PROGRESS SENTINEL
*
%OL XXXXIV NO. 36 USPS 162-860 KENANSV1LLE. NC 28349 SEPTEMBER 6. 1979 10 CENTS PLUS TAX 10 PAGES THIS WEEK
CHRISTINE WILLIAMS - Duplin Cwjnty Register of Deeds, explains the
contents of a book that records slave marriages. It is the original copy from
1866. Tlielma Kenan listens and watches for names of her ancestors.
Former Duplinite WritirtgOn
'Slave Marriages In Duplin
By Christine W. Williams
^ Dr. Oscar Williams, Jr., a
professor in the history de
partment of Virginia State
University, Petersburg. Va..
is engaged in research
preparatory to writing on
^Slave Marriages in Duplin
Pounty."
in preparing for his study,
lie has visited the Duplin
County "Registry and'ob
tained a copy of a book
restored by the Register of
Deeds and now on file as a
jart of the permanent
Records which contains a
record of 690 slave marriages
which took place prior to the
Act Concerning Negroes and
Persons of Color or Mixed
Blood, which was ratified
March 10, 1866 by the N.C.
Plcneral Assembly. Prior to
the ratification, white per
sons preparing for marriage
purchased a marriage bond
from the office of the county
Clerk of Court, but persons
of color could not purchase
Aiarriage bonds or enter into
legal marriages, but manv of
them entered into "slave
marriages."
The book, containing 690
slave marriages, shows that
from May 1866 through De
fjmber 1867, 690 couples
ppeared before either a
justice of the peace or the
clerk of court, paid the
required fee of 25 cents and
made sworn statements that
each party was a "colored
freedman" or "colored
|freedwoman" and they
Acknowledged that they had
been living together as man
and wife since the date of the
commencement of such
living together as man and
wife and they did acknow
ledge under oath that they
Plere man and wife in accor
dance with the act of the
general assembly regarding
slave marriages which was
enacted March 10, 1866. The'
book containing these mar
riages lists three marriages
Mn which the affiants certified
"hat they had been living in a
slave marriage for a period of
60 years, each commencing
in 1806. The three couples
who had been man and wife
for 60 years in slave mar
riages were: Arthur and Julia
'TV
Pearsall. who made their
affidavit on August 11, 1866;
Andrew and Judith Herring,
who made their affidavit on
August 14, 1866; and Simon
and Sooky Simmons, who
made their affidavit on
August 28, 1866.
Another couple showed
that they, had been living in a
slave marriage 56 years. The
length of these 690 slave
marriages recorded between
May 1866 and December
1867 showed periods ri&>lave
marriages ranging from 7
months to 60 years.
The declarations made by
these couples before a justice
of the peace or the clerk of
court constituted a valid
marriage under the law. The
book containing these early
marriages had disintegrated,
but it was completely re
stored recently by the
register or ""eeds and is used
by mth. olack persons
searching family history.
After the State Act of
March 10, 1866, persons of
color could purchase
marriage bonds from the
county clerk of court and
have a legal marriage cere
mony performed until 1868.
when the register of deeds
took over the duty of issuing
marriage licenses with the
continuance of no restric
tions. The Duplin County
marriage records since 1868
are complete..Only a portion
of the marriage bonds issued
by the Duplin County Clerk
of Court prior to 1868 were
preserved, and the preserved
ones were transferred to the
Department of Archives and
History in 1918. The Duplin
County Register of Deeds 1
obtained a copy from the
State Archives and History
of the index to the Duplin
County marriage bonds
issued by the clerks of court
prior to 1868. and it is
interesting to note that be
tween the dates of June 2,
1866 and March 12. 1868. the
index to the marriage bonds
obtained from the State
Archives lists 27 preserved
marriage bonds issued to
persons of color.
Dr. Williams, Jr., in
searching his own family
history, found in the Duplin
County book of .slave mar
riages. the marriage of his
great - great - grandparents.
Peter and Dilsev Williams,
who made the official decla
ration of their marriage on
September 1. 1866, showing
that they had been married
since 1816. a period of 50
years. Dr. Williams' father,
?scar Williams, died at
Faison in 1965. He has an
aunt. Annie Harrell. who
now resides at Route 3.
Faison. and a cousin. Anne
Harrell Green> daughter of
Annie Harrell. who resides in
the area.
He is also doing research
nto the status of the negroes
who fought in the Revolu
ionary War
Dr. Williams plans to
* Joseph
Surratt Dies
WARSAW - Joseph C.
Surratt. 7H. retired business
man. died Saturday. Grave
side services were held Sun
day at Devotional Gardens
conducted by Rev. John"
Ay cock.
He was a member of the
Board of Trustees of the
Warsaw United Methodist
Church and a former Lions
Club member.
Survivors: widow. Mrs.
Inez Bradley Surratt: son,
Joseph C. Surratt. Jr.. of
Gj>ldsboro: sister. Mrs. E.W.
Stokes of Char'otic: brother.
W.L. Surrat of Greensboro:
three grandchildren. Pamela
Surratt of Washington. D.C.,
loseph C. Surratt. III. of
Williamston. and Gregory
Surratt of Chapel Hill.
In lieu of flowers, the
family requested donations
be made to the Warsaw
United Methodist Church
building fund or to Duplin
County Heart Association.
T
Youth Struck By
Electricial Line
, And Killed
A hunting mishap on the
first day of the bird season
caused the death of Almond
Lathon Wiggins. 111. 16. of
Route 6. Mount Olive,
sheriff reports indicate.
Wiggins was accompanied
by friends on a hunting trip
on Rural Road 1304 near
Bear Creek when he was
struck by an electrical line
and killed. According to
Duplin County Sheriff re
ports. Wiggins was reaching
inside a pickup truck when
one of the hunting party shot
a resistor nutuuig an elec
trical line. Reports indicate
the line fell front the pole
striking the pickup truck and
then Wiggins abo\e the right
eye. killing hint instantly.
The shock also burned and
flattened the truck tires. It 1
was parked on the shoulder
of the road.
The Sheriff's Department
is still investigating, and
charges may be filed upon j
completion of the investiga
tion. Wiggins' body was
taken >o Tyndall Funeral
Home in Mount Olive.
Drug Charges Dismissed
Al the hearing fur Garland
Boyd Conrad, 63. and Nell
Babb Conrad. 60. of Route 1,
Pink Hill, charges for
growing and manufacturing
marijuana and to sell and
deliver a controlled sub
stance were dropped August
22nd.
According to the Conrads'
attorney, ...iarges were
dropped because of illegal
evidence. The search
warrant used by the Duplin
County Sheriffs Department
was not valid, so all flic
evidence taken was not i
admissible at the hearing.
Conrads' attorney. Vance
Gavin, said. i
Speeding Auto Causes
Accident In Warsaw
By Emily Killette
A speeding car occupied
by three boys was being
pursued bv the Warsaw
Police Department when it
crashed into another car on
College Street last
Wednesday about 10 p.m.
According to police
reports. Stephen Craig
Blanton of Kenansville, 18,
was driving a 1979 Toyota,
with passengers Dennis
Wilkins, 16. of Warsaw, and
David Warrington, 18, of
Kenansville. Blanton was
speeding when the Warsaw
Police Officer Tommy Combs
attempted to stop the car.
Blanton continued to speed
down College Street, running
a stoplight and then hitting a
1978 Dodge at the inter
section with Frisco.
Joseph Pendleton (J.P.)
Johnson of Wards Bridge
Road. Warsaw, was driving
the Dodge, and his wife.
Margie, was the only
passenger at the time of the
accident.
All five persons involved in
the accident were
transported to Duplin
General Hospital in Kenans
ville where Dennis Wilkins
and David Warrington were
sent to New Hanover Me
morial Hospital in Wilming
ton. All persons, with the
exception of David Warring
ton, have been released from
the hospitals. Warrington is
listed in critical condition.
Charges issued concerning
the accident are: Blanton,
with driving under the in
fluence of alcohol, speeding
over 15 miles per hour above
posted speed trying to elude
arrest, failing to stop at a
stop sign, and failure to stop
for a blue light and siren. No
charges were issued against
Johnson.
ABC Board Appointed
In Kenansville
By Emily Kiliette
The Kenansville Board of
Commissioners have
appointed a newaABC Board
after the resignation of the
entire board about three
weeks ago.
Last week, the Board of
Commissioners appointed
Rich Boyd. John Hall and
Benny Prince to the new
ABC J)oard. John Hail was
named chairman.
The resignation of Elmore
Bell, chairman; Phil Kretsch
and Harold Jones resulted
from a disagreement
between the Board and the
Kenansville commissioners,
said Town Administrator
Woody Brinson. According
to Brinson. the Kenansville
ABC store ranks in the
bottom nine of the state
listed by profit. Kenans
ville's ABC store is currently
returning a profit of 4%.
Revenues from ABC stores
arc divided with 55% of the
profit staying in the town.
and 45% going to the county.
Brinson said.
Brinson said the Kenans
ville commissioners re
quested the former ABC
board to make a study of
sales per hour, and per
sonnel at the ABC store last
year, but the Board failed to
report on such a study. Com
missioners feel there are not
enough sales to justify
12-hour workdbvs. and if the
store hours are cut. there will
be less personnel needed.
Brinson said. At the present
time, there are three people
employed full-time by the
Kenansvillc ABC store.
According to Brinson.
ABC store sales have stayed
about the same as they were
in 1975, but inflation has
reduced the amount of profit
Kenansville receives.
Brinson said the town re
ceives about $60,000 after
state taxes and the county
receives their share of the
revenue. From the $60,000,
Kenansville pays $32,000 in
salaries, $16,000 in other
debts, and there is $12,000
left as a profit. The profit is
applied toward town projects
in the place of tax money,
and Brinson says this keeps
the tax rate down. However,
the commissioners feel that
unless the Kenansville ABC
store can begin t? return a
larger profit, taxes will have
to be increased.
"We arc expecting a 7-8%
tax increase next year unless
the ABC store profit picks
up," Brinson said.
Cutting store hours and
reducing the staff by one
person would result in an
increase of about $10,000 a
year, Brinson explained.
The Kenansville commis
sioners request to cut hours
and personnel has also been
recommended bv Bill Hester
of the State Administration
of ABC Stores.
make his writing available to
the people of Duplin County,
and he is most appreciative
of the records which are
available for his use in his
study an<J writing because
few counties have preserved
any records of slave mar
riages.
HELLO. JERRY LEWIS TELETHON - The Warsaw
Jaycees participated in the Jerry Lewis Telethon
supporting muscular dystrophy research. The Javcees
headquartered their operation at the Branch Bank Ac Trust
in Warsaw beginning last Sunday at 10 p.m. and ending
Monday at 6:30 p.m. Members of the Jaycees pictured are
William Costin. Jr.. Tim Scanlan. and J. Michael Moore.
They collected $662 front the Warsaw area.
lb and a few older than 19.
The 16-19-yeaj-olds are our
target population. According
to N.C. State Law. a student
is generally compelled to
attend school until he/she is
16. Therefore our school
attendance is not compulsory
but on a voluntary basis. For
this reason, we do have a
high drop-out rate. In 1977
78 school year, our enroll
ment was 255 with 160
drop-outs at a rate of 62.7%.
The school year 1978-79 our
local Figures show our drop
out rate to be slightly above
S0%. This rate is slightly
higher than some of the other
1
Day School Serves Drop-Outs
Extended Day Schools in the
state, and we are setting
goals to bring this drop-out
rate to 25-30% this 1979-80
school year. Of the 232 drop
outs in the county in 1977-78,
we are striving to enroll ai
least 76, or 33% of these
students along with 76 of the
1978-79 drop-outs.
To accomplish our goals,
we arc striving to improve
our present curriculupi and
increase our course offer
ings. There is a master fall
schedule for the course of
ferings at the end of this
article. Also, the class size
will be limited from 10-12
studcrits actively partici
pating in each class. The
individual touch, one-on-one
teaching relationships, is a
must for the students who
have been long ago turned
off to "education" or
"schools."
Other additions of EDS in
the past four years have been
a full time guidance coun
selor. additional work-study
monies to put students on the
job. additional learning lab
programs to work with stu
dents, especially with read
ing problems or any other
school-related problem.
i "7/
Extended
Johnnie W. Bovette.
Direi tor
The Duplin County
Extended Day Sehool has
been in operation for the past
four yeat % During these
years we nave seen mueh
growth. For instance, the
average daily membership
for the past four years has
been as follows: 1976 - 71;
1977 . 91; 1978 - 107; and
1979 - 139. This represents
an average increase of 23
students yearly.
Students range front 16 to
19 years of age. and there are
a few students younger than