and whereas the said commissioner pursuant to the said order 

and directions of the said Court after giving notice of the time and place of said sale prescribed 

by statute, did on the 4

th  

day of Nov. A.D. 1901 at 12 oclock M, in the city of Monroe, N. C.  at 

the Court House door, exposed to sale at public auction, the hereafter described lands at which 

time and place S. E. Hamilton, party of the second part, became the last and highest bidder at the 

price of seven hundred and ten ($710.00) Dollars, and whereas the said S. E. Hamilton has paid 

the entire sum of the purchase price in cash, and the party of the first part having reported the 

said sale according to law and the same having been approved and confirmed by said Court and a 

deed ordered to be executed to the party of the second part.

The Tragic Life of Sarah Hortense Davis Stewart

Sarah Hortense Davis was the only daughter of Edward Winfield Davis, the third son of Job and Sarah Davis. Neddy, as he was known to his family would marry late in life to a much younger woman, Rebecca Hathcock. They would have 5 children together. Two sons, Edward T and Jaspar died as children. When  Neddy died, his nephew, my great-great grandfather H. H. "Hawk" Davis was given guardianship of the 3 living children, Hortense, John Teeter and Thomas A.

Neddy was a merchant, lawman, lawyer and politician. His name, E W Davis, is on every page of early county court records as he held the office of the second sheriff of the county. Later, he brought several lawsuits against persons who owed him money, and also for others in the community who did not have the education and knowledge of how to do so.

Sarah Hortense, named for her grandmother Sarah Winfield Davis, would be known by her middle name, Hortense. She was the firstborn child and probably helped Rebecca with her four younger brothers. She was born into a family with money and to a well known and well respected father, so she likely had it much better off than many other girls in the community still bleeding and battered and suffering from the effects of war and  reconstruction.

This is the marriage license of Hortense and William R Stewart. He was the son of a J M Stewart from Union County, North Carolina, a county that borders Stanly to the Southwest. They had a June wedding, on the 16th in 1891. Her guardian, H H had married just two years prior to Julina Aldridge.  Her father had died in 1882, and her mother married John T Crump the following year.

The marriage was performed by a Rev. L M Brown. Witnesses were Hortenses' stepfather, JT Crump, her brother Thomas A Davis, and her cousin and guardian Horton Hampton Davis.

I had seen Hotenses' monument in the Davis Family cemetary, and made a mental note of her young age, 27. There were many reasons for people to die young in 1897. Epidemics would devastate entire communities. Many young women, especially miles out into the country away from a physican, still died in childbirth at the brink of the twentieth century. Accidents would happen and no ambulance could be called to rush the victim to the hospital. So I thought no more about it.

Last week, I went to the local Mormon Church to view some microfilm I had ordered from Utah. FamilySearch.org is a wonderful site and I was fortunate enough to have a Center in my community where I can order the records and view them. While searching old divorce records for something else, I came across the divorce proceedings for Hortense and William R Stewart. Her divorce was granted in 1895 and she passed away shortly after in 1896. In the documents she mentioned a two year old daughter that I, nor apparently anyone else in the family, knew about. I have a mystery to solve.

What did Hortense die of? What was her daughters name? Did she die as an infant or did she make it to adulthood? Was Hortense the victim of foul play? Did she commit suicide in sorrow? Who was this William R Stewart and what happened to him after her death?

I have made surprising, amazing, delightful and tragic discoveries in my genealogical quests, and could  began  by tracking through them all. Instead, I am beginning with my current quest and will back track to the others in time. For the moment, young cousin Hortense clouds my mind. Is she speaking to me? Does need for her story to be heard?