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Joseph, the son of Isaac Burleyson Sr. of The American Revolution,
married Nancy Rogers. They both died young and left a large family.
We know of seven children of this union.
The sons were:
§ Isaac, b. 1827 d.1891
§ David Derrick, b. 1835 d.1896
§ John Wesley, b. 1839 d. 1926
§ Joseph Benjamin, b. 1842 d. 1900
The daughters were:
§ Susan, b. 1834
§ Martha Jane, b.1836
§ Wiley, b. ?
Nancy was the daughter of John
M. and Sarah Biles Rogers. John M.'s father was James Rogers.
Sarah's parents were Thomas and Tobitha Biles. The Biles were
millers and large landowners in the Mountain Creek area of Stanly
Co. NC. The Roger's were large landowners living in the Northern
part of Stanly Co. along the headwaters of Bear Creek. Two of
Nancy's sisters, Fannie and Anna (twins), married two Hatley brothers,
William and Simeon (twins also). A third sister, Susan, would
marry Adam Ritchie. Susan and Adam would take Joseph Benjamin
into their household. Later, after the death of Adam, Susan became
the second wife of Simeon Hatley. A fourth sister, Jane, married
Redding Almond. A fifth sister, Barbara, married Alfred Hatley,
a brother to William and Simeon. A sixth sister, Purity, married
Guilford Hatley, a nephew of William and Simeon.
I'm not sure where Joseph and Nancy
lived other than it was in Almond Township. If I had to guess
the location by the proximity of the neighbors, I would guess
the Millingport or Plyler community of today. We do not have any
record of where Joseph and Nancy attended church or their burial.
The old cemetery behind Salem Church holds many graves, but none
dated before 1865. Friendship Church has strong ties to the Burleyson
Family and was built next to the old Harwood Cemetery. When Highway
73 was constructed, it went through most of the graves in the
original Harwood Cemetery leaving some on the North side of the
road. I have heard Miss Lena say that there were Burleysons buried
in the old Harwood Cemetery. The old Harwood Cemetery may be where
Joseph and Nancy were buried, we do not know for sure.
With the passing of Joseph and
Nancy, their property and the welfare of their orphaned children
was left to the court of Stanly Co. The court normally appoints
a close family member or an upstanding citizen to decide these
matters. In the February session of 1848, they chose Isaac Burleyson
Jr., who was a brother of Joseph, to become the guardian of his
nephew Isaac, the oldest child of Joseph and Nancy. This act placed
the responsibility of Joseph and Nancy's property in Isaac Jr's
hands. Raising seven children from 21 years to 6 years was not
in Isaac Jr.'s future. He was 64 years old and his wife Katherine
was 58 years old. Tradition of the day was for the court to bond
out orphans to reliable and responsible families to teach the
child a trade or skill to prepare him in life. Our Burleyson orphans
followed this tradition. Most of these apprenticeships were successful,
but a few, in my personal opinion, were not.
In the same session David Derrick age
13 was bound to Mathias Moose, Martha Jane, age 8, was bound to
Martin Harkey. In the November session John Wesley was bound to
Alex McLester and Joseph Benjamin, age 6, was bound to Adam Ritchie.
Being bonded the child would work for his or her board and meals.
It was the responsibility of the Bonder to provide appropriate
lodging, meals, education and all the protection provided by the
head of household given to his own family. Isaac, the oldest child
of Joseph and Nancy, was already 21 and did not need to be bound
out with the rest of his siblings.
Joseph's father-in-law, John M. Rogers,
was still settling Joseph's estate when he died. Valantine Mauney
was appointed administrator for John M. Rogers's estate. Before
this estate was settled, Nancy died and Martin Harkey was appointed
administrator for Nancy's estate. By 1850 the Children were in
line to inherit their father's estate, and as heirs of Nancy Roger's
Burleyson, they stood to inherit her part of the John M. Rogers
Estate also. There were different amounts of money coming in from
these two estates. A year later in November 1849, Isaac now age
22, was given guardianship of his younger siblings. His bond was
given to Redding Almond (who married Jane, their mother's sister),
to William Burleyson, their first cousin, and to Isaac Jr., their
father's brother. This gave Isaac (age 22) custody of all of Joseph
and Nancy's property. In September 1850, Isaac age 23, petitioned
Stanly Co. Court to sell the property formerly owned by his father
and Mother, Joseph and Nancy. This was granted and the property
was sold in September 1852. Track #2 of 130 acres known as the
The Patty Burleyson Place was sold to Isaac Jr. Burleyson. Track
#3, of 173 acres, known as the David Burleyson place was sold
to Allen Almond.
I believe that track #2 was originally
settled by Isaac Sr. and Martha Clay Burleyson and by 1850 was
known by his wife's name, who out lived him. This track was purchased
by Isaac Jr., who was buying part of the home place where he had
been raised. These transactions need further research, but it
looks to me like Joseph owned 130 acres that originally belonged
to his father and mother and it also appears that Joseph owned
the 173 acres that belonged to his uncle David.
What we do know for sure is that when all of
these siblings were bound out and all the family property sold,
our Isaac (age 23) moved to Cabarrus Co. and bought a farm.
John Wesley's apprenticeship with Alex
McLester was very successful. He was accepted into the McLester
home and raised as a son. He grew up in the Bear Creek area of
Western Stanly Co.
Joseph Benjamin was bound to the Adam
Ritchie family in the Northern section of Stanly Co. Here he learned
the milling trade that would become his profession after the war.
He was raised in the household of his Aunt, Susan Rogers Ritchie.
David Derrick was first bound to Mathias
Moose in August 1848 at the age of 13. In September of 1848 Mathias
returned and released David to the court and Davidson Lowder entered
the bond. In September 1850 the apprenticeship of David Derrick
by Davidson Lowder was cancelled also. He was 15 years old and
still a minor. I'm not sure if he was left on his own or not,
but he surely failed to complete an apprenticeship. This would
be evident in David's later life.
Martha Jane was bound to Martin Harkey at age 8. Martin had been
appointed administrator for Nancy Burleyson's estate. He was a
landowner and a respected citizen. In the 1870 Stanly Co. Census
we find Martha Jane living alone with her two children ages 5
and 2. Their father was believed to be Davidson Lowder. In the
1880 census we find a third child age 6 and Martha Jane is still
unmarried.
Susan was the oldest daughter of Joseph
and Nancy. She would have been about 14 in 1848. I have not found
a written record of Susan until 1861 where she became the third
wife of William Jack Carter. William was listed as blind. By 1880
Jack and Susan were living in Furr Township and had nine children
(three from Jack's former marriages) an established and successful
family.
I can't document where Susan was from
1848 until 1861, but Lillie Burleson told me that, "Susan was
one of Grandpa Billie's girls". She said that, "Billie was so
rough on his girls that Susan ran off with Jack Carter". I believe
this to be true. Susan was Billie's niece and could have been
taken in by Billie and Sarah. In 1860 Billie's wife Sarah had
died and he had five sons and one daughter living with him. Susan's
first child was born sometime in 1860 so I'm assuming that she
and Jack Carter were living together by that time. They do not
show up on the 1860 Census and maybe had run off to another county.
I'm still trying to locate Wiley, I believe
she was one of three female children of Joseph and Nancy, less
than 5 yrs old listed in the 1840 Stanly Co. Census. She is mentioned
as one of the orphans in November 1849, but I am unable to find
her after that time.
The End
By John Hoyle Burleson |
