Newspapers / The State’s Voice (Dunn, … / July 1, 1934, edition 1 / Page 2
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Enfield end H.l^ Sc^. of Medy E^yEyent^r. ^ dress Upon W.THe Mn «»d John Paul Jones at Ul.ve.lmg >of ™a*ers to mem Halifax a Few Weeks Ago. .The'records of no county in North Carolina are more redolent of historic1 invest ^han^aKfax. <^he /points of interest in-those records are of state-wide ' significance, and several of them of national and in ternational interest. The launching of John Taiil J8Bes *ihto’ the "naval WHtests of the Revolutionary Witr. ddfloei'hs iibt oiily Aihefi'ca but England and France as well. And no Revolutionary character in North Carolina had a deeper or more widely ex tended influence upon the attitude of Patriots and the eourse of Patriotic‘endeavor" in the State-160 years ago than had Willie Jones. But let’s look at the early history of }the oldest :'tffivn;iii HklMx county and onebf' the -fildefet :,in -iSl ‘ the ikifiUiiid coastal belt. Enfield In History Doubtless many Enfield citizens do not realize the antiquity of their community nor the dignity to which it arose in later colonial days. It is an older town than Halifax. Indeed, it had attained its greatest “ptestige hefofe Halifax ‘Was Conceived. •'tVtten fhe state’s tflVMdhs W^fe lTCCincts, j eecftttriw. fn Hie earlier‘ditys ‘bf the' Colony the divfsidns ^«re Called ogrCcinets.” “County" was a later cooler, ©dgeeorabe, Northampton, and Granville precincts •^occupied the- territory west of the Cbow&n River and -rather ‘inflefinttOiy Westward. Edgecombe precinct - then Embraced’what are how Edgecombe and. Hali fax counties. Enfield was the precinct center,' eor • responding to the-pfes8nt*day county seat. But even a greater dignity had the ancient village. It was the seat of the court of an early district em bracing Northampton, Edgecombe and Granville pre cincts, a principality in area at that time. The re cent discovery on the writer s part of this fact ex plained what he had long wondered about—why Lord Granville’s agent Corbin was dragged by irate citi zens from his home below Edenton the eighty miles to Enfield and jailed. Moore’s school history of other days told of the, incident, but did not explain why ihe was brought’ to Enfield. But it was in Moore s two-volume history that I discovered the explana tion. . ! ... "But ’Enfield was to lose its prominence. In 1757, Edgecombe was divided into Edgecombe and Halifax counties. Enfield was in Halifax but not suitably lo cated for tbe county-seat. The site of Halifax town was chosen as the county seat. Enfield soon lost its chief dignity as the seat of the district court. Yet it still long remained the largest village in that quarter of the State. It became and continued to be for a century and a half the residence of prominent planters and was dignified as the residence of the one North Carolinian who held more offices of dig nity than any other North Carolinian. It was John Branch. Governor John Branch. It is bard to'decide just which is the more fitting title for that former distinguished citizen of the State. He Was governor of his State, representative in Congress, U. -S. Senator, Secretary o fthe Navy, marking North Carolina for a continued distinction for representation in the Cabinet in that portfolio. Branch, Dobbins, Daniels are North Carolina’s con tribution to the post of Secretary of the Navy, and it will be a surprise if the State ever secures any other membership than that . in the Cabinet—that post is marked for North Carolina. Governor Branch had early represented his (State in both houses of the General Assembly. Among his other service was that of Military Governor of the re cently acquired territory of Florida. IsaFayette’s Visit to Enfield. 'Washington, in touring the "Southern States, had Waited AViliie JobSs •at Halifax, but When LaFayette xtsited the country -in11£24 Willie Jones had been • deadr 23’ years ahd'Halifax had lost its chief orna ment. •Or perhaps ^Bnfieid better 'fitted' in with the .close of a day’s journey. Anyway, the"French-Mar quis and Friend-of Washington spent the night at ©ttflekh—In -the "Whitfield house, ‘ 'a two-story ’ resi which stfends 'today practically as- it Stood on ?<$hat •'occasion. - rBrstflfcw It'S# years ago. ; I saw it ten days ago. There is litfHe dlfference in its-state i«#w3,aad in" J8bo. -It-^eems'gOod'for -many lnore Ade '•'•ades. •Miirqais'dbflS'ayette oh the-momiag -after-his ^ftight^ theWhibftehf‘hoOSe^aadres^ed' fhe- people of ifufleld aadrt'pertutpS' ahateSerof *proorinent visitors frtftn thB |«rchittf that ofef Tesidteaee. -^tf a diataace'tntBe'ftaf of fiis house is the-grave, -1 *Brd»eh. Btefd by thetfle ^afct hh»* 8f«ifr. B. Taiker, fctf&er-efrfudge'B. - D3. Parker, stood Uwf|%«iiMKepd5fMChov«te6r^Bwtach.«. t3i$ Afield estate comprised much of the western section of • the -present Enfield. -TOtr™ ' W* * ago the old town was notable for its number of "gant-feemes-and for its solid eitteem-y. Theoldsteeh - which dignified the town for so many years the barkers, Hunters, Bells, Wtakers, and others are now far "from i>he aseendaney''Of 'otber days, -for En fifld ‘has become a donsifleffttde town, cdiniJosed chiefly of new-comers. Those Ybung Judges. , It has been Enfield’s misfortune not to be able to ‘Yettfin as residents-the inahy ‘b^ht ^ottng infen 1who -Save -grown Yip - thfere ‘sHtfe the sixties. I wrote sometime ago of the old town’s nest-of baby judges two-score years ago. R. H. barker, Judge Barnhill, -afid: Recorder Daniel $011 "of' P«f»b 'Wfeife aB Hi fafith dufing^-fiiy*Yehldfehfee^ ifa'^he,lbid'ttWh In 1895. They all have risen to prominence in other towns. Anyway, you Cannot find three finer men and more capable judges to their age than those three former "Enfield tots. ‘ rwiirSpegk elfe^vhefe bt soiiie of the pfeSehf'day "'Eiideldfers. The Prominence ofCHd Halifax kin -W * C !Higtolv 111 V^» inoivi jr 1 do not have to write a word about the history of the old town of llalifax, made prominent in the first place by the residence of Willie Jones, whose resi dence there probably accounted for the choice of that burg away up near the Virginia line as one of the State’s early capitals. All North Carolina his tories: give accounts of .the happenings at Halifax, and to them the reader is referred for definite ac counts. 4>r. T. W.’iM. Addwess • Biit; r haVe 'ttefcfre'the1 a^brithrieht'that b'htBfests me Slid whitivl believe, 'Will ‘ifftei-e'st ’the averSge reader Of' fche Btkte's-VMfce. ■ It’ is ‘a edgy 'bf the^d fdress of tor. - arid "SeriMbr SW. $tf.f:LBng, bf Boriri&ke -Rapids, 6n the ‘dbchsidn of ’the ^bent ttheeiHlig rof markers at Halifax in hondr‘bf l^liie-Lottes and John' !Paiil dories, hoiable ‘hfeviif betro Bf the ReVolu1 tiOri. I -have ■ read1 the'ridtfress tWo br three; fliries, hoping to Arid a sterition br two I cbtild oriiit With out- loss, to the paper as1 a' Whole. ! Every- lihe bf it interests me arid I have just hbbut aeciHed: to pub lish it as. a whole. Dr. Long and his brother, former Senator Luns ford Long,-now a resident of Raleigh, are descend ants of General Allen Jones, brother of the Patriot leader Willie Jones, and it was very fitting that he was selected to make,the address of the memorial oc casion. I was cBatting with him at his lovely Roa noke Rapids home one evening last week, enjoying the traditions of ^Halifax and the Joneses when Mrs. Long, who by the way is a twin sister of Solici tor and former Senator Burgwin of Northampton county, found the copy of the address and gave it to me. I only thought to get a few pointers from it, but here it is. Read it youi'self. But let me say-first that “Willie” Jones is not what it appears to be. The “Willie” was the name of a Church of England minister in Old Virginia where the father of Willie and Allen Jones lived before com} ing to North Carolina and settling in Northampton county. The name is pronounced “Wiley”—Wiley Jones. See if you can keep from calling him as the spelling suggests. I find it hard to do. But here is the address: The StcMfy of Wlllie Johes and Jdliri Paul Jbntes. •Historic Events of ilalifax' toWn. Halifax, the ancient town where we-gather today, has been the scene of many stirring events. Here lived and lies buried Joseph Montfort,- the first, last, and only-Grand Master of Masons of, and for, North • America. - Here Flora McDonald’s husband was imprisoned. Here the Halifax resolves were •written. Here EaFayette was entertained. Here the great Washington likewise was received by ad miring throngs. . Here Cornelius- Harnett read first to our people, or our mother Commonwealth, the Declaration of Independence. Here the first con- ' stitntion was written. Here for the'last time in our beloved State was heard the HoteS of 4%ttd> Savc the King’* as Cornwallis aid* his' ’fr<febs ’tfh,#l'ed' fib?th ward to Tofktdwfi. 1 Here "lived * %tfltHflnr-R. ’ ‘BaVie, ‘the ' founder of * the! tjdfVer&fy. %dfe‘ Ififet ’S3%^tlie Jones ' and' John TPaifl, VhCSe Mftooflfcs'''Wiiofldr *to day. Who and what ^manner of men Wdre iWUUe-'Joftes/'eon of ®obin dettes «hd Martha -iBaHt, to*sM*» to «ui*y 45, 2741. Robin Junes was commissioned as attorney Lord GCan'Vdlle-a/ftotlt 1720. He sent his sons, Alien * and WtMe^at fcn -early fcge to England to school ' completing thdlr education ^ Eton College. ^ ! on the edlfipldt9dn"Hf his^Studies, remained in Eu’ J rope until the early'sixties, returning to North Car<J lina a well-rounded man of the world, who had ^ *gwonf 'lriina^^‘a ^e ^f *e»Hbaey. During hi8 ^ 1 jdtifn*4rt)i*ead'4e'¥adi?«4ta6ssed the deplorable COn. j -4itt©ns*>bf-^«‘'i*aft«»e»^»f"4be^€4le-4n-Engian(] m \ on the continent of Europe Under strongly central, i ized auTocrafie *gdve5rmeSfs~^ich, fio doubt, shape! ) jiis politicaD'pfrilo^P^y “ tbat‘ str eleariy stood out in ; i his m&turity. JHe Movas to Halifax. (While abroad'his father died, and Willie Jones j upon his return to this country found himself a ] ^an 'of ^feat WMtKh. «ir bother, Allen, had marJ ■ried-and built a home at Mt. Gallant, in Northamp. ton County, and Wfrlie inherited his father’s old ‘ lihiiie, Ifie “Clt^tle.” IJbweWr, be decided that he ‘^taid^alfcbr iHvieuln: 'tbe It#Wh<if Halifax, and so tore down the ‘^Castle” and out of its timbers built for himself his home at Halifax. The “Grove'1 he called it. He designed it himself and built it in an enormous grove of oaks. It was a large house, solid C4M siffiStdaBal ifc > "On -the first floor he had: Intilt a; baj- wfanibw. a Ittxury in those times, nnd fitted it ■ with' large- plate -^lass panes brought at great expense from France. Jle wanted this so that he could ■ get a good view of his private race track. His'liotfSe Wtfs hot’bhtlsfiai in’ abearance, ;or ' fhr lfts' BiBe. ®ie vdbihs KHrgeSHd toomy, tiid : ‘ittOheth^e^asa^^effet-^tthihefe^hatWfts^no ’doubt, T%es&feiiat^ositdry'^Or-%|Hiy^:1hapSriant'i>a.ii(‘rin the stirring times in which the owner of the staftely rniankibn figured -prbiiiliibSiffiy. 'HtfUfhxW&sdir'Holdiiial ‘ditys kiid-dtiriitg the Bevo ‘itrtion the Jjollfical "-Mecca bf North ‘ Carolina, and tiiis did ‘bdttie !bf %Bethen*pbtttichl Wilder was the tfehittcil hall bf mhhy^ afri itfifcorta!ht'!mCetlng. In it George Washington visited, ’in-it Cfirirwallis and ’''Thrletbii “figtired. ;5n 'it •congressmen, •Sefifetbrs Ji*M pOlftlchl’ w*i#prfflers dfcid ■: their *tens and worked out the destiny of -€«tbllha. MSliri^y. ■ -l Hbfe In' this' hdtrse " Willie * Jones ' lived alone for awhile,' But always fettfrottuaed hy -a^ghy and tril 'liaht Society. 11n 'those tfays ‘ whbn? Nttrth Cftr- Uha "'Was 'yBt UhdiSr’dfifi&Hfeh ' ¥u!e %iid 'tMe -day of ::!de- - pendence hardly dawning, he cared - Wit little for politics. It was ’flot atti!ll: the*bi)irit of independence •&ptead: through America that he'forsook the’life of a gay society bachelor to take-upf arms in the bat tles of His country and State. '-'Forsaking-his life of celibacy in June 1776 he married Mary, the daugh ter of Joseph Montfort, of Halifax. This marriage was eminently successful ‘ and 'he 'never regretted having rescinded his vow of celibacy. His wife was more than twenty years younger than he, and it was said that when she first saw him on his return from England and she whs but a' child she said, "I am - going to marry that man.” And she did. Many stories &re told of her wit and as many more of her beauty and goodness. ) All who-knew her loved her. She had five children to lite—4fi maturity, and they were all devoted to their mother. She had all the graces of a charming lady find was, in fact, a re ■ markable woman. Just'about the time of bis ^marriage riuuuio * revolution were heard and these were stirring times in North Carolina. He entered the. political arena where he was to play a leading part, until he should -'quit the stage forever. -He “made -his first public ! appearance; at the provincial congress in New Berg August 28, 1774 He was always backward about appearing before the ijUblic,1 and never before had So appeared, and probably jnever would have excep in the cause of independence, and he went to this, Congress in the- interest of-independence, as did bis younger brother, General Allen- Jones. He was no a member of the next provincial congress, but was ' Working all the while In the cause of independence as only he' kriteW -bow to work. At the -fourth1 provincial ‘congress which met Halifax, April 4, 1776, WlUVie Jones was a delega 'from the burrough of Halifax, but John Webb ba^ to be chosen as a substitute because of the nbsene of Jones occasioned by a visit to GOOfkia as s'tpe^ inteudent. cf Indian liffklrs' for the Southern ® --gross, an -office wMeh the TJontMentiial Congress •in 'the meantime bestowed upon 'him. of Salety, •Attbastime^hewas elected, president of the • oil W-Safe^, virtually .governor of "North cir0 ^ ®his<kmncil was very active Aud affi&CBb espec a ■ kb promoting the eauseofvWhr. 'fta duties see® . -kave embraced ,all of gbvSriilmeiittl actl!L ’ and inawopkere -Was it lack!£g. 0 -ears of- ^ heard ca^^ud com5la5nts’ called electrons, arrahged for „ . ^ (continued gn pile five) of
The State’s Voice (Dunn, N.C.)
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July 1, 1934, edition 1
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