Richard Harry Curry, Sr.

Richard Harry Curry, Sr. was the husband of Laurena Haynes Curry and the son of J. Calvin Curry and Virginia "Jennie" Barber Curry. He appears on the 1880 Census in Monroe County (MC), WV as a four year old, son of Calven Curry (Harry). In 1898 he married Laurena Haynes on 7/6. He was 22 and she was 18 and they were both born in Monroe. The informant was William Moore. The officiant was Rev. Meadows of the (colored) Baptist Church. In 1900 he appears on the Greenbrier County (GC) census at age 24 as the son of J. Curry (Richard H.). In the 1910 Census he appears in GC at age (24 again) married x 11 years to Laurena with (Juanita) Virginia, Clarence M, Ruth G., Mary O, and Charles L. He registered for the draft for WWI and his card shows that he lived in Lewisburg and that his nearest relative was his wife Laurena Curry of Lewisburg. He died in 1940 and is buried at the Lewisburg Cemetery. He can be found in the Greenbrier County Cemetery Book (which indicates that his stone says he was born in 1876.
See the comments that I received on 9/16/2010 from a descendant of Richard and Laurena. I believe that Laurena Haynes could be the daughter of Socrates Haynes - but I haven't verified this yet. He had a daughter named Laura. Socrates and my great grandmother Elizabeth were brother and sister. Their mother was Martha Ann Payne Haynes Jones (see post).

Draft Cards for "A" continued

Claude Anderson - WW II - Lived at Kesler, GC, b. 2/2/1894 at Bluefield, Mercer County, 48y, person who'd always know his whereabouts was Hallie L. Anderson of Kesler,employed by Peabody Coal Co. at Bellwood, Fayette, WV., 5'9", 165 pounds, light brown complexion.

Eddie Anderson - WWI - Lived at Hinton, Summers County. 18y,b. 3/24/1889 at Hinton, r.r. brakeman on the C & O R.R., single, tall and stout.

Emile E. Anderson - WWI - Lived at Hinton, b. 2/8/1891 at Sewell, merchant (tailor), single, medium height and slender build.

James Andrew Anderson - WWI - Lived at Hinton. 24y, doesn't know his date of birth, b. at Lynchburg, VA., laborer on the C and O R.R., single, medium height and build. WW II - Lived at Hinton, 59y, b. 2/15/1883 at Lynchburg, person who'd always know his whereabouts - Martha Stevenson of Hinton, employed by Meadows Furniture Company.

Joseph Frank Anderson - WWII - Lived at WSS, b 8/21/1884 at Asbury, WV, 57y, person who'd always know his whereabouts is Frank Anderson, employed by R.H. Patterson at the Greenbrier Hotel.

Lewis Anderson - Lived at Hinton, b. 3/14/1875, engine coaler on the C and O R.R. His nearest relative was Emma Anderson of Hinton, medium height and build.

Lewis Gordon Anderson - 60y, lived at Hinton, b. 9/17/1881 at Hinton, person who'd always know his whereabouts is Bessie Anderson of Hinton, employed by the C and O R.R., 5'10", 150 pounds.

Nelson James Anderson - WWI - Lived at Hinton, b. 4/12/1893, merchant tailor and cleaning, self employed.

Newman Edward Anderson - WWII - Lived at Lewisburg, 55y, b. 12/21/1886 at Asbury, person who'd always know his whereabouts - Eugene Anderson of Lewisburg, farming for self.

Draft Cards for "A" continued

Clarence Allen - WWI - Lived at Ronceverte, GC, b. 4/5/1895 at Ronceverte, porter, tall and slender, has a wife and two children.

Edna Dean Allen - WWII - Lived at Bellepoint, Summers County, 63y, b. Wayside, MC, on Jan/24/1879, 5'7", 182 pounds, the first finger on his left hand was missing.

Everett Phil Allen - WWI - Lived at Hinton, 53y, born in Summers County on 3/7/1889, the person who'd always know his whereabouts is Leona Allen. He was employed by the C and O Railroad, engineer, 5'11", 190 pounds, light brown complexion.

Gaily Stamford Allen - WWII - Lived at Lewisburg, GC, 52y, b. 2/24/1880, person who'd always know his whereabouts is Annie Allen of Lewisburg, 5'8", 150 pounds, dark brown complexion.

John Philip Allen - WWI - 38y, unknown date of birth, chauffeur, his nearest relative is Annie Coleman, medium height and build.

Theodore Allen - WWI - Lived at Alderson, Monroe County, 19y, b. 8/20/1899, farming for his mother, Victory Allen of Alderson, medium height and build.

William Allen - WWI - Lived at Durbin, Pocahontas County, b. 12/26/1888, 29y, laborer at Pocahontas Tanning Company, tall, medium build.

Willie Samuel Allen - WWI - Lived at Lowell, Summers County, 50y, person who'd always know his whereabouts was Elizabeth Allen of Lowell. 5'7", 180 pounds, light brown complexion.

Aaron Anderson - WWI - Lived at Frazier near the Fort Springs District, 25y, b. 11/2/1892, at Bedford County, Va., laborer for H. Frazier at Frazier, single, tall, medium build.

Benny Anderson - WWI - Lived at Hinton, Summers County, b. 5/5/1884, station porter on the C and O R.R. at Hinton, his nearest relative was Ellen Anderson of Hinton, tall and medium build.

Draft Registration Cards - Surnames beginning with the letter "A"

These are the draft registration cards that I have located for surnames beginning with the letter "A":

Peter Adams - WWI - 39 y.o, but he doesn't know his date of birth. He works at W.V. Pulp and Paper Company (a pulp mill), and his nearest relative is Alice Simms of Louisa, Virginia. he is 5'4" and stout.

Oliver B. Agee - WWI - he lived at Crump's Bottom, Summers, 35y, b. 5/20/1883, farmer, his nearest relative is Etta Agee. He is tall and stout.
WWII - Living at the Red Sulphur Springs District in Monroe County. He is 57y, self employed. The person who'd always know his whereabouts is Etta Agee. 5'5", 170 pounds, black complexion.

Wesley Agee - WWI - b. 9/15/1888 at Buckingham, Va., 29y,common laborer at the WV Pulp and Paper Co., married, medium height, slender build.

Warner Alexander - WW I - Born 12/31/1874, 43y, farming at White Sulphur Springs, his nearest relative is Bessie Alexander of WSS, medium height and build.

William Alexander - WWI - Lived at Marlinton, b. 3/1888 at Rockbridge County, Va., 29y, laborer for the C and O Railroad, married, medium height and build, grey eyes, black hair.
WWII - Lived at Pocahontas County, near Minnekaha Springs, 54y, b. 7/30/1888 at Rockbridge, person who'd always know his whereabouts is Lizzie Stuart, 5'8", 140 pounds, dark brown complexion.

Ben Franklin Allen - WWI - Lived at Stanford, Raleigh Co., b. 2/8/1884 at Monroe County, 58y, the person who'd always know his whereabouts was Ester Allen. 5'2", 160 pounds, black complexion.

Booker T. Washington Allen - WWI - Lived at Buckingham, Va., b. 9/28/1898, laborer on the C and O R.R. at Hinton, his nearest relative was George D. Allen of Mt. Hope, Fayette County.

Lydia Seames Jordan / Georgia Cousins / Alex Crawford / Mary Lewis Crawford

See Young v. Young, 139 W.Va. 290, 82 SE 2d 54, 2/16/1954 which is a Kanawha County case which cited the case of Jordan v.Cousins 128W.Va. 648, 37 SE 2d 890 which was a Greenbrier County case. In the Jordan case, Lydia Seames Jordan sued Georgia Cousins relative to a deed executed by Alex Crawford (“a colored man about 80 years old”). The deed was dated 6/1/1943 and it conveyed a Greenbrier County house and lot in the town of White Sulphur Springs (to Cousins). Lydia Seames Jordan contended that on that date in 1943, Alex Crawford was mentally incompetent. “Alex Crawford married Lydia Seames Jordan’s mother in 1904, when” Lydia “was about 12 years old”. “Several years later” Lydia “married and for a time she and her husband lived in the Crawford home and she and her husband built on that lot”. Lydia’s mother died in 1938 and Alex Crawford suffered a heart attack in 1939. Alex Crawford died in 1943. He had worked at the Greenbrier Hotel. (See the case history for the resolution of this matter).

William Dudley / Safronia Carter

The case of State v. Dudley, 96 W.Va. 481, 123 S.E. 241, 5/20/1924 is relative to the appeal of the Pocahontas County murder conviction of William Dudley. Mr. Dudley, Samuel Davis, and Charles James were convicted of the murder of Bascom McFall. The case mentions "Safronia Carter", a negro woman who appears to be the paramour of Charles James (alias "Jelly Roll"). Further, the case insinuates that Safronia Carter may have taken the blame for the murder of Eliza Crawford who was murdered on 12/20/1918 even though it may have actually been someone else who was responsible for the murder of Ms. Crawford. "The (Bascom McFall murder) is supposed to have been committed in the town of Cass or in its near vicinity. Cass is on the Greenbrier River and came into existence by reason of lumber operations".

Safronia Carter was the daughter of Andrew and Alice/Alace Carter (per AA Residents of Pocahontas County by William O. Lindsay). Note that Andrew's first wife of Alice and his second wife was Alace.

Tarry Milbourn / Torry Milbourn / Milburn

Tarry Milbourn was enslaved by Nathan Milbourn, Jr. but in his will (819/1836 - Monroe County) he ordered that his entire estate except "my slave Tarry" be sold and that Tarry "have a comfortable support out of my estate so long as she lives and the privilege of choosing a house to live at if the same may be decreed by my executor". He continues "Any of my estate that may be left after supporting Tarry I desire to be equally divided between my brothers and sisters". This man's father's will was dated 7/22/1808 and shows no enslaved individuals. Tarry shows up at 100 y.o. in the 1850 Census in Monroe County. At this time she is a Free Inhabitant. (her name looks like Fanny Milburn - however, she is the ONLY Black Milbourn/Milburn entry that I have and I am confident that it is the same person). She appears again at 110y old in 1860 as a Free Inhabitant in MC with Ann Hargo. See the case of Hinton v. Millburn's Executors, 23 W. Va. 166 (12/08/1883) which is relative to the Will of Nathan Milburn where he disposes of his property "my slave Torry excepted". The Will was sadmitted to probate in the County of Monroe on 9/19/1836. Tarry/Torry outlived practically all of the Milburn heirs. The lawsuit indicates that she died in 2/1862 and was over 100 years old.

Tarry Milbourn / Torry Milbourn

Tarry Milbourn was enslaved by Nathan Milbourn, Jr. but in his will

Sarah Haynes

Continuing with the "fire" theme, my greatgrandfather's little sister, Sarah Haynes, a/k/a Sally/Sallie Haynes died in a fire in Monroe County on 11/25/1880. Sally was born in 1867 to Mansfield Haynes and Eliza Dawson Haynes. She appears on the 1870 census in the Second Creek area of Monroe County as a 3 yr old with Mansfield Haynes (Sarah). She appears on the 1880 census as a 13 y.o. servant, daughter of Mansfield Haynes (Sally). Monroe County deaths has her as 12 years old, cause of death - burnt. The informant for her death was her mother, Eliza Haynes. My greatgrandfather was George Washington Haynes and he was the older brother of Sarah/Sally. Another Sarah Haynes is the daughter of Lydia Haynes. She would become the wife of John Henry Gross & she would become Sarah Haynes Gross. She was the mother of Myrtle, Julia Lucy Gross Curry, Manda Gross, Willie Gross, Nellie Gross, and Martha Gross. She was born approx. 1896. She married Mr. Gross in 1916 in Monroe County, Gap Mills. She appears on the 1920 census in MC, Gap Mills as a 28 y.o. mulatto female, wife of John H. Gross. On 6/4/1927 she gave birth to a female child (See MC births). She appears on the 1930 census in MC, Sweet Springs as a 33 y.o. with her children. Her daughter Julia died in WV in 1954 (See WV DC # 2559 or 2659). Lydia Haynes is a mystery to me. I'm not sure where she came from. She is also the mother of Willam Francis Haynes who died in Monroe County in 1946, WV DC #680.

James Brown

See the Journal of the Greenbrier Historical Society, Volume 7, Number 5, 2003, page92, an article entitled THE NEGRO HISTORICAL SKETCH OF LEWISBURG, WEST VIRGINIA, Through the Looking Glass by M.J. Cabell which states in part that James Brown "won the Croix de Guerre for his capture of 23 Germans single handed in World War I".

Also see THE CIVIL WAR IN GREENBRIER COUNTY by Tim McKinney which states that "the jailer of Mason County" notified Mr. Robert Dickson that several of his slaves were being held there & "also a man taken with them by the name of James Brown that says he is free .. he is about 40 ..." ("with crooked legs so as to make him very lame").

I have 23 entries for men named James Brown.

(Sister) Florence Brown

See National Geographic, July 1972, an article entitled "Mountain Days, Mountain Voices" by Bryan Hodgson, page 130, about this Pocahontas County (Princeton) resident. She was a visiting minister of the Cashes Hill Church of God.

Bush / Strain

Another fire caused the deaths of many members of the Bush family.
January 25, 1905. Greenbrier Independent. "BURNED ALIVE". Wednesdaymorning, about 3 o'clock, the house of Rev. James Bush, colored, about one mile southeast of Lewisburg, was burned and seven of the inmates perished in the flames. Aunt Venus Strain an aged and highly respected colored woman, the mother inlaw of Rev. Bush and six of his children ranging in ages from 13 down. The fire originated in the upper story where the children slept and the whole upper part of the house was burning and falling in when Bush awakened. He escaped with several severe burns. His oldest daughter also escaped but was severely burned in several places on the body. The mother was not at home. Old Aunt Venus was 80 odd years old and in her younger days was frequently employed as a nurse and was highly esteemed. That such an appalling accident could occur in our community seems incredible.

He dies on 8/13/1946 at Greenbrier. See WV Death Certificate # 10501. Died at 93 y.o. Widowed. Husband of Polly Bush. Baptist preacher. Son of James and Mary Bush.

The article states that "the mother was not at home". I would think that she was probably working out somewhere taking care of someone elses' home or children. Tragic.

Spotts

I may be repeating myself but the WV Division of Culture and History has for sale a photo of Alex Spotts (formerly enslaved by the Campbell family). He is probably the oldest Spotts entry that I have in Monroe County. The Spotts-Payne families have reunions quite often and he would probably be the oldest traceable member, though I hope that someone can go back further. Alex Spotts, died, tragically when he either passed out or fell near his fireplace and his clothes caught on fire. He was living alone as his wife had already died and he was found by a passerby. I will post the full article soon.

Payne

I received an email today from someone who feels that (s)he might have made some advances in his/her research on Barsheba and Fanny Ellison. This would be wonderful b/c Barsheba Ellison Payne is the mother of the first Black WV legislator Christopher H. Payne. I believe that he was related to my greatgreatgrandmother Martha Payne but I haven't been able to establish a link, only that he founded a church in Summers County that my family members attended. I wish this researcher much luck and am so happy that people continue to give me a heads up when they find information about Black residents of the area. I know, eventually, all of the pieces will come together. In a very old post I wondered how my greatgrandmother Martha was a "Payne". I found out later that prior to emancipation she was "married" to Burton Payne but that he was sold off. Right after emancipation she married Solomon Haynes. All of her children (Socrates, Dudley, Elizabeth, and Charlotte) took on the name Haynes but her son Albert retained the name Payne. The family member indicated that this was because his father was Burton Payne. I later found two Burton Paynes living in Virginia. One of them seems to be the correct age and he married another woman named Martha. I will have to research him further.

ULYSSES GRANT

Ulysses Grant appears on the 1880 census in Pocahontas County, AD, as a mulatto male, age 13, son of Elijah Grant. His name may have actully been W. Ulysses Grant. There is also a "Ulis" Grant who is listed in Larry Shuck's Greenbrier County Birth Records at p. 413 as the father of a female child. Elijah Grant (Ulysses' father) appears in the 1840 Census, VA, Greenbrier as a Free Inhabitant with 4 males and 3 females. He appears on the 1880 Census, WV, Pocahontas County as a black male, age 62, widowed or divorced, farm laborer with Elizabeth (15), Elijah N. (24), Stuart (16), and Ulysses (13). His family is also listed in African Americans of Pocahontas County by William O. Lindsay (which is available from the Allegheny Historical Society).

Boston Haynes

I have seven Boston Haynes and I can't seem to connect them. It seems like there were at least two of them. All were born between 1839 - 1942.

(1) Boston Haynes who was the husband of Rosabell Haynes, See Monroe County Births where a child named Nancy was born on 12/10/1876 to Boston and Rosabell. Rose died on 9/20/1877.
(2) MC Births, Vol. 1, p. 303 shows a black male child born to Boston & Sally.
(3) Boston Haynes who was the husband of (1) Bettie Lee/Betsie Haynes and (2) Mell Viney. He appears on the 1880 census at age 44, farm laborer, husband of Betsie. 1910 Census at age ??? wih his wife Mill. (this is probably the same Boston as number (1) b/c Rose died in 1877 and he married Betsie in 1877 - although there was a 2 month overlap).
(4) Boston Haynes who was the husband of Lucy J. Haynes. 1900 Census at age 58, md x 2 yrs to Lucy.
(5) Boston Haynes who was the husband of Louise Haynes. 1900 Census at age 60, mail carrier, married for 30 years to Louise, with his adopted daughter Frankie Thompson who was 11.
(6) Boston Haynes who may have been the husband of Mary Erskine, See WV Death Certificate # 15702 where he appears as the father of the decedent, Lon Edgar Erskine.
(7) Boston Haynes who was the father of Ford Haynes who died in 1928 (WV Death Certificate 12675.

To research your (African American) family in southeast WV (Greenbrier, Monroe, Summers, and Pocahontas)the following would be helpful:

Census
Marsh 1880 Census Index
African American Residents of Pocahontas County by William O. Lindsay
African American Records in Greenbrier County by Mary Frances Bodemuller
Pack Slaves by Dr. Vallentine (Summers County)
Helen Stinson's Court Records for Greenbrier County
Larry Shuck's Marriage, Death, and Birth Records
Larry Shuck's Court Records for Greenbrier County
Journals of the Greenbrier Historical Society
WV Division of Culture and History African American Pages
WV Division of Culture and History Birth, Death, and Marriage Records on the Internet
World War I and II Draft Registration Cards
Black Residents of Greenbrier, Monroe, Pocahontas, and Summers Counties - WV - Notes of Carol L. Haynes (available for viewing at the GHS and the WV Div of Culture)
West Virginia Court Cases (put in key words "servant" "slave" "negro" "master" "colored" if doing a Westlaw search)
Jim Talbert's (& Weikle) Birth Records for Greenbrier County - (available at the Greenbrier Historical Society)
Also, if I were just starting to research I would pick a central figure and send the search fee (it was about $15.00 - call first) to the W.V. Division of Culture and History in Charleston and see what they come up with. They are fantastic!!
Also: Deaths at Denmar Sanitarium - Pocahontas County (Black folks from all over the country were treated at this Sanitarium)

JAMES BALDWIN
There were three men named James Baldwin in the Greenbrier area.
(1) James Baldwin, born around 1825, husband of Emeline Baldwin. This James Baldwin was sometimes called Avis, which was his middle name. He appears on the 1870 census at 45y, with Emilene, Ann (15), Louisa (11), Elizabeth (7), Ella M. (5), & Thomas (2). (2) James Baldwin, husband of Evelina Baldwin, appears on the 1900 Census in Lewisburg at age 28.
(3) James "Thomas" Baldwin, husband of Octavia Cousins Baldwin, son of James and Emilene Baldwin. He is on the Greenbrier County census in the Williamsburg District from 1870 through 1910. He is in the Lewisburg District in 1930. He died in 6/26/1957 and is buried at the Lewisburg Cemetery.
I observed and photographed his grave in 1999. At that time it was one of the furthest graves from the roadside. The picture of the grave appears in Black Residents of Greenbrier, Monroe, Pocahontas, and Summers Counties - West Virginia - Notes of Carol L. Haynes which can be found at the Greenbrier Historical Society or the W.V. Division of Culture and History at Charleston.

JAMES BALDWIN
There were three James Baldwin in the Greenbrier area.
(1) James Baldwin, born around 1825, husband of

DANIEL BOONE
This is the information that I currently have about Daniel C. Boone of Greenbrier County, West Virginia:
Husband of Virginia "Jennie" Moore Boone. Born ? around 1842 at North Carolina. He appears in the 1880 census at Greenbrier County, Irish Corner District, as a mulatto male, age 37, b. 1843 in No. Carolina, works in quarry, married, enumerated with Littlebert Wyatt. In 1900 he is still in the ICD, a black male, age 57, with his wife Virginia, r.r. laborer, father of Daniel (20), Harriet (17), Jessie (15), Cora (12), Alpha (10), Minerva (6) and Adrea (4). In 1910 he is still in the ICD, black male, age 68, b. in No. C., married 40 years to Virginia, with Josephine (16). He is mentioned in the article HISTORY OF BRUSHY RIDGE by Frank U.G. Peck which says "In the sixties (1860), Daniel C. Boone came from North Carolina. He married Jennie Moore, one of John Moore's daughters, and lived first in South Brushy Ridge and worked in the tan yard for Madison Nickell. He finally bought a home in North Brushy Ridge where he reared a large family." In the Greenbrier County death records it indicates that he died on 6/14/1916 at age 74y. His daughter Lucy G. Peck died in 1952 (WV DC # 244) and his son, William Johnson Boone died in 1956 (WV DC # 8599). There are a number of really nice family histories on this family.

ZEBBY LIGGONS TERRELL
Jim Talbert of the Greenbrier Historical society graciously mailed the following news article to me:

AGED COLORED WOMAN DEAD - "Aunt" Zebby Terrell, a well known colored resident of Lewisburg died on onday morning. It is said she had reached the advanced age of 93 years. She was a slave of Captain Alex McClintic of Bath County, Va. and after the civil war she and her brother, Sam Strain, came to Greenbrier County and were tenants on the Captain Alex Arbuckle farm near Maxwelton, later moving to "Stauntown" in the Teaberry section near Lewisburg. "Aunt" Zebby was twice married, her first husband being named Liggins and her second husband's name being Terrell. She leaves two nephews, Asbury and Dick Strain of Lewisburg.

(there was no date on the article).

JULIUS HENDERSON LOVE was an attorney who was b. 5/10/1885. He was the husband of (1)Marion Higgs of Raleigh, No.C. and then (2) Edna Williams Love of Raleigh County, WV. He was the brother in law of Alice Williams Belton and Rosalie Williams Burk Culpepper. He was the son in law of Hallie Haynes Williams (note: Hallie Haynes and my greatgrandfather George Washington Haynes were siblings). See www.wvculture.org/history/histamne/love.html . Also see his WWI Draft Registration Card. He registered at Montgomery County, Fayette, WV. He gave his nearest relative as Susie Love of Baltimore, Md.
There was also a Julius C. Love who was a Pastor at the John Wesley United Methodist Church at Lewisburg.

SIMON LEE
I have three entries for Simon Lee in Greenbrier.
The first Simon Lee was the husband of Amanda White Lee. He appears on the 1870 census at age 57, with Amanda and with Joseph, Mary, Isabel, Moses, Peyton, Jane, Charity, Simon (age 5), and an unnamed 3 year old (who this compiler thinks was "Sissie" Lee) & Daniel, Georgianna, Mary, and another Preston (age 1). In 1880 he is 68 with Amanda, Isaac, Nimrod, Sissie, Alice, & with Isabella Williams & other members of the Williams family. He is the father of Peyton who died on 8/10/1880 at 23y. In 1886, his wife Amanda dies of consumption. He is the father of Isaac who died on 5/2/1890. He is the father of Isabelle C. Lee who died in 1928 & Sis Lee who died ? year.
The second Simon Lee was the husband of Isabelle Lee,and the son of Simon and Amanda Lee. He was the father of Alred M. Lee who died in 1922.
The third Simon Lee is Simon Peter Lee who was b. in Greenbrier but who registered for the draft in Pittston, Pa. at 65y old. He says he was b. at Lewisburg on 9/24/1876. He was 5'4", The person who would always know his whereabouts was Ada Morris of Lewisburg. He is listed as a white male with a "ruddy" complexion but this compiler believes that he was a black male.

I recently found out that the Greenbrier Historical Society will be putting old newspapers on their site and that the work should be available in about four months. I've spent time at the GHS reading the newspapers and the thought of having them accessible on the internet makes me really happy. It has been over a year since I last posted. I really have no good excuse(s) for that but truly intend to do a better job in the future. I have recently sent new versions of A-F to the GHS and the W.V. Division of Culture and History. I will be sending G& H (four volumes) in the next month. The revisions are mainly corrections, notes from family members who have contacted me, the aforementioned news articles, and many new photos including the photos given to me by E. Carter (which I have used for the covers). I'll upload some photos here as well.

Sad news - Mary Frances Bodemuller who wrote African American Records in Greenbrier County passed away. She combed the courthouse records for enslaved individuals and their owners and listed them in her compilation. The book is available for sale from the GHS.

My apologies for the advertisements in the comments section of this blog. I don't preview the comments although I apparently should.

BOSTON HAYNES

I have a number of entries for Boston Haynes. I believe this was one man who was married to a number of women (4 or 5) in Greenbrier/Monroe/Summers Counties but I have not been able to connect all of my entries. I have also not been able to figure out how he fits in with the other Haynes families of the area. I will dedicate an entire post to him soon.

I'm continuing to read court cases and will post them here as well (or at least the citations).

I'm more convinced than ever that the Littleton's of Greenbrier County were enslaved by Samuel Kincaid. I reread Mary Frances' information this a.m. and both Cook and Maria show up with him in the early 1800's. Cook is a common last name but I have not seen any other individuals with Cook as a first name. Cook and Maria's children John and Mary Ann stayed in GC and worked for the Samuel Price family. Another son, Byrd, moved to Harrison County, Clarksburg. He married Maria Webb and they had a number of children including: Roy H./Ray, ennie, Hugh, & Mary. Byrd's mother Maria died in Clarksburg in 1893. Hugh Webb Littleton was the son of Byrd and Maria and he married Sallie R. Littleton. He was a waiter in a hotel. In 1920 he is enumerated with his sister Jennie. 1880 - 1910 he is with his parents or his wife. In 1930 he is listed with his sister Jennie. He registered for WWI & on his card he says that he worked for K and H Barber Shop. He was short, medium build, with black eyes and gray hair. He was 42 when he registered. He died on 2/8/1947. (WVDC# 1391). He was 70 y.o. when he died. He is buried at Masonic at Clarksburg.