The Melton/Milton Family in the 1850 and 1860 Census

Tying all of the individuals from a small local family together is like a puzzle that wants to be assembled. To do so, one must gather all of the evidence possible, see what fits and what doesn't, then try to make sense of it all. Some mysteries will never be solved. Others are just waiting to be discovered.

Looking at the Melton/Milton family in the 1850 and 1860 census records, and then comparing that to the land records and court records, you can see a few possibilities begin to take shape. Some individuals that show up in one record, do not in another, that is why I've decided to put these two together and then, by using information in the deeds and court proceedings, try to identify the individuals in the census records.

1850
Henry H Melton 29 NC Carpenter b 1821 This is Henry Harrison Melton, from Land records, son of John Melton, Sr. 
Martha  21 His wife Martha Kirk Melton 
Robert S 21 Carpenter Son of Mary "Polly" Melton, sister of Henry H. 
Julia A 1  Must have been firstborn daughter who died as a small child. 
Mary Melton 46 From deeds, older sister of Henry H. and daughter of John Sr. 

1860
H H Melton 39 b NC
Martha 30
Houston 10 Samuel Houston Melton, became a prominent citizen and judge
Jane E 8  Only appears in this census.
Louisa 6  Sarah Louisa, married John H. Swaringen, moved to Cabarrus County
Mary F 4  Married 1st cousin Atlas D Melton, son of Joseph. 
John 4 months old

1850
James R Melton b 1821 NC
Mary Ann 24  Mary Ann Kirk
Davidson 1  married Sophronia Hearne


1860
James R Melton 40  Grocer
Mary A Melton 32
Davidson H 11  Davidson Hearne Melton- moved to High Point
Ellen Douglas 9 Married I. W. (Buck) Snuggs
Wm Thomas 7  Migrated to Texas, married Isabelle Myers 
Eliza C Kirk 19 Sister of Mary Ann
John Williams 40 Tailor Brother of Clementine Williams Melton - 
next house
Charlotte Melton 62  Some researchers have her as second wife of John Melton Sr. who died in 1845. Marriage license for John Melton and Charlotte Byers in Rutherford County. Rutherford County had large population of Meltons. Stanly County court records has her mother of illegitimate son Elbert Melton, to be brought to court to be bound out. 

1850
William Valentine 31 Blacksmith (mulatto)
Elbert Melton 25 Blacksmith (mulatto) Court records state son of Charlotte Melton

1860 Gold Hill Rowan County, NC
Elbert (Edward) Melton 38 House Carpenter
Houston Valentine 18 Day Laborer Perhaps son of William Valentine? 
Ann Melton 28
Mather Melton 10
Christian Melton 7
Tamar J Melton 2



1850 Census of Albemarle, in town of..

House 832  Henry H Melton and family
House 833  David Austin family
House 834  Blacksmiths: William Valentine and Elbert Melton both mulatto
House 835  Daniel Lowder family
House 836  Wiley Hutson and wife Sarah Melton Hutson, and family. Daughter of John Melton, Sr.
House 837  James R Melton family (named oldest son Davidson Hearne Melton).
House 838  Davidson Hearne family

Census records do not show an exact layout of a community as we do not know the path of the enumerator or the way the residences were situated. They can, however, be taken as general proximity.

1850 Robert S Melton, 21, living with Henry H. (see above). Son of Mary per Stanly County court records, Sent to court to be bound. Illegitimate child. 

1860 R. S. Melton 31 Master Mechanic, Camden, Ouchita, Arkansas.
Mary E.

1850
Elisha Melton 10  Married Frances Marbry March 13 1862. Civil War Casualty. Widow later married Ervin Whitley.
Living in the family of John F Stone
along with Damaris Palmer  aka Damaris Baldwin Palmer Russell

Note: There were several Melton children living with various families near other members of the Melton family. I am looking into the possibility that they were siblings of deceased parents related to the other Meltons.

1850 Freemans Township Stanly County

John Melton b 1804 Virginia  46
Nancy (Boysworth) Melton 46 (Moved to Gold Hill, opened a hotel)
Missouri 20 (had already married Jesse Tatum Forrest by then. Counted twice in the census. Must have been visiting her parents. Born prior to Nancy's marriage to John Melton. Alternately Boysworth/Melton)
Laura J 17 (married a Gill, moved to Gold Hill with mother)
Eliza 17 (married Franklin Cauble in 1851)
Caroline 16 (married James Mabry 1856 in Stanly County)
John Solomon 20 (also in census twice, son of Nancy Solomon)

Next to:
David Melton 28 Farmer
Mary 30 (Boysworth, Sister of Nancy. Both daughters of Jonathan Boysworth and Martha Almond Boysworth
Eben 4  Civil War casualty. Married Tabitha Morgan. 1 child Henry T. 
Davidson 2  (Davidson Alexander Melton. Moved to Roane, Tennesee)
Sarah Boysworth 18 (niece of Mary. Remained single and became favorite Nanny to children of Ellen D. Melton Snuggs, daughter of James R Melton).

Neighbors: Swaringen, Forrest, Bosworth, Shankle

1850

Whitman Milton 15 more research needed. Possible brother of Elisha H. Melton?

Living with Thomas Biles, Jr. family next to Dosey Boysworth family.

1850  House 698

John Perry  43
Margaret 45
Lewis C 22
Silva 19
Caswell 18

Margaret Milton 8 shown in court records as bound to John Perry in 1841. Married R. G. Hiram Huneycutt.
Henry Milton 6  bound to John Perry in 1847

Elijah Perry 70
Elizabeth 85

1860

John Perry 51
Margaret Perry 53
Caswell 26
Henry 15  apprentice (Henry Melton)



1850 Albemarle
James Hinson 48
Nancy Hinson 47 Nancy Melton Hinson, daughter of John, Sr. 
Sarah 21
Adeline 19
George Milton 7 married Elizabeth Crawford 1863. Served in Civil War
Margaret Hinson 5
Rebecca Hinson 3
Robert Blalock 50
Nancy Blalock 30

next to

William Melton 28 migrates to Missouri by way of Arkansas.
Mary 22 (Mary Hinson)
Martha F. 1
John Lilly 18 nephew, son of Frances Melton (deceased) and John Hogan Lilly

next to Lydia Brown 28

James Solomon  45
Frances Solomon 44

Henry Bird 44
Mahaley 43
Jackson 18
Martin 16
William A.
Benjamin Later living with one of the Melton's
Marah
James
Frances

Frances Kirk

Dr. F J. Kron


1850 Gold Hill, Rowan, NC
Harris Milton 26  This couple is mentioned in a Superior Court case in Stanly County that makes the history 
Ann Bird 28         books. At the time they are in Stanly County/

1860 Gold Hill

Ann Melton 40 Housekeeper

1860 Salisbury

William Melton 11
Living with A. W. Northern family son of Harris Melton and Ann Bird



1850 Montgomery County  Joseph Melton and family have to be included in the Stanly County listing although they lived in Montgomery County. Joseph was a son of John Melton, Sr. and Margaret Wilkenson. He lived just across the PeeDee River from what was then Allenton and today is near present day Norwood, in between there and Mount Gilead. 

Joseph 32 b 1818 NC
Clementine 30
Susan 12 marries Joseph Mabry
Ann Jane 10
Green 8
Atlas 5
Delphina 4
Sarah Ann McRae 6
Mary Ann McDonald 0

1860 Albemarle
Clementine Melton 45 She is living near James R Melton and Charlotte Melton
Atlas 15
Preston 8

Joseph D Melton and older son Green are MIA for this census. He remarries to Mary Ann "Polly" Solomon in 1868. Both Joe and his sons Green Jackson Melton and Atlas serve in the Civil War.

The Estate of Jonathan Wilkerson, March 1849

Jonathan Wilkerson is one of those 'touch of ancestors' that keeps popping up in the records of my direct ancestors, and I haven't quite figured out where he comes in yet. 

I began researching Jonathan Wilkerson or Wilkenson while attempting to connect the father of Moriah Murray's children, Henry Wilkerson, with someone in the area. Jonathan Wilkerson was the only person of that name in Montgomery County, the part that became Stanly, during the time Henry Wilkerson and Moriah's children were born. 

In discovering his estate papers, I found out that his daughter Sarah married a George Thompson, maybe the George Thompson that is in one of my family trees, and another daughter Eliza, married Charles McSwain, and my trees are wrought with McSwains. 

Either of those connections could bring Jonathan full swing into the family circle, however, it is his name as bondsman on several of the marriage certificates in the Ramsey/Hooks/Hill/Means side of my tree, which is my paternal grandmother's side, that has me intrigued. I've just begun to turn the soil on that side. 

                                   State of North Carolina for Equity
                                  Stanly County  March Term 1849
Is the Honorable the judge for this court of Equity in and for the County of Stanly.

The Petition of Arnold Watkins and wife Sarah,

2 John L Wilkenson
3 Mathew P Wilkenson
4  Geo Thompson and wife Sarah
5  James M Wilkenson
6  Martha Wilkenson
7  Frances Wilkenson
8  Charles McSwain and wife Eliza
9  Susan Wilkenson
10  William Wilkenson
11 Rowland Wilkenson &
12 Jordan Wilkenson

Heirs at law of Jonathan Wilkenson humbly complaining shew unto your Honor your Petition in that Jonathan Wilkenson late of Stanly County died '? swzio thososio? of a tract of land of two hundred acres more or less on Ugly Creek adjoining the lands of John Early and Alex Woodruff + others and left him surviving your Petitioners his heirs at law.

Your petitioners shew unto your Honor that said lands can not be advantageous to divide among them but that a sale of the same would for note their interest.  Your petitioners Susan Wilkenson, William Wilkenson, Rowland Wilkenson and Jordan Wilkenson are infants under the age of twenty one years and petition by their next friend Arnold Watkins.  Your petitioners  therefore pray your Honor to decree a sale of said land to be made by the clerk and master of this court upon such times as to your Honor shall be seen next and to grant to your petitioners such other relief as their care may require and as in duty bound your Petitioners will even pray.

Garris sols for Petitioners.

State of North Carolina Stanly County, Court of Equity

Edward W Davis  (a familiar name...son of Job)


In the end, GGGGUncle Neddy (Edward W Davis) had the land advertised for sale. There is a plat included in the papers with the land mapped off  222 3/4 acres. 

On the last page: Arnold Watkins and wife, et. al  Report of sale to Fall Term 1849

Pursuant to a decree of the Honorable the Court of Equity for the County of Stanly aforesaid made at Spring Term 1849 of said County, I proceed after due advertisement to sell to the highest bidder at public sale on the 12th day of May A. D. 1849 on the premises the land mentioned in the Petition at which time and place Arnold Watkins became the last and highest bidder at the sum of three hundred dollars. The purchaser, Arnold Watkins, gave bonds and goods security for the payment of the purchase money and interest, all of which is respectfully submitted. 

John W Treadwell  C. M. C. 
By Preston W. Wooley, D, C, M. E. 

So in the end, the land stayed in the family with the purchase by one of Jonathan's son-in-laws. The importance of the documents is in the naming of the heirs, and designation of those who were underage, and the naming of the husbands of 3 of Jonathan's daughters.