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. 

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.

Conumdrums and Catastrophes

 

Why can't family research be straight forward? I suppose it would not be so interesting, or spur the curiosity so much, if it were. I believe for some, it's like a long desert highway where folks can drive down 'with the wind in their hair'. Not me. Never for me. In the middle of a fairly straightforward post, attempting to discover the tiny hints of life of a female ancestor, I tripped over an entanglement. Another mergement of individuals with the same name that couldn't possibly be true. I wanted to say "come on people". At any rate, I've come upon yet another entwined ball of string to unravel. Instead of starting at the beginning, I will instead, start at the end, with a piece of string sticking out that may be the least restrictive to unknot. I will start with the question, 'Who married James Edward Burris?"

To begin, there is no mystery in who James Edward Burris was. As he was a Burris, he fits squarely into my father's family tree. He was born December 20, 1847, in Stanly County, North Carolina, a Christmas baby. His parents were David Wright Burris (1817-1893) and Sarah Whitley (1818-1895), two very common western Stanly names. 

Household members

Name	Age
David W Burris
Sallie Burris	38
Davidson Burris	21
Timothy Burris	19
William A Burris	17
Sidney Burris
Thorington Burris	13
Edward Burris	11
Sarah Jane Burris	9
Pleasant Burris	7
J M Misenheimer	18

Above he is seen as an 11 year old in the 1860 census. As was typical, he was born in the middle of a sizable farm family. 

On May 17, 1873, he married Rebecca Huneycutt, daughter of William Riley Huneycutt and Milly Ann Whitley. Below, the marriage license announces the marriage of James Edward (or Edmund, seen either way) Burris, son of David Burris and Sally Burris and Rebecca Huneycutt, daughter of Riley Huneycutt and Miley Huneycutt, Witnessed by I. W. Snuggs in the 98th year of our independence. The groom was 23 and the bride was 21, a respectable age for both for a first marriage.

Eight years past the Civil War, the ashes had fallen, the community of yeoman farmers were attempting to get back to a normal life, children growing up, neighbors marrying neighbors, and cousins marrying cousins, fields plowed, cows milked, chickens fed and children raised.

Name	J. Edward Burris
Age	29
Birth Date	Abt 1851
Birthplace	North Carolina
Home in 1880	Big Lick, Stanly, North Carolina, USA
Dwelling Number	309
Race	White
Gender	Male
Relation to Head of House	Self (Head)
Marital Status	Married
Spouse's Name	Rebecca Burris
Father's Birthplace	North Carolina
Mother's Birthplace	North Carolina
Occupation	Carpenter
Cannot Read	Y
Cannot Write	Y
Neighbors	View others on page

Household members

Name	Age
J. Edward Burris	29
Rebecca Burris	29
Sarah Burris	5
Tinte Burris	3
H. Martin Burris	1

Now, we find the young family in 1880,  Edward is a carpenter, living in Big Lick, they can neither read nor write, and they have had three children during their seven years of marriage; Sarah, age 5, Tina, age 3 and son Martin Hayes Burris, one year old. 

Name	Rebecca Burris
Maiden Name	Honeycutt
Gender	Female
Birth Date	23 Jan 1851
Birth Place	Stanly County, North Carolina, United States of America
Cemetery	Pleasant Grove Baptist Church Cemetery
Burial or Cremation Place	Oakboro, Stanly County, North Carolina, United States of America
Has Bio?	Y
Father	William Riley Honeycutt
Mother	Amelia Ann Honeycutt
Spouse	Edward James Burris
Children	Tina WhitleySallie L LewisMartin Hayes Burris

All so normal until tragedy strikes. Soon after, young mother Rebecca passes away, and Edward has to plant her in the ground at the Pleasant Grove Baptist Church Cemetery with a date of birth, but no date of death can be determined. Their three children do make it to adulthood and live lives of their own.

With three small children to care for, Edward looks for a wife to help and finds Mary Elizabeth Russell and this is where the confusion comes in. There were more than one Mary Elizabeth Russell and this has caused an entanglement. 

The marriage liscense seems to give plenty of information. Solomon Burris applied for the license of J. E. Burris, now 34, son of David W. Burris and Sarah Burris, both living, of Stanly County, and Mary E. Russell, aged 32, daughter of Henry Russell and Elizer Mauldin, father living and mother dead, of Stanly County. The marriage took place at the home of Solomon Burris and witnesses were A. C. Burris and R. A. Lambert, (Rufus Alexander Lambert, my 2nd Great Grandfather). All so well and normal, but the first thing I notice is that while Edwards mother is listed under her married name of Burris, Mary Russell's is not. 

Name	J E Burris
Gender	Male
Marriage Date	4 Aug 1885
Marriage Place	Stanly, North Carolina, USA
Spouse	Mary E Russell
Spouse Gender	Female
Event Type	Marriage

There's another marriage document, the Register, which gives pretty much the same information, with Mary E. Russell's parents being Henry Russell and Elizabeth Mauldin, and the Date August 4, 1885.

So where is the issue? Not only was there more than one Mary Elizabeth Russell, there was more than one Henry Russell and wife Elizabeth or Eliza. I'm related to both, and by the way, why was Eliza or Elizer listed by her maiden name?

In multiple family trees on the web, are found two Mary Elizabeth Russells married to James Edward Burris. 

One is Mary Elizabeth Russell, born February 5, 1841 in Stanly County, and died February 16, 1904 in Montgomery County.

The other is Mary Elizabeth Russell, born November 19, 1854 in Stanly County, and died November 12, 1937 in Montgomery County.

We'll call one the February M. E. Russell and the other the November M. E. Russell.

Miss February was the daugther of  Eli Henry Russell (1804-1854) and Elizabeth Mauldin Russell (1811-1861).

Miss November was the daughter of William Henry Russell (1829-1915) and Elizabeth Mauldin (1835-1857).

So who wins Edward? Miss February or Miss November?

The first clue is in the marriage certificate itself. On August 4, 1885, Henry Russell, the father of the bride, was living and mother, deceased. Miss February's parents were both dead by 1885. Miss November, however, would have a living father,and a deceased mother, in 1885.

Also, Eli Henry Russell and Elizabeth Mauldin Russell were 4th Great Grandparents of mine, and Elizabeth left a pretty extensive Probate estate record, and land records of her estate divisions and actions taken after her decease. One particular section within her probate papers reads, "Stanly County  Probate Court

This day, the execution of the within deed as to M. E. Solomon and H. E. Solomon was duly proven by the oath of D. A. Simpson.."  It continues but was filed July 11, 1896. Although Elizabeth Russell, widow of Eli Henry Russell, died in 1861, her estate was still being distributed and settled in 1898. Her daughter, Mary Elizabeth, had married Henry C. Solomon, and was still married to Henry C. Solomon. So, Miss February married Henry C. Solomon and it was actually Miss November who married James Edward Burris.

It gets even more convoluted into an unimaginable imbroglio.  When looking at the parents of Miss November, we discover that her father, William Henry Russell, was the brother of Miss February. 

Eli Henry Russell & Elizabeth Mauldin 

                  children

William Henry Russell (b 1829) married Eliza Mauldin (not Elizabeth).

Mary Elizabeth Russell (b 1841) married Henry C. Solomon.

This would make Miss February,  Miss Novembers' Aunt. But, wait, just wait, that's not all. 

Elizabeth Mauldin Russell who married Eli Henry Russell was the daughter of James O. Mauldin and possibly Mary Ann Smith Mauldin, or possibly a first wife, as he had an older wife in the 1830 census and not in the 1840 census, so I believe he may have had an earlier wife and Mary Smith was his second wife. 

Eliza Mauldin Russell who married William Henry Russell was the daughter of James O. Mauldin and Mary Smith Mauldin.

Margaret Jane Martha "Mattie" Russell, called Jane Mauldin in her mother's estate papers, born in 1848, daughter of Eli Henry Russell and wife, Elizabeth, married Thomas Alexander Mauldin, son of James O. Mauldin and Mary Smith Mauldin.

This is just too much inbreeding for even Stanly County! I've come to the conclusion that Elizabeth Mauldin who married Eli Henry Russell was not, could not have been, the daughter of James O. Mauldin and wife.

If you remove that element, it becomes a little bit more Stanly County, entanglements, siblings marrying their spouses siblings, but not so inbred. 

So who was Elizabeth Mauldin Russell? Was she even a Mauldin? That's another question for another post. 

Moving forward, I'm just going to look at Henry Russell and Eliza Mauldin, who was the daughter of James O. Mauldin and Mary Smith.

1850

Name	Eliza Mauldin
Gender	Female
Race	White
Residence Age	15
Birth Date	abt 1835
Birthplace	North Carolina
Residence Date	1850
Home in 1850	Freemans, Stanly, North Carolina, USA
Attended School	Yes
Line Number	11
Dwelling Number	125
Family Number	126

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

Eliza Mauldin appears as a 15 year old in the home of her widowed mother, Mary Smith Mauldin.

Name	Henry Russel
Gender	Male
Race	White
Residence Age	21
Birth Date	abt 1829
Birthplace	North Carolina
Residence Date	1850
Home in 1850	Albemarle, Stanly, North Carolina, USA
Occupation	Laborer
Industry	Industry Not Reported
Line Number	25
Dwelling Number	936
Family Number	941
Inferred Spouse	Caroline 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

Henry Russell appears as a 21 year old in the home of his parents, Eli Henry and Elizabeth Russell. Eliza lives in Freemans District, while Henry lives in Albemarle.

There's no surviving marriage record, however, they likely got married this year or the one after. Their son, William Isaiah Russell, was born on September 14, 1852, when Henry was 23 and Mary Elizabeth, 17. His sister, Mary Elizabeth Russell, aka Miss November, was born on November 19, 1854. 

Eliza Mauldin Russell died on November 14, 1857, at the age of 22 years, 2 months and 26 days, of unknown causes. She was buried in the James O. Mauldin cemetery with her father and her markers survives. She may have died of childbirth, and the unknown child buried with her, or of thyphoid fever, which was rampant in those days, or of any number of accidents or ailments. 

1860

Henry Russell is found living with his widowed mother, Elizabeth, Eli having passed away in 1854.

Name	Henry Russell
Age	30
Birth Year	abt 1830
Gender	Male
Race	White
Home in 1860	Stanly, North Carolina
Post Office	Albemarle
Dwelling Number	389
Family Number	390
Inferred Spouse	Mary E Russell

Household members

Name	Age
Elizabeth Russell	42
Henry Russell	30
Mary E Russell	18
Gabiel Russell	16
Martha Russell	11
Wm J Russell	7

The Mary E Russell, 18, listed under his name, is his sister, who will marry Henry C. Solomon. Next is his brother, Gabriel, 16,  followed by Martha Jane Margaret Russell, who married Frank Washington Mauldin, son of Eliza Mauldin's brother, Thomas Alexander Mauldin. Martha Jane is my third Great Grandmother. She was only 4 years older than Henry's son, William Isaiah Russell, who is the 7 year old at the end of the list, transcribed as "Wm J Russell". 

Name	Elizabeth Maulden
Age	5
Birth Year	abt 1855
Gender	Female
Race	White
Home in 1860	Stanly, North Carolina
Post Office	Albemarle
Dwelling Number	621
Family Number	628
Inferred Mother	Mary Maulden

Household members

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

While Henry kept his son with him, his daughter, Mary Elizabeth is found in the 1860 census, living with her maternal grandmother, Mary Smith Mauldin. She is the 5 year old, Elizabeth. Mary Mauldin, 62, is Eliza's mother and her youngest son, Dowd Franklin is living with her. The family is living in a different area than Henry.

The Civil War

Henry registered as a Private in Company K 28th Regiment, North Carolina, as did his younger brother, Gabriel. Gabriel was wounded at Gettysburg. taken prisoner and seen no more. Henry was wounded at Harper's Ferry, but survived and made it back home. There is a Memorial Stone to both brothers at the Anderson Grove Baptist Church Cemetery in Albemarle, NC. 

Among his war papers is a general description of Henry as being 5 feet 7 inches tall, with a dark complexion, black hair, hazel eyes, and damage to his left eye, after he was wounded. 

Henry would return from the War as all men did who were fortunate enough to return, frayed, ravaged and warworn. His children were likely still in the homes of relatives, probably Mary Smith Mauldin, as Henry's own mother, Elizabeth, passed away in 1861, not living long enough to witness the ruin of her sons by war. His mother-in-law, Mary Mauldin, died in 1865, about the time Henry came home. He made the decision the next year, having inherited land from his parents, to start over again. He did so by making the choice of a Civil War Widow, Sarah Frances Rummage, as his second wife.  Fanny, as she was called,  had been married to John S. Blalock, son of  Richmond Blalock and Catherine Howell. He had died in Richmond, Virginia in 1864. Fanny came with two young sons, Maston Crawford Blalock, born in 1859, and William Julius Henry in 1861.

Henry and Fanny would combine their families, of two children each, and add 7 together, making a total of 11.

Name	Harry Russell
Age in 1870	41
Birth Date	abt 1829
Birthplace	North Carolina
Dwelling Number	11
Home in 1870	Center, Stanly, North Carolina
Race	White
Gender	Male
Post Office	Albemarle
Occupation	Farmer
Male Citizen Over 21	Yes
Personal Estate Value	100
Real Estate Value	100
Inferred Spouse	Sarah F Russell

Household members

Name	Age
Harry Russell	41
Sarah F Russell	32
William J Russell	17
Mary E Russell	15
Martha C Russell	11
W J Blalock	9
Jonah Russell	3
Thomas Russell	2
Emma Russell	6/12

In the 1870 census, above, Henry is shown as "Harry", a nickname, and his wife as Sarah F. He is now 41, she 32. They married in 1866. William J, 17, is William Isaiah Russell, Mary Elizabeth is 15. The 11 year old "Martha C. Russell" did not exist. This is a transcription error in multiple ways. First the child is male, and his first name is not Martha, but Maston. Second, he was not a Russell, but a Blalock, and was labeled Russell because his surname was omitted. Oddly, his younger brother, W. J. Blalock, was included with the correct name. At this time, Henry and Fanny have had three children together in rapid succession, and again, rife with transcription errors. First, Jonah is not Jonah, a son, but their only Daugther, Ona or Onie. Age three, she's followed by Thomas, age 2 and 6 month old Emma.

Name	Harry Russell
Age in 1870	41
Birth Date	abt 1829
Birthplace	North Carolina
Dwelling Number	11
Home in 1870	Center, Stanly, North Carolina
Race	White
Gender	Male
Post Office	Albemarle
Occupation	Farmer
Male Citizen Over 21	Yes
Personal Estate Value	100
Real Estate Value	100
Inferred Spouse	Sarah F Russell

Household members

Name	Age
Harry Russell	41
Sarah F Russell	32
William J Russell	17
Mary E Russell	15
Martha C Russell	11
W J Blalock	9
Jonah Russell	3
Thomas Russell	2
Emma Russell	6/12

In 1880, all of the children by previous marriages, have grown up.  Their family of seven more,together, was complete.

Name	Henry Russell
Age	50
Birth Date	Abt 1830
Birthplace	North Carolina
Home in 1880	Center, Stanly, North Carolina, USA
Dwelling Number	6
Race	White
Gender	Male
Relation to Head of House	Self (Head)
Marital Status	Married
Spouse's Name	Fannie Russell
Father's Birthplace	North Carolina
Mother's Birthplace	North Carolina
Occupation	Farmer
Neighbors	View others on page

Household members

Name	Age
Henry Russell	50
Fannie Russell	45
Onia Russell	14
Thos. A. Russell	12
Emen J. Russell	10
Joseph Russell	8
Eli H. Russell	6
Joshua Russell	4
David Russell	2

In 1870, they were living next to Calvin Lee, near Cedar Fork Creek, above Center. This time, they are living next to the Thompsons, whose property adjoined the Pee Dee River, off of what was once Greentop Road and is now Indian Mound Road. Henry and Fanny are in the 1900 census with four of their children, and have a lengthy marriage. The fate of Fanny is unknown, but she appears to have passed away before Henry. 

William Henry Russell passed away on March 1, 1915. He was 85 years, 7 months and 20 days old, marital status, widowed. His youngest son, David, was the informant and knew that his grandfather's name was Eli, perhaps because his brother, Eli, had been named for him, but he didn't know the name of his grandmother. His cause of death was unknown, as there was no physcian present. His place of burial was given as the Albemarle Cemetery and the funeral home, Campbell and Fink, was located in Richfield, NC, while son David was a resident of Albemarle. His marker is located  at Anderson Grove Church Cemetery, so his body may have been moved, or he has a grave and a separate memorial marker with his brother, Gabriel. 

The children of William Henry Russell were:

(With first wife, Eliza Russell)

1) William Isaiah Russell (1852-1839) Married Mary Jane Laton (1850-1823) one child; Ida Lee Russell Ingram.

2) Mary Elizabeth Russell (1854-1937) Married James Edward Burris (1847-1923) two children: Eliza Ann Russell Moyle (1880-1970) and Philmore Russell (1882-1916). James Edward Burris married Elizabeth when her children were 5 and 3 years old and raised them. Their biological father is unknown, but they were raised by Edward Burris. 

The children of Sarah Frances Rummage with her first husband. John S. Blalock were:

3) Maston Crawford Blalock (1859-1936) Married Tempie Eliza Upchurch, ten children.

4) William Julius Henry Blalock (1861-1919) Married 1st Martha Custis "Mollie" Sherrill.  Married 2nd Frances Rosanna Smith. Eleven children. Settled in Anderson, South Carolina.

The children of William Henry Russell and Sarah F. Rummage together:

5) Onie Russell (1866 -1911) Married Frank Washington Mauldin on December 28, 1904. She was the second of his three wives. Her Aunt, Henry's sister Martha Margaret Jane Russell, was his first. Onie and Frank had no children together, however, like her sister, Mary Elizabeth Russell, Onie had two children out of wedlock; John W. Russell in 1887, who married J. Lizia Page and in 1890, Eliza Ann Russell, who married Walker Hampton Dean. Their fathers are unknown, but Eliza Russell claimed Frank Mauldin, her step-father, on her marriage license. 

6) Thomas Alexander Russell (1868-1939) Married Sarah J. Edwards, settled in Anson and Union Counties, Six children:  William D. Russell, Cornelia R. Helms, Lottie Martellia R. Howard, Rosa M. Russell Helms, James Henry Russell and Fannie Russell Thomas.

7) Emma Jane Russell ( 1868-1937) Married John Henry Randle; six children; Henry Thomas Randle, Robert Lee Randall, Jennie Mae Randall Deal, Joseph Randle, Sam McLeod Randle, Delmar Asbury Randle.

8) Eli Henry Russell (1871-1936) Married Pattie Lee Austin, settled in Kannapolis, Rowan County; four children: Henry Thomas Russell, Robert Scott Russell, Dororty L Russell, Claud E. Russell.

9) Joseph "Joe"Russell (1872 - 1944) Married Rettie Jane Burris. five children; Phronia, Henry Clinton, Bertha Mae, Willie, Jodie Allen Russell.

10) Joshua R. Russell (1876-1957) Married Amanda Leonard, three daughters : Bessie Russell, Queen Victoria Russell and Martha Russell Gainey.

11) David Alexander Russell (1878-1964) Married Rosa Bell Hinson; 10 children; Bertha Russell, Clifford B. Russell, Crawford Russell, Ray Russell, Leroy Russell, Everett Leniz Russell, Coy Hill Russell, Mae Rose Russell Ballard, Robert R. Russell, Jamie F. Russell.

I hope this helps to clear up the confusion between the multiple Henry Russells, father and son, and the multiple Mary Elizabeth Russells, aunt and neice, and the multiple Elizabeth / Eliza Mauldins. The intermarriage and duplicate names among the Russells, Mauldins and Solomons can cause quite the conundrums.