Add to that a recent fairly close DNA match that makes no sense and I can't quite pin down. I'm working on that too.
But as far as my blogging, I'm going back to the discs, the court records of Old Stanly County. There are tales in there that need to be uncovered and told. Stories that can shine light, perhaps for someone else, on strange and unexpected DNA discoveries.
In particular, being a woman, I'm drawn to the stories that involve women. Women who lived in a time much different than out own. Women who had less power and control of their own lives than we do today. Why did they do what they did? Who were they? And what was their fate.
I came across one such woman in the Stanly County Court of Equity, September Session, 1855.
There I found the case of Andrew Troutman vs Catherine Troutman.
Andrew was suing his wife for divorce. It was granted. And 22 years later, this was her fate:
| Name: | Catherine Troutman |
|---|---|
| Gender: | Female |
| Race: | White |
| Marital status: | Divorced |
| Estimated birth year: | abt 1817 |
| Birth Place: | North Carolina, USA |
| Age: | 62 |
| Death Date: | Dec 1879 |
| Cause of Death: | Syphilis |
| Census Year: | 1880 |
| Census Place: | Gold Hill, Rowan, North Carolina, USA |
| Enumeration District: | 244 |
| Line: | 18 |
So Catherine died of Syphillis at the age of 62, a divorced woman, in Rowan County, NC in 1880. But that is just the top and bottom of the Oreo Cookie. Who was this lady and why was this her fate? What happened before and between and after. She was, after all, a daughter and a mother, besides a wife.
Andrew Troutman, Jr. owned land on both sides of the Rowan/ Stanly County line. He was the son of Andrew Troutman, Sr. and Elizabeth Beaver Troutman. His father lived along Little Buffalo Creek in Rowan County. They occupied this section of land where Rowan, Cabarrus and Stanly Counties all come together and the area was very rich in gold in those days. Andrew Troutman's parents had came from Burke County, Pennsylvania. The area had been settled by families that had been together for generations.
The above map shows the town of Gold Hill in the Upper-left hand corner, which is in Rowan County and the village of Misenheimer in the Lower-right hand corner which is in Stanly County. A fushia dot, a blue dot and a green dot follow the path of Long Creek, which begins in Rowan County near Gold Hill and travels the distance north to south through Stanly County until it reaches the Rocky River at the southernmost border of the county. Highway 52, which runs in the same general direction, was once part of the Salisbury to Fayetteville Wagon Road. It's present path traverses on and off the course of the original road, but still travels in the same general direction.
The big quarry-looking spot in the upper left quadrant of the map is Vulcan Materials, a supplier of building materials. It was not there, of course, during the days Andrew Troutman did, however, a mining area did that was purchased by Vulcan. The dots represent the general vicinity of Andrew Troutman's purchases of land.
It's a bit of a difficulty to separate which Andrew Trexler was involved in the land deeds in Rowan County, but knowing that Andrew Sr. lived on "Dutch Second Creek" and "Little Buffalo Creek", I believe most of the transacations involved Sr. up until about 1842. At this time, Andrew Jr. had married and began his family.
Andrew had came into the possession of valueable property. On December 20, 1842, in Rowan County, Book 30, Page 238 a transaction is recorded between Andrew Troutman on the one part and the company of George Culp, Archibald Huneycutt, James Huneycutt, Edmund Huneycutt, David Culp, Adam Eagle, and John Culp of the other part.
"Andrew Troutman in consideration of the seventh part of the metals found, if tolerable, did and if worth $25 per bushel, the sixth part found in land hereafter mentioned and used on behalf of said company - namely George Culp, Archibald Huneycutt, James Huneycutt, Edmund Huneycutt, David Culp, Adam Eagle and John Culp.....along the waters of Long Creek bordering John Troutman and Phillip Earnhardt".
The tract involved was 16 acres. Many landowners would release a portion of their properties for mining expeditions and purposes without giving up the land, in exchange for a portion of the proceeds, without having to do any of the work. Sounds like a good deal until you consider how to account for the proceeds.
On August 11, 1857, in Stanly County, Andrew bought a tract of land from Daniel Wagoner for $400.This deed was recorded in Book 5, Page 240 and was on Long Creek met the corner of John Wagoners land, bordered David Culps,ran with Gaute Sells line,met Peter Pecks corner and then ran with 'Haglers Old line". Witnesses were Thomas C. Miller and Levi Trexler. These were and still are North Stanly and South Rowan family names. Very different from the family names found in the western part of the county and the southern part of the county.Strange how in one small county, family origins from different sections can be so variant.
Later deeds involved parental inheritance and hiws second wife. He must have decided to marry well.
In Book 13 Page 323 Stanly County dated February 1st, 1869 in a deed titled 'William E. Culp et al to J. L. Earnhardt", the parties of William E.Culp and wife, Andrew Troutman and wife, Ally Troutman, Jacob Simpson and wife Amanda and D. F. Culp sold 35 acres on Long Creek in Stanly County to Mr. Earnhardt. This might sound like such a small tract for this large group to be concerned with, but this was gold country. It was witnessed by John A. Miller and Samuel A. Culp and signed by W. E. Culp, Martha J. Culp, D. F. Culp, Jacob and Amanda Simpson and Andrew and Ally Troutman.
Ten years later, in Rowan County, on November 1, 1879, in Book 56, Page 422, I found this transaction between Andrew, his second wife Ally Sell Troutman, his mother, Elizabeth Troutman, and the North State Mining Company, " a Corporation credited under the laws of New York". The Troutmans sold one undivided moiety in a 51 acre tract in Rowan County known as the Huneycutt Mine.
This was the tract involved in the 1842 deed with the Honeycutts and Culps. Not familiar with the term, 'Moiety', I looked it up to discover it was an 'undivided half share in land. The interest of a Tenant in Common.' The location of the property suggests this was land from an inheritance from Andrew Sr, who had passed away in 1857.
"Beginning in the middle channel of Little Buffalo Creek near Moreheads Mill". It mentions an old corner rock in a field, a School House line, Cunningham's corner to a rock near a house on the Southside of the Concord Road to a 'Beach' tree marked with the letters "J. M."
The rocks, I'm sure, are long gone or long ignored, but I'm interested in the location of the Mill and the School House. Which School?
It was signed by Elizabeth, Andrew and Aley E. Troutman and F. H. Mauney, Justice of the Peace.
Four years later, in Stanly County, in Book 15, Page 160, is found an Indenture between Samuel Sell, Phillip Sell, Ally Troutman, Andrew Troutman, Eliza Cody, Daniel Cody, Dorothy Wiles, William Wiles, Mary Miller, F. H. Miller, Caroline Russell and Bennett Russell, all "Heirs at Law of Corrighl Sell, deceased". I believe this was her father, as these are her siblings, but other records have her father as "Goright". Perhaps this was an original spelling and Goright the Anglicization of it.
 |
| Grace Lower Stone Lutheran Church in Rowan County, NC |
So this gives me a general idea of who Andrew Troutman was and who is people were. As would be the people of his wives, as well, Andrew was a third generation of the Pennsylvania Dutch, aka the Germans, who had migrated from Pennsylvania and settled along Dutch Buffalo Creek and in the area of Gold Hill and Southwestern Rowan County, having built the stone churchs known as Grace Lower Stone Church, Organ Lutheran Church and Saint John's Lutheran Church near Mt. Pleasant.
Here is a good place to remind everyone that many very English sounding names are German in origin. The Millers mentioned above were originally Meullers. The Browns started out as Brauns. And the Troutmans began as Trautmann, which meant "trusted friend".
But what about Catherine? Her maiden name of Earnhardt was unmistakenly German in origin, so she too, was no doubt a product of these industriou people. In fact, on the marriage license of Andrew and Catherine, her name was spelled Aaronhardt, but was originally, "Ehrenheart", meaning honor and bravery.
Catherine was the third-born child of Jacob Earnhardt (1787-1877) and his first wife, Catherine "Catie" Harkey Earnhardt. In turn, he was the son of Johann Jurg Ehrenhardt Sr. from Munich, Bavaria, Germany, another of the Palatine immigrants. Jacob had 9 children by his wife Catie, who passed away in 1859. Not to be impeded, he would then, in 1862, marry a young 22 year old girl from a non-German family, Sarah Hill, who was 50 years his junior, and father two more daughters with her. Between his oldest and youngest children was a space of 51 years. Remarkable.
CLIPPED FROM
The Charlotte DemocratCharlotte, North Carolina21 Jan 1862, Tue • Page 3
So Catherine Earnhardt Troutman grew up in a large family, and I am sure, helped provide childcare for the many younger siblings. The list of Jacob's children would be:
1813 Sarah
1815 John W.
1817 Catharine
1819 Henry
1819 Jacob Jr.
1821 Maria
1823 Moses
1827 Susanna
1829 Emmeline
by Catherine Harkey
1863 Laura Jane
1866 Eva Camilla Sophia
by Sarah Hill
Andrew Troutman and Catherine Earnhardt were married on January , 1839 in Rowan County. John Troutman was bondsman, no doubt a relative of Andrew, and perhaps Catherine, too as her grandmother, Old Jacob's mother, was also a Troutman. There was quite a bit of endogamy in this group of Germans. For a few generations, they kept to their own.
| Name: | Andrew Troutman |
|---|---|
| Gender: | Male |
| Spouse: | Catherine Aronheart |
| Spouse Gender: | Female |
| Bond date: | 22 Jan 1839 |
| Bond #: | 000129979 |
| Level Info: | North Carolina Marriage Bonds, 1741-1868 |
| ImageNum: | 000247 |
| County: | Rowan |
| Record #: | 02 437 |
| Bondsman: | James Troutman |
| Witness: | John Giles |
The 1840 census was the first one after Andrew and Catherine's marriage in 1839. It shows a newly wedded couple, without children yet, living among many other Troutmans, Earnhardts (or Arnhardts) and Millers.
| Name: | Andrew Troutman |
|---|---|
| Home in 1840 (City, County, State): | Rowan, North Carolina |
| Free White Persons - Males - 20 thru 29: | 1 |
| Free White Persons - Females - 20 thru 29: | 1 |
| Persons Employed in Agriculture: | 1 |
| Free White Persons - 20 thru 49: | 2 |
| Total Free White Persons: | 2 |
| Total All Persons - Free White, Free Colored, Slaves: | 2 |
1850 is the first that names all but Head of Household. In this one, the couple is together and all 3 of their known children have been born.
| Name: | Catharine Troutman | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Age: | 29 | ||||||||||||
| Birth Year: | abt 1821 | ||||||||||||
| Birthplace: | North Carolina | ||||||||||||
| Home in 1850: | Gold Hill, Rowan, North Carolina, USA | ||||||||||||
| Gender: | Female | ||||||||||||
| Family Number: | 124 | ||||||||||||
| Household Members: |
|
This was the last census that the family would be together. To note, this was also the last census where Catharine's mother, also Catherine, would be alive.
| Name: | Jacob Earnhart | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Age: | 63 | ||||||||
| Birth Year: | abt 1787 | ||||||||
| Birthplace: | North Carolina | ||||||||
| Home in 1850: | Gold Hill, Rowan, North Carolina, USA | ||||||||
| Gender: | Male | ||||||||
| Family Number: | 180 | ||||||||
| Household Members: |
|
The 15 year old Clotilda in the household was not a daughter of Jacob and Catie, but a granddaughter. She was the firstborn of their oldest daughter, Sarah, who would later marry, but leave her out-of-wedlock child with her parents to raise. Clotilda has her own story and Catherine was not the only "black sheep" in her family tree.
The census counted Andrew and Catherine Troutman and their family in Gold Hill Township in Rowan County. However, owning property in both counties suggested their property straddled the county line between Gold Hill and Misenheimer. Their case was heard in Stanly County.
The court case was named "Andrew Troutman vs. Catherine Troutman", Petition for Divorce.
The year was 1855. The couple had been married for 16 years. Andrew was 39 and Catherine was 37. Their 3 children were Rufus, 14, Adelia 10 and Mary Elizabeth, 5.
"This case coming on to be heard upon the petition and finding of the Jury upon the issues submitted to them is declared by the court that Catherine Troutman did separate herself from her husband Andrew Troutman and live in an adulterous connection with John Bennett six months prior to the filing of the petition that Andrew Troutman did not recieved her into his congugal embraces after a knowledge of her infidelity and he has not been guilty of a similar offense. That Andrew and Catherine intermarried in the State of North Carolina, resided here three years previous to the bringing of this suit. It is accordingly ordered, decreed and adjudged by the court that the marriage between Andrew and Catherine Troutman be divorced and that Andrew Troutman be divorced from the bonds of matrimony and with said Catherine and it is further ordered that Andrew Troutman pay the costs of this suit and that this decree be enrolled."
There were 4 issues brought before the jury to be verified.
1st: "Did Catherine Troutman separate herself from her husband Andrew Troutman and live in adultery with John Bennett 6 months prior to the filing of this petiton?
2nd: "Did Andrew Troutman recieve her into his conjugal embraces after knowledge of her infidelity?
3rd: "Has Andrew been guilty of a similar offense?
4th: "Were the parties intermarried in this state and did they reside here three years before filing this Petition?
A jury of 12 was chosen:
1. Tillman Carter 7. A. H. Hatley
2. Robert M. Wall 8. John J. Freeman
3. Henry T. Mann 9. Francis Biles
4. Alexander M. Dry 10. N. P. Efrid
5. Michael Fesperman 11. Solomon Sell
6. Charles Frick 12. William Sides
All citizens of Stanly County, most from the northern part of the county. The jury found in favor of the Plaintiff, Andrew and the divorce was granted the first Monday in September, 1855.
But there is yet a mystery that remains unsolved. There was a third party involved in this suit. The question remains, Who was John Bennett?
I have been unable to find a John Bennett in either Rowan or Stanly County that could have lent himself to be the interloper mentioned in this suit during this decade. Bennett was an Anson County name.
I found a John Washington Bennett who was born about 1809 and died in 1858, who was buried in Wadesboro and a Dr. John H. Bennett who was born in 1813 and died in 1899, also buried in Wadesboro, and a John Bunyan Bennett, born in Anson County in 1818 and ended up living in what became Union County, who died in 1860. Could any of them have possibly made their way the 45 miles from Wadesboro to Gold Hill and lived there for 6 months in the mid- 1850's in an adulterous relationship with Catherine Earnhardt Troutman?
I suppose one of them certainly could have, but there is no indications that any of them did.
This does not mean there were no Bennetts in Rowan County. In fact, there were 2, and in 1850, they lived just a few houses away on the census in 1850, from Andrew and Catherine in Gold Hill.
| Name: | Amanda Bennett | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Age: | 38 | ||||||||
| Birth Year: | abt 1812 | ||||||||
| Birthplace: | North Carolina | ||||||||
| Home in 1850: | Gold Hill, Rowan, North Carolina, USA | ||||||||
| Race: | Mulatto | ||||||||
| Gender: | Female | ||||||||
| Family Number: | 118 | ||||||||
| Household Members: |
|
Family Number 118 in Gold Hill was a 24 year old Carpenter named Doctor Bennett, a 38 year old woman named Amanda Bennett and a 15 year old laborer named John H. Stafford. In contrast, the Troutmans were family 124, just 6 households away.
The striking thing about these Bennetts were that they were designated as "M" under race for Mulatto, or "Brown People". Those who do not fit in as black or white. This label was given to Native Americans, people of mixed ancestry, or really, any "Free People of Color", meaning they were free people and were not white. Amanda may have been the mother of Doctor Bennett, while it is possible that she was 14 and had a child, as especially women of color sometimes began their families very early in life, especially, later census records show her as older.
| Name: | Amanda Bennett | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Age: | 67 | ||||||||
| Birth Date: | Abt 1813 | ||||||||
| Birthplace: | North Carolina | ||||||||
| Home in 1880: | Charlotte, Mecklenburg, North Carolina, USA | ||||||||
| Dwelling Number: | 153 | ||||||||
| Race: | Mulatto | ||||||||
| Gender: | Female | ||||||||
| Relation to Head of House: | Mother-in-law | ||||||||
| Marital status: | Widowed | ||||||||
| Father's Birthplace: | North Carolina | ||||||||
| Mother's Birthplace: | North Carolina | ||||||||
| Occupation: | Home | ||||||||
| Cannot Write: | Yes | ||||||||
| Neighbors: | |||||||||
| Household Members: |
|
Ten years later she would be in the town of Salisbury living with 2 young women and a littler girl, also labeled mulattos. Lastly, she is found in Charlotte, listed as a mother-in-law to a Squire Sims, meaning she was the mother of his wife, Mary A. Sims. All three are listed as mulattos, people of mixded ancestry. This is the last I can find of Amanda. Doctor Bennett only appears in this one census.
In 1855, Doctor Bennett was 29 and Catherine Troutman was 37. Is it concievable that she could have had an affair with the younger brown-skinned man? Of course it is. In fact, in that very era, 1855, in Stanly County, was another trial that made it to the state courts, that of " The State vs Harris Melton and Ann Bird".
Henry Harrison Melton aka "Harris", was the son of Charlotte Melton, who was white, and an unidentified man, who was not. He was named, obviously, for another Henry Harrison Melton (also seen as Milton), who was a relative of Charlotte's and probably for an older relative in the family tree.
Harris Melton and Ann Bird were from Stanly County and had been married. They were charged with fornication because their marriage was not considered legal, as Ann was white and Harris had obviously darker coloration.
| Name: | Haris Milton | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Age: | 26 | ||||||
| Birth Year: | abt 1824 | ||||||
| Birthplace: | North Carolina | ||||||
| Home in 1850: | Gold Hill, Rowan, North Carolina, USA | ||||||
| Gender: | Male | ||||||
| Family Number: | 105 | ||||||
| Household Members: |
|
The couple was also found in Gold Hill in 1850. It had to obviously been a more open-minded place at the time. Various relatives and Gold Hill neighbors and Stanly County citizens were called to testify at the hearing, including the minister who married them.
At the end of the hearing, based on the testimony of individuals who knew the unnamed father of Charlotte Melton's children, who stated that they considered him "Indian" and that the had stated that he was of "Portugee" origins, or Portugeuse, a statement found in the oral histories of Melungeons, a people of mixed race who took refuge in the mountains of Appalachia.
Some people of Applacia: Complicated Roots
Harris Milton died on February 15, 1855 at age 33 years, 2 months and 14 days. He is buried in the Henry Marshall family cemetery in Albemarle, North Carolina, not far from Little Long Creek. The mystery surrounds what did Harris die of at such a young age and why did the wealthy and respected Mr. Marshall, Esquire have him buried in his family plot, marker and all?
It could have been a mining accident, of course, as they lived in Gold Hill and that is where Ann remained, but something tells me there was foul play afoot. Perhaps at the hands of vilgilantes.
As Doctor Bennett shows up no more, and perhaps his name could have been Doctor John Bennett, maybe even being named after an Anson County Dr. John. Perhaps, if he was the named Bennett in the Troutman divorce proceedings, he also fell victim to foul play by citizens of Gold Hill who would not have a man of mixed heritage with a white woman. But this is just a great deal of speculation on my part and the identity of John Bennett remains, as it began, a mystery.
| Name: | Andrew Troutman |
|---|---|
| Gender: | Male |
| Spouse: | Alley Sell |
| Spouse Gender: | Female |
| Bond date: | 23 Jul 1857 |
| Bond #: | 000129987 |
| Marriage Date: | 23 Jul 1857 |
| Level Info: | North Carolina Marriage Bonds, 1741-1868 |
| ImageNum: | 007110 |
| County: | Rowan |
| Record #: | 02 437 |
| Bondsman: | John Sell |
| Witness: | M L Holmes |
| Performed By: | M L Holmes, Justice of the Peace |
About two years after the divorce cree, Andrew Troutman would remarry, this time to a girl named Alley Sell, twenty years his junior, on July 23, 1857. Andrew and Alley wasted no time in starting their family and in 1858, their first daughter was born, Laura Josephine Troutman.
This was also the year that Andrew's mother would pass away, Elizabeth Beaver Troutman. She left a will and in it, she named not only Andrew, but his children, out of some obvious concern. Perhaps Andrew harbored doubt as to their paternity. Perhaps one in particular.
In her will, Elizabeth states, " Fifth, I give and bequeath to my son Andrew Troutman one eighth of my estate.
Sixth, I give and bequeath one eighth of my estate to the children of Andrew Troutman to be equally divided among them."
She did not do this for any of the other children of her children.
Later in the will, she singled out three of her granddaughters for a special bestowment, Charlotte Troutman, daughter of her son Solomon, Emaline Troutman, daughter of her son James Troutman and 'Addelia' Troutman, daughter of Andrew Troutman.
"Tenth, I bequeath to my granddaughter Addelia T. Troutman daughter of Andrew Troutman one bed quilt."
| Name: | Andrew Troutman | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Age: | 45 | ||||||||||||
| Birth Year: | abt 1815 | ||||||||||||
| Gender: | Male | ||||||||||||
| Birth Place: | North Carolina | ||||||||||||
| Home in 1860: | Stanly, North Carolina | ||||||||||||
| Post Office: | Albemarle | ||||||||||||
| Dwelling Number: | 502 | ||||||||||||
| Family Number: | 504 | ||||||||||||
| Occupation: | Farmer | ||||||||||||
| Real Estate Value: | 300 | ||||||||||||
| Personal Estate Value: | 250 | ||||||||||||
| Cannot Read, Write: | Y | ||||||||||||
| Household Members: |
|
The 1860 census finds Andrew and Ally living in Stanly County, NC. With them is Andrew's 14 year old daughter, Adelia Tabitha Troutman, seen here as "Delsey". Also are the first two daughters of Ally and Andrew, two year old Laura Josephine and a newborn Margaret.
| Name: | Catharine Earnhart |
|---|---|
| Age: | 35 |
| Birth Year: | abt 1825 |
| Gender: | Female |
| Birth Place: | North Carolina |
| Home in 1860: | Salisbury, Rowan, North Carolina |
| Post Office: | Gold Hill |
| Dwelling Number: | 765 |
| Family Number: | 700 |
| Occupation: | Washer Woman |
| Personal Estate Value: | 10 |
| Cannot Read, Write: | Y |
 |
| Washerwoman by Thomas Ryan 1958 |
In 1860, the disgraced Catherine is living in Gold Hill and is working as a Washerwoman. She's not far from her father Jacob, who is again living with a child of his oldest daughter Sarah, his grandson, Jesse Johnson.
| Name: | Jacob Earnhart | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Age: | 71 | ||||||
| Birth Year: | abt 1789 | ||||||
| Gender: | Male | ||||||
| Birth Place: | North Carolina | ||||||
| Home in 1860: | Salisbury, Rowan, North Carolina | ||||||
| Post Office: | Gold Hill | ||||||
| Dwelling Number: | 768 | ||||||
| Family Number: | 703 | ||||||
| Occupation: | Farmer | ||||||
| Real Estate Value: | 2650 | ||||||
| Personal Estate Value: | 2000 | ||||||
| Cannot Read, Write: | Y | ||||||
| Household Members: |
|
Many of their neighbors are miners, as is her son, Rufus. Youngest daughter, Mary Elizabeth Troutman is not living with her father, Andrew.
| Name: | Mary E Troutman | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Age: | 10 | ||||||||||
| Birth Year: | abt 1850 | ||||||||||
| Gender: | Female | ||||||||||
| Birth Place: | North Carolina | ||||||||||
| Home in 1860: | Salisbury, Rowan, North Carolina | ||||||||||
| Post Office: | Gold Hill | ||||||||||
| Dwelling Number: | 438 | ||||||||||
| Family Number: | 424 | ||||||||||
| Attended School: | Yes | ||||||||||
| Household Members: |
|
Instead, she is living with a young Miller family.
It troubled me that while his second daughter remained in his household at 14, Andrew Troutman had put his youngest child out at 10. I have a feeling he had a reason for that and possibly felt she was not his, but it was not the childs fault.
Mary Elizabeth disappears from records at this point. She may have died young, or she may have married. She may have even been under a different name, maybe Earnhardt, maybe even Bennett.
Rufus seems to have sided with his mother.
| Name: | Rufus Troutman |
|---|---|
| Gender: | Male |
| Marriage Date: | 14 Oct 1866 |
| Marriage Place: | Rowan, North Carolina, USA |
| Spouse: | Adline Noah |
| Spouse Gender: | Female |
| Event Type: | Marriage |
In 1866, he married Esther Adeline Noah. His sister, Adelia, had beat him to the alter, in 1863 she married Milas Monroe Holshouser.
 |
| Clipping from the 1880 Mortality Schedule of Rowan County Showing Catherine's demise in December |
| 1870 |
Andrew and Ally, now seen as Alice, have had 3 more children, Adam, Sarah and James. The first two daughters, Laura and Margaret, died as children. Margaret is listed in the 1860 mortality schedules of Stanly County as passing away at aged 2.
In fact, of the 6 children they end up having together, only 2 lived to adulthood. They are living in Stanly County in the Ridenhour distrist, probably in the area near Matton's Grove Church.
Daughter Adelia is living in Rowan County in Morgan District and has had a couple of children. She dies as a young mother in 1881.
Rufus remains in Gold Hill and is working for the mining industry. He lives in Gold Hill most of his life and then relocates his family to Concord, in nearby Cabbarus County, where he liveds out the remainder of his life, passing away in 1908 at the age of 67. He had been a POW during the Civil War. Rufus had a rough life, but as seen in her last census, above, Rufus took care of her mother in her last days.
Below is the transcription from ancestry.com of the 1880 Mortality Schedule from Rowan County.
Catherine had lived nearly another 10 years after the last census wherein she was living with her son. The schedule recorded that she was divorced and that she died of syphillis. Did she acquire that dreaded disease from the mysterious John Bennett? Or had she picked it up more recently. All I can tell is that for her indescretion, Catherine endured a sentence of a hard life for the rest of her years.
And I have a feeling of compasion for a family found in the old court records of Stanly County, North Carolina.
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