The Black Dragon Cedar is an evergreen Cryptomeria native to Japan. It's mature foliage is a deep black-green and it grows in an irregular pyramid shape, reaching 10 feet at maturity. They have a high olfactory value due to it's woodsy scent with a citrus-like blast and is treaured as a cultivator due to its dramatic and eye-catching shape.
The more I delve into my DNA matches and are contacted by people I share DNA with, the more I have come to understand that we, those of us with origins in the Southern part of the USA are indeed one people, one congregate mix of all who came before. Roughly in the middle of my post and research on the murder of one of my Great-great Uncles, I recieved an insistent message from a young lady, wanting to know how we were related. She was African-American, although from her profile picture I could tell she was more than that, so I was open to the fact that one of her parents may have been of European decent. But that wasn't the case.
Both of her parents identified as African-American, although she, like her mother, had a very mixed-race appearance. Her goal in contacting me was an attempt to break down a brickwall. She had gotten as far as she could in records and was hoping that by finding our shared ancestor, whom she had assumed was a slave-owner or his son, that she might be able to find the names of her ancestors in wills or other family documents and in turn, perhaps lead to the coveted African immigrant in her family tree. That is not what I found.
One feature I enjoy on ancestry.com is the 'Shared matches' option. This allows you to compare others who share dna with both you and the person you are comparing yourself to. If several of those matches have been identified by ancestry as having a common ancestor with you, sometimes a pattern is revealed that can at least set you on the right path in the right family line to find the connection.
Most often, when a person of African American ancestry appears in my matches, which is occasionally, but not often, I find that our shared matches leads to and from my Murray lines, as they were a tri-racial family who intermarried with both their white and black neighbors. That wasn't the case here either. My matches of 4th to 6th cousins that were shared in this case overwhelmingly led to a set of 3rd Great Grandparents, John and Susan Webster Falkner. My Falkner or Faulkner line is one of those few that I have not gotten back to the 5th generation level that is traced in Thrulines. Of course, it offers up the possibility of a line that others have used that I just dont' agree with. Yes, the man that they guess is John's father had a son named John, but that John and my John are not a cohesive match.
His wife Susan is another story altogether. Thanks to the will of Elias Preslar, Sr., I was able to discover that Susan was the daughter of a woman named Nancy Webster and Erasmus Preslar, the deceased son of Elias Preslar, Sr. Not only that, but Nancy, who had had 4 children with Erasmus Preslar, followed his brother, Elias Preslar Jr., who had married her sister, Mary "Polly" Webster, to Mississippi, where she married a man named Enoch Perrett or Parrott. Enoch was a free person of color from South Carolina, whose father had West Indies origins and whose mother was known as "Choctaw Annie", so it can be assumed he was a person of mixed race and Enoch was labeled 'mulatto'. I assumed my matches to the Falkner line would derive from the children of Nancy Webster and Enoch Perrett, as their children were Susan's half-siblings, but that was not the case, either. The road led, instead, to John Falkner himself.
| Name: | John Falkner |
|---|---|
| Home in 1840 (City, County, State): | Anson, North Carolina |
| Birth Year: | abt 1812 |
| Age: | [28][] |
| Free White Persons - Males - Under 5: | 1 |
| Free White Persons - Males - 5 thru 9: | 1 |
| Free White Persons - Males - 20 thru 29: | 1 |
| Free White Persons - Females - Under 5: | 1 |
| Free White Persons - Females - 30 thru 39: | 1 |
| Persons Employed in Agriculture: | 1 |
| No. White Persons over 20 Who Cannot Read and Write: | 1 |
| Free White Persons - Under 20: | 3 |
| Free White Persons - 20 thru 49: | 2 |
| Total Free White Persons: | 5 |
| Total All Persons - Free White, Free Colored, Slaves: | 5 |
As my interest has again been piqued, I will soon dive back into the origins of John Falkner, my 3rd Great Grandfather, with purpose. What I know at this point, is that John first shows up in Anson County, North Carolina in the 1840 census. He was born sometime between 1807 and 1812 and in that year was married to a woman who was in her 30's, while he was is his 20's. There were 3 young children in the home. His near neighbors that year were Abner Boggan, Thomas Carpenter, another ancestor of mine, Richard Caudle and Eli Shepard, and these names would remain in place, as John would raise his family and spend his life in the community of Lanesboro.
499. Faulkner, John Webster, Susan 1856
http://files.usgwarchives.net/nc/anson/vitals/marriages/anson.txt
He married Susan Webster in 1856 , as is recorded and also reported in the local newspaper, but I believe that may be incorrect, and it was more like 1846-1849. However, t was quite clear in the 1850 census that Susan was not his first wife, as his oldest son was 17 at the time and Susan was 25. In fact, the records of two of his older Children, Golden Faulkner and William Martin Falkner, give their mother as "Patience" and "Patia". My guess is her name was Patience and she was called Patia or Pasha for short. I believe I have figured out who his first wife was and that's a story for another post.
The 1850 census shows a clear break in the span of children, with the older chidlren most likely the children of Patia and Susan first giving birth to the unnamed 4 month old infant mentioned in the census. The children were Osburn 17, Martin 14, Martha 16, Golden 13 and 'Oseniah', who actually turned out to be Azariah, but John certainly had a bit of originality thrown in on naming his children. I've been able to track all of these except Osburn, into their own independence and life. I hope to one day find out more about him, but it's certainly concievable that he died as a young man and left no more records.
As you can see, in 1850, John was a "Cropper" and working for Richard Carpenter. In worth noting that in 1840, he was counted next to Thomas Carpenter, who is also my ancestor. Johns age is given as 29, which is incorrect, as he didn't become a father at 12, he was in his 20's ten years earlier and following records date his birth at more like 1812, so he was probably 39, instead. Neighbors following were Joshua Wright, Alpha Caudle, Joshua Preslar, Daniel Preslar and Jesse Caudle, the Preslars being blood kin to Susan and the Caudle holding a significance to this story as you will see.
The focus of the story now turns to John's oldest daughter, Martha, who was a teenager in 1850.
Some time between 1850 and 1860, Martha married someone by the surname of Maness or Manus, same family, different spelling. By 1860, her husband had died.
| Name: | John Folkner[] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Age: | 48 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Birth Year: | abt 1812 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Gender: | Male | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Race: | White | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Birth Place: | North Carolina | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Home in 1860: | Lanesboro, Anson, North Carolina | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Post Office: | Wadesboro | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Dwelling Number: | 416 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Family Number: | 376 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Personal Estate Value: | 150 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Cannot Read, Write: | Y | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
She's back in her parents home in 1860 as a young widow. In the household preceding the Falkner home was a teenaged William Manus, who was William Marshall Manus, the son of Benton Amos Manus, who died in 1850"s and whose mother, Rosanna Marsh Manus, had married a Hornbeck, had another child and been widowed again before 1860. Just below the Falkners was 65 year old Mary Margaret Caudle Manus, William's grandmother, and widow of Amos Manus, who died in 1852. It only makes sense that Martha's husband would have been from this family.
Amos Manus named his children in his will. He and Mary were the parents of 6 sons and 4 daughters : Pleasant B., Tyson George, Ola, Spicey, Tally K., Jesse C., Belinda, Tolbert Hawkins, Benton Amos, Martha Ann Manus. All sons were living in 1860, except Benton and Jesse, who both left living widows, so I haven't figured this one out yet, as far as who she married.
Martha would marry a second time, on August 6, 1872, to Michael Hoke Hartsell.
| Name: | Martha Faulkner |
|---|---|
| Gender: | Female |
| Spouse: | M. Hartsell |
| Spouse Gender: | Male |
| Marriage Date: | 6 Aug 1872 |
| Marriage County: | Union |
| Marriage State: | North Carolina |
This marriage was quickly disolved, by divorce or annulment, and on August 1, 1876, Michael Hartsell married her younger sister, Ellen.
| Name: | M H Hartsell |
|---|---|
| Gender: | Male |
| Race: | White |
| Age: | 23 |
| Birth Year: | abt 1853 |
| Marriage Date: | 1 Aug 1876 |
| Marriage Place: | Union, North Carolina, USA |
| Father: | Aaron Hartsell |
| Mother: | Cammie Hartsell |
| Spouse: | Ellen Faulkner |
| Spouse Gender: | Female |
| Spouse Race: | White |
| Spouse Age: | 19 |
| Spouse Father: | John Faulkner |
| Spouse Mother: | Susan Faulkner |
| Event Type: | Marriage |
The reason for the divorce of Martha can probably be seen in the 1870 census. Martha had some secrects that she was likely trying to hide from Michael.
| Name: | Martha Falkner | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Age in 1870: | 32 | ||||||||
| Birth Date: | abt 1838 | ||||||||
| Birthplace: | North Carolina | ||||||||
| Dwelling Number: | 186 | ||||||||
| Home in 1870: | Lanesboro, Anson, North Carolina | ||||||||
| Race: | White | ||||||||
| Gender: | Female | ||||||||
| Post Office: | Wadesboro | ||||||||
| Occupation: | Domestic Servt | ||||||||
| |||||||||
In 1870, two years before she married, M. H. Hartsell, Martha was living with Elmira Lilly, a never married lady, daughter of Edmund Lilly (1782-1834). The Lilly's were a well-to-do family as far as the era went and Edmund's predecessors were very prominent early settlers in the Montgomery County, era, a border county to Anson. They were still living in Lanesboro and the predominate family names surrounding them were still Preslar, Caudle and Manus. The Carpenters were also abundant in the area, as were several other families
Lanesboro Township lies midway on the western border of Anson County and contains the villages, or towns, of Polkton and Peachland. Burnsville is to the north, White's Store is to the south, Wadesboro to the east and Marshville, in Union County is to the west.
So, Martha, who is seen by her maiden name of Falkner, is working as a domestic servant for Miss Lilly. Also living with them is a 9 year old girl name "Princey". This is Martha's daughter, whose whole name, I would come to discover, was Princess Ann Falkner.
Two years later, Martha would marry Michael Hartsell and four years after that, her sister would marry him. Mike Hartsell hailed from Union County, which bordered Anson, but I don't believe he knew that Martha had children already. Within a year after their marriage, Martha had a second child, a daughter named Margaret, and three years after Margaret, a son named Robert. It was after the birth of Margaret that Mike probably set off to court requesting a divorce. I am still searching the the court records to prove it, but have not yet succeeded. There's no doubt the marriage was disolved, legally or not, before his marriage to Ellen.
In the 1880 census, Martha has gone back to using her first married name of Manus or Maness, and living with her are her 3 children.
But there is something very different concering the children that one would not expect. We must take a close look at the document. There's Martha Manus, widow, 44, Farm Labor, P Ann, (Princess Ann) 16, daughter Farm Labor and Margaret A. 7, daughter and Robert A., 4, son. For race, Martha is a "W" for white, while her 3 children are all "Mu", which stood for mulatto, or mixed race. So her two younger children born after her marriage with Michael H Hartsell were visibly not his children.
But there's one more thing about this census record. Look just abore the word 'daughter' next to Princess Ann's entry. Yes, it does, it says 'bastards'. The census taker, Vernon Allen, wanted to make sure for all eternity, that every one who read his entries knew these children were born out of wedlock, although she claimed the status of widow from the death of her first husband, Mr. Manus. I have never seen this before in a census.
This is the last record we have of Martha. She was still alive when Princess Ann married in 1882, but deceased when Alice married first in 1885, so we have a range of years between which she died, at around aged 50.
So who was the father of her children? Princess Ann Falkner tells us first on her marriage certificate and Alice seconds it on her second marriage certificate. On her first, she lists father unknown and Martha Faulkner as her mother, yet on her second, she named him.
Brisco Caudle.
Taking a closer look at the 1870 census, you find Brisco Caudle He's 38, black, and working on the farm of Pleasant Manus, who was likely a relative of Martha's first husband. Brisco is a married man, still living with his wife, Lydia, and their daughter, Melissa "Lissie" Caudle. As he doesn't show up until 1870 in the census, he was without doubt, born a slave. As there were numerous members of a white Caudle family in the neighborhood, children and grandchildren of Absolom Caudle, he most likely had been born on the plantation of Absolom Caudle, or one of his sons.
Being 38 in 1870, Brisco would have been 18 in 1850. In 1850, the member of the Lanesboro Caudle family who had an 18 year old male listed in the Slave Schedule section of the census was William Caudle. None of the Caudles had a 28 year old man, or anyone close, in the 1860 schedules, but the Manus family did. It may have been that Brisco was a slave of William Caudle and ended up with Pleasant Manus.
In 1880, Brisco is again within 3 households of Martha in the listing. He's 48 and living with his wife Lydia , his daughter Meiissa, who had married a Lockhart, and her infant son, John. Esther is still living with them, but now we know she's his sister.
From Princess Ann's marriage certificate, we know Brisco is deceased by 1882, at around age 50. Further research reveals Brisco and his wife, Lydia had two daughters, Adeline and Melissa.
Adeline (1855-1929), married Barnes Lotharp and had 4 children, passing away at 74 in Union County.
Melissa (1861 - 1936), married Henry Lockhart and had John, after splitting from him, she married Hampton 'Hamp' Thomas and had 4 children with him, who she raised in Lanesboro.
Princess Ann Falkner
Princey was previously seen as a child and teen in her mother's home in 1870 and 1880. Her name must have been a trend at the time as she wasn't the only Princess Ann.
On May 28, 1882, Princey married Wyley Caudle, son of Fanny Caudle, deceased and Melton Williams, living. Her father, Brisco Caudle was deceased and her mother, Martha was living in Anson County and Prince was said to be living in South Carolina.
The wedding took place at Mt. Zion Baptist Church in Lanesboro, by Rev. John W. Davis. Witnesses were Jeremiah Polk and Solomon Leak.
The church was more than likely the present day Harris Chapel AME Zion Church near Morven, founded in 1865. Not the same building, of course, but the same congregation.
 |
| Harris Chapel AME Zion near Morven |
Eighteen years later, Wiley and Princess Ann had relocated to the Clear Creek area of Mecklenburg County. Wiley was farming and they had grown their family to 7 children.
| Name: | Wiley Caudle | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Age: | 50 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Birth Date: | Dec 1849 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Birthplace: | North Carolina, USA | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Home in 1900: | Clear Creek, Mecklenburg, North Carolina | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sheet Number: | 2 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Number of Dwelling in Order of Visitation: | 20 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Family Number: | 20 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Race: | Black | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Gender: | Male | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Relation to Head of House: | Head | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Marital Status: | Married | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Spouse's Name: | Ann P Caudle | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Marriage Year: | 1880 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Years Married: | 20 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Father's Birthplace: | North Carolina, USA | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Mother's Birthplace: | North Carolina, USA | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Occupation: | Farmer | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Months Not Employed: | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Can Read: | Yes | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Can Write: | Yes | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Can Speak English: | Yes | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| House Owned or Rented: | Rent | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Farm or House: | F | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Neighbors: | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
This was not a random move. A few of Martha's brothers, Princey's uncles, also had relocated to this area, just about 40 miles west of Lanesboro.
 |
| Clear Creek Township is located in the easternmost point of Mecklenburg County. |
A great deal of change occured between 1900 and 1910 for the family. It seems that after Wyley's father, Milton or Melton Williams, who was from Cheraw, SC, passed away, Wyley assumed his father's surname of Williams.
| Name: | Wiley Williams | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Age in 1910: | 59 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Birth Date: | 1851[1851] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Birthplace: | North Carolina | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Home in 1910: | Greens Creek, Polk, North Carolina, USA | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Race: | Black | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Gender: | Male | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Relation to Head of House: | Head | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Marital Status: | Married | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Spouse's Name: | Princess A Williams | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Father's Birthplace: | North Carolina | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Mother's Birthplace: | North Carolina | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Native Tongue: | English | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Occupation: | Farmer | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Industry: | General Farm | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Employer, Employee or Other: | Employer | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Home Owned or Rented: | Rent | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Farm or House: | Farm | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Able to read: | Yes | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Able to Write: | No | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Years Married: | 32 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Neighbors: | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||
They had also made a pretty large move, from Mecklenburg County, to Polk County, NC. There were no other family members there, that I can detect, so the reason for the move is unknown. The couple had also completed their family with the addition of 2 more daughters, Annie Bell and Gracie. They had been married for 32 years. In 1900, Princey had reported being the mother of 9 children, with 7 living. In 1910, she reported being the mother of 11 children, with 9 living, so the two who had passed away died before 1900.
While Mecklenburg County was not very far from Anson, Polk County was a fair jump. While there was one county, Union, between Anson and Mecklenburg, still following the NC/SC border, Wyley had removed his family 4 counties over from Mecklenburg and 6 from Anson.
The Green Creek area of Polk is a beautiful area of easy, rolling green hills, with a view of the Blue Ridge in the distance. Greek Creek Township is its eastern most area. The western border is more hilly and rugged. This is likely where Princess Ann Falkner Caudle-Williams was laid to rest, as we see her no more.
| Name: | Wiley Williams | ||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Age: | 70 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Birth Year: | abt 1850 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Birthplace: | North Carolina | ||||||||||||||||||
| Home in 1920: | Cherokee, Spartanburg, South Carolina | ||||||||||||||||||
| House Number: | Farm | ||||||||||||||||||
| Residence Date: | 1920 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Race: | Black | ||||||||||||||||||
| Gender: | Male | ||||||||||||||||||
| Relation to Head of House: | Head | ||||||||||||||||||
| Marital Status: | Widowed | ||||||||||||||||||
| Father's Birthplace: | North Carolina | ||||||||||||||||||
| Mother's Birthplace: | North Carolina | ||||||||||||||||||
| Able to Speak English: | Yes | ||||||||||||||||||
| Occupation: | Farmer | ||||||||||||||||||
| Industry: | General Farm | ||||||||||||||||||
| Employment Field: | Own Account | ||||||||||||||||||
| Home Owned or Rented: | Rented | ||||||||||||||||||
| Able to read: | Yes | ||||||||||||||||||
| Able to Write: | Yes | ||||||||||||||||||
| Neighbors: | |||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||
Wyley, now 70, was still on the move. In 1920, he has moved to Spartanburg, South Carolina with his 3 youngest children and an infant grandson, Thomas.
He is still farming, and slowly moving eastward again.
| Name: | Wily C Williams | |||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Birth Year: | abt 1851 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Gender: | Male | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Race: | Negro (Black)[Black] | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Age in 1930: | 79 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Birthplace: | North Carolina | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Marital Status: | Widowed | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Relation to Head of House: | Father-in-law | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Home in 1930: | Clear Creek, Mecklenburg, North Carolina, USA | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Map of Home: | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Street Address: | Lawyers Road | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Dwelling Number: | 13 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Family Number: | 13 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Age at First Marriage: | 31 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Attended School: | No | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Able to Read and Write: | Yes | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Father's Birthplace: | North Carolina | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Mother's Birthplace: | North Carolina | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Able to Speak English: | Yes | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Occupation: | Laborer | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Industry: | Farm | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Class of Worker: | Wage or salary worker | |||||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||||||
By 1930, Wyley had returned to the Clear Creek area of Mecklenburg to move in with one of his older daughters, Flonnie, who had married and stayed there. Jane 'Cordal', was also his daughter, and it was Caudle, not Cordal. Some of his children remained Caudles, while others went with Williams or went back and forth.
| Name: | Wiley Caudle | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Age: | 22 | ||||||
| Birth Date: | Abt 1858 | ||||||
| Birthplace: | North Carolina | ||||||
| Home in 1880: | Bethel Church, Cabarrus, North Carolina, USA | ||||||
| Dwelling Number: | 101 | ||||||
| Race: | Black | ||||||
| Gender: | Male | ||||||
| Relation to Head of House: | Self (Head) | ||||||
| Marital Status: | Single | ||||||
| Father's Birthplace: | North Carolina | ||||||
| Mother's Birthplace: | North Carolina | ||||||
| Occupation: | Laborer | ||||||
| Neighbors: | |||||||
| |||||||
A little more about Wyley, he was in the 1870 census as a 12 year old, working on a farm in Anson county for a Beachum family. His traveling jones hit early, as by 1880, he had moved on to Cabarrus County, which borders Union and Mecklenburg.
| Name: | Wylie Williams |
|---|---|
| Gender: | Male |
| Death Date: | 1 Jun 1934 |
| Death Place: | Mecklenburg, North Carolina, USA |
| Certificate Number: | 0045000541 |
| Book: | 45 |
| Page: | 541 |
| ItemID: | 31444 |
Wylie (Caudle) Williams died on June 1, 1934 in Mecklenburg County, North Carolina. He was 84 years old.
The known children of Princess Ann Faulkner (Falkner) and Wylie Caudle-Williams were:
1) Jennie (1883-1937) Married Tomsy Harris in Cabarrus County, relocated to Portmouth, Virginia and passed away in Phildelphia, PA.
2) Samantha "Mantha" J. (1885-1978) Married J. H. 'Smiley' Russell in Mecklenburg County, where she raised her family and spent her life. Married Thomas Bloomfield later in life after Smiley died.
3) Flonnie Jeanice (1887-1962) Married John May and also spent her life in Mecklenburg County.
4) William C. Williams (1889 -1939) Married Ella Anderson and worked as a Driver and Chauffeur in Charlotte.
5) Albert N. Caudle (1892-1925) Married Jane Stanly. Spent time between Mecklenburg and Union Counties. Albert died young, at 32, and died while farming, falling into a fire and burning to death. He left 2 young sons.
6) Aaron Tildon Williams (1896-1948) Married a number of times, 3 children. Spent most of his working life as a Janitor at nice hotels in Charlotte, NC. Died in South Carolina at age 52.
7) Fannie R. (1897-1920) Married Simeral "Sim" Winchester. Died in Mecklenburg County at age 23. One daughter.
8) James Arthur Williams (1899 - 1995) Married Lilly M. Brewton. Had a large family he raised in Spartanburg, SC. Worked as a farmer.
9) Annie Bell (1902-1920) Died shortly after the 1920 census was taken in Spartanburg at age 18.
10) Gracie M. Williams (1906-1934) Married Walter Drayton. Died in Charlotte, NC at age 29. Worked as a Maid in the nice neighborhoods of Charlotte.
Although some of Wyley and Princess Ann's sons sought to continue their fathers profession of farming, a majority of their children became part of the upwardly mobile class of young urban African- Americans who sought a life in the growing, socially active city of Charlotte.
Their children, grandchildren and children-in-law are shown as a self-employed Drayman, a nurse in a Doctor's Office, delivery driver, janitor at a Department Store, Chauffeur for a transit company, and several worked in hotels as maids, waiters and elevator operators, a far cry from the farm.
They lived on Polk St., several on White St., Lawyers Rd. and Wilgrove. Some lived at the hotel where they worked.
Some of the children of these left Charlotte for larger cities still, New York, Baltimore, Philadelphia, Boston, Chicago. Some came home as they aged.
Alice Falkner
Alice Falkner is a bit more of a mystery than her sister, Princess Ann, who was mystery enough. I've came to the conclusion that Alice and the Margaret A., daughter of Martha Falkner in 1880, were one and the same. Those years seemed to float in these old records, especially in females.While her age floats from 1867 to 1885 in differing records, her death certicate has her year of birth as 1872, close to the 1880 census date of Margaret A. This would put her at 13 years old, and barely, marrying for the first time, but it was not unheard of, especially for an orphan. From my own personal experience, African-American families are much harder to research. They're more likely to have evaded records, more likely to have their names mispelled, more likely to have moved around alot, more likely to have divorced or changed partners without documentation, more likely to have had a funeral without a death certificate.
Alice and Margaret A. Falkner were either the same person, or Alice was missed in the 1880 census and Margaret didn't leave any other record of her existence. I've not found her under any surname that would make sense. I'm still not through going through the Anson County Bastardy bonds looking for mention of Martha, as the census taker clearly labeled her 3 children in 1880 as such.
Alice first appears in her marriage license to Peter Maness (or Manus) on January 6, 1885 in Anson County, NC. She's said to be 18 years old, which would give her a birth years of 1867 or so, the daughter of 'father unknown' and Martha Falkner, deceased. This means Martha died between 1882, when Princey married and 1885, when Alice married. Peter was old enough to be her father, at age 40, son of Link Marsh and Lissie Caudle, both deceased. He may have been related to Brisco somehow.
The license was applied for by William Martin Wright, a white farmer who lived in Lanesboro Township, Peachland area, who must have known one or both of them, because I see no other connection. The marriage was performed by Rev. R. J. Caudle, a Baptist Minister, and the witnesses were his family.
The marriage was unfruitful and short-lived, and just 6 years later, Mrs Alice Manus, a 25 year old widow, was remarrying to George Polk. On April 27, 1891, George Polk, 30, of Monroe, Union County, son of Joe and Peggy Polk, applied for a marriage license between himself and Mrs. Alice Manus, of New Salem Township, 25, daughter of B. Caudle and Martha Falkner, both deceased. This time, she admitted she knew who her father was. The wedding was performed by Rev. I. D. Little at the home of John Fort. John Fort and Peter Ashcraft were witnesses.
| Name: | Peter Manis | |||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Age: | 41 | |||||||||||||||
| Birth Date: | Abt 1839 | |||||||||||||||
| Birthplace: | North Carolina | |||||||||||||||
| Home in 1880: | New Salem, Union, North Carolina, USA | |||||||||||||||
| Dwelling Number: | 415 | |||||||||||||||
| Race: | Black | |||||||||||||||
| Gender: | Male | |||||||||||||||
| Relation to Head of House: | Self (Head) | |||||||||||||||
| Marital Status: | Married | |||||||||||||||
| Spouse's Name: | Penny Manis | |||||||||||||||
| Father's Birthplace: | North Carolina | |||||||||||||||
| Mother's Birthplace: | North Carolina | |||||||||||||||
| Occupation: | Works On Farm | |||||||||||||||
| Cannot Read: | Yes | |||||||||||||||
| Cannot Write: | Yes | |||||||||||||||
| Neighbors: | ||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||
New Salem was where Peter Manus lived before his marriage to Alice, with his first wife, Penny.
| Name: | Alice Polk | ||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Age: | 24 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Birth Date: | Mar 1876 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Birthplace: | North Carolina, USA | ||||||||||||||||||
| Home in 1900: | Cheraw, Chesterfield, South Carolina | ||||||||||||||||||
| Sheet Number: | 3 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Number of Dwelling in Order of Visitation: | 59 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Family Number: | 61 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Race: | Black | ||||||||||||||||||
| Gender: | Female | ||||||||||||||||||
| Relation to Head of House: | Wife | ||||||||||||||||||
| Marital Status: | Married | ||||||||||||||||||
| Spouse's Name: | George Polk | ||||||||||||||||||
| Marriage Year: | 1891 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Years Married: | 9 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Father's Birthplace: | North Carolina, USA | ||||||||||||||||||
| Mother's Birthplace: | North Carolina, USA | ||||||||||||||||||
| Mother: number of living children: | 3 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Mother: How many children: | 3 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Occupation: | Washerwoman | ||||||||||||||||||
| Months Not Employed: | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Can Read: | Yes | ||||||||||||||||||
| Can Write: | Yes | ||||||||||||||||||
| Can Speak English: | Yes | ||||||||||||||||||
| Neighbors: | |||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||
George and Alice would move to Cheraw, Chesterfield County, South Carolina, to raise a family. They would have 3 daughters, whose names the transcribers would savagely destroy. They were actually Helen aka 'Sug' Polk, Ila Polk and Mary Alice Polk. Here, they give Alice's year of birth as 1876.
George had gottne a job as a Railroad Laborer and Alice was working as a washerwoman. Cheraw was a historic old town named for the local tribe of Native Americans, the Cheraw. It's iconic courthouse still stands to remind us of what other county courthouses once looked like.
George and Alice's marriage would end in divorce, and in 1906, Alice would marry a much younger man. George returned to Anson County and passed away in 1930.
Alice would marry Robert Sanders from South Carolina.
| Name: | Alice Samans | |||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Age in 1910: | 31 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Birth Date: | 1879[1879] | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Birthplace: | North Carolina | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Home in 1910: | Cheraw, Chesterfield, South Carolina, USA | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Street: | Font St | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Race: | Black | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Gender: | Female | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Relation to Head of House: | Wife | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Marital Status: | Married | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Spouse's Name: | Robt Samans | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Father's Birthplace: | North Carolina | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Mother's Birthplace: | North Carolina | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Native Tongue: | English | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Occupation: | Cook | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Employer, Employee or Other: | Wage Earner | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Able to read: | Yes | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Able to Write: | Yes | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Years Married: | 4 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Number of Children Born: | 6 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Number of Children Living: | 3 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Out of Work: | N | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Number of Weeks Out of Work: | 0 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Neighbors: | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||||||
They were actually counted twice in the 1910 census. In one census, they correctly named the girls as Polks. They have a man named Ed Manus living with them who was from Anson county. Robert is a laborer and Alice is a cook. Helen is 18, Ila 15 and Mary Alice, 12. The transcribers have Sanders as "Samans", which threw me off for a minute, but it was Sanders. In 1900, Alice was reported as being the mohter of 3 children and 3 living. Her year of birth here is 1879 and she is reporting being the mother of 6 children with 3 living.Their residence is on Front Street.
| Name: | Alice Sanders | |||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Age in 1910: | 23 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Birth Date: | 1887[1887] | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Birthplace: | South Carolina | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Home in 1910: | Cheraw, Chesterfield, South Carolina, USA | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Street: | Front Street | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Race: | Black | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Gender: | Female | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Relation to Head of House: | Wife | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Marital Status: | Married | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Spouse's Name: | Robt Sanders | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Father's Birthplace: | South Carolina | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Mother's Birthplace: | South Carolina | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Native Tongue: | English | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Occupation: | Washerwoman | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Employer, Employee or Other: | Wage Earner | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Able to read: | Yes | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Able to Write: | Yes | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Years Married: | 5 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Number of Children Born: | 5 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Number of Children Living: | 3 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Out of Work: | N | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Number of Weeks Out of Work: | 0 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Neighbors: | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||||||
A few weeks later, another census taker comes walking down Front Street. This time they have better handwriting, so that the transcribers nearly 100 years later can get the name right. Alice has gotten considerably younger. She's now born in 1887, while remarkably, her daughter Helen is still 18, but Ila, the middle child, has jumped to age 21. Mary Alice is 11 and they have a boarder named Maria Rena, a Cheaw. Alice has also returned to being a Laundress. Her year of birth ranged from 1866 to 1887.
1910 would be the last for Margarite Alice Falkner Manus Polk Sanders. She passed away on the 4th of July in 1917 in Cheraw, SC.She was 45 years old and died of Mitral Insufficiency. Her Husband, Robert was the reporter. He recalled that she was born in Marshville, but not the names of ther paretns.
Robert survived her by a number of years, and passed awy in 1944. He had remarried a girl from Anson County, NC.
Helen Polk married James Martin.
Ila Polk Married Lonnie Jones.
Mary Alice Polk married Sylvester Griffin. Below is Mary living in the home of her newly wed sister, Ila, before she herself became a bride, in 1920.
| Name: | Ida Jones | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Age: | 23 | ||||||||||||
| Birth Year: | abt 1897 | ||||||||||||
| Birthplace: | South Carolina | ||||||||||||
| Home in 1920: | Cheraw, Chesterfield, South Carolina | ||||||||||||
| Street: | Second St | ||||||||||||
| Residence Date: | 1920 | ||||||||||||
| Race: | Black | ||||||||||||
| Gender: | Female | ||||||||||||
| Relation to Head of House: | Wife | ||||||||||||
| Marital Status: | Married | ||||||||||||
| Spouse's Name: | Lonnie Jones | ||||||||||||
| Father's Birthplace: | South Carolina | ||||||||||||
| Mother's Birthplace: | South Carolina | ||||||||||||
| Able to Speak English: | Yes | ||||||||||||
| Occupation: | Washerwoman | ||||||||||||
| Employment Field: | Wage or Salary | ||||||||||||
| Able to read: | Yes | ||||||||||||
| Able to Write: | Yes | ||||||||||||
| Neighbors: | |||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||
But Alice had one more surpise for us.
On the death certificate of Mary Alice Polk Girffin, who passed away on September 4, 1968, the informant was a man named Robert Sanders, Jr. of Ironton, Lawrence County, Ohio. Her stepfather had been deceased for over 20 years. Who was this Robert Sanders?
What I discovered was that Alice had at least one child with Robert Sanders, a son, Robert sanders Jr., born Oct. 14,1912, when she was around 40. I don't know what happened to "Jack" as he was called, but after his mother died, but by 1935, he was living in Ironton, Lawrence County, Ohio and had married Dorothy Holly, who grew up there.
Robert took care of his sister's arrangements when she passed away in 1968, but he remained in Ironton until his own death in 1976.
Ironton seems like an odd place for a young man from South Carolina to end up, but there may have been a familial connection. He worked on the railroad and also as a Truck Driver, and a Taxi Driver during his career.
Ironton is just a small town at the somethernmost part of Ohio on the Kentucky border, not the usual place a southern African -Amercan would migrate to in those years. It was no Chicago or Phillie.
| Name: | Robert Sanders Jr |
|---|---|
| Birth Date: | 14 Oct 1912 |
| Birth Place: | South Carolina, United States of America |
| Death Date: | 2 May 1976 |
| Death Place: | Ironton, Lawrence County, Ohio, United States of America |
| Cemetery: | Woodland Cemetery |
| Burial or Cremation Place: | Ironton, Lawrence County, Ohio, United States of America |
| Has Bio?: | N |
I share DNA with 4 descendants of Martha Faulkner through her daughters, Princess Ann and Margaret Alice. I will not delve into the younger generations as some are still living. I hope this might help other searchers extend their family tree.
The young lady who messaged me was not expecting a white woman born in the 1830's who had children with a black Freedman in the 1860's and 1870's to be the source of her European genes.
This puts Martha Falkner, the sister of my 2nd Great Grandmother, Sarah Frances Falkner, in the category of those women who did not exist, except that they did.
Black Dragon Cedars are not native to this land, yet they grow well here. Their spicy, loamy scent will hold one enraptured for a moment as they bend and twist their deep green branches towards the sky.
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