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Carson Search
Part 1 Family Sources
On March 31, 2001, the following
information was available from the memories of siblings of Buren
Freeman and their descendants:
Cana Van Buren FREEMAN - b.
Oct. 9, 1873, Rutherford Co., NC; d. Aug. 1917, Love Island,
Bowie Co., TX; bur. Red Lick Cemetery, Texarkana, TX. Murdered.
Married Mary CARSON. Children: Thomas; Henry married Evelyn B.;
Marie; and Romulus.
By April 16, 2001, this information
had been expanded via email contact with three grandchildren
of Buren Freeman and Mary Carson, except for the marriage data,
which was located in the records of Rutherford Co., NC:
Cana Van Buren - b. Oct. 9,
1873, Rutherford Co., NC; d. Aug. 1917, Love Island, Bowie Co.,
TX; bur. Red Lick Cemetery, Texarkana, Bowie Co., TX. Murder
victim. Married on May 28, 1903 in Rutherford County, NC to Mary
CARSON by Rev. F. M. FREEMAN, with witnesses B. T. SCRUGGS, J.
D. FREEMAN and Laura WELLS. Mary CARSON (b. Mar. 10, 1886, SC;
d. Nov. 1982, CO) was the daughter of Jonnie (GREEN) CARSON (d.
1947, CO), who married second Horace WATSON. Jonnie GREEN was
a full Cherokee of SC. Children of Buren and Mary FREEMAN: Morgan
Tommie married Marie HELD (ch. Virginia, Charlene, Tom, George
Henry, and Mary Elizabeth); Henry Arthur married first Jessie
Naomi MacIntosh (ch. Audrey Marilynn, and Arleigh Marian), and
second Evelyn Bratten (TAYLOR) ROGERS; Marie married first Mr.
GREEN (ch. Francis), and second Ray KEASLER (ch. Janet); and
Romas Montgomery married Ilsa LOESCHNER (ch. Romas Byrl, and
Erna Mae).
The following specific information
has been provided, focusing only on the purpose of this report
- the identification of the paternal ancestry of Mary CARSON.
Some repeated information is omitted in the following, but some
is included. For ease of identification the wife of Buren Freeman
is referred to as Mary Carson, and her mother is referred to
as Jonnie Green. Jonnie's given name has been variously spelled
Johnny, Johnnie and Jonnie, but the latter spelling seem to be
used most often.
1. Mary's children were named
Morgan Tommie, Henry Arthur, Marie, and Romas Montgomery. The
names Romas may be a modification of Romulus.
2. Buren's grandson has a photograph
of a young lady with a notation on the back "Laura Washburn,
Grandmother Freeman 1st. cousin". Another photograph with
Mary Carson and Jonnie Green - on the back is recorded "Great
Grandmother Jonnie Maria Carson & Mary Elizabeth Ivira Carson".
The obituary notice for Mary (Carson) Freeman reads Mary E. Freeman,
born March 10, 1886 in South Carolina. The photo of Mary Carson
and her mother was taken by the ranch house in Deer Creek Canyon,
looks like Jonnie Green was wearing a full length fur coat and
Mary Carson was wearing a light brown coat full length, with
the photograph probably taken some time in the 30's.
3. Mary Carson went to college
and trained to be a teacher. She was an only child. Mary Carson
talked about when she was picking cotton, she would wear long
white gloves so the sun would not turn her skin brown - she had
a lot of Cherokee blood in her, but refused to talk about it.
She had blue eyes.
4. Mary Carson was raised in
Columbia, South Carolina - it is not known whether that was her
birth city. Mary Carson was raised by her father's family. It
is not known why Jonnie Green wasn't in the picture, nor is the
name of Mary Carson's father known. Buren Freeman met Mary Carson
when she was 13 and said he would wait for her to grow up and
then he would marry her. Mary Carson was an only child of Jonnie
Green
5. A niece of Mary Carson stated
that Mary had a brother in Denver, and a sister-in-law of Mary
Carson said Mary had an Uncle in Denver. Mary Carson's daughter
Marie said that, after the death of her husband in 1917, Mary
Carson moved to Denver because that's where her mother Jonnie
Green was living.
6. Jonnie Green was born a
Green and married a Carson and had daughter Mary Elizabeth Carson,
born March 10, 1886, died Nov. 1982 at age 96. Jonnie Green was
a full blooded Cherokee. Nothing is known of Mary Carson's father,
but Jonnie Green married later Horace Watson. Jonnie's death
is reported as 1947 and around 1945, and Horace Watson died much
later. Jonnie Green and Horace Watson homesteaded in the Colorado
mountains near Morrison. Jonnie Green (as Jonnie Watson) lived
in the mountains in a cabin and great grandchildren visited her,
remembering the creaky floor as Mary Carson rocked in her rocking
chair. Horace Watson's family that ended up with the property
in the mountains outside of Denver.
7. Two sons of Mary Carson,
and younger family members consistently report that they had
heard that Kit Carson was a Great Uncle of Mary Carson.
------------------------------------------------------------
Now for a few limited comments
and initial conjectures by this compiler:
1. It is noted that Buren had
a younger brother called Tommie, who died at age 7, and his father's
middle name was Romulus. The name for Marie may have been derived
from her mother Mary Carson or from her grandmother Jonnie Maria
Green, or both. It is conjectured that one or more of the remaining
names, Morgan, Henry, Arthur, and Montgomery, may be from the
Carson family.
2. As a first cousin (with
the precise definition), Laura Washurn (birth surname or married
surname?) would be a daughter of one of the siblings of the father
(Carson) or mother (Green) of Mary Carson. With the term "first
cousin" often being used in a less restricted manner, it
is also possible that Laura was a daughter of Mary's aunt or
uncles, including those by marriage and those of her husband
Buren Freeman - a very large number of possibilities, as Buren
had 7 aunts and uncles who married, with each spouse likely having
multiple siblings, plus all of the Carpenter, Carson, Green and
Watson aunts and uncles and their spouses' siblings. ...not to
mention first cousins X times removed.....
3. Being educated as a teacher
suggests that Mary Carson was raised in a family that valued
education and that had funds to provide one.
4. While this may be reading
between the lines, it is noted that the statement is that Mary
Carson was raised in Columbia, and separately that she was raised
by her father's family. This separation suggests it is possible
that she was raised a short time in Columbia, but she was later
raised by her father's family in a different location.
5. Mary Carson was an only
child, so perhaps the niece mistook the Uncle for a brother,
and Jonnie Green perhaps had a brother in Denver - this is still
confused to the compiler. If Mary Carson went to Denver because
her mother Jonnie Green lived there, why did Jonnie Green go
to Denver? Because she had a brother there? Was she already married
to Horace Watson? This may or may not have a bearing on the Carson
family search, but it could be of use in investigating the Green
and/or Watson families.
6. If Jonnie Green was about
18 when Mary Carson was born in 1886, she was probably about
age 78 when she died 1945-1947. Since Horace Watson died "much
later", it is likely that he was somewhat younger than Jonnie
Green. Perhaps (!) Jonnie Green married Horace Watson back in
Rutherford Co., NC, or in SC and the couple then settled in the
Denver area. Morrison is in Jefferson Co., CO.
7. A review of the family of
Christopher 'Kit' Carson doesn't reveal any of his siblings or
half-siblings who lived in areas Mary Carson was known to have
lived in SC or NC. While many family legneds concerning links
to Notable Cousins prove to be based only on wishes, only discovery
of Mary's CARSON family heritage will confirm or disprove this
claimed kinship. With the CARSON surname and the Great Uncle
kinship, Mary Carson's Grandfather Carson whould have to be a
brother or half brother of Kit Carson, who was born in 1809 -
77 years before Mary Carson. Personally, SML is highly skeptical
8^)
=================================================
Part 2 References
References in the personal
library of the compiler. Each of the references listed contain
significant information concerning the families of Freeman, Carson,
and Watson in Rutherford County, NC and the Freeman family in
Bowie Co., TX.
Federal Censuses of Rutherford
County, NC for the years 1790, 1800, 1830, 1850, 1860, 1870,
1880, by various compilers
Marriages of Rutherford County,
North Carolina 1779-1868, by Brent H. Holcomb (1986: Baltimore)
Rutherford County North Carolina
Marriage Registers 1868-1908, by Poteat, Tate, Petrucelli &
Petrucelli (1988: no location given)
Bulletin of The Genealogical
Society of Old Tryon County, Vol. XV to XXIX (1987-2001: Forest
City, NC)
The History of Old Tryon and
Rutherford Counties, by Clarence W. Griffen (1937: Forest City,
NC)
The Heritgage of Rutherford
County, North Carolina, by the Gen. Society of Old Tryon County
(1984: Winston-Salem, NC)
Bridges to the Past, Volume
I and Volume II, by Roy Brooks and Mrs. Ernest Newton (1992:
Forest City, NC)
Biggerstaff, Third Edition,
by Ralph L. Biggerstaff (1988: Mebane, NC)
Carpenters A Plenty, by Robert
C. Carpenter (1982: Baltimore)
Kinnexions, by Stephen M. Lawson
(2001 and continuing: Port Orchard, WA)
-----------
Significant internet resourses.
Only the main site entry is cited, with each location providing
extensive resources and/or locating aids. The usual cautions
apply to using information from undocumented sources, especially
the Pedigrees at the LDS site and GEDCOMs at the Ancestry site.
The quality of the information at the WorldConnect site is generally
better, but each posted genealogy must be evaluated based on
internal consistency, sources cited, and external verification.
US GenWeb - http://usgenweb.com
RootsWeb World Connect - http://worldconnect.genealogy.rootsweb.com/
Ancestry World Tree - http://www.ancestry.com/worldtree/tree.htm
LDS Custom Search - http://32.96.111.11/Search/searchaf.asp
Gen. Society of Old Tryon County
- http://www.blueridge.net/lds/nc/oldtryon.html
Rutherford Co., NC Cemeteries
- http://www.rfci.net/wdfloyd/index.html
Census On-line Links - http://www.census-online.com/links/index.html
GenForum Families - http:genforum.com
Kit Carson Data - http://history.cc.ukans.edu/heritage/families/kitcarsn.html
Kinnexions.com - http://kinnexions.com
Census Reports Orders - http://www.allcensus.com/
Vital Records Orders - http://www.vitalcheck.com/
=================================================
Part 3a - Conjectures and Discoveries
[Some tables included require
the use of a mono-spaced font (such as Courier or Monaco) for
proper formatting.]
This Part expanded so much
that it was deemed best to separate it into two sections.
Care should be taken to not
consider the information presented here as "proof".
Reaching conclusions considered to be proved requires contemporary
documentary evidence (certificates, court records, public documents),
and even then such evidence may contain false information, either
purposeful or accidental (either when recording or transcribing).
It is noted that Buren Freeman
knew Mary Carson when she was age 13 (March 1899), and the Freeman
family lived in Rutherford Co., NC in 1898, moving to Texas (for
the second time) late in 1898. There is a discrepancy between
the statement that Buren met Mary when she was age 13 and the
Freeman family returning to TX in late 1898. The youngest sibling
of Buren was born and died in Jan. 1899 in Texarkana, Bowie Co.,
TX, and the next youngest sibling died at Hebron, Rutherford
Co., NC in Jan. 1903. Buren had to have resided Rutherford County
by 1903, since he married Mary Carson there in 1903 and they
settled in Bowie Co., TX. This seems convincing that Mary Carson
resided in Rutherford Co., NC at least between 1898 and 1903
- the 1900 census of Rutherford Co. may be the key to identifying
with whom Mary was living in Rutherford County.
The marriage record for Buren
Freeman and Mary Carson was located in a published book of Rutherford
Co., NC marriages as: Freeman, Buron, 29, (W) to Carson, Mary,
18, (W) by Rev. F. M. Freeman, Bapt. Min., 28 May 1903, Wit:
B. T. Scruggs, J. D. Freeman, Laura Wells. An age of 18 in May
1903 would result in a birth year for Mary of 1885 and her being
age 13 in 1898, resolving the discrepancy noted above, which
could also be resolved by an overstatement her age by one year
both when she met Buren Freeman and when they married.
Marriage witness J. D. Freeman
was most likely James DeWitt Freeman, brother of Buren. Since
a photograph in the possession of Mary's grandson was marked
"Laura Washburn, Grandmother Freeman 1st. cousin",
it may be conjectured that the First Cousin Laura Washburn and
the Wedding Witness Laura Wells was the same person. The age
of Laura in the photo is not known, nor when and where the photo
was taken. It seems likely that Laura's birth surname was Wells,
and her married surname was Washburn. However, no marriage of
either a Laura Wells or a Laura Washburn is found in the referenced
1868-1908 marriages book.
The WorldConnect file of John
C. Peterson at http://worldconnect.rootsweb.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=GET&db=selvage1&id=I62593
includes the marriage of Laura Kansas Wells (1882-1961) to William
A. Washburn (1867-1931), but no marriage date or place is provided,
nor was one located elsewhere. Laura K. Wells is very likely
the witness to the marriage of Buren Freeman and Mary Carson
and the person appearing in the photo identified as being of
Laura Washburn, and her age being estimated at about 18 to 20.
She was the daughter of Moses Lafayette 'Fate' Wells and Cynthia
Elizabeth Bedford. All siblings of Fate Wells are identified,
but none of those of Cynthia Bedford. No "first cousin"
kinship between Laura Wells and Mary Carson through the Wells
aunts and uncle has not been found.
It is also possible that Laura
Washburn, first cousin of Mary Carson, was the daughter of a
sibling of Jonnie Green - if so her identification is beyond
the scope of this project, but could be very important in researching
the Green family. While the statement is unverified, a Freeman
relative did suggest that Jonnie Watson had a brother living
in the Denver around 1917.
In the above noted Peterson
file, Laura Wells' Uncle Marcus Wells married Amy Dona Green
- no further information provided. The following marriage is
found in the 1868-1908 volume listed in References: "Wells,
Marcus 50, (W) to Green, Arry Dona 30, (W) by J. B. Green, Min.,
8 Feb 1900, Wit: D. B. Brackett, M. B. Hines, J. M. Randall".
Further investigation of the Green family might be warranted
for possible connection to Jonnie Green, but it is noted that
there is no mention of Cherokee heritage in the available material.
Article 632 in the Heritage
volume in References concerns the Washburn family. Included is
"William Adney [Washburn] (March 6, 1868-Sept. 14, 1931)
married Laura Wells. The first two of their sons, Reed, Steve,
and Frank, became merchants in Spindale and Shelby [both in Rutherford
Co., NC] respectively. They also had three daughters, Ethel,
Joyce, and Colette." Laura (Wells) Washburn died at Bostic,
Rutherford Co., NC. Extensive information in the references cited
reveals nothing to suggest that Laura Wells lived anywhere but
in Rutherford County. The possession of the photo of Laura Washburn
by a descendant of Mary Carson indicates that she had close ties
with the area over a considerable period of time.
The obituary of Mary Carson
gives her birth place as SC, and she was in Rutherford Co., NC
at least from age 13 through 18. Family sources indicate that
she was raised by "her father's family," implying that
her father had died when she was still young, possibly under
school age. It is also known that Mary Carson was educated as
a school teacher, apparently through the efforts of her father's
family and apparently in Rutherford Co., NC where she lived during
her teenage years. One might expect that the Carson family who
raised her was financially secure and educated. It has also been
noted that Mary Carson used the names Morgan, Henry, Arthur,
and Montgomery for her sons, names that do not appear in their
father Buren Freeman's family.
Effort should be made to obtain
the 1900 Federal Census records for the various Carson families
in Rutherford Co., NC, since one of those families will likely
have a female of age 14, unless she was out of the area at school
when the census was taken. Special attention should be given
to the Carson family which this discussion will follow, since
such a record would confirm these conjectures with a high degree
of probability.
No record has been found in
Rutherford Co., NC of a marriage for the mother of Mary Carson.
And no female by the name of Jonnie Green (or variants) has been
found in the censuses for that county for 1850-1880. The county,
however, had many Green(e) families (both Black and White) and
there are numerous court records, deeds, marriage and cemetery
records for various Green(e)s.
All 15 Carson families in the
1880 Rutherford Co., NC Census have been carefully reviewed,
especially for a male child above the age of 12 (age 18 or older
when Mary Carson was born) with one of the names given to the
sons of Mary Carson. Such a family was found in Logan's Store
Township as Household 178. It is noted that many Freeman, Biggerstaff,
Baber, Logan, Wallace, Shemwell, Melton, Fortune, etc. families
with close ties to the family of Buren Freeman also lived in
the same Township, the Cana Van Buren Freeman, age 6, living
in Household 120, headed by G. R. Freeman and Susannah.
Being noted for differences
from one census to the next, the Census records for 1880, 1870,
1860 and 1850 were located.
1880 Logan's Store Township
178 CARSON, Mary A. W F 48
Keeping house NC NC NC
Alpha A.
W F 24 Dau NC
NC NC
Montgomery W
M 23 Son NC
NC NC
Jemima
W F 18 Dau NC
NC NC
Catharine C. W F 18
Dau NC
NC NC
Zebulon V.
W M 14 Son NC
NC NC
Joseph L.
W M 11 Son NC
NC NC
Charles M. W
M 8 Son NC
NC NC
1870 Logan's Store Township
174 CARSON, P. L. 44 M W Physician
& Farmer 2500/400 NC
Mary 39
F W Keeping house NC
Oscar O. 17 M W
NC
Alpha A. 16 F W
NC
M. C.
13 M W
NC
Mary
L. 8 F W
NC
Catharin 8
F W
NC
Zebulon B. 4 M W
NC
Joseph C. 2 M W
NC
1860 Oak Springs P. O., Flint
Hill District
214 CARSON, Phillip 24
Mary
28
Oscar
7
Alpha
5
Morgan
3
Caroline
8/12
1850 Roberson's Creek District
1537 CARSON, Catharine 56 F
NC
Adolphus
20 M Laborer NC
Joseph
17 M NC
Martha
15 F NC
Thomas
13 M NC
1850 Cain Creek District
1602 MOORE, Jemima 45 F NC
Mary 18
F NC
Malinda 16
F NC
Wilky McHAN 21 M Laborer
Census Records comments. Phillip
L. Carson's age in 1870 should be 34; either an error in recording
or in transcription.
Marriage and other records
have been located for sons Oscar and Zebulon, but nothing further
has been found for Morgan/Montgomery and Joseph C. Carson. No
explanation is available for the change of name from Morgan in
1860, to M. C. in 1870, to Montgomery in 1880 for the second
son. But it is of extreme interest that the unusual given names
of Morgan and Montgomery were given for this Carson and that
Mary Carson used these names for two of her sons. Of particular
note is that her youngest son was named Romas (variant of Romulus)
for his paternal grandfather, and Montgomery possibly for his
maternal grandfather. It is also possible that Mary Carson was
named for her paternal grandmother, wife of Phillip P. Carson.
The 1850 Census records above
are for the mother of Phillip L. Carson and the mother of Mary
A. (Moore) Carson. While Mary is shown in the houshold of her
mother, Phillip does not appear in the household of his mother.
One conjecture is that he was away from home at age 14 beginning
his education as a Physician.
The 1870 census shows large
land holdings and and modest personal property for Phillip L.
Carson. One might expect that the personal property would be
greater for a Physician, but his family was still relatively
young and his occupation included being a Farmer - perhaps there
wasn't a great need for his medical services at the time. His
land holdings were very likely inherited as the following 1850
agricultural schedule for his mother suggests. In any case, he
was an educated man with means of support and adequate assets.
He also had a brother, Dr. Thomas Carson, who was a dentist,
and Hon. Joseph Carson, who was a noted attorney.
1850 Rutherford Co., NC Agriculture Schedule
Schedule Line Number 379 543
667
1 Name of Owner, Agent, or Catherine Jemima
Moses
Manager of the Farm Carson
Moore Logan
2 Improved Acres of Land 200
100 100
3 Unimproved Acres of Land 880
200 800
4 Cash Value of Farm 5500
1500 5000
5 Value of Farming Implements
and Machinery
110
40 150
6 Horses
5
2 3
7 Asses and Mules
1
8 Milch Cows
6
1 6
9 Working Oxen
2
2
10 Other Cattle
7
6 15
11 Sheep
17
12 7
12 Swine
30
15 40
13 Value of Live Stock 460
250 300
14 Wheat, bushels of 150
14 150
16 Indian Corn, bushels of 700
300 2000
17 Oats, bushels of
200
100 800
18
Rice, lbs. of
30
21 Wool, lbs. of
34
20 10
22 Peas & Beans, bushels of
100
23 Irish Potatoes, bushels of 5
10 50
24 Sweet Potatoes, bushels of
50 30 200
27 Value of Orchard Products
in dollars
20
30 Butter, lbs. of
200
25 200
32 Hay, tons of
14
5 5
38 Flax, lbs. of
10
39 Flaxseed, bushels of 1
44 Beeswax and Honey, lbs. of
30
45 Value of Home-made Manufacturers 50 32
25
46 Value of Animals Slaughtered 168 60
125
The Agricultural Schedule of
1850 includes Catherine Carson, widowed mother of Dr. Phillip
L. Carson. For future reference, the data for his wife's widowed
mother, Jemima Moore, and Jemima's father, Moses Logan, is also
given.
The Carson farm valued at $5,500
in 1850 and Phillip L. Carson reported the value of his real
property at $2,500 in 1870. There were 10 children in Catherine
Carson's family, and at least 5 and possibly 8 were living in
1870 - a total of six sons and four daughters. It would seem
that with an equitable distribution of the farm, even with value
increase, that Phillip L. Carson added to the value of his inheritance.
Various family files have been
posted to Ancestry World Tree and RootsWeb WorldConnect which
include at least some of the Carson families of this era. The
Census Records and other volumes in the References section have
a wealth of information on Carson kin. Unfortunately, the only
reference found to M. C. Carson is found in the 1880, 1870 and
1860 Censuses, and the only mention of Mary Carson found is her
marriage record. Again, the 1900 Census of the closely related
Carson families would be very helpful.
=================================================
Part 3b - Conjectures and Discoveries
[Some tables included require
the use of a mono-spaced font (such as Courier or Monaco) for
proper formatting.]
This Part expanded so much
that it was deemed best to separate it into two sections.
If indeed one of Dr. Phillip
Carson's children, or other near kin cared for and educated the
orphaned (orphans were then defined as a minor whose father was
deceased) Mary Carson, it appears the care-giver would have had
both the motivation and means of having her educated as a teacher.
Dr. Thomas Carson, dentist,
died in Mar. 1908 in Rutherford County, and it is noted that
one of his sons, Henry C. Carson (1868-1951), married Hattie
Wells (1880-1919) in 1898. This discovery struck the compiler
as a possible breakthrough in finding the "first cousin"
kinship of Laura Wells and Mary Carson. First, it had to be surmised
that the kinsyhip is not necessarily a blood relationship. If
Mary Carson was reared in the household of Henry C. Carson (who
was a 1st cousin of Morgan C. Carson), Mary might very well consider
herself part of the Hencry and Hattie (Wells) Carson family (even
if not officially). Thus, if Laura Wells was a niece of Hattie
(Wells) Carson, foster mother of Mary Carson, it is quite possible
that Mary would consider Laura to be her "First Cousin."
Some rather involved searching
of cemetery, marriage and census records, and other resources
from the compiler's library followed. Only a summary of findings
will be given here, with wrong turns and backtracking omitted.
From Cemetery records, birth
and death dates were obtained for Hattie W. Carson (b. Dec. 21,
1880, d. Apr. 8, 1919). From Marriage records came: "Carson,
Henry C. 29, (W) to Wells, Hattie 19 (W) by Thos. M. Lowery,
Pres. Min., 16 Feb 1898, Wit: T. B. Harrill, G. W. Wells, John
S. Carson". John S. Carson is no doubt the brother of Henry
C. Carson. Hence, G. W. Wells might be the brother of Hattie
Wells. For Hattie to be 19 in Feb. 1898 and born in Dec., she
would have to have been born in 1878, so either the marriage
record is wrong and she was only age 17, or the cemetery record
is wrong and she was born in 1878, or both were wrong and....
Reviewing all of the Wells
families in the 1880 Census revealed Household 170 in Colfax
Township, enumerated by S. B. Harrill - it is noted that Henry
C. Carson's mother was Delilah (Harrill) Carson, and that T.
B. Harrill was witness to the marriage of Henry and Hattie. Household
170 was:
170 Wells, Marcus W M 33
Farming NC
NC NC
Mary W
F 29 Wife Keeping house NC NC NC
Ida W
F 11 Dau NC
NC NC
Millie W
F 9 Son(sic) NC
NC NC [in 1870 is listed
Willie (M) age 3/12]
Samuel W
M 6 Son
NC NC NC
George
W M 4 Son
NC NC NC
John B.
W M 3 Son
NC NC NC
Hattie W
F 6/12 Dau (Dec.) NC
NC NC
So, three records (marriage,
cemetery and census) and three different years of birth - Dec.
1879 appears most probable since it was closest to the event
with no motivations to mis-state it. It seems Likely that brother
George Wells was the marrige witness G. W. Wells. An article
in the RUTHERFORDTON SUN for Apr. 14, 1904 reports on the marriage
of George W. Wells, RFD mail carrier for Forest City, and Nora
Smart of Piney Mountain on last Sunday by Rev. Z. D. Harrill.
No ages are given, but this is very likely Hattie's brother and
marriage witness.
Moving to discover Laura Wells'
family in the 1880 Census, it is noted from internet sources
that she was born in 1882, that Laura Kansas Wells (1882-1961)
married William A. Washburn (1867-1931), and that her parents
were Moses Lafayette 'Fate' Wells and Cynthia Elizabeth Bedford.
Checking the Wells and Washburn 1880 Census records reveals households
2 and 4 in Colfax Township, enumerated by S. B. Harrill.
2 Wells, Lafayette W M 45 Farming
NC NC NC
Elizabeth W
F 35 Wife Keeping house GA NC NC
Martha Ann W
F 9 Dau
NC NC NC
Thomas E. W
M 7 Son
NC NC NC
John B. W
M 5 Son
NC NC NC
Robert L. W
M 13 Son NC
NC NC
Joseph C. W
M 1 Son
NC NC NC
4 Washburn, R. W M 51
Merchant NC
NC NC
Sarah A. W F 37 Wife
Keeping house NC NC NC
Martha A. W F 17 Dau
NC NC
NC
Mary L. W F 15
Dau NC
NC NC
William A. W M 12 Son
NC NC
NC
John L. B. W M 10 Son
NC NC NC
Benjamin M. W M 7 Son
NC NC
NC
Edgar N. W M 5
Son NC
NC NC
Lidia Jane W F 1 Dau
NC NC
NC
These are clearly the families
of Laura (Wells) Washburn and her husband, even though she is
not listed since not yet born. Hence, the goal is to connect
Hattie (Wells) Carson and Lafayette Wells as sister and brother
to show that Laura Wells and Mary Carson were "First Cousins"
through her foster mother. This task was doomed to failure since
Hattie Wells was about 44 1/2 years younger than Lafayette Wells
based on the 1880 Census Records. Can some re-thinking of Mary
Carson's living arrangements or the kinship to Laura Wells redeem
this line of search? Yes.
First, it is possible that
Hattie (Wells) Carson's father was a brother of Laura (Wells)
Washburn's father, and that Mary Carson lived with Henry C. Carson
and Hattie Wells as foster child. Mary and Laura could then be
considered, technically, first cousins once removed. However,
the general populace genrally calls such a kinship as being second
cousins.
Second, same as above, but
Mary Carson is the foster child of Dr. Thomas Carson and Cynthia
Bedford (the parents of Henry C. Carson. Mary would then be foster
sister-in-law of Hattie (Wells) Carson and could considered any
first cousin of Hattie's to also be her first cousin. This would
also move Mary Carson closer to the wealth and education center
of the family - Dr. Thomas Carson.
So, what is the kinship between
Hattie (Wells) Carson and Laura (Wells) Washburn. The 1870 Census
doesn't help much since both Marcus Wells has only two young
(2 and 3 months) children, and Moses Lafayette (listed as M.
L.) is married with no children. The 1860 Census helps a bit
more, but does not establish clearly the kinship of Marcus and
Moses. Dwelling 115 of the Sandy Run District in 1860 is as follows.
115 Wells, John 29 Farmer 2500
3500 NC
Sarah 16
Martha 5/12
Mose
24
Marcus 15
One might think that John,
Mose and Marcus were brothers, but this record is not conclusive.
Moving on the the 1850 Census, the J. L. Wells family is found
as dwelling 1500 in the Piney Mountain District - recall above
that George W. Wells married Nora Smart from Piney Mountain.
1500 Wells, J. L. 49 M Farmer
NC
Malinda 43
F NC
John 19
M NC
Hulda 17
F NC
Moses 15
M NC
Margaret 12
F NC
Milly 10
F NC
Woody 7
M NC
Marcus 5
M NC
Robert 1
M NC
Though kniship is not explicitly
stated in any census prior to 1880, this and later census records,
together with other sources, leads to the probable conclusion
that Moses Lafayette Wells and Marcus Wells were brothers, leading
to the conclusion that Laura (Wells) Washburn and Hattie (Wells)
Carson were true first cousins!
Many additional details could
be added, such as the R. Washburn of the 1880 Census being Rev.
Reuben Washburn, Methodist circuit rider, who was also Postmaster
of Washburn, NC and ran the Washburn Store, and that his daughters
Alice (b. 1862) and Daisy (b. 1882) graduated from Brevard College
and became teachers. Or that J. L. Wells was John Logan Wells,
Jr., and that some descendants attended Brevard College and Rutherford
College. But that is fluff that can be added later.
SUMMARY
The following scenario seems
plausible, but it must be remembered that nothing cvan be considered
proved concerning the kinship of Mary Carson to the Carson families
of Rutherford Co., NC. However, it is this compiler's opinion
that the evidence is overwhelming in support of the contention
that Mary Carson was a granddaughter of Dr. Phillip L. Carson.
Mary Carson was born in SC
to Jonnie Green and Morgan C. Carson. Her father, born about
1857, had probably left home while in his twenties and removed
across the state line to SC, where he met Jonnie Green. Morgan
Carson died when daughter Mary was quite young and she and her
mother remained for a time in the Columbia, SC area. As Mary
reached the age for some formal education, her mother arranged
for her to reside in Rutherford Co., NC, in a home of her father's
kin, living for a brief period with her grandmother Mary A. (Moore)
Carson (d. 1894). At about the age of 13, Mary Carson attracted
the attention of 25 year old Buren Freeman, and he promised that
he wait and marry her when she was of age and had completed her
education. Buren had lived a brief time in Denton Co., TX with
his family in the early 1880s, but with difficult farming conditions
the family returned to Rutherford County for about 15 years.
Shortly after Buren's promise to Mary, the Freeman family returned
to TX, this time settling in Bowie County. Mary settled in at
the Rutherford Co., NC home of her uncle, Dr. Thomas Carson,
who provided her with a a caring family and educational opportunities.
Mary's foster brother Henry C. Carson married Hattie Wells, and
Mary became close friends with Hattie's first cousin Laura Wells.
When Mary had completed her education as a teacher at a Rutherford
County academy or college and age 18, Buren returned from TX
to keep his promise of marriage. They were married May 28, 1903,
with Buren's brother Dee Freeman, and Mary's friend and "first
cousin" Laura Wells as witnesses. Buren moved with his bride
back to his home back in Bowie Co., TX. Their first born son
was named Morgan Tommie, in memory of the father she missed during
her formative years, and her foster father who provided her with
a home and education. She had, no doubt, heard much about her
father Morgan Carson, from his brother and her foster father
Dr. Thomas Carson. Her second son was named for her foster brother
Henry Carson, through whose wife she met her best friend, Laura
(Wells) Washburn. And Mary's first daughter was named Marie,
a variation of her name and that of her grandmother Mary (Moore)
Carson, who first cared for her as a lonely child in an unfamiliar
community. Mary must have heard from her Uncle or from her foster-brother
that her father's name was Morgan C. Carson, but that by 1880
(at age 23) he had decided to use the name Montgomery. Mary named
her third son and fourth child Romas Montgomery Freeman, Romas
being a variation of Romulus, for the child's Paternal and Maternal
grandfathers.
[I know, that gives no explanation
of the source of Henry Arthur's middle name - well, 6 out of
7 ain't bad....]
=================================================
Part 4 - Conclusions and Ancestry
[A Part 5 will follow, giving
some representative material on the Carson ancestry from several
volumes in the compiler's personal library.]
The conclusions are easily
stated, but must be accepted as subject to correction if and
when additional information is located. This compiler believes
that the evidence provided by family members is sufficient to
conclude that Mary (Carson) Freeman's father was Morgan C. Carson
(aka Montgomery Carson), son of Dr. Phillip L. Carson and Mary
A. Moore of Rutherford Co., NC. Even if this conclusion is not
supported by future findings, it is probable that granddaughter
of Dr. Phillip L. Carson and Mary A. Moore, and highly probable
she was great grandaughter of James Withrow Carson and Catherine
Cansler.
The mother of Mary Carson was
Johnnie E. Green, who was age 16 1/2 when Mary was born. Based
on Census reports, Morgan C. Carson was age 29 when Mary was
born. Neither the youth of Mary's mother when Mary was born,
nor the 13 year difference between Johnnie and Morgan are unusual
for first-born children in the western North Carolina area. However,
without questioning the commitment between Morgan and Johnnie,
nor their love for daughter Mary, unless a marriage record is
located (probably in SC) it is quite likely there was no official
marriage. Since recorded information has been located on Morgan
after his appearance in the 1880 Census, it is only hypothesized
that Morgan died shortly after the birth of Mary - he may have
died or have otherwise been separated from Johnnie at any time
from 1886 to 1898 (when Mary was in Rutherford Co., NC). Morgan's
death (or separation) date might be narrowed slightly if a record
of Johnnie's second marriage is found prior to 1898, when Horace
S. Watson was age 21.
Note: Since the only public
two records thus far reported (death certificate and cemetery
markers) for Mary's mother spell her name Johnnie, that spelling
will be used - at least until some other document is discovered.
The Carson ancestry of Mary
is presented in the above Ahnentafel (German for "ancestors
table"). A chart is sometimes easier to follow and, therefore,
one has also been provided.
=================================================
Part 5 - Representative Published
Material
Bulletin of The Genealogical
Society of Old Tryon County,
Vol. XV to XXIX (1987-2001: Forest City, NC), p. 140
"Some Family History"
by James C. Elliott
Forest City, N. C., Courier, 30 March 1933
... My great grandfather [John
Carson] married Mary Withrow, a daughter of Captain James Withrow.
I recalled seeing her when I was seven years old. She was dark-eyed
and the largest woman of Rutherford county, weighing over 400
pounds, and raised six sons and five daughters. My mother recollected
seeing her great grandfather, Capt. Withrow. He was in the battle
of Kings Mountain, and represented Rutherford county several
times in the Legislature. He lived to be about 95 years of age.
"My grandmother Carson
- Catherine Canstler, a daughter of John Canstler who built the
first wheat mill on Robinson creek. That mill is now owned by
Andrews, is still running. John Canstler and Barbara Rudisill,
of Lincolnton, formerly had one son, Phillip Canstler, who moved
to Macon county, and two daughters. The other daughter married
William DePriest. My great grandfather, Martin Elliott, came
here in 1806, and settled on the river and Brushy Creek west
of Shelby. He had a partly grown up family. His son-in-law, George
Cabaniss, came with them. His oldest son, James, who had married
a Doggett. Three of his wife's brothers came with them....
-----------------
The History of Old Tryon and
Rutherford Counties,
by Clarence W. Griffen (1937: Forest City, NC)
Page 154. Footnote No. 4-
General John C. Carson represented
Rutherford County in the House in 1808,1815, 1816, 1819, 1820,
1821, 1822, 1823, 1824, 1825 and 1826. He also served as a Brigadier
General in the state militia for a number of years. He was one
of the outstanding men of his period, and a staunch Presbyterian,
and served Brittain Church for many years as an elder. He was
born in 1766 and died in 1846, and is buried in Brittain Cemetery.
Page 226. Footnote No. 4B-
James Withrow Carson was born
about 1790 in Rutherford County, and was a son of General John
Carson. He served as sheriff of Rutherford County from October,
1838 to October, 1842. He married Catherine Cansler on February
14, 1814. He was for many years an elder in the Brittain Presbyterian
Church, and is buried in the church yard there. He died October
24, 1846, aged 56 years, 9 months and 27 days.
Page 299. Footnote No. 23-
Thomas L. Carson was born in
Rutherford County June 11, 1837, a son of Sheriff James W. and
Catherine (Cansler) Carson. He was the youngest of eight sons
and four daughters: Dr. John C., William P., Dr. Phillip L.,
Joseph L. (Attorney), Adolphus B., and Mrs. William Toms, Mrs.
Erwin Allen, Mrs. William Elliott and Mrs. Martha Rutherford.
Two brothers died young. All were born on their Robertson Creek
farm. Thomas L. studied dentistry and practiced before the war
in Rutherfordton. Enlisted in Company C, 34th Regiment, at the
outbreak of the war, and was promoted to Assistant Regimental
Quartermaster, and was paroled at Appomatox. He married, July
11, 1867, Delilah (b. Aug. 30, 1835, d. July 1, 1917), a daughter
of Housen Harrill. After the war he practiced dentistry in Rutherfordton,
kept the Carson Mill, in which he had an interest, and later
lived on his farm near Forest City. He was reared a Presbyterian,
his wife a Baptist, and they compromised by joining the Methodist
Church. He was a leader in his community, a bright and witty
mind and a good story teller. He died March 11, 1908, and is
buried at Concord Baptist Church, near Forest City.
-----------------
The Heritgage of Rutherford
County, North Carolina,
by the Gen. Society of Old Tryon County (1984: Winston-Salem,
NC)
BENJAMIN HYDER AND FAMILY -
382 [partial]
Benjamin Hyder (16 Oct 1745 - 16 Dec 1826) married
15 Feb 1768 to "Katy" or Catherine Heslep (10
Nov 1747 - 15 Jan 1830) in either Mecklenburg County, NC or Lincoln
County. They first appear in Rutherford County with the purchase
of a 200-acre tract of land for £20 on Mountain Creek of
Broad River from Andrew Hampton and his wife Catherine (land
which had been granted to Andrew Hampton on 20 March 1766), recorded
in Mecklenburg County, 6 August 1768. Here they lived and raised
their family.
During the Revolutionary War,
Benjamin served in some capacity in the Patriot cause, receiving
payment for clothing and other supplies for N.C. soldiers who
served in the Continental Line. Dated 1790, Voucher 566 E-3-0-0,
N.C. Records 11, Vol V, p. 35, Folio 4. Also, in the Minutes
of the Court of Pleas & Quarter Sessions of Rutherford County,
April 1785, Benjamin Hyder filed a Power of Attorney to William
Gilbert for the purpose of recovering a black mare which he had
lost near Charleston, S.C. What purpose he would have had to
be near Charleston, S.C., losing a horse, and filing in the courts
for recovery, we can not imagine unless some way connected with
the Revolutionary troops from Rutherford County. However, Benjamin
Hyder was one of those called into court in 1782 to answer charges
of treason against the state. in April Court 1782, we find "On
enquiry, it is the opinion of the Court that he be acquitted
of the charge, nothing appearing against him, and he be restored
to the privileges of a citizen."
The children of Benjamin and
Catherine Hyder included: Catherine Hyder, born 12 Mar 1769,
who lived only nine months; Mary Hyder, (12 Apr 1773 - 23 Apr
1819) married 9 May 1791, Andrew Logan; Catherine Hyder (Aug
1775- ), married 25 Jan 1797, Samuel McMurtry; Susanna Hyder,
(14 Apr 1778- ), married 22 Oct 1799, Moses Logan, (11770-1866);
Benjamin Hyder Jr., (23 June 1780 - Mar 1842), married 12 Dec
1808, Isabella Metcalf; Nancy Hyder, (20 Mar 1784- ) married
26 Oct 1804, Thomas Goodbread, and second on 20 May 1809, Thomas
Drury Bagwell; John Wallis Hyder, (10 Mar 1786- ) married 29
Mar 1811, Lucy Mullins....
- Blanche E. Culbreth
MAJOR FRANCIS AND HANNAH TRIMBLE
LOGAN - 423 [partial]
Francis Logan, the son of Hendrick Logan and
Alda Pruyn, was born in New York and was baptized into the
Dutch Reformed Church July 29, 1734. His grandparents were John
Pruyn and Emilia Sanders. Emilia Sanders' father and mother
were Robert Sanders and Elsie Barentze. In the will of
Jan Harpardinck, dated April 23, 1722, Elsie with her two brothers
received a bequest of four-fifths of 16 acres of land on Manhatten
Island in New York City known as Shoemaker's Pasture. The balance
went to the Dutch Reformed Church, which is said to own its share
to this day and to receive an enormous revenue from it, being
in downtown New York City as it is today.
Hannah Trimble was the daughter of James and Grace
Trimble. She was born in the year 1733 in Rockbridge County,
Virginia. Francis Logan and Hannah Trimble were married in-1761.
They lived at Abbeville, S.C. during the Revolutionary War; after
the war they moved to Rutherford County N.C.
There were six children born
to this union, five boys and one girl. The children were: Moses
Logan born October 22, 1770 died March 1866. He married Susannah
Hyder October22, 1799. Andrew Logan born 1771 died
1840 married Mary Hyder May 9, 1791. James Logan born August
30, 1772 died 1824 married Nancy Edgerton 1801. John (Jack) Logan
born 1775 died April 24, 1842 married Martha Harlon October 29,
1811. Francis Logan, Jr. born 1779 died April 2, 1860 married
Margaret Miller. Jenima Logan married Ransom Edgerton March 10,
1808
This family lived in what is
now Loganstore township of Rutherford County. The homestead is
not standing today but the family cemetery is off the Hudlow
Road and Francis and Hannah Logan are both buried there with
other members of the family....
- Katherine Logan Conley [author
of Major Francis Logan and Wife Hannah Trimble (1970)]
WILLIAM TOMS, JR. - 619 [partial]
William Toms, Jr. was born
February 2, 1805, on his father's farm in what is now the Mt.
Pleasant section of Rutherford Co. near the present town of Forest
City. He was the second of eight children of William Toms (b.
11-5-1764 London, England d. 5-22-1836) and Pamelia Thompson
(b. 1-17-1781 d. 7-17-1861). (See related article.) His maternal
grandparents were Thomas Thompson and Mary Stewart of Rowan Co.,
N.C.
On September 15, 1834, William
Toms, Jr. was issued a grant (Grant No. 3475) of 190 acres by
the State of North Carolina. This property was located on the
waters of the Second Broad River and adjoined his father's homeplace
lands.
On February 14, 1839, he married
Jane Carson (b. 2-17-1818 d. 6-16-1871) who was [sister of Dr.
Phillip L. Carson, and] the daughter of James Withrow Carson
(b. 1-27-1790 d. 10-24-1846), Sheriff of Rutherford Co. from
10-1838 to 10-1842 and is buried at Britain Pres. Church, and
Catherine Cansler (b. ? d. 5-31-1867). Her paternal grandparents
were Gen. John G. Carson (b. 1766 d. 1846) and Mary
Withrow (b. 1770 d. 1856). They are buried at Britain Pres.
Church. Her maternal grandparents were John Cansler (b.
ca. 1760 d. 9-28-1828), the son of Phillip W. and Julia Cansler,
and Barbara Rudisill (b. 8-27-1762 d. 10-1-1844), the
daughter of Michael Rudisill. John and Barbara Cansler
are buried in the Carson-Cansler Family Cemetery on their homeplace
land that is now known locally as Andrews' Mill. Her greatgrandfather,
Captain James W. Withrow (b. 1746 d. 1836) fought at the Battle
of Kings Mountain, serving under Col. Andrew Hampton, and is
buried at Britain Pres. Church. His wife was Sidney Brandon,
daughter of George and Marian Brandon of Rowan Co., NC.
-----------------
Bridges to the Past, Volume
I and Volume II,
by Roy Brooks and Mrs. Ernest Newton (1992: Forest City, NC)
This Week/Courier-Sun, Wednesday,
March 10, 1976
Bridges To The Past
by Mrs. Ernest Newton, Route
2, Ellenboro, N.C.
and Roy Brooks, Box 661, Forest City, N. C.
The Carson family settled in
Rutherford arount 1780
The following data on the Carson
family of Rutherford County was furnished to us by Mr. C. Kenyon
Withrow of Hollis. It was originally written more than 50 years
ago, by James Carson Elliott. For clarification and understanding.
Mr. Withrow has inserted parenthetical explanatory notes throughout
the articles.
Except for these parenthetical
notations, the article is reprinted verbatum as originally written
by Mr. Elliott about 1920. Mr. Withrow gives us the following
background data on James Carson Elliott:
James Carson Elliott, who wrote
the following Carson story probably in the 1920's, was born July
12, 1845 and died on June 17, 1936. He married Biddy Gettys,
a daughter of Alexander and Elizabeth (Chitwood) Gettys. He apparently
recorded the events in his life and did some writing as he grew
older. His brother-in-law was Melvin L. White, who wrote for
years under the pen name, "Corncraker White". White
was the writer of "A History of Amos Owens." James
Carson Elliott's main literary contribution was "The Southern
Soldier Boy" written in 1907 in which he intimately describes
his life and events as a soldier in the Confederate Army.
At the time he wrote this story
on the Carson family, he was old and nearly blind. Some entries
have been made and placed in parenthesis in order to keep the
reader aware of whom he was writing.
Our Carson Family
Our Carson family which came
from Pennsylvania and settled in Rutherford County in 1790. (Correct
evidence indicates they arrived in this county closer to 1780).
A grown-up family of three brothers, Daniel, John and William
and four sisters, Mrs. William Gettys, Mrs. Lewis Lively, Mrs.
Gordon and Mrs. Oliver.
They came from near Gettysburg.
Their oldest brother, Walter Carson emigrated to lndiana where
he raised a family. (Walter Carson was in Rutherford in 1790
and 1800 at least, and apparently lived in Rutherford County
for some time before moving on to Indiana.) Daniel had married
a McFarland, and John and William were single. John Carson (Married)
Mary Withrow, daughter of Capt. James Withrow, who served in
the War for Independence and took part in the defeat and capture
of Col. Patrick Ferguson, 300 English regulars with 800 Tory
militia. They came to Colony that had came in the early sixties
and founded Little Britten Presbyterian Church.
They were Longs, Andrews',
Watson's, Guffey's, Morrison's and others and were Whig patriots.
William Carson married Dorcas
Huey and got a good bunch of Negro slaves by her. (Dorcas Hughey
was daughter of James Hughey and grand-daughter of John Withrow,
and niece of Capt. James Withrow). He was Sheriff of Rutherford
County 27 years and my grandfather, James Withrow Carson was
his favorite deputy and succeded him, but died during his third
term. Bled to death by a doctor at 56 years old. William's daughters
married Rev. Louis McCurry, John K. Wells, John Lattimore and
Sam McFarland. They all raised families.
Brigadier General of Militia,
General John (Carson) represented Rutherford County in the State
Legislature one term. He got a more direct public road cut out
between Rutherfordton and Lincolnton running South of Cherry
Mountain and crossing first little river (First Broad) at Gardners
ford. (Locally known today as the Old Lincoln Road, and earlier
called the Flint Hill Road). His (John Carson's) Sons were James
W., John, George, Pinkney, Morrison, and Oliver Carson.
James W. Carson (son of Gen.
John Carson) married Catherine Canstler, daughter of John Canstler
and Barbara Rudisell, German pioneers from Lincoln County. (Canstler)
settled on Robeson Creek and built the first wheat mill. (Now
known as Andrews Mill).
He had 1200 acres of good creek
land. They (Canstlers) had one son, Phillip Canstler, who moved
to Macon County and two daughters, Catherine, and one (Julia
Ann) who married William Depriest and raised a large family.
John Canstler died of fever at age of 65 years and his widow
lived with her son-in-law, James Withrow Carson who finally owned
the original estate, kept up the mills and run a tan yard. His
(James W. Carson's) oldest son, John C., a teacher, a Presbyterian
preacher, and a doctor. He married Margaret Cates of Meraville,
Tenn. He moved to Henderson Co., 185-. He served in Confederate
Army as Surgeon. His oldest son, John, was killed at Petersburg,
Va., 18th of July 1864. I, saw him die. Only one son, Dr. Henry
(Carson), dentist, and youngest daughter survive.
Dr. Phillip Carson (son of
James W. Carson) married Mary Moore. Her mother was a Logan.
Their children who live are Zeb Carson of Charlotte, NC and Joseph
Carson of Texas, and Mrs. George Depriest of Shelby.
William P. Carson (son of James
W. Carson) married Roesana Withrow, (daughter of James Withrow
and Erixona Wells Withrow) his second cousin. Only their youngest
daughter lives.
Lawyer Joseph Carson (son of
James W. Carson) married Mary Sloan. They raised one son, James
Carson, a lawyer who served one term as State senator and was
State Solicitor when he died leaving his widow with several children.
Adolphus B. Carson (son of
James W. Carson) was married to Martha McFarland who (had) one
daughter. Second marriage was to Miss Weeks. Left with one daughter.
He died in Confederate Army at Petersburg, August, 1864.
Dr. Thomas Carson (son of James
W. Carson) dentist, married Liley (Delilah) Harrill. He served
in Dickerson's Co., 34th NC Regt., and surrendered at Appamatox.
Children being Henry, Dick, John and Miss Alice Carson.
James W. Carsons daughter,
Jane, oldest daughter, married William Toms. They had three sons
in Confederate Army. John and James were killed and Thomas was
twice wounded. Only Mrs. Roxie Weeks of that family lives.
A second daughter, Barbara,
married William M. Elliott. I, James Carson Elliott, their oldest
son, enlisted as a recruit in Co F. 56th Regt at Halifax, N.
C. 1863 and served until 25th of March 1865 when I was taken
in the battle of Fort Steadman with 2000 comrades and confined
at Point Lockout, Md., until the 12th of June and got home on
20th June 1865 sound and whole, the most fortunate one of our
two families. Had 9 first cousins in that War, only 2 survived
both wounded twice.
And I have outlived all I knew
in the (war). And I have a son living, Plato Elliott with 25
months record in World War. Of our family, brother William of
Lyons, Ga., and Mrs. Mary J. White. She had three sons in the
World War.
Mary Carson (daughter of James
W. Carson) married Irvin Allen. They lived on Mills River in
Henderson County. One son, Thomas Allen, has represented Henderson
County in the State Senate.
Youngest daughter (of James
W. Carson), Martha, married William Rutherford. They moved to
Arkansas. He died young, left no heirs. She never remarried.
(In my Elliott family) brother
William has the most distinguished son. William S. Elliott, who
worked his way to the top of the U. S. Treasury and served as
Register of the Treasury two years under Wilson and one year
under Harding, making the largest financial reports under the
gold standard of any nation in the world. He had 1054 employees
under him. He has since been in banking business in Georgia and
President of the Banker's Association of Georgia. I have a grandson
25 years old, William M. Elliott of Golden, Colorado, assayer
in U. S. Mint in New York City.
I was in Shelby yesterday and
saw George Depriest who said he gave Uncle William's Bible containing
a full history of the older Carsons (apparently he didn't say
who he gave it to.) You can see I am nearly blind. Love to all,
James C. Elliott.
=================================================
Part 6 - Mary E. Carson in
1900 Census
On Sep. 5, 2001, the following
information was received from Bev Barnes, with input from JoAnn
Freeman Surratt:
1900 Rutherford Co. Sunshine
District
House #96
Carson, Charles B head W M born Oct 1871
age 28 single farmer
Mary E. Niece
W F March 1886 14
single
House #86
Scruggs, William L. age 50
Margaret 51
Roma (son) 22
Ellis
21
Samuel H. 18
Thomas O.
15
Sely D 12
[The marriage of Mary Carson
and Buren Freeman reads: Freeman, Buron, 29, (W) to Carson, Mary,
18, (W) by Rev. F. M. Freeman, Bapt. Min., 28 May 1903, Wit:
B. T. Scruggs, J. D. Freeman, Laura Wells. - Identity of F. M.
Freeman and B. T. Scruggs still not determined. sl]
----------------------------------------------------
[My coments to Bev, slightly
revised, follow. Included are many comments related to earlier
findings. - sl]
This compiler has NO DOUBT
that Mary E. Carson, Niece, is the future wife of Cana Van Buren
Freeman.
The Freeman family left for
TX in late 1898, but Buren and Mary knew each other before he
left. He had just turned age 25 and Mary was said to be age 13
(actually 12 1/2). Family stories relate "Mary Carson was
raised by her father's family. Buren Freeman met Mary Carson
when she was 13 and said he would wait for her to grow up and
then he would marry her."
The Freemans sold their home
to Susanna (Carpenter) Freeman's brother-in-law A. P. Higgins
in 1898. A 1905 map shows the A. P. Higgins home just south of
Logan Store in Logan Store Twp., and Sushine is just northeast
of Logan Store in the same Twp. As close as can be figured, the
Charles Carson household was something like 5 miles (or less)
from the George Freeman home.
Mary's mother was a full Cherokee,
Johnnie Green. Mary's father's name is not found in any record,
and he may not have been formally married to Johnnie. A thorough
review of all the Carson families in the 1860 through 1880 censuses
of Rutherford County was done and only likely candidate for the
father of Mary was located. He is called Morgan, age 3, in 1860
and M. C., age 13, in the 1860 and 1870 households of Philip
L. Carson. And he is Montgomery, age 23, in the 1880 household
of Mary A. Carson. Marriages and/or families for all the other
potential Carson fathers of Mary E. Carson were found.
Mary E. (Carson), daughter
of Johnnie (Green) Carson and presumeably Morgan/Montgomery C.
Carson, named her first child Morgan Tommie Freeman and her fourth
child Romas Montgomery Freeman. (Her paternal grandfather was
George Romulus Freeman, and Romas is believed to be a variant
of Romulus.)
Mary's grandson has a photograph
of a young lady with a notation on the back "Laura Washburn,
Grandmother Freeman 1st. cousin". In the marriage and census
records, there was only find one person who might fit the description
given, Laura (Washburn) Wells, with Laura Wells being a witness
at the 1903 marriage of Buren Freeman and Mary Carson. I have
not found Laura's marriage record, but presumably she married
William Adney Washburn after 1903.
No close "cousin"
kinship between the Wells and Freeman families was known, so
a search was made for a Wells-Carson kinship. It was found that
Henry C. Carson married Hattie Wells, first cousin of Laura Wells.
Henry C. Carson was a first cousin of Morgan C. Carson. It was
speculated that the "1st. cousin" relationship someone
had written on the Laura Washburn photo was not a true kinship,
but perhaps could be claimed if Mary E. Carson considered herself
a sister of Hattie (Wells) Carson. The only resolution of this
conundrum was that Mary lived with Henry and Hattie. Mary was
only 6 years younger than Hattie, so could certainly think of
her as a sister.
Now comes the Charles B. Carson,
b. Oct. 1871, in the census of 1900. In the 1880 Census, he is
listed as Charles M. Carson, age 8, youngest son of Mary A. Carson,
widow of Philip L. Carson. Charles' brother Montgomery Carson
was age 23 in 1880 and still single. No marriage record has been
found for Charles M./B. Carson.
Mary E. Carson is named as
a Niece of Charles B. Carson - hence daughter of one of his brothers
(or unmarried sisters?). The four brothers were Oscar P., Montgomery/Morgan,
Zebulon V. and Joseph C. Carson. Oscar was married in 1871 to
Eliza Gettys. Zebulon lived in Rutherford County until 1943,
but no marriage record has been found. Nothing other than census
info is known for Montgomery/Morgan and Joseph L. Carson. But
Montgomery was age 29 in 1886 and Joseph was age 17, two years
younger than Mary's mother. The ages and naming pattern of Mary's
children strongly supports Montgomery as her father.
Mary E. (Carson) Freeman was
born Mar. 10, 1886, with family sources saying she was born in
Columbia, SC. No explanation is available for the absence of
Mary's father, but family information is that "Mary Carson
was raised by her father's family" and was educated to be
a teacher.
It seems likely that Mary E.
Carson lived with Henry C. and Hattie Carson, perhaps only from
late 1900 or so to her marriage in 1903 at age 17 (marriage record
says 18). Perhaps her move from the home of Charles to that of
his first cousin Henry was to permit her to get the teaching
education she is said to have obtained. Perhaps it was thought
improper for her to be living alone with her 28 year old single
uncle.
The 1900 Census is considered
conclusive evidence that Mary E. Carson was, indeed, granddaughter
of Dr. Philip L. Carson and Mary A. Moore, and there is convincing
circumstancial evidence that she was the daughter of Morgan/Montgomery
C. Carson and Johnnie (Green) Carson Watson.
Stephen M. Lawson
Port Orchard, WA 98366
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