Early Land Records of the Stanly County Lamberts

What tales do the land records tell?

To some people, the old 19th century script and tree-killing legalese of old land records are hard to read and not relevant to their families' story. I find this quite the contrary. While learning to read ancient handwriting can prove to be a struggle, learnig that "f's" were often "s's" and chains, walnut trees, branches, springs, corners and lines can sometimes be the only link from one family member to another. Did they live side by side and have the same neighbors? Did the property pass from one generation to another? Did they witness each other's deeds and sign each others bonds? I've found a wealth of knowledge in land transactions.

I've not found one single deed in the Montgomery County records, which covered the area that is now Stanly, with the name "Lambert" on it, but sometime, somehow, before Stanly County was born in 1841, Rev. John Lambert had acquired 66 acres in what became Stanly County, somehow and from someone. It could be that the deeds were lost in one of the Montgomery County Courthouse fires, or were just never ratified.

The Lamberts settled on both sides of the Furr Township and Almond Township border. By the time this map came out about 60 years later, they were so numerous the community was called "Lambert". Notice all of the Lamberts on the above map. Many of the Almonds and McLure's were also grandchildren of Rev. John Lambert as one of his daughters married an Almond and a granddaughter married a McLure.

This old map pinpoints the location of J. T. Coley's Store. A road still bears the name, "Coley's Store Road". Two Lambert family cemeteries, one holding the remains of Rev. John Lambert and his granddaughter, Lavina Almond McLure, probably his wife Phida, and around 30 other family members are centered around the intersection of Coley's Store Road and Ridgecrest Road. This was more than likely the location of the old homestead of Rev. John.

The oldest Lambert deed in the Stanly County records, dated 1839, two years before Stanly was Stanly,  proves there were Lambert land transactions in "Montgomery", but what happened to them, I don't know. It was between Frederick Lambert and his brother Nathan. November 13th, 1839 Frederick Lambert of Montgomery County sold to Nathan Lambert of the same, for $110, property on Big Running Creek that intersected John Lambert's corner and ran with Martin Widenhouse's line. It was proved by John Lambert, Jr. in 1854

Frederick was on the move. He had showed up in Montgomery in the 1830 census, and had showed up in court records of Cabarrus in 1825 when they sent the sheriff to Montgomery County to fetch him, but the sheriff failed and was fined. He would show up in the records of Tishomingo County, Mississippi by 1842, when he was elected Treasurer of the County and applied for a license, along with a William Rushing, to open a tavern. It seems in those few years, 1839 to 1842, he had made that long journey, by horse and buggy and had well established himself in the community. Worth noting is that in 1844, his father, Rev. John Lambert, would build the Liberty Hill Church in conjunction with another William Rushing.

Mississippi war destruction

Frederick filed several denied claims with the U. S. Southern Claims Commission. This was an agency set up to reimburse Union sympathizers who had lived in the Southern States during the Civil War for damages and losses they had suffered during the war. Frederick made several interesting statements in his depostitions. One that caught my eye involved the time he was still in North Carolina.

"In nullification times I lived on the border of South Carolina. It was publically declared that the man who dared to vote for Jackson should be flogged. Before 100 men I showed my ticket and cast my vote for Jackson. A few others followed me. If you want to know, I'm not afraid of 1000 men, I'm afraid of doing wrong".

The nullificaton period he spoke of occured during 1832-1833, during the Jackson Administration. South Carolina had declared that the Federal Tariffs of 1828 and 1832 were unconstitutional and therefore null and void in their state. This period began the doctrine of the assertion of states rights that would lead eventually to other acts and decrees that eventually led to war.

Frederick was in Stanly County, North Carolina at this time and the election he spoke of was probably the one of 1828. It's worth noting that John Lambert, nor any of his sons, ever owned slaves. A few of his grandsons did serve in the Confederate Army, whether by choice or by force, is a different matter that I will explore later. Frederick was a devout Republican and I am led to believe his father and brothers were as well. There were John Lamberts in Randolph and Chatham who owned large properties and many slaves. They were not our John. He was a Circuit riding minister who remained poor as a church mouse. He stored up his riches in heaven. Frederick, however, became a businessman and farmer and did well for himself. He suffered the loss of $5000 cash and many horses and other livestock during the War, for use of the Union Army.

The above section of map shows the location of Pole Bridge Creek and Running Creek

In 1844, George Washington Lambert was the one on the move. In 1841, he had been taxed for 105 acres. On March 1st, 1844, he sold to his brother Nathan, both of Stanly County, for $50.00, 154 acres

"on the head waters of Big Running Creek". 

T. A. White and Susan White were witnesses. On the same day, March 1st, 1844, for $25, he sold to John Lambert (probably his brother John, not his father John), 87 acres on the headwaters of Big Running Creek.

George W. Lambert relocated to Iredell County, NC. He married Jane "Jennie" Page, a sister to John Calvin Page who married his sister Piety. He probably relocated with Burwell Pliler (Plyler), who was his neighbor in 1860. George and Jane had a large family, but did not profit much. They farmed, but did not own any land. He may have faired better to have stayed in Stanly County. There were already a few Lamberts there before he arrived and several descendants have tried to tack him to them, even suggesting he was one of them, but had changed his name. Fortunately, two of their sons who lived long enough to have death certificates, have them as being born in Stanly County on them, and dna has verified this is our George. Some current descendants go by Lamberth instead of Lambert.

Martin Widenhouse was a wealthy landowner in southeast Cabarrus County. His father, of the same name, was born in Germany. The following land transaction most likely involved Martin Jr. as I believe Martin Sr. died in the 1840's. The Widenhouse family settled thickly around the Midland and Georgetown areas of  Cabarrus.

1850 Martin Widenhouse of Cabarrus County to John Lambert of Stanly County for $90, 120 acres on Pole Bridge Creek. It adjoined John Lambert "and others". There was one exclusion, Martin kept claim on "one half of the gold and silver mines". Nathan Lambert was a witness. The property was fairly close to Reed's Gold mine.

Also in 1850, Jonathan Lambert sold to William Lambert for $5.00 104 acres that bordered a line William Lambert owned already, on the "waters of Stony Run".

Stony Run Creek

This William Lambert was the son of John Jr., and was also known as "Buck" Lambert. He was my direct ancestor. He was born in 1824 and married Talitha Herrin, a daughter of Hezekiah Herrin, who was mentioned in the dockets of Bear Creek Church and who was the patiarch of the Herrin family and community for which the Herrin School, shown on these map snippets, was named for. His uncle William, the oldest son of Rev. John was living in Cumberland County at this time.

Jonathan was but a few years older than Buck. There's been speculation on whether he was a son of Rev. John Lambert or John Jr. These old 19th century farm families began having children from marriage to when the mothers were in their 40's. Many children did not make it to adulthood due to plagues and diseases, ailments that are treatable now, fires and accidents, even wild animals. There were bear and buffalo in this area when the first settlers arrived, hence the names "Bear Creek" and "Buffalo Creek".  I've read numerous sad old stories about toddlers falling off horses, or little girls catching their skirts on fire by playing too close to the hearth, or even babies placed on pallets while the mothers tended garden nearby, being taken by hawks or other predators such as wolves or wildcats, not to mention the bouts of thyphoid, TB or influenza that would wipe out half the family.


Phida would have been 21 upon the birth of Rebecca in 1795 and well into her 40's by the birth of Jonathan, but I'm siding with the theory of Jonathan being Rev. John and Piety's due to 2 factors. One, he was living with them in 1850, and two, John Jr. outlived Jonathan and left a will. In the will, he mentions his orphaned grandchildren, but not the children of Jonathan.




In Book 3 Page 91  Hezekiah Herrin sells to Talitha Lambert (his daughter), for $100, 164 acres on the waters of Stony Run and Jordan's Branch, " on the south side of the old road near Lambert's line". 

WB Herrin and Green D. Whitley were witnesses.

In Book 3 Page 362, in 1851, Robert Motley and others to Nathan Lambert, a very interesting deed is found. This would be the younger Nathan, son of John Jr., as the older Nathan, son of Rev. John, had migrated to Marion County, Illinois by then. The 1839 deed would have been Nathan the 1st, son of Rev. John, as Nathan the younger would have been too young at the time. Robert, Ransom and Thomas Motley (Jr.) by their agent "N. Barringer", of Cabarrus County, sold 5 tracts of 100 acres that had been sold by Anthony Williams to Thomas Motley, Sr. on the north side of the Public Road. "30 acres one part sold to John Lambert Sr. for metes and bounds of the original tract reference made to the deed from Hellums to Motley and other tract on waters of Running Creek, John Lamberts corner, then with his own and Thomas Motley's sons line and Hellums old line of 12 acres". 

It was signed by Ransom, Robert and Thomas Motley via their attorney. G. A. Whitley was a witness. As a note, the name "Hellum" was the original form of Helms, a large family centered in the Union County, Monroe area. There are plenty of Helms in Stanly County. I descend from a Tillman Helms who married Mary Elizabeth Preslar or Presley. They were some of my 5th Great Grandparents. Her Grandfather, Andreas (or Andrew) Preslar immigrated from Rheinland-Pfalz, Germany, via New York and Massachusetts and settled on the Rocky River in what was then Anson County. The name stayed Preslar in some lines and was "countrified" to Presley in others, just as Hellums became Helms and in some lines who migrated west, remained Hellums. You may can guess that Andreas Preslar left one very famous descendant among members of the family who migrated from right here on the banks of the Rocky River, to Tennesee. Yes, it was with great pleasure, that before her death, I was able to inform my mother, thanks to Ancestry.com, that she was indeed, a 10th cousin to her idol, the infamous Elvis Presley, the king of Rock and Roll.

Elvis Presley as a child.

These cycle of deeds continues when on July 27, 1851, William Lambert sells to John  Lambert, for $50, 154 acres on Big Running Creek, near the forks with Little Running Creek. It was signed by William and witnessed by William Stancell and Nathan Lambert. Was this the same 154 acres sold by George Washington Lambert to Nathan Lambert I in 1844?

This was found in Book 3, Page 372. The very next page, 373 contained the following deed: March 1, 1852, Nathan Lambert to John Lambert for $13, a 19 and a half acres tract on Running Creek bordering the Salisbury Road.  It was witnessed by William Lambert and J. H. Herrin.

Also in 1852 was a deed  concerning the Motley heirs and the Lambert family again.

September 7th, 1852, Thomas Motley to William Lambert  Book 16 Page 23

Ransom, Thomas and Robert Motley by their Agent, Attorney Barringer, of Cabarrus County, sold to "Will J Lambert" of Stanly County for $160, a tract of land referred to as "the old Drury Place" and "Motley's old field". It contained 310 acres and included a tract of 78 acres "hereforto claimed by Ransom Motley" , but "not to include 12 acres claimed by John Lambert (Sr.) and for which he  has a deed from Thomas Motley."   The tract was located on Running Creek "adjoining John Lambert and the Ruben Almond tract. It was signed by "Agent Rufus Barringer" and witnessed by Henry Plott and Henry Hinson.

The very next page, Book 16 Page 24 was a sale of this same tract, also in 1852, from William Lambert to John Lambert, described to lie on Running Creek and the Fayetteville Road (which later became known as Route 24/27). This deed was ratified on December 3, 1885 certified by a codicil by Thomas Lambert, Justice of the Peace and the witness signatures of John L and William Lambert.

This, and many of the following Lambert family deeds caught my attention for that one issue, the ratification of Thomas Lambert, Justice of the Peace.

Now a little bit about Thomas Lambert. Thomas was what I call a Ribbon. He kind of ties the whole family together. Many family trees have Thomas as a son of Rev. John and Phida, and given, he was basically the same age as Jonathan, but he was a grandson, not a son.







I will go into more detail on Thomas later, but briefly, he was born on July 31, 1820 in Johnston County, NC. He married to Nancy Partin in 1842 in Wake County, NC which borders Johnston County and shows up with her in the 1850 census, in Johnston County, their first two children, Julia and James, and a 28 year old William Lambert. Thomas was a merchant and William was a clerk. I've found newspapers articles on merchandise arriving in Wilmington and Fayetteville, up the Cape Fear, for the store they obviously ran together.




The Lamberts lived in the Pleasant Grove township, which was in the pointy western corner of Johnston County and bordered Wake and Harnett, explaining why some of their marriages took place in Wake County. By 1860, Thomas was living in Wilkes County, beside a William Anderson, who may have had something to do with him naming a son Anderson. In the meantime, his younger brother, William Henry had married Millie Ann Watkins and was a Teacher in Johnston County and started his own family. The Lambert sons were well educated. Willliam Henry was also a Justice of the Peace in Johnston County.

Their father, William Lambert, was the first son and second child of Rev. John Lambert. He first shows up on a tax list in Johnston County with John, marries Louisa Young, daugher of a Thomas Young, in Wake County in 1819, shows up in Wake County in the 1830 census, in Cumberland County in 1840 and 1850, and then by 1860, he's back in Johnston County with his second family, after marrying Charlotte in Cumberland. In 1870 and 1880, he's alone and living in the household of his son William Henry. He had 4 sons by Nancy and a son and daughter by Charlotte. His youngest son was called Needham. There seems to me to be a close connection to the Needham Whitley family which started in Johnston County and moved to Stanly County also.

Before 1870, Thomas Lambert joined his Aunts, Uncles and Cousins in Stanly County. And he blew in with a vengence.  He appears to have evaded the War, no record of his serving. As a Justice of the Peace, it appears he gathered up all of the Lambert family land deeds, had them ratified in 1881 with the testimony of any living witnesses or relative witnesses of signatures. He was looking out for his family. He lived close to them, on land occupied by Lamberts for decades and was buried with many of them at Bear Creek when he died just a few years later at the age of 67.

Portion of map showing Liberty Hill, Pleasant Grove, 'Five Points, Red Cross and the town of Big Lick.

Daniel Freeman was a merchant in the County Seat of Lawrenceville, before the division of Montgomery County. After, he moved his store to the fledgling town of Albemarle in the newly minted County of Stanly, that had previously been known as "Smith's Store".  Located at the junction of Little Long Creek and Town Creek with Big Long Creek upon the rolling hills of the Hearne Plantation. 50 acres had been cut off of the plantation for the town, and citizens all over the county came to the little spot on the hill to do trading  and take care of court business. Several got in debt with Mr. Freeman, whom I believe to have been a nephew of my ancestor, Charlotte Freeman Winfield. The Lamberts were no exception.

November 9, 1856 Book 6 Page 528 John Lambert took out an indenture on his property for $150 for debt to Daniel Freeman.

November 20th 1856 Book 6 Page 531, his son William Lambert did the same for $175 a tract that bordered Nathan Lambert's line, Tucker's corner, Jonathan Lambert's corner, William Lambert's line and Tucker's line.

Book 14 Page 526 Jonathan Lambert sold to Nathan Lambert for $50  50 acres along the Concord Road where Running Creek crosses the road at the mouth of Spring Branch along William Lambert's line "in the presence of John Lambert" in Superior Court.

Thomas Lambert, Justice of the Peace, ratified this deed on 14 December 1885 with William Lambert verifying the signature of John Lambert.

In 1869, William Harrison Huneycutt and wife Tabitha sold to Thomas Lambert 78 acres on Little Bear Creek for $250 adjoining Isaac Bailey and Susan Perry and a second tract at the head of Muscle Springs near "Dunn's old line".

Then just a little later in Book 7 Page 131 Thomas bought another tract of land on Little Bear Creek from Levi H. Mason and wife Mary A. Mason bordering Reading (Reddin)  Almond.

By the 1870's, the next generation was getting involved. In 1873, John L Lambert bought land on Stony Run Creek from William H. Carter adjoining Jonathan Lambert, witnessed by C. W (Caleb Wiley) Lambert and N R Lambert

Book 9 Page 599 Thomas Lambert recieved a grant in 1875 for 12 1/2 cents an acre to the Treasurer for a 5 1/2 acre tract "where Howell Burleyson's line crosses said Lamberts".

In 1876 William "Buck" Lambert sold 82 1/2 acres to Anderson and Thomas Lambert Jr., sons of his cousin Thomas, that bordered Ransom Almond and John Almond.

Another notable deed was that between Ervin and Ellen Almond to William "Buck" Lambert. Ervin Lambert was the son of Pleasant Almond by his mistress, Barbara, born while he was still married to Rev. John Lambert's oldest daughter, Rebecca. Ervin married Buck Lambert's sister, Piety and had several children before she passed away. Then he married Ellen, who had lived in several different counties before she married. Her family migrated to Lafayette County, Mississippi, as did Ervin and Piety's two older children in adulthood. This deed shows that Ervin also moved to Mississippi, but returned to Stanly County and is buried in the Lambert cemetery. Ellen might have divorced him, as she remained in Missisippi and remarried. The deed lists them as "Ervin and Ellen Almond of Abbeville, Lafayette County,MS to William Lambert of Stanly County, NC.

Map showing location of Bear Creek Primitive Baptist Church

On April 1862, Andrew Huneycutt, administer of Jonathan Lambert, sold to William J. Lambert, son of Jonathan, his father's land on the Concord Road, Witnessed by Eli M. Herrin, William Lambert (probably Buck) and ratified by Thomas Lambert, JP in December of 1885. Book 16 Page 140

Just two pages later, in Book 16 Page 142 there was another deed that sort of proves a point of mine. It's between John Lambert (Jr.) and his son John Quincy Lambert, for land on Big Running Creek. It was witnessed by Caleb Wiley Lambert and his father, William "Buck" Lambert. It was ratified by Thomas Lambert, JP by oath of  CW  Lambert. Two points here: One, John Quincy Lambert was John Quincy alone. John Jr was never seen as John Quincy. I see many trees with him having this middle name or either that of William. I've never seen Reverend John with a middle name, nor John Jr. The other point was that of Thomas ratifying all of the family deeds. 

The Lambert deeds get thick and varied among the Grandsons, Great Grandsons and Great Great Grandchildren of Rev. John Lambert of Liberty Hill. Despite being poor as a church mouse and getting behind on his taxes, the old Primitive Baptist Minister left a legacy, and more than a few secrets. 

Who was Reverend John Lambert of Liberty Hill Primitive Baptist Church?

This will be one of many posts on my ancestor, Rev. John Lambert, born circa 1772, who died in Stanly County, North Carolina, as my research is continuing and information on him is vague and hard to come by.

The most information I have on him comes from the one and only census record he appeared in in Stanly County, NC, the 1850 census.

Name:	John Lambert
Age:	78
Birth Year:	abt 1772
Birthplace:	North Carolina
Home in 1850:	Furrs, Stanly, North Carolina, USA
Gender:	Male
Family Number:	520
Household Members:	Name Age John Lambert 78 Phida Lambert 76

This census tells us that John was born about 1772 in North Carolina, and his wife, Phida, about 1774 in North Carolina. He is actually the first household enumerated in Furr District. His profession is given as "Baptist Minister".  Dwelling houses numbered in order of visitation was 519 and families numbered in order of visitation was 520.

These numbers were significant because also in "Dwelling House 519", but family number 521, was the family of Jonathan Lambert. Either Rev. John was living with Jonathan or vice versa, either in the same house, or either two separate houses on the same property.

Name	Age
Johnathan Lambert	30
Nancy Lambert	32
William Lambert	10
Jno L Lambert	8
Wilson C Lambert	6
One J Lambert	4
Jonathan Lambert	0

The neighbors were pretty important as well. In 520/522 was Pleasant Almond, 51 and his 17 year old son Ervin. Pleasant Almond was the son-in-law of Rev. John Lambert. He married John's oldest daughter Rebecca. Rebecca was living apart and separate from her husband Pleasant at this point, with some of their children together. They have their own story to tell. The reason was probably the person living right next to Pleasant and Ervin, Barbary Honeycutt, age 50.

Ervin would grow up to marry a granddaughter of Rev. John Lambert, Piety Caroline Lambert, not to be confused with his daughter, Piety C. Lambert Page, wife of John Calvin Page. Ervin, of Irvin, as he is sometimes seen was Nelson Ervin Almond. He was a Civil War soldier. His first wife Piety died after giving him 4 children. He would remarry in 1871 to Nancy Ellen Reeves, daughter of Joseph J and Lilly Reeves of Cabarrus County, who had been born in Orange County, NC and lived in Guilford County for awhile before her widowed mother arrived in Cabarrus. The Reeves family would migrate to Abbeville, Lafayette County, Mississippi and Ervin would follow. In 1880, his children were living in amongst their Lambert relatives, but the older two, Phillip Levi Almond (Allman) and Mary Almond Romans, would remove to Mississippi with their stepmother's people.

Nelson Ervin Almond would return to Stanly County and was buried with the Lamberts. Piety was not his cousin as Rebecca was not his mother. On his marriage license to Ellen Reeves, his parents are listed as Pleasant Almond and Barbary Pliler while hers are "Jos and Lilly Reaves". This usually indicated that the parents of the individual were not married, as the woman had a different surname. Now, in the "The Stanly County Marriages Book I" published by the Stanly County Genealogical Society, his parents have been transcribed as "Pleasant and Barbary Almond", however, by viewing the actual document online, for his mother, it clearly lists "Barbary Pliler". Barbary was the nickname for Barbara and this Barbara was Barbara Pliler Honeycutt who lived next door to Pleasant Almond.
She had married Isham Honeycutt in Cabarrus County in 1821, a veteran of the War of 1812 with a penchant for wanderlust who left her for adventures in Tennesee and Arkansas, who married twice more, without, no doubt going through the trouble of divorce. But that's another story.






So, sometimes the online entries are more helpful, and other times, the books are more helpful. So back to the book. While Rev. John Lambert's household was the first entry in District 5, the Furr District, the very last household in District 5, the Almond District, was Nathan Lambert. Nathan, also age 30, was in Household 518/519, right next to Rev. John Lambert and Jonathan Lambert, in 519/520.  So therefore, the Lamberts must have lived on the Almond/Furr line, with the line going straight between the property's of Nathan, John and Jonathan.

Almond Township was full of Honeycutt's, Pages, Furrs, Eudy's, Morgan's, Blackwelders,  Hatley's, Almonds, Cassel's, Bowers, Burlesons, Springers, Motley's, Herrin/Herrings, Mortons, Whitley's and in particular, Needham Whitley, both Sr. and Jr., whom I feel may play a very important part in the John Lambert story. These names, these families, would all marry into the Lambert family at sometime or another and add to that West Stanly genepool.

John Lambert, Jr. lived in Almond Township, next to his son William "Buck" Lambert, my line and his sister, Rebecca Lambert Almond. On the other side of him was the Starnes, another family line in my tree I've been trying to figure out. There was Nathan T. Starnes and David Starnes, either brothers or uncles of my Frederick Fincher Starnes, whose Great Granddaughter would marry a descendant of John Lambert, Jr. and Sr., to become my Grandparents.

The first Lamberts arrived in Stanly County, or possibly Cabarrus first, in the mid 1820's. At this time Stanly County was a part of Montgomery County. They appear to have landed in the exact same place they would later be found, on the Almond/Furr Township line near Cabarrus County.

On Thursday, April 21st 1825 in Cabarrus County Pleas and Quarters Sessions the following entries are found:

"State vs Frederick Lambert, Sheriff of Montgomery County amerced nisi $100 for failing to make a return of capias vs Frederick Lambert Sci Fa. ordered."

The year before that, in the Orders of 1824 are found:

"State vs Frederick Lambert, Capias issued to Montgomery County for Lambert".

The year after Frederick skips court, on February 23, 1826, Nathan Lambert married Dolly Goodman, with George Goodman as bondsman. Dolly was the widow of a Michael Goodman, having married him in 1812 as Dolly Scott, with John Scott as bondsman.

In 1830, two of the Lambert brothers show up as Heads of Household in Montgomery (now Stanly) County.

Frederick "Fred Lambert" shows up with a household of 4. Two of his neighbors were Dempsey Hathcock and Dempsey Springer.

Name:	Fred Lambert [Ford Lambert]
Home in 1830 (City, County, State):	West Side Pee Dee River, Montgomery, North Carolina
Free White Persons - Males - Under 5:	1 John
Free White Persons - Males - 15 thru 19:	1 Frederick
Free White Persons - Females - Under 5:	1 Rebecca
Free White Persons - Females - 20 thru 29:	1 Nancy Huneycutt Lambert
Free White Persons - Under 20:	3
Free White Persons - 20 thru 49:	1
Total Free White Persons:	4

He would have been the male between 15 and 19. He evidentally married very early. His wife was a tad older, as she was counted as being at least 20. Rebecca would have been a year and a half old while John would have been an infant approaching his first birthday.

Name:	John Lambert
Home in 1830 (City, County, State):	Montgomery, North Carolina
Free White Persons - Males - 5 thru 9:	1 Buck
Free White Persons - Males - 10 thru 14:	1 Nathan
Free White Persons - Males - 15 thru 19:	1 ? Either John or John's missing
Free White Persons - Females - Under 5:	1 Jane aka "Jincy"
Free White Persons - Females - 5 thru 9:	2 Elizabeth and Piety Caroline
Free White Persons - Females - 20 thru 29:	1 Mary
Free White Persons - Under 20:	6
Free White Persons - 20 thru 49:	1
Total Free White Persons:	7

The other Lambert family in the 1830 census was that of John Lambert, and this was a young family, not an older one, so it would be John Lambert, Jr.

While Nathan the first was married in 1826, his wife, who had to be considerably older than him, is back to her widows name and alone in 1830.

Name:	Dolly Goodman
Home in 1830 (City, County, State):	Cabarrus, North Carolina
Free White Persons - Females - 40 thru 49:	1
Free White Persons - 20 thru 49:	1
Total Free White Persons:	1
Total - All Persons (Free White, Slaves, Free Colored):	1

Nathan may have been this Nathan in Randolph County, NC, but not neccessarily so.

Name:	Nathan Lambert
Home in 1830 (City, County, State):	Regiment 1, Randolph, North Carolina
Free White Persons - Males - Under 5:	3
Free White Persons - Males - 5 thru 9:	2
Free White Persons - Males - 30 thru 39:	1
Free White Persons - Females - 10 thru 14:	1
Free White Persons - Females - 30 thru 39:	1
Free White Persons - Under 20:	6
Free White Persons - 20 thru 49:	2
Total Free White Persons:	8

Rev. John's daughter, the older Piety, was in the area by 1834, because on August 16, 1834, Piety marries John Calvin Page in Cabarrus County, with John Jr.'s neighbor, Dempsey Hathcock as Bondsman.

A list of Subscribers names to be attached to a petition for a division of Montgomery County for district No 14 John Little Capt Jonathan Morgan Labon Little Morris Smith Jacob W. Little Esqr. Drewry Morgan Joshua L. hinson Benjamin (x) Penyon Christopher (x) Yow Tobin Lamburt Sampson (x) Watts Duncan Tucker James (L or S)ittle Senr Hudson Vickers M S l____ George Smith John Brooks James Hartsel Lewis (x) Springer Nathan L. (x) Starnes John M (x) hinson George W. (x) Lambert _ichman (x) Page T. W. ___________ Geo H Honneycutt Michael Garmon Jur. Sion (x) Page L___s Honneycutt Mathias Furror Frederick (x) Lambert F. K. Honneycutt Dempsey (x) Honneycutt A H Honeycutt Josiah Barbee ____ Honeycutt Benj Barbee Ely (x) Honneycutt John E. ________ A (x) Honneycutt J. W. Craton K Shinn M Williams Solomon Hartsel John Shew Jacob (x) Tucker David (x) Shew James Tucker Pleasant Almond Pleasant Tucker Caleb Osborne Daniel Hartsell Cla______ F. Reed Thomas (x) Pinyon Garrott Pless Joseph K Honneycutt Charles Pless James Little Jur James Hathcock George Stogner George (x) Honeycutt Peter Pless John Stansill David Harky John Hagler Hyram (x) Barba Leonard Hartsell Isaac Harky Uriah (x) Page Henry (x) Yow Moses (x)Kizor Jonah Love *

Frederick was in this area until at least 1838 when he shows up on a Petition for the Division of Montgomery County by the use of the Pee Dee River, due to the danger and inconvenience of persons on the west side of the river, trying to get to the Courthouse in Lawrenceville, the County Seat.






In District 14 we find Frederick Lambert next to neighbor Dempsy Honeycutt, who was probably his father-in-law. Pleasant Almond, his wayward brother-in-law is on there as well as his brother, George W. Lambert, who also moved away, next to Nathan T. Starnes, who was a neighbor to John Jr., but oddly, John Jr. nor John Sr. are on the Petition, nor Nathan, but there is a Tobin Lambert, whom I've never seen mention of anywhere else. I wonder if that is a bad translation of Nathan, but that doesn't make much sense.




Two Lamberts also show up in the 1840 census, John and Nathan. Nathan, of course was the son of John Sr. , not the son of John Jr., who would only have been 10. And the John was John Jr. not John Sr., because of the age.

Name:	Nathan Lambers [Nathan Lambert]
Home in 1840 (City, County, State):	West Pee Dee River, Montgomery, North Carolina
Free White Persons - Males - 20 thru 29:	1 Nathan Lambert
Free White Persons - Females - Under 5:	1
Free White Persons - Females - 20 thru 29:	1 Caroline Mann Lambert
Persons Employed in Agriculture:	1
Free White Persons - Under 20:	1
Free White Persons - 20 thru 49:	2
Total Free White Persons:	3

It is likely John Sr. was in the county by then, because John Jr was noted as "Junior" to differentiate him from a "Senior" John Lambert who was somewhere, but probably living in another household.

Name:	Jno Lambert [Jno Lambert Jun]
Home in 1840 (City, County, State):	West Pee Dee River, Montgomery, North Carolina
Free White Persons - Males - Under 5:	1 Nathan
Free White Persons - Males - 10 thru 14:	1 William "Buck"
Free White Persons - Males - 30 thru 39:	1 John Jr.
Free White Persons - Females - Under 5:	1 Emaline
Free White Persons - Females - 5 thru 9:	2  Jincy & Adeline
Free White Persons - Females - 10 thru 14:	1 Piety Caroline
Free White Persons - Females - 15 thru 19:	1 Elizabeth
Free White Persons - Females - 30 thru 39:	1 Mary
Persons Employed in Agriculture:	3
Free White Persons - Under 20:	7
Free White Persons - 20 thru 49:	2
Total Free White Persons:	9

But which household?

There were a few other places to look to see when the Lamberts and Rev. John, in particular, first arrived in the Stanly County area.







In the book "Abstracts of the Minutes of the Court of Pleas and Quarter Sessions of Stanly County 1841-1850" Abstracted and Edited by Helen Lefler Garner, the earliest court appearances from the establishment of Stanly County in 1841, to the 1850 census, is covered. The Lamberts made a few quiet appearances.

Frederick Lambert is not listed. He doesn't appear anywhere in the 1840

George W. Lambert makes one appearance:

November Session 1843

Michael Cook vs. George W. Lambert : Judgement granted against George W. Lambert and his securit Jonathan Lambert  for $14.16 to be discharged on payment of $6.95, interest and cost and cost of this shift. 

Note: Frederick and George W. Lambert descendants are verified by FT DNA Y-testing to tie into our family. So the Pace to Lambert change was before their generation.

Jonathan is mentioned one more time, serving as a juror in 1849.

Nathan registers his ear mark in 1847 and serves as a juror 4 times. This is probably the younger Nathan, son of John Jr., as the older Nathan has already moved.

One of the John Lamberts proves a deed of Frederick Pages' in 1841. Sometimes they designate whether it's Sr. or Jr. and sometimes they did not. This was probably Jr. In 1842, "just John" was appointed to Superintend and manage the election in his District for members of the General Assembly along with Mathias Furr and Andrew Honeycutt.

In the December 1842 Session, Sheriff Eben Hearne listed lands he proposed selling for taxes owed in 1840 and 1841. On the list is John Lambert Sr. who owed .77 cents for taxes on his 66 acres on Running Branch. So, although I can not find any land deeds for the Lamberts in Montgomery County prior to the Division of Stanly, John Lambert Sr.,had recieved or purchased 66 acres prior to 1841.

On January 9th, 1843 10 of those 66 acres were sold, belonging to John Lambert Sr.

John Jr. served as a juror a couple of times and then served again as a manager of an eletion for Governor.

William Lambert, son of John Jr. was the most popular jurist in the bunch, serving a total of 7 times, beginning in 1850, when he was 24. He was called first in 1847, at age 21, but then dismissed.

No real revelations there, with the exception that John Lambert Sr. owned land before 1841.


Knowing that Rev. John Lambert was a member of the Primitive Baptist faith, I decided to look in the available records of those churchs in the County.

Sandy Creek Primitive Baptist Church circa 1802. Photo courtesy of Randolph County Historic Landmark Preservation Association

Our branch of the Primitive Baptists fell under the Sand Creek Baptist Association. Sandy Creek was located in Randolph County, North Carolina, near the town of Liberty. Rev. Shubal Stearnes was a minister there and was a very crucial part of the founding of the Association in 1758. In it's Hey Day, the Association covered a large territory from Southern Virginia to the Potomac River in Georgia. There were 7 North Carolina churches and 2 Virginia churches involved at it's inception, those including Little River in Montgomery County and Abbott's Creek in Davidson County.

I searched through the book, "A History of the Sandy Creek Baptist Association" by George Purifoy and also the online archives of Church Minutes for Meadow Creek, Bear Creek and Liberty Hill, which were located in Stanly County.

In the 1840's and 1850's I found the following men representing the following churches

Brush Creek - Randolph - Henry Bray
Love's Creek - Chatham - John Lambert, Daniel Hackney, Duncan Murchinson

Now, I've seen many Family Trees having my Rev. John Lambert purported to be the John Lambert who married Mary, the daughter of Henry Bray. It was a little surprising to see that these men were representatives of the Primitive Baptist Churches. There was also a John Lambert in Randolph County as well as Chatham. This fact tends to lead creedence to that theory, but in another post, I will explore these two men more closely and present my conclusions then.

By the early 1800's, two locals churches had joined the Associaton:

Fork of the Little River, near Troy NC, was represented by Francis Jordan and Benjamin Simmons, two men from very old and deeply rooted Montgomery County (East Pee Dee) families.

Current Forks of Little River Baptist Church, Ether area, near Troy, NC 

Mouth of the Uwharrie, a church close to my heart and dna was listed in 1811, represented by Burwell Coggins and John Wilson. This congregation was known to be active before 1780. Located first on the West Side of the River, across from where the Uwharrie meets the Yadkin to form the Pee Dee River, it was near the defunct town town of Tindallsville, within the confines of what is now Morrow Mtn State Park. It later relocated to the east side of the River to the town of Henderson, on the banks of the Uwharrie. My ancestor Rev. William McGregor ministered there. He was ordained in Franklin County, NC and lived in what is now the preserved Kron House at Morrow Mtn. He sold the property to Dr. Kron, a physician and botatnist from Prussia, whose French wife, Mary Catherine was the niece of  Henry Delamothe, a wealthy French prospector and land baron who had fought with Lafayette.

His daughter Ava married Bennett Solomon. The Solomons, along with the McGregors and Huckabee's came to this area from Franklin County. I mention this because at this point in time, I believe Rev. John Lambert could have been born in Bute or Franklin County, NC in 1772. Was he influenced or recruited by this group of Baptists?

McGregor Gravesite

In 1811 the Mouth of the Uwharrie Baptist Church was represented by Elder Bennett Solomon, my ancestor and son-in-law of Rev. William McGregor, John Mabry and Isaac Calloway. The Mabry's were also from the same area. Just recently in examing Franklin County records, I kept seeing the names Seth Mabry and Jesse Mabry. I can not be certain if this is the same Seth Mabry and Jesse Mabry we find later in Montgomery/Stanly County records, or a younger generation, but the chances of them being one or the other are fairly good. Isaac Calloway is another ancestor of mine. From his son Job Calloway to granddaughter Vashti Calloway, leads to another Minister in my family line, Rev. Samuel P. Morton, who married Vashti Calloway. He preached in many of the local churches and Isaac ended up at Ebenezer, which became Badin Baptist.

A note says that this grouping met at "Marshalls Meeting House" in Anson. This was no doubt the James/Henry Marshall family near the Rocky River and Anson/Stanly border. Rocky River Church, where Samuel P. Morton would preach, organized from this congregation.

There's note in the minutes that "Rev. Bennett Solomon was appointed to Yadkin". Was this the Yadkin River Circuit, a new congregation or another name for the existing church?

1814 Mouth of Uwharrie was represented again by Elder  Bennett Solomon, Burwell Coggins and Bartlett McGregor, son of Rev. William, who was now deceased and buried on a hill behind the Kron House.

The McGregor/Kron house before restoration

It is believed that the congregation of Mouth of the Uwharried Baptist Church became the congregation of Stony Hill Church, which is Methodist, located originally in the Tindallsville area near the old Kron place and now located off of Valley Drive, a few miles away from the original site,and others, who remained in the Baptist faith, relocated to Ebenezer Church, which became Badin Baptist, but which existed long before the town of Badin was concieved.




Other arms of the Primitive Baptists in the Sandy Creek Circuit were formed. Meadow Creek, one of the oldest, was formed in 1768. Eventually an 'arm' of Meadow Creek, which is located just outside of Locust, in Stanly County, was formed called "Bear Creek". This old church is located on a hill following the Stanly/Cabarrus line north. It served the Bear Creek area families.

At the 1833 Association meeting, Bear Creek was reprensented by Hezikiah Herrin, Ezekial Morton, Hasten Hatley and John Whitley. Hezekiah Herrin and Ezekial Morton's children would marry into the Lambert family.




In 1834, something changed that caught my eye. The churches represented were: Bear Creek, Freedom, Meadow Creek, Piney Woods, Jerusalem, Coldwater, Cedar Creek, and "Littles on Bethany".  Bear Creek was represented by the following party: Malachi Harwood, William Eudy, Jesse Coley and John Lambert! Was this John Jr or Sr? It doesn't say. But Jr. was never a minister.

The next year, John Lambert did not show up. Bear Creek was represented by emissaries Henry Wiggins, Hezekiah Herrin and William Whitley. John did not show back up until 1837 with Hardy Wiggins and John Morton. Lawyer's Springs joined that year and Cedar Creek was disolved and joined the Bethany congregation.

Over the next 5 years, Bear Creek was represented by the following parties:

1838, the year Bethlehem and Grove Springs (in Anson) joined: John Lamber, Hasten Hatley and Allen Almond
1839, John Lambert, Hasten Hatley, Allen Almond
1840, Hasten Hatley, John Morton, Allen Almond
1841 Hasten Hatley, William Whitley, Allen Almond
1842 John Lambert, William Whitley, Allen Almond.

By this time I am pretty sure this is Rev. John Lambert who is making the meetings. A couple of things happen this year.

"Article 13: The Pineywoods Church having failed to represent  herselp in the present violation. Appointed John Lambert, Isham Coley and Ruben Honeycutt to said church and report at hext Association."

These individuals were from different congregations. The Coley's, I know, were involved in Freedom Church, which was located above Long Creek, off of the current St. Martin Road, about 10 miles southwest of Albemarle.




1842 -1843 was the year that Elder John Lambert was called upon to minister at Meadow Creek Church for a period of 12 months.

In 1843 Pineywoods joined the Abbott's Creek Association and in 1844, Groves Creek was back and Lane's Creek joined the association. Bear Creek was again represented by "Elder John Lambert, Jesse Coley and Neeham Whitley.  This had to be Needham Whitley Jr. Needham Whitley Sr., also apart of this congregation, was from Johnston County, North Carolina, a fact I found interesting. 1845, from Bear Creek again came "Elder John Lambert, William Eudy, and John Morton." Meadow Creek was represented by Solomon Burris.

1846 was also an interesting year: Bear Creek was represented by "Elder John Lambert" and Malachi Harwood, but two new churches were added to the Association:

High Hill, in Union County represented by a party of Helms and Liberty Hill Church, represented by L. K. Huneycutt and Solomon Burris.




Two articles addressed at this Association meeting caught my attention.

No 4 - Extended an invitation to churches desirous to unite with the Liberty Hill church, newly constructed in Stanly County....letter of Admittance document delivered by delegate Levi K. Huneycutt accepted by the moderator. 

No 16 - Called on Presbytery to report. Elder John Lambert reports himself and William Rushing was (sic) called to and formed a Presbytery and constructed a church in Stanly County called Liberty Hill."

Note: In 1842, in Tishomingo County, Mississippi, W. Frederick Lambert, son of Rev. John Lambert, is also in association with a William Rushing, opening a tavern and being appointed County Treasurer. Coincidence? I doubt it.

1847- Bear Creek is represented by Elder John Lambert, John Morton and William Eudy
           Liberty Hill is represented by Solomon Burris, Levi Huneycutt and "Jeremiah" Burris. I believe he 'Jeremiah' is an error, as I've not seen any other reference to anyone who could have been Jeremiah Burris and also, because of the next year's entry.

1848 - Bear Creek was represented soley by John Lambert and Liberty Hill was represented by Solomon Burris, Levi Huneycutt and Jeremiah Hinson. I beleive the 1847 Jeremiah was probably Jeremiah Hinson.

Liberty Hill Primitive Baptist Church

Another interesting article appeared this year:  13 - Brother William Rushing and Elder John Lambert ordained Levi Huneycutt deacon of Liberty Hill.

In 1849, the 18th anniversary of the Association was held at Liberty Hill. There was no mention of John Lambert. In 1860, William Rushing was ordained as minister of Liberty Hill. The last mention of John Lambert had been in 1848. He was in his late 70's in the 1850 census.




There are three abandoned Lambert cemeteries in Stanly County. All are located in the West Stanly District.

Lambert Cemetery Number 1 is located on Mission Church Road. My Dad was one of the people who surveyed this cemetery back in the 70's. There's about 30 to 40 graves there. The most prominent names are Lambert, of course, Almond and Eudy. Civil War Vet, John Quincy Lambert, son of John Jr., is buried there. Many people like to attribute the middle name of "Quincy" to John Jr., so although John Quincy was sometimes later referred to as a Junior, after his grandfather had passed and his father was the elder of the John Lamberts, I've never once seen any indication that John Jr bore the middle name 'Quincy'. Erwin/Irvin Almond, son of Pleasant Almond and husband of John Quincy's sister Piety Carolina Lambert Almond, is also buried there.

Lambert Cemetery Number 2 is also located on Mission Church Road, near it's intersection with Coley's Store Road. It's an abandoned family cemetery near an "old homeplace". Nathan Lambert, son of John Jr. is buried there with about 29 other graves. It appears to have been in use from from the late 1870's through 1890's.

The oldest of the Lambert cemeteries is Number 3, resting place of Rev. John Lambert. It's located in a pasture across the street from Lambert cemetery Number 2, near the Mission Church Rd/Coley Store Road intersection. These two cemeteries are not far from Running Creek Church and the Lambert Community, which is basically the area where Millingport Road, Mission Church Road, Substation Road, Running Creek Church Road, Rowland Road and Coley's Store Road all come together. There are about 50 graves here, but only two of the stones are legible:

L. McLure died 1886. This is Levina Almond McLure, daughter of Rebecca Lambert Almond.

J. L Died 1860. This is believed to be the grave of Rev. John Lambert, grandfather of Levina Almond McLure.

Whitley's Mill Red Cross area

There is an unincorporated community in Stanly County called "Lambert". This is the area where primarily, the descendants of John Lambert Jr. lived, farmed and grew. It's near areas now known and Ridgecrest, Red Cross and Frog Pond. Lambert is now no more than a collection of homes and farms. The building of the Lambert Dance Hall still stands but has long been out of usage, but has been in use during my lifetime.


Rev. John Lambert was the patriarch of a large, diverse and expansive family. His paternal ancestors were not Lamberts, however, but Pace's. His maternal ancestors may have been, and probably were, Lamberts.


Next: What tales do the land records tell?