Research Updates

I thought I would update my cousins and fellow researchers where I am in my research.  I have been a little quiet in posting my research mostly because I am involved in "community" research.  In some cases I have "lost" my ancestor's trail and am currently researching all those associated with my ancestor.  It is time consuming and tedious at times, but I really like this type of research.  I feel like I truly learn how those in a community interacted with each other.  Of course, I find a lot of collateral ancestors this way as well.  Keep reading.  Things should become clearer (I hope.).

Howard Family Line (Wake, Moore, Lee NC Counties):  This family line is solid back to James Harward of Wake County and King and Queen County, VA before that.  Since K and Q County is a burned county, no records exist from the time that James lived there as as young child in the 1760's.  I'm still hoping that records from areas of the country that the family and neighbors migrated to will surface and shed light on the earlier generations in this line. This line will likely need to join a DNA project to determine which Howard/Harward line is ours.


Haley (Halifax and Charlotte Counties, VA):  My Haley family research certainly challenges me to find new ways over, around and/or through this genealogical brick wall!  My current research takes this family line back to Jesse Haley who was born ~1803 in Virginia - likely in Halifax or Charlotte County.  Honestly,  I'm stuck when it comes to Jesse.  I have turned to researching all those with whom he associated.  Interestingly, he did not seem to associate with many other Haleys - at least not in the records.  To learn more about Jesse and hopefully his parentage, I am researching William Cardwell (Jesse's friend) and the Brackett Owen family (Jesse's in-laws and possible blood relations.)

There is another aspect to my Haley family research that I am enjoying immensely.  Sharing stories and identifying photographs with my Haley cousins gives depth to the stories of our generations past. I never even knew most of these cousins before I started my research.

Isn't that what genealogy is about?

White (Surry, Rockingham, Caswell, Granville Counties):  Ahh.....another "brick wall" family.  Let's just say that researching a man by the name of John White in North Carolina (or any other state) is not an easy task.  Now that that's been said, another White family researcher and I have made and continue to make great strides in tracing this line back.  We are confident of this line back to John White who arrived in Surry County, NC sometime in the 1810's or 1820's.  We are fairly certain John White is the son of Cagebeth [Cadbreth, Cajabeth] White Rockingham and Granville Counties, NC. Like the Haley family line, the White family line requires researching the associates, neighbors, and even in-laws to get to the next generation back.  This is a line of research I will definitely be posting more about this summer.

My GGGGG Grandmother

My GGGGG grandmother was Rosannah Barbee, wife of James Harward.  I know quite a bit about James.  He was born in Virginia about 1760, moved to North Carolina about 1767 and lived in the same area of what is now Wake County for the rest of his life. James is fairly easy to follow through the records.

Being a woman, Rosannah did not generate as much of a paper trail as her husband James.  Rosannah (1756-bef 1828) was  the daughter of  Christopher Barbee and Margaret Vawter.  Rosannah and James married in Wake County on 8 Apr 1786.  That was about it.

Until now.

I answered a query online about the Harward family and discovered the researcher had this:

This is Rosannah Harward's gravestone that reads: A Memoral of Rosey Harward died Nov 2 1827.

Wow! Until I saw this photograph I did not know when Rosannah died or where her stone was located.

Now Rosannah's story gets very interesting.  This marker is located in a Harward family cemetery outside of Oakboro in  Stanly County, NC.  Stanly County.  NOT Wake County. This was not just across a county line.  Today, it would take about 2.5 hours to drive there from Wake County.  I'm not sure how that translates to travel by horseback, but I do know it would have been a much longer and much harder trip in Rosey's time.

Why was she there? 

In 1827 her husband James was still living in Wake County. He remarried in  in Jan 1828. 

James and Rosannh's son Jacob Myrick Harward left Wake County and migrated to Stanly County. Was Rosey visiting her son? She was 71 years old at the time of her death. Did she take ill while she was there and pass away?  Did she leave James and go with her son and his family when Myrick left Wake County? 

We may never know for sure.  But that's okay.  I wasn't sure I would ever know when or where she died.

Thank you to the Myrick Harward descendant and cousin who shared this with me.

Advice From The Expert

I was fortunate to spend the day at the North Carolina Genealogical Society's fall workshop today.  Barbara Vines Little spent the day speaking on colonial research.  I have heard Barbara speak on other occasions and was eagerly looking forward to hearing her speak again.  Her specialty is colonial research in Virginia.

Colonial Virginia. 1760's.  King and Queen County.  That's precisely where my Howard (or is it Harward?) line is stuck.

As far as Virginia research goes, King and Queen County is not a good place to be stuck.  It is a burned county.  Twice.  There are no records for the time period I am researching.

At the first break I approached Barbara to inquire if there were possibly any ways to research this time and place in history that I had not thought of.  When I explained the county and time period I was interested, she smiled and said, "You have my sympathy."  (I get that a lot in my colonial VA research!)

But all is not lost.  Barbara went on to give me some ideas and areas for research that could possibly lead to clues about the Howards (Harwards).  These areas of further research may be long shots, but I'll never know until I look.

If this next phase of my research doesn't find any results..... DNA anyone?

Who Else Is In That Pension File?

I am following Cinamon's example over at (Mis)Adventures of a Genealogist. She has been in the process of analyzing her Luttrell ancestor's pension file.  In the process Cinamon noticed that many who provided affidavits on her ancestor's behalf provided information on their own lives as well.  She has listed out the names of the individuals in her most recent post.  Go check it out.  You might find your ancestor!

This has sent me back to read my own ancestor's pension file.  You may remember James Harward (~1760-1840), my GGGGG grandfather. Specifically I was looking for the names of individuals who testified for him or were mentioned in any other context.  Just what was their relationship to him?  Will I find James mentioned in their pension records? Land records?

[I have not posted on James recently, but you can read about him here.  As a young man he  served three tours in the Revolutionary War fighting with groups formed in Wake County, NC.  He applied for his pension in 1832 at the age of 72.]

Below I have listed the names of  the "other" individuals listed in James Harward's pension file filed in Aug 1832.  I have also included those names listed in his widow Rachel Harward's file  from 1856 as well.

Bartlett Allen Revolutionary War soldier from Wake County, NC

Issac Smith  Revolutionary War soldier from Wake County, NC

John Scott  Neighbor of James Harward

James Morries [Morris]  Neighbor of James Harward

Nelson Andrews 8 Jan 1828  Friend of James Harward

Rachel Belvin  Second wife of James Harward

George Harward  Son of James Harward; Resident of Chatham County, NC 1832

Allen Rogers Wake County Attorney


William Lewell Wake County Attorney

J H Kirkham  Attorney in Wake County 1856

G W F Davis Resident of Wake County 1856


E J W Hogue Resident of Wake County 1856

Iziekiah Goodwin Resident of Wake County 1856; Possible son-in-law of Rachel Belvin Harward

Willie Harred [Harward] Resident of Wake County 1856; Likely son of James Harward

If you find your ancestor among those listed, contact me.  I'm happy to share what I have.

A Little Mystery Solved

I have known since early into my research of the Howard (Harward) family that James Harward (1760-1840) was in the home of Daniel Parham in the White Oak District of Wake County, NC for the 1840 federal census.  (James died in Sep 1840). I have just never known why.  Who was this Daniel Parham?  Was he a son-in-law? Grandson-in-law?

Thanks to a Parham family researcher, I got the clue I needed this week. It turns out Daniel Parham was the son-in-law of James' second wife Rachel Belvin Harward.  Daniel was married to Rachel's daughter Mary from her first marriage.

It's nice to have another piece or the puzzle in place.

I Just Love a Good Map

Over Christmas I received Google Earth for Genealogy, Vol 1 and 2. This is a great CD set developed by Lisa Louise Cooke of Genealogy Gems. Lisa’s CD’s showed me how to use Google Earth to map my ancestors. Yes, I probably could have figured it out on my own, but Lisa showed me the ins and outs of Google Earth is a simple and organized format. I always like simple and organized.


So, I gave it a try……

This is the Google Earth map I made for my GGGG Grandfather George Howard/Harward of Lee (then Moore) County, NC. Mapping the approximation location of George’s land showed me where he was in relationship to other important landmarks to my ancestors.


For example, see that yellow pin showing George’s location? It may be difficult to tell, but he lived on the Wake, Lee (then Moore) and Chatham County lines. He really was not all that far from the other Howard/Harwards of Wake County.

See the yellow pin for Baptist Chapel Church? That was originally land belonging to Tillman Thomas that was later given by a Thomas/Howard descendant to build a church building. George’s son Caswell married Tillman’s daughter Mary Adline Thomas. It turns out they were neighbors.


Buckhorn Dam? That was built on the Cape Fear River after George’s time. The Maddox family owned land on that part of the river and attended Moore Union Christian Church (another yellow pin). The Maddox and Howard families intermarried through the generations.

Oh my! I’m starting to see that Google Earth for Genealogy and cluster genealogy my help to break down a brick wall!

George Howard - An Update

I recently posted on my great x 4 grandfather George Howard (Harward) of Wake and Moore Counties, NC. (See that post here.) Since that time, I have been back to the NC Archives to gather more information on George and his family.


On this trip I focused on the tax records of Moore County, NC form 1852-1858. These are some of the few records that survived the Moore County courthouse fire of 1889. George is listed each year as owning land in Moore County tax district #4. In 1852 and 1853 George is listed as paying taxes on 446 acres of land. From 1854-1858, he paid taxes on 207 acres of land. During this time period, both his sons James C and Caswell begin to appear in the tax records living close. Likely, the brothers received land from their father.


One of the more exciting pieces of information I learned was approximately where George and his sons lived in Moore County. Given that the land records for the county were destroyed, this was the earlist record of my ancestors' location within the county I have found. On the tax records was listed a location for each person. In the case of George and his sons, this location was listed as Fall Creek. By 1854, Caswell Howard is listed with two locations: Fall Creek and Daniel [Daniley's] Creek. I found the location of these two creeks on a Moore County map for 1747-1847. Both creeks are off the northwest branch of the Cape Fear River in the northeast corner of Moore County just over the county line from Wake County. (This area would later become Lee County in 1907.) While George moved his family out of Wake County, he did not move that far from his Howard/Harward relatives of Wake and Chatham counties.

Getting To Know George

George Howard (Harward)

1791-1871

When researching genealogy, one ancestor in particular will sometimes catch your attention and you just must find out all you can about that person. You must tell his or her story. That happened to me with George Howard (Harward), my great x 4 grandfather.

What is it about George that caught my attention? I'm not really sure. It could be the fact that I actually found quite a bit of information on him at the NC State Archives as well as other local NC sources. It could be that I can literally walk where he walked. I really think my interest was picqued when I could not account for 9 years of his life (1832-1841). I may be the only person who wonders what George did during these nine years, but I do. Come, follow George's story with me.

George Howard (Harward) was born 15 Oct 1791 to James and Rosannah (Barbee) Harward. [Note: The surname switches back and forth in the records between Howard and Harward. The same record might have the name spelled both ways within its content.] The Howard/Harward family lived in Wake County, NC in the Panther Creek area. George lived in his father's household until his marriage in 1817. On 17 Jan 1817, George married Elizabeth Sugg(s) in Wake County, NC. Their marriage bond in on file in the NC State Archives.

George and his young family do not show up in the 1820 federal census. Based on information from the family Bible, George and Elizabeth had three children by this time: Christian (b. 1817), James A (b. 1818) and Allen Mays (b. 1820). From this I concluded he had moved elsewhere or he was not considered to be a head of household where he was living. I tend to think George was still living in the area of his father and was perhaps considered part of his father's household. This is a point that still needs further research on my part.

During the 1820's and early 1830's the Howard family continued to grow. In all, George and Elizabeth had ten children. In addition to the three sons above were also: James Calvin (b. 1822), Sarah Ann (b. 1823), Utilda (b. 1825), Susannah (b. 1827), Caswell Suggs (b. 1828), Elizabeth (b. 1830), and Julia (b. 1833). Unfortunately Christian, James A, and Sarah Ann did not live to adulthood. Both Allen Mays and James Calvin were lost in the Civil War leaving young families behind. His son Caswell died a couple of months before him in Aug 1871. In all George out lived six of his ten children and his wife Elizabeth. I am sure he drew upon his strong faith to sustain him through his many losses.

I "lost" George in the federal census records for 1820 and 1840. I turned to the tax records for Wake County, NC. The reading of these records can be tedious, but tax records can provide a wealth of information. In 1824 and 1825, George is living in the same tax district as his father and paying tax only on himself. He was paying no land tax. In 1826 George has moved to another tax district in and moves yet again in 1827. Throughout, George and his family continue to live in Wake County. 1831 is the last tax record in Wake County recorded for George Howard. He does not appear in the Wake County tax records for 1832 or later. An important piece of information was found in these tax records. George was not a land owner in Wake County. He never paid any tax on land in Wake County. This is consistent with my finding no land records for George in Wake County.

George's timeline skips ahead to 1841 where I found him in Moore County, NC (now Lee County). In 1889, the Moore County courthouse burned destroying most of the county records. Some county records do exist though finding you ancestor in them can be hit or miss. Church records became a source of further information on George. In 1841, George is listed on the enrollment of Muddy Springs Baptist Church in Moore County, NC. (This church is today known as Juniper Springs Baptist Church.) The History of Juniper Springs Baptist Church by Malinda Bradley and Eugenia Thompson using church records show George and his wife Elizabeth were active members of this church. George served as an early clerk of the church and their son Caswell served as one of its first deacons and later a minister. According to family oral history, George and Elizabeth are buried at Juniper Springs Baptist Church though their grave markers are no longer present.

In 1850 George is listed in the federal census record with Elizabeth and their five youngest children. He is listed as a farmer and owning land valuing $282. In 1852 Moore County tax records, George was listed as paying taxes on 446 acres of land.

George wrote his will 20 Oct 1869 and it was entered into court for probate 5 Nov 1871. George's will did survive the Moore County Courthouse fire. In it he mentions his wife Margaret. Margaret is George's second wife. Elizabeth Howard died Mar 1854. George names his executor as George Cole. George Cole was a friend and church member who knew George Howard back in Wake County. George's son Caswell and his grandson Sugg (Allen Sugg Howard) are both mentioned as receiving part of his estate. His other living children are mentioned, but not named, as having received their provisions during George's lifetime.

So, where was George between 1832 and 1841? What prompted him to leave Wake County and move to Moore County? Was it the ability to acquire land? Did he stop somewhere in between first? All are questions I look to answer. Will the answers change my ancestry? No, but the answers will help me tell George's story.

A Howard (Or is it Harward?) Update

I had recently taken a little time off from researching my Howard/Harward line. It was not an intentional break, but rather one born of simply not knowing where to look next. Fortunately the break was not for long. As usual, those Howard/Harward ancestors again are trying to point the way.

Over the 4th of July weekend Footnote.com opened up their Revolutionary War records up for free viewing. Like many I am sure, I took advantage of this opportunity. I already had a copy of the pension application for my ancestor James Harward. However, Footnote seemed to have additional pages from his pension file. I downloaded the pages and begin to read again James' file. That's when a found it. I am sure I have read it before. Others have I know. But this time it stood out. James' stated in his testimony that he was born in 1761 in King and Queen County, VA and moved to NC when he was about 6 or 7 years old. He also stated that he lived in the same neighborhood for about 70 years. [That neighborhood was on Panther Creek near the Wake/Chatham County lines.]

I put this new information together with what I know from the family Bible and a land record of William Howard (father of James) buying land in Orange County, NC (now Wake County) in 1767. I am now a few years further back in time and beginning research in the "burned" King and Queen County, VA. I look forward to the challenges that await.

The Harwards Keep Beckoning

If you have followed my blog for any length of time, you will know that one of the main family lines that I research is my Howard (Harward) line. Many variations of the name exist, and it was not until the early 1900's that my direct line consistently used the spelling Howard. Harward and Harwood were the most common prior to this time. I find myself frequently using the spelling interchangeably much like my ancestors did.

I had recently taken a break from the Harward line. I had reached a brick wall and needed to step back from this family for a while so I could come back with a fresh approach. I'm back...again. Hopefully my time away from this line will give me that fresh approach and find me new answers to my questions. My first question: Where do I go from here?

Here is my Howard/Harward line in review:

My great grandfather was Connie M Howard
My great-great grandfather was Allen Suggs Howard (Harward)
My great x 3 grandfather was Caswell Suggs Harward
My great x 4 grandfather was George Harward
My great x 5 grandfather was James Harward
My great x 6 grandfather was William Harward (Howard)

It is at William that I get stuck. I have evidence of him buying land in Orange County, NC (now Wake County) in 1767. This is the earliest that I can place in Orange County, NC. Note: This area of land was on what became the Wake and Chatham County lines when those counties were formed in 1771.

There is another Harward/Harwood in the same area of NC that I have not mentioned before now. That is Absalom Harwood. He shows up in Chatham County, NC in 1772 and buys land in 1778 on the Wake and Chatham County lines next to my William. (Interestingly, both surnames are spelled Herrard in the document.)

Prior to being in Chatham and Wake Counties, Absalom was in Edgecomb Co, NC. He was the son of Joseph and Sarah Harwood. I have not been able to find any evidence of William having been in Edgecombe Co.

At this point, I have not been able to determine the relationship between William and Absalom, or if in fact there is one. It would seem that two men with such similar surnames living next to each other would be related in some way.

So, I believe I have now answered my own question:

Where do I go from here?

I need to research Absalom's line further. Both in Chatham and Wake Counties as well as back into Edgecombe Co.

So, fellow genealogists and readers, thanks for "listening" as I have begun work through my brick wall. I'll keep you posted.

PS I'm open to suggestions as well!

In Honor of Our Veterans

Today is Veteran's Day 2009. It is a day to honor those who fought (and still fight) for our country's freedom. As I reviewed my tree I was struck by how many veterans are tucked into its branches. I've listed some below. I'm sure this is by no means a complete list and I mean no disrespect to any I have not included. (It's merely an indication I need to do more research.) All Civil War veterans in my list fought for the Confederacy. Those in bold type are my direct ancestors.


David Gwin Talbot (1761-1853)
American Revolution

John B Talbott (1836-1924)
Civil War
Received Civil War Pension

Alvin Thornton Talbott (Grandson of John B Talbott, son of John Robert Talbott)
WWII (Navy)
Died 1942

George Thomas Richardson (1824-1894)
Civil War (Confederate)
Received a Civil War Pension.
Injured by mini ball to thigh

James T Maddox (1844-1892)
Civil War
Musician in 50th North Carolina Infantry, Company F
Wife received Civil War pension

James Lamar Sheppard (1833-1913)
Civil War
Hospital Steward in 50th North Carolina Infantry, Companies F and S

James Harward (1760-1840)
American Revolution
Three tours of duty out of Wake County, NC
Wife received Rev. War pension

Allen Mays Harward (Howard) (Son of George Harward, Grandson of James Harward)
Civil War 48th Regiment, North Carolina Infantry out of Chatham County, NC
Died in Dec 1862 in Lynchburg, VA of disease

James Calvin Harward (Brother of Allen Mays Harward above)
Civil War 48th Regiment, North Carolina Infantry out of Chatham County, NC
Died in Jan 1863 in Richmond, VA of disease

Thank you to all!

The Spelling of Names

When I became interested in my family's genealogy, I learned quickly to be open minded with the spelling of the surnames I was searching. Some surnames were easy to identify even in their many variations. Others were less so, but I have had a lot fun keeping count of the different spellings. I've shared these spellings with cousins individually in the past, but thought other cousins who read my blog would find the name variations interesting as well. (Notice I am assuming someone does read my blog!)


I started initially researching the surname Talbott. Other spellings included:

Talbot

Talbert

Tolbert

All in all, I was able to keep track of the family back through the years.

Howard proved a trickier name to track back through the records. After "losing" the family only 3 generations back, I found the name was Harward. At this point, the family remembered that indeed the family name was Harward, but no one knew the reason for the change to Howard. Lesson learned: Ask for family name variations when interviewing older family members. Through the records other variations were found:

Harward

Harwood

Haward

Hawood

Harrard

Herrod

Harard

Harrod

The Haley family out of Halifax County, Virginia also has a number of variations including:

Hailey

Haly

Heley

Healey

I am early in the process of tracing this family, but keeping an eye out for other variations.

Too Many Williams

Too many William Harwards were living in Wake and Chatham Counties of NC in the late 1700's and early 1800's. Sorting them all out has been a recent research interest of mine. Little did I know that I was delving into an area of genealogy known as cluster genealogy. The concept of doing cluster genealogy is exciting, but overwhelming at the same time.

First there is William Howard (Harward) who is the first Howard/Harward to show up in Orange County, NC (now Wake County, NC) in 1767. He is found in the registration of deeds documents for Orange County, NC as buying land from Joseph Barbee. He is believed to have died sometime around 1804/1805. This is based on a deed in Wake County, NC in 1805 where James Haward buys the other heirs shares of William's land.

Next there is William Harward (II) who married Keziah Beasley. He may have been the first William's son. Estate records in the NC Archives have his death in 1819. Among his heirs was a minor child also named William.

Next is William Harward who was married to an Edy (Unknown). In the 1850 census, he was age 61 and living in Chatham County, NC with his wife and three of his children, one of whose name was William (of course). It's possible he was the son of James.

The given name William filters further down several collateral lines into the mid-1800's to later 1800's. These gentlemen fall outside my time frame of study, so I have made note of them, but not studied them.

I would like to say that in today's computer world I have stumbled on a high tech way to track these men named William. But I can't. I track and trace the Williams the old fashion way. I study the records and then with pen and paper put the data in paper chart form. Eventually, I do plan to put this information in a higher tech form.

Fortunately the Harward family was not hiding. The family members show up frequently in census records, land records, war records, and estate papers. They did live on the border of Chatham and Wake Counties, so checking both counties has provided much information. I have high hopes for success as I try to sort through all the Williams.

William Harward -- Our Earliest Ancestor

Today I introduce you to William Harward, the earliest known ancestor in Howard/Harward/Harwood line. I must clarify that no evidence has been found that definitively proves William is our direct ancestor. Like many researchers who have studied this line, I long for that one piece of evidence that states "I, William, am the father of James." Alas, that would be too easy. In any event, I base my theory on the circumstantial evidence found in federal census and land records.

What do I know about William Harward? William is presumed to have been born about 1740. Whether in NC or VA, it is not known. He is believed to have married Mary Myrick. He first appears in Orange County, NC in August 1767 where he bought land from Joseph Barbee. The actual registration of the deed reads:

"A Deed of Sale from Joseph Barbee to William Howard for 700 acres of land was proved in open court by the acknowledgement of Joseph Barbee and was ordered to be registered."-- Orange Co, NC Court of Pleas and Quarters Session held at the Courthouse in Hillsborough on the second Tuesday of August 1767.

There are a couple of interesting points to bring out in this document. William's surname is spelled Howard. This is the earliest spelling for Howard that I have come across so far. Most often William's surname is documented as Harward or Harwood. Also of interest is the land he bought in Orange County, became Wake County in 1771. Today that land is the vicinity of Apex, NC.

William and Mary had seven children: William, Jr, Nancy, John, Elizabeth, James, Martin, and Mary. All married spouses of families in the Wake and Chatham County areas and stayed in the area as documented through the federal census records. One of the difficulties I have had in researching this line is that many of the same names appear in the different family lines. For example, I currently have five Williams that I am trying to separate from each other. In order to distinguish one from the other, I have been researching each Harward family line in that time period. Let's just say there were of lot of us back then.

William Harward died about 1804/1805. This is based on a Wake County, NC land deed where James Harward buys the land from the heirs of "William Harward, Snr, decd. This document comes as close to indicating parentage as possible so far.

So...where to go from here? Where did William come from? Is he part of the Harwood line out of Edgecombe County, NC? Or is he from VA? If so, where? And the big question---What was the original surname? Are we really who we think we are?!

Ann Elizabeth (Betsy) Howard

Ann Elizabeth Howard was the 6th child of Caswell and Mary Adline Harward/Howard. Betsy (Aunt Betts as she was known on our side of the family) was born 26 Jan 1867 and first showed up in the 1870 federal census as Ann E, a 3 year old female. Her father died the following year. In 1880, Ann E. (along with her siblings Mary Henrietta, James Robert and Helen Caswell) was listed as living in Moore County in the home of Allen Suggs Harward and his wife Emma. Their mother Mary Adline was listed as living next door. It is possible they were not living in 2 separate homes, but were in one household.

Betsy married Marshall Simon Bradley (1864-1934). They had six sons: Julian Shakespeare, William Robert, Cary Pierce, Claude Marshall , John Wesley, and Nerlie David. The picture at the top of the post shows Besty with her husband and the five youngest sons.

Marshall and Betsy made their home off of Buckhorn Rd near Broadway, NC. Their road was eventually named Bradley Rd. The homeplace still stands today with Bradley descendents still occupying it.

Betsy passed away 13 Apr 1951. She is buried at Baptist Chapel Church on Buckhorn Rd. Her descendents still live in the area.

Betsy, Marshall, and Granddaughter Eugenia.

George Harward

George Harward was born in Wake County, NC on 15 Oct 1791 to James Harward and Rosannah Barbee. He married Elizabeth Sugg of Wake County on 17 Jan 1817 according their marriage bond on file at the NC Archives. George first shows up as head of household in the 1810 federal census for Chatham County. During the 1820 and 1830 federal records, George and his family are in Chatham and Wake counties respectively. [Note: Beginning in 1769, the Harward/Howard family lived in an area of NC that was Orange County. In 1771, Wake County was formed. Our ancestors lived close the border of Wake and Chatham counties. Based on the county line developments, the family appears to have moved, but actually they stayed put and the county line moved. This holds true for most of our Harward ancestors in this area.]

Back to George...

George and Elizabeth had 9 children: Christian, James, Allen Mays, James Calvin, Matilda, Susannah, Caswell, Elizabeth and Julia. The family was in Moore County in 1841 as George is found in the church records of Juniper Springs Baptist Church. The Harward family was very active in the church and in 1857, George was a delegate to the Sandy Creek Association meeting at Bear Creek, NC.

George's first wife Elizabeth died 4 Mar 1854. He remarried to Margaret Oliver. It is Margaret his mentions in his will written in Oct 1869. I believe that both George and his first wife Elizabeth are buried at Juniper Springs Baptist Church, however I was unable to find their headstones. Otis Kelly (George's great-great grandson) told me in an interview that both are buried there, but their stones are missing. He stated that they are buried on the "church" side of Buckhorn Rd.

This little church played an integral part of two generations of Harward/Howards. I look forward to researching it more.

Caswell and Mary Adline Howard/Harward

Reverend Caswell Sugg Harward and his wife Mary Adline (Thomas) Harward were the parents of Allen Sugg Howard. Caswell was born in Chatham County, NC on 29 Aug 1828. We do know that his family was in Moore County (now Lee County), NC by 1841 as his father George is listed in the early records of Juniper Springs Baptist Church. I estimate Caswell moved to this area when he was between 11-13 years of age. He married Mary Adline Thomas (b. 1838) on 7 Dec 1853. They had 8 children: Joel Brantley (died as a child), Allen Suggs, Martha Reaves, George Artemus (died as a child), Mary Henrietta, Ann Elizabeth, James Robert, and Healon Caswell. Of interest, Healon was born after her father's death at a young age.

Juniper Springs Baptist Church on Buckhorn Road outside of Sanford, played a large role in the life of Caswell. His father was one of the church's early recorders. Caswell himself was an early deacon and later became the minister of the church from 1863-1868. By the 1870 federal census, Caswell and his young family were living in Harnett County. His occupation was listed as minister. He died 4 Aug 1871 possibly of typhoid fever. Caswell is buried in the cemetery of Baptist Chapel Church on Buckhorn Road in Sanford. In 1871, this was most likely Thomas family land as the church was not located at this location until 1913. This accounts for the only other "old" graves being that of Thomas family members.

There is a wonderful story about Caswell that is still known in the family. The version I re-tell here is from Whitey's Howard Kelly's side of the family, written by Joan Vivian Kelly Childress:

During the Civil War, Yankees were camped out along the Cape Fear River. A very uneducated negro who worked on Caswell's farm made a statement that he would kill any Yankee that stepped into his yard. Yankees heard this, went to his home and took all his food and mule and captured the man, leaving his wife and children behind.

The next day Caswell went to the camp and called for the Captain. He told the captain that the man did not know anything about the Civil War. He did not know the Yankees were fighting to set the negro free. After Caswell had prayer and preaching, the captain gave the negro back his food and mule, and sent him home.

Caswell always invited the Yankees to dine with him. However, he buried most of his food and valuables!

Memorial Day -- James Harward

Wake County Court House Marker

Today's picture is of an historical marker located here in Wake County, NC near downtown Raleigh. It marks the area where the first courthouse of Wake County was built in 1771 when Wake County was formed. During the Revolutionary War, this is where troops gathered and organized before heading out to war. This is where our ancestor James Harward gathered with others under Capt Woodson Daniel before marching off to SC and GA.

I have a copy of James Harward's pension application he made in 1832. It is a multi-page application detailing many of his experiences. James was actually drafted into service on three separate occasions. In 1779, he was a drummer under Capt Woodson Daniel and in service for 6 months. He would have been about 19 years old. In 1781, he was in service for 3 months as a shoemaker in Hillsborough since he was a "shoemaker by trade". His third and final service was under Capt Solomon Wood for three months in 1782. Under Capt Wood, James was part of a light horse brigade. This tells us that James was well off enough to have his own horse since soldiers in the horse brigades provided their own horses.

I realize I should provide a little background on James and where he fits into the family tree. James is my great x 5 grandfather [Lester, Connie, Suggy, Caswell, George, James]. He was born 28 Sept 1760, most likely in Virginia. He married Rosannah Barbee (b. 1756) in Wake County, NC on 8 Apr 1786. (Rosannah is a descendant of the prominent Barbee family of Orange, Chatham and Wake Counties. The Barbee family is well documented and the State Library of NC has the books other genealogists have written.) James and Rose had 6 children: Myrick, Wyatt, Susannah, William, George, and James Jr. Their son George Harward (my great x 4 grandfather) eventually migrated to Moore County which today is Lee County.

I hope you have enjoyed meeting James Harward. I have studied him much since I began the family history and in many ways know him better than my neighbors. One of my areas of research currently is determining who his parents were. I have a working theory with quite a bit of circumstantial evidence, but I (and other researchers) just can't quite prove it. One day.....