NCALLEGH-L Archives

From: "Denise C. Wood" <>
Subject: [NCALLEGH-L] PLEASE READ TILLEY/TILLY/SMITH]
Date: Tue, 13 Oct 1998 12:23:41 -0400

This is the second time I am trying to send this. Let's try it again.

> Good Morning!
>
> My name is Denise Wood and I joined this list about two weeks ago.
> I need some help understanding the days and times of my ancestor and
> where to go to seek out some information in Alleghany County.
>
> Last year I traveled from Eastern NC (Nags Head) to Surry County, NC
> investigating my father's mother side of the family.
>
> On the 1880 Census in Surry County, my great grandmother Frances
> Tilley is listed with several children and being a widow.
> (Questionable about the widow stuff.) On this census two names above
> her is a William Smith, wife Sarah Smith and a child James Smith (in
> penitentiary).
>
> The 1890 Census lists Frances again, with more children, and William
> again with Sarah and two different children.
>
> I found a Marriage Bond between William Smith and Frances Smith who
> married in 1893. Dates estimate him 25 years older than Frances. It
> lists fathers of both unknown, his mother Polly Smith, dead and her
> mother, Sally Tilly, dead.
>
> PROBLEM ONE: How do find out their individual father's names?
> Frances died in 1931 in Danville, VA (buried in Greenview Cemetery,
> Reidsville, NC) but Richmond swears they have no Death Certificate.
>
> PROBLEM TWO: Sarah must have died but I don't know where to find this
> information?
>
> PROBLEM THREE: Where would I find prison records for NC to see if
> James was in there?
>
> In 1903, William applied for Civil War Pension, which he got.
>
> I think the year was 1902 or 1904 that he was on the voter list for
> Surry.
>
> They had mega children together, half of which are illegitimate.
>
> I had always known there was one child with her maiden last name
> (family tale.) On a fluke I saw the Bastardy Bond book and low and
> behold a child was born in ALLEGHANY County in 1873 by a Frances
> Tilley, William Smith posted the bond. She was 14 when this child was
> born, Warrick Winfield Tilley. All other children have the last name
> of Smith.
>
> I have a Death Certificate in hand for a Mary Smith Eldridge (married
> a Jeff Eldridge) that date computation lists her as younger than
> Warrick. A first cousin of my father's, Frances' son's daughter who
> is 80, adamantly told me this past weekend that Mary was older than
> Warrick by two years so this would make Frances' first child born in
> 1871 making the family story of my great grandmother birthing her
> first child when she was 12 true (story many years old).
>
> Also, Mary Smith Eldridge was a witness to four of Warrick's children
> to obtain Delayed Birth Certificates (I have four in my possession.
> All were born in Surry.) One of the other witness to the births was a
> "Clyde W. Tilley Family Bible." I cannot locate a Clyde W. Tilley on
> any NC census. I did find a Clyde Tilley in the Surry County phone
> directory but because of the illegitimacy involved, I don't want to
> upset anyone.
>
> My second cousin also told me that there was an event sometime after
> 1900 involving a death of an adopted child of Warrick's and charges
> against one of his sister's. My cousin was not clear on the story.
> She was a young child. She also said most of the adult members of the
> family attended that trial. My cousin is married and lives in
> Reidsville, NC.
>
> PROBLEM FOUR: I cannot locate any Frances/Sally Tilley/Tilly/Smith in
> any records of surrounding counties except the Alleghany Bastardy Bond
> and Surry Census. I have tried Grayson, Carroll, and Patrick
> Counties, VA. Caswell, Rockingham, Stokes, Surry, Alleghany, Ash,
> Yadkin, Forsythe, and Guilford Counties, NC.
>
> Family stories say Frances was part Indian and she was "given" to
> William Smith at the age of 12. If she was given away in 1871 that is
> AFTER the Civil War so I thought ALL slaves would be free. I do not
> understand what an indentured servant is and why would her
> father/master give her away?
>
> PROBLEM FIVE: Being new at this a year ago, the time of my initial
> research, I did not know of slave census' at the back of the books nor
> did I know the term "Free Person of Color." So this has not been
> checked out. Does anyone out there have access to any of the county
> information involved to do lookups for me? (I am unable to do this
> myself as I am in college this semester and leave for Turkey in
> January. I would like to resolve this before I leave.)
>
> I have reason to believe there is Melungeon history involved
> somewhere.
>
> I am exhausted on this. Maybe a fresh eye would help. My
> great-grandmother had a hard life and though no one else in the family
> will "talk" about this or 9/10 of relatives are dead or when they
> asked questions about this, the reply was "we don't talk about this",
> she is very important to me.
>
> Any and all help would be GREATLY appreciated.
>
> Denise Chandler-Wood
>
> PS. Frances' daughter, Etta P(I don't know what this stands for).
> Smith was my grandmother. She married my grandfather, Isaac "Ike"
> Breckenridge Chandler, whose family was from Stokes County, NC.

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• [NCALLEGH-L] PLEASE READ TILLEY/TILLY/SMITH] by "Denise C. Wood" <>