Margaret Lee Harry - My Grandfather's Sister

Margaret Lee Harry was my Grandfather Harry’s sister.  She might have been five feet tall. Her mother had taught her to use her Sunday manners every day and she did. She never married; so she doted on others. Margaret was the only girl.  She was sent off to a school to do her high school work.

Aunt Margaret’s brothers attended the University of North Carolina. She went off to study nursing at the best hospital in Boston, Massachusetts General. She became the first Red Cross nurse sent to the mountains of North Carolina. In retrospect that must have required great strength of character and independence. Young women of this time period were just moving into careers of service. She started her nursing career riding a horse traveling in the rural parts of North Carolina in the early 1910’s. Once a bear frightened her horse and threw her off. The horse ran away. She spent the night in a tree.




It must have taken a great deal of spunk to attempt to educate the superstitious and distrustful rural folk in the mountains of North Carolina. Her job was to tell proud people that they needed to change practices that had existed for years. She had to persuade families to immunize their children. These people were uneducated and feared shots would harm their children. She had to educate folks about the importance of sanitary conditions for plumbing & outhouses. Asking men to relocate the outhouse because “a woman” thought it would be better must have been a tedious process. But she slowly gained their trust and admiration and made a difference.

Margaret Lee was very generous to these people. She arranged for a number of children to have cleft lips surgically repaired. She helped others attend school and college. A practice she extended to family when she paid for my mothers clothes while she was in college.

I have a magazine article that speaks of Lucinda, a poor mountain girl left to raise her baby sister after her mother died. Local people had a “silver tea” to start a fund to buy Lucinda a cow. Aunt Margaret taught her how to recognize and treat various infant illnesses. Margaret made frequent visits to the home to check on them. After three years of that responsibility, at the age of thirteen, Aunt Margaret took Lucinda to the Children of the Hills school at Tamassee, a school supported by DAR chapters. The baby was turned over to her grandmother’s care.

Aunt Margaret was in New Orleans when my mother was born. Her signature is on the birth announcement in mother’s baby book. She also gave her a hand embroidered dress and cap as a baby present. She gave her a Korean embroidered dress which was one of her “first short clothes”. She must have been equally generous through the years to Margaret & Henry and all. I have a little thank you note from my Mom thanking Aunt Margaret for a silver baby cup she gave me when I was born. (I gave the cup to Julie.) I will try to scan the note here.

In mother's book she  recounted that " after many years serving in rural North Carolina Aunt Margaret came to Georgia and lived with us.

Daddy "enlarged the upstairs in the Bulloch home at Warm Springs. He added a living room, kitchen, bedroom and bath to the upstairs (which already had 4 bedrooms) We moved the dining room into the living room and she had a nice bedroom.

Aunt Margaret bought "all our Santa Claus gifts. When I went off to college she provided most of my clothing. A lady in Woodbury made me many pretty outfits which Margaret paid for."

Years later after building the house at Parkman Pond. During the missile crisis (Cuba/Russia - 1961), my Grandfather built a “fall out shelter”. When I look back on it now, the room was really just a feeble excuse for a basement room. It wouldn’t have provided any real protection during a nuclear attack. But there was a national hysteria after missiles were discovered in Cuba. The fear of nuclear attack seemed real because Fort Benning was about an hour away. If Benning had been targeted, the nuclear blast would not have impacted us. Radiation dust would have settled according to wind patterns, etc and I doubt that we would have had a very different outcome based on a stay in the shelter. At least he didn’t sit back and bite his fingernails. He took action.

Eventually Granddaddy extended the side porch and added a room above the fall out shelter for Aunt Margaret to live in after she retired. It is interesting that she choose to live with Granddaddy Harry. She had been away from North Carolina for many years. I don’t know if she considered returning there after she retired. Her parents were gone. Her brothers had a successful textile mill and might have helped her with finances. But Aunt Margaret had a lot of pride. I know they were a close family. Aunt Margaret and Granddaddy were both buried with their parents in Grover.

I loved the corny stories she told me, my sisters, and my cousins. One story that always got giggles was “Wishy, Washy, Wishy, Washy…”. The punch line involved underwear which always got a giggle. Unfortunately today’s children might think the joke was lame. Too bad. It was a good time and children were children.

As a new driver I looked for places to drive; so I would drive to the lake for a visit. I would love to hear her voice. People talk differently today. She had a gentle “little old lady quality” that reflected a different time. It is something I remember, but can’t put into words.

There were times I visited my Grandfather and I didn’t take the time to walk back to speak with her.

Aunt Margaret gave me a small portrait, I left it at home when I went to college. I never found where Mother stored it. The picture was used in a magazine article about her Red Cross work during a flood in Ohio. There are other items (her diploma, the Red Cross article) she wanted me to keep. She wanted to be remembered. The items were lost or thrown away when the family relocated to Spartanburg.

Aunt Margaret worked so hard to be helpful when she moved to Granddaddy’s. At times she may have been too helpful for Till. Granddaddy Harry had remarried well before she moved in. There seemed to be a competition for his affection between Till & Aunt Margaret. It wasn’t easy on either of them. Granddaddy was caught in the middle. But there wasn’t really any other place for her to live. She became a bit of a recluse. Trying to be pleasant, but not quite feeling she belonged. Perhaps not feeling needed anymore.

I don’t remember when Aunt Margaret stopped driving. Probably her car just got too old to operate and she was too old to drive. Perhaps she didn't have the funds to replace the car. She never replaced it.

Aunt Margaret probably started the “regifting” trend. She must not have had any substantial retirement. Sometimes it was a handkerchief, a slip, a bottle of perfume or sweet powder someone had given her.   I dearly loved her.


One of my favorite gifts was a Hummel figurine of a little boy playing doctor. He had operated on a doll head. Aunt Margaret went into great detail about the friend who purchased it for her while traveling to Germany. She was truly touched they remembered her in such a special way & I was touched she gave it to me.


Because I loved it so much I purchased another Hummel with babysitting money. Gaye threw a pillow at me & I skillfully ducked. The pillow missed me, but broke the head on the little doctor & the handle off the basket of the other Hummel. Both were super-glued back. Now I love the figurines even more since they remind me of my sister as well as Aunt Margaret. Amazing how “devastating” events with lots of tears can become sweet in retrospect. But sisters (and brothers) can grow to appreciate one another, not just because everything goes right, but because of the mistakes we make. There were lots of times we chased each other, laughing and giggling, as we ran through the house. Sometimes we might overdo it and end up unhappy. But other times we ran until exhausted and we were still happy. I might not remember those times without this incident or another like it. I still have the Hummel’s, but I also have the memories.



When Aunt Margaret Lee was quite old she had to be in a nursing home. My Aunt Margaret, mother’s sister, rode with her in an ambulance from Columbus Georgia and delivered her to Spartanburg on Barbara’s wedding day. There was already stress with the wedding. Aunt Margaret had been stressed with Margaret Lee’s care for a while & didn’t appreciate that Mother would be doing her part for the next two years. It might have been nice if she had waited one more day, but we humans don’t always do all the right things each and every time. What was important was that she had cared for Margaret Lee. The wedding went on and the world didn’t stop.

Mother visited Margaret Lee every day (literally) to be sure she was well cared for, to pick up her laundry and to feed her evening meal. I believe she was there for two years before her death.

 

 One of my prized possessions is a framed cover of sheet music that belonged to my grandmother.  The actual music was lost long ago.  I have never heard it. The art work is not remarkable.  It is the name of the piece that speaks to me.

“God Remembers When the World Forgets”.

I should back up and explain a little about my Grandmother, Mabel Bullock Harry.

As you might expect my mother adored her mother, Mabel. She loved her because of all the bonds formed in childhood, the tender moments that occur in simple acts.

Mother admired Mabel’s ease playing complex piano pieces. My mom, Julia, took years of piano lessons. She was comfortable playing familiar hymns for her Sunday school or children’s classes.  She measured herself against her mother's ability to play a song by using sheet music, but also after just hearing it.

Beyond piano Mabel had a lovely voice and included voice in college studies.

Frequently she was invited to sing at area churches. Recently I found a newspaper article that spoke about her performance at Georgia Normal School  before an audience of 300.

My mother framed this picture.  As I have reflected on Mabel’s life, this picture has taken on added significance. More of a touch point that recognizes that simple acts of service, the effort to develop talent or skill, may become faded memories. Heavenly Father remembers our striving. He does not forget. He remembers us because of His great capacity to love each man and woman.

Grandmother Harry became gravely ill when I was a toddler. She developed a high fever and her body was cooled with ice packs.  For weeks she was hospitalized in an Atlanta university hospital. Mabel was never the same.  For the remainder of her life she slept in a hospital bed or could only get around in a wheel chair.

During my fathers deployments to Okinawa and Korea, my mom returned to Warm Springs to assist Grandmama as much as possible. I have very faint memories of this time. Just little staccato moments without detail or context.  She rarely had visitors.  I recall her friend "Auntie Huntington", a college friend, who made a special trip to visit her. 

Her childhood friends and extended family probably visited her often early in her illness. It is easier when there is hope of recovery or improvement. When Mother was able to help, friends didn't feel the need to visit. It was difficult to communicate with Grandmama. She could not engage in lively conversation. Lives are busy with competing responsibilities. 

During one conversation with mother years later,  I realized she was remembering her disappointment & feelings her mother had been abandoned by friends.  It must have been hard for both my grandparents and family.  We all wrestle with dual emotions for the same set of facts.  We understand, but it is not simple.

Last Sunday as the Sacrament was passed, there were only a few people at the ends of the row where I was seated beside a friend. Rather than walking down the row to share the cups, they were returned to the brother passing them. The brother passing on my aisle didn’t realize we had not been served.

It only took a quick moment to remedy it.  A feeling of gratitude filled my soul. Gratitude knowing I am remembered by my Heavenly Father - always remembered.  Not for great deeds, but because He cares about me... He knows who I am separate from each of the billions of others. His sacrifice extends to me. There are moments in life when we feel inadequate, misunderstood, left out or a multitude of emotions.  What a great gift to know  I am remembered.

I am grateful my grandmother and my mother also knew our Heavenly Father loved them through all the hard times and all the good times. He remembers us always.

Honeymoon for Mabel & WG Harry

My grandparents, Mabel & WG Harry, were married January 5, 1921.  Today is their 99th Wedding Anniversary.  I have a little information about their honeymoon to share.

They stayed at the Hotel Georgian Terrace in Atlanta.  This was an elegant hotel with beautiful crystal  & Italian bronze chandeliers, white marble columns, ornate pilasters, paneled walls, elliptical staircases, and Italian tiled floors.  If you are interested, look up the Hotel in Wikipedia. Many very famous people have stayed there.  It was the site of the gala for the Gone With the Wind premier.  All the stars for the movie, except Vivian Leigh stayed there. Interesting history.

Notice the rates for a night stay are $6.00 or $7.00.  The renovated/expanded hotel is just as elegant & must be much, much more expensive.

They traveled by train from Bullochville (Warm Springs) to Atlanta. From Atlanta they traveled first to Grover, NC to visit the Harry family.  Grady's brother, C F Harry & his wife, held a lovely reception for them.  I need to scan & add an article about it.  Then they proceeded on to New Orleans, where Grady was pastor of the Carrollton  Presbyterian Church. 

David Harry and His Time

  General Washington's death was announced by the "Hagerstown Herald" in the following, extract for the Rights of Man, published at Frederick:
                                                                                                   Fredericktown, Tuesday evening
                                                                                                                  9 o'clock, Dec 16 1799

  "Disagreeable as the talk is to me, I think it is my duty to  announce to the public the Dissolution of  his excellency George Washington, who died at Mount Vernon (of a few hours illness) on Sunday morning last, about five o'clock. This intelligence was received by two honest countrymen, who left Georgetown yesterday at 12 o'clock.and stopped at Major Miller's tavern about four o'clock this evening. A third person arrived from Alexandria about the same hour, who corroborates the melancholy circumstance, and leaves us to lament it but too true. 

                                                                                                      "Printer of the Rights of Man"

" As soon as the news reached Hagerstown a meeting was held , at which it was resolved to have a funeral procession to in Washington's honor on Friday of the following week. Elie Williams occupied the chair, and Nathaniel Rochester   acted as secretary. The following resolutions were adopted:

 "Resolved, That Messers. Elie Williams, Adam Ott, N.Rochester, Jacob Schnably, George Waltz,  William Fitzhugh, Samuel Ringgold, David Harry, Josiah Price, Thomas Sprigg, and Daniel   Heister be appointed a committee to make the necessary arrangements for, and to superintend, the   said Procession, and that they or a majority of them meet at the Court-hose, on Saturday net, to   make the arrangements."


There are many mentions of the Harry family in Scharf's History of Western Maryland. There is specific information about Martin Harry and the Market House, David Harry and the fire company, George I Harry, and others.  They owned businesses, served in public positions, helped establish churches. The family was active in many aspects of community life.

 If you are interested in learning more about them, it is a great resource.  Because it is a "Google book"; it's available to read for free online.  Most of the information is in small articles about historical events similar to the one above. Take a few minutes to read a few articles about events that happened around the same time. It helps to understand the times these men lived in. It's a wonderful indexed history of early Maryland.

The article that follows mentions two duels in 1800. A  captain and a lieutenant fought. The captain was injured in the side, but not seriously. In the second dual a man was wounded in the leg.  There is a list 10 prisoners who broke out of jail in early 1801.  In December 1801 five Indian chiefs of the Pottawotamie tribe who passed through Hagerstown on their return from Washington City. Among them were the powerful chiefs "Little Turtle" and "The Toad." They were accompanied by an interpreter, Captain Wells.  The following year the "kings of the Delaware and Shawnee tribes", nine chiefs and two attendants, passed through Hagerstown.

Perhaps I should be more impressed that my ancestor was asked to help honor George Washington. There were probably similar celebrations in towns throughout the country, but Hagerstown was his community.  I am captivated with the duels, the escaping prisoners, and  the Indian Chiefs passing through his town.  It's like my own personal movie going on in my mind.

Observation:
David and his family and friends lived life face to face.  Communication was slow. They wanted confirmation of events. They took action. 

Roger Sherman

This is about my 8th grandfather’s nephew.  My 9th grandfather's grandson. (Starting on my Bennett side.) When you go back that far, I doubt we share any measurable DNA, but a great heritage. 

I am incredibly proud of all my children and grandchildren.  They come from incredible people - Incredible because of their character, not fame or fortune.  

This article was downloaded from Family Search.   I can't claim credit for a single word.

              Roger Sherman.  

Roger Sherman (April 19, 1721 – July 23, 1793) was an early American lawyer and statesman, as well as a Founding Father of the United States. He is the only person to have signed all four great state papers of the United States: the Continental Association , the Declaration of Independence, the Articles of Confederation and the Constitution.

Born in Newton, Massachusetts, Sherman established a legal career in Litchfield County, Connecticut despite a lack of formal education. After a period in the Connecticut House of Representatives, he served as a Justice of the Superior Court of Connecticut from 1766 to 1789. He represented Connecticut at the Continental Congress and signed the Continental Association, which provided for a boycott against Britain following the imposition of the Intolerable Acts. He was also a member of the Committee of Five that drafted the Declaration of Independence, and he later signed the Articles of Confederation, the first constitution of the United States. In 1784, he was elected as the first mayor of New Haven, Connecticut.

Sherman served as a delegate to the 1787 Philadelphia Convention, which produced the United States Constitution. After Benjamin Franklin, he was the second oldest delegate present at the convention. He favored granting the federal government power to raise revenue and regulate commerce, but initially opposed efforts to supplant the Articles of Confederation with a new constitution. He ultimately came to support the establishment of a new constitution, and proposed the Connecticut Compromise, which won the approval of both the larger states and the smaller states.

After the ratification of the Constitution, Sherman represented Connecticut in the United States House of Representatives from 1789 to 1791. He served in the United States Senate from 1791 to his death in 1793.

Sherman was born into a farm family located in Newton, Massachusetts, near Boston. His father was William and mother   Sherman. Mehetabel's father was Benjamin Wellington and her mother was Elizabeth Sweetman, whose christening date was March 4, 1687 (or 1688), and she died on April 12, 1776. William and Mehetabel had seven children, William Jr., Mehetabel, Roger (1721), Elizabeth (married James Buck), Nathaniel (became a Reverend), Josiah (also became a Reverend), and Rebecca (married Joseph Hartwell Jr.). After Elizabeth was born (1723), the Shermans left Newton and settled in the south precinct of Dorchester, that three years later became the township of Stoughton and located 17 miles (27 km) south of Boston, when Roger was two. William married Rebecca Cutler on July 15, 1714. Josiah was Chaplain of the 7th Connecticut from January 1 to December 6, 1777.
The part of Stoughton where Sherman grew up became part of Canton in 1797. Sherman's education did not extend beyond his father's library and grammar school, and his early career was spent as a shoe-maker. However, he had an aptitude for learning, and access to a good library owned by his father, as well as a Harvard-educated parish minister, the Rev. Samuel Dunbar, who took him under his wing.

n 1743, due to his father's death, Sherman moved (on foot) with his mother and siblings to New Milford, Connecticut, where in partnership with his brother William (wife Ruth), he opened the town's first store. He very quickly introduced himself in civil and religious affairs, rapidly becoming one of the town's leading citizens and eventually town clerk of New Milford. Due to his mathematical skill he became county surveyor of New Haven County in 1745, and began providing astronomical calculations for almanacs in 1759.

Sherman was married two times and had a total of fifteen children with thirteen reaching adulthood.
Sherman married Elizabeth on November 17, 1749. She was born August 31, 1726, in Stoughton, her father was Deacon Joseph Hartwell (born August 11, 1698, died February 6, 1786) and her mother was Mary Hartwell (née Tolman), who was born on October 4, 1697, and died on November 10, 1782. They were married by Samuel Dunbar and had seven children. Elizabeth died on October 19, 1760.
Sherman married Rebecca (also spelled Rebekah) Prescott on May 12, 1763. She was born on May 20, 1742, in Danvers, Essex County, Massachusetts. They had eight children, Rebecca; married and then Elizabeth; married same Simeon Baldwin, Roger, Mehitabel (1st), Mehitabel (2nd); married Jeremiah Evarts, Oliver, Martha; married Jeremiah Day, and Sarah; married Samuel Hoar. The first Mehitabel and Oliver both died in infancy. Rebecca died in August 1814.

A son, Roger Sherman Jr. (1768–1856), a 1787 graduate of Yale College served in the Connecticut General Assembly in 1810–1811.
A daughter, Rebeca Sherman, was married to Simeon Baldwin, whose career included service in the United States Congress (1803–1806), as an Associate Judge of the Connecticut Superior Court, 1806–1817, and who became Mayor of New Haven, Connecticut, in 1826. Following the death of Rebecca Sherman, Baldwin married another of Roger Sherman's daughters, Elizabeth Sherman Burr. His daughter, Mehitabel Sherman Barnes married Jeremiah Evarts, who served as treasurer and secretary of the American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions. His daughter Martha Sherman married Jeremiah Day, who was President of Yale University from 1817 to 1846. Another daughter, Sarah Sherman, married Samuel Hoar, who was a member of the Massachusetts state legislature and the U.S. Congress.

Grandfathers before Henry Sherman (the older) were Thomas (10th generation), John (9th generation), and Thomas Sherman (8th generation).

Henry Sherman (the older or 1st) born about 1512, married Agnes around 1539 (whose father may have been Thomas Butter) died October 14, 1580, in Dedham, England.
Henry Sherman (the younger or 2nd): great-great-great grandfather
John Sherman: great-great grandfather,
John Sherman Jr.: great-grandfather, whose christening date was September 3, 1612, married Martha Palmer (before 1638), and died January 25, 1690 (or 1691). Referred to as Captain John Sherman (also Shearman)
Joseph Sherman: grandfather, born on May 14, 1650, married Elizabeth Winship on April 12, 1776.

Sherman was instrumental in securing the addition of "or to the people" in the wording of the Tenth Amendment to the United States Constitution, and caused the cent to be used in the financial system. In a letter to Oliver Wolcott (May 21, 1777) he wrote, "I think it dangerous to admit citizens not connected to the army to be tried by a Court Martial".

Sherman died in his sleep on July 23, 1793, after a two-month illness diagnosed as typhoid fever. The Gazette of the United States (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania), August 17, 1793, p. 508, reported an alternate diagnosis, "He was taken ill about the middle of May last, and from that time declined till his death. His physician supposed his disorder to be seated in his liver."

He was buried in New Haven Green. In 1821, when that cemetery was relocated, his remains were moved to the Grove Street Cemetery.

Video Games

Parents today are under pressure from their kids to play video games.  The graphics are amazing. The storylines must be magnetic because children and adults are strongly attracted to them.  They can compete with players who live just about anywhere there is a wifi connection.

 I remember how my boys came in contact with their first video game.  It was ..... Well read on.

Christmas was coming fast. I had searched the mall to find the last of our gifts.  Shopping with three boys along "to help" was always interesting.  They wanted to be sure I noticed the latest Star Wars toys.  They had been through the Sears catalog, watched all the tv commercials, and shared ideas with friends to develope long lists for Santa.  Santa had put those items in his bag & they would be coming by sleigh.

This final shopping trip was to Belk's department store.  They had been on their very best behavior.  This was hard because the store was filled with tired parents and tired children.  It helped that Santa was watching to see who was naughty or nice.  The slow moving checkout line seemed endless.

When what should we behold ..... Was it Sants & his reindeer.  No! It was Pac Man.



Yes Belk's had the wonderful idea of entertaining the children of Rock Hill by setting up a Pac Man game near the checkout line.  Near, but not close enough to interfere with its slow progress.  Every parent and every child could hear that unique sound of the game. It was a magnet for my boys.

My older boys pleaded, "Please can we go see. Please! We will stay right there and won't go anywhere else.   Please! We have been good. Please! "

And they had been good.  I knew they wouldn't go anywhere. I would be lucky if I could get them to come home.  What's a mom going to say?

"Ok, if you stay right here and hold Christopher's hand."   (This is something I would not do today.)

I watched them as the line advanced, slowly.  Finally I gathered my packages and made my way past other people's children to collect mine.

Let's go guys."

Matt and Andy wanted to tell me how cool the game was, but where was Chris.  As I looked at other little fellas dressed in similar jackets I could not find my four year old. He always stayed with his brothers.  Most likely another child trying to get close to the game moved between the boys.  If he had been as tall as his brothers, his view of the game might have been better. Plus  at his age, it didn't seem interesting.  Something nearby may have caught his attention or he may have wanted to find me so we could head home.

I began to search nearby. I called his name. No Chris.  I asked for help. We could not find him anywhere in the store.  People continued to look. We walked into the mall looking in nearby stores. It was not a big mall, but big enough.  I began to think of the stores where we had shopped and the ones Chris liked most.

Toys were off the route he might take, but around the corner to the first store on the right.   Yes,  we looked through the door. He was sitting on a seat at Baskin Robbins.  His little feet swinging back and forth.... Waiting for an ice cream.

Lesson: Video games can be dangerous if parents don't supervise properly.

John Bishop Harry - Part two

Will Harry established a home and reared a family in Lubbock, Texas. This conclusion is verified by a descendant of John Hutchinson Harry who remembers her father speaking of Cousin Will Harry of Lubbock. This fact, together with John Bishop Harry's published will that Will Harry was the surveyor who laid out the division of his real estate just before the Cival WR began.

Washington Marion Harry, (our ancestor), the youngest son of John B Harry, was the only son that established a home near his father in Cleveland County. (Buried in Grover Cemetery.)

An unfortunate accident came to John B Harry. As he was returning from Raleigh on horseback, which was the only mode of travel in those days, the old man was caught in a heavy thunder shower. The dye from his hat mixed with rain and ran into his eyes. It so injured his eyesight that he was almost blind during the last years of his life.

A beautifully executed will in John Bishop Harry's own writing shows him to be well educated. He left his estate to his four daughters and son, Washington. The two older sons had undoubtedly received their portion of the estate when they left for Texas. They are not mentioned in his will. However Will Harry is mentioned as an assistant in the survey and division of his property. He was not mentioned as a receipient.

I remember a statement by my father that one of his fathers brothers left home when he was young. After the death of his wife Sara and all his children were married and had moved away, John Bishop disposed of his larger home. It was sold to one Major Borsers. He divided his slaves with his children He moved two miles south on the Shelby-York, SC county road.  He built a rectangular home with one big room and a fireplace in the south and two pot racks at the north end. He had a dozen slaves that lived nearby and assisted him.  He was 73 years of age  and blind when he came to his new home. There he lived out his last years in luxury and comfort. His slaves prepared his meals, kept the big log fires in his living quarters burning. In winter a bed of embers burned under the pots on the pot rack of the kitchen fireplace. They worked his farm in summer and split the big chestnut trees in the woodlands into rails to fence in the cattle, hogs, and sheep. The old rail fence enclosed one hundred acres of pasture land.

John Bishop Harry lived to be 87. He died in the third year of the Cival War (1863). His will was made and probated  in that year.

It is an interesting document listing slaves, property, and household effects. A map designed by John B Harry is intact. It shows an acreage of some thousand acres between Buffalo Creek and the South Carolina line. It lay along a stream called Jacob's Branch. His son, Washington Marion Harry, constructed a log dam on Jacob's Branch, and used the power therefrom to set up a community center:
A corn mill,  flour mill, a saw mill, a syrup mill, and a cotton gin which was probably the first cotton gin in Cleveland county. It had on it the printed letters of the Whitney patent and was geared to operate not only by water power, but also to cog gear that operated the gin by manpower.

My father, David Harry, the second son of Washington Harry, learned to operate the above mentioned machines, and later moved this equipment one mile up the creek on a higher shoal on Jacob's Branch. Here he built his home.  Here my two brothers, sister, and I were born and reared.

The water power of Jacob's Branch was geared to a turbine wheel operated under 22ft of pressure and a big overshot wheel 100 ft in diameter. These power units powered the operation of the following machines: a corn mill and a flour mill that pulverized the corn and wheat that made the bread for a twenty mile area; a feed mill that ground the  ................(this line is missing in my copy) .........,,,,,
farming community; a syrup mill that crushed the cane and cooked the syrup; a lathe that turned the columns and banisters that ornamented the homes of the area; a shingle mill. All of this service center was handed down from the genius of John B Harry, the old farmer, politician, and clockmaker.

Washington Harry had three sons - John Wesley MacMeeekin (Mack) Harry, Zebulon Bishop Harry, and David Filmore Clay Harry.  

Mack Harry, my fathers oldest brother, established his home 1/2 mile from his fathers home. The front room of his home was a community store. Ex-slaves farmed his land. He taught  a community school for the children of the area - reading, writing, arithmetic. He was married to Dicey Bell. They had three children - one son - William Harry ?, Lenorea, and Dicey were the daughters.

My father, David Harry, the second son of Washington Harry and Mary McArthur Harry, in partnership with his father, supervised and operated the service center.

David married twice. The first marriage was to Nancy Adams.  They had three children - one son and two daughters, Pluto, Sophie, and Ellis.

His second marriage was to Sara Frances Gold. There were born to them four children -Charles Franklin, Woodfin Grady Harry, Benjamin Audy Harry, and Margaret Lee Harry (named for Margaret Bishop and  Margaret Malinda Gold.)


[ I am visiting my daughter .... Waiting on her new baby to arrive .... I brought some but not all the pages of my Grandfathers family history.  I will enter what I have and add additional pages, when I return home.]

John Bishop Harry - part 1

John Bishop Harry grew to manhood in Haggerstown, Maryland. As the time came for him to take pathways of his own choosing, his dreams turned southward. They were fixed by his Uncle John Harry and other relatives, who had moved to make homes in Virginia and North Carolina. He had close relatives in Edenburo, Virginia , Harrisonburg, Shenandoah, and Rockingham counties. . His visit with them extended as he met and fell in love with a Virginia girl, Sara Anne (Sally) Hutchinson. John B Harry and Sarah Hutchinson were married on April 20, 1806 in Shenandoah County, Virginia according to a family bible.  She was the daughter of George Hutchinson of Harrisonburg, Va on the square.

(My mother made a note in her records that John was living in Harrisonberg in 1809.)

John persuaded Sarah to join him in a covered wagon visit to relatives in Guilford, Cabarras, and Mechlenberg County, NC.  We assume he ended up at the home of David Harry (probably the son of John Harry).  This David Harry lived in the foothills of Mechlenburg. A David Harry had lots of mail when he left Hagerstown for Charlotte. It seems logical to assume they were related.

John B and Sarah's journey ended at Lincolnton, NC, the county seat of Lincoln County. The county began with the shoreline of the Catawba River.  It was one of the first NC counties organized west of the Catawba. It was a large county and embraced an area of territory that now includes Lincoln, Gaston, Catawba, Cleveland and Rutherford counties.

John B settled down in Lincolnton to make his home. He became an outstanding citizen and represented the county in the North Carolina State Senate.  He was elected county sheriff, a position of responsibility which he filled with honor and efficiency. He was one of the most outstanding citizens  of  the area : innkeeper, sheriff, and representative of western North Carolina bounded by the Catawba River on the east, the South Carolina line on the south, the mountains around Chimney Rock, and the Blue Ridge mountains in the west. This old innkeeper at Lincolnton had a big job that kept him busy.

While serving in the state legislature decisions were made about boundaries for new counties. No sooner than that decision was made John Bishop decided to move from Lincolnton to Cleveland County. His duties as surveyor and as sheriff gave him the opportunity to know a vast area.  There was a spot on Buffalo Creek between Shelby and what is now the town of Grover. It was joined to what became the John Herndon farm on one side, the Major Borders farm on the other.  The Graham farm was across Buffalo Creek toward Shelby on the other.

Here  John B established his home. The home still stands. Every piece of it was from heart of pine which was plentiful in the area. It was battened together with heart of pine pins 1 1/4 inches in diameter. These anchors have held the homeplace together for many years. They still hold.



Their first child,, John Hutchinson Harry, was born to them while they lived in the old inn in Lincolnton.  He was the only child of six  who did not move to the new home.  As he grew up, he became interested in Sam Houston's big venture in Texas. He was commissioned a major of volunteers for the Texas Army. He proceeded to gather a little wagon train of volunteers. They assembled in Lincolnton where they began the long trek by land to Texas. Sam Houston needed arms and ammunition for his little army. John Hutchinson Harry was commissioned to go with a wagon train to an army post in Arkansas for arms and ammunition. He was successful. Houston made him the chief of his quartermaster Corps.  He served at the Battle of San Jacinto. (1858 Texas).
This resulted in the total defeat of Santiagos Mexican Army and gave birth to the lone star state.

John Hutchinson Harry returned to Lincolnton and married his childhood friend Sara McCullough, after the manner of his distinguished father. He and his bride set out in a covered wagon on a thousand mile honeymoon journey to what was then the little village of Houston, Texas. Here again he followed in the footsteps of his father and opened one of the first hotels in what was to be an important city.  They continued to operate this hostelery until Sam Houstin gave him 4,000 acres of Texas land near Fort Worth. for his service in the Texas War for Independence.  John established a trading post and organized a covered wagon supply service to the new sections. The tradegy of yellow fever cut short the promising life of the young couple   Their only child, Marcus Lafayette Harry. His descendants live in the Houston area. 


Julia Bennett, my mother, corresponded with Jennie Mae Bennett (she is not connected with the Bennett line in our history), his granddaughter and Mrs Gladys Lesperance Belt, who secured the DAR papers on the family line tracing or line to Martin Harry of Hagerstown, Md.

The following children moved with John Bishop Harry to Cleveland County:
Ann Elizabeth who married Edmund Bridges , They established  their home one half  mile south of John B Harry homestead on Buffalo Creek
to
Lydia (who Ponce Martin, and establish a home 2 1/2 miles south of Grover and 2 miles south of her father)ll

Julia Anna. (Married a Hopper and established a home 3 miles west of John B Harry's home in a little trading center called Earle.)

William (Will) Harry who was with his father and assisted in surveying out and dividing his estate 3 years before he died. Will Harry departed the old home community perhaps to serve in the Mexican War for the Independence of Texas.

Okinawa Letter

This is the only letter that I have from my dad while he was stationed in Okinawa. He was sent overseas shortly after Gaye was born.   A short time after he returned to Fort Benning he was sent to the Korean War. His orders were delayed for Barbara's birth.


He sent a foot locker home with gifts for family, but war creates desperate times for many people. The footlocker was stolen.  Daddy sent Gaye some blue lacquer sandals and sent me a red pair.

Privacy

Much is being said about privacy these days.  NSA is building a huge data center not far from here.  Snowden went public with information that was really released years ago, but did not get much play with the public or press.  His comments take on significance because of the recent scandals in Obama's administration. ( Original article written in 2013.)

Movies and television shows  depict government with the ability to easily scarf up information about anyone anywhere.  Viewers feel safer thinking of it as fiction, only approaching, but not quite touching reality.  Congressional hearings are going over the actual scope of these actions and legal restrictions.

It is amazing seeing what technology knows about you, me and everyone.  At Allstate I could put in a name, address, and phone number to get an abbreviated credit score, claims history, current and past insurance carriers, drivers in the household and their driving record and VIN numbers. 

When I wanted to transfer a prescription and sign up for a discount program with the pharmacy,  the software wanted to verify that I was the right person for the medications.  So up popped several multiple choice questions.  One listed 3 people & I had to identify one that belonged to my family - two were fake, but one was my daughter-in-law.   Two. Listed cars I had owned.  Two were fake, and one was a car I sold a year before in another state.   Obviously this information did not have any relationship to my prescription, but to a giant database.  If you really want to see who knows about you, pull a credit report. 

I worked with a guy who refused to have an electronic toll gizmo on his car.  He didn't want anyone to know where or when he went places.  But  using a debit card, rewards cards, insurance, etc., creates an electronic record.  Whether the government really cares about me is another matter.  I am a very boring 65 year old grandmother. I don't have money, position, power or a platform to interest anyone.  The concern is that people who can make a difference, who may be capable of representing public concerns of millions, could be impacted by imprudent use of private information.  What limitations will restrict the ability of future leaders, or their aides, to abuse data to manipulate future people, economies, etc.  Are we paranoid enough to protect our nation from the worst of us and trusting enough to maintain our liberty?

I am not going through a divorce, don't have children, siblings, parents dealing with mental problems or drugs or embarrassing situations.  American culture appears to be schizophrenic. We are raised to say "None of your business".  Cities advertise "What happens in Vegas, Stays in Vegas".  Companies advertise the option to order their products online; so no one has to see you standing in a checkout line with "Depends". Folks share their life story on Facebook, then  share Facebook instructions to select the right options to avoid sharing information with strangers.  Why?  Because it is none of their business.

Joy in our lives

Do you have favorite memories that are of no particular significance - except to you?

I think we all do.  Simple moments in time when you were alone in your thoughts, when you observed a kindness or experienced one.  These moments happen alone, with family or friends or strangers in crowds, early in the morning or late at night.  Many are treasures stored away through decades of a long life or spontaneously recalled because of a visual or spoken cue.

This morning we had a church lesson about finding joy in our lives.  As others listed broad topics of joy, my mind had a series of micro moment of joy from my life.  I thought I would record a few.

Throughout childhood we enjoyed riding bikes.  Children experience a sense of freedom and independence that accompanies the ability to move outside of their immediate boundaries.  It was a hot summer day. For whatever reason Gaye and Susan and Edie Caldwell and I had been exploring the street behind our homes. Most of the property was undeveloped.  There were a few homes, a creek, a large saw dust pile, and freedom.

Whether it was just time to be home or we heard thunder, we started home on our bikes. There were lots of giggles and laughter as we raced each other across the field.  Behind us we could see a slow moving curtain of rain.  We were trying to get home before we were soaked.  But it was hot and the rain felt so good.  I remember riding my bike back and forth into the rain and out of the rain.  Back and forth - laughing and relishing the moment. Pure joy!

::::::::::::::::
Once I was driving in the mountains of North Carolina.  At that moment there were no cars in sight. Autumn was in full color! The leaves were brilliant Reds, Orange, Gold. If you have ever seen an oil painting on black velvet when the color seem much to bright, that was truly the color.

As I rounded a curve a beautiful meadow was directly in front of me. A large tree covered in bright yellow leaves stood alone in the center. Suddenly a large gust of wind hit the tree blowing the leaves around the way a child blows a dandelion.

Georgeous!  Just stunning. I can see it in my mind as if I just experienced it.  Joy! Real Joy!

:::::::
Seeing one of my sons or my daughter delight in their child's laughter.  Yes that is joy..

Counterfeit Currency

One of the things I find truly engaging while doing family history are the research spin offs into actual history to understand more about my family and the events influenced their lives.  Major events that might merit a sentence or two in  massive college texts may have been a huge challenge to everyday families.  It is even more interesting to compare those events to our day.

This is what happened when I read a line in the Maryland Historical Magazine about my ancestor, David Harry. 

 Saturday Feby 8th 1777… Ordered that Capn Andrew Linck pay David Harry £2…12…6 for his services and nine men under his Command in apprehending Isaac and Christian Shockey—

The article was not about David Harry, my ancestor. It was about Isaac and Christian Shockey. Curiosity got the best of me. Who were the Shockey's? Why would my ancestor be "apprehending" them?

It turns out the Shockey's descendants have done a bit of research. I don't have all the details, but the basic story is they were counterfeiters. The Shockey descendants are trying to organize the facts for their family records. In one record I learned they had been hiding in a cave. One had been a deserter in the Revolutionary War and George Washington had pardoned him and he reformed. Other records say they escaped from jail and another says one or more were executed. The Shockey family will need to put that part of the story together.

Now this is where I explain the "historical lesson" I learned. I never thought much about counterfeiting. Probably because it has never been part of my life. Look at the photo above. Notice that it was issued by Virginia - each colony had its own currency. The design is not complicated which would make it easy to copy. Often currency was only printed on one side which also made it easy to copy. Also notice the warning " Death to Counterfeit".

Great Britain began to counterfeit "Continentals" early in the war. Their hope was to bankrupt the colony's finances. George Washington ran into problems trying to buy from local farmers who were concerned about currency. Who would reimburse the farmer who receives counterfeit currency for his produce or pig or cow. It would be safer to take British coins. Among many concerns good men who wanted the British gone faced a big ethical decision on whether they would feed the British or the colonists soldiers.

The other part of the problem was the value of colonial currency was diluted when counterfeit currency was added into the mix.  

How does this impact my knowledge of David Harry and his times. David was not a bounty hunter out to get paid for catching the bad guys. I already know a lot about David and his activity in the community. He was a wagon maker. He helped start the first fire company in Hagerstown. He fought along with his neighbors in the Revolution. This tells me that he was trusted to lead others in a difficult adventure. Even more important he was willing to go.

Today our nation is still concerned with a counterfeiting and other attacks on our nations financial security. We have redesigned our currency adding many safeguards to combat criminals. As we have become more sophisticated in our technology, others have developed other ways harm us. Identity theft, hacking businesses and government systems and greed are problems that can bring down nations if left unchecked. It takes men and women of integrity and intellect to protect our nation. It is nice to know we have men and women in our ancestry who stepped up when needed.

Mayor of Warm Springs

My grandfather, WG Harry, was the mayor of Warm Springs throughout all but the last term of FDR's presidency.  

Warm Springs was and still is a small town in rural Georgia.  That did not diminish the significant responsibility that he felt for the office.  As you read this letter, I hope you will appreciate the effort and dedication he had to improve "the little city we call home".  The financial numbers cited seem insignificant if you are thinking in current dollars, but they were more significant in dollars of that time. The inconvenience of travel is also hard to compare, but notice  roads were unpaved until after he persuaded the government to pave highways. Also this letter was a response to an ad placed in a local newspaper by the opposing candidate.  My grandfather was not accustomed to bragging about his accomplishments, but he did know how to stand up for himself.

I am not sure how "exciting" this letter is to anyone else. My grandfather was special ... the way grandfathers are supposed to be. He was honest to a fault. Reading the letter gives me a window into a portion of his life that occurred before I was born. I believe the letter was written in 1940 or 1941, but it was not dated.

I have just read the letter of Lieut. McManus, a paid advertisement in the "Warm Springs Mirror", in which he enumerates the great improvements the City of Warm Springs has received at the hands of the incumbent Mayor of Warm Springs and his Council. This is not to take any glory from them, but to refute the charge, and the general report that my Mayorship and the Councils that served with me, did nothing for the little city we call our home. That the citizens of Warm Springs might have their minds refreshed concerning a few things that were done during my administration as Mayor, and particularly those who make the charge that nothing was done, I would call to their attention the following things that were done..

1.      

    The paving of the Columbus Road from Warm Springs to the Muscogee line. Mr W I Pitts of Waverly Hall and I made the fight for this paving almost single handed. We visited the Governor and the State Highway department on two occasions. I made the plea for the road. I wrote President Roosevelt and requested him to help Warm Springs get this paving; his letter clinched the appropriation.

2.      I remind those who charge that nothing was done FOR Warm Springs when I was Mayor that Sam Killian and I negotiated the paving with Lint Miller, Highway Chm. For the sidewalk to the school house on the grounds that it was dangerous for the children to walk the highway. This pavement was done without cost to the city.

3.      I remind the citizens of Warm Springs that I personally negotiated a loan of $650 to clear the right of way for this paving and the same was paid without raising taxes in my administration.

4.       I remind the citizens of Warm Springs that the paving from the depot to the city limits on the Woodbury road was done in my administration. The state refused to do this paving unless the rightaway was cleared. Again I personally negotiated loans with my personal obligation as collateral for $900 to clear Tid McRae’s store and tenant house and Lee Magnums home. This was paid for in my administration.  

5.      I remind the citizens of Warm Springs that I personally made many trips to Atlanta and Columbus to set up the WPA project for the installation of our Municipal water system. My time and my gas was given to the city in this work without charge.

6.      I remind the citizens of Warm Springs that the Warm Springs Community House was planned and constructed on my own initiative. When construction began I had the lot and $75 from the Woman’s Club. Ninety percent of the rock was donated from Mrs Harry’s property above Cold Spr I foraged the creeks for sand; I secured a car of concrete gravings. I helped get these rock out with my own hands.I secured a concret gravel from Columbus gravel as a donation. I personally canvassed Warm Springs for private donations to continue the work. The citizens of Warm Springs subscribed $800 for the community house project. There was a debt of $1600 against the community house when it was completed. Mrs Harry, who was then president of the Woman’s Club and some of the ladies solicited donations in the amount of $500 mostly in Manchester. $1100 was raised from letters Mrs Harry and I wrote to friends asking for help in paying off this debt.  One dear friend of Mrs Harry’s gave $750 to the cause. When It was completed the Woman’s Club had title to the building. When it was paid for they gave it to the City of Warm Springs without cost to the tax payers of Warm Springs. This community house includes a Mayor’s Office, library, auditorium, kitchen, comfort facilities, city jail and basement storage for the city fire department and other equipment. The young people of Warm Springs should remember they would have no community house had it not been for my tireless efforts and planning to get it.

7.       I remind the citizens of Warm Springs that the fire hose and reels were purchased by me when the city did not have funds to pay for same, and on my own personal promise, without note or any obligation from the city, that I would personally be responsible to the Eureka Fire Hose Co for the obligation.

I personally invited the Underwriters Association to inspect the new water system and fire equipment and arranged with the Warm Springs Foundation to provide auxiliary assistance with their fire equipment. The Underwriters gave Warm Springs next to the lowest rate of insurance listed.  The rate of insurance was reduced from $__ per thousand when you paid your insurance you paid $_ per thousand. Figures from Magic City Insurance Co. When you paid your tax in my administration you paid $5 on every thousand.

 I would remind the citizens of Warm Springs that a $900 Chloronator and a $75 Liming Machine were bought, installed and paid for in my administration.

 I would remind the citizens of Warm Springs that out of my planning, my own persuading, the auxiliary overshot water wheel and pump were bought and installed. I personally arranged the loan of $750 for the purchase and installation. I went to Newnan at my own expense and worked out plans and detail for the building. The wheel reduced pumping costs from more than $50/month to the minimum on the electric pump of $10/month. This installation paid for itself in less than two years and has saved the city pumping costs of more than $2000 since its installation. Mrs Harry was to have received $2/month for the easement rights on water power and land where this auxiliary pumping equipment is installed. To date she has not received one penny from the City of Warm Springs on the easement contract for this privilege.

It is charged by the opposition, if reports to me are correct, that I as Mayor of Warm Springs favored with special privilege members of my family in tax assessments. Assessments were always made by committee appointed from the council. I had no part in these assessments. Councilman Reed was on the committee for tax assessment. I have never asked a favor in tax assessment for myself or any member of my family since I have been in Warm Springs.

You the voters of Warm Springs may vote me in or you may vote me out; you may elect me or you may defeat me, but you can not take from my heart and conscience the fact that I tried with the little ability Almighty God gave me to make for you the best public servant I could in the years you entrusted to me the executive responsibilities of our beloved little town of Warm Springs. The thing that hurts is the false accusations, and the utter unappreciation of many for what I tried to do. If you vote me out you will relieve me of a responsibility that I would dread to take up again. If you vote me in I shall try to take up the work again and carry on for a greater and better Warm Springs.

Sincerely yours,
W. G. Harry

David Harry .... wagon maker

 

David Harry lived during the time period when Pennsylvania Germans near the Conestoga River first made Conestoga wagons around 1750 to haul freight. By the 1810s, improved roads to Pittsburgh and Wheeling, Virginia (now West Virginia) stimulated trade between Philadelphia, Baltimore, and settlers near the Ohio River. Wagoners with horse-drawn Conestoga wagons carried supplies and finished goods westward on three- to four-week journeys and returned with flour, whiskey, tobacco, and other products. The Conestoga wagon’s curved shape shifted cargo toward the center and prevented items from sliding on mountain slopes. Railroads replaced Conestoga wagons by the 1850s, but the prairie schooner, a lightweight, flat variant, carried pioneer settlers from Missouri to the West Coast.

 

The variety of wagons in use during this time period was considerable.  Small carts, buggies, and large wagons for families traveling great distances required great attention to detail.  The following document shows that David was a wagon maker.

On the Request of David Harry was the following deed recorded April 6th, 1785 towit.. 

                  This Indenture was made this 24th day of March in this year of our Lord one Thousand seven hundred and eighty five. Between Jonathan Hagar Junior of Washington County in the State of Maryland heir at Law of Jonathan Hagar late of the aforesaid county deceased of the ........part and David Harry of the county and state aforesaid Wagonmaker of this other part{ ....whereas the aforesaid Jonathan Hagar

 

 

Another find in my mother's papers.  The notes are all hers. 

 

Is this home tied to our family?

Several pieces of information in my mother's papers may help me know more about Cyprian Bulloch.

Tradition says after Stephen Bulloch's wife Winnie Robinson died, he brought his two sons, Cyprian and Henry, to live with their grandmother Robinson in Greenville, GA.  Now Meriwether County was founded in 1827; so this would have been Troup County.

These items may point my efforts to dig a little deeper
1) a newpaper article my mother saved
2) a note she added to the side of the article
3) marriage records

These items may indicate that the Robinson family Cyprian & Henry Bulloch came to live with may be the Robertson's family.  The spelling of names was very fluid during this time period. 

So I am sharing the information without final conclusions.

1) The article

"Built by Slave before 1860…

Greenville’s Winsor Hall is feature of Historical Tour

 

One of the highlights of the Meriwether Historical Tour will be Winsor Hall. It will be opened to the public on Dec 12 from 10:00 until 5:00 and Dec 13 from 1:00 until 5:00. This house, one of the first completed private houses in Greenville, faces the old Greenville-Newton highway. Through the years all visitors to Greenville, have no doubt wanted to tour the house. Winsor Hall will be recognized as the tour trademark on tickets, posters and brochures.

This house was purchased in May of this year by Mr and Mrs Paul Rogers of La Grange. Mrs Rogers is an antique dealer and has furnished the house with many exquisite pieces. The Tour Committee is very grateful to her, as well as to the owners of the other six houses, for allowing the house to be opened.

Winsor Hall was built by a slave named Lovejoy before 1850 for J.M.C.Robertson, great-grandfather of Mrs. Idas Robertson, Sr of Manchester. One of Greenville’s most famous tales is how this slave worked out the specifications so exactly that there was scarcely enough lumber left to build a chicken house."

(The newspaper article was clipped without a reference to the date printed or the newspaper that printed it. ) 

Twin Oaks, also known as Winsor Hall, was added to the National Register of Historic Places on August 26, 1980.

 

Mother added the note below. My guess is she either knew or believed this was the Robinson family that Stephen brought Cyprian and his brother to after their mother died.  However, that is uncertain.  This house would have been built by a cousin if they are related. It would not have been a home he grew up in.

2. Her note

" Stephen Bulloch  brought Henry and Cyprian, his two sons, to Greenville from Edgecombe Co, NC after his wife Winnie Robinson died. Cyprian was overseer for Render’s plantation near Greenville before moving to Warm Springs and Manchester."

 I found this photo of The "Render homeplace" in Greenville.  It is also on the National Registry.

 

 *Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license.

 

 

I am not sure exactly when the Render home was built.  Cyprian Sr. would not have lived in this home as an overseer. It probably meant he had a good or better than average education. The lithograph of him shows him to be a well dressed man.

 



The term "overseer" brings too many images to mind to make it a pleasant reference.

Yet it tells me he would have been able to manage a variety of tasks and responsibilities.  His sons, Cyprian Jr, Benjamin, Jesse Hood would have grown up aware of all the variety of endeavors needed to maintain a large property, which would have prepared them to work together establishing their own businesses. Cyprian Jr. was the first man in the county to have all eight of his children obtain a college education.

 

4. Marriage Records

MERIWETHER COUNTY, GA -  MARRIAGES   1828-1844

   *****************

     Copyright.  All rights reserved.

     http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm

     http://www.usgwarchives.net/ga/gafiles.htm

***********************

This file was contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives by:

Doris Robbins        http://www.genrecords.net/emailregistry/vols/00011.html#0002700   

For MORE information see: http://www.usgennet.org/usa/ga/county/meriwether/

        MARRIAGES 1828 – 1844

      BULLOCH, Cypion                 GRAY, Licinda               1 Feb 1833 

      BULLOCH, John                   WILLIAMS, Jane              11 Mar 1832 

      BULLOCK, Henry                  BUSSEY, Cinderilla          26 Oct 1831 

      BULLOCK, John                   ERTZ, Frances               11 Sept1842 

    

      ROBINSON, Edward M.             HALL, Susan                 20 Dec 1832

      ROBINSON, James H. C.           RANDAL, Mary                27 Oct 1842

      ROBINSON, William               MATHIS, Sarah               18 Apr 1839

      ROBINSON, William               NEWSOM, Elizabeth           1 Feb 1840

 

Notice the spelling of all the names above.  Cyprian's name is spelled "Cypion", Lucinda, his wife, has her name spelled Licinda, his brother's surname is spelled with a "k"rather than an "h".

My question...did the Robinson's begin to spell their name as Robertson?