Images of Gaston County Wills 1847 to 1867
Testators: Armstrong, Mary ; Armstrong, William ; Arrowood, David ; Beattie, Esther ; Bell, John ; Black, Stephen; Blackwood, Joseph; Brison, John ; Caldwell, Samuel Lee ; Carpenter, David ; Cloninger, Adam; Craft, Michael ; Eaker, Daniel ; Edleman, Peter ; Ewing, Jabez ; Falls, Andrew; Falls, Mary R. ; Ferguson, James ; Ferguson, Thomas ; Ferguson, William M. ; Ford, Sarah ; Forgus, Elizabeth ; Gingles, Samuel ; Gullick, Milton ; Hanks, Thomas ; Hanner, Thomas ; Henderson, William ; Henkle, Hannah ; Hill, Ann ; Holland, Franklin H. ; Holland, Isaac; Holland, Martha; Holland, Mary C. ; Howel, Ellis; Hoyl, Andrew ; Jenkins, Ann ; Johnston, Robert ; Knox, John ; Lidell, John ; Linebarger, John; Love, Andrew ; Love, Mary ; MacLean, Thomas ; McClure, James ; McCullough, Robert; Mellon, Jonathan ; Moore, Lee A.; Neely, John; Oats, Thomas; Ormand, Benjamin; Rankin, Alexander ; Robinson, Margaret ; Robinson, Samuel ; Rutledge, George; Rhyne, John; Rhyne, Michael ; Rudasill, Susannah ; Self, William; Shipp, Elizabeth W.; Smith, John ; Smith, John (2) ; Smith, Robert ; Stowe, Larkin ; Stroup, Hosea ; Stroup, Jacob ; Stroup, Jonas; Stroup, Lawson ; Torrence, Ephraim ; Torrence, Jamison F. ; Wells, Featherston ; White, James ; Whitesides, John ; Whitesides, Wallace ; Wilson, Margaret ; Wilson, Mary A. ; Wilson, William
Abee Cemetery in Gastonia
The Breech Rifle at Kings Mountain Battle
During the Battle of Kings Mountain, the militia used their “breech rifles”. These were over-the-mountain-men and local hunters accustomed to shooting game while running. The remarkable feature of the gun is its perpendicular breech plug equipped with a screw device so as to make it possible to lower it by a revolution of the trigger guard which serves as a handle. When the breech plug is lowered, an opening is left in the top of the barrel at the breech. A spherical bullet dropped into this opening with the muzzle of the gun held downward rolls forward through the chamber where it is stopped by the lands of the rifling. A charge of powder then poured into the opening fills the chamber behind the bullet, whereupon one revolution of the trigger guard closes the breech and the weapon is ready for priming and firing.
Names of Families in Gaston County Wills and Estates
The first settlers to in the Catawba and Cherokee region were in the region by the mid 1700s and were of German, Dutch, English, and Scotch-Irish origin. A fort was constructed along the Catawba and South Fork Rivers, however, most of the Cherokees had left by 1770 and the Catawba Indians removed to Fort Mill, South Carolina. Gaston County was founded in 1846 and named for William Gastson, a Congressman and North Carolina Supreme Court justice. The original commissioners of the county were ordered to establish a county seat within two miles of the Long Creek Baptist Meeting House, and they named the seat Dallas, in honor of Vice President George Dallas. Yet, a popular 1911 vote made Gastonia the county seat. Bessemer City, Cherryville, High Shoals, Lowell, McAdenville, Ranlo, Stanley, Spencer, and Mount Holly are other communities within the boundaries of Gaston County. The county seat is Gastonia (pictured).
Gaston County Wills and other Records Available to Members of North Carolina Pioneers
Images of Wills 1869 to 1898
Testators: Abernathy, J. A. ; Abernathy, James; Abernathy, Marion ; Abernathy, Miles; Abernathy, Starling; Adams, Margaret; Aderholdt, Barbara; Aderholt, David; Armstrong, Mathew ; Armstrong, M. R. ; Armstrong, Visa; Baldwin, Nancy L.; Barnhill, Mary A.; Beattie, Francis ; Beattie, James O. ; Beattie, Samuel ; Bell, Susan; Best, Samuel; Bissell, Edward; Black, Alfred and Mary; Black, Vincent; Blackwood, Ann; Blackwood, Elizabeth; Blackwood, Gideon; Blackwood, Jane; Blackwood, Leander ; Blackwood, Margaret; Boyd, Robert M.; Bradley, Albert ; Bradley, Alexander S.; Bradley, Joseph W. ; Bradley, Mitchell; Bradley, Rebecca; Broadway, Whiten; Brock, Jonas ; Bryson, Jane; Carpenter, A. W.; Carpenter, Sally; Carroll, Margaret ; Carson, James M.; Carson, Joseph ; Carson, Robert ; Cathey, Elizabeth; Clark, William ; Clemmer, Levi ; Clenenger, Fanny; Cleninger, Jonas ; Cleninger, Moses ; Combust, David ; Connell, Mary Ellen ; Connell, Robert ; Connell, Sarah; Connors, William F. ; Costner, Catharine ; Costner, Simon P. ; Craig, Robert H. ; Craft, J. P. ; Crow, John; Dameron, John ; Davenport, A. W.; Dellinger, Tempy; Derr, Silvey G. ; Dickson, William ; Eaker, David ; Ewing, Hugh F.; Ferguson, James; Findlay, Elizabeth; Finley, Ann M. ; Finley, Melissa Jane; Friday, David ; Friday, Ephraim; Friday, J. N. ; Froneberger, John; Gamble, Joseph; Garrett, Malvina ; Gingles, Dorcas; Glenn, E. L.; Grier, Margaret M. ; Groves, N. E. ; Hager, Lawson S. ; Hager, William ; Hall, J. D. ; Hampton, Celeste B. ; Hanks, Elizabeth; Harrelson, James F.; Harrelson, William ; Harrison, John ; Henderson, J. Newton ; Henderson, W. B.: Hill, William; Hines, Daniel; Holland, E. B. ; Holland, Robert; Hovis, Sarah ; Huffstetler, H. B.; Hutchinson, Charles L. ; Jenkins, D. A. ; Jenkins, Harrison ; Jenkins, Lodema; Jenkins, Smith; Johnston, S. X. ; Kiser, Jacob; Kiser, Levi ; Kiser, Susannah ; Leeper, Arthur ; Lineberger, David ; Lineberger, Lewis ; Love, Jennet ; Love, Naomi ; Manney, Caleb; McAlister, Elisha ; McBee, Sarah; McClurd, R. L.; McCready, James; McCready, William; McGill, Thomas; McKee, Pina S. ; McLean, John D.; McLean, Margaret ; McNair, Nancy ; Mendenhall, John J. ; Mendenhall, Margaret ; Nantaz, W. J. ; Neal, Sarah; Nealy, Sarah L.; Nolen, William; O’Connell, J. J. ; Ormond, John J. Jr. ; Ormond, Zenos ; Parrish, W. N.; Pasvur, George J. ; Patterson, William; Pearson, William; Perkins, Isaac ; Perry, Edward; Quinn, Eliza E. ; Quinn, James; Quinn, John W. ; Rankin, John E. ; Rankin, John ; Ratchford, Esther; Ratchford, Joseph; Ratchford, Robert; Reede, Elizabeth; Rhyne, Daniel; Rhyne, Eslie ; Rhyne, Jacob E. ; Rhyne, Jacob H. ; Rhyne, Jacob K. ; Rhyne, Moses H. ; Rudisill, Emanuel ; Rutledge, A. R. ; Rutledge, James; Ryborne, Andrew ; Scott, Ebenezer ; Shannon, James; Smith, Benjamin; Smith, James R. ; Smith, J. W. ; Smith, Martha; Smith, Mary A. ; Stowe, Elizabeth; Stroup, Caleb; Stroup, Moses ; Suggs, M. I. ; Summerson, Susan ; Tarvin, Rachel W. ; Therron, John; Thomas, Rebecca ;Thomas, Samuel ; Thomasson, D. W. ; Torrence, Harrison A. ; Torrence, Robert; Wallace, Mary E. ; Wallace, Sarah and William W. ; Warlick, Lyda ; Wells, Burrel F. ; Wells, David; White, Elizabeth R. ; White, James F. ; White, James H.; White, Mary C. ; White, Mary ; Whitesides, Margaret ; Whitesides, Mary ; Whitesides, W. T. ; Wilson, Ezra ; Wilson, Mary M. and Wilson, Robert;
Miscellaneous Wills
- Rutledge, George, LWT (1850), transcript
Images of Wills 1898 to 1916
Testators: Adams, Jane Caroline ; Aden, Giles M. (probate) ; Anthony, A. M.; Armstrong, Clarissa ; Armstrong, George M. ; Armstrong, Margaret E. ; Arrowood, William ; Banister, Sarah ; Bayer, E. E.; Beam, D. C. ; Bell, Rosa C. ; Bell, Wiley ; Bell, William ; Berry, Nancy J.; Beatty, Eleanor ; Blackwood, James M. ; Blackwood, Mary J. ; Blackwood, William R. ; Bradford, William T. ; Brimer, C. P. ; Brison, Benjamin ; Broadaway, William ; Brown, J. L. ; Bryson, John F. ; Burk, Monroe ; Caldwell, R. A. ; Cannon, John F. ; Carpenter, B. F.; Carpenter, Dicey L. ; Carpenter, Fannie L.; Carpenter, Henry ; Carpenter, J. E. ; Carrington, Edwin T.; Carroll, Sarah E.; Carson, Margaret Elizabeth ; Carson, M. E. ; Carson, Rufus W.; Cathey, Morris ; Clark, Elizabeth ; Clark, Mary A.; Cole, Florence M.; Connell, James H. ; Costner, Jess H. ; Costner, John W. ; Costner, Mary Zoe ; Costner, Michael H. ; Costner, S. P. ; Costner, Susan Emeline ; Cox, Eli ; Davis, I. N.; Davis, W. L. ; Dellinger, Harriett ; Dellinger, Isabella ; Dewstoe, Martin; Dickson, O. C. ; Eaker, John ; Eaker, Margaret ; Elmsmore, Mary ; Falls, Thomas L.; Farley, Augustus; Farley, Janett; Farrar, Nathaniel; Farris, Margaret; Fite, Mary ; Fite, Rufus ; Flonk, Jacob; Flonk, Sallie; Foster, Elizabeth; Friday, Rufus ; Froneberger, Anna May ; Froneberger, Falls; Froneberger, Namay; Gamble, A. J.; Glenn, E. M. ; Glenn, Margaret M. ; Glenn, Mary Lavina ; Glenn, Martha M. ; Glenn, William D.; Glove, R. C. ; Gray, George A.; Gray, John E. ; Greenwell, Thomas William ; Gullick, Jane ; Gullick, John A. ; Hall Mary Ellen; Hall, W. T. ; Hand, Alfred F. ; Hand, Laura ; Hand, S. J.; Hanna, Thomas M. ; Hanna, William D. ; Hargrove, W. W.; Harris, T. P. ; Harris, William C. ; Harrison, Julia A. ; Heavner, Mary E. ; Henderson, Abier ; Henderson, Andy R. ; Henderson, Martha P. ; Henderson, Roxana; Herron, Elizabeth ; Hill, Rufus S. ; Hoffman, E. L.; Hoffman, Jonas ; Hoffman, M. P. ; Hoffman, W. C. B.; Hogue, Wade ; Holland, Julia Courts ; Homesley, Benjamin S. ; Homesley, James; Hord, Marion ; Howe, Margaret Elizabeth ; Jackson, Thomas; Jamieson, Mary L.; Jenkins, Annie ; Jenkins, Edward ; Jenkins, Jonas ; Jenkins, Joseph ; Jenkins, William ; Johnson, Laban ; Johnson, L. D. ; Johnston, Julia W. ; Johnston, Ural G. ; Jones, John E. ; Kendrick, Mary; Kennedy, James J. ; Kennedy, J. J. ; Kennedy, Nannie L.; Kincaid, J. R.; Kiser, Barbara ; Lackey, Fannie ; Lackey, G. W.; Leeper, F. W. ; Lentz, Paul ; Lineberger, David A. ; Lineberger, P. J.; Lineberger, Sarah ; Lineberger, Monroe ; Love, N. L.; Manney, M. J. ; Mauney, Jane; Mauney, Wiley ; McLean, Martha ; McNair, Jane; McNaire, Margaret ; Miller, Bell ; Miller, Catherine V. ; Miller, Margaret; Miller, Mary C. ; Miller, Robert A. Sr. ; Mitchem, Harriet ; Moore, James Walter; Morrow, R. H.; Moss, N. H. ; Moten, W. R. ; Nantz, Reeves ; Neagle, J. P.; Ormand, Ann; Ormand, B. M. ; Ormand, R. D.; Orrender, W. W. ; Parks, Ann ; Patrick, James Leander; Pegram, Edwin Larkin ; Pegram, T. C. ; Petty, C. Q.; Plume, Frederick; Pool, M. A. Sr. ; Price, Elizabeth; Prior, James ; Pryor, Eliza B.; Pryor, Mary Perlina ; Rankin, Erastus ; Rankin, Mack ; Rankin, W. D.; Ransom, Nancy; Rankin, R. P. ; Ratchford, Eliza; Ray, Thomas ; Reynolds, Matthew ; Rhyne, Alburtus; Rhyne, Mary C.; Richards, William; Riddle, George L. ; Riddle, Joseph ; Riddle, Mary J.; Robinson, Ann ; Robinson, E. J. ; Robinson, William M. ; Ross, Lidda; Sadler, Susan ; Shaw, Catherine J. ; Sherrill, William C. ; Shives, G. M. ; Sloan, Elmina Spring ; Smith, Catherine ; Smith, C. F. ; Smith, John B. ; Smith, L. C.; Sparrow, Susan S.; Spencer, William H. ; Sprott, Mary A. ; Stewart, Rebecca ; Stowe, C. T. ; Stowe, J. L. ; Stroup, Addie A. ; Stroup, Andrew ; Stroup, Belle ; Stroup, Israel R.; Suggs, L. L. ; Sumerow, Henry ; Tate, Margaret L. ; Thomas, John F. ; Thomas, Sarah A. ; Thomas, W. R. ; Thornburg, Daniel ; Thornburg, David S. ; Thornburg, Moses ; Titman, Ann C. ; Torrence, Crown ; Torrence, Ladusky ; Torrence, M. M. S. ; Underwood, David ; Walker, David M. ; Watterson, Rebecca ; Welch, Louis P. ; White, J. C. and Barbara ; White, Robert A.; Whitworth, Titus; Wilson, John F. ; Wilson, Margie ; Wilson, Thomas ; Winder, John C. ; Withers, Sue S.
Browsing Genealogy
Genealogy Tips by Jeannette Holland Austin
A good hobby while vacationing is to browse antique shops. Lots of people make a lifetime of hoarding, and this sort of stuff can easily end up in an estate sale, or antique shop. Have you seen an attic which you would dearly love to search? The old ways are still prevalent in our society. That is why it is fun to browse out-of-way shops in unlikely neighborhoods and towns. Also, I remember seeing large bulky ledger books of old businesses from New York, as well as county records! It was the practice at once time for the clerk to take his work home with him. This is how certain records survived the fire at the court house!
