Six days after his death, the family of barber Levi H. Jones published a note of thanks in the Wilson Daily Times.
Wilson Daily Times, 7 March 1961.
A day later, Jones’ niece and administratrix Ruth Jones Plater Brown published a notice of sale of his personal property, which included a piano, furniture, a gas stove, and a 1950 Dodge.
Wilson Daily Times, 8 March 1961.
Albert Kent was the third African-American killed in car accidents in Wilson County over a ten-day period in April-May 1938. Though described as “aged,” Kent was only 54 years old.
Wilson Daily Times, 9 May 1938.
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In the 1870 census of Springhill township, Wilson County: farm laborer Elbert Kent, 25, wife Rebecca, 23; and daughter Mary, 1.
In the 1880 census of Beulah township, Johnston County: Elbert Kent, 36, farmer; wife Rebeca, 29; and children Mary, 10, Rufus, 9, Saraha, 7, Flournes J., 6, Martha M., 4, and Pharrow, 1.
In the 1900 census of Cross Roads township, Wilson County: farmer Elbert Kent, 55, widower, and children Joseph, 18, Albert, 15, Bettie, 8, Rebecca, 7, and Isaiah, 4; plus daughter Martha Barnes, 23, widow, and her children Rebecca, 4, and Joseph, 2.
On 24 April 1909, Albert Kent, 23, of Springhill township, son of Elbert and Rebecca Kent, married Martha Short, 22, of Springhill, daughter of John and Mandy Short, in Wilson.
In the 1910 census of Cross Roads township, Wilson County: railroad laborer Albert Kent, 32, and wife Mary, 30.
In the 1920 census of Cross Roads township, Wilson County: farmer Albert Kent, 35; wife Mary S., 31; and children Alta M., 9, James A., 7, George, 5, and Napoleon, 2 months.
In the 1930 census of Oldfields township, Wilson County: farmer Albert Kent, 46; wife Maggie L., 31; and children Elsie, 19, James A., 17, Robert, 15, Napoleon, 10, Mary M., 9, Sallie M., 6, and Elbert, 3.
I have not identified William or Richard Jones with certainty.
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In the 1920 census of Wilson, Wilson County: at 404 Mercer Street, Noel Jones, 50, servant; wife Caroline, 51; and children (the first three tobacco factory laborers) Noel Jr., 20, Sarah, 18, Christine, 16, Elmer, 14, and Francis, 9.
In the 1925 Wilson, N.C., city directory: Jones Christine, laundress h 1009 Mercer
In the 1930 census of Wilson, Wilson County: at 1009 South Mercer Street, owned and valued at $15,000 [sic], farm helper Noel Jones, 60; wife Caroline, 60; children Sarah Hines, 29, and Christine, 26, and Frances Jones, 18; and granddaughter Mildred P. Jones, 7.
Christine Jones, 45, married Morris Pittman, 44, on 1 October 1950 in Wilson.
Funeral program courtesy of Lisa R.W. Sloan. Thank you.
Gertrude C. Jones with daughter Dorothy (1946).
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In the 1920 census of Springhill township, Wilson County: on New Wilson and Raleigh Road, farmer Right Creech, 48; wife Sallie, 37; and children Willie, 19, James O., 17, Maomie, 18, Luther, 14, Lillie May, 11, Alex, 9, Elizabeth, 8, Beulah, 6, Gertrude, 3, and David, 1.
In the 1930 census of Springhill township, Wilson County: farmer Wright Creech, 56; wife Sallie A., 47; and children Lillie M., 22, Elex, 20, Elizabeth, 18, Gertrude, 13, David, 11, Sallie, 8, Genava, 6, Addie L., 3.
On 4 January 1936, Paul Jones, 21, of Route 1, Lucama, son of Thomas A. and Ida Jones, married Gertrude Creech, 21, of Wilson, daughter of Wright and Sally Creech, at the Courthouse in Smithfield, Johnston County. George Allen and Lillie Creech witnessed.
In the 1940 census of Crossroads township, Wilson County: Paul Jones, 25; wife Gertrude, 23, and children Johnnie H., 3, and Paul J., 1.
In 1940, Paul Henderson Jones registered for the World War II draft in Wilson County. Per his registration card, he was born 5 July 1914 in Wilson County; resided at Route #1, Lucama; was married to Gertrude Jones; and was unemployed.
Paul Henderson Jones Sr. died 30 July 1983 in Wilson. Per his death certificate, he was born 5 July 1914 in Wilson County to Thomas Jones and Ida Bagley; resided at 609 Dew Street, Wilson; and was married to Gertrude Creech Jones.
Gertrude Creech Jones died 12 October 2000 in Wilson.
Thanks to Edith Jones Garnett for sharing this photo of her mother.
Thomas A. Jones (1868-1925).
Edith Jones Garrett generously shared this photograph of her grandfather, Thomas Jones. Read more about him here.
Ed. Powell and Thomas Mercer gave bond for a marriage license for Ed. Powell and Mary Jones on 14 August 1848 in Nash County. The couple likely lived in a section of Nash that would be incorporated into Wilson County in 1855.
Nineteen years later, on 10 October 1867, John Allen Jones, son of Edwin Powell and Mary Jones, married Susan Simpson, daughter of Sallie Simpson, at Margarett Simpson‘s house in Wilson County.
In the 1870 census of Old Fields township, Wilson County: farm laborer Jno. A. Jones, 22; wife Susan, 19; children Thomas, 2, and Jesse B., 7 months; and Rosett Boykin, 10.
In the 1880 census of Old Fields township, Wilson County: Dempsy Powell, 52, farmer; wife Sallie, 46; daughter Susan A. Jones, 27, and her husband John A. Jones, 34; their children Thomas A., 13, Jessee B., 11, James A., 7, Celia C., 5, Sallie C., 4, and John A., 1; and W.D. Lucus, 21, laborer. [Sallie Simpson married Dempsey Powell in Wilson County in 1855. The family appears in the 1860 census of Black Creek township, Wilson County: turpentine worker Dempsey Powell, 30; wife Sallie, 28; and Susan Simpson, 9.]
Many thanks to Edith Garnett Jones for this copy of the Powell-Jones marriage license.
Lonnie Bagley sitting in Picture-Taking Barnes‘ wicker chair.
In the 1900 census of Old Fields, Wilson County: farmer Henderson Bagley, 70, wife Lenora, 48, daughter Etta, 18, and grandchildren Lonna [Lonnie] Locus, 8, Earnest Locus, 6, and Percy Locus, 2. Next door: Ruffin Bagley, 32, wife Luesah, 25, and son Arthar, 6.
Lonnie Bagley, 20, of Old Fields, son of Frank Locus and Ida Jones [Mary Ida Bagley Jones], married Mary Jane Morgan, 21, of Nash County, daughter of Parker and Mary Morgan, on 16 January 1908 in Old Fields township, Wilson County.
Lonnie Bagley registered for the World War I draft in Nash County. Per his draft registration, he was born 3 July 1891 in Wilson; resided in Bailey; worked as a farmer for Mary J. Glover near Bailey; and had a wife and children.
In the 1920 census of Jackson township, Nash County: on Bailey and Spring Hope Road, Lonnie Bagley, 28; wife Mary J., 30; and children Odel, 10, Weldon, 9, Gladys, 7, Lessie, 6, Ollie M., 4, and Lonnie Jr., 1 month.
Lonnie Bagley registered for the World War II draft in Washington, D.C. Per his registration card, he was born 3 July 1891 in Wilson, N.C.; lived at 2007 O Street, N.W., Washington; and worked for Morrison Brothers, Bethesda, Maryland.
Lonnie Bagley, 51, married Hattie M. Robinson on 12 June 1943 in Washington, D.C.
Leona Jones.
In the 1920 census of Old Fields township, Wilson County: on Sims Road, farmer Thomas A. Jones, 51; wife Mary I., 45; children Milbry T., 23, Andrew, 19, Leona, 17, James H., 14, Ollie, 9, Ida May, 7, Paul H., 5, and Jim Lawrence, 3; and granddaughter Bettie Lee, 4.
In the 1930 census of Crossroads township, Wilson County: farmer Thomas Jones, 61; wife Ida, 54; and children Leona, 27, Ollie, 19, Ida M., 17, Paul, 15, James, 13, and Willie, 8.
Many thanks to Edith Jones Garnett for the use of these images.
Wilson Daily Times, 24 December 1940.
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In the 1940 census of Wilson, Wilson County: in New Grabneck, Joe Jones, 44, tobacco factory laborer; wife Mary L., 33, county home nurse; and children Marie, 12, and Joseph Jr., 9.
In the 1940 census of Wilson, Wilson County: in New Grabneck, Oliver W. Best, 32, carpenter-contractor,and wife Sadie L., 24, public school teacher.
Model 1938 Red Ryder BB gun, today.
In January 1828, Barbara Jones of Wayne County “in consideration of the natural love and affection which I do bear towards my daughter” transferred to Bethany Jones 100 acres in Nash County bounded by the lands of Jethro Harrison on the north and east, Cuzzy [Keziah] Williamson on the south, and John Grice on the west (minus two acres sold to Mary Hobbs).
Deed book 12, page 190, Nash County Register of Deeds Office, Nashville, N.C.
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I have long identified Bethana Jones as a the matriarch of a large free family of color rooted in what is now southwestern Wilson County. However, if this is the same Bethana Jones, this astounding document advances the Jones family genealogy back a generation to Bethana Jones’ mother, Barbara Jones.
The evidence is limited, but suggestive. The time period is correct. Most critically, the named neighbors place Barbara and Bethana Jones’ land in Old Fields township in the neighborhood in which Bethana Jones was known to live. Jethro Harrison’s son and grandson were among the men and women who purchased items from Bethana Jones’ 1852 estate sale. Keziah Williamson was the mother of Isaac Williamson, who showed up at Jones’ estate sale. (It seems less likely that this was a reference to Kesiah Williamson, wife of Thomas Williamson, as ownership of property in a married woman’s own name during her husband’s lifetime would have been unusual.)
Barbary Jones appears in a 1782 tax list of Nash County, but no census records, which was not unusual for free women of color. The earliest certain reference to Bethany Jones (other than this deed) is in the 1830 census of Eatmon’s district, Nash County, North Carolina, in which Bethany Jones is head of a household of free people of color that included three males under age 10; one aged 10-23; and one aged 24-35; one female under 10; one aged 10-23; and two aged 36-54. (Were the latter two Bethana and her mother Barbara Jones?)
