Thirty Fathers in Thirty Days: Caleb Aldridge

Norfolk, England lies in East Anglia, with a long, North Sea coastline. It's a ceremonial county, with a deep, lowlands history. It's name means "North Folk", as is was populated by Angles after they arrived to the Island. It's also the speculated homeland of my Aldridge line. 

The name Aldridge derived from Aldrich, which itself derived from the early given names of AElfric or AEthelric, meaning 'Elf ruler'or 'Noble ruler'. Think "The Last Kingdom", Uhtred and all of the Ethel's.

The line of Caleb Aldridge of Stanly County can be traced all the way back to John Aldrich in the 1500's, a pre-immigrant ancestor, through no sweat or labor of my own. Caleb is my fifth great grandfather. 

A son of John Aldrich, Clement, arrived in Northumberland County, Virginia, prior to 1666. He was married to Susan Crompton, a widow of Edmond Boswell. Clement, born in 1601, had a son named Clement II, born in 1636, who had a son named William, who had a son named Isaac who had a son named Caleb, who had a son named Caleb.

The Aldridge family, also seen in old records as Ardlege, also as Eldridge, even, was the family that actually triggered my dive into the genealogy pool. I have two lines back to Caleb Aldridge, one biological, one not. 

Two events happened in my teens that would launch an all-out investigation. On July 31, 1973, my mother's paternal grandfather, Will Davis, passed away. I was 13. My mother was a serious scrapbooker, clipping every news article concerning the family. It was in his obituary that I discovered that Papaw Will's mother was named Juliana Aldridge before her marriage. Her full name was Frances Juliana, pronounced "Jew -leyena" as in North CaroLINA. 

And then a few years later, Uncle Ted, on the other side of the family, my grandmother's brother, passed away, and in the obituary, his mother was named as Julie Aldridge. That caught my attention. The names were so similar. This took me straight to the History room at the library, digging through old records. There were not too many teenagers digging through the old genealogy books and census records, or showing up at the courthouse looking for historic deeds and death records. Actually, I was the only one.

I discovered that Julina Aldridge had a twin sister named Julia. For a time I thought my mother's Great Grandmother and Daddy's (my non-biological father) grandmother were twin sisters. They were not. 

I was very young and still had a great deal to learn, both about genealogy and life in general. I found out that Julie was a typo, Grandma's mother was called Judy, not Julie. Her full name was Judith Edith Aldridge Hudson, and while she and Juliana were not sisters, or even first cousins, they were related, both descendants of Caleb Aldridge Jr. 

Caleb had only two sons, Henry Garner Aldridge, some will throw a David in there, David Henry Garner Aldridge, the older of the two, and Josiah. An unusual situation for the time frame. Julina, my mother's Great Grandmother, was the daughter of Garner. Judy, my Daddy's Grandmother, was the granddaughter of Josiah, through his son J. Pinkney Aldridge. This relationship has no affect on me, as I was seven when they married and not his biological child, but it had a tragic effect on the two children they had together, and therefore on the entire family. It seems both carried the same recessive gene through their previously unknown Aldridge connection, and with each of their two children together, only a 25 percent chance did the defective condition have to show up. Both were victims of it. And I had found the relation between them as fourth cousins. 

I was fortunate later on, after joining the Stanly County Genealogical Society, around 2012 or so, I met Stanly County's premier expert on the Aldridge family, Don Aldridge, a distant cousin. He had compiled information on all things Aldridge, and a great deal of personal information on individuals that I found captivating. They were no longer just names and dates, but fully fleshed individuals with quirky traits and fascinating lives. Don is no longer with us, but the information he shared with me goes on forever. He had conducted interviews with his oldest relatives, those who knew things about the people who had made up the community in their youth. I recall one conversation that he shared with me, that has stuck with me ever since. It was a conversation he had with his elderly aunt, Maudie Scarboro. He had questioned her about a certain sect of the family that had ran afoul of the association with 'decent folk', the church, and perhaps even, the law. "They weren't good people", she reluctantly informed him. He replied, "I don't care if they were good people or not, I just want to know if they lived and if they died."

I'm glad that I was able to contribute and correct certain information as new records became more easily accessible, for instance the fact that Garner and his wife, Priscilla's youngest son was not John Adam Aldridge, but Joseph Benjamin Aldridge, who was born November 6, 1861, in Stanly County, lived primarily in Cabarrus County, and died in 1925 at 63, in Broughton Hospital in Morganton of "Exhaustion of Mania". Joe wasn't found in the 1870 or 1880 census, and it is unknown who raised him, but he was an infant when his father died during the Civil War. There were also loose daughters of my Great Great Grandmother, Julina Aldridge, and one attributed to the wrong parent, but Don's research is indispensable, and I hope his family treasures it as much as I have. 

Caleb Aldridge II was my 4th Great Grandfather on my Maternal Grandfather's side. 

He and his own father show up in the 1820 census of Anson County, side by side. According to Don, Caleb Jr., born in 1794, had moved to Stewart County, Tennessee, then changed his mind, sold his property and returned to Anson County to be with his ailing father in his last days. 

The above is a record of Caleb Aldridge, next to Clement Aldridge, in an 1811 listing of the taxable men of Stewart County, Tennessee. I don't know if this is Caleb Sr. or Jr., but Clement would have had to been Caleb's brother, Clement, born in 1789, so I believe it was Caleb Jr. In fact Caleb, the son of Caleb, Jr. and Anna, had several siblings: Clement, Jonathan, Erza, Isham, William and Eleazar "Eli" Aldridge.

The above Grant, No. 2531, dated 1819, and entered July 26, 1816, concerns a 100-acre tract on Ginger Pin Branch, in Anson County. Now, I have no idea where that little stream is, but one piece of information I disagreed with Don on was that Caleb, Jr. was born in Anson County. In the 1800 census, the one following his birth, his father is recorded in Mecklenburg County, Salisbury indicates not the town, but the Superior Court District. I believe that "Ginger Pen" was intended to be Chinkapin, instead.

Name	Caleb Aldrige
Home in 1800 (City, County, State)	Salisbury, Mecklenburg, North Carolina
Free White Persons - Males - Under 10	2
Free White Persons - Males -10 thru 15	3
Free White Persons - Males - 45 and over	1
Free White Persons - Females - Under 10	2
Free White Persons - Females - 26 thru 44	1
Number of Household Members Under 16	7
Number of Household Members Over 25	2
Number of Household Members	9

 Caleb doesn't appear in the 1820 census of Anson, and the Montgomery doesn't have an 1820, so I believe Caleb was in Montgomery by 1820.

His younger brother, Eli, appears in the 1830 census, near people, some relatives, whom I know lived in the part that would become Union County. 

In 1832, Eli enters a grant on Chinkapin Creek in Anson County, bordering Mecklenburg, and this stream is now in the Goose Creek Township of Union County. Eli would eventually remove to Alabama and Clement had remained in Tennessee. 

Caleb Jr. does appear in the 1840 census of Montgomery County, and in the very next year, the area where he had settled was part of the new County of Stanly. In the early tax lists, it shows that Caleb and his two sons lived along Alligator Branch. Caleb had 150 acres of land, and it appears his two boys had started their own families but were living on their father's land. 

Alligator Branch runs through the town of Aquadale, in Tyson Township, starting on the northeast side of town and following a southwest trajectory to the Rocky River Springs, where it curves off sharply to the west between a set of hills, to meet the Murray Branch, which empties into the Rocky River.

It is in this exact neighborhood that in 1841, when the newly formed County of Stanly had made plans to greatly increase the roadways throughout the County, and in order number 28, Stokes McIntyre, who was married to Elizabeth Murray, was appointed overseer of the road leading from Winfields Ford to Salisbury,beginning where Parham's Path crosses said road, and work to the head of Cat tail and that Daniel Crump and hands, William Hinson, Shelby Carpenter, George Coley, Sally Easley's hands, Caleb Aldridge and John G. Aldridge work as hands on said road. Now, there was no 'John G. Aldridge', so I must conclude that the writer was referring to Garner, because of the 'G'. Garner married Priscilla Murray, sister of Elizabeth Murray McIntyre, so Stokes was his brother-in-law. The road would become known as the Winfield Road and crossed into Anson County at the Winfield Ford, which would become the Davis Ford.

Margaret Jane

Caleb Aldridge and his first wife, Rebecca Cagle Aldridge, only had two known sons, but they may have had unknown daughters.

Name	Caleb Aldridge Junior
Enumeration Date	7 Aug 1820
Home in 1820 (City, County, State)	Anson, North Carolina, USA
Free White Persons - Males - Under 10	1 Garner (born 1818)
Free White Persons - Females - Under 10	2
Free White Persons - Females - 10 thru 15	1
Free White Persons - Females - 26 thru 44	1 Rebecca
Number of Persons - Engaged in Agriculture	1
Free White Persons - Under 16	4
Free White Persons - Over 25	1
Total Free White Persons	5
Total All Persons - White, Slaves, Colored, Other	5

In the 1820 census of Anson County, there is clearly a transcription error, but in the visual document, there is a mark for an adult male between 26 and 44. Rebecca is in that same age group. Garner would be the under 10 at two years old, but there is also a female between 10 and 15 and two under 10. If these were daughters, their identities are unknown.

In 1840, his next, the family setting has changed.

Name	Caleb Alldridge
Residence Date	1840
Home in 1840 (City, County, State)	West Pee Dee River, Montgomery, North Carolina
Free White Persons - Males - 15 thru 19	1 Josiah
Free White Persons - Males - 40 thru 49	1 Caleb
Free White Persons - Females - 5 thru 9	1 Jane
Free White Persons - Females - 40 thru 49	1 Rebecca
Persons Employed in Agriculture	1
No. White Persons over 20 Who Cannot Read and Write	1
Free White Persons - Under 20	2
Free White Persons - 20 thru 49	2
Total Free White Persons	4
Total All Persons - Free White, Free Colored, Slaves	4

Garner is now a young adult and newly married. The two children are likely Josiah (1823) and Margaret Jane (1828).

Margaret Jane was an adopted daughter of Caleb Aldridge. In Don's records, he recounts an old wives tale about how a man wanted to cross the Rocky River, but the river was swollen and Caleb offered to let him spend the night with his little girl. The next morning, the man said he had to cross the river, do or die, but didn't want to take the little girl, so he left Margaret Jane with the Aldridges, and never returned. She remembered her first and middle name, but not her last. The courts tell a different story. 

Margaret Jane grew up to marry Green Wesley Simpson, a devout and curious man. He would later seek out the truth of his wife's origins and discovered she was a Ross. 

There existed a woman in the area named Polly Ross. I am unsure of whose daughter, or widow, she was, but I know whose mother she was. 

In the February, 1843 Session of the court of Pleas and Quarters of Stanly County, was the following entry:

"James, William, Jane and Ervine Ross to Benjamin Murray. Bond filed. Jane may have been living in the home of Caleb Aldridge prior to this, but the court changed the order to Ben. Ben then obviously allowed her return the to older couple. Their mother is revealed in other entries in the court orders

In May of 1842, it was told that Ervin, or Irvin, was the son of Polly Ross.

In a separate entry in the same session, William was ordered to be brought to court to be bound out.

William was also ordered again to court in 1843

Irvin was already bound to Benjamin Murray until he was 21 in 1842

A few years later, William Ross, now an adult, enters 100 acres on Long Branch, near his brother, James Ross.

In 1848, William Ross was excluded from the poll tax.

In November of 1846, Sarah Ross was appointed administratrix of the estate of 'Willie' Ross, with Woodson Ross giving a $100 security bond.

The above shows an August 1855 suite of Polly Ross vs Heirs of Woodson Ross. Evidentally, there were more than one Polly Ross. I must explore this branch of the Ross family more in depth, but of the four Ross children of a Polly Ross, only James and Jane made it to 1850. Ervin Mauldin, another Stanly County researcher, author and distant cousin, once told me that he thought Ben Murray had worked those poor children to death. Ervin was also a Simpson, related to Green Wesley. He had in his possession the Green Wesley Simpson Bible, which chronicled many events in the community.

1850

Caleb's family was enumerated in the Ross District of Stanly County in 1850, which would become Tyson Township. He is 56, his wife Rebecca, 58 and their adopted daughter, Margaret Jane, was 18. They are living between George Coley and William McIntyre, a Cooper. Caleb is still shown with his 150 acres on Alligator Branch.

Rebecca was born Rebecca Cagle about 1792. She is often merged in family trees with the Rebecca Cagle of the same time period who married George Whitley. They were two very different Rebecca Cagles. I have not attempted to sort through the Cagle family, although I am obviously a descendant, beyond the knowledge that nearly all, if not all, of the Cagle family that settled in our locality were the descendants of one Leonhart "Leonard" Kegel, which had been anglicized into Cagle. He was a German immigrant from Obermehlingen, Renish, Palatinate, Germany. 

The Palatines came from along the Rhine River and Leonard had settled, as many did, in Berks County, Pennsylvania. If the consensus of descendants is factual, Rebecca descends through his son, Johan Theobald Dewalt "David" Kegel/ Cagle, who died in Moore County, NC in 1793, and then through his son, George Cagle (1750-1825), who then migrated to Cabarrus County, and finally to Montgomery, to the part that became Stanly.

The Cagle Family Bible gives Rebecca a birthdate of April 4, 1791, which corresponds closely with the census records.

Rebecca passed away on Saturday, November 8th, 1856. This was recorded in the Green Wesley Simpson Bible. He was her son-in-law, having married Jane. 

"Rebecca Ardledge wife of Caleb Ardledge departed this Life on Saturday Nite the 8 of November 1856. she departed this life in place with her God on her death bed. She departed with a heavenly smile, loving countenance and she told all that stood by to meet her in Heaven. Glory be to God."

Green Wesley Simpson, a deacon and teacher at the Rehobeth Church, was also an archivist of sorts, and recorder of information in the Rocky River Springs community. It is believed, and rightly so, that she was buried at the Rehobeth Church cemetery.

There are two deeds that dealt with the founding of the church, one dated 1852 and the other dated 1854. Both dealt with the sale of property along the Winfield Road, belonging to Benjamin Murray, for the establishment of the church. Ben was the brother of Caleb's daughter- in- law, Priscilla, who had married Garner. The property had been sold to the trustees of Rehobeth Episcopal Church South, named for the Rehobeth Springs nearby. The trustees were named as John Poplin, James M. Davis, William Hendley, William R. Randle and Caleb Aldridge. There were two tracts, one for 9 acres and the other for 6 and 3/4 acres. The witnesses were A J Green and G. W. Simpson. The flock was led by Green W. Simpson and itinerate ministers, until the arrival of Rev. J. W. Pruitt, a permanent placement. Rebecca may have been the first internment in the cemetery but was certainly one of the first if not.

   

There is no doubt that Caleb missed his devout and dedicated Christian wife. He was older, but still very much aliv e, so two months after her passing, he went in search of a wife. For that role, ,he found Elizabeth Osborne Bullard.

Elizabeth was a 41-year-old widow and the wedding took place in Union County on September 18, 1858. Jacob Tomberlin was the bondsman. 

1860 finds Caleb at 66, with his 43-year-old bride, Elizabeth, living next to two of the other trustees, William Hendley and John Poplin, and Jesse Murray II, son of Ben Murray, named for Ben's father, Jesse, another fourth Great Grandfather.

The 1870 census was Caleb's last. He's listed next to his soul surviving son, Josiah, having lost Garner to the Civil War. His age is given as 80, with Elizabeth 49. They are still in the same area, and still near George Coley. It is all based on which way the census taker drove his wagon.

 

Caleb passed away sometime between 1870 and 1880, probably closer to 1870, and we all feel he was likely buried at Rehobeth next to Rebecca.

The three known children of Caleb Aldridge and Rebecca Cagle, his first wife, were:

1) Henry Garner Aldridge, aka "David" Garner Aldridge, (1818-1862), Married Priscilla Murray, daughter of Jesse Murray and Elizabeth Bass. 13 children. Served in the Civil War as a substitute for Ben Murray, his brother-in-law. Died of disease. His son J. Walker Aldridge has one of the first legible standing markers in Rehobeth Cemetery.

2) Josiah W. Aldridge (possibly Josiah Walker) (1823-1899) Married first, Elizabeth Ledbetter, daughter of William Johnson Ledbetter and Penelope "Nelly" Wall. Two children: William Edward "Will Ed" and James Pinkney "Pink". Married second, Martha Elizabeth McIntyre, daughter of Stokes McIntyre and Elizabeth Murray. Eight children, buried at Rocky Mount Church in Anson County. 

3) Margaret Jane Ross Aldridge (1828-1887) Married Green Wesley Simpson, 12 children. Buried at Rehobeth. 

Elizabeth Osborne Bullard Aldridge, his young widow, outlived Caleb by around two decades. In 1880, she is found living with her nephew, Joshua. She died in 1893, and was planted in the old Rehobeth grounds. 

Her scratched out slate maker remains, in the old section, threatened to be swallowed by the encroaching woods. Who knows how many old ancestors remain in that woodland edge. 

Dedicated to Donald Aldridge 

The Homeland

Oxford defines homeland as, "a person's or people's native land". 

The Davis family was the first branch of my family tree I began researching. The Aldridge's were the second. I was 14 or 15 years old. I'm 65 today. It's been a long time. 

Both families settled in the southern part of Stanly County, along the Rocky River, in an area known as Tyson Township. What became the Davis and Aldridge lands was South of the little town of Aquadale and North of the Cottonville area and a little west of them both. Today we would call it UCLA, upper Cottonville and lower Aquadale. 

I consider this area my Homeland, as I descend from several families from this area, not just these two. 

I'm simply going to attempt to define the area my Davis ancestors lived in, using grants and deeds, to paint a caliginous portrait, at best, of the places they called home.

Job Davis arrived along the Rocky River, sometime around 1794 or so. He was about 19 and traveled with the family of Josiah and Mary Tillman Floyd. There were others in the party, Tillmans, undoubtedly, Ledbetter's possibly. More families from their particular area of Southside Virginia had arrived a decade or few before them, Marshalls, Allen's, Winfield's, Robertsons, Howells, Stokes, Atkins, Epps and others. 

The Floyd's had lived up on Taylor's Creek, that straddled Mecklenburg and Brunswick Counties. Job Davis had been born in Mecklenburg County, Virginia on April 10, 1773. He probably lived near Taylor's Creek, as well, as he would later testify that he had lived within two miles of them his entire life. There's a great possibility that Mary was his first cousin, as her mother, Rebecca Ann Davis, was the oldest daughter of Henry Davis and Mary Marriott Davis. Her stepfather, James Taylor, was one of guardians of Henry's children who were underage up on his death in 1768. The other guardian, Joshua Winfield, was the brother of Peter Winfield, who had settled in Anson County, on the Southside of the Rocky River, a decade before. Peter would become the father-in-law of Job Davis. Both the Floyd's and the Davises would name a son Henry, and another Marriott. 

Josiah Floyd was among the diluvial pack of Revolutionary War veterans who had emptied out of Virginia in the years following the War. They had arrived with a capacity to push out the western boundary of North Carolina and settled in the rolling hills and among the multifarious rivers and creeks. 

He claimed a land grant for 150 acres in Montgomery County, NC, of which Stanly was a part of at the time, on August 20, 1802, Land Patent Book 115, Page 229, Montgomery County grant # 1868. It was on the SW side of the PeeDee River, which was Stanly, began at John Stokers corner and ran with Porters field line to a stake in Job Davis's line, and met with a 100-acre tract already in Floyd's possession. 

So, Job already had property at that time. 

His first was 50 acres on the west side of Cooper's Creek, entered in 1798. Cooper's Creek runs through property today that belongs to descendants of Job Davis, passed down through the generations. It was recorded in Book 111, Page 297, Montgomery County grant # 1818. 

A small, second grant of only two acres, was entered on August 16, 1800, Book 110, Page 411, Grant 1909. It was also on the west side of Cooper's Creek and began at John Richardsons corner and met with Brooks property.

Job Davis was not married at this time. Sarah Winfield, who was also born in Mecklenburg County, Virginia in 1775, only two months younger than Job, had married Richard Howell as a teenager and they had four children between 1794 and 1800. When Sarahs father, Peter Winfield, died in 1802, Richard was still alive. He soon passed away as well, still in 1802, according to his own Will.  Job and Sarah would be married in Marlboro County, South Carolina, in 1805, by her cousin Joel Winfield.

Jobs oldest sons, Henry and James, would also receive grants in Montgomery County, before it became Stanly.

Henry's land collection began with 50 acres, and was entered on July 4, 1837, and adjoined the property of Alexander Crump, 'formerly Daniel Easley's line ", and Josiah Floyds property, ' near a high land Pond's. It met Stokes McIntyres property, Nancy Throgmorton's 50 acres and Joel Greens line.

James M Davis, second son of Job and Sarah Winfield Davis, was born in 1808, two years after his brother, Henry. He first applied for a grant on March 3, 1835. His 100 acres grant was registered in Montgomery County Land Patent Book 142, page 155 as Montgomery County Grant # 3015. It was located "on the drains of Rocky River. It began at a Post Oak on the corner of Job Davis's 50 acre entry to a stake in Nash's line, then to a stake in Carpenters Spencer tract, then back to the beginning. 

Having read other deeds involving the Davis family, I knew that Nash had to refer to William Nash and Carpenter to neighbor, James Ludwell Carpenter, my 4th Great Grandfather. 

By this time, Job Davis had increased his holdings in both Montgomery, Anson and even the distant Cumberland County. In Anson, he had acquired property by virtue of his marriage to Sarah Winfield Howell. Two years prior to their marriage, Sarah had inherited property after the death of her father, Peter Winfield, as assigned to her husband, Richard Howell. Richard would die later that same year, and his property was then assigned to his young widow and minor children. 

Peter Winfield had first purchased property of Jesse and Susannah Spencer in 1785, on the Rocky River that had been John Spencer's patent from 1775 and met the property of Andrew (Andreas) Preslar, my 7th Great Grandfather, and also an ancestor of Elvis Presley. This tract was 280 acres. There will be mentions of the Spencer tract in future transactions within the family, on both sides of the river. In 1787, he would purchase property adjoining that tract from High Ross Sr. This land also met John Spencer's and Preslar's. This property had been granted to Ross, a Taylor, in 1775 by 'his Majesty' and was 200 acres. Witnesses were John Lilly, Richard Randle, and Donald Ross. The first deed had been witnessed by James Marshall, Benjamin Spencer, and Peter's son, Edward Winfield. It gives a little hint as to who was in the neighborhood. James Marshall had a close relationship to the family and may have made the trek from Virginia with Peter and company. 

Peter would receive two grants, both on the Rocky River, and both in 1790. One was for 200 acres, and met the property of Ross and Preslar, which generation, I can't be sure. The second was 100 acres, along the Rocky River, and began at Spencer and Ross's corner, but met the lands of Griffith Hogan, Joseph Waters, and Taylor's line.

In 1792, Peter would also purchase two tracts from James Mcinvale. The first tract began at Ross and Spencer's corner and met the property of Griffin Hogan, Joseph Walters, and again, Taylors line, of 100 acres. Witnesses were Richard Howell and Griffin Nash, both sons-in-law, Richard married to Sarah and Griffin to Jemima. 

The second Mcinvale tract began at the first at Spencer and Ross's corner and down Presley's line but met Cabin Branch and was 75 acres on the Rocky River. Peter's only son, Edward, would receive his own grants, then inheritances from Robert Lee and Argent Lee, by virtue of his marriage to their daughter, Susannah. Then, like his three sisters, he received shares of Peter's property, and then, his mother Charlotte Freeman Winfield's when she died. He expanded on that and had considerable holdings in both Anson and Montgomery (now Stanly).  The Winfield Road would be built from the vicinity of Albemarle, through Edwards estate, past Rehoboth Church, across the river at Winfield Ford and to Brown Creek in Anson. Portions still remain, especially in Anson. Winfield Ford became Davis Ford.

To understand where the Anson holdings were, the above is from an historic map of Anson County, with an empty, Texas-looking Stanly County to the north. On this one, Gaddy's Ferry is marked, within the upper bend, and shows the Gaddy's living in Anson, below the Ferry. To the west, the Efird Mill is marked, the mill that had once been ran by James M. Davis. The location is a little off, as the Mill was on Richardson Creek, near its conjunction with the Rocky River, but not on the Rocky River. The homestead of George Turner is marked, near the Efird homeplace, misspelled "Efford".  West of Efird's Mill, the old Davis Ford is marked. J. W. Davis who lived in Anson, just above the Ford would be Wesley Davis, a son of James M. Davis. The land above Davis Ford and to the left and  the right of it, was the location of the Davis Plantation and the lands of Job Davis and his sons. All the way to right side of this portion of map, below the markings of Ugley Creek, and past the Crump Mill and Crump Ferry, is the area of the Peter Winfield Plantation that had passed to Richard Howell, in right of his wife Sarah "Sally" Winfield Howell, then to Job Davis and then to Richard and Sally's children. 

This part of the Winfield Plantation would become known as the community of Wharf a century after Peter's passing.  

Peter Howell, Sarah Winfield Howell Davis's oldest son, was granted 10 acres on the Rocky River, that bordered Phillip Lynch and Griffin Nash. Griffin Nash was his uncle, married to Sarah's sister, but Phillip Lynch was of no known familial connection, yet also connected to a Joshua Davis, whom I have scrutinized with little luck. It began at an oak at Job Davis's fence, then ran with his line south 51, then east for 110 poles to Griffin Nash's line, then south 50 west 45 poles to Phillip Lynches line, then North, 40 west 110 poles to Lynches corner, then back to the beginning. His uncle, Griffin Nash and Stepfather, Job Davis witnessed it and Peter McIntyre was the surveyor. The extraordinary thing about this grant is that it was first entered on March 8, 1803 and granted on December 1, 1807. Peter Howell was born about 1794, making him a child when receiving this grant. Only 13, when it was granted. 

In July of 1818, Job Davis and his wife, Sally, of Montgomery County, transferred to Peter Howell of Anson County, 28 acres of land in Anson, "being part of a tract of land that Richard Howell lived on and died on that come to his wife from her father Peter Winfield". It began at two pines in the dividing line of Edward Winfield, 'in or near the path' and ran east to the Spring Branch, then ran with Peter's grant to Phillip Lynches line, then followed Edward Winfield's property line, (another uncle) to the beginning. It included "the house and spring". It was witnessed by John W. Howell and William Cawthorn. John Winfield Howell was Peters brother, about a year younger than Peter and William Cawthorn was the son-in-law of Phillip Lynch. I can't help but speculate over a closer connection between the two families besides just neighbors. Peter would have been about 24 at this time. 

On April 3, 1821, Jordan Howell and John W. Howell of Fayetteville, and Levi Stancill and Charlotte, his wife, of Montgomery County, sold to Peter Howell, for $300, their shares of the estate of their father, Richard Howell, who had passed away in 1802, when they ranged in age from 8 to 2. The younger two brothers, Jordan and John Winfield Howell, had already relocated to Cumberland County and Levi, a minister, and Charlotte, the youngest child, would soon be relocating to Georgia. It was witnessed by Stephen Nash, and Darling Allen. Stephen Nash was their cousin, son of Griffin and Jemima Winfield Nash and also the son-in-law of Phillip Lynch, having married his daughter, Nancy. Darling Allen was also a son-in-law of Phillip Lynch, having married his daughter, Catherine or "Katie". 

On February 7, 1848, Job Davis of Stanly County (having been established in 1841) sold to Peter Howell, of Anson County, for $525, a considerable sum in those days, land on Rocky River, known as "Lot No 2". It consisted of 41 acres and met Lot 1 and Lynches property. It was witnesses by Peter's half-brother, E. W. Davis and signed by Job and Sarah. An addendum was witnessed by Ausborn Turner and John Winfield, Peter's cousin and son of Edward Winfield. At this point, Job and Sarah were 75 years old and wanting to divide out properties among their children. The Howells seen near the Wharf Post Office and school in the above map portion were descendants of Peter Howell. Peter would marry, Elizabeth "Betsy" Floyd, daughter of Josiah and Mary Tillman Floyd, whom I have mentioned already. J. E. was James Edward Howell, born in 1834, who was the one son of theirs who had not gone west. W. M. Howell was his son, William Marshall Howell, born in 1872, probably named for J. E. 's brother of the same name, born in 1830, who had moved to Yell County, Arkansas and Grayson County, Texas. 

James was the second son, James Robert Howell, as William Marshall was the oldest. J. E. McSwain, listed twice due to two distant properties he owned, was also living on land inherited from Peter Howell. Peter's oldest son, named quite predictably, Richard, had died a young man in 1855, leaving a widow, two small children and a stepson, Patrick R. Threadgill. His father, Peter, had settled his estate and took custody of the two children, Teresa Florence Howell and Robert. When Peter died in 1866, the two children inherited their father's share of Peter's estate. Robert is not seen past age 14, and doesn't seem to have made it to adulthood, so Florence received his share and when she married James Edward McSwain, this portion came to her. Most of it remains in the McSwain family to this day. 

Job and his sons continued to buy, sell and trade property under the heading of Montgomery County, and due to multiple Courthouse fires, several of those records were lost. When West Pee Dee and East Pee Dee separated into two counties in 1841, several entries were made on behalf of the Davis clan. Most of it along the Rocky River in a big hunk above Davis Ford. 

1841 Stanly County NC Entry Takers Office February 9th, 1841

Stanly County is born. In the Land Enntry Book, the following entries are made by the Davis's:

No. Date     Name                        Location and Number of Acres

12    2-23    Henry Davis              100 acres on Fly Blow Branch adj Lewis Smith &  Charles McSwain.

13    2-23    Benja F. Davis          100 acres on the old road leading from Rocky River Springs to Allenton

                                                     adj. Lewis Smith & Charles McSwain.

48    9-1      Stokes McIntyre       100 acres adj Henry Davis, George McSwain & others.

49    9-1      Merrot F. Davis        100 acres adj Charles McSwain & others.  

50    9-14    Edward W. Davis     100 acres adj. an entry of Henry Davis & others.

51    9-16     Job Davis                100 acres on or near Fly Blow Br. adj. David Kendall, Lewis Smith &     

                                                    others including Thomas Brown's 1st site School House Spring near Cattail.

85    1-5      James M. Davis        100 acres on waters of Rocky River adj.William Nash, Tye and Ludwell

                                                    Carpenter.

86    1-5     Job Davis                  100 acres on waters of Rocky River adj. Wm. Nash, Tye & others.

142  6-3     Henry Davis               100 acres on Winfield Rd (spelled Winkfield) adj Eben Hearne & others. 

170  12-8   Henry Davis              100 acres on Rocky River adj. John Gibson & Co.

300  11-22 Henry H. Davis          100 acres on East side of Flat Rock Branch adj Henry Davis, Job Davis & others.                                                   

304  12-8   Edward W. Davis       100 acres on waters of Rocky River adj. his own lines.

390  3-25   B. F. Davis                 100  acres on the SW side of Mountain Creek adj Bailey Smith & Edward 

                                                     P. Smith. (Baily Smith was married to Mary Palmer, sister of Henry Davis's

                                                      wife, Martha Palmer Davis. Edward P was Bailey's son. Family)

This entry was preceded by entries on the same date by Bailey and Edward Pinkney Smith.  

391  3-25   John Davis                 100 acres on SW side of Mountain Creek adj. B.F. Davis's 100 a entry.

(Note: John, Benjamin F. and Henry H. Davis were the three oldest sons of Henry Davis).

429  7-27    Job Davis                 70 acres on the waters of Rocky River adj E. W. Davis & others.

432  8-17    Henry Davis              100 acres on Winfield Road adj. his own line.

(Two interesting non-Davis entries were 433 8-17 Gabriel Bell 100 acres on both sides of Winfield Rd. adj. Henry Davis and 436 8-26 Chapman E. Bell 100 acres on waters of Mirehole Branch adj. Kiah Morton and Henry Davis's lines, Kiah Morton being Hezekiah Morton). 

               

Job Davis and E. W. Davis mentioned in account book of Ebenezer Hearne

In NC Land Grants for Stanly County, we see the paralell.

Job Davis has two, one in 1842 and another in 1843. Patent Book 149 page 224 as Stanly County Grant # 79. On the waters of the Rocky River, joining E.W. Davis's tract, formerly William Nash's, To a pine in Jerry Broadway's line, to a stake in Tye's line, for 100 acres.

Land Patent Book 149 page 222 as Stanly County Grant # 74. Also on the banks of the Rocky and also joining Neddy's land (E. W. Davis's nickname was Neddy).To James M. Davis's corner, Ludwell Carpenter's line, 

 Henry Davis was issued 100 acres of land on 10 Apr 1844 in Stanly County, located "On the Fly Blow Branch". This was recorded in Land Patent Book 149 page 134 as Stanly County Grant # 66. This one joined Lewis Smith and Charles McSwain and his own line of his Poplin tract.

 Benjamin F. Davis was issued 100 acres of land on 10 Apr 1844 in Stanly County, located "Adj. Charles McSwain etc.". This was recorded in Land Patent Book 149 page 135 as Stanly County Grant # 67. Henry's oldest son, Benjamin Franklin Davis, was granted land on Ugly Creek joining Charles McSwain, James Crump and Jones Green.

Edward Winfield Davis, James M. Davis and Marriott Freeman Davis also recieved two grants each. 

In the 1850 census, Job and Sarah are listed as 77 and 76 years of age, and living in Ross with their single son, EW, a merchant, 37. Job's real estate was evaluated at $400, while Neddy's was evaluated at $1000. By this time, Job had already distributed much of his property among his sons and stepsons. 

A look up the page, and you can see that son James and his family lived close by, with Merritt/Marriott next to James. Names of neighbors reflect names seen in some of the grants. Miller, Abram Kimmer lived next door. He may have been an employee. James Ludwell Carpenter is listed on the other side and above Merritt and James is Stephen, James and Daniel Crump households with Josiah Floyd (IV) between them. 

The top of the page is led by John Davis, Henry's son, an Overseer. The family he was Overseer for was the last entry on the previous page. He was employed by his other Grandfather, Rueben Kendall. Henry Davis had first married Sarah L. Kendall, Rueben's daughter, with whom he had the two sons, Benjamin Franklin in 1829 and John in 1831. His remaining children were by his second wife, Martha Palmer. Henry was living near Albemarle on Cloverfork Creek by 1850, while still owning land along the Rocky. An 1849 deed also revealed he purchased some land in Montgomery County from Brittain Manuel. He would afterwards, before his death, go into a steady decline and sell most of his land. The Cloverfork Creek property was described as having a garden, apples trees and being near Timothy Ragsdale.

Job did not live long after the 1850 census. He had been steadily transferring propety to his sons and other kin, before his death. In Stanly County Deed Book 2 Page 63, he transfers a tract to his three younger sons, along the Rocky River, beginning near the mouth of a 'Throughfare", past a stand of Iron wood trees to an apple tree, excluding the Mill and the Mill tract. It was a small 6 acre tract and I wonder at its purpose.

In 1851, Job transfered to James, his second son, property along "Temple's Old Path". I might have to try to figure out who Temple was. It met a marked line in the road then with the Road to Coopers Creek, to the south drain of the branch, then to the river, down various courses of the river to D. Crumps line. (Probably Daniel).

About that time Henry donated half an acre to the School Committee. This would be the start of the Old Davis School.

The Davis property would include a Mill, a Gold Mine, and E. W's Davis's Store. It sat along the Rocky River and both sides of Coopers Creek, bordered and crossed Jack's Branch and Fly Blow Branch and mentions the Mineral Springs and Mineral Springs Branch. In one of the youngest sons' properties, which bordered that of his brothers, M. F. Daivs, is  described  as meeting Mount Carmel. Was Mount Carmel a church or a Mountain? It was near Rocky River Springs. In 1850 M. F. Davis had bought property from Lewis Brown and Brown lived near the Springs. Another deed of Marriott's places his property on the Rocky River adjoining Myrick Harward, the Old Murray tract (Jesse Murray, another ancestor who settled along Alligator Branch and whose homeplace was on a ridge above Long Creek near its confluence with the Rocky River), Ross tract, which met the Murray tract, (another family that had married into the Murray family), L Green's line, (possibly Lafayette) and Stokes McIntyre's line to the Mineral Springs branch to the River and adjoining H. R. West and included the third part of "Cal Brown's tract".

There were other Job Davis's. He had two grandsons named for him, but there was a Job J. Davis in Anson County who lived near Brown Creek. This was a descendant of the Christoper/Arthur/Isham Davis clan of Anson County that I have thus far found no connection to. There was one who lived in Randolph County, and several in the Quaker lands of the North. 

My Job Davis died on November 8, 1852, his wife, Sarah, followed on July 10, 1856. The property, Job had devised in his will to be distributed among his three youngest sons, and a portion to the family of his oldest son Henry, who had become incompetent and indebted due to alcoholism. He instructed the younger brothers 'see after' Henry's family as if they were their own.

Though not a taphophile, I'm drawn to the old Davis cemetary and the lands around it. There is an elyisum to it, a feeling of comfort and belonging. It's my Homeland.

Temperance and Franklin

Some lives are but a whisper in the wind, a touch of breeze before a storm, a sprite that passes so quickly you hardly realize that it was ever there. Dowd Franklin Mauldin, my third Great Granduncle, and youngest son of James O. Mauldin and wife, Mary A. Smith Mauldin, was one of those whispers. He made it to adulthood, but died very young.

Until recently, I didn't realize that Franklin had ever married, but he did. No marriage license exists, and I don't believe any children survived them. His wife was named Temperance, her maiden name unknown, her location prior to matrimony, and her fate afterwards, remain a mystery. Yet, for one brief halcyon moment, there existed Temperance and Franklin.

Dowd Franklin Mauldin had lost his father at about 6 years of age. The first record of his existence was in his father's 1848 estate file. His mother, Mary, was the executress.  In the August  1850 Session of the Court of Pleas and Quarters for Stanly County, North Carolina, Mary Mauldin was appointed guardian of her own minor children, James, Benjamin, Eliza, Parham and Franklin Mauldin.She submitted a $200 bond in conjunction with John Mauldin, Thomas Mauldin and John F. Stone as securities. John and Thomas were two of the older, adult children of James O. Mauldin.

Household members

Name	Age
Mary Mauldin	52
James Mauldin	19
Mary Mauldin	21
Benjamin Mauldin	17
Eliza Mauldin	15
Parham Mauldin	12
Franklin Mauldin	8

The 1850 census gives the ages of those children. Mary was 52, her daughter, Mary Jr. was 21, and therefore of seniority and not given to her mothers guardianship. James O. Jr. was 19, Benjamin II (as James O. Mauldin's brother was the 1st and his son the Jr.) was 17, Eliza 15, Parham 12 and Franklin 8. At this time they were living in Freeman's township, off of Jacob's Creek, where James land grant was located, and probably near the area where the family cemetery still exists, off of McNeil Road, east of Albemarle and north of Norwood. 

A decade later, Mary has relocated among a number of Smiths, who lived off of the Salisbury Road, north of Albemarle and had properties adjoining David Kendall. Why had she moved into this family group of dozens of Smiths? Had this move betokened her origins?

Name	Frank Maulden
Age	20
Birth Year	abt 1840
Gender	Male
Race	White
Home in 1860	Stanly, North Carolina
Post Office	Albemarle
Dwelling Number	621
Family Number	628
Occupation	Day Laborer
Inferred Mother	Mary Maulden

Household members

Name	Age
Mary Maulden	62
Frank Maulden	20
Elizabeth Maulden	5
Ellen Smith	21
Mary F Smith	1

The 1860 census came with a basket of questions. Led by Mary 62, and Frank, listed as 20, when it was probably 18 or 19, instead, there were others in the household that left ominifarious questions. I have solved the question of whom 5 year old Elizabeth "Mauldin" was. I believe she was actually Mary's granddaughter, Mary Elizabeth Russell, born in 1854, who was the daughter of Eliza Mauldin, who had married William Henry Russell. Eliza had died in 1857, leaving her husband with two children, William Isaiah Russell born in 1852, and Mary Elizabeth. While Henry is found in 1860, living with his parents, Eli and Elizabeth Russell, along with his 7 year old son, his daughter is missing. This Elizabeth "Mauldin" appears to be the right age, and her surname was in error. There were two other individuals in the household, Ellen Smith, 21, and a baby, Mary F. Smith. Ellen was most likely the mother of Mary F. Smith. Who were they and how were they related to the Mauldins?

Archibald Mauldin, who passed away in 1857, included D. F. Mauldin in a codicil in his will.

"I bequeath to Franklin Mauldin thirteen 3/4 acres of land joining the part of land that falls to his share."

He left young Franklin nearly 14 acres that had joined Franklins part of their father's estate.

Another area where D. F. Franklin's name is found is in the estate papers of  Elizabeth Russell. Elizabeth is my 3rd Great Grandmother. Her husband, Eli Henry Russell passed away in 1854. The concantenation between this family and the Mauldins is complicated and plentiful.

My most direct connection is through their daugthers, Martha Margaret "Mattie" Russell, my second Great Grandmother, who married Frank Washington Mauldin, son of Thomas Alexander Mauldin, and a nephew of Dowd Franklin Mauldin. Another link is through their son, William Henry Russell, who married Eliza Mauldin, the youngest sister of D.F. Mauldin. It's also thought that Elizabeth's maiden name was Mauldin, but I'm begining to doubt that. I believe, instead, that someone,  somewhere along the line, confused Elizabeth, wife of Eli Henry Russell, with Eliza, who married her son, William Henry. Still, I have a presage that there may have been yet another link between the Russells and the Mauldins.

Elizabeth Russell was alive in the 1860 census. Her estate was probated in 1861. An estate sale took place on October 25, 1861. D. F. Mauldin and his brother, Parham made purchases on this day. Many purchases.

In the above section, D. F. purchased a cage, 12 lbs of picked cotton and 78 lbs of Cotton seed, while Parham purchased 4 1/4 lbs of picked cotton.

On this page, D. F. Mauldin purchased a side saddle, a tin pan, and one pitcher and dish. Parham bought a spinning wheel, a churn, 2 milk (spelled milch in those days) crocks, a coffee pot, and a pitcher. These purchases suggest both brothers were married by this time. D. F's purchase of a side saddle was probably either an engagement gift or a wedding present for his bride, Temperance. 

Other buyers at the estate auction were Sarah Tolbert (Talbert), John Thompson, Jerusha Hudson, Francis Marbury (Mabry), Alex Russell, (son of Elizabeth), Wiley Hudson, E. D.Swaringen, and John Poplin. 

Lastly, on this page, although there were multiple others, we find D. F Mauldin purchasing a 'slag', twice, from the estate of Elizabeth Russell, although I can't tell you exaclty what it was, possibily an aggregate of iron, glass or steel. Parham picked up a set of cups and saucers, and some slag himself. Other purchasers were Elizabeth's daughters Mary and Martha, Martha being my 2nd Great Grandmother, and  her son, Alexander. Again, the names of John Thompson, Ferdinand Foreman, Ben Upchurch, T. A. Simpson, George P. Ross, Sarah Tolbert and James Hinson are found. 

In the Court Minutes of the August, 1862 Session of  the Pleas and Quarters of Stanly County, NC we find the following three paragraphs, coincidentally right in a row. 

"Ordered by the Court that Sarah Mauldin be appointed administrator of James Mauldin, deceased upon her giving bond of three hundred dollars with W. F. Nash and W. J. Ross as Securities."

"Ordered by the Court that Temperance Mauldin be appointed administrator of Franklin Mauldin deceased upon her giving bond  of $200 with W. F. Nash and W. J. Ross securites, bond filled, she takes the usual oath  and letters of admininstration."

"Ordered by the Courth that James E. Mauldin be appointed administrator of David A. Mauldin."

L. Green, W. F. Nash and G.M Sides, were securities in the David A. Mauldin estate case.

So, Dowd Franklin had married Temperance between July 4, of 1860, when the 1860 census was taken by J. M. McCorkle, and August of 1862, when his bride was appointed the administrator of his estate. He was alive in October of 1861, when he made purchases at the Estate Sale of Elizabeth Russell. By the purchases of a few feminine items, such as a side saddle, he was probably married by then. It was a brief marriage.

Who were the other two Mauldins who seemingly died about the same time as D. F. Mauldin?

Name	James Mauldin
Enlistment Age	30
Birth Date	1832
Enlistment Date	15 Mar 1862
Enlistment Place	Stanly County, North Carolina
Enlistment Rank	Private
Muster Date	15 Mar 1862
Muster Place	North Carolina
Muster Company	K
Muster Regiment	28th Infantry
Muster Regiment Type	Infantry
Muster Information	Enlisted
Muster Out Date	27 May 1862
Muster Out Place	Hanover Court House, Virginia
Muster Out Information	Killed
Side of War	Confederacy
Survived War?	No
Residence Place	Stanly County, North Carolina
Title	North Carolina Troops 1861-65, A Roster

James Mauldin referred to James O. Mauldin, Jr., D. F. Mauldin's brother, who had married Sarah Ross. Sarah Ross was the daugther of Wiley Ross and Sarah Dudney, and the granddaughter of Williamson Ross and Elizabeth Odom. The W.J. Ross who served as security for both Sarah and Temperance was Williamson Jackson Ross, son of Green David Ross, who was also a son of Williamson Ross and Elizabeth Odom. This made Sarah Ross Mauldin and W. J. Ross first cousins. As an aside, George P. Ross, who was with the Mauldin brothers among the purchasers at the estate sale of Elizabeth Russell, was George Packingham Ross, who married Martha Nobles and was the son of  Woodson Ross and Mary Sarah Smith. Woodson Ross was also a son of Williamson Ross and Elizabeth Odom, so one big connected family.

As can be seen on the above record, James O. Mauldin, Jr., was a casualty of the Civil War, being killed in battle at Hanover Court House, Virginia.

The third group, James E. Mauldin and David A. Mauldin, were James Ervin (1827-1905) and David Arnold Mauldin, son of Benjamin R. Mauldin Sr., brother of James O. Mauldin Sr. and so these two brothers were first cousins of Dowd Franklin Mauldin and James O. Jr. 

David Arnold Mauldin also enlisted in the Civil War. His records on Fold3 are minimal and mysterious. A remark on his Muster Roll record, where it states he enlisted at Salisbury in February of 1862 by Major Gibbs for a period of 1 year informed that he "Refused to re-enlist for this War and was thrown into a 12 months company"

Another records gives a list of units or duties he was assigned to: 

Capt. Griswold Co. Local Defense (Provost Guard)

Goldsboro and Home Guards, Goldsboro

Capt. Hoskins Co. Local Defense and Capt. Howards Co. Prison Guards.

Below is a statement attached to his profile taken from "Ye Mauldins" by Ervin Mauldin.

David enlisted Feb 1, 1862  in Company D, 42nd NC regiment for only one year. He was assigned to be a prison guard at the Confederate prison in Salisbury, NC in Rowan County (the prison where so many Union soldiers died during the war.)  Apparently what he saw there was too much for him because he refused to re-enlist for a second year.  However, this refusal was not accepted and he was reassigned for another year and thrown into a 12 month company. The records do not say what he did the rest of the time he was in service nor if he was ever discharged. His descendants say he returned home where he died of a disease he contacted during the war. In 1863, David's land and home were awarded to his wife and four children.

David was deceased by August of 1862, we can know because of the entry in the August 1862 Court Minutes. His estate was probated beginning in August of 1862 and continued until 1866. He has a marker at Silver Springs Church in Aquadale, where he and his wife, Mahala Elizabeth Whitaker, daughter of Samuel Nelson and Sophia Murray Whitaker, attended.

There is no record that I can detect, that Dowd Franklin Mauldin enlisted in the War. However, it was a nearly mandatory act for young men of the era, willing or not. I wonder if David's refusal had anything to do with his demise. I also wonder if the War had anything to do with the death of D. F. Mauldin. Did he enlist and the record lost? There were reports of men hung or executed by the Home Guard, but no names attached, except for a few in Montgomery County. Was Franklin a victim of the Civil War in some manner? He was deceased by August of 1862 and only 19 years old.

The last record of the brief life of Franklin Mauldin was his estate papers. Here, we learn, he had a bride named Temperance.

There was not a great deal of anything to his estate. The above is primarily food items.

The auction of his estate took place on September 8, 1862. W. F. Nash was the biggest purchaser of items, including the side saddle Franklin had bought of the Elizabeth Russell estate. Other names were W. J. Ross, C. J. Laton, Alex Russell, son of Elizabeth Russell, neighbor Marcus Carter, Isham Tolbert and Franklin's brother, Thomas Mauldin.

So, who was Temperance Mauldin? It's hard to surmise. The next census would have been the 1870, and there is no Temperance, or Tempy Mauldin, anywhere. Tempy would have likely been young, as was Frank. She could have remarried. The marriage may have been so brief, that she returned to her maiden name. Yet again, like Frank, she could have died young.

Temperance was not an uncommon name for the time and place, but not close to being as common as say Mary, or Nancy or Sarah.

It's one of those Quaker names, like Obedience, or Charity or Patience. While Tempy may not have lived until 1870, she would have had to have been alive in 1850 and 1860. While she could have been older than Frank, she could have not been too much younger, as she would have been a child, he himself being so young. Another thing, since their marriage was so brief, there was a good chance that she didn't live too very far away from him either. Since the numbers of possible Temperances was not overwhelming, I decided to look for possible candidates. 

First, it would seem that the Ellen Smith who was living with Franklin and his mother, Mary in the 1860 census would have been a perfect candidate for a bride, unless she was a close relative, which she could have been. Was she Temperance Ellen Smith?  I have no apophena for this theory, as I can find no trace of Ellen Smith, or her possible daughter, Margaret F. Smith, either before this census, or after.

There were two Temperances, or Tempies, who lived fairly close to the Mauldins in 1860, but both were married and much older than Franklin. First, there was Tempy Randle, who was 50 in 1860, and lived with her husband James C. Randall, 76. This was Temperance Pennington Randall, who hadn't married her husband until 1851, and  James C. Randall actually outlived young Franklin Mauldin, passing away in 1866.

The other nearby Tempie was Temperance McDaniel Lisk, who was 44 in 1860 and the wife of  William Jackson Lisk, and also ruled out as she and her husband were still together and living in 1870.

And so it went. Tempie Green, Tempie Ledbetter, Tempie C. Ledbetter, Temperance Austin and Tempie Russell, the Albemarle City Seamstress, were too old or too married. Tempie Lefler, Temperance K. Green and Tempy McDaniel were too young, far too young to marry between 1860 and 1861.

There were only a few, nearby, of proper age, who were not ruled out by marriage or otherwise. 

Temperance Elliott was born about 1839 and was the daughter of Charles Pennington Elliott and his wife, Rebecca Haltom. 

Name	Miss Tempy Elliott
Gender	Female
Residence Date	Abt 1859
Residence Place	Stanly
Marriage Date	9 Dec 1859
Parents	Charles Eiliott
Spouse	James Clayton

Miss Tempie Elliott had actually married on December 9th of 1859 to James Clayton, in Stanly County, as reported in a newspaper called, The Spirit of the Age, January 5, 1859 edition, page 3. The marriage was no more by the summer of  1860 when Mr. McCorkle came around and enumerated Tempy by her maiden name back in her parents home. In fact, Temperance Elliott never went by another name in future records, except Elliott.

Name	Tempe Elliotte
Age	21
Birth Year	abt 1839
Gender	Female
Race	White
Home in 1860	Stanly, North Carolina
Post Office	Albemarle
Dwelling Number	1158
Family Number	1174
Cannot Read, Write	Y
Inferred Father	Charles Elliotte
Inferred Mother	Becky Elliotte

Household members

Name	Age
Charles Elliotte	52
Becky Elliotte	52
Tempe Elliotte	21
J M Elliotte
Margaret P Elliotte	12
M J Elliotte	9

Her temporary husband, James F. Clayton, was a Civil War soldier, and was killed at Frazier's Farm battle in Virginia on June 30, 1862. Above shows Tempie in the 1860 census, living with her parents as an Elliotte, not a Clayton. While mistakes were often made when family members or others of a different surname were living in a household, Tempie's husband was not living with her.

Temperance Elliott died in 1886 at the age of 47. She left a Will, naming her sisters, and some of the children of her siblings. Temperance Elliotte was buried a single woman in the Kirk and Clayton family cemetery near Badin.

Another Temperance in the age range was Temperance J. Colson. The daughter of Jacob Harris Colson and Zilphia Drake Threadgill, she was born in 1842 in  North Carolina. Every census she is in gives her birthplace as such, but in 1850, as a 7 year old, her family is found in Marshall County, Mississippi.

Name	Temperance J Colson
Gender	Female
Race	White
Residence Age	7
Birth Date	abt 1843
Birthplace	North Carolina
Residence Date	1850
Home in 1850	Northern Division, Marshall, Mississippi, USA
Attended School	Yes
Line Number	8
Dwelling Number	1127
Family Number	1127
Inferred Father	Jacob H Colson
Inferred Mother	Zelphy Colson

Household members

Name	Age
Jacob H Colson	30
Zelphy Colson	27
Temperance J Colson	7
Thomas K Colson	5
Jonas J Colson	4
William H Threadgill	16

They have returned to North Carolina by 1858, however, as her father passed away in Stanly County, NC on July 19th of that year. His will was probated in Stanly County, while his body was laid to rest in the Colson Family cemetery in Anson County, where Jacob had grown up. He was only 38 years old.

Name	Temperance Colson
Age in 1870	26
Birth Date	abt 1844
Birthplace	North Carolina
Dwelling Number	170
Home in 1870	Center, Stanly, North Carolina
Race	White
Gender	Female
Post Office	Albemarle
Occupation	At Home

Household members

Name	Age
Z D Colson	41
Temperance Colson	26
Jones J Colson	28
Elmo Colson	19
Carolina Colson	17
Sarah Colson	14
Charlotte Colson	12

In 1870, Temperance is found living with her mother and most of her siblings in Center, the Norwood area. Charlotte, the youngest, was born the year her father died. I wonder what had happened to this young father?

Temperance would become a mother. In 1878, she had a daughter, Theadocia Dorian Colson by John Thompson. He was a  married farmer and neighbor of the Colsons. Temperance would raise her daughter at her mother's home and after Theadocia married, would follow her to Davidson County, where she passed away in 1913. Temperance Colson never married, or did she?

The last possibility for who Temperance might have been may be the most conspicuous, due to proximity and familial connections.

Name	Eli Russel
Gender	Male
Race	White
Residence Age	46
Birth Date	abt 1804
Birthplace	North Carolina
Residence Date	1850
Home in 1850	Albemarle, Stanly, North Carolina, USA
Occupation	Farmer
Industry	Agriculture
Real Estate	49
Line Number	22
Dwelling Number	936
Family Number	941
Inferred Spouse	Elizabeth Russel

Household members

Name	Age
Eli Russel	46
Elizabeth Russel	39
Alxe Russel	24
Henry Russel	21
Caroline Russel	18
Isiah Russel	15
Temply Russel	13
Elizabeth Russel	8
Gabriel Russel	5
Catharine Russel	3

Temperance Russell was the daughter of Eli Henry Russell and wife Elizabeth, making her my 3rd Great Grandaunt. Her brother, Henry, would marry Dowd Franklin Mauldin's sister, Eliza. Her mother, Elizabeth, is the selfsame Elizabeth at whose  estate auction Frank and his brother , Parham,. made purchases, notably, that side-saddle. Was D. F. a son-in-law? 

Temperance Russell is a cromulent candidate for the wife of D. F. Mauldin. The controverisal element of this theory is that Tempy doesn't appear with ther family inthe1860 census. Lack of a corporeal acknowledgement doesn't neccessarily betoken her death. Mary E. Mauldin, sister of Franklin Mauldin, doesn't appear inthe 1860 census,either.

Household members

Name	Age
Thos Maulden	50
Mary Maulden	47
Mintie Maulden	31
Mary Maulden	21
Laura Maulden	18
Nancy Maulden	15
William Maulden	13
Henry Maulden	12
Lancy Maulden	11
Thomas Maulden	7
Mary Maulden	41

But there she is in 1870, living with surviving brother Thomas. Missing a census didn't mean the individual was deceased. Census takers made mistakes; older children sometimes went to work for neighbors or others to earn their own money, or were out visiting, or even traveling miles away to pick up supplies or 'shopping'. 

Family trees have Temperance Russell dying young, but she may not have died single.  Eli Russell died in 1854. His probate papers only mention his widow, both as "Betsy" and as "Elizabeth". No other heirs are mentioned. He did not leave a will. 

As previously mentioned, Elizabeth Russell's estate was probated in 1861. It's one of the documents of the existence of Dowd Franklin Mauldin, with the several mentions of purchases made by both him and his brother, Parham. Among the buyers were her sons, Alexander and Gabriel Russell, and her daughters, Mary and Martha.

There are even several mentions of John Thompson, who was discussed in an earlier paragraph. There are no mentions of Henry Russell, who was most definitely living at the time, or her older two daughters, Tempie and Caroline. Oddly, several people have noted in Caroline's profile, that she married an "unknown Mauldin". Could that Mauldin be determined, or did they have her confused with Temperance?

There is one more thing.  In the 'Mauldin Book', "Ye Mauldins", by Ervin Mauldin, mention is made of a possible child of Franklin and Temperance.  Quote, "Franklin and Tempy were married in 1861 in Stanly County. Franklin died that same year. I believe he had ason - William L. Mauldin b. 1862 -but I can not prove this -all evidence indicate William to be the son of Franklin, I cannot tie him in to any other family. "

Included was the following family listing:

(8) William L. Mauldin b. May 1862  m. Suffronia A. _________ b. May 1864.

       (9) Swiler E. Mauldin B. May 1891

       (9) Henry C. Mauldin b.Oct. 1894

-no further record - disappeared from the country.

Seeing the obvious transcription errors in the name of the 9-year-old child, I believe I have discovered where Cousin Ervin, who was limited to word of mouth, family bibles and dusty courthouse record books, for the most part, in his late 1900's research, found this individual Mauldin and his family. 

Name	William Manden
Age	38
Birth Date	abt 1862
Birthplace	North Carolina, USA
Home in 1900	Center, Stanly, North Carolina
Sheet Number	6
Number of Dwelling in Order of Visitation	101
Family Number	107
Race	White
Gender	Male
Relation to Head of House	Head
Marital Status	Married
Spouse's Name	Susph??a A Manden
Marriage Year	1884
Years Married	16
Father's Birthplace	North Carolina, USA
Mother's Birthplace	North Carolina, USA
Can Read	Y
Can Write	N
Can Speak English	Y
Neighbors	View others on page

Household members

Name	Age
William Manden	38
Susph??a A Manden	35
Sniler E Manden	9
Henry C Manden	6

William Mauldin, 38 with a wife, S? A. Mauldin (incorrectly transcribed as 'Manden', with two children, 'Sniler' E., age 9 and Henry C., age 6.

This record, and this family, were already in my family tree, for two reasons. Not only were they Mauldins, but they were also members of my Solomon family, and my Murray family. William David Mauldin was born May 11, 1863, the year after his father, David Arnold Mauldin died. David Mauldin was one of the three Mauldins whose widows were mentioned in three paragraphs in a row in the August 1862 Court Minutes referenced earlier in this post. He was a first cousin of Franklin Mauldin. His mother was Mahala Elizabeth Whitaker Mauldin, a daughter of Nelson Samuel and Sophia Murray Whitaker. Sophia was a sister of my 3rd Great Grandmother, Priscilla Murray Aldridge. That puts him in the Murray Tree. He married Saphronia A. Solomon, daughter of Henry Clay Solomon and wife, Mary Elizabeth Russell, and yes, that also puts them in the Russell tree, as Mary Elizabeth was a daughter of the afore mentioned Eli Henry and wife Elizabeth. As Cousin Ervin was looking at a "Sniler", and not a "Milas", as the first child of William David and Saphronia was actually named, I can see where it gets a little confusing. 

Name	W D Maulding
Age in 1870	9
Birth Date	abt 1861
Birthplace	North Carolina
Dwelling Number	12
Home in 1870	Salisbury, Rowan, North Carolina
Race	White
Gender	Male
Post Office	Salisbury
Occupation	At Home
Inferred Mother	Elizabeth Maulding

Household members

Name	Age
Elizabeth Maulding	36
J F Maulding	13
M E Maulding	12
B R Maulding	10
W D Maulding	9

William shows up first in Salisbury, Rowan County, with his widowed mother, Elizabeth Mauldin and three older siblings, James Franklin, 13, Mary Elizabeth, 12, and Benjamin Rufus, 10.

Mahala Elizabeth Whitaker Mauldin may have moved to Salisbury when her husband, David Arnold Mauldin, was working at the Confederate Prison in Salisbury as a prison guard. 

Name	David Mauldin
Age	20
Birth Date	Abt 1860
Birthplace	North Carolina
Home in 1880	Center, Stanly, North Carolina, USA
Dwelling Number	8
Race	White
Gender	Male
Relation to Head of House	Son
Marital Status	Single
Father's Birthplace	North Carolina
Mother's Name	Elizabeth Mauldin
Mother's Birthplace	North Carolina
Occupation	Works on farm
Neighbors	View others on page

Household members

Name	Age
Elizabeth Mauldin	45
Mary E. Mauldin	21
David Mauldin	20

She moved with her children back to Norwood in Stanly County by 1880. On April 18, 1884, they were said to be living in Montgomery County, when David, 22,  married 'Fronia' Solomon, 19.

Then we are back to the 1900 census, where William David Mauldin and family had returned to Stanly County, and were living in Norwood again.

They had three sons, Milas Eugene, Henry Clay and Arnold Dewey.

Name	David Mauldin
Age in 1910	46
Birth Date	1864
Birthplace	North Carolina
Home in 1910	Albemarle, Stanly, North Carolina, USA
Sheet Number	19a
Street	Wiscassett Hill
Race	White
Gender	Male
Relation to Head of House	Head
Marital Status	Married
Father's Birthplace	North Carolina
Mother's Birthplace	North Carolina
Native Tongue	English
Occupation	Laborer
Industry	Farm
Employer, Employee or Other	Wage Earner
Home Owned or Rented	Rent
Farm or House	House
Able to read	Y
Able to Write	Y
Enumeration District Number	0116
Years Married	25
Out of Work	N
Number of Weeks Out of Work	0
Enumerated Year	1910
Neighbors	View others on page

Household members

Name	Age
David Mauldin	46
Safhona Mauldin	44
Eugene Mauldin	19
Clay Mauldin	16
Arnold Mauldin	6

In 1910, the family of 5 has moved up to Albemarle and are living on  the 'Wisscassett Hill', which was one of the Textile Mill Villages that built Albemarle into a City after the turn of the century. David was farming, while his two older sons worked in the Mill. In those days, the children were often sent to work and brought their wages home to their parents, while the father usually worked too, but the mother stayed home and took care of the house and younger children. After child labor laws kicked, mothers started going to work and leaving the children home with either a Nanny, or older children taking care of the younger ones. Sometimes a grandmother or maiden aunt lived in to take care of the children, or the parents worked different shifts, passing like ships in the night. This prompted the shrinking of the American family, at least the ones who moved into towns or cities.

Saphronia Solomon Mauldin died in 1912, just before the popular use of death certificates in the state, at age 48. She was buried at Cedar Grove Church, near Norwood.

After Fronie's death, David married Martha A. Hinson, daughter of Jeremiah Hosea Hinson and Elizabeth Miley Harward. Martha was a Stanly County born and bred girl, who hadfirst married Charles Baxter Swicegood Sr. in Davie County.

Name	David Mauldin
Age	47
Birth Year	abt 1873
Birthplace	North Carolina
Home in 1920	Big Lick, Stanly, North Carolina
House Number	Farm
Residence Date	1920
Race	White
Gender	Male
Relation to Head of House	Head
Marital Status	Married
Spouse's Name	Martha Mauldin
Father's Birthplace	North Carolina
Mother's Birthplace	North Carolina
Able to Speak English	Yes
Occupation	Farmer
Industry	Farming
Employment Field	Own Account
Home Owned or Rented	Rented
Attended School	No
Able to read	Yes
Able to Write	Yes
Neighbors	View others on page

Household members

Name	Age
David Mauldin	47
Martha Mauldin	47
Arnold Mauldin	16
Samuel Mauldin	10
Charlie Mauldin	7

In 1920, they have now relocated to the western end of Stanly County, where David is farming in Big Lick. Arnold was the only one of his children still at home. Samuel and Charlie, mistakenly shown as Mauldins in the census, were not Mauldins and were not David's sons. This was Samuel Hosea Swicegood, and Charles Baxter Swicegood, Jr., Martha's sons.

1930 found the couple living in the town of Norwood on Kendall Street, with David's oldest son, Milas Eugene and his family. Davied was now 69 years old . He passed away the next year, on April 3, 1931. He was 69 years, 10 months and 22 days old. His cause of death was pellagra ,due to 'cerebral softening,' a far too common ailment in those days, due more to bad nutrition. Parents names given were David Mauldin and Haley Aldridge. Mahala wasn't an Aldridge. Martha may have mixed her up with her Aunt Priscilla.

Martha buried him next to his first wife at Cedar Grove. She them moved to Iredell County, where she lived the last four years of her life living with her youngest son, Charlie Swicegood. She died on June 17, 1940, and was buried in Mocksville, Davie County.

I end this post with as many questions as I started with. Why did D. F. Mauldin die so young? Did it have anything to do with the Civil War or resistence to service in the Civil War? Who was Temperance? Where was she before the wedding and what became of her afterwards? Was there a child born of this brief union?

I end with no definite answers, but I leave you with possibilities and ideas.