September 13, 2024 Coats Museum News
Last week you continued to follow the story on how and why people came to the “New World” and how eventually the growth in population on the Coastal region would reach into the Piedmont and Mountainous areas?
Remember Governor Gabriel Johnston was a Highland Scotsman and had enticed his fellow highlanders to come to N.C. in large groups of forty or more to get special tax exemptions. There were likely many who came for other reasons. For several decades conditions had not been favorable in Scotland and smoldering unrest due to enforced union with England had resulted in open warfare.
On April 16, 1746, the Scots were decisively defeated at Culloden by the British army led by the “Bloody Duke” of Cumberland. Scottish estates were confiscated; they were forbidden to bear arms and to wear the costumes of their clans. Thus the clan system was broken up. Many Scots were thrown out of work when their estates were taken over by the British.
Life was not good for the Highlanders on their own native soil and thousands immigrated to America when the king offered them a pardon if they would take a blood oath of allegiance to the House of Hanover. It is said a chorus of a dance hall song was “Going to seek a fortune in North Carolina.” (Lefler and Newsome 73)
It was not long before the Highland settlements embraced the Cape Fear Valley in the current regions of Anson, Bladen, Cumberland, Harnett, Hoke, Moore, Richmond, Robeson, Sampson and Scotland Counties. This blood oath resulted in neighbor versus neighbor during the Revolutionary War. (Lefler and Newsome 72-73).
The Oct. 19th edition of the Daily Record shared that Ratler and Tammy Stewart had announced the birth of a daughter, Morgan Nicole, who was born at the Cape Fear Valley Hospital. Elton Stewart and Magdalene Pleasant were the paternal grandparents and Lindsey Stewart was an older sister.
Here is another name of local prominence-Victor McLeod. He had died after a lengthy illness on Monday at Rex Hospital at the age of 68. He was the son of the late Richard McLeod and Bertie Messer McLeod. The retired farmer and Campbell University golf course employee was a member of the Erwin Chapel PFBC where he was a deacon. Rusty Stewart held his services at the church. His wife Grace Coats McLeod and his three sons, Keith, Charles and Tim McLeod survived him. Vic’s siblings were Clyde McLeod, Mattie Wood, Grace Taylor and Annie Norris (Daily Record October 25, 1994).
When you read names like McLeod, McKinnie and Stewart, do you begin to wonder-where did their ancestors come from-were they some of those Highlanders or Englishmen?
This I do know. Dr. Ron Byrd had officiated at the private wedding ceremony of his daughter, Donna Kay Byrd, to Anthony Wynn Wilson. She was the granddaughter of Mr. and Mrs. James Denning of Coats (Daily Record Oct. 26, 1994).
I also know that Kristen King received the Teacher of the Year award from the Coats Area Chamber of Commerce President Teddy Byrd. Elsewhere, HCBOC Chairman, H.L. Sorrell, Jr., spoke to a large crowd of educators and guests who included Hank Hurd, Glenda Denton, Dee Haskins, Linda Jo Johnson, Wil Breeden, Shelia Byrd and M.O. Phillips (Daily Record Oct. 27, 1994).
The Coats Museum Committee planned a $1,000 raffle ticket dinner for November 4, 1994. Harold Stewart had donated the heating and air conditioning units and Kenneth Johnson had donated the sheetrock for the museum. Graduates of Coats High School were being encouraged to purchase a brick for the museum patio to designate which years from “1925-1985 they had graduated from Coats High School.
Only a few of the current museum volunteers were involved with the startup of the Coats Museum. Those folks started with a decaying, old two room school donated by Peggie and Billy Pope and converted it into a small museum that the school kids could see what life was like for their early ancestors.
It is truly a town museum built with pride by the community people. Most of you are well familiar with Craig and Denise Matthews. Denise’s dad, Nelson Currin, donated some materials for the building. Building contractors Craig and his brother Donnie worked with oversite of the original building. Hilda Pope and Gerry Honeycutt gave hours to the museum and continue to be strong supporters.
One of my fondest memories is of Donnie Matthews, a former student, coming up to H.L. and me at Ma’s Grill and sharing with us that he had worked on the museum and how challenging it was to work with a building in that much decay but he glowed as he remembered those days and it was only a short time forward that Donnie had succumbed to his illness.
One couple very involved with the current museum was Patsy and Stacy Avery who never sought any recognition for all the time and money they gave to the success of the museum’s growth. We are so saddened that Patsy recently died but her many contributions will live on forever in the museum and in our hearts. Thank you goes to the family for designating the Coats Museum PO Box 1294 –Coats, NC as a source for her memorials and thanks go to Linda Cobb, Peggy Robinson, Geraldine Honeycutt, Margaret House, Ann Jones, Terri Morris, Gayle Sorrell and Robie and Lynda Butler for remembering Patsy and to Ron and Susan Jenkins for a memorial for H.L Sorrell Jr. toward the museum’s Building Fund. Does this generosity not tell you readers how remarkable the Coats folks are?
Last week you continued to follow the story on how and why people came to the “New World” and how eventually the growth in population on the Coastal region would reach into the Piedmont and Mountainous areas?
Remember Governor Gabriel Johnston was a Highland Scotsman and had enticed his fellow highlanders to come to N.C. in large groups of forty or more to get special tax exemptions. There were likely many who came for other reasons. For several decades conditions had not been favorable in Scotland and smoldering unrest due to enforced union with England had resulted in open warfare.
On April 16, 1746, the Scots were decisively defeated at Culloden by the British army led by the “Bloody Duke” of Cumberland. Scottish estates were confiscated; they were forbidden to bear arms and to wear the costumes of their clans. Thus the clan system was broken up. Many Scots were thrown out of work when their estates were taken over by the British.
Life was not good for the Highlanders on their own native soil and thousands immigrated to America when the king offered them a pardon if they would take a blood oath of allegiance to the House of Hanover. It is said a chorus of a dance hall song was “Going to seek a fortune in North Carolina.” (Lefler and Newsome 73)
It was not long before the Highland settlements embraced the Cape Fear Valley in the current regions of Anson, Bladen, Cumberland, Harnett, Hoke, Moore, Richmond, Robeson, Sampson and Scotland Counties. This blood oath resulted in neighbor versus neighbor during the Revolutionary War. (Lefler and Newsome 72-73).
The Oct. 19th edition of the Daily Record shared that Ratler and Tammy Stewart had announced the birth of a daughter, Morgan Nicole, who was born at the Cape Fear Valley Hospital. Elton Stewart and Magdalene Pleasant were the paternal grandparents and Lindsey Stewart was an older sister.
Here is another name of local prominence-Victor McLeod. He had died after a lengthy illness on Monday at Rex Hospital at the age of 68. He was the son of the late Richard McLeod and Bertie Messer McLeod. The retired farmer and Campbell University golf course employee was a member of the Erwin Chapel PFBC where he was a deacon. Rusty Stewart held his services at the church. His wife Grace Coats McLeod and his three sons, Keith, Charles and Tim McLeod survived him. Vic’s siblings were Clyde McLeod, Mattie Wood, Grace Taylor and Annie Norris (Daily Record October 25, 1994).
When you read names like McLeod, McKinnie and Stewart, do you begin to wonder-where did their ancestors come from-were they some of those Highlanders or Englishmen?
This I do know. Dr. Ron Byrd had officiated at the private wedding ceremony of his daughter, Donna Kay Byrd, to Anthony Wynn Wilson. She was the granddaughter of Mr. and Mrs. James Denning of Coats (Daily Record Oct. 26, 1994).
I also know that Kristen King received the Teacher of the Year award from the Coats Area Chamber of Commerce President Teddy Byrd. Elsewhere, HCBOC Chairman, H.L. Sorrell, Jr., spoke to a large crowd of educators and guests who included Hank Hurd, Glenda Denton, Dee Haskins, Linda Jo Johnson, Wil Breeden, Shelia Byrd and M.O. Phillips (Daily Record Oct. 27, 1994).
The Coats Museum Committee planned a $1,000 raffle ticket dinner for November 4, 1994. Harold Stewart had donated the heating and air conditioning units and Kenneth Johnson had donated the sheetrock for the museum. Graduates of Coats High School were being encouraged to purchase a brick for the museum patio to designate which years from “1925-1985 they had graduated from Coats High School.
Only a few of the current museum volunteers were involved with the startup of the Coats Museum. Those folks started with a decaying, old two room school donated by Peggie and Billy Pope and converted it into a small museum that the school kids could see what life was like for their early ancestors.
It is truly a town museum built with pride by the community people. Most of you are well familiar with Craig and Denise Matthews. Denise’s dad, Nelson Currin, donated some materials for the building. Building contractors Craig and his brother Donnie worked with oversite of the original building. Hilda Pope and Gerry Honeycutt gave hours to the museum and continue to be strong supporters.
One of my fondest memories is of Donnie Matthews, a former student, coming up to H.L. and me at Ma’s Grill and sharing with us that he had worked on the museum and how challenging it was to work with a building in that much decay but he glowed as he remembered those days and it was only a short time forward that Donnie had succumbed to his illness.
One couple very involved with the current museum was Patsy and Stacy Avery who never sought any recognition for all the time and money they gave to the success of the museum’s growth. We are so saddened that Patsy recently died but her many contributions will live on forever in the museum and in our hearts. Thank you goes to the family for designating the Coats Museum PO Box 1294 –Coats, NC as a source for her memorials and thanks go to Linda Cobb, Peggy Robinson, Geraldine Honeycutt, Margaret House, Ann Jones, Terri Morris, Gayle Sorrell and Robie and Lynda Butler for remembering Patsy and to Ron and Susan Jenkins for a memorial for H.L Sorrell Jr. toward the museum’s Building Fund. Does this generosity not tell you readers how remarkable the Coats folks are?