2007 4.pdfDavie Dossier
Issued by
Davie County Historical and Genealogical Society
Mocksville, North Carolina
October 2007 Issue
SOCIETY NEWS
At the June 24th meeting of the Historical Society, Bill Urdanick was thanked for the
work he did to make an overlay which updated the Lagle map. Displayed at the Daniel Boone
Festival, it proved to be a big hit with people seeking the location of their ancestors, or their,
home places. This overlay is currently on display in the History Room of the Library.
A mot ion was presented by Doris Frye to have a plaque made in honor of Andrew Lagle
to recognize him for his many contributions to the Society and the people of Davie County.
Aubrey Wensil handed in his resignation as President of the Society but will continue until a new
President can be elected.
Aubrey and Mary Lee Wensil and Pan Beck attended the Yadkin Valley Historical
Assoc. meeting Aug. 11th in Wilkesboro and also visited Fort Dobbs on the way home.
Our Sept. 24th meeting was held at the Library with guest speaker, Mary Alice Hasty, a
native of Cooleemee, who is writing a book about Davie County Civil War enlistees. She told
of progress she has made and requests for information she needs, such as pictures of these
people, pictures of houses, comments or stories about that period in history. The library history
room has new equipment to copy photos and will return them to any who will allow to share with
her. If you have any questions. or comments, for Mrs. Hasty, her phone number is 336-753-
0436.
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Mageline and Alice Brown Gaither had a wonderful display in our tent at the Daniel Boone
Festival and gave the Society a program at our regular meeting where they showed pictures and gave us a
history of some Davie County families. Following is a short narrative:
Several residents of Davie County have become known because of their notable attainments.
DANIEL BOONE because of his ingenious ability to blaze trails for settlers. Like most pioneers,
BOONE had little chance to go to school; however, he did learn to read and write. What he lacked in
education was replaced with his overwhelming generosity and wisdom. He will always be celebrated for
his daring and successful exploits.
Another notable resident of Davie County was ALBERT TURNER CLEMENT. Listed as a
slave with connections to the CLEMENT PLNTATION located on Maple Avenue in Mocksville.
ALBERT TURNER CLEMENT and his wife EVALENA were parents of four daughters and one son.
All of them became influential educators across the United States. This display (at the Festival) was
made by his granddaughter, Ruth Elizabeth Clement Bond and her family.(Magalene D. Hudson-
Gaither, phone: 336-998-8278 email: www.mdgaither.com)
DAVIE DOSSIER October 2007
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THE ROWAN REGISTER
The Rowan Register was published by Jo White Linn, C.G.from February 1986 through
November 2001. Part of the material included information from what is now Davie County.
Some excerpts follow:
Rowan County Deeds (Cont’d from Vol. 1:36)
11:57. 24 Apr 1788. George March and wf Millen (X) to Jacob Crouse for ₤15. 87 l/2 A on
Dutchman’s Crk adj his original tract, granted 10 Oct. 1786. Shad Roberts, John March. Prvd
Aug Court 1787
11:56. 21 July 1787. George March and wf Millen (X) to John Hendrix for ₤14, 112 A on
Dutchmans Crk adj Elizabeth Admire. William Crouse (signs in Ger.), Jacob Crouse (signs in
Ger.). Prvd Aug Court 1787
11:57. 12 Mar. 1787. George Hall of Wilkes Co., Ga., to son Hugh Hall of Rowan, for love &
affection. 200 A on S Yadkin R and little Dutchman’s Crk on the Schoolhouse Branch granted
to George Hall in Dec. 1785. Ja Nichols, Thos. Porter. Prvd by Jacob Nichols at Aug. Court
1787
11:58. 3 July 1787. Steven (+) Green and wf Jemima (+) to Roderick Jenkins for ₤120, 200 A
in the forks of the Yadkin R on the Great Branch adj Henry Stonsipher and Edmond Hays. E. V.
Harbin, Edward Villars Harbin, Jr., Admon (X) Eachason. Prvd by E. V. Harbin at Aug. Court
1787.
11:17. 18 July 1786. Ruth Wilcoxon to James Noland for ₤60, 90 A on Dutchmans Crk adj
Noland, William Whitaker and James Read. Thos. Prather, Stephen D. (+) Noland. Prvd by
Prather at Aug. Court 1787.
11:80. 25 Oct 1786. State Grant #1092 @ 50 sh the 100 A to John Little, 640 A on little
Dutchmans Crk adj Hugh Graham, John Henley, Bazel Praeter, John Current, Francis Holmes,
William Scantling, and William Anderson.
11:81. 21 Nov 1784. State Grant #719 @ 50 sh the 100 A to Ritchmond Pearson, 140 A on the
S fork of the Yadkin R adj James Harlin, Thomas Frohock, James Tinnen, and his other tract.
Rowan County Loose Estates Papers
ELIZABETH ADMIRE. 1830. Inventory filed 8 Mar 1830 showing 50 A of land and modest
household possessions.
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Thanks to Rita Hallett, who writes:
In the death records of an ancestor of mine, it says he died of
"new money disease."
At first I thought what could this be? Then I laughed and said it as
they probably did --pneumonia.
I sure wish it had been "new money.
DAVIE DOSSIER October 2007
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Allen –Danner Genealogy
1 Jacob Danner
........2 Frederick Danner 1759 -1839
............+Catherine Shermer 1755 -1844
...................3 Jacob Danner 1795 -1886
.......................+Sarah "Sallie" Unknown 1794 -
.............................4 Rebecca Jane Danner 1836 -1897
.................................+Peter Allen 1825 -1903
........................................5 Eli Allen 1859 -
............................................+Roxie Ann Wood 1868 -1915
..................................................6 Millard Filmore Allen 1890 -1920
......................................................+Annie Lou Barlow
..................................................6 Monroe Allen 1890 -
..................................................6 William Arthur Allen 1893 -1978
......................................................+Bessie McCain 1889 -1965
.............................................................7 William Gray Allen 1916 -1970
.................................................................+Marie Lancaster
.............................................................*2nd Wife of William Gray Allen:
.................................................................+Reba Bernice Crutchfield 1924 -1992
........................................................................8 Joyce Aileen Allen 1956 -
........................................................................8 Bart Eugene Allen 1959 -
..................................................................................9 Ariel Nicole Allen 1992 -
.............................................................7 James Monroe Allen 1918 -1918
.............................................................7 Donald Leon Allen 1919 -1982
........................................................................8 Archie Gray Allen
.............................................................7 Virginia Catherine Allen 1921 -2000
.................................................................+James Sebastian -1999
........................................................................8 J. C. Sebastian 1950 -
............................................................................+Nancy Carmichael
.............................................................7 Clarence Laverne Allen 1922 -
.................................................................+Bernice Sizemore 1931 -
........................................................................8 Kip Laverne Allen 1959 -
........................................................................8 Cathy Lynn Allen 1961 -
............................................................................+Kevin Michael McDaniel
.............................................................7 Jacob McCorn Allen 1926 -
.................................................................+Helen Weaver
........................................................................8 Sharon Lynn Allen
.............................................................*2nd Wife of Jacob McCorn Allen:
.................................................................+Mary Unknown 1938 -
........................................................................8 Donna Kay Allen 1959 -
........................................................................8 Jeffrey Scott Allen 1960 -
............................................................................+Debbie Catchie
..................................................................................9 Sasha Allen
.............................................................7 Betty Lou Allen 1929 -
.................................................................+Felix Johnson -1987
........................................................................8 David Gray Plowman 1948 -
........................................................................8 Terry Joe Johnson 1959 -
............................................................................+Lynn Unknown
........................................................................8 Gregory Scott Johnson 1964 -1999
..................................................6 Minnie Roxie Allen 1896 -1973
......................................................+Charlie Moffitt -1969
..................................................*2nd Husband of Minnie Roxie Allen:
......................................................+Burley Newsome -1931
.............................................................7 Lena Mae Newsome 1916 -1959
.................................................................+John D. Hall
........................................................................8 John Dennis Hall 1937 -
........................................................................8 George Ladena Hall 1938 -
........................................................................8 Henry Lee Hall 1940 -
........................................................................8 Ronald Eugene Hall 1941 -2000
.............................................................7 Frances Miller Newsome 1917 -
.................................................................+Blair Faust
........................................................................8 Charles L. Faust 1935 -
.............................................................7 Sarah Louoise Newsome 1919 -
.................................................................+Charles L. Wallace
........................................5 Samuel Allen 1861 -1901
............................................+Mary Ann Cunningham 1859 -1938
..................................................6 Nathan Allen 1882 -1883
DAVIE DOSSIER October 2007
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..................................................6 John Franklin Allen 1883 -1888
..................................................6 Martha Rebecca Allen1886 -1959
......................................................+Joe Howard
..................................................6 Unknown Baby Allen 1888 -
..................................................6 Amanda Elizabeth Allen 1890 -1942
......................................................+George Myers
..................................................6 Wesley Cleveland Allen 1892 -1961
......................................................+Lola B. Riddle 1894 -1926
..................................................*2nd Wife of Wesley Cleveland Allen:
......................................................+Flora B. Phelps 1906 -1977
..................................................6 George Washington Allen 1899 -1963
......................................................+Lillie Riddle
..................................................6 Celia Ann Allen 1896 -1940
......................................................+Parlie Carter
..................................................6 Ada Camilla Allen 1898 -1972
......................................................+Theodore Howard
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HOW THINGS USED TO BE
The next time you are washing your hands and complain because the water temperature isn't just
how you like it, think about how things used to be. Here are some facts about the 1500s:
Most people got married in June because they took their yearly bath in May, and still smelled
pretty good by June. However, they were starting to smell, so brides carried a bouquet of flowers
to hide the body odor. Hence the custom today of carrying a bouquet when getting married.
Baths consisted of a big tub filled with hot water. The man of the house had the privilege of the
nice clean water, then all the other sons and men, then the women and finally the children. Last
of all the babies. By then the water was so dirty you could actually lose someone in it. Hence the
saying, Don't throw the baby out with the Bath water..
Houses had thatched roofs-thick straw-piled high, with no wood underneath. It was the only
place for animals to get warm, so all the cats and other small animals (mice, bugs) lived in the
roof When it rained it became slippery and sometimes the animals would slip and fall off the
roof. Hence the saying . It's raining cats and dogs.
There was nothing to stop things from falling into the house.. This posed a real problem in the
bedroom where bugs and other droppings could mess up your nice clean bed. Hence, a bed with
big posts and a sheet hung over the top afforded some protection. That's how canopy beds came
into existence.
The floor was dirt. Only the wealthy had something other than dirt. Hence the saying, Dirt poor.
The wealthy had slate floors that would get slippery in the winter when wet, so they spread
thresh (straw) on floor to help keep their footing. As the winter wore on, they added more thresh
until, when you opened the door, it would all start slipping outside. A piece of wood was placed
in the entranceway. Hence the saying a thresh hold. (Getting quite an education, aren't you?)
In those old days, they cooked in the kitchen with a big kettle that always hung over the fire.
Every day they lit the fire and added things to the pot. They ate mostly vegetables and did not get
much meat. They would eat the stew for dinner, leaving leftovers in the pot to get cold overnight
DAVIE DOSSIER October 2007
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and then start over the next day. Sometimes stew had food in it that had been there for quite a
while.Hence the rhyme, Peas porridge hot, peas porridge cold, peas porridge in the pot nine days
old..
Sometimes they could obtain pork, which made them feel quite special. When visitors came
over, they would hang up their bacon to show off. It was a sign of wealth that a man could, bring
home the bacon. They would cut off a little to share with guests and would all sit around and
chew the fat..
Those with money had plates made of pewter. Food with high acid content caused some of the
lead to leach onto the food, causing lead poisoning death. This happened most often with
tomatoes, so for the next 400 years or so, tomatoes were considered poisonous.
Bread was divided according to status. Workers got the burnt bottom of the loaf, the family got
the middle, and guests got the top, or the "upper crust".
Lead cups were used to drink ale or whisky. The combination would sometimes knock the
imbibers out for a couple of days. Someone walking along the road would take them for dead
and prepare them for burial. They were laid out on the kitchen table for a couple of days and the
family would gather around and eat and drink and wait and see if they would wake up. Hence the
custom of holding a wake.
England is old and small and the local folks started running out of places to bury people. So they
would dig up coffins and would take the bones to a bone-house, and reuse the grave. When
reopening these coffins, 1 out of 25 coffins were found to have scratch marks on the inside and
they realized they had been burying people alive. So they would tie a string on the wrist of the
corpse, lead it through the coffin and up through the ground and tie it to a bell. Someone would
have to sit out in the graveyard all night (the graveyard shift.) to listen for the bell; thus, someone
could be saved by the bell or was considered a dead ringer..
And that's the truth...Now, whoever said History was boring ! ! !
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HUMOR
Thanks to Leona Bolton, who writes:
1890 census enumeration for Flora C. HASTINGS (indexed as Hora C. Hastings) 1890;
Washington, Washington Co., District of Columbia;
Flora Hastings, a lodger in a family home, is a 39-year-old, single
lady with the occupation of "lady of elegant leisure."
What a wonderful phrase --it's how I now refer to myself when I am
doing absolutely nothing!
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DAVIE DOSSIER October 2007
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Illiterate Enumerator?
By Joan Sambrotto
The 1880 census had a column to be filled in by the enumerator that asked if people were sick or disabled
and what the sickness or disability was. A particular enumerator's last name was FEYL. A soundex search
for that name gives ma ny choices, such as FILE, FALE, etc. I'm going with FALE because this guy failed
in his usage of the English language.
In the district he was assigned to canvas, many people had "information" of some sort--of the liver, of the
kidneys, of the lungs, etc. There was even "information of the bowls" going around, and a poor
shoemaker had "hammerhoids." Then, there were also seven "hunchbags."
I checked my bowls and sure enough I did get some information. It seems my husband was doing a poor
job washing dishes. I may end up a hunchbag from sitting at the computer too much. I even may end up
with information of the hammerhoids.
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Tips for Genealogists Working in ‘North Carolina’ Records
By Jo White Linn, C. G.
The editor, having compiled these tips from long experience, hopes they will be helpful to the reader, and
will be delighted to include additional ones supplied by other genealogists. Often, working alone, we
reach certain conclusions on the basis of our findings. In sharing our observations, we may help others.
l. A man who receives by a will cannot be a witness to the will. If you have a man who is a
beneficiary and a man of the same name as witness, you have two men of the same name in the same
area.
2. A noncupative will can dispose only of personal property.
3. A married woman could not make a will without her husband’s consent and even so could
dispose only of personal property unless there had been a prenuptial agreement.
4. Title to land could be conveyed either by deed, inheritance, or marriage. In the latter cases, no
instrument was required. Land could descend through several generations by inheritance without a deed
being recorded to denote the same.
5. A man did not have to be 21 to buy land, but he did have to be 21 to sell it. He did not have to
own property to vote, but he did have to be a free man. He had to be 21 to serve on a jury, but he did not
have to own property or be naturalized.
6. There are extant marriage bonds for only about 20% of the marriages that took place in NC
prior to 1868; many people were married in the church by banns; many bonds have been lost to natural
disasters. The absence of a NC marriage bond does not mean that the marriage did not take place in NC,
only that there is no civil record of it.
7. A woman was never a taxable. If her name appears on a tax list, it is because she has a male
of taxable age in her household or a slave of taxable age.
8. Quakers used numerical dating, using March as the first month of the year. They did not take
or make oaths and they were not married in a civil service. A Quaker will does not begin “in the Name of
God, Amen,” as most other wills do. Quakers were allowed to affirm, rather than swear.
9. There are excellent indexed records for Moravians and Quakers in NC; many records of both
the Lutheran and the Reformed churches and ministers are being translated and published. The archives
for both denominations are in Salisbury, NC.
To be continued next issue.
DAVIE DOSSIER October 2007
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D C H G S 2007 OFFICERS
President -Aubrey Wensil
Vice-President -Linda Leonard
Secretary/Treasurer -Frances Beck
Board of Directors -Dale McCullough, Diane Webb,
Bill Urdanick
Dossier Editors -Nancy Murphy, Doris Frye
ITEMS FOR SALE
Postage and handling included in price
Davie County...A Brief History (Wall) Paperback 7.50
The Daniel, Squire, and John Boone Families in Davie County
(Wall, Boone, & Martin)5.00
Davie County Marriages 1836-1900, by Nancy K. Murphy 25.00
Davie County Marriages 1901-1959, by Nancy K. Murphy 25.00
Davie County Cemeteries, a two-volume set 55.00
by D.C. Historical & Genealogical Society
1860 Federal Census-Davie County, by Murphy & Sain 17.00
1870 Federal Census-Davie County, by Murphy & Sain 17.00
1880 Federal Census-Davie County, by Murphy & Sain 22.50
Maps -Lagle Land Grant 6.50
-Hughes Historical 6.50
-1887 Alderman 2.50
Postcards (set of 8 )2.50
Davie County Heritage Book 45.00
These items can be ordered from the Davie County Historical and Genealogical Society
Office. North Carolina residents need to add 7% sales tax to the total.
Membership for Calendar year 2007 is still just $5.00/year. The number following your
name on the address label indicates the year through which your dues are paid. Below is a
registration form for your use; checks are to be made payable to the Society.
DAVIE COUNTY HISTORICAL AND GENEALOGICAL SOCIETY
Frances Atkinson Beck
1131 Wagner Road
Mocksville, North Carolina 27028
NAME _____________________________________________________________
ADDRESS ____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
EMAIL ADDRESS _______________________________________________________