Wilson County

To have and to hold said land, no. 6.

Abstracts of deeds recording the purchase of real property by African-Americans during the first fifty years of freedom:

  • On 21 March 1870, f0r $60, David Bullock purchased from Virginia C. Edwards two acres of land adjoining Henry Edwards and others in Wilson County. Deed Book 23, page 106.
  • On 22 October 1886, for $50, Amos Brice(?) purchased from R.B. Brinkley a one-acre plot in Toisnot township on the Wilmington & Weldon Rail Road south of the town of Toisnot [Elm City]. Deed Book 25, page 362.
  • On 16 December 1907, for $120, W.P. Singletary sold Sarah Coppedge a lot on the east side of Manchester Street near the Colored Graded Sch00l, being Lot 34 [of the Singletary plat.] Deed Book 81, page 488.
  • On 26 March 1909, for $675, Wilson Insurance & Realty Co. sold Olivia Simmons a lot on the northeast side of Railroad Street, designated Lot 3 of Section C of the B.F. Briggs Place plat. Deed Book 81, page 520. [This was one of two Railroad Streets, and its name was soon changed to Norfolk & Southern Street, then simply Norfolk Street. Simmons’ lot was in the Happy Hill neighborhood, which was razed for “urban renewal” projects. Its approximate location is marked with an X below.]

  • On 8 November 1912,  for $125, Allen and Zillie A. Moses of Wake County, N.C., sold M.S. and Annie L. Gilliam a lot on the south side of Robeson Street, being Lot 9 of Block 11 of the Rountree Place plat. (The Moseses were African American Wayne County natives.) Deed Book 106, page 255.

Wilson County Register of Deeds Office, Wilson.

Rev. Davis’ churches.

Mary’s Chapel, Scotland Neck.

Though most closely associated with Wilson’s First Missionary Baptist Church, Rev. Fred M. Davis helmed churches across eastern North Carolina. A newspaper obituary named these eight, most of which remain active churches:

The obituary of Jennette Barnes (reveals a mystery).

Wilson Daily Times, 4 April 1947.

Jennette Barnes‘ obituary adds two interesting bits of information to the profile already posted: (1) she had a brother named Joseph Jones, and (2) she was a member of Evansdale Methodist Church.

Evansdale Methodist?

Evansdale United Methodist anchors the old Evansdale community south of today’s Beddingfield High School. As mainline churches go in Wilson County, it is relatively young, having been established in 1913. Did Evansdale United Methodist admit black people to full membership during Jennette Barnes’ lifetime?

On 7 February 1930, Evansdale Methodist appears in a list of “colored churches” holding services in Wilson County.

Wilson Daily Times, 7 February 1930.

However, in every similar listing that year — they ran weekly — Evansdale Methodist appears under “County Churches.” And a 1963 history of Evansdale United Methodist discloses that the pastor from 1929 to 1931 was Rev. J. Vincent Knight. The February 7 paper, it appears, contained a typesetting error, and one that probably caused significant consternation.

So, we’re back to square one. Was there another Methodist church — a black one — in the Evansdale community? As far as I know, there have been no standard Methodist churches in Wilson County founded for or by black people. All nineteenth and early twentieth century references to “colored Methodist” churches related to African Methodist Episcopal Zion or African Methodist Episcopal churches (of which there were once many more than there are now.) Barnes’ obituary notes that she was funeralized at Saint John A.M.E. Zion. Was Evansdale also A.M.E. Z.?  I’ll keep searching.

The estate of Jerry Bullock (1877).

Just a handful of years after his election to the local school committee, Jerry Bullock died. Larry D. Farmer was appointed Administrator of Bullock’s estate, which he estimated was worth about $300. Bullock’s heirs were his widow Martha Bullock and children  John Bullock, Icabod Bullock, Martha Ann Bullock, Joshua R. Bullock, David C. Bulluck (age 7), General Grant Bullock (age 6), Ella Bullock (age 5), Emily Susan Bullock (age 3), and Bettie Bullock (age 9 months).

On 24 November 1977, Farmer filed an inventory of one year’s support laid out for Bullock’s widow and an account of the proceeds of the sale of his personal items. Most were farm tools, and the buyers included Jolly Taylor and Martha Bullock.

Farmer filed a final account of the estate on 24 January 1878. He noted that, among other debts, he had paid W.T. Williford $83.25 for the balance of Bullock’s mortgage.

Estate File of Jerry Bullock, Wilson County, N.C., U.S. Wills and Probate Records 1665-1998, http://www.ancestry.com.

 

Lawrence and Mary Pender Hagans, as imagined.

I am ambivalent about using artificial intelligence to restore photographs. Or, more specifically, I’m concerned about manipulated photographs supplanting original images and further blurring the line between reality and misinformation. However, the allure of AI-enhanced images is strong, as I often contend with blurry, poorly lit photographs in unnatural sepia or black-and-white tones. Photographs whose condition sometimes exacerbates the distance between us and our ancestors.

I have been experimenting with ChatGPT lately, feeding it queries and images to be restored and colorized. The results are somewhat haphazard, with many images weird and off-putting. Other times, the images are breathtakingly sharp and … alive. Black Wide-Awake exists to resurrect forgotten lives, and I believe these images are valuable to help us connect with the men and women we read about in these posts. From time to time, I’ll share the better ones here, clearly marked as AI-generated.

——

Lawrence and Mary Gray Pender Hagans.

County teachers meet.

Journal and Guide (Norfolk, Va.), 30 January 1937.

——

  • E.M. Barnes, “supervisor” — Edward M. Barnes.
  • J.D. Reid, “principal of the Stantonsburg Street School” — here we find the surprising return of J.D. Reid to the principalship of the Graded School. I don’t think the stint lasted long.
  • Mr. Lee
  • Mrs. Whitehead, “fifth grade teacher of Wilson High School” — Mamie Ethel Key Whitehead.
  • M.D. Williams, “principal of the new S.H. Vick graded school” — Malcolm D. Williams.
  • Stanley Gilliam, “principal of the Williamson school”

The obituary of Mollie Braswell Talley.

Wilson Daily Times, 14 July 1944.

——

In the 1880 census of Lower Town Creek township, Edgecombe County, N.C.: laborer George Braswell, 28; wife Adline, 25; children James R., 10, Geo. L., 7, and Mollie, 2; Sol Knight, 22, laborer; and Walter Whitfield, 32, laborer.

In the 1900 census of Wilson, Wilson County: farmer George Braswell, 52; wife Adeline, 47; children Mollie, 22, Mattie, 18, Caroline, 16, Victoria, 13, Melvina, 12, Dora, 10, and Ernest, 9; and grandchildren James, 3, and Frederick, 3 months.

On 9 September 1900, Frank Bynum, 32, of Wilson County, Frank Bynum, 32, of Wilson County, son of Peter and Elizabeth Bynum, married Mollie Braswell, 22, daughter of George and Adaline Braswell, in Wilson township, Wilson County. John Artis applied for the license, and Primitive Baptist minister J.F. Farmer performed the ceremony in the presence of Anthony Vick, Charles Hagans, and London Woodard.

Walter Talley, 45, of Old Fields, married Mollie Barnes, 45, of Old Fields, on 15 July 1925.

In the 1928 Wilson, N.C., city directory: Talley Walter (c; Mollie) mill hd 806 S Lodge

In the 1940 census of Wilson, Wilson County: Walter Tally, 50, lumber mill laborer, and wife Molly, 60.

Walter Talley died 17 May 1941 at Mercy Hospital, Wilson. Per his death certificate, he was born 13 January 1885 in Wayne County, N.C.; lived at 503 East Banks Street, Wilson; worked as a laborer; was married to Mollie Talley; and was buried in Rountree Cemetery [probably, Vick Cemetery.]

In 1942, James Braswell registered for the World War II draft in Wilson County. Per his registration card, he was born 23 February 1898 in Wilson County; lived at 503 Banks Street, Wilson; his contact was Molly Talley, 503 Banks; and he worked for Williams Lumber Company.

Mollie Talley died 13 July 1944 in Wilson. Per her death certificate, she was born 7 April 1880 in Edgecombe County, N.C., to George and Adeline Braswell; lived at 604 South Lodge; was the widow of Walter Talley; and was buried in Rest Haven Cemetery. James Braswell was informant.