Job's Children: Stanly County North Carolina

Showing posts with label Stanly County North Carolina. Show all posts

Sunday, March 29, 2026

The Claims for Membership

In my recent post on the case of Harris Melton, Native American ancestry was something to deny and be ashamed of, circa 1850's. Fast forward half a century, and for some, that perception began to change.

It started with the Dawes Act of 1887, also called The General Allotment, which allowed the President to subdivide tribal lands into "allotments", or a sort of grant given to heads of families, or single people. This was contrary to the native people's way of doing things, or their historical view of land as owned by the whole, and just territories belonging to various tribes. Now, they were being brought into capitalism, and the notion of private property. Because of this, and by the time of this, there had developed a growing group of people of mixed heritage, Native American and whatever else, especially those of European mix. The government had a job of determining who was eligible for these lands and who were not.

At first, the Five Civilized Tribes were exempt from the Dawes Act. These consisted of the Cherokee, Choctaw, Chickasaw, Muscogee and Seminole. The Curtis Act of 1898 included these tribes and basically shutdown their methods of self-governance. I will not go into the devastating effects these acts had on the tribes, or the loss of land, only the side effect that infiltered Stanly County, and my own family tree.

The commission had to determine blood quantum's, and as there was a lack of records to prove or disprove what level of "Indianness" someone possessed, it was a very random procedure. Because there was financial gain of land, and sometime small pensions.

On August 23, 1907, Mary M. Hatley of Stanly County, North Carolina applied to the Court of Claims of the Eastern Cherokee for membership. She was not the only one.

Mary M. Hatley was mentioned in my last post, linked here: The Dandelions of Aaron Sanders.

Mary Miranda Sanders was the daughter of Stephen J. Sanders and Dicy Morton Sanders. She was born September 26, 1849, and was the first of their three children. She was the granddaughter of Aaron and Nancy Sanders and Hezekiah and Susanna Hathcock Morton. She married James Ruffian Hatley, and that is where the Hately name came into the picture.

On her application, 56-year-old Mary listed her tribe as the Eastern Cherokee and gave her "Indian Name" as Morton. She also listed the names, ages and year of birth of her children; Alexander Hatley, 40, Fronia Holland, 37, Sarah J Hatley, 35, Auvasia Kirk ( A.H.) Hatley, 25, Mittle Lightfoot, 21, Emma Hatley, 18 and Martin Luther "ML" Hatley, 16.

On the next page, she listed her parents, Stephen Sanders and Dicy Bowers, as her mother, Dicy Morton Sanders had married her second husband, Moses Bowers by then. She listed the year of her father's death as 1863, and that her mother's status was living, in Albemarle, NC. She listed her two siblings as Sallie Sanders Whitley, born in 1858, of Whitley, NC and her brother, William E. Sanders, 185?, age 52, of New London, NC, (both in Stanly County).

Her grandparents were listed again, Aaron and Nancy Sanders and Hezekiah Morton and Susan Ann Morton. Why the Morton's names were repeated with dashes on the first line under them, I don't know. She stated they were born in Montgomery County, now Stanly, NC and that she was born in Stanly, NC. She then listed her siblings:

James Morton - Dead

Ezekial Morton - Dead

Joseph Morton of Albemarle

Jesse Morton of Whitley, NC

Mary Fesperman of Albemarle, NC

William G Morton - Dead

In the remarks of her application, Mary wrote, "My mother is Dicy Bowers, daughter of Hezekiah Morton, whose mother was Elizabeth Morton, wife of Ezekial Morton and where name was Elizabeth Brumbelow a member of the Eastern Cherokee Indians before her intermarriage with my great grandfather, Ezekial Morton".

There were several of these, applications for membership to the tribe by descendants of Elizabeth Brumbalow. The question is, where did these Great Grandchildren and Grand Children get the idea that she was Cherokee? And was she?

Rev. Ezekial Morton and Elizabeth Brumbalow Morton were among my 5th Great Grandparents. That far back, I would carry only a small fraction of their DNA, if any at all. However, these closer generations seemed sure of it. Elizabeth B. Morton was born January 7, 1775, and died on July 26, 1856, in Oakboro, NC. Her parents were Edward and Elizabeth Brumbalow, who died around 1810. She lived long enough for most of her Grandchildren and perhaps some of her Great Grandchildren, to have known her personally. The rumor of Cherokee ancestry had to have come from somewhere, and I believe it is the source of the rumor passed down to this day, of several western Stanly oriented families with surnames like Morton, Almond, Burris, Burleyson, Hatley, Whitley, Honeycutt and others, that they have Native American ancestry.

One young lady among this stock of names asked me a few years ago asked me to look into her family tree to find her Indian ancestor. While she looked no part indigenous, her father is indeed a dark-skinned, dusky looking fellow. The only possible link back to any possibility of indigenous heritage I found for her in five generations was the Mortons.

Stanly News and Press

Albemarle, North Carolina • Thu, Aug 22, 1907Page 3

J. R. Price, an attorney took the Morton claims to Washington in 1907. Their proof was vague, just family lore that perhaps had stemmed from Elizabeth Brumbalow, herself, but from whatever the source, it was exiguous, and not enough to secure the family membership to the tribe. Again, it was claimed, not proven and not accepted. This does not mean it was not true, but yet again, it doesn't prove that it was.

An article came out about the time, that a grandson, Rev. D. S. Morton, and claimed that he denied the heritage, then he went on to contradict himself.


	Stanly News and Press	Albemarle, North Carolina •	Thu, Aug 29, 1907	Page 3

"I remember Grand-mama very well. She was a devout Christian. her maiden name was Bromblo, but she was not the only one of that name who lived in this country."

"Grand-mama was dark complected but no darker than many other people whom I have seen. She possibly might have been related to the Indians. I do not know."

He goes on to state that if he is related to Indians, he is not ashamed but hopes people would not be misled by such a legendary story.

Over a decade ago, I started a project called, "The Indians of Stanly County". The object of this project was to trace the lineage of some Stanly County families known to me who were visibly dark-skinned and try to find where their duskiness may have originated.

The Chandlers had one member who had migrated west into the mountains from their Davidson County origins and returned back home with an "Indian" bride by the surname of Bell. This family would move afterwards to Stanly County from the upper Badin Lake region of the Davidson and Montgomery County border. Later research shows the Bell family may have actually been Melungeon, as that name exists in their midst and DNA shows a healthy trace of both Amerindian and African ancestry.

A branch of the Almond family had a fairly recent ancestor who was part of a small remnant group of Native Americans who lived in the upper South Carolina counties of Marlboro and Chesterfield.

Two families had recent ancestors that were part of the Lumbee tribes.

Several others had no clear Native American ancestors, but led back to, wait for it...the Morton family.

Some had one particular ancestor in common, a man named William Riley Morton.

One Underwood family descended from William R. Morton (18 Jan 1902 - 20 Apr 1967), who was a son of William Riley Morton (13 Jul 1860 - 22 Mar 1950). He would have been the living generations' Great Grandfather, those in their 60's now.

A Bowers family descended from Nara Lee Poplin (24 Feb 1916- 25 Dec. 1977), who was the daughter of Jonah Lee Poplin (1896-1959) and Selma Morton Poplin (3 March 1896- 3 Feb 1975).

Selma Morton Poplin was a daughter of the same William Riley Morton (1860-1950). In this case, he would have been the Great, Great-Grandfather of the living generation in their 50's and 60's now.

William Riley Morton must have been a dark featured, olive-skinned fellow. He also enjoyed a long life of nearly 90's years, born early enough to have had vague memories of the Civil War as a small boy and living through both World Wars and into the age of the riveting 1950's. He and his wife, Nancy Winfred Dick were a very philoprogenitive couple, producing a family of 9 children:

1893-1974 Cevilla Morton Talbert

1896-1975 Selma Morton Poplin

1897-1962 Benjamin Franklin Morton

1900-1896 David Hasten Morton

1902-1967 William R. Morton Jr.

1904-1982 John Floyd Morton

1906-1971 Albert Kirk Morton

1909-1994 Raymond Alexander Morton

1912-1989 Nancy Magnolia Curlee

This William R. Morton was the son of John Wesley Morton (1829-1870) and Lydia Adeline Ledbetter Morton, (1833-1909), daughter of Albert Ledbetter and Temperance Jane Tucker Ledbetter, whom I have touched on in my Big Lick posts.

John Wesley Morton was the son of Joseph Calvin Morton (1801-1889) and Margaret Ann Hatley (1807-1889).

Joseph Calvin Morton was the son of Rev. Ezekial John Morton (1770-1834) and Elizabeth Betsy Brumbalow (1775-1856).

There was an Efird family with the same circumstances, dark, swarthy complexion, indigenous features, considered white and stemming from known white families. Where did the dark genes come from? Again, I found Mortons in their line, and no clear lineage other than that of anything but European heritage.

This line stems from Walter Haywood Morton (1895-1951) who married Mary Lucy Honeycutt (1903-1998).

Walter was the son of Adam Archie Morton (1859-1946) and Arwelder Magdalene (Crisco, Honeycutt or Hinson) (1865-1930).

Adam was the son of Allen Green Morton, Sr. (1827-1894) and Elizabeth Burris (1827-1912).

Allen G. Morton was the son of ...well we're back to Ezekial Morton and Betsy Brumbalow again.

Anyone seeing a pattern here?

And the Honeycutt's? They descended from an entirely different William Riley Morton. This William R. Morton (1879-1933) married Rebecca Cagle (1882-1967) and also fathered a large family.

W. R. was the son of Enoch Willis Morton (1850-1927) who married Francis Springer (1852-1923).

Enoch was the son of Allen Green Morton and Elizabeth Burris, mentioned above, who of course leads back to the same couple, Ezekial and Betsy Brumbalow Morton.

Genetics are a crap shoot. A red head can pop up from nowhere. One kid can be short like his mother's dad and his brother tall like his own father. You never know, despite some being recessive and others dominate. Darker genes tend to dominate, brown eyes over blue ones, brunette over blonde, dark skin over fair, but there are exceptions. Could the darker skin of an indigenous heritage have made its way down the generations from Betsy Brumbalow to certain of her descendants, but not others? It's certainly possible, that's the way things work. We carry tiny pieces of those who came before us, and at some point, pieces of others that came before us fall off as we can't hold them all, but that doesn't mean they are not our predecessors, we are.

Could what Betsy's grandchildren believed of her be true? I think it could be.

Tuesday, August 26, 2025

The Secrets of Adeline

When reading the records of people long removed into the diaspora of the afterlife, some seem immutable, cold, 'facts and figures'. With others, you can hear the attitude of a swish of their crinolines, the gruff clearing of a throat, the lingering silage of pipe smoke. Adaline Hartsell was one of those people.

While reading the Will of Holden "Golden" Hartsell, a Civil War Veteran, his new wife, Adeline, burst through the pages like an 18 wheeler through a blockade of protesters, nose pert and upwards, her shoes rapidly tapping, a gust of wind from her passing skirts in a flurry, and a "harumph" of ill intent and attitude soaked in by the pages of the probate papers like sponge. It is my belief that Adeline was a bit of an opportunist.

Holden Hartsell was a widower, about 48 years old, when he married Menece Adaline Cagle Coley, a 33-year-old widow, on October 15, 1865.

Then in the November session of court, 1865, Adeline Hartsell petitions the court for her allowed year's provisions as a widow.

We don't know what Holden Hartsell died of. He had served in the Civil War as a Private in the Senior Reserves.

He had enlisted at age 47, in Albemarle, Stanly County, North Carolina, by a Leut. Little. He had returned home, possibly sick or injured, but alive, alive enough to marry and alive enough to father an eleventh child, hmm, well maybe, a child he was accepted as the father of, at any rate.

Holden Hartsell had been married many years to Mary Nancy Huneycutt and had 10 known children with her, the first in 1836 and the last in 1856. He lost his wife in 1862. He had remarried to Adeline Cagle Coley, who would, within the next year, bear a son she named Aaron. In her years petition, Adeline claimed that Holden had a considerable property to which she, his new bride, was entitled.

The above page from Holden's probate papers showed he owned 150 acres bordering Solomon Pless and Levi Furr. Adeline requested a third of the estate and her case was vs. the heirs of Holden Hartsell, his living children.

In April of 1866, Sheriff of Stanly County, Jonathan Mann, who hailed more from the center of the county, put together a jury of "good and lawful men", which consisted of Michael Dry, King D. Brooks, Charles Dry, John Brooks and W. F. Moss, to allot and layoff to Adeline Hartsell, her dower and third of the property of Holden Hartsell. It began at a white oak at the corner of B.L. Green, deceased. It met Nelson Smith's corner, then commenced to a stake in the corner of the 'old Polk Road.' That bit of information intrigued me. Could this be the same road as what we now call Polk Ford Road, that runs south of Stanfield down towards the Rocky River and ends before it?

This document is over 150 years old, and refers to the road as "old". How old is this road, really? I'm sure it's turns, twists and trail has changed tremendously over that period of time, and it's probably just a small piece, now, of a once longer route, but Polk Ford is in the right location, between Stanfield and Oakboro, South, near the river and the Union County line. I often peruse old maps, wondering where the old roads were, or were called. I'd like to know more about this one.

The document continued that the allotment was 50 acres, except one acre cut off for the schoolhouse. Another hint! A school was located on the property. Which school? Could this be found?

In February 1866, in the Stanly County Court of Pleas and Quarters, is found the above document, in which the heirs are named. It states, "The Petition of Adaline Hartsell Widow of Holden Hartsell (inserted), shows unto you Worship that her said Husband died Intestate in the year leaving him surviving the following children to wit; W R Hartsell, John Bird and wife, Elizabeth, Eli Hartsell Julia Hartsell, John A Hartsell, Eva M Hartsell, Joseph M. Hartsell Malinda Hartsell Monroe Hartsell Bitha Hartsell Aaron Hartsell who are his only heirs at law. " Aaron, being the infant of Adaline Hartsell, born about 1865.

A few years after this, in the 1870 census, Adeline is seen as the head of household number 216, at age 38, her six-year-old son, Aaron, living with her. Also living in her home is her younger sister, Ithama, seen here as Luthina, which may have been a middle name. Her name has many variations. Near Adeline is the John and Elizabeth Hartsell Bird family, a daughter of Holden and living with them was 14-year-old Tabitha Liberty Hartsell, his youngest daughter. On this same page, with a few nonrelated families in between, can also be found Joseph Hartsell, another sibling and son of Holden Hartsell

With Adeline in Household 216, going in the other direction, preceding her, we find Jacob Crisco, in Household 216, whose wife, Malinda, was a sister of Adeline, with single Cagle sister, Martha, in their home. It's obvious that the Hartsells and Cagles were neighbors.

The fact that piqued my curiosity and disturbed my senses in the case of Adeline and her marriage to Holden was in its brevity. Had Adeline taken advantage of an ailing man to advance her situation? Did she aid to his quick demise following the wedding herself? Was she expecting her son Aaron before the wedding? Did Holden know? Or was he conceived during an extended honeymoon? Why would I think the worst of Adeline, or, of her motives? Maybe it was because of her father, George Cagle, who was one of the characters that flavored the foul reputation of the town of Big Lick. George was the Lemon Pepper of Lemon Pepper Chicken.

Who was Adeline Cagle Coley Hartsell to begin with?

Menece Adaline Cagle was born around 1832 in the Big Lick area of what would become Stanly County. She was the oldest child of George Washington Cagle (1813-1876) and wife, Elizabeth Rosa Whitley, (1812-1860).

She does not appear in the 1850 or 1860 census with her family. In 1850, she would have been around 18 or 19, and it is assumed, married by then. She is mentioned in the Will of her father, dated November 30, 1868, and is referred to as "Menece A. Hartsell", and also in the estate files, probated February 27, 1888, as Adeline Hartsell.

"...... unto my daughter Menece A. Hartsell, fifty acres of land off the Western end if my three-hundred-acre tract commencing on Dunns line.... unto Ely Huneycutt my illegitimate son, one hundred and fifty acres of land the wheron I now live, by his maintaining my daughter Beedy M. Cagle during her natural life, in case she does not marry, and if she marries he be released from the obligation by his paying her one hundred dollars.... and unto my grandson William Huneycutt , seventy-five acres of land adjoining the fifty-acre tract given to Menece A. so as to include the long house place. now in case the above-named Rly Huneycutt and William Huneycutt should be disobedient to me and not serve as dutiful children till attain the age of twenty-one. in that case they shall have nothing of my property and in that case I direct that my daughter Beedy M. have one hundred acres of the land designated for Ely Huneycutt including the dwelling house and outbuildings....... that the remainder of the land designated for Ely and also the land designated for William, and also all the balance of my land not herein disposed of after running off my son David S. Cagle, fifty acres to be divided equally , between my daughters, Sarah Jones, Mary Smith, Martha Cagle, Ann Jane and Fany L Cagle and Malinda Criscoe, also , I direct that my personal estate goods and chattels in every respect be sold and equally divided between my daughters, Sarah Jones, Mary Smith, Martha Cagle, Ann J. Cagle and Fany L. Cagle, Malinda Criscoe, Menece A. Hartsell and Beedy M. Cagle, and my son David S. Cagle. and my son Ely Huneycutt and my grandson William Huneycutt. And also my sawmill with ten acres of land for the cite and privilege of the same, adjoining J.A. Criscoe line be sold and equally divided between my daughters named above.

George had a large collection of daughters, some with inventive names, and a spattering of children born outside the bonds of legal matrimony. He had one legitimate son, David S. Cagle.

The question remains, who was Adeline married to? Her marriage to Holden Hartsell has her as a Coley, and there were lots of Coley's in the area. The timing suggests she could have possibly been a Civil War widow, before her marriage to Holden. This gives rise to my search for which Coley she may have married that died in the Civil War. What I discovered that Adaline had married a young man even more mysterious than she, who died prior to the advent of the war.

Tillman Coley died around 1856, in Stanly County, NC, leaving a small estate.

As she did with her second husband, Adaline petitioned for her widow's dower and year's provisions, with the aid of J. M. McCorkle. She stated in the February 1856, Term of Court that she was the 'relict' of Tilman Coley and that he had died since the last term of court, which would have been in November, placing his death in late 1855, or very early 1856. She claimed he died possessed of 'some' personal property, leaving Adaline, the petitioner, 'wholly unprovided for'. She stated that she was entitled to a year's provisions out of the estate, for the support of herself and her family, meaning she may have had a child, or two, though none is known.

Four men were appointed as a committee to look into Adaline's petition, Henry Carver, Esq., Jesse Morton, Wright Dunn and Tilman Smith. When the four Freeholders returned to Court in May of 1856, to give their report, they were listed as W. H. Carver, Justice of the Peace, Jesse Morton, Tillman Little, instead of Smith, and G. W. Dunn.

When looked into the meager estate left behind by Tillman Coley, they found it lacking.

"the provisions on hand, being found insufficient, we have laid off and allotted to the widow Sundry Articles of the Household furniture, to the amount of $53.05 and font her in possession of the same."

So, Tillman had not much, and Adeline already had in her possession what little he left behind. I believe Tillman was a young man, probably around the same age as Adeline. As I find neither of them in the 1850 census, I believe they were married by then and had been missed by the census taker. Adeline is also missing in 1860, the one after Tillmans death. This doesn't mean there were no traces of him. As did most young men of the era, he was drafted into the building of the roads throughout the county.

When McCamey Willis was appointed overseer of the Fayetteville Road from Big Bear Creek to the big pond. The men and boys chosen to aid in this clearing and building were chosen from the nearby area. They were named as Allen Burris, George Cagle, Lewis Tucker, David Burris, Gideon Burris, Jesse Whitley, W. R. Huneycutt, Columbus Whitley, Tillman Coley, J. C. Burris, John W. Burris, Solomon Burris, and Loyd Hathcock. Heavy on the Burris's and others suggest an Almond Township crowd, as McCamey Willis married Obedience Burris, sister and aunt to several of these, and he lived in what we now call Red Cross. George Cagle was the father of Adaline Cagle Coley.

In another Overseer record, Needham Whitley was appointed overseer of the Charlotte Road from the crossroad near Henry Manuels to Big Bear Creek and Temple Whitley, Tillman Coley, William Burris, and George Whitley were appointed hands. Temple Whitley is important in this document, because he may have purchased property that was taken from Tillman Coley, or sold to Temple by him at some point, although a deed is unavailable.

In a Temple Whitley deed, he mentioned owning 8 acres known as the "Tillman Coley tract".

In 1853 and 1854, Tillman Coley is listed as an Insolvent in the Stanly County court records.

Perhaps one of the most important small mentions of Tillman Coley is his name listed in the 1854 list of taxables for District 7. Although he is only taxed $1.20 for one taxable, himself, and no property, it's who those listed near him were. Isaiah Coley, who would pass away in the Civil War, is listed with 325 acres, right next to Tillman, and below him is George Cagle, and next is Jacob Crisco, one of George's sons-in-laws. There is also Charles Dry and Green W. Dunn, who were two of the freeholders chosen to lay off Adeline's future dower after Tillman's decease. There is also a Green D. Coley, nearby and up the page, above Charles Cagle is Thomas A. Coley, who also passes away in the Civil War.

The last mention of Tillman Coley is in 1857, when we know he has passed away already. This was probably tax owed by Adeline from his small estate, of .32 cents. Listed above is Henry Carver, Esquire, one of the freeholders of Adaline's dower committee, so although the couple were not listed in 1850 or 1860, it can be assumed the general area of their residence at this time.

Family trees of Coley descendants who appear to have done accurate and intense research on the Coley family of Stanly and Union Counties have Tillman as a son of Nathan and Nancy Vickers Coley; Nathan having passed away in 1881. He was a younger brother of Thomas A. Coley, their oldest son, who died in the Civil War. His children are mentioned in Nathan's Will and are found in Nathan's home after the War. One of the sons was named Tillman, born about the time the older Tillman Cagle died. The information has Tillman as being born in 1827 and came from a Family Bible. If Adeline had children with Tillman, they passed away before their grandfather.

The last time we saw Adeline was in 1870, when she was head of a household that included her young son, Aaron Hartsell, and her younger sister, Ithama Luthenia Cagle. Around this time, Adeline would become involved in another relationship of some kind, with whom, I don't know. Probably some rascal around the Big Lick area in which she lived at this time. In 1872, she would give birth to a daughter she would name Cornelia A. "Neelie" Hartsell, and we know she wasn't Holden's child, as he had been deceased some seven years or so.

The next item of consequence was the death of Adelines roguish father, old Geore Cagle, himself. This event occurred on February 27, 1876, and despite George being 63 at the time, considered an elderly man at the time, his death wasn't natural. He was killed by a jealous man. George must have had some foresight into his own demise, as he had written a will in 1868, eight years prior, as seen above, he named his eldest daughter as Menece A. Hartsell, and when his estate was probated in the spring of 1876, she was referred to simply as Adeline Hartsell.

Adeline now had a solid inheritance from her last husband, Holden, and now from her father, George. Despite still being a relatively young woman, it doesn't appear that Adeline remarried a second time, not in the records of Stanly County, at least.

In 1880, Adaline is now 48 years old, and living on what can be guessed, part of George Cagle's old place, next to her brother, David S. Cagle. Living with her is her 8-year-old daughter, Neelie. Listed above her is her father's mistress, Mariah Meggs, with her daughter, Melissa. David S. Cagle has adopted William Springer, 12, and near them is Dovey Springer. The Springers are their own story.

Adeline's son, Aaron Hartsell, is now 18, and has set out on his own, working as a farm laborer for John O. Tucker.

On February 28, 1893, it is revealed that Adaline Cagle Coley Hartsell has moved to Mecklenburg County, and has sold her 12 1/2 acres of property to her nephew, Alexander Cagle, son of David S. Cagle. While this deed, found in Book 29 Page 26, of the Stanly County deeds, in Book 29, Page 24, just before it, Alexander Cagle has purchased a border property to this one, which bordered his father, D. S. Cagle, as well, from B. F. and Elizabeth Simpson. The small tract was on Stillwater Creek, a common thread in several of my previous posts.

On the second page of the deed, it is seen that Adeline Hartsell appeared before William D. Alexander , JP, of Mecklenburg County on March 16, 1903. This is the last thing I've found on Adeline. As she did in 1850 and 1860, Adeline defied being counted by the census taker, but from the above document, we know she was alive and well in Mecklenburg County at the age of 71. It is unknown exactly when Adeline died, or where she was buried, whether in Mecklenburg, or returned to home to Stanly County.

I also have no more information on Aaron Hartsell, that I can be certain is the right Aaron.

The one survivor of the small family was Neelie Hartsell.

On October 3, 1892, at Asbury Chapel in Mecklenburg County, North Carolina, Neelie Hartsell, 19, daughter of unknown father and Adeline Hartsell, the father dead and the mother living, married E. M. Ferrell, 24, son of W. G. and Lodeski Farrell, father living and mother dead, all of Mecklenburg County. E. M. stood for Elhannon Mack Ferrell, and he was Mecklenburg born, son of William Gamewell Ferrell and wife, Margaret Lodeska Steele. I love these old unique names, better than John and Mary.

The young family is found in Huntersville, Mecklenburg County in 1900, where E. M. is farming on rented property. They have three small children, and two teenaged boys helping out as farmhands, Will Billing 18, and a relative, Francis Ferrell, 15.

1910 - They've now moved to Coddle Creek in Iredell County and Mack is operating a Grocery Store. They live in the Dixie Cotton Mill Village on Dixie Cotton Mill Road. While Mack is a merchant, the oldest of their now six children all work in the Cotton Mill while Neelie stays home with the younger three, one a yet unnamed infant.

1920- The Ferrells have moved to Cleveland, North Carolina and Mack is now a Minister. They only have their youngest two daughters, Inez, 12 and Delola, 10, at home by this time.

1930- Mack is still a Methodist Episcopal Minister, and the family has moved to the community of North Brook in Lincoln County, North Carolina. Inez and Delola are still at home and a 12-year-old grandson, Billy Ferrell, is living with them. All three of the younger Ferrells are operating a small farm.

1935 - Still in Lincoln County.

1940- Mack has decided to give up the Ministry and return to being a Grocery Store Merchant. He and Neelie have moved to Hickory, in Catawba County, and have an empty nest. Mack is 70 and Neelie is 68 by now.

1950- By 1950, the elderly couple, 80 and 78, have determined that they should not be on their own and have moved in with their daughter, Iva Ferrell Brown and are living in Kannapolis, Cabarrus County, NC.

Mack passes away first, at the State Hospital in Morganton, on July 3, 1852. He is 81, and his profession is given as a Methodist Minister. His residence is given as Kannapolis, and he is married, his parents given as Game Farrell and Martha Steele.

Neelie doesn't last long after losing her husband. She passes away in Kannapolis, where she lives, on October 19, 1952, at the age of 79. Her birthplace is incorrectly given as Iredell County. Her mother is correctly given as Adeline Cagle Hartsell. Her father is named as A. L. Hartsell. I believe this is just a fabrication and may have been referring to Holden in some offhand way. There was an A L Hartsell in Union County, born 30 years after Adeline, and I doubt he was Neelie's father.

Mack and Neelie had the following children:

1894-1962 Alberta Lee Ferrell Beam

1897-1971 Addie L. Ferrell Baxter

1898-1961 Tillman Allen Ferrell

1902-1930 Lura M. Farrell

1908-1969 Inez Iva Farrell Brown

1910-1967 Delola Neelie Farrell Holshouser

Both parents were buried at Willow Valley Cemetery in Iredell County, NC

Name	Neely Ferrell
Maiden Name	Hartsell
Gender	Female
Birth Date	27 Mar 1870
Birth Place	Iredell County, North Carolina, United States of America
Death Date	19 Oct 1952
Death Place	North Kannapolis, Rowan County, North Carolina, United States of America
Cemetery	Willow Valley Cemetery
Burial or Cremation Place	Mooresville, Iredell County, North Carolina, United States of America
Has Bio?	Y
Spouse	Elhannen Mack Ferrell
Children	Tillman Allen Ferrell; Iva Brown; Delola Holshouser; Addie Baxter; Lee Alberta Beam

Menece Adeline Cagle Coley Hartsell had many secrets and liked to hide from the census taker, and she may have learned a trick or two from her nefarious father, George, but in the end, she did leave descendants, with whom we may never know.

Saturday, July 5, 2025

The Courage of the Calla Lillies

Calla Lillies are a beautiful annual bulb of South African origin. They will usually survive a mild Carolina winter, but not always a harsh one. They are known as a common flower given to greivers at times of a loss in the family, a funeral flower, so to speak.

At home, in the southwest corner of the yard, near a little wood, we have a pet cemetery. There lies our very first German Shepherd, who ignited our love for the breed, Maxi, our friends Beagle, Molly, followed by 9 other dogs, mostly German Shepherds, two Australian Shepherds and one unfortunate mix. One of dogs that hit us the hardest when his body couldn't hold up to the abuse of gravity anymore was Coco, short for Constantine Conan. He was special, in more ways than one. Not only was he incredibly beautiful, he was the most loyal and protective guardian one could ask for. Coco was "the good one". When the other pups we had at the time, Telah, the Shiloh, Little Max, named for Maxi, and Raven, the Lab, were being bad, he was the one barking at them and letting them know they were in trouble. The Lab didn't care. If they were at the creek, Raven was going in, she didn't care how mad Mom or Dad would get. Raven being bad would somehow sanction Telah and Max's wet feet, but not Coco, never Coco. He'd run up and down the bank, barking, Mama said "No".

So, what does all that have to do with Calla Lillies, and futhermore, what does all that have to do with genealogy?

When Coco passed, my mother-in-law sent a potted Calla Lilly for his grave. She's a terrible grandmother, but is all in for the dogs. Coco has been gone several years now, about six or seven, as he was born in 2005 and died just before turing 14. Since then gladiolus and far too many weeds, frought by the hot mid-summer sun, have taken over the pet cemetery. Yet Coco's Calla Lilly fights its way through, every year, bright and beguiling, surviving despite all obstacles.

During my dispiriting quest to discover the Stanly County roots, which I know exist, of some Iredell County Whitleys, I came across another family of Whitley's with Stanly County roots who moved to Iredell County, if only briefly. While not the family I was looking for, their journey begs for answers to more questions. Why did they remove from Stanly to Iredell? Was there a familial connnection to the William Alexander Whitley family or the Adam Whitley family? I can't help but think that the Civil War was an imepetus to all the moving around. Families all across the land were left fractured, yet like the Calla Lilly who continues year after year to show her beauty, and demand her place in the garden, who fights for survival among the weeds and wildflowers. This Calla Lilly was named Jane.

While trying to go backwards in time to discover where William P or T Whitley (1835 Stanly to 1923 Iredell), and his wife Margaret Malinda (1843 -1921), came from, I kept getting crossed referenced to another William Whitley who was a contemporary of William P T Whtiley, but was an entirely different person altoghter. However, as I often find, some had merged the twain, into one. But instead of starting at the end and going backwards, as I have in my research, I will start at the beginning with this family and move forward. After finding this family, with a son named William, close in age to the William I was looking for, I discovered his mother, Jane, was a widow prior to the 1850 census.

A look into the 1840 court records revealed that Jane was widowed during the earliest years of Stanly County's existence, fortunately, because if it had been before, I may have never found him.

Jane was the widow of a John Whitley, who died about 1842

In the Mary Session of Court, of 1842, a few mentions of John Whitley suggested a change in a lawsuit he seems to have gave bond in, and a tax charge, prior to the third entry.

"Jane Whitley vs. Personal estate of John Whitley - Petition for year's allowance- John Furr, Esq., Malachi Harwood, and Killis Almond appointed to lay off and assess year's allowance to her according to law."

After that entry came the entry shown in the clip, above showing William Whitley as administrator of the estate. This was not his son, William Whitley, who would have been a 6 year old child at the time, but William "Old Billy" Whitley, his brother, who would live an extraordinarily long life.

In the February, 1850 Session, an entire 8 years later, another entry:

"Plaintiffs have leave to withdraw papers from Clerk's office in case of Ransom Motley vs. William Whitley, Admin. of John Whitley, and Ed. Almond filed August Term, 1843."

The above clip is from a court case of State vs. Allison Whitley and John Whitley. Allison was the oldest child of John and Jane. The charges were assault. A comment was added, "Not ? as to John (jno) Whitley".

Did they assault someone together or each other? The case appears to have been dropped or did not make it to court. John died soon after this case was brought up.

Above is the last page of the estate file of John Whitley, showing the name of his widow, Jane Whitley, and that his brother, William Whitley, was the administrator.

Above is a page from John Whitley's estate file. Most purchases were from his widow, Jane. So tragically different than the way we do things today. One would think his possessions would automatically belong to his wife, and widow, the things they used together and that she needed to raise their large batch of children. Other purchasers named were son Allison Whitley, and neighbors, John Dick, Eben Hearne, and John Almond.

A committee consisting of John Furr, Justice of the Peace, John Morton and Malachi Harwood awarded a year's allowance of $61.50. Nearly 200 years ago, this was much more valuable than it is today, but considering that after that, she was on her own, it was a terrifying time to be a widow.

John Whitley is held as a son of George Whitley, who settled on Bear Creek in what is now Stanly County, and served in the Revolutionary War, and his second wife, Rebecca Honeycutt, daughter of Ambrose Honeycutt. William "Old Billy" Whitley was his full brother. George Whitley II and Needham Whitley were his half-brothers. Both John and William had married daughters of Benjamin Hathcock, John to Jane and William to Martha. In the list, taken from The Jacob Whitley Papers, that I have not seen, but heard referenced on many occasions, the children of John and Jane were noted as:

Allison, George, Snyder, Russell, Oliver H., William, Louie or Lovie, Elizabeth or Bettie, Linda or Melinda, Nancy and Suzanna or Sussannah/ Susan. Some of these I can verify. Others I can not. And the list is not complete. Left out is Solomon S. Whitley, who was still at home in 1850, and youngest son, Levi Hobson Whitley, who lived long enough to have a death cerificate and has John and Jane (sometimes called Jenny), on his death certificate.

Son Oliver Harrison Whitley, who remained in Stanly County, also lived long enough to have a death certificate and John and 'Jennie' are listed on his death certificate.

John Whitley had been the reciever of a grant of 100 acres located on the West Side of the Yadkin River, in Montgomery County, near Ezekial Perry's line and Nehemiah Hearne's line, on November 2, 1817.

Above is the order by Will Stone to lay off the property for John Whitley.

Name	Jane Whitley
Gender	Female
Race	White
Residence Age	53
Birth Date	abt 1797
Birthplace	North Carolina
Residence Date	1850
Home in 1850	Almonds, Stanly, North Carolina, USA
Cannot Read, Write	Yes
Line Number	35
Dwelling Number	427
Family Number	428
Inferred Child	Nancy Whitley; Solomon S Whitley; Susan Whitley; William Whitley; Levi Whitley

Household members
Name	Age
Jane Whitley	53
Nancy Whitley	22
Solomon S Whitley	17
Susan Whitley	15
William Whitley	13
Levi Whitley	11

Archibald Whitley	3

Jane, at 53, was the head of her own household in 1850. Still at home was her daughter, Nancy, 22, son Solomon S. Whitley, 17, Susan 15, William 13, and Levi, 11. Three year old Archibald was not her child, and probably a grandchild and would live with his grandmother and family until and after he was married.

Jane and family were enumerated twice in the 1860 census. In the first instance, she is 65, and Nancy, William, Levi, Susan and Archie are living with her.

In the second instance, she is five years younger, at 60, and William is 21 instead of 25, and listed first. Levi is 19 and not 22, Susan isn't even listed, or Archie, Nancy is 24 instead of 25, and there is a six-year-old boy, "Lindsey" in the home. This goes to show how fluid ages were, and what a difference a week or so can make in the composite of a household. Perhaps Susan and Archie were visiting away and Lynsey was a grandson visiting in.

1870 was the first census to show that the family had moved out of Stanly County. Several sons had fought in the Civil War. This branch of Whitley's was fortunate in that most of them had made it out alive.

The whole troop of survivors that were together in the 1860 census had packed up and moved to Mount Mourne, Davidson Township, Iredell County. William H. Whitley was the Head of the pack, and a farm hand. He had married Julia Ann Smith, daughter of Moses Smith, about 1864, assumably in Stanly County, where they were both from. His younger brother, Levi, had married Julia's sister Margaret about the same time. Little nephew Archibald had married Isabella Hunter of Mecklenburg County near Christmas the year before, in 1869. So, they family probably moved from Stanly about 1866 or after.

In William's household was his 75-year-old mother, Jane and his two unmarried sisters, Nancy, 45, and Susannah, 33. Archibald and Isabella lived in the next household and Levi and Margaret in the home after that. They appeared to have been working as a group as farm hands.

This was Jane's last appearance. She likely died between 1870 and 1880 in Iredell County, or Cabarrus County, where William, Levi and Nancy end up in 1880. Susan's fate is also unknown. She may have married or died in the same decade as her mother.

The courage of 19th century postwar survivors to not only push on, but thrive is the reason we, their descendants exist here today. With the courage of the Calla Lillies, we have pushed through the weeds and not only grow, but shine.

John Whitley appeared in two census records, the 1810 and the 1830. Montgomery County, which encompassed present day Stanly County, in which he lived, does not have a surviving 1820 census record, and the family was somehow missed in 1840. In 1810, his family is a two person household of one male and one female, age 16-25. In 1830, it shows a very unusual family setting for what his was supposed to be.

Name	John Whitty
Home in 1830 (City, County, State)	West Side Pee Dee River, Montgomery, North Carolina
Free White Persons - Males - Under 5	2 Solomon, Russel,? Oliver b 1828?
Free White Persons - Males - 5 thru 9	1 George
Free White Persons - Males - 10 thru 14	1 Allison
Free White Persons - Males - 30 thru 39	1 John ?
Free White Persons - Females - Under 5	1 Nancy
Free White Persons - Females - 10 thru 14	1 Lovie or?
Free White Persons - Females - 15 thru 19	1 Bettie?
Free White Persons - Females - 60 thru 69	1 Mother?
Free White Persons - Under 20	7
Free White Persons - 20 thru 49	1
Total Free White Persons	9
Total - All Persons (Free White, Slaves, Free Colored)	9

John should be the oldest male, 30-39. There is no female in this age group. Jane would have been 35. Instead, there is a female in her 60's, his mother perhaps? This family grouping needs more research.

The descendants of the John and Jane Hathcock Whitley family were, to the best of my knowledge:

A) Allison Whitley born Feb. 18, 1818 and died May 16, 1896, born and remained in Stanly County. Married 1st Elizabeth "Betsy" Eudy (1818-1879). Married 2nd, later in life, to Lucinda Jarmon (1837-1890). 10 children, all by Betsy Eudy.

Tillman Whitley 1837 to unknown. Wife and son alone in 1870. May have abandoned or died.
Noah Alexander Whitley 1838-1914
Jacob R.Whitely 1842-1860 - died at age 18 of 'the fever'.
Mary Anice Whitley 1844-1890 - unmarried
Lucinda "Lucy" Whitley 1847-1890 - unmarried
Martin Whitley 1848- unknown
Ashley Swim or Swain Whitley 1850-1935
Martha "Mattie" Whitley 1853-1926 marrie Helms
Willie 1859-1861
Sarah 1862-1900 -unmarried

B) George Whitley born June 11, 1820 and died September 15, 1869. Married Keziah Eudy, a daughter of William "Billy" Monroe Eudy and Sabra Harwood Eudy and a sister of Allison's wife, Betsy. George was a Civil War Veteran. Below is a recap of his Civil War Service as shared by S. M. Whitley.

George Whitley served during the Civil War. He enlisted and msutered in as a private on Sep 7 1861. He was captured at Hanover Court House, Virginia May 27 1862 and confined at Fort Monroe, Virginia, and at Fort Columbus, New York Harbor. He was paroled and transferred to Aikens Landing, James River, Virginia where he was received on July 12 1862 for exchange. He was exchanged at Aikens Landing on August 5 1862. He returned to duty and promoted to 1st Sergeant on an unspecified date. George Whitley was discharged on Sept 23 1862 by reason of being overage. George died Sept 15 1869 and Kisiah was left to raise their children. Seven of their ten children were still at home. Times were hard, but with the help of her family and the children they managed.

George and Keziah Whitley had the following family:

Julia Ann Whitley 1842-1913
John M. Whitley 1844-1921
Nancy Elizabeth Whitley 1846-1907
William Ervin Whitley 1849-1925
James Goodwin Whitley 1850-1927
Sophronia Atlet "Phronie Whitely 1853-1939
Jacob Oliver Whitley 1855-1926
Lewis Whitley 1857- bef 1870
John Filmore Whitley 1858 -1919
Varina Jane Whitley 1862-1900
Henry Jackson Whitley 1867-1943

C) Elizabeth "Bettie" Whitley (oldest daughter) Birth 1820-1825 not in Jane's household in 1850. Married possibly an Almond. Another mention of a possible marriage to a Manuel mentioned in a book of an interview with an older Whitley family member.

D) Solomon Snider Whitley born about 1825, died between 1871 - 1880, probably in Mecklenburg or Cabarrus County. Married Josephine Hinson, daughter of Charles Sampson and Melia "Millie" Clark Hinson on August 15, 1854. Also a Civil War Veteran.

Name	Solomon S Whitley
Enlistment Age	37
Birth Date	abt 1825
Enlistment Date	25 Mar 1862
Enlistment Place	Stanly County, North Carolina
Enlistment Rank	Private
Muster Date	10 May 1862
Muster Place	North Carolina
Muster Company	H
Muster Regiment	42nd Infantry
Muster Regiment Type	Infantry
Muster Information	Enlisted
Imprisonment Date	19 Mar 1865
Imprisonment Place	Bentonville, North Carolina
Side of War	Confederacy
Survived War?	Yes
Residence Place	Stanly County, North Carolina
Notes	1862-08-09 Deserted; 1862-09-30 Returned, Estimated day; 1863-08-09 Deserted; 1863-10-04 Returned; 1865-03-30 Confined, (Point Lookout, MD); 1865-06-21 Oath of Allegiance, (Point Lookout, MD)
Title	North Carolina Troops 1861-65, A Roster

Snider's family is a bit of mystery and mess. Because he and his wife both seem to have passed away prior to 1880, leaving a large lot of mostly young children, he has been merged with a John Snider Whitley born in 1842 and his wife with a Sarah Hinson, who died as a "Sarah Hinson", not a Whitley, in 1901. This is incorrect information and will take more research to unravel. Solomon S. Whitley and Josephine Hinson Whitley had the following children:

William Allison Whitley (1854-1935) Cabarrus
Samuel Whitley (1855-unknown) Possibly Samuel Marion Whitley.
Horace Whitley (1856-unknown) Possibly Harris Whitley.
Mary Catherine Whitley Crisco (1859-1897) Iredell
Nancy A. "Nannie" Whitley Troutman (1862-1945) Cabarrus
Ellen Whitley (1862-1938) Cabarrus
Amanda Jane Whitley Overcash (1864- between 1890-1900) Cabarrus
Charles Green Whitley (1869-1824) Cabarrus
John Phillip Whitley (1872-1947) Cabarrus

E) John Russell Whitlely (1827-1863) Died of disease in the Civil War. Married Susannah Almond. Was a Fifer.

Name	John R Whitley
Enlistment Date	2 Mar 1863
Enlistment Place	Stanly County, North Carolina
Enlistment Rank	Musician
Muster Date	2 Mar 1863
Muster Place	North Carolina
Muster Company	H
Muster Regiment	42nd Infantry
Muster Regiment Type	Infantry
Muster Information	Enlisted
Muster Out Date	14 Sep 1863
Muster Out Place	Hosp, Goldsboro, North Carolina
Muster Out Information	died disease
Side of War	Confederacy
Survived War?	No
Residence Place	Stanly County, North Carolina
Title	North Carolina Troops 1861-65, A Roster

John R. Whitley and Susan Almond Whitley had the following children:

George marshall Whitley (1849 - 1923)
Sarah Jane Whitley Dunn (1853- 1930)
Mary Frances Fry (1859-1899)

In addition, Susan Almond Whitley had an additional child, Lucy Whitley, a few years after Russells death.

F) Nancy Whitley (1828-after 1880) Never married. Died probably in Cabarrus County. Possibly mother of Archibald Hariis Whitley.

G) Melinda "Linda" Whitley (10 Dec 1830 - 25 Feb. 1910) Died in Salisbury, Rowan County, NC. Married Joshua Wood. Linda and Joshua Wood had the following children:

William H. Wood (1853-1931)
Martha J. Hoffner (1856-1925)
John R. Wood Sr. (1857-1933)
Hiram J. Wood (1858-1913)
Margaret Melinda Wood Cozzens (1861-1928)
Sarah J. Wood Smith (1863-?)
George Oliver Wood (1866-?)
Jerry O. Wood (1866-?)
Julia Ann Wood Bains (1868-?)
Walter Wood (1876-1942)

H) Susannah "Susan" Whitley born about 1835, died between 1870 and 1880, possibly in Iredell County.

I) William R Whitley born about 1836 and died on July 1, 1921 in Mecklenburg County, NC. Married Julia Ann Smith. Also served in the Civil War. I have given a great deal of information on William already, in my previous post, "A Tale of Two Williams", which can be found here.

Willaim and Julia had the following children:

Mary Hargett Whitley Rowe (1865-1940)
Sidney A Whitley (1866-1931)
Emily Jane Whitley Deaton (1869-1906)
William Presley Whitley (1871-1917)

J) Levi Hobson Whitley born 1839, and died August 3, 1914 in Greensboro, Guilford County, NC. Levi married Margaret Jane Smith.

Levi, the youngest child of John and Jane Whitley was also in the Civil War,

Name	Levi H Whitley
Enlistment Age	27
Birth Date	abt 1835
Enlistment Date	25 Mar 1862
Enlistment Place	Stanly County, North Carolina
Enlistment Rank	Private
Muster Date	10 May 1862
Muster Place	North Carolina
Muster Company	H
Muster Regiment	42nd Infantry
Muster Regiment Type	Infantry
Muster Information	Enlisted
Imprisonment Date	10 Mar 1865
Imprisonment Place	Wise's Forks, North Carolina
Side of War	Confederacy
Survived War?	Yes
Residence Place	Stanly County, North Carolina
Notes	1862-08-09 Deserted; 1863-01-01 Returned, Estimated day; 1863-08-09 Deserted; 1864-09-22 Returned; 1865-03-16 Confined, (Point Lookout, MD); 1865-06-21 Oath of Allegiance, (Point Lookout, MD)
Title	North Carolina Troops 1861-65, A Roster

It amazes me how many times this set of brothers, and a nephew, deserted and rejoined without being court-martialed and hung. The Whitleys really didn't want to fight.

Levi and Margaret had the following children:

John Riley Whitley (1864-1940)
Laura E. Whitley Coble (or Cauble) (1866-1911)
Avert Whitley (1878-1922)
Margaret "Maggie" Whitley Milloway (1880-1957)

The Jacob Whitley papers, the main source of local information on the Whitley family outside of available records of land, marriage, Wills, etc , doesn't list Levi as a child of John and Jane Hathcock Whitley, but his documents, like his death certificate, above, makes it clear that he was.

However, they do list a "Lovie" Whitley, that some have deciphered as possibly "Louie". I have another idea. What if it was "Levi" old Jacob was writing in his ancient 19th century scrawl? There's no sign of either a Lovie or a Louie anywhere, but there most definitely was a Levi. He was correct on the rest, although 'Bettie' remains a bit of a mystery.

There was one more Whitley in this gypsy pack of Whitley's, but he wasn't a son of John. Archibald Harris Whitley, born about 1848, lived in the home of widow Jane Whitley, with her younger children, from the time he was a two year old toddler until after he married Aseneth Isabella Hunter from Mecklenburg County, on December 23, 1869, in Cabarrus County. He traveled with this family from Stanly County to Iredell to Cabarrus to Mecklenburg. He was without doubt a member of the pack. Yet, he was born six years after John died and when the widow, Jane, was 53 years old. It is my belief that he was a grandchild. He doesn't appear to have been the child of any son of the couple, at least not any that were known, and living, two years after he was born. It is possible that he was the child of an unmarried daughter, but so far, I have not found any court record, or other document to prove that theory either. If this were true, the most likely mother would have been Nancy, as she was twenty when he was born. The other unmarried daughter in the 1850 census was Susan, 15, making her only 13 when he was born. Then there is the mysterious Bettie, of whom we know no more than her name and that she was supposedly the oldest daughter. So, the origins of Archie go unproven and speculative. I move forward with the fact that he was somehow one of the pack.

K) Archibald Harris Whitley born in 1848, married Asenath Isabella Hunter (1852-1907). Archie and his wife were textile workers and died in their early 50's, leaving a large family. They are buried at the Back Creek ARP Church Graveyard in Mecklenburg County, North Carolina, which is not far from Harrisburg, Cabarrus County. Archie died on March 3, 1901, of either thyphoid fever, or pnuemonia, that may have hit other family members. The papers cant agree. One even overstated his age by thirty years.