Chapter 8: Josiah and Anna Harrell, 3^rd Generation

  

In this chapter I have focused on Josiah Harrell, his wife, Anna, and their descendants—however my purpose here and elsewhere in this volume is to entice others to be forthcoming with information they may have about Josiah and Anna’s grandparents, parents and siblings.

 

Josiah and Anna spent their long lives in Hertford County as did many of their descendants. For the 1860 census, Josiah stated he was born in Hertford County in 1798. Unfortunately, they did not ask him who his parents were. In chapter 4, I spent some time speculating about who they may have been, but have not found any strong evidence for one set of parents over another among the 2^nd Generation Harrells of Hertford County. When I looked at family structure, 2^nd Generation Willis, Jesse, and Nathan Harrell all had sons born around 1798—they are all possible fathers for Josiah. In addition, 1^st Generation Adam Sr., and some of his sons all owned land very close to where Josiah’s farm was located.

            Josiah fit the profile of a yeoman farmer, which was a term used by 1^st Generation, Adam Sr., and his sons to identify themselves on early property deeds. In addition, Adam Sr. owned land around the confluence of Horse Swamp and Wading Branch—just west of the land owned by Elijah Harrell on Horse Swamp (see the section on “Early Bertie County deeds in the Hertford area,” in chapter four). Josiah’s farm was just west of the confluence of Horse Swamp and Wading Branch. Josiah was on his farm as early as 1833 and probably much before. In a section just below, I have described his land. The loss of Hertford County deeds in the two courthouse fires makes it nearly impossible to connect these Harrells across generations even though they appear to have been farming the same land as family farmers. When privately held information surfaces, the connections may become more evident. 

            I would like to add one other piece of information to this problem. When Inez Parker Cumming, one of Josiah’s great granddaughters, was doing her family research in Hertford County as early as the mid-1930s, she put in her notes after talking to many people in the area, that Elizabeth Harrell Parker (see chapter 9) was Josiah Harrell’s sister. Both Willis and Nathan had a daughter around the age of Elizabeth, so they remain good possible fathers for Josiah and Elizabeth—Jesse did not have a daughter close to Elizabeth’s age, and thus is an unlikely parent for the pair of 3^rd Generation Harrells.

 

            Willis was a very likely candidate for Josiah and Elizabeth’s father. In fact, according to the 1800 census, Willis had only two children, and their descriptions fit by both gender and age. Also, Willis was among the youngest in the 2^nd Generation, and Josiah was among the youngest in the 3^rd Generation, which makes for a cleaner fit. Willis was a property owner, but not on the scale of Nathan’s holdings; and Josiah was a property owner, but not on the scale of Nathan’s known son, Starkey S. Harrell.  

 

Even though Willis is a good possible father for Josiah, I cannot dismiss the possibility that his father was Nathan Harrell. In addition to a fit for Josiah and his sister, Elizabeth Harrell Parker, in the age categories of Nathan and Elizabeth Sharp Harrell’s youngest children, there was a common use of names by the two families. Nathan and Elizabeth named their second son Starkey Sharp Harrell; and Josiah [page 236] named his fourth son, Starkey Harrell. After his death in 1802, Nathan’s widow, Elizabeth Sharp Harrell, married George Gordon, and they named their youngest daughter, Barsha Gordon—Nathan and Elizabeth’s youngest son would have grown up in the Gordon household with little Barsha for her first ten years or so. Many years later, Josiah named his youngest daughter, Barsha Harrell. Josiah’s birth year and his use of names are good circumstantial evidence of a link to Nathan Harrell, and probably back to 1^st Generation John Harrell Esquire (see “Probable Match for Josiah” in the section on “Some Probable Matches Between the 2^nd and 3^rd Generations” in chapter four). What does not fit is family culture—the descendants of John Esquire, and Nathan Harrell used slave labor extensively on their farms. Josiah never owned slaves, nor to my knowledge, did any of his children. Also, as we learned from the 1860 census, Josiah could not read or write; that was not typical of John Esquire and Nathan Harrell’s children. In terms of family culture, then, Josiah was a better fit with the descendants of Adam Sr. or Elijah One of the 1^st Generation Harrells, and Willis Harrell of the 2^nd Generation.

One last possibility must also be mentioned. Even though the records do not show a Josiah Harrell among the 2^nd Generation in Hertford County, there may have been one. When Inez Parker Cumming (mentioned above in this section) was compiling her information, she noted that Elizabeth Harrell Parker was the daughter of Josiah and Mary Evans. This has to remain a possibility because we have not begun to name all of the sons of the 1^st Generation of Hertford County Harrells.

  

Josiah Harrell (b. 1798)—3^rd Generation

            Now let us take a look at what we do know about 3^rd Generation Josiah and Anna Harrell. The first mention of Josiah Harrell by name is in the 1830 U. S. census. The information available from this source is minimal; nonetheless, it is our starting point for looking at Josiah and his family.

1830 census entry, Hertford Co., N. C.

            This census tells us that Josiah was born between  1790 and 1800 (we know from a later census that the actual year was 1798), and his wife was born in the same range of years. The 1830 Census also tells us there were three sons (at least 5 years of age but under 10) born between the years 1821 and 1825. In addition, the 1830 and 1840 censuses do not tell much about Josiah’s three oldest sons and they were all out of the house by the 1850 census. I am again reduced to calling them by numbers—son #2 and son #3. Due to the wisdom of a lady in 1929, we know the name of Josiah’s first son was Benjamin P. Harrell (I will have more to say about this below). This, of course, means that Son # 2 was probably born around 1823, and Son #3 was born around 1825.

We can not be sure who Josiah’s wife was in 1830. The question comes to mind because Inez Parker Cumming (see the reference to Inez in the previous section) wrote in her early hand-written notes that Josiah’s wife’s name was Rebecca—that may have been a casual possibility someone mentioned to her, or there may have been a Rebecca Anna Harrell. At this point, all we know for sure is that by 1850, Josiah’s wife was Anna. Until we know Anna’s family name, not much progress can be made on this question.[1]

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            After the 1830 Court House fire, special provisions in an act by the General Assembly of North Carolina for the benefit of those who lost recorded documents in the fire allowed residents to have their farms surveyed, and to re-record their property deeds. Because Josiah qualified for this special program, we know that he had a recorded deed to his farm before the 1830 fire. Unfortunately, the new recording in 1834 did not indicate from whom or when he originally got his farm. Nonetheless, his property was described in the process. The description is important because of its similarity to the earlier descriptions of Adam Harrell Senior’s lands.

            Josiah Harrell entered the Hertford County Offices in Winton on August 30, 1833, and as a consequence the Surveyor of Hertford County received the following commission.[2]

  

            By October 9, 1834, Sipha Smith the County Surveyor had completed his commission and recorded a plot map and the following description of Josiah’s farm:

 

 

            By the 1840 census, one of Josiah Harrell’s older sons was gone—the two remaining older sons were between 21 and 25 years of age. They had three new sons and one daughter since the previous census, however. The 1840 census contained the following listing for Josiah’s family:

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1840 census entry, Hertford Co., N. C.

            The 1850 Census was the first Census to list all persons in a household by name and age which obviously makes tracking people in family units much easier. In addition, this Census contains information on occupation, value of real estate and personal property, birthplace by state, whether in school that year, and if one cannot read or write. Only Josiah indicated he could not read or write. Josiah and Anna’s neighborhood was surveyed in September of 1850, which was a little later in the census year then usual. Their household looked like this at that time:

1850 census entry, Hertford Co., N. C.

 

     By 1850, Josiah and Anna’s first four sons were gone, and since 1840 they had added two daughters, Anna and Barsha. This completed their family with a total of nine children. I know their oldest son, Benjamin P. Harrell, died in Mexico while on active duty in our war with that country. Sons # 2, # 3, and # 4 were presumably still around, perhaps in Hertford County. 

Josiah and Anna Harrell’s family was complete by the 1850 census. After looking at the 1830 census, it was possible to determine that their first three sons were born around 1821, 1823, and 1825. The 1840 census indicated that their Son # 4 was born from 1831 to 1835. Because Josiah’s fifth son, Starkey, was born in 1835, and Mary was born in 1833, Son # 4 was probably born in 1831.

 

Benjamin P.                          born 1821

Son # 2                                  born c. 1823

Son # 3                                  born c. 1825

Son # 4                                  born c. 1831

Mary                                      born 1833

Starkey                                  born 1835

Nicholas                                born 1837

Anna M.                                born 1840 or 1841

Barsha                                    born 1846

The list of their children and their birth years reveal an age gap between 1825 and 1831 in which they had no children. This could indicate the loss of one wife and the coming of another (perhaps Rebecca, then Anna), or the loss of a child or two.

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            Josiah appears to be your typical family farmer with no slaves or full-time hired laborers living on the property. Starkey was probably working on the family farm. Josiah told the census taker his land was worth about $240. As far as I can determine, this is the same 140-acre farm Josiah and Anna had in 1833 when they re-recorded their deed.

Josiah also stated that he could not read or write—Anna could do both. All of Josiah and Anna’s children, however, who were of school age, were in school in 1850, and later censuses will show they can read and write. Their oldest son, Benjamin P. was also literate judging by the letter he wrote to his family in 1847 from Mexico (see the section below on Benjamin P. Harrell).

            The Census in 1860 was conducted in July for Josiah’s area, and contains the following about Josiah and Anna’s family:

 

1860 census entry, Hertford Co., N. C.

 

            Josiah and Anna’s son, Starkey, was gone by census time in 1860, but their son, Nicholas, was still at home and probably still helping on the family farm. Nicholas and Starkey had already been given a 60 acres parcel by their parents over on the road between Union Church and Winton—Nicholas probably spent a good deal of his time on his own land, because Starkey was more than likely already out of the state by mid-year. Starkey was 25 years of age in 1860—he does not appear in the 1860 Census anywhere in North Carolina.

            Mary was 27 years of age and had presumable married by the 1860 Census. With all Hertford County marriage records destroyed in 1862, I have not been able to locate her as of this writing.

            The 1870 census was taken about five years after the Civil War had ended, and Josiah at 72 years of age and Anna at 69 were still managing their farm. Their son, Nicholas, was still in the county, but he had by then his own large farm and family. It is possible at least one other son was still in the area, but I have not yet been able to identify Josiah’s 2^nd, 3^rd, and 4^th sons. In any case, Josiah and Anna must have needed help on the farm by 1870.

 

1870 census entry, Hertford Co., N. C.

            Josiah and Anna’s daughter, Barsha, married Kindred Hollomon on September 20, 1871. A little more than a year after the marriage, Josiah and Anna recorded a deed in which they give their farm and other property to their daughter, Barsha, and son-in-law.[3] The wording in the deed gives the impression [page 240] this was a good arrangement for Josiah and Anna as well as the Hollomans. The conditions of the gift are well thought out, and provide a sort of long-term care arrangement for Josiah and Anna. As we shall see below, Josiah and Anna are able to stay on at the farm through 1880, and probably the duration of their lives.

 

The 1880 Census shows Josiah and Anna still living on the family farm they had deeded to their daughter, Barsha, and son-in-law, Kindred Hollomon, nine years before. Their place of residence was listed next door to the farm of Henry Modlin, which was one of the properties adjacent to Josiah and Anna’s property as described in the 1871 deed discussed above. It is without doubt, the same family farm in St. Johns Township near Ahoskie.

            With Kindred and Barsha as heads of the household, it  was growing again, and the presence of several children around the house probably kept Josiah and Anna as occupied as they wanted to be. The household appeared as follows:

 

1880 census entry, Hertford Co., N. C.

 

            Eight year old Mary Harrell appeared for the first time. She was a child of one of Barsha’s brothers, which of course makes her a granddaughter of Josiah and Anna. At this time, there is no way of knowing which one of their sons was the father of eight year old Mary. The three sons for whom we do not have names, would have been 49, 55, or 57 years of age, which makes them all possible fathers for Mary. Starkey Harrell, Josiah and Anna’s 5^th son, is also a possible father. Starkey would have been 37 years of age when Mary was born, which makes him a candidate, even though I have not cited Starkey in Hertford County since 1860.

Josiah and Anna Harrell’s Friends and Neighbors

            This is a good place to talk of Josiah’s neighbors—and the marriages between the Modlins and perhaps Copelands, and Parkers. Because, in the case of Modlins and Copelands, they all lived near by for many years, and their children grew up knowing each other. We saw in the previous chapter how much can be learned by looking at neighbors—for instance, John (b. c. 1794) Harrell’s descendants and the neighboring Bakers and Brittons. First let us look at Josiah and Anna’s neighbors on the north side of Horse Swamp, the Modlins.

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The Modlin and Harrell Families

            I pointed out in an earlier chapter that John T. Harrell’s daughter was  Matilda Harrell Modlin (see chapter 5). She was identified in her father’s will as married to Henry Modlin. In Josiah and Anna Harrell’s 1871 deed, their farm was described as bounded on the north by Henry Modlin’s place. In other words, John T. Harrell’s daughter, Matilda, married Henry Modlin, who was Josiah and Anna Harrell’s next door neighbor. Other marriages close to Josiah Harrell also  involved both Harrells and Modlins. For instance, Harrell Modlin lived next to Henry Modlin for many years and was probably Henry’s older brother. Also, Harrell Modlin’s son, Frederick, married Martha Harrell, a daughter of William Harrell (b. 1825)—William Harrell is the top candidate for the position of Josiah’s third son.

 

Nathan Harrell Modlin (b. 1810)—4^th Generation

 

Harrell is seldom used as a first or middle name with this spelling, except by a mother whose maiden name was Harrell. Apparently Nathan went by the name Harrell Modlin, even though Harrell was his middle name. It was more common for a mother to give her son her family name as a middle name.[4] Harrell Modlin’s family was first described in the 1850 census as follows:

 

1850 census entry, Hertford Co., N. C.

 

            By the time the census-taker got to the Modlin household in 1860, he/she was apparently tired and only used initials in place of names. When comparing the 1850 through 1870 censuses, however, it appears Harrell Modlin and N. H. Modling were the same person. When Harrell Modlin’s son, Frederick, married in 1869, it became clear that N. H. Modlin was indeed Nathan Harrell Modlin. Nathan Harrell Modlin and Henry Modlin’s mother may well have been a daughter of Nathan and Elizabeth Sharp Harrell. This is again a very interesting connection with Josiah Harrell—one of Josiah’s more probable fathers was Nathan Harrell.

  [page 242]

1860 census entry, Hertford Co., N. C.

 

            As just pointed out, Harrell Modlin was Nathan Harrell Modlin, and his wife was Christiana E. Modlin. Harrell and Christiana still had their youngest son, Edward, with them in 1870—they were both gone by 1880.

 

1870 census entry, Hertford Co., N. C.

 

Nathan Harrell and Christiana Modlin’s Children

 

Nathan Harrell Modlin was among the older 4^th Generation Hertford County residents, and, of course, his children were 5^th Generation, and at least one of them, Frederick, married a Harrell.

 

Miley A. Modlin (b. 1863)—5^th Generation

Penninah A. Modlin (b. 1838)—5^th Generation

Nathan H. Modlin (b. 1840)—5^th Generation

Joseph P. Modlin (b. 1842)—5^th Generation

 

            Joseph P. Modlin was living just one dwelling from his brothers’ William P. and John H., at the time of the 1870 census.

 

1870 census entry, Hertford Co., N. C.

 

Joseph’s household was not listed in Hertford County in 1880. There was, however, a Mary E. Modlin, age 28, with a daughter, Lula, age 8, in the 1880 census—Mary E. was living and working as a servant in the Moses (age 47) and Mary E. (age 27) Harrell household.

 [page 243]

John H. Modlin (b. 1844)—5^th Generation

 

            John H. Modlin was living with his younger brother, William, and the latter’s wife in 1870. He was married and in his own household by 1880.

 

1880 census entry, Hertford Co., N. C.

 

John H. and M. A. Modlin’s Children

 

George Modlin (b. 1872)—6^th Generation

Sarah Modlin (b. 1875)—6^th Generation

Kelley Modlin (b. 1876)—6^th Generation

 

William P. Modlin (b. 1847)—5^th Generation

 

            Harrell and Christiana Modlin’s son, William, was married by 1870. He and his wife had his older brother, John H., living with them.

 

1870 census entry, Hertford Co., N. C.

  

Frederick C. Modlin (b. 1850)—5^th Generation

 

In 1870, Harrell and Christiana Modlin’s son, Frederick, and his wife were in their own household and still in the St. Johns area. Frederick was still living with his parents in 1860 at the age of ten. He married Martha S. Harrell on September 19, 1869. Frederick and Martha Harrell Modlin were both age 20 in the 1870 census. Martha was the daughter of William (b. 1825) and Maria (Mariah) Harrell (see the section “William Harrell (b. 1815)—4^th Generation,” in chapter 5). Martha’s father, William (b. 1825) is still the best fit in the county for Josiah Harrell’s third son.

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1880 census entry, Hertford Co., N. C.

 

Martha Harrell and Frederick Modlin’s Children

 

            For an account of Martha and Frederick Modlin’s family, refer to the section on “William and Mariah Harrell” in chapter eleven.

 

Edward F. Modlin (b. 1853)—5^th Generation

 

            Edward F. was the last child of Harrell and Christiana Modlin still at home by the time of the 1870 census. He was not a head of household in the county in 1880.

 

The Copeland and Harrell Families

 

            Benjamin Copeland’s farm was just east and north of Josiah Harrell’s farm in 1834. Benjamin’s will was probated in 1841, and most of his land went to his children. The land in Josiah’s area went to his children. The land division was recorded after the War in 1869 (perhaps it was just re-recorded due to the burning of all County documents in 1862).

 

            Benjamin Copeland’s farm was fragmented after his death and difficult to tract. The land division was recorded February 6, 1869, and lots were drawn by the following heirs:[5]

 

Martha Harrell                            received 36 acres

Sausanah Copeland                   received 40 acres

Edmond Copeland                     received 52 acres

Frances Parker                            received 50 acres

Thomas E. Copeland                  received 49 acres

Jane C. Hall                                  received 59 acres

Eli Copeland                                received 59 acres

Alfred Copeland                         received 48 acres

 

            Martha Harrell’s heirs sold her 36 acres to James A. Copeland, son of the late Benjamin Copeland in 1876.[6] Lindley H. Box and wife Mary H. Box of Douglas County, Kansas, and William T. Harrell of Hendricks County, Indiana sold 36 acres to James A. Copeland for $432. The Parcel was described as “...land whereon Benjamin Copeland lived and died, being the share of the heirs of Martha Harrell deceased, ...bounded by Ahoskie road on the west, Stephen Jenkins & John Overton on the south & east & Susanna Copeland on the north,...” Ahoskie road would be today’s route # 13. Josiah’s farm was bounded on the east by that same road. So Benjamin Copeland and then James A. Copeland and family were long time neighbors of Josiah Harrell and his family.[7]

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Another Harrell/Copeland union in that place occurred on October 16, 1876, when J. A. Copeland (age 28) married Bettie A. Harrell (age 22). The witnesses were W. C. Baker, W. Parker, and K. Hollomon—the latter was Josiah Harrell’s son-in-law. Bettie A. (Elizabeth A. Harrell) was a daughter of Joseph (born 1826) and Sarah Parker Harrell (born 1831).

 

Joseph B. Harrell was born on June 19, 1826 in Gates County and was the son of Reuben and Margaret Crosslin Harrell of Gates County (see Joseph B. Harrell in chapter 11). Sarah Harrell was a daughter of Silas Parker and his third wife, Elizabeth Harrell Parker—she was then, Josiah Harrell’s niece. Sarah A. Parker was born September 18, 1831.

 

The Parker and Harrell Families

 

In addition to the Parker/Harrell union just mentioned above between Sarah A. Parker and Joseph B. Harrell of Gates County (see chapter 9 and 11), there are Parker/ Harrell combinations directly related to Josiah Harrell. Specifically, Elizabeth Harrell (b. c. 1798), Josiah’s sister, married Silas Parker; and a grandson of that union, Roland W. Parker, married Josiah’s granddaughter, Bertie Harrell (see chapters 8 & 9).

 

Josiah and Anna Harrell’s Children

 

In a previous section of this chapter, I stated the names and ages, or age categories, of Josiah and Anna Harrell’s children. They are:

                                Benjamin P.                           born 1821

                                Son # 2                                   born 1822 or 1823

                                Son # 3                                   born 1824 or 1825

Son # 4                                   born c. 1831

Mary                                      born 1833

Starkey                                   born 1835

Nicholas                                born 1837

Anna M.                                born 1840 or 1841

Barsha                                    born 1846

            In the sections that follow, I discuss what I know and think I know about Josiah and Anna Harrell’s children.

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