October 27, 2023 Coats Museum News
Would it be interesting for you to learn that only about 6 percent of all married couples will celebrate 50 years of marriage? In September of 1993, a popular Coats couple would be part of that percentage. Billie and Frances Matthews were honored on their 50th anniversary with a large reception given by their daughter Patsy Joyner and son and daughter-in-law Billy and Joyce Matthews. The event was hosted at the Coats Senior Center. Lillian Bowden greeted the 150 guests who attended, and granddaughter Mellissa Matthews sang “Look at Us” prior to a slide presentation by Jennifer Flowers (Daily Record Sept. 17, 1993).
Remember I promised a few weeks ago that I would share some interesting genealogy about a family that is connected to those that don’t really realize they share the same ancestral folks. Also note that when a female takes the name of her spouse that does not mean that she loses her families’ genealogy. That is what makes the working with family genealogies so fascinating. Amazingly many of our museum visitors say that they had no idea that certain classmates were any kin to them.
Following the publication of the Harnett County Heritage book, the Daily Record focused for several editions on outstanding families that had deep roots in Harnett County when it was part of Cumberland County. In the September 17, 1993 was a reprinting of an article from the Smithfield Herald (1988), which was written by Stanton Coats. The lengthy article was published on “A Family of Educators.”
I will share part of what Stanton wrote and will add in some additional info that we have at the museum. He wrote that the original Turlington home place is located on State Road 1303 in southwestern Elevation Township in Johnston County. (Today that 185 year- old house is in good shape with the Turlington Family Cemetery nearby on what is now called the Benson-Hardee Road).
Stanton Coats wrote that the original Turlington home place was built by Willis Turlington in 1838. That was one year before Willis Turlington purchased 2300 acres for $1400 from the heirs of Dushee Shaw in 1839 in what is now Harnett County. It is on part of this property that the old Dushee Shaw House is being restored as a museum. The Coats Erwin Middle School was built on Turlington ancestral land. Much of the Turlington property went all the way down to what is shown on old maps as being the Slocumb’s Crossroads. Part of the original land in that area is having houses built upon it. It was Turlington land. Wasn’t it in that area that Devereux “Debro” Turlington had a saw mill and later Carl and Ed Turlington operated a cotton gin at that crossroads? In fact, do you remember Mrs. Mary Stewart who taught in Coats? She was married to T. D. Stewart. The D in his name was Devereux after his maternal Turlington ancestor. She lived across from the new houses being constructed.
On December 31, 1887, Andrew Jackson and Brazilla Denning Turlington gave daughter Nancy Isabella Turlington Coats two tracts of land for $1.00. One tract of 75 acres was on the west side of Black River adjacent to J.K. Stewart’s and a 35 acre tract that joined the Joseph Stone tract. Nancy Isabella Turlington was married to James Thomas Coats, the town’s namesake. I, however, do not know if this was formerly owned by her grandfather, Willis Turlington, but it was his son Andrew Jackson Turlington’s land at one time. Wait a minute! Do you think this might have been Denning land? Women had a hard time with land ownership in days past.
The Coats Museum’s research library has many notebooks of the various Turlingtons connected to that old Willis Turlington home place. Likewise more current genealogy and pictures might be found in the Benson Museum of Local History and in the Johnston County Heritage Center. For now let’s focus on some of what was printed in the Daily Record.
I must emphasize that the article mentioned in the Daily Record was first published by Coats in the 1960’s and some of the info might not be consistent with later research. Researchers understand that new found records sometimes contain better info. I am writing it as it appeared in the article by Coats.
Public records reflect that Willis was born in Martin County, N.C. on April 20, 1784. His parents were William and Elizabeth Turlington. It is believed that Elizabeth was an Eastwood. (It is interesting to note that they did name a son Eastwood and later the name appeared again in the Turlington family at Turlington’s Crossroads. Another interesting side note is that Mildred Barclay from Barclays Inn in Barclaysville was an Eastwood before marrying John Barclay in Virginia.
Stanton Coats reported that Willis Turlington left Martin County as a young man presumably with a half brother Kader Turlington (whose mother was Indea Turlington, first wife of William)). In 1814, Willis married Sabra Carter in Cumberland County. She had been born in 1788 in Cumberland County but died in Johnston. Willis died also in Johnston on June 11, 1870. Both she and Willis are buried in the Turlington Cemetery at the home place on Benson Hardee Rd. in Johnston.
When the family moved to Johnston is not known definitely but Willis acquired land in 1818. The land was on the south side of Black Creek and was purchased from Richard Byrd and in a grant from the state of N.C. In 1826, he acquired from Richard Stevens, a smaller tract of 235 acres and in 1828, a smaller tract from Bright Byrd. He accumulated a total of more than 700 acres. He built his house on this land.
Willis deeded the lands to his son Eli Turlington in 1863. Eli continued to acquire lands in 1864 and 1887 in the general area for a total 1,100 acres. Eli married Sarah Woodall in 1854. In the 1850 US Census of Johnston gave record that Willis Turlington was 65 and had real estate valued at $3,000.
Listed in that same 1850 census was that Willis had five children-Tabitha (26), Elizabeth) (24), William (23), Eli (20), and Randolph (18). Randolph was known as Randall Turlington until his death and by the way is buried in the Turlington Family Cemetery in Johnston County even though he died in Harnett County.
By 1850, Eastwood and Andrew Jackson Turlington had settled in Cumberland (Harnett) County and did not show up on Johnston County 1850 Census. William followed his older brothers-Eastwood and Andrew Jackson back to Harnett as did Randall. It is from these brothers that we have Turlingtons spread throughout eastern Harnett especially around Turlington Crossroads.
Mary “Polly” Turlington had married Amos Coats in 1840 so she was not in Willis‘s household on 1850 Census of Johnston. Fourteen years and ten children later she had died and in that same year in 1854, Tabitha married her brother-in-law Amos Coats and helped him rear her sister Mary’s children.
Recall that Eli stayed in Johnston and acquired much real estate and it was his son, Ira Turlington, who was a pioneer in education in Johnston County where he served as the first superintendent of public education in Johnston County (Daily Record September 17, 1993).
Come by and check out the Turlington genealogies and help us add current info and find the connection between the Turlingtons of Harnett County. Let’s not forget that William Turlington was twice married and there were half siblings who are ancestors of most of our Harnett County Turlingtons.
The Coats Museum has the finest of supporters. Geraldine Byrd has again memorialized her beloved husband Bobby Byrd at the museum. We are amazed and so appreciative, Gerry, of your generosity to the museum. Lenny Parker and his crew of 1973 classmates show up on the Heritage Square and keep the shrubbery in immaculate condition. Thank you goes to all of you from the other volunteers and board members.
Would it be interesting for you to learn that only about 6 percent of all married couples will celebrate 50 years of marriage? In September of 1993, a popular Coats couple would be part of that percentage. Billie and Frances Matthews were honored on their 50th anniversary with a large reception given by their daughter Patsy Joyner and son and daughter-in-law Billy and Joyce Matthews. The event was hosted at the Coats Senior Center. Lillian Bowden greeted the 150 guests who attended, and granddaughter Mellissa Matthews sang “Look at Us” prior to a slide presentation by Jennifer Flowers (Daily Record Sept. 17, 1993).
Remember I promised a few weeks ago that I would share some interesting genealogy about a family that is connected to those that don’t really realize they share the same ancestral folks. Also note that when a female takes the name of her spouse that does not mean that she loses her families’ genealogy. That is what makes the working with family genealogies so fascinating. Amazingly many of our museum visitors say that they had no idea that certain classmates were any kin to them.
Following the publication of the Harnett County Heritage book, the Daily Record focused for several editions on outstanding families that had deep roots in Harnett County when it was part of Cumberland County. In the September 17, 1993 was a reprinting of an article from the Smithfield Herald (1988), which was written by Stanton Coats. The lengthy article was published on “A Family of Educators.”
I will share part of what Stanton wrote and will add in some additional info that we have at the museum. He wrote that the original Turlington home place is located on State Road 1303 in southwestern Elevation Township in Johnston County. (Today that 185 year- old house is in good shape with the Turlington Family Cemetery nearby on what is now called the Benson-Hardee Road).
Stanton Coats wrote that the original Turlington home place was built by Willis Turlington in 1838. That was one year before Willis Turlington purchased 2300 acres for $1400 from the heirs of Dushee Shaw in 1839 in what is now Harnett County. It is on part of this property that the old Dushee Shaw House is being restored as a museum. The Coats Erwin Middle School was built on Turlington ancestral land. Much of the Turlington property went all the way down to what is shown on old maps as being the Slocumb’s Crossroads. Part of the original land in that area is having houses built upon it. It was Turlington land. Wasn’t it in that area that Devereux “Debro” Turlington had a saw mill and later Carl and Ed Turlington operated a cotton gin at that crossroads? In fact, do you remember Mrs. Mary Stewart who taught in Coats? She was married to T. D. Stewart. The D in his name was Devereux after his maternal Turlington ancestor. She lived across from the new houses being constructed.
On December 31, 1887, Andrew Jackson and Brazilla Denning Turlington gave daughter Nancy Isabella Turlington Coats two tracts of land for $1.00. One tract of 75 acres was on the west side of Black River adjacent to J.K. Stewart’s and a 35 acre tract that joined the Joseph Stone tract. Nancy Isabella Turlington was married to James Thomas Coats, the town’s namesake. I, however, do not know if this was formerly owned by her grandfather, Willis Turlington, but it was his son Andrew Jackson Turlington’s land at one time. Wait a minute! Do you think this might have been Denning land? Women had a hard time with land ownership in days past.
The Coats Museum’s research library has many notebooks of the various Turlingtons connected to that old Willis Turlington home place. Likewise more current genealogy and pictures might be found in the Benson Museum of Local History and in the Johnston County Heritage Center. For now let’s focus on some of what was printed in the Daily Record.
I must emphasize that the article mentioned in the Daily Record was first published by Coats in the 1960’s and some of the info might not be consistent with later research. Researchers understand that new found records sometimes contain better info. I am writing it as it appeared in the article by Coats.
Public records reflect that Willis was born in Martin County, N.C. on April 20, 1784. His parents were William and Elizabeth Turlington. It is believed that Elizabeth was an Eastwood. (It is interesting to note that they did name a son Eastwood and later the name appeared again in the Turlington family at Turlington’s Crossroads. Another interesting side note is that Mildred Barclay from Barclays Inn in Barclaysville was an Eastwood before marrying John Barclay in Virginia.
Stanton Coats reported that Willis Turlington left Martin County as a young man presumably with a half brother Kader Turlington (whose mother was Indea Turlington, first wife of William)). In 1814, Willis married Sabra Carter in Cumberland County. She had been born in 1788 in Cumberland County but died in Johnston. Willis died also in Johnston on June 11, 1870. Both she and Willis are buried in the Turlington Cemetery at the home place on Benson Hardee Rd. in Johnston.
When the family moved to Johnston is not known definitely but Willis acquired land in 1818. The land was on the south side of Black Creek and was purchased from Richard Byrd and in a grant from the state of N.C. In 1826, he acquired from Richard Stevens, a smaller tract of 235 acres and in 1828, a smaller tract from Bright Byrd. He accumulated a total of more than 700 acres. He built his house on this land.
Willis deeded the lands to his son Eli Turlington in 1863. Eli continued to acquire lands in 1864 and 1887 in the general area for a total 1,100 acres. Eli married Sarah Woodall in 1854. In the 1850 US Census of Johnston gave record that Willis Turlington was 65 and had real estate valued at $3,000.
Listed in that same 1850 census was that Willis had five children-Tabitha (26), Elizabeth) (24), William (23), Eli (20), and Randolph (18). Randolph was known as Randall Turlington until his death and by the way is buried in the Turlington Family Cemetery in Johnston County even though he died in Harnett County.
By 1850, Eastwood and Andrew Jackson Turlington had settled in Cumberland (Harnett) County and did not show up on Johnston County 1850 Census. William followed his older brothers-Eastwood and Andrew Jackson back to Harnett as did Randall. It is from these brothers that we have Turlingtons spread throughout eastern Harnett especially around Turlington Crossroads.
Mary “Polly” Turlington had married Amos Coats in 1840 so she was not in Willis‘s household on 1850 Census of Johnston. Fourteen years and ten children later she had died and in that same year in 1854, Tabitha married her brother-in-law Amos Coats and helped him rear her sister Mary’s children.
Recall that Eli stayed in Johnston and acquired much real estate and it was his son, Ira Turlington, who was a pioneer in education in Johnston County where he served as the first superintendent of public education in Johnston County (Daily Record September 17, 1993).
Come by and check out the Turlington genealogies and help us add current info and find the connection between the Turlingtons of Harnett County. Let’s not forget that William Turlington was twice married and there were half siblings who are ancestors of most of our Harnett County Turlingtons.
The Coats Museum has the finest of supporters. Geraldine Byrd has again memorialized her beloved husband Bobby Byrd at the museum. We are amazed and so appreciative, Gerry, of your generosity to the museum. Lenny Parker and his crew of 1973 classmates show up on the Heritage Square and keep the shrubbery in immaculate condition. Thank you goes to all of you from the other volunteers and board members.