The above postcard is a photo of the old Mill near Trading Ford, which was one of the earliest settlements in this part of the state, located on the Yadkin River between present day Rowan and Davidson Counties in North Carolina. It was called "St. John's" and was owned during the time of the Civil War by Peter Hairston, of whom and whose family, owned great portions of Rowan, Davie and Davidson counties and in particular the massive plantation that was Coolemee. A few of the Hairston plantations still exist and are maintained. One particularly lovely one is located off of Hwy 801 going from Davie into Davidson.
Mr. Fred Morgan
As of recent, I have been enraptured by the books and writings of a local Stanly County journalist, legend Fred Morgan. Morgan worked for the local newspaper, The Stanly News and Press, known affectionately as "The SNAP". He was also an astute observer of human behavior, a collector of colorful characters and a seeker of local folklore. He was attracted to ghost stories, and tales of unusual happenings. His many books include some of these stories, names mostly changed to protect the guilty, but on a historical level, he occasionally mentioned folks who did indeed exist. Like Boss Kennedy, who saw a ghost along a wagon road. John Boss Kennedy was an actual Stanly County/Union County resident. Another was Tom Marks, whom Mr. Morgan referred to as "The King of the Narrows" and as a known moonshiner.
I am a direct Marks descendant and Tom Marks was a relative, although I do not exactly know how. I believe he might have been either a brother or a cousin of my Great, Great, Great Grandmother Tabitha Marks Solomon. I can't find any significant research done on the Marks family and there are two lines of thought on Tabitha's maiden name. I stick with the Marks line of research for two reasons. One: because of the thick connection between her husband, the Rev. William Solomon and the Marks families in legal transactions and through other sources, like the store ledge of Daniel Freeman which shows William Solomon on multiple occasions, making purchases with or for members of the Marks family, particularly Benjamin F. Marks. Two: Simply because of a gut feeling. It just feels right. I feel the connection. And this takes me back to Fred Morgan.
In several of his stories, he mentions following a road or ending up in a place because of a gut-feeling or perhaps a physic lead or an other-worldly leader. I simply call it genetic memory.
It's been proven that elephants have genetic memory. If they can, why not higher developed species, such as humans.
It's this psychic connection, or genetic memory that keeps me connected to Trading Ford. The first time I drove Long Ferry Road from Davidson County to Rowan, going through Spencer to Salisbury and following I 85, but staying off of that God-forsaken highway, I came to an area where I was overtaken by a feeling of digress. Eerily taken back to another era, a feeling like I'd been there before, when I never had. Like a portal, emotionally and psychically to the past. Of course, I never left my vehicle physically or mentally. It was just a feeling. But something draws me there.
At the time, I did not know I was at Trading Ford, but after I crossed, and arrived in Rowan, there were signs that cleared the air and I knew I was in the general location of the old community.
The above site gives a marvelous history of the area of Trading ford, complete with maps, and tracts of the families who lived around it. Wondering what bit of genetic memory might lead me back to the connection I feel with Trading Ford, I've settled on it having to be the Russells.
My Russell line comes from the same branch of my family as does the Marks line.
Martha Margaret Russell (1848 - 1903) married Frank Washington Mauldin (1850 - 1925). They were the parents of Wincy Ann Mauldin who married Walter Jonah Mauldin. Jonah was the grandson of Tabitha Marks Solomon. Jonah and Wincy were the parents of my maternal grandmother.
Martha is the daughter of Aaron G. Russell, son of Asa Russell, son of Aaron Russell, which is as far back as I can go with that. Aaron (abt 1770 - 1844) left a will in Stanly County. He was born in North Carolina.Could he be a son or descendant or relative of the Jane Russell seen in the early land records around Trading Ford, a neighbor of James Kennedy? We know the Davidson/Rowan county Kennedy's made it down to Stanly County (and Anson/Union). The above mentioned Boss Kennedy was a grandson of theirs.
The tingles I get crossing Trading Ford says its a possibility. Thank you Mr. Morgan for allowing me acknowledged access to my genetic memory.
Sarah Kennedy, of Stanly County, North Carolina during the mid-1800's, was a woman ahead of her time. I consider her somewhat of a pioneer, yet somewhat of a freak, because she was so out of place for when and where she lived. Sarah was not an ancester of mine, but the mother of a great, great, great aunts husband. Her family lived in the same country township as most of my ancesters at the time, making them both adversaries and enemies.
My 3 great grandfather was a judge during the mid-1800's and his younger brother sheriff. They were constantly at odds with the brothers of Sarah Kennedy, particularly John B. and Jordan. WC Kennedy, a carriage maker, seldom showed up in court records, unless it was for jury duty or paying taxes. Jordan, in his day, populated nearly every page. If he wasn't in court for affray, he was in there brought up on bastardy charges. Jordan, you see, was a lover and a fighter.
On one page, right under one of Jordan's affray charges, his sister Sarah came to court asking permission to build a Mill.
Sarah was a businesswoman in the realm of most men of her day. She ran a large farm without the benefit of a husband, as well as a number of businesses.
Sarah and her brothers were the children of John Kennedy and Mercy McDaniel Kennedy. Descendants of this family have traced them back to Perth, Scotland,
.
The other remarkable thing about Sarah Kennedy is that she was the mother of 4 children. Not just any children either. Sarah Kennedy had four racially mixed children over the span of 14 or 15 years.
I first came across her in the marriage record of my great, great grandmother's sister Matilda and Sarah's oldest son Robert D Kennedy. They were married in 1884 in Stanly County, NC. While both Bob and Tildie are noted as 'Col' for 'colored', both mothers are listed as white.
Bob and Tildie suceeded in establishing a beautiful and sucessful family just a few counties away. (see my post on Cola Holman)
The fate of Sarah Kennedy is much more uncertain.
In the 1870 census, Sarah is shown with a 13 year old daughter, Harriett and two little boys, Robert and Alexander.
I have the apprenticeship records where in 1873, 9 year old Robert and his 2 year old brother James, are bound to a farmer named Michael Dry to learn the art of farming. Alexander, in turn, has been sent likewise to a Hartsell family. They are referred to as orphans
. That means sometime, in late 1872 or early 1873, Sarah passed away. Harriett, being in her teens, may have married or gotten work on her own. The boys are all shown in the 1880 census in the homes they were assigned and labeled 'M' for mulatto.
The more I study this and the surrounding counties in the years during and following the civil war, the more lawlessness, tragedy and devastation I find. Desparate orphans and widows did what they must to survive. Some families lost all that they had. A deserters camp numbering in the thousands was just across the river in Montgomery County, and according to legend, they were pillaging fools.
By the early 1870's, many surviving men had lost all they had ever worked for. Farms went to ruin. Lands confiscated for taxes. People were hungry and desparate and angry.
Sarah may have died an accidental death. She may have contracted a disease, but her small boys were healthy. She may have died in biryh of another child.
Then again, she might have been the victim of foul play. Angry farmers may have seen her as something they could not tolerate, a woman who did not need a man to run a farm and businesses. A woman who chose a man of African decent to father her children. I do not know.
I have found no records of Sarah's death and may never. But it is certainly worth a search
Stanly County Selected Deeds: Kennedy
2:108 17 Feb 1845 David Cagle to Sarah Kennedy, of Anson County; nothing further in abstract. Comment: William G. Kennedy was first married to Rebecca Cagle, daughter of Benjamin Cagle and Judith Simpson. David Cagle is probably some of that family.
2:397 15 Mar 1852William G. Kennaday (/s) to A. C. Freeman, both of Stanly, for $1300; an undivided interest in Negroes, money and a life time estate in a mill which I acquired in right of my wife Rebecca and now, in the hands of Solomon Hathcock and David Kendall, Executors of Benjamin Cagle and I do hereby direct the said Executors to pay over to the said A. C. Freeman all and every thing which I may have in said Estate ; witn: Shelby Crisco, Sarah Kennedy; Sarah proves before David F. Caldwell, Judge, 10 Sep 1852 (date recorded)
5:165 5 Oct 1852 Jordan C. Kenneday, of Anson County to Sarah Kenneday, Stanly; nothing further in abstract (C White note: Sarah was the landholder, evidently set, in Stanly. Jordan was evidently still floating.)
This is a copy of the Petition to sell Lands of Edward Winfield Davis, father of Sarah Hortense Davis Stewart, who has been the latest Mystery I've been in pursuit of. Old documents do not scan well. Some of the writing is faint, and the scanner will pick up only bits and pieces of it. Therefore, transcription is the best way for me to deal with this problem. Edward Winfield Davis was born in 1811 and died in 1882. He was the third son of Job Davis and the seventh child of Sarah Winfield Howell Davis. He was a merchant, a gentleman farmer, a statesman, a sheriff and advocate. I have found many instances of E.W. Davis serving as the administrator of estates of relatives and neighbors, filing law suits for widows and orphans in the community to ensure their financial stability and loaning money to those in need. For all the good that Neddy Davis did, I have found many instances in where friends and family literally screwed him over. The distinguished Col. E. W. Davis found himself, despite his once great wealth, enormous land holdings and bushels of good will, in debt. Even his father, Job Davis, in his will, repaid Neddy for loans he had out to his n'er-do-well older brother Henry, my direct ancestor.
State of North Carolina Superior Court Stanly County December 18, 1882
James M Redwine (Business partner and best friend). Admin. of Ed W. Davis (loop-de-loop)
Hortense Davis (Sarah Hortense, Thomas A. and John Teeter, the surviving children. Edward and Jaspar died as small children).
Thomas Ashe Davis + Jay T. Davis heirs at law of E. W. Davis and M. F. Davis (Marriott Freeman Davis his younger brother) and Wilson P. Turner (brother-in-law of M. F. Davis) + William H. Watkins + John Simpson. (Relative of Green Wesley Simpson).
Petition to sell land to pay debts, To the Supreme Court of Stanly County II The Petition of James M. Redwine as administrator of Edward W. Davis would respectfully show that on the third day of November 1882 letter of administration even duly granted to your petitioners by the Probate Court of Stanly County and he at once entered upon the discharge of his duties as such.
II II That the personal estate of said Edward W Davis is worth about eleven hundred and seventy one Dollars ($1171) which has been exhausted in the laying off of the widows year allowance in the costs of administration etc.
II II II That there are outstanding debts against said estate amounting to almost two thousand five hundred dollars, according to his best information as I believe.
II IV That at the time of his death he the said Ed W Davis did seize of the farming tract of land amongst others (Trivt?)
1st tract known as the Shelby Carpenter lands in said county adjoining the lands of David W Bennett and others containing 68 acres more or less, on the waters of Ugly Creek valued at about 3 dollars per acres
Map of South Stanly
2nd tract known as the Wiley Hudson lands adjoining the lands of Margaret Lowder and others containing about three hundred and fifty acrces and valued at three dollars per acre.
3rd tract known as the James Upchurch place adjoining the lands of George Thompson and others containing one hundred and seven acres and valued at about three dollars per acre.
4th tract known as the Jim Ross lands adjoining the lands of Ferdinand Foreman and others containing one hundred and fifty-one acres more of less valued at three dollars per acre. (Note: there are several lawsuits between members of the Davis family and Ferdinand Foreman, particularly E. W. Davis and his nephew, my greatgrandfathers father, H. H. Davis. Seems Mr. Foreman had a tendancy to expand his crops on to his neighbors property. The Jim Ross lands were lands that James Ross had purchased from Elizabeth Murray, the widow of Jesse Murray back in the late 1850's after she became insolvent. The Murrays were also ancestors of mine.
5th tract known as the Allen Carpenter lands adjoining the lands of John Biles and others containing 62 acres more or less and valued at three dollars per acre.
6th tract known as the Rocky River Springs tract adjoining the lands of C. C. Foreman and others containing 30 and one fourth acres valued at about 4 dollars per acre. (Note: The Rocky River Springs were a resort in those days, people coming from afar for the rumored health benefits.)
7th tract known as the Austin Mill onto on Rocky River adjoining the lands of E. W. Davis and others containing 12 acres valued at about 5 dollars per acre.
8th tract his own undivided third interest in a tract of land known as the Brown lands containing one hundred and thirteen acres adjoining the lands of E. W. Davis and others and valued at about two dollars per acre.
9th tract known as the Arnold Watkin lands adjoining the lands of Arthur D Dunn and others containing about two hundred acres valued at two dollars per acre. Second Arnold Watkins tract adjoining the lands of John Threadgill and others containing 50 acres more or less worth about two dollars per acre. 3rd W 10th tract adjoining the lands of John Threadgill and others containing 50 acres more or less valued at two dollars per acre and known as the Floyd lands No 1. (The Floyds were cousins of the Davis family and was whom Job Davis, the Stanly County Davis patriarch traveled from Mecklenburg County with nearly 100 years prior to this division.)
11th tract adjoining John Threadgill and others containing 50 acres more or less and known as the James Wilkerson place valued at about 2 dollars per acre.
12th tract known as the Perry place in the county of Anson containing 60 acres more or less valued at 3 dollars per acre.
13th tract known as his undivided fourth interest in the John Threadgill Mill lands and Mill in the county of Anson adjoining the lands of F. Flake and others containing ninety one acres more or less and valued at about five dollars per acre.
14th tract known as his undivided 2/3 interest of the Davis Mill site in the counties of Stanly and Anson containing 10 acres more or less.
15th tract know as the Merriott F Davis home place containing Four Hundred acres more or less adjoining the lands of Msr. E. W. Davis and others valued at about three dollars per acre and containing all the lands included and mentioned in a deed from Merriot F. Davis to Wilson P Turner.
16th tract known as the Nash lands adjoining the lands of George Hinson and others containing two hundred acres more or less valued at two dollars per acre.
17th tract known as E. W. Davis Big Surry lands containing five hundred and forty one acres valued at about two dollars per acre.
18th tract known as the Bile place containing 100 acres more or less adjoining the lands of Hosea Hinson and others and known as the place where on John Simpson now lives valued at about two dollars per acre (this part added in smaller script) what Deft Simpson entered into possession under one J. H Hinson who was a tenant of E. W. Davis.
IV. That said lands descended to his children viz Hortense Davis, Thomas Ashe Davis and Jay T. Davis who are infants of tender years and reside with their mother in said County of Stanly and them no regular guardian. (Soon after H. H. Davis, favored nephew of E. W. Davis is appointed guardian)
IVII That the defendant W. H. G. Watkins is in possession of the 9th tract of land mentioned in this petition and wrongfully with over possession there of.
IVIII That the defendant M. F. Davis is in possession of the 15th tract of land mentioned in these proceedings and wrongfully has the same.
That a sale of said lands is necessary to pay off the indebtedness of said estate. Wherefore your petitioners pray the County for a Decree to sell said lands and for such other + further relief to be just and reasonable.
* 19 tract to commence at end of number 4 see mark at paragraph number 5
19th tract known as the Nellie McIntyre place adjoining into Rocky River Springs tract, C. Aldridge and others containing 38 acres more or less valued at about $2.00 an acre. (Nellie McIntyre is one of the children of Stokes McIntyre and Elizabeth Murray McIntyre and C. Aldridge is Caleb Aldridge, another ancestor of mine whose granddaughter marries H. H. Davis, Julina Aldridge, neice of Elizabeth M. McIntyre).
20th tract known as the Patsy Murray tract adjoining George Hinson, the "Big Survey" lands and others containing 75 acres more or less valued at about $1.50 per acre. (Patsey Murray is the widow of Benjamin Murray, son of Jesse Murray, brother of Elizabeth M. McIntyre and Priscilla M. Aldridge).
21st tract known as the "Old Spencer" on Doc Carpenter's place where Ben Davis now lives, adjoining M. F. Davis lands, homeplace, Big Survey and others. Containing about 200 acres valued at about $1.00 per acre.
This amendment put in by leave of the county
A. C. Freeman C. S. C. (A. C. Freeman a distant relative from the Freemans who migrated from Viriginia in the 1780's with the Winfields. Charlotte Freeman Winfield was the mother of Sarah Winfield Davis and grandmother of E. W. Davis)
That ends prays the court that summons every open(?) to said Defendants according to law. + your Petitioners as in duty bound ever pray ie
Pemberton and Redwine attys.
Stanly County
James M Redwine being duty sworn says that the facts set forth in the foregoing Petition of his knowledge are true those stated on belief + information he believes to be true.
Sworn and subcribed J. M Redwine Admin.
A.C. Freeman CJC
Close up of map showing Davis Ford and Carpenter Ford.
As you can tell by the descriptions, E. W. Davis had been in possession of a substantial amount of property. An entire pennisula and far up into the county to Rocky River springs. Hortense would have been considered a young lady of means when William R Stewart married her. I have yet to discover the cause of her death or the course William R Stewart took afterwards. He evidently did not love her or their daughter Ouisa, who I recently discovered was raised by her grandmother Rebecca after her mother's death. I am still waiting on documents, Hortense's estate settlement, the physical copies of the divorce papers, and anything involving Kitty Davis, Hortense's second cousin, daughter of Benjamin Franklin Davis and mistress of William R Stewart.
Yesterday I attended the celebration of the life of my fourth cousin, Pecola Eloise Cannady Holman. She was a saint, who passed through this world between the years of 1931 and 2012. Although I had not had the opportunity to meet Cola, plans were underway to meet up with her and I heard she was as excited to meet me as I was her. He son said her 'spirits were lifted' when she learned we had found each other.
This so called 'funeral', was one of the most beautiful services I have ever attended. In the words and memories of her friends, church fellows and family, her spirit rebloomed and came to life. Several spoke of her endearing laughter, how her laugh would overcome her entire body until she shook. How her boundless love and strength would emcompass everyone around her.They gave treasured examples of her wit, her wisdom and her compassion. How my eyes tear at not having the opportunity to know this incredible lady.
The journey that led me to this church, to this lady, was one of research hours and a vital curiosity and the hope of finding a long lost part of my family history.
Pecola Cannady Holman was the daughter of Lodokis Streeter Hayes Cannidy, who was born in Stanly County in the year 1884, the year his parent were married. He grew up for the most part in Davie County, NC and this is the hometown of most of his descendants yet until today. Doke, as he was called, married a lady named Viola Hudson and 11 children together, some who died in infancy. Pecola Eloise was the youngest of these. She married the Rev. Thomas Stone Holman, a professor at Livingstone College in Salisbury, North Carolina and in 1960, they had one son, Christopher C. / Azeem Wahid-Holman.
My journey had began with Matilda Aldridge. Matilda Aldridge was the youngest daughter of Priscilla "Prussia" Murray and the sister of my great-great grandmother Julina Aldridge Davis, who married H. H. "Hawk" Davis. Matilda was also the mother of Lodokis Streeter Hayes Cannady, and the grandmother of Pecola Cannady Holman. Matilda had married Robert D Kennedy and the name had become Cannady after decades of being spelled in multiple ways. Bob and Tildie married in 1884 and moved their young family to the Litaker community in Rowan County sometime before the 1900 census. They eventually moved up one more county to Davie. In attempting to research what had become of Aunt Tildie, whose existence I had known about as a child, but whose whereabouts had become forgotten in the passing of the generations.
Ours is a multi-racial family in every color of brown that exists. I have closer cousins with jet black hair and olive skin betraying the tri-racial background of the Murrays. The grandchildren and great-grandchildren of Doke Cannady range from those who are as fair complected as any European to those who are as dark complected as any African. Doke's wife Viola, although I have not researched her heritage, was listed in documents as 'mulatto' as well as he was. Our common ancestor, Prussia Murray, was from the tri-racial Murray/Pearce clan who were of Delaware Indian, Nansemond Indian, Haliwa-Saponi, Scottish, British and Angolan and Moorish heritage. The family was founded by a mix of Scottish traders who married remanant Native Americans and Irish bondservants who married Free African tradesmen and a Moorish pilgrim who married the daughter of a British Sea Captain, all whose offspring greatly intermarried with each other and with other Native American/Caucasian/African triracial isolates.
Prussia married a man of English decent and had Julina, along with 9 other children. Her husband passed away from a bout of the measles and sometime afterwards, she bonded with a man, who most likely, but not for certain, was a recently freed slave, whose last name was either Love or Little. She was a widow with a substantial, but subsistence-sized farm, in need of someone stronger than she and her 3 young children who remained at home. He may have been seeking employment. Those details are lost to prosterity. What is known is that in 1867, Priscilla gave birth to this little girl, Matilda. In the 1870 census, 50 year old Prussia is listed with her 3 year old daughter Matilda. In 1884, Matilda marries Robert D Kennedy. While both are listed as colored, their mothers are listed as white. Despite being known among her neighbors and descendants as Native American, Prussia was considered white for marrying a white man. Sarah Kennedy, the mother of Bob Kennedy, was the member of a family whose descendants have traced them back to Perth, Scotland. She was a woman ahead of her time and out of her element. She owned several businesses, without the benefit of a husband and over the course of 16 years, gave birth to four children described as mulatto's. She died mysteriously before 1873, as her son's were bound out to area farmeers as orphans to learn the art of farming. Matilda had been removed from the home of her mother the year prior and placed in the home of Henry Love, a man listed as 'colored' and also in the 1880 census as her uncle. Also living in the Henry Love family is a Mrs. Little, listed as his mother-in-law.
When I decided to research the destiny of Matilda, I did not know I would come across living descendants. When I discovered the youngest daughter of Matilda's only son had had a son the same month and year as I was born, I realized he was probably still alive, as Cousin Azeem and I are still spring chickens. Out of curiosity, I googled him and up popped his professional profile and I discovered he and I had something else in common. While neither of us lived there, we both worked in the same town. It was too much for coincidence, I knew I had to send him an email, and the rest is history.
I felt it was selfish of me, to have all of this information about this family, MY family, and their heritage, and not share. While my contact with Azeem, just the other week, was too late for us to have made time in our extremely busy schedules to make time to go visit Pecola together before she went into a coma, and died a week later while I was on vacation, I was able to attend the celebration of her magnificent life yesterday and meet other cousins and members of this beautiful family. I am overcome with happiness to have found them and to have met them. Their loving welcome and greetings have been such a blessing. My only regret, and one I will hold in my heart forver, is having not met this beautiful lady who had such a larger-than-life personality and warm spirit, not having the opportunity to taste her legendary vegatable soup or play scrabble with her and hear her contagious laugh. I take solace in knowing she was able to hear about me and I about her. Godspeed my dear Cousin Pecola.
