Who was Albert Smith?

 

In my earlier post, The Schoolhouse, I explored a nontypical, brief deed wherein my Third Great Grandfather, Henry Davis, deed a half-acre's lot to a School that obviously already sat upon it. The deed, shown below, was witnesses by two men I knew, James Palmer, my Fourth Great Grandfather, and Henry's father-in-law, and Bailey Smith, his brother-in-law. They had married Palmer sisters. It was also witnessed by two men I did not know, James Sanders and Albert Smith. I wondered if James Sanders could have been related to Bailey Sanders, and if the first name of "Bailey" had somehow descended through a Bailey family line to both Baily's, Smith and Sanders. I also wonder about who was Albert Smith? Was he a relative of Bailey Smith?

I've done a bit of ferreting around the Smith family within the past year, as I have a link to one branch, and discovered that Bailey Smith, was descended from a William Smith who passed away in the 1840's. During my rootling around, I did not come across an Albert.

Brief lives who left no heirs and few traces are often viewed as inconsequential by genealogy hounds and are disregarded. Left to collect dust, those without descendants fade away into oblivion, forgotten and dishonored. Yet I'm as intrigued by the mysterious as the perspicuous. Enter Albert Smith. Who was he?

Although his name had not caught my attention until the schoolhouse deed, I soon came across it again, as I was perusing the 1841 land entries in Stanly County, the year of its formation. Albert Smith is mentioned twice in these, and that fact is very telling. It again brings him in the sphere connection to the same people in the deed.

Entry 80, dated December 20, 1841, has Albert Smith with 100 acres of land on the waters of Mountain Creek, adjoining John C. Smiths line. So, here he is in connection with another Smith. The next entry, number 81, on the same date, is John C. Smith's entry for 100 acres on Mountain Creek, adjoining Albert Smith's entry. Nothing to see here, however, it's the entries preceding Alberts, also on the same date, that pique my interest.

77 12-20-1841 James Palmer enters 100 acres on the waters of Mountain Creek adj. Joseph Picker.

78 12-20-1841 Elisha Smith enters 100 acres on the waters of Mountain Creek adj James Palmers.

79 12-20-1841 Williamson Smith enters 100 acres on the waters of Mountain Creek adj Elisha Smith.

A hive of Smith's with connection to James Palmer, perhaps? Then, in March, I had discovered the following:

391 3-25-1841 John Davis 100 acres on S. W. side of Mountain Creek adjoining B.F. Davis's 100-acre entry. These were the two oldest sons of Henry Davis.

393 3-28-1841 John C Smith 100 acres on the waters of Mountain Creek adj. his own lines.

394 3-28-1841 Albert Smith entered 100 acres on the waters of Mountain Creek adjoining John C. Smith's entry.

There were at a minimum, three distinct families of Smiths in the area in those days, and possibly as many as five or six. I will not try to separate them out or tie them together, just the one group with ties to my Davis and Palmer lines. 

On March 25th, Bailey Smith, Henry's brother-in-law, also entered 100 acres on the S.W. side of Mountain Creek adjoining Joseph Pickler's line and on the same day, Bailey's son Edward P. Smith entered 100 acres joining his father's line. These were entries 388 and 389. Entry 390, just before the John Davis entry seen above, was the one for his brother, Benjamin Franklin Davis. On the same date as John, March 25th, he entered:

"100 acres on the S. W. side of Mountain Creek adjoining Bailey Smiths' and Edward P Smith's line."

One might think that in a census record, either the one before or after, you'd find all these folks together in a little community along Mountain Creek and there would be Albert, but no. James Palmer is not listed near any Smiths at all, and neither is Bailey Smith.

1850 is a different story. Bailey is listed next to his mother, Elizabeth Smith, his brother, James Smith and near a John Smith and his wife, Lurena. No Albert anywhere. 

The thing about the land entries, they are void of any indicators of age, unlike census records. For instance, in 1841, in the above entries, B. F. Davis, born in 1829, was about 12, and his younger brother John, about 10. Same with Edward Pinkney Smith, son of Bailey Smith, born in 1932, he was only 9. These men, (Henry Davis and Bailey Smith), had entries applied to for their young sons. So, seeing Albert Smiths name there does not mean he was an adult. 

Albert Smith does appear in other documents, however. 

The above shows John Smith and Albert Smith, side by side, making purchases from an estate. There is a signature of James Smith, Executor of the Estate. 

The above is the Estate file this document came from, that of William Smith who passed away in 1845. James Smith was his son, and so was Bailey Smith. I posted on James Smith here: The Mysterious Disappearance of James Smith

And on Bailey Smith here: Bailey Francis Smith

Could John, and Albert, have been descendants of this same William Smith?

This is another excerpt from the William Smith, Referring to A.C. and Robert Smith, Robert being a proven son of William Smith and A.C being a son of Robert.

Yet another excerpt mentions James, William and Bailey Smith.

This next list in a row shows Bailey, Robert and Archibald C. Smith, along with Arthur Freeman Atkins and Henry Davis. A. F. Atkins is related to the mother of Mary Palmer Smith and Martha Palmer Davis, who was an Atkins, and perhaps even related to Henry Davis through his grandmother, Charlotte Freeman.

Above is another document containing the name of Albert Smith. It's the 1843, 100-acre Grant to Edward Pinkney Smith, son of Bailey and Mary Palmer Smith. The property was located on the Camp Branch of Mountain Creek. It joined the lands of William Smith, his grandfather, and Joseph Pickler, a name often seen in the deeds of this extended family. The witnesses were Joseph Pickler and Albert Smith.

The row of consecutive land entries for Bailey Smith adjoining Joseph Pickler and William Smith, Edward Pinkney Smith adjoining the same, James Palmer adjoining Joseph Pickler, Elisha Smith adjoining James Palmer, Williamson Smith adjoining Elisha Smith, and Albert Smith adjoining John C Smith, all on Mountain Creek.

Those were followed by John C Smith's entry adjoining Albert Smith's. Albert seems to be mostly connected to John C. Smith and this group of Smiths, as a whole, could very well be one family. 

John C Smith has two deeds in the Stanly County Deed books, back-to-back. He lived along Mountain Creek and in this virtual Smith's grove that included James Palmer, Henry Davis and his family.

The two questions concerning Albert Smith is where did he come from and where did he go?

In 1850, no Albert Smith was not to be found in Stanly County. But we do have this "Neighbors of Joseph Pickler" lineup above. John Smith with wife, Lavina, Daniel McLester household, Joseph Pickler household, James Smith household, his mother, Elizabeth, widow of William Smith, followed by the Bailey Smith household. Were these "His People"? 

Albert may have appeared in land records during Stanly's earliest decades, but not a census. That leads me to believe he was a young man, not ahead of household then.

He does appear in one other record in Stanly County, and that is in the Minutes of the Court of Pleas and Quarters. In the August 1848 session, Barnett Clayton was released from working on Salisbury Road under Albert Smith as Overseer. This would ultimately prove to be a hint about Albert's future.

With a good deal of wrangling, rifling and the process of elimination, I believe I discovered what became of Albert Smith.

Name	George A Smith
Gender	Male
Race	White
Residence Age	30
Birth Date	abt 1820
Birthplace	North Carolina
Residence Date	1850
Home in 1850	Albemarle, Stanly, North Carolina, USA
Occupation	Laborer
Industry	Industry Not Reported
Line Number	14
Dwelling Number	934
Family Number	939
Inferred Spouse	Mary Smith
Inferred Child	Louisa Smith

Household members

Name	Age
George A Smith	30
Mary Smith	22
Louisa Smith	2

Albert was actually George Albert Smith. He married Mary Addams Clayton about 1846 or 1847, before the recorded Stanly County marriage records survived. In 1850, Albert and Mary lived in Albemarle District, but what looks somewhat north of the town, near Eli Russell and Nancy Cauble, where George Albert was working as a Laborer, and they were parents of 2-year-old Louisa C. Smith.

Name	George A Smith
Gender	Male
Race	White
Birthplace	North Carolina
Home in 1860	Salisbury, Rowan, North Carolina
Post Office	Gold Hill
Dwelling Number	496
Family Number	480
Occupation	Day Labourer
Personal Estate Value	50
Inferred Child	Mary A Smith

Household members

Name	Age
George A Smith
Mary A Smith	32
Louisa C Smith	11
Sarah L Smith	9
Carrell E Smith	8
John T Smith	10/12

By 1860, their family size had increased to four children, and they had moved to the bustling gold mining town of Gold Hill, just a few miles to the north in Rowan County. George was working as a day laborer.

Then War hit, and that is what happened to George Albert Smith. 

Albert joined Co A. 20th North Carolina Infantry, in Cabarrus County, at the age of 40, on March 9, 1862. He survived many battles. 

As shown above, Albert fought at such notable places as Cold Harbor, Malvern Hill, Chancellorsville, and Gettysburg, where he was wounded and captured.

The above shows him as being reported wounded during a muster.

On another muster, he was reported as being "in the hands of the enemy", captured and wounded. But the wounds didn't kill him.

Albert Smith died of disease caught while a prisoner of war. He died of payaemia, or blood poisoning. 

Below is his entire service record in a nutshell, from Fold3.com.

Name	George Albert Smith
Enlistment Age	40
Birth Date	abt 1822
Enlistment Date	22 Mar 1862
Enlistment Place	Cabarrus County, North Carolina
Enlistment Rank	Private
Muster Date	22 Mar 1862
Muster Place	North Carolina
Muster Company	A
Muster Regiment	20th Infantry
Muster Regiment Type	Infantry
Muster Information	Enlisted
Imprisonment Date	3 Jul 1863
Imprisonment Place	Gettysburg, Pennsylvania
Casualty Date	27 Jun 1862
Casualty Place	Gaines' Mill, Virginia
Type of Casualty	Wounded
Muster Out Date	12 Aug 1863
Muster Out Place	David's Island, New York
Muster Out Information	died disease POW
Side of War	Confederacy
Survived War?	No
Residence Place	Cabarrus County, North Carolina
Notes	1862-09-01 Returned, estimated day; 1863-06-30 Returned, Estimated day; 1863-07-17 Transferred, (David's Island, NY Harbor)
Additional Notes 2	Casualty 2 Date: 17 Sep 1862; Casualty 2 Place: Sharpsburg, Maryland; Casualty 2 Type of Casualty: Wounded; Casualty 2 Information: Estimated day; Casualty 3 Date: 03 Jul 1863; Casualty 3 Place: Gettysburg, Pennsylvania; Casualty 3 Type of Casualty: Hospitalized; Casualty 4 Date: 03 Jul 1863; Casualty 4 Place: Gettysburg, Pennsylvania; Casualty 4 Type of Casualty: Wounded; Casualty 4 Information: Wounded in the foot
Title	North Carolina Troops 1861-65, A Roster

George Albert Smith is buried at Cypress Hills National Cemetery in Brooklyn, New York.

Name	Geo A Smith
Death Date	13 Aug 1863
Interment Date	13 Aug 1863
Interment Place	New York, USA
Cemetery Address	625 Jamaica Avenue Brooklyn, NY 11208
Cemetery	Cypress Hills National Cemetery
Plot	Section 1 Site 776
Notes	Us Army

The Civil War may have taken the life of Albert Smith, but that wasn't the end of his legacy. He left a widow and children. The records of his surviving family members verified that he was our Stanly County Albert Smith. After the War, they appear to have been scattered like the wind.

Albert had married Mary Addams Clayton. She was most likely a daughter of Joseph Clayton and Margaret Houston, due to ties to the Thomas Clayton family who lived near her in 1850. I've not fully explored that possibility. Thomas Clayton married Martha Patsy Moore, that will come into play later. Her children's records give her maiden name as Clayton. This would make Albert and Barnette Clayton, mentioned above in the road records, Brothers-in-law.

Name	Mary Smith
Age in 1870	44
Birth Date	abt 1826
Birthplace	North Carolina
Dwelling Number	84
Home in 1870	Salisbury, Rowan, North Carolina
Race	White
Gender	Female
Post Office	Salisbury
Occupation	No Occupation

Household members

Name	Age
John H Verble	50
Nancy Verble	60
Mary Smith	44
Richard Julian	11
Hattie Klutts	8

1870 found Mary in a boarding house in Salisbury. Her children had been bound out.

Name	Edward Smith
Age in 1870	18
Birth Date	abt 1852
Birthplace	North Carolina
Dwelling Number	266
Home in 1870	Atwell, Rowan, North Carolina
Race	White
Gender	Male
Post Office	Salisbury
Occupation	Farm Laborer

Household members

Name	Age
John O King	42
Martha King	24
Joseph W King	13
Rosy King	9
Mary A King	8
Nannie K King	6
John O King	4
Mattie B King
Sarah Mills	21
Jane Barnhart	21
Edward Smith	18

Carroll Edward Smith was working for John O. King.

Name	Sarah Mitcher
Age in 1870	18
Birth Date	abt 1852
Birthplace	North Carolina
Dwelling Number	225
Home in 1870	Township 1, Cabarrus, North Carolina
Race	White
Gender	Female
Post Office	Concord
Occupation	Keeping House
Inferred Spouse	Victor Mitcher

Household members

Name	Age
Victor Mitcher	31
Sarah Mitcher	18
Florence Mitcher	3

Daughter Sarah L. "Sallie" Smith had married on August 13, 186 to Victor Theopolis Melchor, and they were living in Township 1, Cabarrus County, NC. They had married in Cabarrus and the whole family would hover around the area where Stanly, Cabarrus and Rowan all come together.

Name	Louisa Smith
Age in 1870	25
Birth Date	abt 1845
Birthplace	North Carolina
Dwelling Number	49
Home in 1870	Ridenhour, Stanly, North Carolina
Race	White
Gender	Female
Post Office	Albemarle
Occupation	At Home
Cannot Read	Yes
Cannot Write	Yes
Inferred Mother	Jane Smith

Household members

Name	Age
Jane Smith	41
Louisa Smith	25
Lucy J Welson	7
William Welson	4
Nancy Lowder	35

Oldest daughter, Louisa J. Smith, was living with a lady named Jane Smith in Ridenhour Township, the northernmost part of Stanly County. This was Jemima Jane Wilson Smith, a Civil War widow, and the Wilson's have a story of their own. I've not determined how her husband, Joshua, may have been connected to the Albert Smith family, if at all. He was definitely a friend of Bennett Russell, of Stanly County. Nancy Lowder was Jane's sister, Nancy Wilson Lowder, widow of Henry Lowder. The children were the children of their sister, Eliza Wilson.

The infant son of Albert and Mary Smith, John T. Smith, is not to be found. He may have died as a child or taken in and raised under a different name by family, possibly as a Clayton, I can't determine.

The next decade would one of recovery and resilience.

Mary would eventually remarry, on a spring day, May 15, 1877, at the age of 49, Mary A. Clayton Smith married George Wilson Barringer, age 60, son of George Barringer. Under Mary's parents, it appears as if they were about to write her name again, or something, but marked it out. That deed has led to a great deal of confusion but meant nothing. Her parents, as well as George's, were deceased. They were in Cabarrus County, and both was said to be from Township 7. Witnesses to the wedding were Victor T. Melchor, Mary's son-in-law, husband of Sarah, Calvin J. Russell and L. C. Smith, Mary's daughter, Louisa. The marriage was performed by Samuel Rothrock, Minister of the Gospel of the Lutheran Church, and was held at home of Victor and Sarah.

Cabarrus County Numbered, instead of named their Townships, but Township 7 is considered Gold Hill, although the town of Gold Hill is in Rowan County, it grew close to the Cabarrus County border and became very large in those days. They were basically living within a few miles of where Albert and Mary had first settled after getting married. 

Mary wasn't the only one hearing wedding bells. 

Son, Carroll Edward Smith, 21, married Lorena Catherine Redwine, 17, on February 23, 1874. The bride was the daughter of J. D. and Phoebe G. Redwine, both living, while the groom reported that he was the son of George A. Smith, deceased, and Mary A. Smith, living. Both lived in Township 7 of Cabarrus County, and the wedding took place at the home of the bride's parents. Performed by Rev. Thomas M. Joiner, a Methodist Episcopal Minister, witnesses again were C. J. Russell, William G. Melchor and S. C. Fisher. (husband of sister Louisa).

Louisa C. Smith was married on March 2, 1871, to Calvin Solomon Fisher, son of Solomon Fisher and Christena Foutz Fisher. The groom was 21 and the bride was 22. His name is seen as both Solomon Calvin and Calvin Solomon. The wedding was performed at the bride's mother's house by Rev. John C. Denny, in Cabarrus County. 

Their Lives

Mary Addams Clayton Smith Barringer would settle in the Reed Masenheimers part of Cabarrus County. This, again, was near Gold Hill and not far from the northernmost part of Stanly County. 

Name	Mary A. Barringer
Age	51
Birth Date	Abt 1829
Birthplace	North Carolina
Home in 1880	Reed Misenheimers, Cabarrus, North Carolina, USA
Dwelling Number	287
Race	White
Gender	Female
Relation to Head of House	Wife
Marital Status	Married
Spouse's Name	George W. Barringer
Father's Birthplace	North Carolina
Mother's Birthplace	North Carolina
Occupation	Housekeeper
Neighbors	View others on page

Household members

Name	Age
George W. Barringer	63
Mary A. Barringer	51
George A. Barringer	19

George W. Barringer was a widower with 6 grown children. They are seen above in the 1880 census, with his youngest son, George Addison Barringer. George Wilson Barringer would pass away on Halloween in 1894, leaving Mary, again, a widow. 

She is found in 1900, at 71, living in King's Creek, Cabarrus County, with her oldest daughter, Louisa and her family. In 1910, she's back in Township 7, appearing to live in her own home, but she's sandwiched between 'Edward C. Smith', her son Carroll Edward, and Adam Edward Smith, his oldest son, and Burton A. Culp, who was married to Carroll's oldest daughter, Esther Lucy Smith. Carroll was a farmer, but Burton was a Gold Mining Engineer and Adam was a miner. 

Mary Addam Clayton Smith Barringer passed away on November 27, 1914, at the age of 85. She was buried at Oakwood Cemetery in Concord, Cabarrus County with her second husband, George Wilson Barringer. The informant was her son-in-law, Solomon Fisher, and he got a few things wrong. He had her maiden name as Moore, possibly because her brother married a Moore, and they knew each other somewhat. The reason for her death was heart regurgitation due to Old Age. Mary had been the mother of 4 known children, Louisa C., Sarah L., Carroll Edward and John T. Smith.

Louisa C. Smith Fisher was born October 20, 1848. She married Solomon Calvin Fisher and became the mother of 5 children: 

1872-1943 Mary Ellen Fisher Ritchie Bost

1876-1953 Minnie Corabell Fisher Penninger

1878-1967 Rose Christine Fisher Mabry

1883-1966 Jason Holmes Fisher

1887-1943 Charles Albert Fisher

Louisa raised her children in Cabarrus County. 

She passed away on October 10, 1934, and is buried in Oakwood Cemetery in Concord, like her mother. 

Sarah L. Smith Melchor was born on November 4, 1850. She married Victor Theopolis Melchor and became the mother of 5 children:

1867-1939 Florence E. Melchor Misenheimer

1873-1948 James Oscar Melchor

1877-1964 Walter Deberry Melchor

1879-1899 Charles H. Melchor

1886-1963 Hattie Marybelle Melchor Voncannon

Sarah raised her family in the Reed Misenheimer District of Cabarrus County. 

She passed away on February 3, 1929, and was buried at Saint Stephens Lutheran Church in Gold Hill, Rowan County. Her Death Certificate gave her father's name as Albert Smith, born in Stanly County and her mother as Molly Clayton, born in Rowan County. She died of Influenza and other complications due to Nephritis. 

Carroll Edward Smith was born February 24, 1853, in Gold Hill, Rowan County, North Carolina. He married Lorena Catherine Redwine and became the father of 6 children. 

1874-1877 John M. Smith was one month shy of 4 years old when he died. He is buried at Matton's

 Grove UMC Church in Richfield, Stanly County, NC. 

1876-1876 Minnie Smith was 3 weeks old when she died. She is also buried at Matton's Grove in Richfield, NC. 

1878-1942 Adam Edward Smith became the oldest sibling to make it to adulthood. He married Mary Jane Fisher.

1885-1968 Esther Luticia Smith Culp, married Burton L. Culp. 

1889-1965 Rufus Alexander Coy Smith, married Gertrude Harmon and Flora Belva Furr.

1894-1972 Myrtle E. Smith Payseur, married Darius F. Payseur

Carroll Smith raised his family in Cabarrus County Township 7, nearly right on the Stanly County line, in the Matton's Grove Church Community. He died on May 11, 1913, at the age of 60, and is buried at Matton's Grove. 

Albert Smith appears to me to be a member of the William Smith family, who died in 1845 in Stanly County. Exactly how, I have not discovered, but this is the branch of Smiths he was in close association with, including Bailey F. Smith and James Smith, whom I have blogged about. He may have been a nephew of those. Again, this is simply a theory based on circumstantial evidence. He married Mary Addams Clayton, daughter of Joseph Clayton and Margeret Houston Clayton and had at least 4 children, three known to have made it to adulthood. He was one of the casualties of the Civil War.  George Albert Smith has many living descendants to this day. 

From the Wilmington Morning Star

The Wilmington Morning Star
(Wilmington, North Carolina)8 March 1882 • Page 1



This clipping from the  March 8, 1882 edition of  The Wilmington Morning Star caught my attention for a number of reasons.

First, it made mention of Stanly County, North Carolina, and the towns of Norwood and Albemarle within.
Second, it made mention of J. F. Ramsey, who holds a place in my family tree, and who had passed away on my birthday.

It was heartwarming to see the compliment toward the grains and soil of Stanly County, with it being "the greatest grain producer of any land in the State". Reason, no doubt, why not all of its citizens relocated to Arkansas, as the 1880's were a big decade for migration there.

I was glad to have found the mention of J. F. Ramsey's decease, because in examining the family trees on Ancestry.com, no one had discovered the date of his demise and just noted that he had passed prior to the 1900 census.

J. F. Ramsey was John Franklin Ramsey, son of Samuel Ramsey and Rebecca Helms, my fifth great-grandparents. His older sister, Obedience "Beedy" Ramsey, was my fourth great-grandmother of course. She married William Hill and they were the parents of  William Mathew Hill. He married Sarah Jane Hooks and they became the parents of Lottie Hill.


She married Harvey Lafayette Lemmons and they were the parents of Bertha Virginia Lemmons Lambert, my grandmother, who lived to meet my three oldest children.


But back to her Uncle, John Franklin Ramsey.


I've wanted to explore the Hooks, Ramsey's and Hills more in depth, and will soon. As far as the Ramsey line, I have become stuck with the parents of Samuel Ramsey, Stark and Lisha, who appear in the 1850 census. If anyone knows anything at all about this couple, or this family, I would certain enjoy the enlightenment.

John Franklin Ramsey was born about 1836 to 1840. He was Samuel and Rebecca's  next to the youngest son. The list of their children is as follows:

1824 - 1865  William Riley Ramsey
1829 - 1870   Rowena J Ramsey Whittington
1825 - 1900  Obedience L. "Beedy" Ramsey Hill (later married sister's widower James Whittington
1830 - 1924  Jane Louisa Ramsey Smith
1834 - 1907  James Thomas Ramsey
1837 - 1882  John Franklin Ramsey
1837 - unknown  Gilliam O Ramsey (perhaps shortly after Civil War)

John Franklin "Frank" Ramsey first shows up still living with his parents in the 1850 census.

Name:	Franklin Ramsey
Age:	14
Birth Year:	abt 1836
Birthplace:	North Carolina
Home in 1850:	Smiths, Stanly, North Carolina
Gender:	Male
Family Number:	640
Household Members:	Name Age Samuel Ramsey 53 Rebecca Ramsey 53 William Ramsey 23 Jane Ramsey 17 Thomas Ramsey 16 Franklin Ramsey 14 Gilliam Ramsey 13

All of the known children are still at home, except older sister Rowena, who has already married James Whittington.

Name:	Roenna Whittendon
Age:	21
Birth Year:	abt 1829
Birthplace:	North Carolina
Home in 1850:	Smiths, Stanly, North Carolina
Gender:	Female
Family Number:	711
Household Members:	Name Age James Whittendon 23 Roenna Whittendon 21

They all live in the Smith's community of Stanly County, North Carolina, which I believe, but am not certain, was in the southwest section of the county.

He may have moved to Rowan County for a brief time by 1860, and enlisted in the army in Salisbury in 1862.

Name:	John Ramsey
Residence:	Stanly County, North Carolina
Enlistment Date:	1 Feb 1862
Enlistment Place:	Rowan County, North Carolina
Side Served:	Confederacy
State Served:	North Carolina
Service Record:	Enlisted as a Sergeant on 1 February 1862 at the age of 24. Enlisted in Company C, 42nd Infantry Regiment North Carolina on 1 Feb 1862. Promoted to Full Private (Reduced to ranks) on 1 Jul 1862. Promoted to Full Sergeant (Estimated day and month of promo) on 15 Oct 1862.
Sources:	16

 All of the Ramsey sons enlisted and served in the army. Frank and Thomas returned. William, the oldest son, had a very unique story. He was injured and ill, sent to the hospital and eventually to the Insane Asylum in Raleigh, where he disappeared in the fall of 1864. He made it back home to his family, as youngest daughter Margaret was born in 1865. His family had relocated to Burke County, North Carolina by 1870, by which time he was deceased. It is not known if he found his family in Stanly County before relocating to the mountains, or whether they met him there.

Youngest son Gilliam O Ramsey achieved the rank of 2nd Leut. and may have passed away prior to ever returning home, or died of disease or infection after his release from service.

Name:	Gilliam O Ramsey
Residence:	Stanly County, North Carolina, North Carolina
Age at Enlistment:	22
Enlistment Date:	29 Jul 1861
Rank at enlistment:	3rd Lieutenant
Enlistment Place:	Stanly County, North Carolina
State Served:	North Carolina
Survived the War?:	Yes
Service Record:	Commissioned an officer in Company D, North Carolina 28th Infantry Regiment on 29 Jul 1861.Promoted to Full 2nd Lieutenant on 12 Jul 1862.Mustered out on 28 Dec 1862.
Birth Date:	abt 1839
Sources:	North Carolina Troops 1861-65, A Roster

On November 22, 1868, J. F. Ramsey married Joyce Ann Redwine, from the Fork Community of Montgomery County, daughter of James and Rinda Redwine. By 1870, their first child Ella, had been born. Ella never married and remained in the company of her mother her entire life. 

Name:	J F Ramsey
Age in 1870:	33
Birth Year:	abt 1837
Birthplace:	North Carolina
Home in 1870:	Albemarle, Stanly, North Carolina
Race:	White
Gender:	Male
Post Office:	Albemarle
Value of real estate:	View image
Household Members:	Name Age J F Ramsey 33 J A Ramsey 22 Ella J Ramsey 5/12 Nancy Holt 23

In 1870 is where the family of Uncle Frank collides with my research on the Holts and my posts on Balaam A Carter. Living with Frank and Joicy at this time is Nancy Arrana Holt. She, like the other Holt children, were dispersed through the community after the deaths of their parents in the 1850's, some to relatives, others to families with no apparent relation. Nancy Arrana Holt was the sister of Alvina Holt Carter, the first wife of Balaam A. Carter.

Balaam Carter and Alvina Holt Carter


The next year, on January 12, 1871, Nancy would marry John Riley Hinson. They would have 4 children together: 1873 Sophronia A. , 1875  Cora Bell, 1878 Ella J and 1880 Hattie Lee.

Name:	J. F. Ramsey
Age:	43
Birth Year:	abt 1837
Birthplace:	North Carolina
Home in 1880:	Albemarle, Stanly, North Carolina
Race:	White
Gender:	Male
Relation to Head of House:	Self (Head)
Marital Status:	Married
Spouse's Name:	Ramsey
Father's Birthplace:	North Carolina
Mother's Birthplace:	North Carolina
Neighbors:	View others on page
Occupation:	Farmer
Cannot read/write: Blind: Deaf and Dumb: Otherwise disabled: Idiotic or insane:	View image
Household Members:	Name Age J. F. Ramsey 43 Ramsey 33 Ella Ramsey 11 Lizzie Ramsey 10 Willie Ramsey 3 Sam L. Ramsey 6m

By 1880, all of Frank and Joyce Ann's children had been born: Ella Jane, Sarah Elizabeth aka "Lizzie", Willie Mae (a daughter) and only son, Samuel Lee Ramsey, named for his grandfather.



In 1876, J F Ramsey was paid a small stipend for service to the county of Stanly. 

Land records involving J. Frank Ramsey include a transaction in 1868 between his brother J. T. (James Thomas) Ramsey to him, involving a tract of land containing 136 1/2 acres along the courses of Mill Branch. Neighbors mentioned by a line or a corner were: Elizabeth Lowder, John B. Simpson, Thomas Lowder, Stephen York and Wiley Hudson. 

Then in 1872, J F Ramsey and wife J. A. Ramsey "hereby donate and give" to J. T. Ramsey, the same property of 136 1/2 acres, from a stake in Mill Branch. Neighbors mentioned were: Elizabeth Lowder, John B. Simpson's now Thomas Lowders line, David Coley, Stephen York, Wiley Hinson. 

Backing up to January of 1869, J T and J F Ramsey sold to George Smith and wife, who was their sister Louisa Jane Ramsey Smith, their share of a tract of land belonging to the heirs of G. O. Ramsey. G. O. was their youngest brother, who served well in the Civil War. The tract was the same conveyed from James Thomas Ramsey to his younger brother, Gilliam O. Ramsey, ten years prior, in 1859. The deed was signed by J. T. Ramsey and wife Elizabeth and J. F. Ramsey and wife Joicy. 

In November of 1877, J. F. Ramsey signed a mortgage due Columbus Whitley for $9.50. 

Shortly thereafter, he mortgaged a buggy to Jesse C. Gilbert for $5.00. 

On July 16, 1880, he sold a lot of 3 1/2 acres to Davidson Mann that was on a line between his own property and Mann's that adjoined the David Holt line. Proximity to the Holts may have been the reason Nancy Arrana Holt had ended up with them in 1870.

Joyce Ann Redwine Ramsey continued to appear in the land records following her husbands demise. About 1890, she appeared in a list of property owners along and through whose property, right of way was granted to the Yadkin railway. We know from the census, that she had removed to Salisbury by then. 

Then in 1903, she, along with her siblings and their spouses, sold their shares of property inherited from their parents to her sister and brother-in-law, Ann Eliza and Julius Coggins. The document is in Book 29, Page 100 and dated January 9, 1903 and lists as parties of the first part, Sarah R. Smith, widow of the County of Stanly, North Carolina; J. M. Coggins and wife M. A. Coggins (who is Myrick Adeline Coggins, who later signs her name 'Addie'.); J P Redwine and wife, R. A. Redwine and Joicy A Ramsey, widow of the County of Rowan, State of North Carolina and Julius Coggins and wife Anna Eliza Coggins of the county of Stanly, state of North Carolina, of the second part.


And then came the mention  from the Wilmington paper. In the growing and developing town of Albemarle, J F Ramsey, passed away. The paper stated he was 40, but he was probably closer to 43 to 45 years of age. 

His widow Joyce Ann "Joicy" Redwine Ramsey did not stay idle. She relocated with her children to the Salisbury/Spencer area of Rowan County, which with the growing railway industry was bustling with activity and even professions a lady could endeavor. As her brothers, JP and RA and sister Myrick Adeline Coggins, are all listed as being from Rowan in the 1903 land transaction, following the 1899 death of their father, it could have been the fact that family had settled in Rowan that led Joicy Ann to the neighboring county.

Name:	Mrs Joicy Ramsey
Gender:	Female
Residence Year:	1907
Street address:	728 s Main
Residence Place:	Salisbury; Spencer, North Carolina
Publication Title:	Salisbury, North Carolina, City Directory, 1907

The City Directories would find her living on South Main Street, which in Salisbury leads into Spencer. 

Her daughter Ella Jane would be listed for most years as a Weaver at Salisbury Mills, while her mother took in boarders.

Name:	Joy A Ramsey
Gender:	Female
Residence Year:	1928
Street address:	828 s Main
Residence Place:	Salisbury; Spencer, North Carolina
Spouse:	Frank Ramsey
Publication Title:	Salisbury, North Carolina, City Directory, 1928

In 1900, Joicy was living in Salisbury along with daughters Ella and Lizzie and only son Sam. Also joining the family was newborn grandson, Charlie Ramsey, who would later become Charles Basil Surratt, after his mother married Pegram A. Surratt, a local businessman born in Jackson Hill, Davidson County, who migrated to Texas, and eventually settled back in Rowan County. All of Charlie's documents name P. A. Surratt as his father, whether adopted or biological is unknown.

Name:	Joicie Ramsay [Joieu A Ramsay]
Age:	53
Birth Date:	May 1847
Birthplace:	North Carolina
Home in 1900:	Salisbury, Rowan, North Carolina
Race:	White
Gender:	Female
Relation to Head of House:	Head
Marital Status:	Widowed
Father's Birthplace:	North Carolina
Mother's Birthplace:	North Carolina
Mother: number of living children:	4
Mother: How many children:	4
Occupation:	View on Image
Neighbors:	View others on page
Household Members:	Name Age Joicie Ramsay 53 Ella J Ramsay 30 Elizabeth S Ramsay 30 Samuel S Ramsay 20 Charlie Ramsay 3/12 James P Redvine 48 Maddie Redvine 11 John Eddleman 30 Adam Norton 31 Dennis Myrick 18

Also living with Joicy and her children are brother James P. Redwine and his ll year old daughter,  Maddie. There are also 3 non-related boaders, young men who all worked in the Cotton Mill along with her 3 children: John Eddleman, Adam Norton, and Dennis Myrick.  Brother Jim Redwine was a Carpenter.

Name:	Joicy A Ramsay
Age in 1910:	62
Birth Year:	abt 1848
Birthplace:	North Carolina
Home in 1910:	Salisbury, Rowan, North Carolina
Race:	White
Gender:	Female
Relation to Head of House:	Head
Marital Status:	Widowed
Father's Birthplace:	North Carolina
Mother's Birthplace:	North Carolina
Neighbors:	View others on page
Household Members:	Name Age Joicy A Ramsay 62 Ella J Ramsay 36 Elzabeth Ramsay 34 Charlie Ramsay 10

By 1910, Joicy is listed as a "General Manager" of "Housework", and her only co-residents are daughters Ella and Lizzie, who are weavers in the Cotton Mill. Grandson Charlie Ramsey is now 10. Of note is that they live beside of Benjamin F. Rabon and his wife Hattie, who is Joicy's niece. The census also tells us that Joicy owns her own home outright, no mortage, on 3 acres and that she is considered blind by the age of 62.
Daughter Willie Mae has already married a Smith and son Sam is out on his own. Later this year, Lizzie married P. A. Surratt. Ella never marries.

Name:	Joysia Ramsay [Joyce Ramsay]  [Joseph Ramsay]
Age:	72
Birth Year:	abt 1848
Birthplace:	North Carolina
Home in 1920:	Salisbury, Rowan, North Carolina
Race:	White
Gender:	Female
Relation to Head of House:	Mother-in-law
Marital Status:	Widowed [Widow]
Father's Birthplace:	North Carolina
Mother's Birthplace:	North Carolina
Neighbors:	View others on page
Household Members:	Name Age Pigram A Surratt 51 Lizzie Surratt 48 Joysia Ramsay 72 Ella Ramsay 47 Charlie Surratt 19 Ida M Surratt 8 William Lippard 24 Claud Lippard 22 John Eddleman 50 Badge Ballard 33

In the 1920 census, son-in-law Pegram A. Surratt has taken over the boarding house and is listed as a Merchant in a grocery store. Daughter Lizzie is a clerk in the same store. Joicy is too old to work and Ella is still a weaver in the Cotton Mill. Charlie, Lizzie's son, had now taken on the name "Surratt" and is working with his aunt in the Cotton Mill. Ida Mae, the only daughter of Pegram and Lizzie, has joined the family. She was born in Texas. Pegram may have met Lizzie on one of his many visits home, and married her, taking her back to Texas, where he was a Hog Farmer, for awhile. By 1920, however, the family had relocated back to North Carolina. Also in the home were 4 boarders, brothers William and Claud Lippard, who are listed as clerks in a dry goods store and John Eddleman and Badge Ballard, who worked in the Cotton Mill.

Name:	Joyce A Ramsay
Gender:	Female
Birth Year:	abt 1848
Birthplace:	North Carolina
Race:	White
Home in 1930:	Salisbury, Rowan, North Carolina
Map of Home:	View Map
Marital Status:	Widowed
Relation to Head of House:	Head
Father's Birthplace:	North Carolina
Mother's Birthplace:	North Carolina
Occupation: Education: Military service: Rent/home value: Age at first marriage: Parents' birthplace:	View image
Neighbors:	View others on page
Household Members:	Name Age Joyce A Ramsay 82 Ella J Ramsay 61 [51]  Pegram A Sarratt 62 Sarah E Sarratt 59 Badge C Ballard 40 John Eddleman 55

The 1930 census was Joicy's last census and year. She is listed as head of the household, which suggests that son-in-law Pegram had moved into the same boarding house on South Main, that Joicy had been operating. Ella is now also retired and Pegram and Lizzie are still operation their store. Children Charlie are grownup now, with Ida having moved in with relatives in Davidson County, and Charlie married with 2 children of his own. Boarders John Eddleman and Badge Ballard are still in the home, Badge now a cobbler in a shoe shop and John still working in the mill. 

Soon after the 1930 census, Joyce Ann Redwine Ramsey aka "Joicy" passed away, on May 20th or 21st. She was buried in Salisbury at the Chestnut Hill Cemetery. It is unknown where her husband Frank was buried. None of the older members of the household made it to 1940. Daughter Ella Jane died in 1935, and was buried alongside her mother. 

 

Her death certificate lists her age as 82 years and 11 months and the cause of death a pulminary hemorrhage, with contributing factors related to age. 

Daughter Lizzie died in May of 1834, after which her husband, Pegram relocated his store to Elizabeth City, North Carolina, which did not last long, as he passed away in 1936, and was brought back to Salisbury to be buried with his wife at Chestnut Hill.  His death certificate said that he passed away of M. S. and muscular atrophy, so he must have had difficulty running his business in his latter years. 

The passing of Joicy and her daughters was the end of an era in that Ramsey line. However, the story did not end there. My next post will be to look more in depth to the children and boarders of Joicy Ann Redwine Ramsey.

I was glad to have found an obituary and therefore a date of death for "Uncle Frank". So many times, ancestors who passed away prior to death certificates, or whose tombstones were destroyed or lost are listed without a date of death. Now, for John Franklin Ramsey, we have one.

Willie Mae Ramsey Smith and her daughter Nezzie Smith.