2010 Society Officers

Christine Ambrose, President
J. A. Owens, Vice President
Arnette Parker, Secretary
Zelda Pledger, Treasurer
Arnette Parker, Newsletter Editor

About The Society

The Genealogical and Historical Society was founded in August of 1995 to encourage the preservation and historical recording of Tyrrell County and its families. The Society is a non-profit organization.

How To Contact Us

If you would like to reach the Society for any other reason, you may contact us at: 

Tyrrell County Genealogical and Historical Society
Post Office Box 686
Columbia, NC 27925-0686

Send items for the newsletter to arnettecparker@hotmail.comor acparker@wildblue.net

January Meeting

Our first meeting for 2010 will be held on Sunday, January 24, at 2:30 p.m. at the Senior Citizens Center in Columbia.

The guest speaker will be Chris Grimes who will present information from the summer of 1777 when a plot arose to disrupt the efforts of eastern North Carolina’s patriots. Who were these people? What was their motivation? 

Mr. Grimes will discuss “The Most Accursed Plot in Favour of a British Tyrant: The Llewellyn Conspiracy of 1777.” 

Since we don’t have the refreshment list for 2010, everyone is asked to bring a dessert. Drinks and ice will be provided.

Tyrrell County Genealogical and Historical Society
Minutes - October 25, 2009

President Christine Ambrose called the meeting to order. Those present introduced themselves. The following corrections were made to the minutes - Alecia Guilette helped with refreshments; and the speaker Joe Godwin was from Fort Landing not Cross Landing. Jacob Parker moved to approve the minutes as corrected; Sarah Languell seconded the motion; and it carried. 

Treasurer Zelda Pledger reported $4735.22 in checking account. Ann Basnight moved to accept the treasurer’s report; Betsy Sethman seconded the motion; and it carried.

The following slate of officers was presented by the Nominating Committee:
President - Christine Ambrose, Vice President - J. A. Owens; Secretary - Arnette Parker; Treasurer - Zelda Pledger. These officers were accepted by the group present.

Under old business, it was noted that the crowd for the Scuppernong River Festival was smaller than usual because of threatening weather. However, the group did have good book sales; and several new members joined.

The deadline for accepting Family Bible records has been extended to February 28, 2010. All members were asked to submit their records as well as encourage other family and friends to submit their Family Bible records.

Christine Ambrose noted that the Family Research Society of Northeastern
North Carolina has donated a copier for the Society’s use. It will be housed at the Senior Citizens Center.

The North Carolina Genealogical Society Speaker Forum and annual meeting will be held November 7. The Hyde County Genealogical and Historical Society will meet November 1 at 2:30 p.m. at Soule United Methodist Church.

Ann Basnight, President of the North Carolina Genealogy Society and Tyrrell County native, conducted a workshop on Genealogy 101. Mrs. Basnight provided basic information about gathering information and using a record system to help you organize what you already know; how to add more information from relatives, friends, and how to use the Internet for research. Information on how to use local resources such as the library, cemeteries, family bibles, census records, etc. was also presented.

Christine Ambrose and Arnette Parker provided refreshments.

Arnette C. Parker, Acting Secretary

Members present: Ann Basnight, Christine Ambrose, Zelda Pledger, Jacob Parker, Arnette Parker, Sarah Languell, John Languell, J. A. Owens, Virginia Haire, Betsy Sethman, Chris Barber, Cathy Roberts

Guests present: Virginia Stecle, Pamela Mann, Hal Cohoon, John White, Jessie Brickhouse, Marilyn Racine, Nancy Coats, Kay Ingram, Beverly Lester, Judy Tomlinson

Are You In The Top Ten?

Sometimes it ’s not so good to be on top - - especially when you are researching a line that shares a surname with, it seems, half the US population. According to the 2000 Census, these are the ten most common US last names.

Smith 2,376,206
Johnson 1,857,160
Williams 1,534,042
Brown 1,380,145
Jones 1,362,755
Miller 1,127,803
Davis 1,072,335
Garcia 858,289
Rodriguez 804,240
Wilson 783,051

Source: Family Tree Magazine, January 2010

BIBLE RECORDS NEEDED

If we are to make the Bible Records publications a reality for publication by the Scuppernong River Festival in October 2010, we have to start getting records from members, residents, family, friends ...... basically anyone who has access to any Family Bible records. It is imperative that we all encourage anyone we know to submit these historical records so that they can be published. If you need a worksheet or additional information, contact Arnette Parker at acparker@wildblue.net.

Safe Keeping - Family Bibles
While we are searching for our Family Bible Records for inclusion in our publication, remember these tips for safe keeping of Family Bibles. Not only a symbol of your ancestors’ spiritual beliefs, a Family Bible often holds records of important events in your family’s history. 

Preserve the data
Photograph the pages. If the book is fragile, don’t try to scan or photocopy the pages – laying it flat could damage the spine. Open the Bible on a nonslip surface with adequate support for the covers. Use your camera’s macro settings to get up close and capture the information clearly. Natural light works best; a flash will wash out the details.
Transcribe the information. Type the information from the Bible’s pages as accurately as you can. Preserve misspellings and foreign words - you can add explanatory notes to your transcription.
Creating a word processor file of the information makes it easy to share with fellow researchers and family members (as well as the Genealogical Society for publication).

Preserve the heirloom
Clean it up. Remove dust and dirt with a soft brush, and take out paper clips, which will rust and damage pages. If any acidic ephemera is hiding between the pages, remove it and store it in an archival envelope.
Store laying flat. Don’t shelve this family treasure. Buy an acid-fee box slightly larger than the book, and wrap the Bible in buffered tissue paper before casing it. Keep the box in a part of your home that’s safe from humidity, insects, and extreme heat and cold.
Avoid the irreversible. Don’t cut out pages, remove the covers, attempt to play bookbinder, or do anything you can’t undo.
It might not be pretty, but that Family Bible deserves to be passed through many more generation’s hands.
Family Tree Magazine, September 2009

CHINA DOLLS: TOYS WITH A HISTORY

Barbie and Ken, Cabbage Patch, Storybook, Madame Alexander. Familiar names in the doll world today, but a century and a half ago, china dolls reigned supreme in the hearts of little girls everywhere.
Europe had a good supply of clay for making china and porcelain, the fineness of which was determined by the grinding. The production of china dolls began in Germany - the early industry began in cities like Sonnenberg and Nuremberg - in the 1840s and companies in France, Sweden, Denmark, Poland, Czechoslovakia, and England followed suit. Porcelain factories often produced dolls as a sideline to their regular manufacture of dishes.

These dolls sported heads made of glazed bisque, also known as porcelain. At first, the heads were shaped by hands, but later doll makers poured them into molds. The heads were then fired in a kiln as many as three times and at a temperature of at least 2,372 degrees. Sometimes toy making was a family industry, so many of the heads may have been fired in backyard kilns.

Painted faces with rosy checks, blue eyes, and dark hair are typical of the first dolls. Fewer dolls were made with blonde hair and dark eyes. Even fewer dolls had brown or red hair. The rarest china dolls have inset glass eyes. According to Eleanor St. George in The Dolls of Yesterday, even rarer is a doll, perhaps the only one in existence, with sleeping glass eyes. 

One style of doll known as Beidermier (named for a particular style of objects in early 19th century Europe) were known as “bald-heads”. Instead of the hair being painted on, the dolls 
were left bald, and wigs were fashioned from children’s hair or mohair.

Hair styles often individualized these dolls. The most commonly made dolls, produced in the 1890s, were called low brow because bangs covered part of the forehead. Others were known by their distinctive hairstyles called covered wagon, Alice in Wonderland, and Dolly Madison. Also popular were portrait dolls such as Jenny Lind, Mary Todd Lincoln, Empress Eugenie, and Queen Victoria.
Swivel-heads, or dolls with heads that turned, are rare. 

Most heads were fashioned as one piece with a shoulder plate, which had holes for attaching the head to the body of the doll. The doll’s name was inscribed on the plate. Bodies for the dolls, which come in all sizes from two to thirty inches or more, are made of cloth, leather, or even wood; but the arms and legs (often with painted-on black boots) are usually china, like the heads. Original costumes, as well as the style of the shoe or boot, give a clue to the period of the doll. Sometimes buyers purchased the heads separately and made the bodies at home.

Clothes were often sewn at home, too, although the more expensive dolls could come with a doll-sized trunk full of high-fashion apparel. In more affluent homes, which employed professional seamstresses, a china doll might receive a new wardrobe along with her owner.

Today, collectors of these antique toys pay as little as a few hundred dollars or as much as several thousand to own a china doll. Special manufacturers’ marks often make the difference in price.
By Judy Nickles in History Magazine December/January 2010

O B I T U A R I E S

OBBIE JAMES ROUGHTON, 79, died November 15, 2009, at Three Rivers Nursing Home in Windsor. Born in Tyrrell County on February 22, 1930, he was the son of the late James William and Endria Hassell Roughton. He was a retired tug boat captain, farmer, and spent many years as a commercial fisherman. He was a veteran of the United States Army and was honorably discharged from the Infantry Division in 1951. Survivors: four sons James, Ray, Nathan, and Tony, all of Columbia; daughter Lisa R. Gibbs of Columbia; sisters Loretta R. Simmons and Geraldine S. Moran, both of Columbia; ten grandchildren, twelve great-grandchildren. He was preceded in death by a daughter Rose R. O’Neal and a brother Travis Roughton. Burial at Sound Sside Missionary Baptist Church; arrangements by Bryan Funeral Service, Columbia.

VICTOR ST.CLAIR ALEXANDER, II, 82, died November 21, 2009. at Chowan Hospital Skilled Nursing Facility in Edenton. Born February 25, 1928, in Tyrrell County, he was the son of the late Alvin Richard Alexander and Margaret Sawyer Alexander, and grandson of Victor St. Clair Alexander, Sr. He was a retired multi-craft technician for 44 years with Weyerhaeuser Corporation; member of Mount Hermon Methodist Church in Creswell, where he served as Sunday School Superintendent and choir member; member of Creswell City Council for thirty-three years; Southern Albemarle Commission member; volunteer fireman; Certified EMT; member of Albemarle Emmaus, Master of the Masonic Lodge, Worthy Patron of Eastern Star, Recreation fisherman, and diehard Duke fan. Survivors: wife Dolores Holton Alexander of Creswell, daughter Katherine Alexander Walden of Bath, NC; son Victor St. Clair Alexander, III, of Boca Raton, FL; three grandchildren Yvette Phelps Underwood, Daniel Shea Harris, and Jayme Cole Harris; four great grandchildren. He was preceded in death by three daughters Victoria Alexander, Yvonne Alexander Phelps, and Jill Holton Alexander; brother Charles (Charlie) Otis Alexander; sister Virginia Alexander Voliva. Burial in Mount Hermon Methodist Church cemetery; arrangements by Maitland Funeral Home, Creswell.

MINNIE MAE LASSITER WILLIAMS, 66,died November 20, 2009, at Pungo District Hospital, Belhaven. Born in Beaufort County on November 12, 1943, she was the daughter of the late Joseph Clyde Lassiter and Margaret Davenport Sutton Lassiter of Columbia, who survives. She was preceded in death by her husband Edward Wendell Williams. She and her husband operated Williams Crab Pot Company. She was a life-long member of Sound Side Free Will Baptist Church of Columbia and recently attended Fairfield Christian Church. Survivors in addition to her mother: son Garry Carlton Williams and his wife Gay of Chesapeake, Va; daughter Sherry Williams Armstrong and husband Jimmy of Creswell; sister Janice Leigh Roebuck and her husband Mack of Greenville; two grandchildren David and Isabella. She was preceded in death by brothers Stephen Estes Lassiter, Edwin Earl Lassiter, and Joseph Clyde Lassiter, Jr.; sister Karen Ann Lassiter. Burial at family plot in Fairfield Cemetery. Arrangements by Bryan Funeral Service, Swan Quarter.

JEANIE SUE ROUGHTON, 35, died December 13, 2009, as a result of a tragic fire. Born in Chowan County on October 9, 1974, she was the daughter of Sue Deaver Roughton, who survives, and the late Alver Roughton. She was employed as an office administrator for a real estate agency. Survivors in addition to her mother: two sons Timothy Roughton of Creswell, Devante Roughton of Columbia; daughter Cheyania Roughton of Columbia; sister Janie R. McClease of Creswell; two half-brothers Benjamin Roughton of Asheboro; David Roughton of Pinetown; half sister JoAnn Patrick of Columbia. Burial at Sound Side Missionary Baptist Church Cemetery; arrangements by Bryan Funeral Service, Columbia.

LENORA SPENCER SNELL, 77, died December 15, 2009, at Clare Manor House in Washington after a long illness. A native of Tyrrell County, she was the daughter of the late Alton K. and Violet S. Spencer. She was a member of Columbia Christian Church - Disciples of Christ, Columbia; and was a homemaker. Survivors: husband Collon Edward Snell; son Chris Snell of Vanceboro; daughter Barbara S. Krebs and husband Mitch of Annapolis, MD; brother A. K. Spencer of Oak City; sister Syble Taylor of Newport News, Va. She was preceded in death by two brothers Jimmy Spencer and William “Billy” Spencer. Burial in Maitland Cemetery. Arrangements by Bryan Funeral Service, Columbia.

EMMA LEE HASSELL, 85, died December 20, 2009, at the home of her daughter in Virginia Beach. A native of Craven County, she was the daughter of the late Haywood and Lelia D. Buxton. She was a member of Wesley Memorial United Methodist Church. She was married to the late Arthur Iredell Hassell. She worked in the medical records department of the former Columbia Hospital. Survivors: daughters Nancy H. Keel and husband Ralph of Virginia Beach, Va; Fara H. Zimmerman and husband Clifford of Raleigh; three grandchildren Molly Jarman, David Keel, and Matthew Keel; brother Jack Sasser of Goldsboro. She was preceded in death by a grandson, Ruffin Jarman. Burial at Azalea Memorial Gardens; arrangements by Bryan Funeral Service, Columbia.

NANCY DAVIS OWENS, 87, died January 9, 2010, at her home. Born in the Alligator Community of Tyrrell County, she was the daughter of the late James E. and Nancy Pritchett Davis. She was married to George G. Owens, Sr., with whom she operated their family business. She was a member of Wesley Memorial Methodist Church. Survivors: daughters Sandra O. Cohoon and husband Hal of Greenville; Nancy O. Davenport and husband Haywood of Columbia; son George G. Owens, Jr., and wife Wilma Rae of Columbia; grandchildren Greg Cohoon and wife Meredith of Greensboro, NC: Chris Cohoon and wife Olga of Waldorf, MD; Dana D. Spencer and husband Kevin of Washington; Lora D. Guerra and husband Rich of Humacao, Puerto Rico; Hannah O. Owens and husband Steve of Creswell; Carolna O. Chandler and husband Scott of Roper, George G. Owens, III and wife Nicole of Gatesville; great grandchildren Kaleb and Leah Spencer; Abby and Nilah Guerra; Emily, Madeline, and Molly Chandler; Davis and Braeden Owens; Sidney Gardner; Ciaran and Celidh Richardson. She was preceded in death by husband George G. Owens, Sr.; daughter Laura Ann Owens; brothers Harvey W. Davis, H. Edward Davis, Harry Lee Davis; sister Milver D. Alligood. Burial at Azalea Memorial Gardens, Columbia. Arrangements by Bryan Funeral Service, Columbia.

TEN REASONS TO LOVE LOCAL HISTORIES

Even though there are a number of resources available to the genealogist, quite often a local history will provide information that you can’t find anywhere else. Here are ten reasons:

Pioneer Settlement History - Even if your ancestors weren’t among the founding group, it can help to know something about where the first arrivals in the area came from.

Church Histories and Profiles - You are likely to learn when each church was founded, who the early members were, and whether or not the congregation is still active. You may even learn about rivalries between congregations and splits within their ranks, which can help determine where to look for records of ancestors’ baptisms, marriages, and burials.

School Histories and Profiles - These can help determine where our ancestors attended school, who their teachers were, as well as photographs and pictures of the school itself.

Clubs and Organizations - Small local organizations keep records of their activities in their members’ homes.

Family Biographies - Family biographies are a common feature in community history. They are solicited from descendants still living in the community, so families with long histories in the area are more likely to be represented, and have more written about them, than those whose members lived in the community only briefly.

Maps - Large scale maps in these histories can be helpful in pinpointing an ancestor’s farm, street address, or business, and will provide a quick view of your ancestors’ neighbors. They can also show locations of churches, schools, and other features of interest, such as waterways and railroads.

Photographs - These photographs can show you what the community looked like in the past, give you a glimpse of your ancestor’s church or school, and capture entire school classes or sports teams.

Transcribed Records - Town council minutes, tax assessment records, and voter’s rolls are tedious to search, but they are often transcribed in local histories. Here you’ll find local office holders as well as tax assessment and voter’s lists that may provide an almost complete roster of the adult male population of the community at given points in time.

Biographies, Notes, or Source Credits - These can alert you to the existence of records and resources that you might never have found on your own.

Indexes - These name-indexed histories can help you quickly determine whether or not your ancestor is mentioned by name in the publication.

If we are cautious in how we use them, local histories can provide much needed social and historical context for our studies of our ancestors, bring their world to life through maps, illustrations, and photographs; help us discover unique local resources; and sometimes even glean very specific information about our ancestors that we aren’t likely to find elsewhere.

Adapted from article by Jackie Nickerson 
in Internet Genealogy, December 2009 / January 2010.

JANUARY
1 - NEW YEAR’S DAY
2 - Isaac Asimov born 1920
3 - March of Dimes formed 1938
4 - Isaac Newton born 1643
5 - Twelfth Night
6 - Joan of Arc born 1412
7 - Last quarter moon
8 - Elvis Presley born 1935
9 - 1st Dear Abby column 1956
10 - League of Nations 1920
11 - Insulin to treat diabetes 1922
12 - All in The Family 1971
13 - Frisbee® developed 1957
14 - Benedict Arnold born 1741
15 - New moon
16 - US Civil Service Commission 1893
17 - Ben Franklin born 1706
18 - Martin Luther King Jr. Day observed
19 - Antarctica discovered 1840
20 - Barack Obama inaugurated 2009
21 - 1st Concord flight 1976
22 - G. Balanchine born 1904
23 - First quarter moon
24 - California gold discovery 1848
25 - 1st Winter Games 1924
26 - Paul Newman born 1925
27 - Mozart born 1756
28 - Alan Alda born 1936
29 - Thomas Paine born 1737
30 - Full moon
31 - 1st daytime TV soap 1949


60-SECOND STRESS BUSTER

When under stress, try this six-step breathing exercise.
1. Inhale as slowly and deeply as you can to the count of six.
2. Keep your mouth closed, shoulders relaxed.
3. As you breath in, push your stomach out.
4. Hold and slowly count to four.
5. Exhale through your mouth slowly as you slowly count to six.
6. Repeat three to five times.

FEBRUARY
1 - Clark Gable born 1901
2 - GROUNDHOG DAY
3 - Norman Rockwell born 1894
4 - 1st U S president elected 1789
5 - Last quarter moon
6 - Elizabeth II ascends throne 1952
7 - 1st US Beatles tour 1964
8 - US Boy Scouts founded 1910
9 - Gypsy Rose Lee born 1914
10 - French-Indian War ends 1763
11 - Thomas Edison born 1847
12 - Abraham Lincoln born 1809
13 - 1st colonial magazine published 1741
14 - Valentine’s Day - New Moon
15 - Presidents’ Day
16 - King Tut’s tomb opened 1923
17 - Ash Wednesday
18 - Huckleberry Fin 1885
19 - 1st Cracker Jack® prize 1912
20 - John Glenn orbit 1962
21 - 1st New Yorker 1925
22 - First quarter moon
23 - Tootsie Roll® 1896
24 - Steven Jobs born 1955
25 - Your Show of Shows 1950
26 - Fats Domino born 1928
27 - Purim begins at sundown
28 - Full moon

2010 Bottom Line Calendar



Editor’s Comments.........
As always, the editor of this newsletter depends on information that you, the members of this Genealogical and Historical Society share with me. 
Please . . . please . . . please send me family tree charts, stories, historical information for inclusion in the newsletter. 
Remember to send your completed membership application and dues in before February 28 so you will continue to receive the monthly newsletters.

END