Sisters Annie Sharpe Batts (1911-1961), Sarah Sharpe Williams (1895-1985), Effie Sharpe Ruffin (1902-1980).
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In the 1900 census of Gardners township, Wilson County: farmer James Sharp, 28; wife Bettie, 25; and children Sarah, 7, Minnie, 4, Lonnie, 2, and Yetta, 7 months.
In the 1910 census of Gardners township, Wilson County: on the Plank Road, farmer Jim Sharp, 38; wife Bettie, 35; and children Sarah, 15, Sunny, 13, Etta, 12, Mary, 10, Mahala, 9, Jimmie, 7, Della, 5, Bettie, 3, and Annie, 2.
In the 1920 census of Gardners township, Wilson County: on the Tarboro Road, farmer James Sharp, 47; wife Bettie, 40; and children Sonnie, 21, Effie, 18, Mahaly, 17, Jimmie, 15, Dolena, 14, Annie, 13, Bettie, 12, and Willie, 7.
Photo courtesy of Ancestry.com user GeraldNelson31.
In the 1880 census of Gardners township, Wilson County: farmer Oren Sharp, 26; wife Debby, 25; and children Lary, 2, Thomas, 4 months, and James, 8.
In the 1900 census of Gardners township, Wilson County: farmer Orren Sharpe, 46; wife Debby, 45; and children Robert, 17, Media, 14, William Ann, 9, Gray, 7, Roscoe, 3, and Jessie, newborn.
In the 1910 census of Gardners township, Wilson County: on Plank Road, farmer Orren Sharpe, 57; wife Delphia, 55; and children Medie, 30, Winnie, 17, Robert, 27, Gray, 16, Williamann, 14, James, 15, and Rome, 12.
In 1917, Roman Sharp registered for the World War II draft in Wilson County. Per his registration card, he was born 23 March 1896 in Wilson County; worked as a farmer; was single; and supported his father and mother.
Ferabia Sharp died 20 February 1919 in Gardners township, Wilson County. Per her death certificate, she was 66 years old; was born in Gardners township to Ben Arthis and Fabia Artis; was married; and Orange Sharp was informant. [This is clearly Debbie Artis Sharp. Was she named Ferebee after her mother and given “Debbie” as a nickname?]
Meddie Sharp died 1 October 1919 in Wilson. Per his death certificate, he was 36 years old; was born in Wilson County to Orange Sharp and Debby Artis; and was married to Winnie [sic] Sharp.
Arn Sharpe, 66, widower; sons Larry, 40, and Roman, 23; daughter-in-law Bessie, 22; grandson H. Willie, 2; and sister-in-law Sarah Bynum, 65.
Robert Sharpe died 17 January 1947 in Wilson. Per his death certificate, he was born 22 January 1881 in Wilson County to Orange Sharpe and Debbie Artis; was married to Annie Sharpe; worked as a farmer; and was buried in Barnes Cemetery, Wilson County.
Larry Sharpe died 4 October 1953 in Wilson. Per his death certificate, he was 77 years old; was born in Wilson County to Orange Sharpe and Debbie Artis; was married to Bessie Sharpe; and was buried in Simon Barnes Cemetery, Wilson County.
Gray Sharpe Sr. died 22 January 1961 in Wilson. Per his death certificate, he was born 30 October 1889 in Wilson County to Owens Sharpe; was married to Mary Sharpe; worked as a farmer; and was buried in Barnes Cemetery, Wilson County.
Annie Sharpe Barnes died 20 January 1974 in Wilson. Per her death certificate, she was born 27 May 1891 to Orin Sharpe and Debbie Sharpe; was a widow; and lived at 110 South Carroll Street, Wilson.
The one hundred ninety-first in a series of posts highlighting buildings inEast Wilson Historic District, a national historic district located in Wilson, North Carolina. As originally approved, the district encompasses 858 contributing buildings and two contributing structures in a historically African-American section of Wilson. (A significant number have since been lost.) The district was developed between about 1890 to 1940 and includes notable examples of Queen Anne, Bungalow/American Craftsman, and Shotgun-style architecture. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1988.
Photo by Drew C. Wilson, “Suspicious hire damages vacant house,” Wilson Times, 28 December 2023.
As described in the nomination form for the East Wilson Historic District: “ca. 1922; 1 story; shotgun; altered and aluminum-sided.”
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In the 1930 Hill’s Wilson, N.C., city directory: Boston Liston (c; Emma) hlpr h 624 E Vance
In the 1930 census of Wilson, Wilson County: at 624 East Vance, rented at $8/month, Liston Boston, 29, sawmill laborer, born in South Carolina; wife Erma Jane, 28, born in South Carolina; children Lucile, 5; Eliza, 3; Cora E., 1; and Luther, 5 months; brother-in-law Simon Burger, 20, sawmill laborer, and mother-in-law Eliza Burger, 50, widow.
In the 1941 Hill’s Wilson, N.C., city directory: Boston Liston (c; Emma; 6) carp h 624 E Vance
In the 1947 Hill’s Wilson, N.C., city directory: Sharp Tearr (c; Mamie) emp City h 624 E Vance
In the 1950 Hill’s Wilson, N.C., city directory: at 624 East Vance, Ernest Sharp, 43, road scraper, city road department, and wife Mammie, 42.
Little Arthur Lee Sharpe lost his fight and passed away 8 December 1941.
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In the 1940 census of Gardners township, Wilson County: farmer Larry Sharpe, 62; wife Bessie, 42; and children Edward, 17, Marie, 16, Lucinda, 13, Larry Jr., 12, Wilbert, 9, Aurthur Lee, 8, Juanita, 3, and James E. Sharpe, 1, and Debbie Barnes, 19.
Arthur Lee Sharpe died 8 December 1941 at Mercy Hospital, Wilson. Per his death certificate, he was born 16 March 1932 in Wilson County to Larry Sharpe of Wilson and Bettie Guest of Spartanburg, S.C.; was a student; lived at Route 4, Wilson; and was buried in Simon Barnes cemetery. Cause of death: “extensive burns entire body — fell in hot grease [due to] accident.”
George Sharp, a 17 year-old boy with intellectual disabilities, died after being struck by train in Wilson in June 1913. I have not been able to discover more about the incident.
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In the 1900 census of Toisnot township, Wilson County: farmer Daniel Sharp, 58; wife Lucindy, 25; and sons Joseph L., 6, George W., 4, and James H., 2.
Among the most rewarding aspects of researching for Black Wide-Awake are discovering, uncovering, and recovering lost family connections, both my own and others’. I was particularly excited to piece together the Taylor family puzzle, which linked three of my childhood friends. Wilson County is small enough that it’s not surprising that many of us share distant common ancestry, but just who those long-lost cousins are can be surprising indeed.
In August 1911, a justice of the peace charged Daniel Sharp Jr. with assault with a deadly weapon for an alleged attack upon Louis Hagans. The charge was based on eyewitness testimony by Rufus Edmundson and Charlie Dawes. Per Edmundson, Sharp shot a pistol at Hagans at New Hope Church. (This, presumably, was New Hope Missionary Baptist Church, located then as now on N.C. Highway 58 just north of Wilson.)
In the 1860 census of Gardners township, Wilson County: farmer James G. Williford, 46; [second] wife Nancy, 26; and children Mary A., 18, John T., 16, Nancy T., 14, Caroline, 11, Arabella, 5, Elijah A., 4, and James C., 1.
In the 1870 census of Joyners township, Wilson County: Nancy Williford, 34, and children John B., 3, and Mary E., 2. All were described as white. [I initially assumed that this Nancy was James G. Williford’s daughter. However, her age as listed in the 1870 and 1880 censuses is more consistent with that of Williford’s wife Nancy Mears Williford. Williford died in 1861. His and Nancy’s son Elijah Elbert is listed in the 1870 census as Bertie Williford, 14 year-old apprentice to Hickman Barnes, and daughter “Arvilla” is listed in the household of her half-brother William Williford. Did Nancy lose custody of her children as a result of her relationship with Daniel Sharp?]
In the 1870 census of Gardners township, Wilson County: Benjamin Tillery, 27; wife Cherry; and daughter Jane, 3; Lucy Taylor, 23, and son Columbus, 8 months; and Daniel Sharp, 26, farm laborer.
In the 1880 census of Toisnot township, Wilson County: Nancy Williford, 42, and children John, 13, farm laborer, and Mary E., 12. Here, Nancy’s children were described as mulatto.
In the 1880 census of Wilson township, Wilson County: Daniel Sharp, 40, farmer.
Mary Williford, 18, daughter of Nancy Williford, and Lorenzo Barnes, 22, son of William and Sarah Barnes, obtained (but did not return) a marriage license in Wilson County on 15 April 1891.
On 20 February 1895, John Williford, 28, married Mary Ella Barnes, 21, in Toisnot township. G.A. Gaston, J.C. Ellis and Buck Dew witnessed the ceremony.
In the 1900 census of Toisnot township, Wilson County: widower John Williford, 34, farmer; daughter Mary B., 4; and boarder Sammie Barnes. 19.
On 29 October 1893, Daniel Sharp, 52, of Toisnot, married Cynda Parker, 19, of Toisnot, in the presence of John Williford, Mose Parker and Jason Barnes.
In the 1900 census of Toisnot township, Wilson County: Daniel Sharp, 58, farmer; wife Lucinda, 25; and children Joseph, 6, George W., 4, and James H., 2.
In the 1900 census of Toisnot township, Wilson County: Renza Barnes, 26; wife Mary, 32; daughters Nanny, 11, and Minnie, 8; and niece Bertha Williford, 4.
On 19 December 1900, John Williford, 34, son of Dan Sharp, married Lena Locust, 19, daughter of Elbert and Rose Locust, in Elm City in the presence of J.C. Ellis, Lucian Norfleet, Willie Locus, and George Braswell.
In the 1910 census of Toisnot township, Wilson County: John Williford, 43; wife Lena, 28; and children Bertha, 14, Beatrice, 7, John L., 6, Edward, 4, Arnold, 2, and Odell, 2 months.
In the 1920 census of Toisnot township, Wilson County: well digger John Williford, 53; wife Lena, 38; and children John, 15, Edwin, 13, Arnel, 12, Frank, 8, and Inez, 17 months.
In the 1930 census of Elm City town, Toisnot township: John Gaston, 48, brickmason; wife Nannie, 41; daughters Pricilla, 21, and Minnie, 18; plus mother-in-law Mary Barnes, 62.
Mary [Williford] Barnes died 6 April 1949 in Elm City. Per her death certificate, she was born 5 May 1868 in Wilson County to unknown parents and was a widow. Nannie Gaston was informant.
Bastardy Bonds, 1866, Miscellaneous Records, Wilson County Records, North Carolina State Archives.
Mark Sharpe, “one of the county’s most industrious Negro farmers,” with some of his young hogs. Sharp bought his 53-acre farm near Wilbanks through a Farm Security Administration program. Wilson Daily Times, 20 August 1943.
Randall and Bynum were granted last-minute reprieves after Sharp and Richardson asserted that the men had not been involved in the death of Williford.
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Aaron Sharp — in the 1910 census of Wilbanks, Gardners township, Wilson County: farm laborer Daniel Sharp, 46; wife Hattie, 38; and sons Daniel, 19, Edmond, 14, Ben, 12, Henry, 5, and Aaron, 2. In the 1920 census of Gardners township, Wilson County: farmer Daniel Sharp, 54; sons Daniel, 28, Henry, 6, and Aaron, 12; daughter-in-law Lizzie, 23; and mother Harriet, 80. Aaron Sharp died 26 September 1930 in State Prison, Raleigh, as a result of “legal electrocution.” Per his death certificate he was 22 years old; was born in Wilson County to Daniel and Hattie Sharp; was single and had worked as a farmer. His remains were removed to Duke University [presumably, for use in the newly opened Duke University School of Medicine.]
Berry Richardson — Berry Richardson died 26 September 1930 in State Prison, Raleigh, as a result of “legal electrocution.” Per his death certificate he was 20 years old; was born in Robeson County to Emma Hamilton; was single and had worked as a farmer. His remains were removed to Fairmont, North Carolina.
William Randall — possibly, in the 1920 census of Saratoga township, Wilson County: farmer Charlie Randall, 48; wife Mary, 42; and children Minnie, 21, Blossie, 20, Elijah, 19, William, 18, Nathan, 16, Mary, 15, Joseph, 14, Katie, 13, Sam, 12, Charlie, 10, John, 9, and Cora, 8.
