Mincey

Whereas.

To mark Wilson’s 175th birthday on January 29, 2024, the City’s Facebook page featured posts about the Mayor’s birthday proclamation; the Wilmington & Weldon Railroad; Wilson Energy; Wilson Fire/Rescue Services; Greenlight; and Buckhorn Reservoir. As with its Martin Luther King Jr. Day announcement — which was all about closures, said nothing about the man himself, and closed with a cheery “if you have the day off, take advantage of this long weekend and enjoy your well-deserved break!” — the City missed opportunities for inclusion in its write-ups about its honorees. At a minimum — especially during Black History Month — Ben Mincey and the Red Hots should have gotten a nod in the FRS post.

Let’s look a little closer at the proclamation though.  The “whereas” is accurate, but I can’t see Wyatt Moye’s name without thinking of his other legacy, one that resonates in the blood of African-Americans from Wilson County to Louisiana.

So:

WHEREAS, Wyatt Moye was a slave trader who moved surplus enslaved people in coffles from North Carolina to the deepest South, and

WHEREAS, his business, which ripped men and women from their families and communities forever, made the incorporator of the Town of Wilson wildly wealthy.

There. Fixed it.

Minceys testify in support of a pension application.

In 1892, Greene County, N.C., native Caleb Williams’ children filed an application to receive pension benefits. Williams, who had been enslaved by Isaac Williams, had enlisted in Company H, 14th Regiment, United Colored Heavy Artillery, in 1865.

Two men with Wilson County ties testified in support of the claim. On 3 June 1892, 56 year-old Prince Minshew of Snow Hill, Greene County, swore that he knew Williams was in the United States Army and that he was present at Williams’ death.

On 30 August 1892, Prince Minshew gave a second statement alongside Judie Ham of Shine, Greene County. They attested that they had been witnesses to the marriage of Caleb Williams and Patsey Minshew in 1865, but the couple had lived as man and wife long prior.  They also identified three of the couple’s children — Alice Williams, Absalom Williams, and Annie Williams Fields.

Within a few years, Prince Minshew and his family moved to Wilson, shifting their surname slightly along the way. In the 1900 census of Wilson town, Wilson township, Wilson County: farmer Prince Mensey, 60; wife Susan, 52; children Ben, 19, Emma, 19, and Oscar, 12; and niece Rosetta Mensey, 7. Prince Mincey’s son Ben, of course, was famed Chief Mincey of the Red Hot Hose Company. Prince, Ben, and Oscar Mincey — and likely other family family members — are buried in a family plot in Odd Fellows Cemetery.

On 25 October 1904, Lewis Mincey, 60, of Wilson also provided an affidavit. He had been born enslaved on the William Edmundson plantation, which was near the Isaac Williams plantation on which Caleb Williams was held. He recalled Caleb Williams’ marriage to a woman named Jane, who died on Haywood Edmundson’s plantation. Williams then married Lewis Mincey’s sister Patsey Mincey. Caleb Williams died of “lung troubles” in 1874; Patsey Mincey Williams died in 1887.

In the 1880 census of Wilson, Wilson County: on Barnes Street, farm worker Louis Minshew, 47, and wife Anna, 30.

In the 1910 census of Wilson, Wilson County: on Moore Street, odd jobs laborer Louis Minsey, 75, and wife Annie, 60. [Mincey reported that both parents were born in Virginia.]

In the 1920 census of Wilson, Wilson County: on Moore Street, gardener Lewis Mency, 70, and wife Annie, 72.

Lewis Mincey died 6 March 1923 in Wilson. Per his death certificate, he was 63 [sic] years old; was born in Greene County, N.C., to Jack Mincey and an unnamed mother; was a widower; and had worked as a day laborer. He was buried in Wilson, N.C., and Benjamin Mincey was informant.

I suspect Prince, Lewis, and Patsey Mincey were siblings. Prince Mincey named a son “Jack,” apparently after their father. Prince’s son Benjamin was the informant for his uncle Lewis’ death certificate.

File #545736, Application of Minor Children of Caleb Williams for Pension, National Archives and Records Administration. Thank you, Trisha Blount-Hewitt, for bringing my attention to this file. For more details, see Trisha’s blogpost.

Xmas Night Dance at the Center.

Wilson Daily Times, 23 December 1943.

Twenty-one year-old impresario Percy Mincey put together an impressive Christmas night dance in 1943, five months before he enlisted in the United States Army. (Note the reduced price for white “spectators,” who could watch, but not dance.)

  • Percy Mincy

In the 1930 census of Wilson, Wilson County: at 500 Stantonsburg Street, John Mincey, 50, tobacco factory laborer; wife Olivia, 46; children Olivia D., 17, tobacco factory laborer, Joseph, 23, Margie, 15, Susie M., 12, Johnie M., 8, Percy, 6, and Prince, 21, and his wife Alice, 19; and grandchildren James, 12, Lawrence L., 7, and Willie L. Carroll, newborn.

In the 1940 census of Wilson, Wilson County: at 500 Stantonsburg Street, Jack Mincey, 61; wife wife Olivia, 58; sons Johnie, 20, and Percell, 19; and grandson Darance, 17.

In 1942, Percy Mincey registered for the World War II draft in Wilson County. Per his registration card, he was born 29 December 1922 in Wilson; lived at 500 Stantonsburg Street; his contact was Ben Mincey, 650 Wiggins; and he worked for Watson Warehouse, Goldsboro Street.

  • Ike Carpenter and his 12 Piece Orchestra — This would seem to be Isaac Carpenter, a white jazz bandleader from Durham, N.C., but biographies of Carpenter indicate he did not form his first band until 1945, and he generally led octets.
  • The Three Aces — This is another conundrum. The most well-known Three Aces group did not form until 1951.

Lane Street Project: Chief Mincey’s hydrant renewed.

The fire hydrant grave marker of Chief Ben Mincey was badly peeling and rusting.

A benefactor who wishes to remain anonymous recently gave it a good cleaning and a fresh coat of high-quality paint in appropriate colors. Thank you!

(If you don’t think we’ve made much progress at Odd Fellows Cemetery, see the photo I took of the hydrant in December 2020.)

Photos courtesy of Lisa Y. Henderson, February and May 2023.

Madison Mincey loses a red bicycle.

Wilson Daily Times, 25 June 1932.

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In the 1920 census of Wilson, Wilson County: at 411 Wiggins Street, city pipe fitter Benj. Mency, 38; wife Mattie, 37, tobacco factory worker; and children Benjamin J., 11, Mildred, 7, Maddison, 5, and John, 3 months.

In the 1930 census of Wilson, Wilson County: at 656 Wiggins Street, valued at $800, town of Wilson plumber Benjamin Mincy, 48; wife Mattie, 49; and children Benjamin Jr., 23, Briggs Hotel cook; Madison B., 16; Mildred, 17; and John H., 11; and roomer Andrew P. Sugg, 59.

On 13 October 1935, Madison Mincey, 25, of Wilson, married Lalla Rook Barnes, 25, in Wilson. Missionary Baptist minister Charles T. Jones performed the ceremony in the presence of Frank Davis, Frank Barnes, and Anna Barnes.

In the 1940 census of Wilson, Wilson County: hospital orderly Madison Mincey, 25; wife Lalla Rook, 22; and children Elizabeth E. and Robert E., 3; Johnny M., 1; and Luther, 5 months.

In the 1950 census of Wilson, Wilson County: at 803 East Green Street, Elois Parker, 29, widow; her sons William T., 11, Jessie, 6, and Ralph, 3; brother-in-law Madison Mincey, 36 collect garbage at city garbage department; nieces and nephews Elizabeth, 13, Luther, 10, Mildred, 9, Madison, 8, and Fredrick Mincey, 6; mother Mary Barnes, 71, widow; and cousin Hallie Ward, 27, private servant.

Madison Mincey died 12 October 2001 in Wilson.

Lane Street Project: the Mincey family plot.

With donations from readers like you, we were able recently to engage Foster Stone and Cemetery Care to clean and reset markers in the Mincey family plot at Odd Fellows cemetery.

We’ve seen the nearly buried white marble headstones of Prince Mincey and Oscar Mincey, standing a few feet from Benjamin Mincey‘s fire hydrant. Prince Mincey was Ben Mincey’s father, and Oscar, his brother.

Marble headstones are both heavy and fragile, and Foster uses site-built equipment to safely lift them.

Voilà!

The style of Oscar Mincey’s headstone suggests that it was placed shortly after his death in 1906. Prince Mincey’s engraving, however, appears to be machine-cut, suggesting manufacture and placement well after he died in 1902.

Though their grave markers have not yet been found, it seems likely that Prince Mincey’s wife Susan Mincey and Ben Mincey’s wife Mattie Barnes Mincey are buried in the family plot as well.

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In the 1900 census of Wilson town, Wilson township, Wilson County: farmer Prince Mensey, 60; wife Susan, 52; children Ben, 19, Emma, 19, and Oscar, 12; and niece Rosetta Mensey, 7.

Photos courtesy of Billy Foster.