The next step in church history

I have come to a close on the research of ministers and preachers in Township 5 through Census documentation. A friend who is interested in matters of church history and development asked me recently about the books I have been reading in this area.

For the next several posts, I will devote attention to these. You will also find them grouped together on the Relevant Books & Authors page.

I hope you'll stop by, and I encourage discussion on this...

Ministers & Preachers of Township 5: 1930: Presiding Elder Jacob S. Bell

Photos by: Mojo Warren

Courtesy of Find A Grave
Bayview Cemetery,
Morehead City, NC

It has taken some time to gather the supporting evidence for Jacob Shepard Bell, whom I first discovered through the 1920 U.S. Federal Census for Township 5, Craven, North Carolina. I was aware of the BELL connection to our CARTER and GEORGE family lines, and had heard the name before, but never realized that he had attained the influence he must have carried. I am certain that more relevant information regarding this man of God is out there, yet untapped. I will continue with my search, but feel it is time to present that which I have gathered to date.

1910: Township 5, Craven, NC;
Roll: T624_1104; Pages 5B, 6A;
Enumeration District: 0018; Images 786, 787;
FHL Number: 1375117.

 On April 21, 1910, Jacob S. Bell was enumerated as the head of a household of eleven residing on Mitchell's Creek. He was recorded as a black man, age 51, married for 28 years to Annie. Together they had 14 children, but in 1910, only 13 survived. Their marriage was recorded in the Carteret County Register of Deeds in Book 1882: Page 4: Jacob S. Bell (22) md. Ann Wallace (19) on 11 May 1882 in Morehead, NC. His occupation in 1910 was Clergyman/Teacher.

Progressing to the 1920 Census, I had anticipated finding Jacob S. Bell as a minister in the same location, perhaps a minister at Piney Grove AME Zion, the family church of the Carters and Georges, located on Temple's Point Road. By 1920, however, his family had relocated to Beaufort, Carteret, NC, which would possibly place him as a minister at Purvis Chapel, where the descendants of Peter James Hyman attend services.

On January 21, 1920 Jacob S. Bell was enumerated as a mulatto male, age 60, who owned a mortgaged house on Broad Street, Beaufort, NC. . . a preacher. His household consisted of himself, his wife Annie, and ten children: 3 daughters and 7 sons.

Ann (Wallace) Bell

Born: 1868 in Wildwood, NC

Father: Hasty Wallace.

Mother: Hanah Ward.

Informant: J.H. Bell (sic)

Died: February 25, 1923 at 2:55 a.m. in Morehead City, Carteret, NC of a cerebral hemorrhage due to hypertension at age 55.

In 1930 Jacob S. Bell was found in Morehead City, which is located 18.6 miles south of Township 5 (North Harlowe) along Highway 101, 3.89 miles west of Beaufort. By this time, his first wife Ann had died, and he was remarried to Frances M., a 53-year-old negro woman, residing on North 12th Street. His age at first marriage was recorded as 21 (to Ann Wallace), and hers as 30 (md. 1900 to ?). I was unable to locate any marriage record for them in Carteret County, nor was I able to find her death certificate nor burial record at Find A Grave.

There, in 1930, the then 71-year-old owned a home worth $2000, and his occupation was enumerated as Presiding Elder, Methodist Church. None of his children were present in the household at that time.

The following is a composite of his household from 1900-1930:
Jacob S. and Ann (Wallace) Bell: CH:

1. Crisous "CAC", (son) b.  Feb. 1883 in Wildwood, NC; d. Nov 24, 1915 in Morehead City, NC of Tuburculosis.
2. Daisy V[iolet?], (dau.) b. Aug. 1884;
3. Philip, (son) b. May 1889;
4. Jesse H., (son) b. June 1890;
5. Ervin H., (son) b. abt. 1890;
6. James F., (son) b. Sept 22, 1891 in Wildwood, NC; d. Nov 8, 1948 in New Bern, NC of cerebral hemorrhage. 
7. Sarah H., (dau.) b. Jan 1893;
8. Fannie A., (dau.) b. Oct. 1894;
9. Iredell H., (son/dau.) b. July 1896;
10. Carl, (son) b. May 1899 in Wildwood, NC; d. April 13, 1921 in Morehead City, NC of Tuberculosis.
11. Theodore R., (son) b. Sept 20, 1900 in Wildwood, NC;
12. Charley Malachy, (son) b. abt. 1904;
13. Jacob H., (son) b. abt. 1906;
14. John S., (son) b. abt. Nov. 1909.

In 1900, 9 children had been born to Jacob & Annie, with 9 children surviving. 

In 1910 it was recorded that they had 14 children, but only 13 surviving. So, between 1900 and 1910, one child died; and, since additional vital records have not been located, it narrows down to either Daisy, Philip, Jesse or Fannie.

Rev. Jacob Shepard Bell
Born: April 2, 1860
Father: Ander Bell*, b. Wildwood, NC
Mother: Orlas Fisher*, b. Wildwood, NC
Informant: F. M. Bell
Died: August 3, 1932 in Morehead City, Carteret, NC

Ministers and preachers of Township 5: 1920: A.R. Anderson

The Rev. A.R. Anderson (60), a Methodist minister, lived with his wife Arma (25), on Blades Road . . . the same road as most of my husband's Carter ancestors. . . and next door to the household of James & Lucinda Culley. The nearest church was the family church, Piney Grove AME Zion on Temple's Point Road. I was unable to find any record of Rev. Anderson nor his wife prior to nor following 1920.

1920; Township 5, Craven, NC; Roll: T625_1293;
Page 2B; Enumeration District 18;  Image 210.

As my search for historical records of ministers and preachers in Township 5 nears a close, I received a reply from several repositories and contacts regarding conference and church records. Ms Cynthia Keever of Hood Theological Seminary found two sources with only brief mentions of this minister,  the Rev. A.R. Anderson:

1. A History of the AME Zion Church, Vol. II, by David Henry Bradley, Sr., pp. 155-156.
2. The African American Episcopal Zion Church: Reality of the Black Church, by William J. Walls, p. 208.

In addition, Jennifer Thompson of Duke University's John Hope Franklin Research Center for African American History and Culture found two collections that may be of interest:

1. United Methodist Church Records, 1784-1984; Boxes HS 2 and 3;
2. William George Melton papers, 1859-1887.

While it may be some time before I am able to make a research trip to Durham, it is good to know in advance of some records which are available for perusal. 

Ministers and preachers of Township 5: 1910: Issac Hyman

1910 revealed only one, but one very interesting "Clergyman" in Township 5, Craven County, NC. . . . .

my husband's great grandfather,

Isaac Hyman.

Isaac Hyman married Malinda Jane Weston on August 15, 1881 in Craven County.  In 1900 Isaac was enumerated as a Farmer (b. abt. 1855), and lived with his wife (b. abt. 1866) and two daughters, Hannah Jane (b. Feb. 1882) and Thanie [Othenia] (b. 1885). 

1910; Township 5, Craven, NC;
Roll: T624_1104; Page 3B; Enumeration District: 18;
Image 782; FHL #: 1375117.

In 1910, Isaac was recorded as a widower; so, Malinda Jane must have died before April 18, 1910, the date the Census was taken in Cahooque. Death Certificates in North Carolina didn't come along until 1914, and no obituary is recorded in the New Bern-Craven County Obituary Index. 

The oldest daughter, my husband's grandmother, Hannah Jane, married 2. Hezekiah Carter in 1905, and was living with him, her three step-children, her son from her first marriage, and their first two children on Mitchells's Creek at the time of the 1910 Census. She was expecting their third child, Chester (my father-in-law), who was born that December. Thaney could not be found in 1910.

The church affiliation was most likely Hyman Chapel AME Zion, which was started by his father (William) and uncles (Abraham, Peter, Stephen and Adam).

Isaac remarried to Priscilla Fisher on April 9, 1913, and died on October 28, 1930. On his death certificate he was recorded as being a laborer. 

Ministers and preachers of Township 5: 1900: Sylvester B. Gaskill & Martin Davis

Sylvester B. Gaskill;
1900; Township 5, Craven, NC;
Roll: T623_1190; page 9A;
Enumeration District 46.

The 1900 Census for Township 5 produced two clergymen. While Sylvester B. Gaskill, a very light-skinned mulatto*, had been enumerated as a preacher in 1880, here he was recorded as "minister." One might think that the current enumerator, Edward D. Bangut, merely chose another title for the position, however . . . .

. . . . Martin Davis, who was also enumerated by Mr. Bangut, was recorded as a preacher. Possibly there was just an inconsistency.

Martin Davis:
1900; Township 5, Craven, NC;
Roll: T623_1190; Page: 11B;
 Enumeration District: 46.

Looking at the progression of Gaskill's enumerations:  1800: Preacher; 1900: Minister, I began to wonder if perhaps some other clergyman had a progression of titles shown through consecutive enumerations. 

*Disclaimer: While Sylvester Brown Gaskill had been enumerated as  "mulatto" (1850, 1870, 1880), "black" (1900), and "colored" on his marriage record, I recently received a response to my Rootsweb Message Board post RE: black Gaskills from a descendant of his daughter, Missouri Gaskill . . . .

The family legend was that Sylvester too was mulatto, however I was able to locate the bastardy bond from when he was born where his mother, Amanda Gaskill, gave the name of Sylvester's father. That man was white, the son of a Scottish family living in Sea Level (his name was John N. Hamilton).

This photo was posted on Ancestry.com
by member: pvw321
White/Purcell Family Tree

Ministers and preachers of Township 5: 1850: Abraham Taylor & Paul J. Carraway

As I began wading through page by page of each Census for Township 5 from 1850 to 1930, I discovered some interesting things...some of which may serve as subjects for the imagination more than sources of hard facts. Come along with me on this journey and you'll see what I mean...

In 1850, the U.S. Federal Census for Craven County, NC was divided into two sections: New Bern, and Not Stated. Somewhere within "Not Stated" lies Township 5. Within the 145 pages of this enumeration, only two ministers surfaced, both white:

1850 United States Federal Census; Craven, NC;
Roll: M432_626; Page: 321B.

 The first enumeration was for Abraham Taylor, a 51 year old Free Baptist Minister, and his family: a wife and daughter and three sons. Abraham married Mary Civils in Craven County on 5 Aug 1829 (Craven County Marriage Record Index, Marriage Register 3, marriage bond). In 1860 his wife is supposed deceased, and he is living with his children in Richardsons District, Craven County, NC. This places his residence outside of the North Harlowe area, which is enumerated as Goodings Distirict.

1850 United States Federal Census; Craven, NC;
Roll:M432_626; Page: 321B. 

The second enumeration was for Paul J. Carraway, a Methodist Episcopal Minister, age 25, along with his young wife and daughter. The Craven County Marriage Record Index records the marriage of Paul J. Carraway and Julia A. McCotter on 8 Dec 1964 (Marriage Register Book 1: Marriage Bond). In 1860 Rev. Carraway was enumerated in Cumberland, Cumberland, NC with his wife and then five children.

By going back before Emancipation, I find only white ministers. I have read about Master/Slave churches where freedmen also attended (Masters & Slaves in the House of the Lord, ed. by John B. Boles, 1998). I can try to  imagine a time when there were no organized black churches in the rural parts of Craven County. Perhaps my husband's ancestors attended a church such as this...or, perhaps they only worshiped corporately when circuit preachers came through for brush arbor or camp meetings. Possibly they had their own lay preachers...or some may even have traveled the long trek to New Bern. This is what I hope to discover.

Perhaps if I can place these white ministers with churches in the county, I may find their church histories overlap with those of the the freedmen. A cousin told me about Methodist churches in Harlowe and Adams Creek...and since the Rev. Carraway eventually became a Presiding Elder, I plan on contacting Dr. William B. Simpson, historian for the North Carolina General Commission on Archives & History.