NorthCarolina
James Rufus Thomas family
From the papers of Merry T. Pittman
From the papers of Merry T. Pittman
From the papers of Merry T. Pittman
Updated Smith-Strickland aid
Even though I haven’t scanned anything in a while, I have taken on a few other family history projects. My mom recently sold the house that Big Mama (Irene Strickland Smith) and Big Daddy (Kenneth Judson Smith, Sr) built on Stafford Avenue. It had fallen into disrepair over the past 5+ years without anyone living there or maintaining it, so it was sold as a tear-down. Even so, there was a lot of cleanup and sorting to do. Mom took most of it on herself, which was really an enormous feat. I helped where I could, but it was certainly not as much as I would have liked.
I did bring home with me a few things from the attic at Stafford: Grandpa’s and Big Daddy’s military uniforms, a bunch of old books belonging to various Strickland family members from Franklin County (Including Gideon Wilkes Strickland, Arthur Parris Strickland, Homer, Mabel, and Simpson Strickland), and Big Daddy’s used stamp collection.
The stamp collection was all jumbled together in a large plastic bag in the attic. When I saw envelopes and postage, I assumed it was a bag of letters and correspondence, but when I got it home, I realized it was a collection of thousands and thousands of stamps. Big Daddy was a postman, so it’s not surprising that he would take up a hobby like that, but it was still amazing to see how many he collected. I sorted through them and made a list of all the different kinds and year, and I have updated the Smith-Strickland “finding aid” with that list. I have yet to count the individual stamps, but since there are hundreds of many of those listed, I’m not too pressed to start that count.
In the same bag, there was also a big pack of letters from the Conn family of Raleigh (and Louisburg before that). This is the same Conn family as Conn Elementary in Raleigh, and some of the letters were written by Emma Conn (namesake of the school) to her brother Edward. The rest were love letters from a certain Ralph to Mamie Conn, her sister. I will likely scan those to share with any Conn researchers out there, but for now, they just get a mention. They also appear on the updated aid.
Lawrence Kruse Thomas, 1922-1968
From the papers of Merry T. Pittman
From the papers of Merry T. Pittman
From the papers of Merry T. Pittman
From the papers of Merry T. Pittman
From the papers of Merry T. Pittman
From the papers of Merry T. Pittman
From the papers of Merry T. Pittman
From the papers of Merry T. Pittman
From the papers of Merry T. Pittman
From the papers of Merry T. Pittman
From the papers of Merry T. Pittman
From the papers of Merry T. Pittman
From the papers of Merry T. Pittman
From the papers of Merry T. Pittman
From the papers of Merry T. Pittman
From the papers of Merry T. Pittman
From the papers of Merry T. Pittman
From the papers of Merry T. Pittman
From the papers of Merry T. Pittman
From the papers of Merry T. Pittman
From the papers of Merry T. Pittman
Unknown building, Circa 1900
From the papers of Merry T. Pittman
This photograph was mixed with other Yarborough photos. Is this a church? It is not Memphis Methodist.
1943 Postcard from Lawrence Kruse Thomas to Mary Emma Yarborough Thomas: Railroad at 17 Points, Western NC
From the papers of Merry T. Pittman
From the papers of Merry T. Pittman
Hello Mom,
Having a nice time, things are not on the level up here, mighty hilly and billy.
Love, Lawrence
Mary Catherine “Molly” Moose Benfield
Given by Vera R. Harrison
Moose / Mussgnug
A few weeks ago, I discovered a convoluted and distant familial relation with a coworker’s wife, just through casual conversation: His wife’s aunt married my great-grandfather’s cousin. (Or was it nephew? I had worked it out and am too lazy now to go back and look because it doesn’t really matter). This branch of my family was from the Taylorsville/Statesville area of North Carolina, which is where her family still lives. That coworker brought me a newspaper from Taylorsville, though it’s all modern news and people I don’t know anything about, but still kind of neat.
Today, I walked up on that same coworker having a conversation about his German heritage and the meaning of his surname (“unruly”) and I once again brought up my Taylorsville folks: The Mussgnugs. He asked what it meant, and I had to look it up. I honestly never thought about it. Some genealogist I am.
Instead of scanning today, I’m linking to this information about the Mussgnugs. The author takes a stab at what he thinks Mussgnug translates to from German, but instead, I took “Muss” and “Genug” and plopped them into Google Translate. The result: “Has Enough.” I’ll interpret that as saying my folks came from humble and modest background.
There’s a brief history on the Mussgnug/Mussgenug/Moose family here. My Mooses came from Anthony Moose in Taylorsville.
Lee Cabinet Open House 1963
From the papers of Merry T. Pittman
1872 Deed and Plat: Glover Avent to Archibald Murphy Yarborough
From the papers of Merry T. Pittman
From the papers of Merry T. Pittman
From the papers of Merry T. Pittman
From the papers of Merry T. Pittman
From the papers of Merry T. Pittman
Transcription:
Page 1:
This indenture made and ordered into this twenty sixth day of January one thouand eight hundred and seventy two between Glover Avent and wife Cornelia of the County of Chatham and State of North Carolina of the one part and A.M. Yarbrough of said County and State of the other part witnesseth that the said Avent and wife for and in consideration of the sum of three thousand dollars to them in hand paid by said Yarbrough at the time of executing these presents, the receipt whereof is hereby acknowledged hath granted bargained and sold and by these presents doth grant bargain sell alien convey and confirm unto said Yarbrough his heirs and assigns one certain tract of or parcel of land situate in said county and state on the waters of Cape Fear River adjoining the lands of JW + N McKay, Thomas C Rosser, Joseph B Thomas and others bounded as follows (viz) Beginning on the bank of Cape Fear River and running south 65* west one hundred and sixty one poles to a stake McKays corner thence west sixty two poles to a stake and pointers another of McKays corners thence south one hundred and twenty two poles to another of said McKays corners thence east fifty poles to a pine and pointers another of said McKays corners thence
Page 2:
south seventy poles to a pine and pointers another of said McKays corners thence south 87* east with said McKays line and Joseph B Thomas line crossing the ferry road to a stake in Joseph B Thomas line one hundred and fifty nine poles thence North two hundred and six poles crossing said road to a lightwood stump and corner of the […] aloted to Alvis Avent Jur thence east thirty nine poles to a pine and pointers close to Henrys Branch and Thomas C Rossers corner as said Rossers line to an with said Branch to a stake and pointers said Rossers other corner thence east sixty two poles crossing said ferry road to a stake and pointers on said Rossers line thence North nineteen poles to a white oak on said Road thence north 54* east along said road seventy four poles to the bank of said river thence up said river to the beginning containing five hundred and nineteen acres more or less to have and to hold the said lands and premises and all and singular the tenements hereditaments woods ways waters mines improvements privileges and appurtenances thereunto belonging as in any wise appertaining to him said Yarbrough his heirs executors administrators and assigns to his and their own proper use and the said Avent and wife aforesaid their heirs executors administrators and assigns the premises hereby conveyed shall and will
Page 3:
warrant and forever defend against the lawful claim or claims of any and all persons whatsoever except the grave yard on the road at the church and one acre around said church.
In testimony whereof the said Avent and wife doth hereunto set their hands and seals the day and date first above written
Glover Avent [seal]
Cornelia Avent [seal]
North Carolina
Chatham County
In the Probate Court
On this the 26th day of January AD 1872
Before me ST Petty Judge of Probate for said county personally appeared Glover Avent and Cornelia A Avent his wife the persons described in and who signed the annexed conveyance and severally acknowledged the due execution thereof, for the purpose therein expressed and thereupon the said Cornelia A Avent being by me privately examined apart from her said husband touching her assent thereto acknowledged that she had executed the same freely and without any fear or compulsion of her said husband and do now assent thereto and hereby relinquishes right of dower in said lands
Thereupon let said deed and this certificate be registered
ST Petty Probate Judge
[Three dollars and fifty cents in stamps]