85 year old married to 13 year old in 1935!!!

 Things that truly make my head and heart hurt when I see them. 

I saw this in the 1940 census for Pactolus, Pitt County, North Carolina when I was looking for another family for a client. 

I had to stop and do a double take because at first I thought I was reading this wrong. I looked back and realized I did not read that wrong. Alex Ogman was an 89 year old man and his wife Roselle was 17! and they had two children aged 2 and 7 months. 

So according to marriage records he married Rosa Lee Cox on Feb 16, 1935 in Beaufort County, North Carolina. 

An article appeared in the Daily Reflector on Sep 21, 1940 that states he has had 19 wives and 40 children. That he was a former slave of Calvin Ogman of Johnston County, NC. It further states his oldest child is 67 and his youngest is 3. That his current wife is 18 and he married her when she was 13. He was arrested in 1935 for not sending her to SCHOOL!!!  They had at least 5 kids together. 

They divorce sometime before 1950. and then he remarried on Aug 8, 1953 to Clyda Mae Goddard who was 22 and he states he was born in 1843 and that he is 111. It was all over the US in papers. I found it in Charlotte, NC. I also found it in Tennessee, Florida, Rhode Island, New Hampshire and others. In these papers he says his oldest child is 79 and that he is told he has fathered 46 kids!

Then they divorce sometime around 1957.

He ended up dying on October 21, 1960 in Beaufort County, North Carolina. His daughter Malinda says hes only 68 when he dies with a birth date of 1892. 

So when was his true birth year; 1843, 1851 or 1892?

When Obituaries Are Wrong

 This is a relative of mine who died in 1934 in Pitt County, North Carolina. In this obituary it states that both her parents were from Dublin, Ireland. This is FALSE. Her father was Wiley Franklin Nobles (1798-1861) born in Pitt County, North Carolina to Simon Nobles (1760-1832) who was born in Pitt County, North Carolina and died in Pitt County, North Carolina. As for her mother Clara Elizabeth Brown , she may have been born in Dublin Ireland but I cannot prove this nor disprove this. 

Also Mrs Carlos Harris was her DAUGHTER not her sister. I don't know who wrote this obituary but they got stuff wrong. 

Found A Deed I Have Been Needing

 

This Deed is a document that is connected to my 3rd great grandmother Lovey Chapman. Born about 1823 and she passed around 1895.  Her parents were Stephen Chapman (1789 - 1832 and Eliza Louisa "Luliza" Adams (1804 - 1891). She was married twice. Her first husband was Richard Laughinghouse (1814-1858) and her second husband was my 3rd great grandfather William Haddock (1822-1885). 

She had 8 children with her first husband and two with her second husband. Her daughter Lovie Haddock was my 2nd great grandmother. 

I was able to find this deed that she made on June 1, 1889 in Chicod Township, Pitt County, North Carolina. I am not sure who Henry Haddock is that she is selling ALL of her land to but with some more research I should be able to find out. But she is selling this 150 acres to him BUT she is keeping a lifetime estate in it. Which means that he will take care of her and let her continue to live on this land until she passes and then at her death, everything goes to him. 

I was very please that the old Pitt County Real Estate Records are online. Some of these records go back to 1762!!! 

Unfortunately though two of the old deed books are missing and no one knows what happened to them. They are Deed Book A and Deed Book FF. 

Reunion of Lovers

In the tapestry of life, there are moments of unexpected magic, and the reunion of this woman with her lost love after three long decades is a breathtaking testament to the enduring power of true connection. As time wove its intricate threads through the years, fate conspired to bring them back together, like a celestial dance under a starlit sky. When their eyes met again after all those years, a flood of emotions surged through their hearts, as if the years apart melted into the sands of time. In each other's presence, they found a sense of familiarity that transcended the passage of time, as if they had been destined to find each other again. Their reunion was a symphony of laughter and tears, a celebration of the love that had never truly faded but had been patiently awaiting this long-awaited moment. In this extraordinary tale, love proved its resilience, illustrating that even after thirty years, the heart's compass remains steadfast, guiding them back into each other's arms, where they would create new chapters of their timeless love story.

( How I imagine Dorcas felt being reunited with Isaac after the Civil War)

When A Relative Disappears from the Family Tree

 A few years ago, I was working on a research paper about a friend's request to know what had happened to one of her relatives back in the 1870's to 1880's. She had told me, it was like he had vanished and the family tree didn't really mention him. Even today, there are versions of their family tree that do not mention him. 

So you may be wondering what he did to be blackballed from the family story. 

His name was JC and he was a common thief to start out with. He was married with children at the time as well. But he loved to take things that didn't belong to him. Sheep and hogs mostly. This was in the time period of 1876-1878. 

Now his wife, Amelia, her father Ransom got fed up with the stealing. Ransom gave JC an ultimatum to leave town and never return. Before he left however, JC, had to turn over all of his assets to his father in law for the benefit of his wife and children. He did this on March 16, 1877. He left town but after a few months he returned. No one was happy to see him. He was cornered at his father in law's house and then was arrested and jailed. He went to trial for the stealing and was convicted in 1878. 

From what I was able to find, JC, was locked up from 1878 until about 1881 or 1882. When he was released he went back to his wife and kids. Things go fine until the Summer of 1888. 

In the Summer of 1888, his daughter Esther confides to her mother Amelia that her father has assaulted her in a most horrible way. At first Amelia just tells JC to stay away from Esther. This of course does not work as Esther states JC kept assaulting her. He also attempted to choke Esther in early September of 1888. With this assault, Amelia contacts authorities. JC is hauled away to jail and charged with a capital offense of Rape. If found guilty, he would hang. 

During the trial, Amelia was heavily pregnant with her last child by JC. The trial took place during the first full week of January 1889. His daughter Esther and his son Joseph testified against him. There were two competing expert witnesses, Doctors, with one saying yes she was raped and one saying no she was not and that it was something called leucorrhoea that was affecting Esther. 

JC is ultimately found guilty and he is sentenced to hang on Friday March 26, 1889. He immediately appeals. During this time, JC is maintaining his innocence. He maintains this is a hateful plot against him by Amelia and that she has turned the children against him. His appeal is heard in the September term of the Court of 1889. 

The verdict and sentence are upheld by the NC Supreme Court and so on December 6, 1889 his execution date was set for January 10, 1890. 

JC gives an interview the day before his hanging to the State Chronicle newspaper and again restates his innocence. He is adamant that he was being conspired against and that it was all lies. 

He was executed by hanging on January 19, 1890, being pronounced dead at 1:31pm. It took 11 minutes for him to die from hanging as his neck did not break; he strangled while hanging in the air. His body was cut down and he was buried in the county poorhouse graveyard without a marker. 

AFTER HIS DEATH

His wife Amelia never remarried. She died at age 59. As for his children; Esther married and had one child. Esther died at age 52. Joseph married and had 3 sons. Joseph died at age 63. Reddick married and had three children. Reddick died at age 73. Everett married and had 7 children. He died at age 51. Catherine married twice and had 6 children. She lived to be 86 years old. 

THE GRANDCHILDREN

Joseph's son who was named after him; killed himself in jail in June 1947. I do not know why he was in jail in June of 1947. I haven't been able to find this out yet. 

Reddick's son Isaac killed himself in 1951. 

FINDING WHAT PEOPLE DON'T WANT YOU TO FIND

Secrets are kept in all families. Sometimes people get wiped out of their own family trees. Generally when people do not want to talk about someone, or something that happened in the family's past; there are secrets buried there. Tread lightly when you discover these things. But don't keep the secrets, or the person buried. It just does even more harm. History, even family history, is about learning the past so we do not repeat it. 

FINDING RELATIVES

 My grandfather came from a very large family and some of them did not stay very still (in one place for very long). 

Particularly difficult though was the fact that his mother Sarah Jane Lewis was orphaned young. She was placed in Oxford Orphanage in 1881 here in North Carolina and adopted out of the orphanage in 1883. The couple she ended up with did not treat her very well. She married my great grandfather George Gilliam Parrish in 1887. 

FINDING INFORMATION

But it was her mother's family that was an enigma. Over the years I found bits and pieces of information and slowly started building this side of the family tree. 

Her mother was called Westduck Lewis and her father was Henry Boss King. Her parents were not married to each other as far as I can tell. Westduck's parents were named Norfleet and Julia Lewis. They lived in Halifax County, North Carolina. They had several other children besides Westduck. 

One of these siblings of Westduck, I have chased behind from NC to VA and finally to Kansas. 

GOLLY ANN LEWIS "ANNIE M" 1852-1939

Her name was Golly Ann Lewis, later known as "Annie M". She was born around 1852 in Halifax County, North Carolina. On March 4, 1869 she married Eli J Lewis, son of Lewis Lewis and Peggy Blunt. 

( I do not know if they were cousins, just that they both had the surname of Lewis). 

In the 1870 Census,  the couple was found in  Caledonia township of Halifax County, NC. They are listed with the household of John Randolph, a local planter whose real estate and personal estate combined is $20,000 (464,316.03 in today's money).  Eli is listed as 25, Annie is listed as 22 and their son William is listed as 1 year old. (William later has the name Manoah, sometimes seen as Ma Noah). 

In 1880 census, we find Annie in Halifax Township, Halifax County, North Carolina. In the household is her husband Eli aged 38, herself aged 35, and four sons: Noah aged 11, Clifton aged 8, Luther aged 6 and Arthur aged 4. Also living with them is a cousin Angelina who is 50 years old. 

The 1890 census was destroyed in a fire, so researchers have a huge gap in time when doing searches. 

The 1900 census finds Annie in the state of Virginia, Richmond to be precise. She was living at 2204 Leigh Street, Jefferson Ward, Richmond, Henrico County, Virginia. Her husband Eli has died by this time. She is listed as widow, age 43 and the mother of 4 children, with only 3 surviving. Two of her sons , Manoah and Luther are living with her. Her son Arthur has died by this time. 

The 1910 census finds Annie all the way in Great Bend, Barton County, Kansas! She is listed as being a widow and being 55. They live on Stone street. She is living with her son Luther and her son Clifton, along with Clifton's wife and kids.  Luther is listed as a dentist and Clifton is a carpenter. 

The 1920 census finds Annie still in Great Bend but now she is at 2922 Broadway Avenue. She is 65 and her grandson Hartwell C Lewis is 12 and living with her. 

The 1925 Kansas State Census , we found Annie living with her son Luther, his wife Grace and his daughter Ruth. 

The 1930 Census, we find Annie in Great Bend, Kansas at the age of 76. She's listed as a roomer of Eugene and Lucile Canfield. 

The last census Annie was on, was the 1937 census of Great Bend, Kansas. She is listed there as Mrs A M Lewis and her son Luther is on the line below her. 

It took me several years of searching but I finally found that she died in Great Bend, Kansas on Feb 20, 1939. She is buried in Great Bend cemetery but she has no grave marker. She was 89 years old when she died.

TRAVELING TO GREAT BEND

I would like to travel to Great Bend, Kansas at some point this year or early next year. I want to see where she is buried and swing by the library and see if I can find an obituary for her , or maybe get a death certificate for her to go with all my other research. 

A very brief history of Portsmouth Island, NC

 Portsmouth Island, NC is located 6 miles SW of Ocracoke village and is separated from Ocracoke Island by Ocracoke Inlet. At one time this island was a thriving sea port and shipping center. 

In the year 1753, the General Assembly of North Carolina, passed legislation on March 27 to lay out a town on Core banks in Carteret County. The town was to be named Portsmouth and it would be fifty acres and divided into half acre lots. The cost for one of these lots was 20 shillings and you had to build a house or warehouse of at least 20 by 16 feet. 

By 1758 the town had been laid out and was inhabited. For the next 102 years this island was home to many people. At its height, just before the Civil War, the population was almost 600. 

Then the decline started due to the war, storms that ravaged the island over the next century and the inlet closing and a new one forming that offered better shipping lanes. By 1960, three people were left on the island. One man and two women. 

When the man became ill and died in 1971, the families of the two women insisted they leave the island. They went to the mainland and thus the habitation of Portsmouth island ceased.