30 Mothers in 30 Days: Vashita

Have you ever looked at an old 1700's ship manifest looking at the names of the female passengers?
Probably not, but I have. A pattern emerges - Ann, Mary, Jane, Ann, Mary, Jane, Sarah, Elizabeth, Ann, Mary, Jane, Catherine, Martha, Ann, Mary, Jane, Susan, Margaret, Ann, Mary, Joan, Sophia, Mary, Mary, Mary. Why couldn't you people be original????

I've often wanted to time travel to when my 9th Great Grandmother had given birth to my 8th Great Grandgrandmother and was contemplating her name. I'd shake her by the shoulders and scream, "Don't name her Mary!!!".

Every once in awhile, however, you are lucky enough to get a Vashti.

Vashti's broken slate tombstone

I don't have a great deal of information on Vashita "Vashti" Calloway Morton, but more on her than some other female ancestors.

Vashti, as she was called, was born on November 27, 1912 in what is now Stanly County, in the area that is now considered Palmerville, near Palmer Mountain along the Yadkin River. Badin Lake did not exist then and Badin Lake would become her scourge.

Ferry crossing the Yadkin at the Mouth of the Uwharrie. Stanly County Museum Photo Archives

She was the daughter of Job Calloway and Susannah Martisha Randle Calloway. She was the granddaugther of Isaac Calloway and wife, Elizabeth Arnold Calloway and his first wife, Littie Elmore.

The Randles were Virginians. Colby was born in 1746 in Brunswick County, Virginia. He died about 1804 in Montgomery (Stanly) Couny, NC,, son of William Randle and Anne Marshall Randle, just one of my Marshall lines.

Her paternal grandfather, Isaac Calloway was born in Somerset, Maryland in about 1750. He died about 1801 somewhere along the Pee Dee River and supposedly is buried at the old Palmerville Church. His wife, Elizabeth Arnolds family, Peter Arnold and Elizabeth Greene, came from Onslow County, and hailed from Warwick, Kent, Rhode Island before that.

A Bird's Eye View of Palmer Mountain, the Clover-shaped area in the middle of the frame

Oddly, the surname Calloway is said to be of Norman-French origin. Below from Wikipedia.



This interesting surname is of Norman French locational origin, from the place called "Caillouet-Orgeville" in the province of Eure, which is recorded in 1157 as "Cailloel". The placename means "place of stones or pebbles", from the Old Norman "cail(ou)" meaning pebble or stone.



Vashti was the second born of Job and Susannah's 10 children. Her older sister was Mary, and Vashti was followed by: Isaac, Elmore, John, Martisha, Agrippa Gamaliel, Alfred, Kassandra and Sarah.

She grew up in the community of  the Yadkin/ Pee Dee settlers in the West Pee Dee portion of the Uwharries, near the famed Forks and Narrows of the Yadkin. For those who don't know, the Yadkin becomes the Pee Dee at its confluence with the Uwharrie River.




She attended the old Ebenezer Church that was in what is now Badin, NC. The church and congregation is now Badin Baptist. In the Association Minutes of Badin Baptist is the following information:

"..Wake Forrest College observes the 26th anniversary o the Pee Dee Association....'convened at Ebenezer Meeting House, Stanly County, North Carolina, October 15, 16, 17 and 18 in the year1841,' Stanly County was erected by the General Assembly using the Yadkin River as a boundary line on January 11, 1841. Samuel P. Morton, a former pastor (Of Ebenezer) was elected register of deeds.

Ebenezer Baptist Church Post Office was listed at Stony Gap. Messengers to this Association were William Palmer, William Hall, and Michael Fesperman." Note: Michael Fesperman was Post Master of Stony Gap, at least for a time.

View of the Narrows of the Yadkin River from Palmer Mountain. From the Stanly County Museum Photo Archives

In about 1826, at the age of 14, Vashti would marry Samuel Parsons Morton, son of  James Morton and Elizabeth Summers (Summerow). He was 21. Sammy was well-educated and Vashti likely was as well. The daughter of a minister, marrying a minister, she had to have been able to read the Bible and perhaps play a musical instrument. It's been my experience that those born in the first half of the 1800's were far better educated than those born during or after the Civil War.

In his earliest days, Samuel P. Morton worked as a Registrar and Cleric in the town of Albemarle. I've seen his signature on many legal document.  Having worked as both a civil servant and an itenerant and at times, situated minister, I wonder where Sam and Vashti lived. Did one or more of the churches put him up in a pastorium?

I read, and thought it quite intriguing, that "Baptists keep the pastor in a pastorium, Methodists have parsons in the parsonage, Presbyterians have ministers in the manse, and Episcopalians keep rectors in the rectory." I had never thought of it that way.





From the History of Badin Batptist Church (formerly Ebenezer), Samuel P Morton served as Pastor, intermittenly. He also preached at Bethel, Kendall Valley, Rocky River and Red Hill and other churches in various counties about as an Evangelist during Camp Meetings. He is buried at Red Hill.

Home in 1830 (City, County, State):	West Side Pee Dee River, Montgomery, North Carolina
Free White Persons - Males - Under 5:	1 Steven
Free White Persons - Males - 10 thru 14:	1 Unknown
Free White Persons - Males - 20 thru 29:	1 Sammy
Free White Persons - Females - 5 thru 9:	1 Unknown
Free White Persons - Females - 10 thru 14:	1 Unknown
Free White Persons - Females - 15 thru 19:	1 Unknown
Free White Persons - Females - 20 thru 29:	1 Vashti
Free White Persons - Under 20:	5
Free White Persons - 20 thru 49:	2
Total Free White Persons:	7
Total - All Persons (Free White, Slaves, Free Colored):	7

In his first census, the family of Samuel P. Morton shows Vashti as only a dash. They appear to have had several young people living with them who were not their children. Perhaps orphans that they took in, being a Christian family. There is no record of Sammy having had a previous wife or children, and at 25, here, he would not have been old enough to be the father of teenagers. I'm quite certain it was most likely a charitable reason to have the extra children in the home.

A view of Morrow Mountain before he put on his clothes

Vashi's father Job Calloway wrote his will in 1837 and mentioned Vashti. He mentions first his beloved wife, Susannah, but doesn't name her. He names his oldest daughter, Mary McLester. Then:

"I give to my second eldest daughter Vashti Morton property to the amount of seventy dollars which property she has got.." This is the same phrase he used for Mary and then in the 5th line, for his oldest son Isaac. He states that the "above children" were not to recieve anything more until the other children recieve value of at least $70. He requested 70 acres of land on the Yadkin River be sold and then "400 acres at home" be priced at $2 an acres and that " my four boys younger than Isaac", buy the same and pay the estate as they come to 21. He names the 4 younger sons " viz- Elmore, John, Agrippa and Alfred." He goes on to mention all of his younger children to participate in the division of the remainder of the estate, but did not name the younger, unmarried daughters, Martisha, Sarah, and Kassandra.

Name:	Danl P Morton [Saml P Morton]
Home in 1840 (City, County, State):	West Pee Dee River, Montgomery, North Carolina
Free White Persons - Males - 15 thru 19:	1 Steven
Free White Persons - Males - 20 thru 29:	1 Unknown, Farm hand perhaps
Free White Persons - Males - 30 thru 39:	1 Sammy
Free White Persons - Females - Under 5:	2 Adeline, Susan Jane
Free White Persons - Females - 30 thru 39:	1 Vashtia
Persons Employed in Agriculture:	1
Free White Persons - Under 20:	3
Free White Persons - 20 thru 49:	3
Total Free White Persons:	6
Total All Persons - Free White, Free Colored, Slaves:	6

By 1840, oldest son, Steven, had been joined by 2 little sisters: Adaline and Susan Jane. Vashti would have been heavily pregnant with Wincy Elizabeth, my 3rd Great Grandmother, or either she was just missed being a newborn.

Wincy would be followed by 3 more siblings, 1841 - George Arnold, 1842 - Mary and 1846 - Sarah.



Vashti would die at the young age of 33, supposedly in childbirth. She was one month from her 34th birthday and the date was Oct 27, 1846. According to family legend, the child was buried with her.

Photo of Graveyard Island Graves from Find-a-Grave

Vashti was originally buried in a cemetery that no longer exists. Around 1917, during the daming of the Yadkin River, several cemeteries that were lying in areas that were going to be flooded during the creation of Badin Lake , were moved to higher ground. "Higher Ground" became an island. Over 400 of the graves are unidentifiable. Vashti's is one that is.

The book, "These Hallowed Grounds",  published by the Stanly County Genealogical Society, has the following to report about Graveyard Island.

"Graveyard Island or Big Cut Cemetery is a cemetery located on an island in Badin Lake between Palmerville and Old Whitney. This cemetery was made by Alcoa to use for the transfer of bodies from cemeteries that would be covered by water after  Badin Dam was built. The island is set up in three sections.Cemeteries moved from Stanly Co. were Kirk-Nash Cemetery, Locke Cemetery, Narrows Cemetery, Pennington Cemetery,Vashti Morton Cemetery, and Jones or Locust Cemetery. Cemeteries moved from Montgomery County were: Coggin Cemetery, Chisholm Cemetery, Forney Cemetery, Cranford Cemetery, Sammy Talbert Cemetery, James Elliott Cemetery and Simmons Cemetery. Grave were also moved from these cemeteries from other counties: Arey, Bruner, Jonathan Conger, Black cemetery (unknown name), Ebony, Elliots Grove, Elliott James, Ellis Family, Elliott-Taylor, Gideon Bean, Samuel Hall, Samuel Hall (black) Holmes, Mears, Pear Tree Hill, and Samuel Taylor. .....


24 marked stones      99 unmarked stones   7 other possible graves......

*Note: Graves 1 - 6 moved from Locke Cemetery     Graves 7-13 moved from Kirk - Nash Cemetery
Graves 14- 17 moved from Morton Cemetery    Graves 18 - 20 moved from Pennington Cemetery
Grave 21 moved from Simmons Cemetery."

That was the first section, there are 3. The second section has 10 rows and 30 to 38 graves in each row totalling 409 graves. The third section holds only one identifiable grave.

After Vashti's death, her widower would marry Lucy Ingram in 1848, and father two more sons, Louis and James W. I don't know a great deal about Lucy, but most people have her as the daughter of Kinchen Martin and Chloe Hough Martin, and a widow of a Samuel Ingram. As there are several Ingrams mentioned in the early records of Ebenezer Church, it may have been that set of Ingrams Lucy was from, or married into.

A Lower View of the Narrows

Excerpt from 'The History of Anson County" by Mary Louise Medley

'A contemporary of Freeman and the Ratliff preachers was Samuel P. Morton known as 'Crying Sammy Morton'. An emotional type, he was given to shedding tears from the pulpit. Deacon Uriah Staton, large landowner of the Rocky River section and  a leader in both the first church there and a later one at Red Hill, usually went to sleep when Uncle Sammy preached. When asked about this he is said to have replied, "I know I can trust Uncle Sammy, but a stranger I have to watch'. Morton was born in Stanly County in 1805 and lived near Badin. He was an earnest, good man and filled with the spirit, and lived a meager life, bordering on poverty. He requested that the words on his tombstone be 'S. P. Morton A Sinner Saved by Grace.' What he lacked in colorful revival tactics, he made up in sincere good work. He converted and baptized many people during his ministry. '

Note: The present town of Badin did not exist during the lifetime of Sammy Morton. What the author meant was he lived in the area of the present town. Ebenezer Baptist Church, now Badin Baptist, did exist and in it's cemetary is buried the father of Sammy Morton's first wife, Vashti Calloway, Job Calloway. Vashita Calloway Morton's grave and the homestead of Samuel P. Morton at the time was in the path of the expanding waters of Badin lake during the Dam construction era. Vashti's grave, with many others, was relocated to one of the Graveyard Islands near Tuckertown Dam. Sammy and his second wife, Lucy Ingram Morton, are buried at Red Hill Baptist Church in northern Anson County. 

Posted by Myself, on ancestry.com, some years ago.

Happy Mother's Day, Grandma Vashti, my 4th Great Grandmother!

In a World of Mary's and Sarah's, let's all be a Vashti!


The name Vashti is a girl's name of Persian origin meaning "lovely". This Persian name with an Old Testament pedigree has a warm Sasha-like feel. The Biblical Vashti was a queen who refused her husband's orders to appear naked in front of his party guests and so was deposed in favor of Esther.  

From Google Search

The Treasure Chest

A page from the Turner Family Bible

The most wonderful thing about blogging, in fact, THE most wonderful thing about blogging, is that it allows people to find you.

Since I've began, I've been contacted by multiple distant cousins, whom I never knew personally, who've discovered we have common kinship. 

From these contacts, I've made wonderful lifelong friends, and tremendous discoveries. 

Robert James Turner, brother of of Great Great Grandfather, William A. Turner

Sometimes, I knew things they didn't know, and they are excited to find out. And they know things I didn't know, and am extactic to find out. 

I've been contacted by descendants of those siblings of my ancestors who had migrated away, taking information from them. 

I've been contacted by a descendant of my Grandmother's grandmother from her legitimate children who knew the identity of the father of her firstborn son, who was born out of wedlock when she was very young. This was a fact I don't believe my grandmother ever knew. 

I've been contacted by individuals who had or had seen documents, journals, family bibles and such, that cleared up a few mysteries, or gave extra information. 

George Samuel Turner and wife, Maggie Crawford Turner

Recently, I recieved the blessing of being contacted by another one of these distant cousins. She had came across posts concerning my research and digging on my Turner family line, the family of my maternal Great Grandmother, Penny Wayne Turner Davis. 

Penny's father had died young, and I never knew a great deal about him or his family. Several people had already "done" the Turner tree, and I had found some excellent information (or so I thought), at the Anson County Historical Association. By my little addendum, it was accurate for actual descendants of "Wrong George", but not for me, or my line of Turners. 

The above page says:

James Turner (illegible word) on the 12th day of August 1843.

Susan Turner wife death occured on 3 (could be an 8) of May 1843.

The next two lines are the same thing, lighter, like before it faded all the way out, someone had written in darker, just above. Thank you unknown Turner family member. 

George W Turner son of G. W. Turner died the 15th of August 1862. (This was a son who died as an infant that I did not know about. In the cemetery, between the stone of G. W. Turner  - Sr- is a small unmarked grave, with three childrens graves out to the side. This may be the grave of tiny George. 

Mary Turner died May the 21 1881 

aged about 84.

This made perfect sense as the last census record Mary appeared in was in the 1880 census. 

The biggest treasure, to me personally, in this page, is the naming of the wife of James Turner as Susan. I have been tracing a neighboring family of James Turner around in my research, as they lived on the same little creek at the same time, and he named his firstborn son the last name of this family. Also, children of this surname end up being raised in the home of Reddick Drew, who married his daughter, Martha. So many ties to this name. I chased them back to their origins in Edgecomb County, and their father to Isle of Wight County, Virginia before that. In this grouping, a sister of these neighbors, named Susannah or Susan for short, married a James Turner. Of course, there were dozens of James Turners in NC, even in that day and time. But due to all of the connections, I thought that this might be our James. Knowing his wife's name was Susan, just corroborates my suspicions. 

The above page from the Turner Family Bible says"

W. A. Turner son of G. W and E. W. Turner was bornd March the 21 1869. (This is my line)

Sus. V. Turner daughter of G. W. and E. W. Turner was bornd March 31 1871. (This was Susan Vashti Turner)

E. M. Turner son of G W and E W Turner was  (arrow up) born  October 31 1872 (Ellerson Mallory or Maldred Turner)

Sarah Chancey Turner daughter of G. W. and E. W. Turner was bornd January 12 1875 ( Also seen as Sallie Chonsie).

Lillie Virginia Turner daughter of G. W. and E. W. Turner was bornd August 21 1880.

This were in the younger group of children of George Washington Turner and wife, Elizabeth Wincy Morton Turner, excluding the very last, Thomas Jefferson Turner. 

The back of the Tombstone of Elizabeth Wincy Morton Turner

There is a short poem etched into the back of the tombstone of Elizabeth Wincy Morton Turner, my 3rd Great Grandmother. I can't make out but a few words. One day, I'm going to have to go down with some shaving cream and a sqeegie and see if I can render it more legible.  What I can make out is " ? ? are past her war? done.

And she is  fully? blest

She's fought the fight the 

victory won

? entered  into rest"

Anyone else have any ideas about what it may say?

The above tombstone is that of William A. Turner, my 2nd Great Grandfather. He lived to be 36, nearly 37.  I have yet to find his cause of death. 

One day, I decided to look again at my Turner line. This happened after I gave a tour of Davis lands and burial places to some distant Davis cousins who had came in to research.  We were looking for the John Lee cemetery where our ancestor, Henry Davis was buried.  Henry Davis was the grandfather of William Hampton Davis, my Great Grandfather, who had married Penny Wayne Turner. 

During this search, what we found instead, was the old George Turner cemetery, which was, by description, not far from the John Lee cemetery. George Turner is not far removed from the Davis family, because there are Davis's buried in his cemetery, his daughter Elizabeth Turner Davis, and her toddler daughter, Rebeth Davis. Elizabeth Turner, daughter of George, had married Marriott (sometimes seen as Merritt) Freeman Davis, a brother of Henry Davis. 

I'd always heard that Penny Wayne Turner Davis was a niece of this Elizabeth and that this George was our ancestor. That is when I decided to take a closer look at my Turner line. 

This is the tombstone of Robert James Turner and his wife, Hyla Pope Turner.

Robert James Turner was the brother of my William A. Turner. He lived in the Turner Homestead I had the pleasure and opportunity to tour. 

Penny Wayne Turner was clearly the daughter of William A. (taken as Alexander) Turner. William A. Turner was clearly the son of one George Washington Turner. 

The problem was, I could not connect George Washington Turner to the George Turner family in anyway. I researched the George Turner family up one side and down the other. What I determined was that all the Turners descended from George in this area were descended from his son Wilson Pinkney Turner. He had another son who migrated west and left only one son, and that grandson has descendants in Tennessee. George Turner did have a daughter named Mary, but that Mary never married and never had children. She owned property and left a will. She died some time before our Mary. George Turner himself was the son of a Jaspar Turner. 

Other descendants of my George Washington Turner, in their quest to hook our G. W.  to George's family wagon, had somehow blended two Mary's into one, and since they knew we came from a James, had even renamed Jaspar Turner, "James Jaspar Turner", when I have NEVER seen a document or anything to suggest Jaspar was a James. His correct name was "Jaspar Melchor Turner", and we are not descended from him. Only the Davis descendants of Marriott Freeman Davis and Elizabeth Turner Davis's only son, Millard Filmore Davis, are descended from this Turner line. 

Tombstone of Joseph Atlas Turner, another son of G. W. and E. W. Turner. 

What I found, as told in other posts, was that George Washington Turner, my accurate ancestor, was the son of a Mary Turner, and she was the daughter of a James Turner who had died and left a will in 1843 in Anson County.

Tombstone of George Washington Turner

The distant cousin who contacted me via this blog, was an actual researcher who had traced her lineage systematically, with documentation. Not like so many who had just copied someone else's tree off of ancestry, someone who had made the jump from George Washington to George without a bridge. She had discovered the same facts that I had, that George Washington was the son of a Mary Turner, who was the daughter of a James Turner. 

But she knew things that I did not. She had toured the old homeplace. She had seen portraits of several family members, including George W. Turner and his wife Wincy. She had seen.....The Family Bible. 

A painting of the Old Red Hill Baptist Church which sat to the left of the current one, by Hyla Pope Tuner. 

Treasure. A Family Bible is one of those rare documents that are hard to find and can help a great deal with family trees. Anyone who holds these treasures should copy them and give copies to hold on file in county history rooms, libraries or museums, so other descendants can share in this treasure. This inheritance belongs to us all. 

George Washington Turner was one of the founding members of Red Hill Baptist Church. His father-in-law, Samuel Parsons Morton, who was once a cleric in Stanly County, and was a roving minister to several local churches in both Stanly and Anson counties, was integral in its conception. 

Hyla Pope Turner, wife of Robert James Turner, was a very talented artist. She painted the above picture of the original Red Hill Church. Her art hangs in the homes of her descendants. 

The above portrait was drawn, and not a camera portrait. It's very old. We believe it was possibly the portrait of Mary Turner, mother of George Washington Turner. 

The cousin who contacted me got me in touch with the Anson County Turner cousins, whom have access to the homestead and to the genealogical treasure. 

I made arangements to meet up with them. What a wonderful day! We toured the homestead, the lands where George Washington Turner farmed, which were right at Red Hill. We toured the Red Hill cemetery and two other cemeteries where Turner relatives were buried, Union and Brown Creek. 

I was in genealogical heaven!

Robert James Turner. I can say, he favored the Morton side of the family greatly. 

The beautiful and talented Hyla Pope Turner, wife of Robert James Turner.

Elizabeth Wincy Morton Turner

Wincy was the wife of George Washington Turner, and my Third Great Grandmother. 

She was the daughter of Rev. Samuel P Morton and his first wife, Vashti Calloway Morton. 

Samuel P. Morton is also buried at Red Hill Baptist Church. He lived with George and Wincy in his last days. 

George Washington Turner

The above is my 3rd Great Grandfather, George Washington Turner. He appears to me to be wearing his uniform, as he was a Confederate soldier and injured multiple times. He was very handsome as a young man, in my opinion. 

William A. Turner

The above is my Second Great Grandfather, Will, son of G. W. and Wincy. This portrait is not with the others, I just added it for comparison. I believe he looks more like his father than some of his brothers, but he definately had his mother's dark, deep-set eyes. 

The Turner Homestead I toured was not the original homestead. It was the home of Robert James and Hyla, not George and Wincy. Theirs was located on the land that George farmed near Red Hill, which is still in the Turner family. The cousin who gave me the tour stated that recently some deer hunters they leased the property to had came across an old chimney. The chimney probably belonged to the original homeplace. 

A painting of the Turner Homestead in its Hey Day by the talented Hyla. 

The Mill as painted by Hyla Pope Turner.

I didn't know Wadesboro was on a hill until I drove down to meet my Turner cousins. But it obvious is. 

The above is remaining outbuildings from the Homestead. 

Hyla Pope Turner in her older days. Fashion changed a great deal in her lifetime.

Upon arriving I met some of the nicest and warmest distant cousins I have ever met. I intend to stay in touch with them. They are wonderful people with a wonderful family. 

A different painting of the same Turner place.

Portrait of one of the Turner Children. We don't know who she was, exactly, but possibly one of the ones who passed as a child. 

Another page from the Turner Bible


The above document says:

G. W. Turner the son of Mary Turner was Bornd in the year of our Lorde March the 29 1835.
E. W. Turner was bornde in the year of our Lord January the 22 1839.

Then it repeats the line about G. W. Turner.

It also repeats the line about E. W. Turner, but adds that she was the daughter of Samuel P Morton and J. Q. V. Morton. I know that she was Vashita "Vashti" Calloway Morton, but I do not know what the J and Q stand for. That's something to look into.

The left side, which is cut off on this shot, is written:

"G. S. Turner son fo G. W. and E. W. Turner was bornd in the year of out Lord April 6 1856.

James Stevenson Turner son of G. W. and E. W. Turner was bornd in the year of our Lorde August 10 1858.
Robert J Turner was born Decr 7 1859.

George W Turner son of  G W and Wincy Turner was born the 19th of June 1862.

Jos A Turner son of G. W and E. W. Turner was born the 4 of November 1864.

Mary Elizabeth Turner the daughter of G W and E W Turner was born the 15 of October 1866."

The above is the written copy of the Will of James Turner, grandfather of  George Washington Turner. He mentions his grandson, Washington Turner, son of his daughter Mary, in his will. 

The above is one page of the pension application of George W. Turner for benefits, from his injuries he recieved in the Civil War. It states, "Gunshot Wound of the Head, the ball entered behind the right ear, came out beneath right eye, partial blindage and discharge from nasal cavity. "

Wow, are we lucky to exist. I'm amazed he survived this. 

Making contact with other descendants and being able to share information is vital in our researched. I am blessed that this blog has allowed me to do this, and I'm triply blessed to have met my distant Turner cousins in the process.