Lunsford Family Photographs

For larger images click on the following photographs:







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The first photograph may be of Peyton Lee and Margaret Peggy Fuqua Lunsford.

The second photograph most likely is John Lunsford (seated) and Walter Lunsford (standing).

The third photograph may be Robert Fuqua Lunsford (seated) James Lunsford (standing).

The fourth photograph probably is George Washington Lunsford,.

The fifth photograph is George Washington Lunsford and Annie Belle Edwards Lunsford.

The sixth photograph is Annie Belle Edwards Lunsford.

Some of these images were tintype.

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Monroe Long Postal Card (1896)

(click on postal card for larger image)

(click on postal card for larger image)

The above Postal Card was addressed to Mr. Monroe Long (and Mrs. Long), Hycote, Caswell Co, NC. The name of the sender is uncertain, but could be P. G. Newton. The text is believed to be as follows (some punctuation added):

Home June 18

Dear Bro

I saw the boys
at Loch L-- last
night at preaching.
OK & happy they [expect] to return
Sat. I preach
again tomorrow.
Tell Mrs L. they are well. I [expect]
to go to Boston. There
you can send me
something to Roxboro.
Do [rush/push] the/my Ctail
[deer] dog. Love to all.
Yours frat. PG Newton
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Given the date of the postal card, 18 June 1896, the addressee Monroe Long could be James Monroe Long (1843-1919), who married Winnie Taylor ( 1868-1940). However, the "boys" to whom reference was made probably were not children of Monroe Long and Winnie Taylor Long, because their oldest was born in 1893.

The address, "Hycote, Caswell Co NC" certainly is consistent with the postal card's being addressed to James Monroe Long (1843-1919), because his property was located on the Hyco/Hycote Creek. Today this is in the Hyco Lake area of Caswell/Person County.

Also, query whether the "Boston" reference is to South Boston, Virginia, which is just north of Roxboro, North Carolina.

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Gabriel Lea (1758-1834) Will

Gabriel Lea's Will
Caswell County Court - October Term 1834 - Book M Page 433

In the name of God Amen. I Gabriel Lea of Caswell County and State of North Carolina being of sound in perfect mind and memory blessed be God, do this 17th day November in the year of our Lord, Eighteen hundred and twenty-six, do make and publish this my last Will and Testament in the manner following:

That is to say I first will and bequeath to my beloved wife Elizabeth during her lifetime such property as she and mine son's William and James may think proper to appropriate to her for her maintenance and support.

2nd after the first appropriation is made as pointed out in the 1st clause. It is further my Will and desire that the whole of property and estate of every description whatsoever be divided and appropriated in the manner herein, after pointed out, To Wit: I first will and bequeath to my son James that partial or part of my land of which he has made his improvements on so much there of as in here in specified here in to say, beginning at the corner near a large white oak at the east in of my peach orchard and running from there due north until it intersects William A. Lea's land. All my land east of said line be it more or less I will give and bequeath to him as in the article herein specified.

It is furthermore my Will and desire in the settlement of my estate that my daughter Mary Morton shall be charged with five hundred dollars as a part of my estate which she has already received that being the estimated value of the tract of land on which she now lives and for which I have made her husband Elijah Morton a deed to the same without having received any equivalent value for the same.

It is furthermore my Will and desire that the remainder of my estate of every description whatsoever be divided in the following manner To Wit: I will and bequeath to my beloved children as follows:

To my son William two equal shares of my estate

To my son Vincent nothing saving my love and affection

To my son Gabriel B. one equal part

To my daughter Elizabeth one equal part

To my daughter Mary one equal part

To my son James one equal part

To my daughter Phoebe one equal part

To my daughter Barbara one equal part

Making in the whole eight parts, and I hereby make and ordain my son's William and James my executors this my last Will and Testament in witness where of I the said Gabriel Lea have to this my last Will and Testament have set my hand and seal this day and year above written.

In the presence of: Gabriel Lea (Signed)

James Darby
James M. Lea
Willis M. Lea

Transcribed by Latham Mark Phelps

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Jacob Thompson (1810-1885)

(click on photograph for larger image)

Jacob Thompson (1810-1885), born in Leasburg, Caswell County, North Carolina.

This portrait of Jacob Thompson is from Mississippi, As a Province, Territory, and State: With Biographical Notices of Eminent Citizens, Volume I, J. F. H. Claiborne (1880) at 446a.

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Was Caswell County's Jacob Thompson a Traitor?

When serving as US Secretary of Interior Jacob Thompson was appointed by the State of Mississippi as a "secession commissioner" to North Carolina with the task of convincing that state to secede from the Union after Abraham Lincoln had been elected US President.

Thompson met with North Carolina Governor John W. Ellis in Raleigh. Thompson also wrote an open letter to Ellis that was published in the "Raleigh State Journal" December 20, 1860. In that letter Thompson stated the South faced "common humiliation and ruin" if it remained in the Union. He warned a Northern "majority trained from infancy to hate our people and their institutions" would overthrow slavery. The result would be "the subjugation of our people."

New-York Daily Tribune, January 9, 1861, p. 4.

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Will of Thomas Kimbrough (1777)

Following is the will of Thomas Kimbrough, signed 25 September 1777, from Red Book A, page 25, Caswell County, North Carolina: December Court, 1777.

In the name of God amen I Thomas Kimbrow of Caswell County and State of North Carolina being Sick and Weak in Body, but of Sound Mind Memory and Understanding, do make and publish this my last Will and Testament in manner and form following. First of all I recommend my Soul to God who gave it,trusting that the same will receive happiness in the World to come through the Merits of our blessed Redeemer Jesus Christ; and my Body to be buried in a Christian like manner at the discretion of my Executors; And as to my Worldly

Estate with which it has pleased Almighty God to bless me in this Life, I dispose of the same in the following manner to wit:

IMPRIMIS, I lend to my beloved Wife Ellianah during her natural Life my Plantation whereon I now live together with the following Negroes to wit, Sam, George, Cate, Lucey and Phebe; also all my Household Furniture, Working Tools, one horse called Sorrel, and Mare called Bonney, one mare called Fly, Eight Cows & Calves, four Ewes & Lambs, three Sows & piggs and Pork out of my Stock to support her and the abovementioned Negroes one year; and after the demise of my said Wife I Will that the Plantation and Land belonging thereto abovementioned be Sold by my Executors hereafter named or the Survivor of them

and the Money arising from such Sale to be equally divided between my Sons John, William, Robert, Thomas & my Daughter Suckey Nowel, to them their heirs and assigns forever. And it is likewise my Will, after the Decease of my said Wife, that the Negroes hereby lent to my Wife and their increase if any (except

one Child Hereafter Will'd to my Son Robert & his Children) together with all the Furniture working tools & Stock which may then remain belonging to my Estate, be equally divided between my Sons John, William, Thomas, Robert and my Daughter Suckey Nowel; to them their Heirs and Assigns forever; But in case my Son Thomas should die without any Heir lawfully begotten of his Body, then my Will is that all such Estate which is or may be divided to him in this Will, be equally divided amongst my several Children abovenamed, to them their heirs and Assigns forever, I hereby empower my said Executors to sell the abovementioned Horse & Mares, & furnish others in their stead, if necessary or required by my said wife.

ITEM, I give to my Son John one hundred & eight acres of Land be the same more or less, Beginning at a Beach on the North side of the South fork of Country line Creek, running thence E. 114 poles to a black Oak, thence South 154 Poles to a poplar, thence W. 114 poles to a White Oak, thence North 154 Poles to the

begining; also one Negro Boy called Britain to him, his Heirs & Assigns forever and it is my Will that he be paid the sum of Fifty three pounds six Shillings & eight pence Proclaim Money out of my Estate which I justly owe him.

ITEM, I give to my Son William one Negroe Boy called Gabe and Eighty pounds Proclamation Money to him his Heirs & Assigns forever.

ITEM, I lend to my Son Robert during his natural Life the Negroe Woman called Lydda, and the first Child which be born of any of the Negroes lent to my Wife, which may live to be Eighteen months old; and after the Decease of my said Son Robert, I Will the said two Negroes Lydda & the Child, together with their increase, to be equally divided amongst my said Son Robert's Children.

ITEM, I Will that the Tract of Land whereon my Son Robert now lives may be saved at the Expense of my Estate & that my Executors furnish my said Son Robert with Money sufficient for that purpose whenever the Land Office shall be opened; and it is further my Will that the said Tract of Land be divided as follows to wit; that twenty five acres adjoining my Son Thomases Land on the North side, be laid off & confirmed to my said Son Thomas his Heirs & Assigns forever; That the remaining part be divided by Michaels Branch, That the Land

on the South side, to belong to my Son Robert, and that, on the North side, to belong to my Son Graves, to them their Heirs & Assigns forever.

ITEM, I give to my Daughter Sarah Brown one Negroe Boy called Ben & Ten pounds proclamation Money to her her Heirs & Assigns Forever.

ITEM, I give to my Daughter Mary Bryant one Negroe Boy called Joe; Five pounds proclamation Money and all the Stock, Household furniture -- now in possession of her and Her husband for which I have a Bill of Sale.

ITEM, I give to my Daughter Betty Bruce one Negroe Girl called Daphney now in her possession, also the sum of Ten pounds proclamation Money to her her Heirs & Assigns forever.

ITEM, I give to my Daughter Nancy Turner one Negroe Boy called Sam and Ten pounds proclamation Money, to her her Heirs and Assigns forever,

ITEM, I give to my Daughter Frankey Carmon during her natural life, one Negroe Girl called Agg which She has now in possession and one Negroe Boy called Davey and after her Demise I will that the said Negroe Girl Agg & her increase (if any) and the said Negroe Boy Davey be equally divided amongst the Children of my said Daughter Frankey Carmon.

ITEM, I give for the support & maintenance of my Son Graves one Negroe Boy called Daniel and one hundred Pounds proc: Money to be placed in the hands of my Son John, which said Negroe & Money, (after the Decease of my son Graves) I Will to my said Son John his Heirs & Assigns forever.

ITEM, I give to my Sons John, William & Thomas all that Estate due to me for my Wifes Legacy or portion, from the Estate of my said Wifes deceas'd Father Thomas Graves, to be equally divided betwixt them.

ITEM, I Will that the remainder part of my Negroes and Stock which is not given & devised in this Will, be sold by my Executors and the Money arising from such Sale be applied towards paying off the several Legacies and other purposes given by this Will.

AND lastly I do Nominate, Constitute & appoint my Sons John and William, whole & Sole Executors of this my last Will and Testament, hereby revoking, and making void all other and former Will and Wills by me heretofore made,

IN WITNESS whereof I have hereunto set my Hand & Affixed my Seal this 25 Day of Sept. 1777.

20 Sep 1777

Signed, Sealed, published, pronounced His and declared by the Testator to be & contain Thomas T Kimbroughhis last Will & Testament, in the presence of us

Mark

who in his presence & in the presence of each other hath subscribed our names as Witnesses

Willliam Gooch The Execution of the above Will ...

Jesse Benton (?) was proved by oaths of William Gooch

and Jesse Benton the witnesses .....

and ... to be recorded.

End if Will

Caswell Farm Supply

(click on photograph for larger image)

This wonderful old card was found on EBay by a friend of the Caswell County Historical Association. When the owner learned that we wanted it for the Richmond-Miles History Museum in Yanceyville, North Carolina, he essentially donated it.

Query who is the young man standing beside the truck.

The people mentioned are W. A. Wood and A. D. Swann. The A. D. Swann must be Arthur Delbert Swann (1907-1985). But, who is the W. A. Wood?

Since Arthur Delbert Swan married Blanch Wood (1907-1994), this could be her brother William A. (Willie) Wood (c. 1912- bef. 10 Oct 2006).

Note that Arthur Delbert Swann founded Swan Trucking Company and was a Caswell County Commissioner during 1952-1974, serving as chairman for eight years.

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William Bryant (died c. 1769)

The connection of William Bryant, who died c. 1769, to Caswell County, is through his son Rowland Bryant.

Roland Bryant, son of William Bryant and Elizabeth Rowland Bryant, married Mary Rosa Hunt. One of their children, Tabitha Bryant, married John Greene Murphey of Caswell County.

John Greene Murphey was a son of Archibald Murphey and Jane Debow, thus being a brother of the famous Archibald Debow Murphey.



Above one can see the doorway where William Bryant was shot by a neighbor's slave. The slave, Sanders, apparently was angry because William Bryant kept telling him to use the road and to stop crossing the Bryant property. The slave stole Pomfrett Herndon's gun and shot William Bryant as he sat in his doorway. Pomfrett Herndon was William Bryant's son-in-law, having married Martha Bryant. Family members reported that the blood was still on the doorway floor in the early 1900's even though it had been rubbed with sand numerous times. The William Bryant house was located in Granville County, North Carolina.

Bebe Johns Fox kindly provided this photograph and related information.
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Granville County records, Folder 1760-1769, Broken Series, located at the North Carolina Archives, included an undated paper three years hence.

On the 21st day of October, 1773, "at a Court Call'd and Held in Granville County for the Trial of Certain Negro Slaves..."; justices present were Robert Harris, Jonathan Kittrell, Sherwood Harris, Esquires. Also Thomas Chrichter, Christopher Harris, Samuel Waller and William Hunt, freeholders. Sanders, a slave belonging to Joseph McDaniel, pleaded not guilty. Ned, the property of William Bryant, deceased, testified that Sanders had a gun "in the night and had uttered some threatening language, though did not mention any person in particular". Then Jacob, the property of Jonathan Kittrell, Esq., repeated that at the place of execution the guilty man would be burned alive until consumed. Finally, Bryant's own slave, who apparently had aided and abetted, was sentenced to 39 lashes at the public whipping post. At that time there was a punishment in place for a slave who killed his master but not for a slave who killed another white person so the Colonial Records show that they made up the new punishment because of this case. What this punishment was is unknown.

Miss Lucy Kittrell of Texas, a descendant of William Bryant through his daughter, Tabitha (Bryant) Kittrell, has in her collection of papers, a letter written to her in about 1914 by a relative, Edwin Sue Goree. It adds personal detail to the Granville court case. The story goes that Sanders, an unfriendly slave belonging to a Mr. McDaniel who lived on one side of William Bryant, was married to a woman who lived on the plantation of Bryant's son-in-law, Pomfrett Herndon. William Bryant told the man to use the road several times and to stop crossing the Bryant property. This angered Sanders who, in turn, stole a gun from Pomfrett Herndon and shot William Bryant one evening as he sat in the doorway of his home. The slave, who could not be found for a while, was eventually discovered under the Bryant home.

Edwin Sue Goree wrote in an old letter that the house was still standing (in 1914 or so) and that after all these years no amount of scrubbing with water and sand could remove William Bryant's blood from the floor. She also noted that there were two Bryant sisters still living in the old homeplace, which had been moved up the hill a bit. It must have been remodeled at some point as the description she gave was "Queen Ann", but then wrote that the original large colonial fireplace and surrounding paneling remained.

The widow Elizabeth Bryant and her children removed to Chatham and Orange Counties, North Carolina, with the exception of her sons William, Jr. and Roland/Rowland, who remained in Granville. Her son by her first marriage, John Fearrington, is first noted in the 1771 militia list of Chatham County. He became a large land owner and built a handsome house, still standing near Mann's Chapel Church.
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GOREE, EDWIN SUE (1884-1961). Edwin Sue Goree, library organizer, daughter of Robert Daniel and Frances Rebecca (Campbell) Goree, was born on May 14, 1884, in Thorp Springs, Texas. She attended the University of Texas from 1901 to 1903 and began her career as a librarian there in 1908. From 1915 to 1917 she was librarian of the university's Department of Extension Loan Library. During World War I^qv she joined the American Library Association War Service as a hospital librarian at Camp Bowie (Tarrant County) and Fort Bliss. From 1923 to 1930 she was librarian of the Woman's Board of Trade Library in Santa Fe, New Mexico.

Goree returned to Texas as library organizer for the Texas State Library^qv in 1931 and devoted the next nine years to promoting the establishment of county libraries and the improvement of local library service. She traveled around the state speaking to groups, visiting libraries and clubs, and organizing exhibits. She wrote articles and led institutes to educate citizens about obtaining library service. She established demonstration library collections which the State Library lent to small towns without libraries. In 1937 she resigned to become the executive secretary of the Texas Library Association^qv in order to lead campaigns for stronger library legislation. She held this post again in 1938-39. She assisted in the organization of the People's Library Movement, a predecessor of Friends of Texas Libraries. In 1941 she became the founding librarian of the United States Naval Air Station Library in Corpus Christi, where she remained until 1946. She ended her career in the Burnet County Free Library, where she worked from 1949 to 1957.

Edwin Sue Goree was an Episcopalian and a Democrat. In 1960 she received the first Texas Library Association Distinguished Service Award. She died in Fort Worth on June 11, 1961.

BIBLIOGRAPHY: Margaret Louise Porter, Edwin Sue Goree, A Biography (M.A. thesis, University of Texas, 1965).

Margaret Louise Porter

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