Duplin County, NC - Bostic Family of Duplin County

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                  BOSTIC’S OF DUPLIN COUNTY, N.C.

               BOSTICK TO BOSTIC - 12 GENERATIONS
                          Feb. 2004

The following story is based on facts, supported by deeds and documents registered/
recorded in Duplin and Onslow County, NC.  Other supporting evidence was gathered 
through census records and research through Root Web, Ancestry Tree, and Mormon 
Genealogy Records.   

In order to understand our ancestors; I find it necessary to “set the stage”. I will 
try not to bore you with history details.

Charles and Mary Bostick arrived in the United States from, England in the 1660’s (The 
Great Migration of 1620-1660).  They settled in New Kent County, VA.  Virginia was made 
an official “Royal” colony of England in 1625; but Virginia was still an “unsettled” and 
hostile area.  It is noted in history that the early English settlers came to America and 
were granted 40 acres of land (which was predominately used to grow tobacco), in exchange 
for their passage cost.  English used these land grants to entice the people of England 
to come to America and establish the English colonies.

Religion was the governing force of England.  A Parrish was set up in each colony and 
kept the records of christenings, marriages and births. Parrish’s also set the boundaries 
for the communities.  Parrish’s were surrounded by the community graveyards.  Life was a 
constant struggle for the first English settlers mostly comprised of gentleman ill suited 
for hard work or the use of weapons as a means of defense. {Remember; the Indians were 
here first and proved they would not “willingly” give up their land to new settlers.  
(Indian War 1609-1614, and Anglo Native American War of 1622)} 

As members of the St. Peters Parrish in New Kent County, VA;  their records indicate 
Charles was born 1640 in ENGLAND and his wife Mary was born in England in 1650. All five 
of their children were christened at birth at the St. Peters Parrish.  Charles died in 
1701, and Mary died in 1709; they were both buried there in New Kent County, VA.

Charles and Mary had four sons and one daughter; (all of their birth dates were recorded 
as “abt.” 1680): (John , Charles, William,  James, and Vernice).  I started tracing all 
of their son’s roots to link them to mine and my great great grandfather (John Miller 
Bostic of Duplin County). I was successful finding our link upon tracing their son 
Charles (b. abt. 1680).

Charles (b. about 1680), married Phebe in 1710 in Hanover County, Virginia.  They had 
only one son,  Valentine born 1730;  (born when Charles was already 50 years old).  
Without this one son born late in life to Charles and Phebe, none of us would exist!

I uncovered the WILL of Valentine’s father  Charles (b. 1680);  The  WILL dated 1750 is 
recorded in Onslow County deed book; leaving their only son Valentine 9 of their 11 
slaves and household goods once he turned age 21.  The other slaves were WILLED to their 
only newborn grandson Charles (b. 1750).  Charles (b. 1680) left a stipulation in his will 
that Valentine would receive his inheritance “provided his mother Phebe receives 
sufficient maintenance for the rest of her life”.  This establishes the fact that ALL OF 
THEM WERE IN ONSLOW COUNTY in 1750.  Charles and Phebe were 70 years old when they wrote 
this will to their only son Valentine; then only 20 years old.

I uncovered a document that states that Valentine of Hanover County Virginia,  sold 400 
acres of land to John Woodson in 1741.  This was much more than the 40 acres granted to 
most of the English settlers, so it is safe to assume that Charles came from England 
wealthy enough to buy 400 acres of Virginia land, and 11 slaves.

Charles’s (b. 1680) WILL to Valentine written in 1750 and recorded in Onslow County, NC  
indicates that after their Virginia land was sold;  they left Virginia in 1741.  (Charles 
and Phebe (B. 1680), Valentine and Mary (b. 1730).   Passage through wilderness and on 
trails, through hostile and uncivilized country; passage undoubtedly made on covered 
horse drawn wagons.

Valentine and Mary’s only son Charles II (b. 1750) was born in Onslow County, NC.   

Charles II (b.1750) married Nancy Ann James (b. 1750) of Duplin County.  Nancy is the 
reason our ancestors migrated from Onslow County to Duplin County where ALL NINE of 
Charles and Nancy’s children were born.  Their children were:   John (b. 1788), Samuel 
(b. 1790), Polly (b. 1793), Sarah P. (b. 1820), William (b.1794), Richard (b. 1798), Daniel 
(b. 1803), Jacob (b. 1807), Charles (b.1810).  There oldest born son JOHN (b. 1788)  is 
OUR Ancestor.

I read an article written by William Dickson born 1780 in Duplin county, where he was 
“positioned” as recorder of records for Duplin County, and who wrote “The History of 
Duplin County to 1810” published in the Wilmington Star Newspaper in 1922.  His article 
gave an authentic representation of life in Duplin County prior to and long after the 
Revolutionary War. Dickson was 30 years old at the time and had lived there all his 
life.

In his article he describes the influx of Irish and Scottish Immigrants in 1736 into 
Duplin County.  He made the comment that “At the commencement of the Revolutionary War  
Duplin County contained about 1000 white poll taxpayers and very few of them were 
emigrants from Europe”.  Apparently none of the 1000 English decent Duplin County 
residents considered themselves as “immigrants” since they were there by permission of 
the King of England.   They defended what they believed to be English Soil against any 
other immigrants whether they were Indian, Scottish, Dutch, Irish, etc.

The article does verify that there were many other immigrants OTHER THAN ENGLISH in and 
around Duplin County, desperately trying to find a place to settle in America; and even 
though the English did run them out of Duplin County at the time, they were able to 
settle outside of the county, away from the English colonies. This establishes the fact 
that ONLY English settlers were allowed to be part of the English colonies in their early 
stages of development. (To become a member of an English Colony, you had to “pray” to the 
other colony members to be accepted.)

Dickson’s article also mentioned that “The people of Duplin County generally RESENTED the 
King of England sending in representatives to cause them to take and Oath of Allegiance 
to the King and pay English taxes; since it was not required in other countries”.  He 
notes that in April 1781, “When Earl Cornwallis marched to Wilmington, he marched 
through Duplin.  As he approached, the inhabitants of Duplin retreated to places of 
safety out of the enemy’s way.”  They saw the British “redcoats” as their enemy; even 
though they themselves were of English decent.

“In July 1781 Col.  James Kenan and 250 Duplin Militia formed to prevent any British 
parties from coming in the county to drive off stock, etc.”  “He was joined by Major 
Griffin from Halifax and about 150 men.”

Charles Bostic II was a private in the American Revolution and is recorded as a member in 
the Duplin County Revolutionary War roster.  (This was the first time in the records that 
the “k” was dropped from our name and the first time Charles was listed as Charles II)

Even though the inhabitants of Duplin County were from English origin; they obviously 
felt that the land they had worked to improve and the lives they had struggled to carve 
out for themselves and their families now belonged to them as “Americans”; they no longer 
felt any loyalty to Great Britain.  This best describes the attitude of the inhabitants 
of the southern English colonies of Duplin County in new America. 

Dickson’s article states:  “In 1784, Duplin County being remote from navigation, the 
general individual’s wealth or income came from the production off their land. The first 
inhabitants of Duplin and Sampson Counties built and lived in log cabins; and as they 
became wealthier, some built Clapboard Houses with clay chimneys.  At present in 1810, 
there are many good houses, well constructed of brick chimneys and glass windows.  There 
are no stone or brick walled houses.”  “The produce raised for market in the lower parts 
of the county is pitch, tar and turpentine, sawed lumber, and staves.  In the upper part 
of the county, the lands are most fertile and remote from navigation where the produce 
marketed was pork, bacon, Indian corn, and cotton and conveyed in carts and wagons to the 
market.”  This describes the conditions that our forefathers had to face, and the threats 
that surrounded them.  

Charles II and Nancy’s oldest son was born in 1788-John Bostick.  (His death in 1848) is 
recorded in Beulaville, NC, Duplin County.  This is our ancestor:  (Throughout the 
recordings of Duplin and Onslow County records our name is recorded both with and without 
the “k”)
 
Many times my dad mentioned a story that had been handed down through the generations, 
that John Bostic owned the “Bostic Plantation”.  In 1996 my dad (Milton Bostic) took me 
to a place where he remembered to be the location of the “Bostic Plantation”.  Fields 
had grown up, not seeing a plow in years; and showing little signs of ownership or 
civilization (no buildings or remnants of buildings were left.) In years to come, I would 
be truly thankful that dad took the initiative and time to take all of us to visit the 
family home places and graveyards.  If he hadn’t instilled that sense of family pride and 
connection in me at an early age, I might never have had the curiosity necessary to do 
the research and find the truth.  Thanks dad!

I wonder who owns the land now? (It is near the Bostic/Sandlin Cemetery on Hallsville 
Road in Hallsville, NC). I decided to do some research to find out if the “Bostic 
Plantation” ever really existed!

Dad told me that for years rumors had circulated that John Bostic was into gamblin’  
and that he lost the Plantation in a game of poker.  I decided to do some research to see 
if this RUMOR was true.   This motivated me to search for Duplin and Onslow County Deeds 
or transactions involving John and his son John Miller.  

It was Charles Bostick II (b. 1750) of Onslow County,  that bought and established the 
infamous “Bostic Plantation” located in Duplin County, where all 9 of his children were 
born.  (where his oldest son John Bostick (b. 1788) was born – OUR JOHN).

In 1778 Charles Bostick (b. 1750) bought 100 acres of land from Henry Allen of Duplin 
County, he paid Henry Allen “50 English pounds”. Described as “land south of Muddy Creek 
and NE Cape Fear River, bordering John Brown and Z. Hollingsworth’s land.”  Recorded in 
Duplin County Deed Book letter F, pages 190, 191 and 192.

In 1788 Charles Bostick (b. 1750) received a LAND GRANT of 150 acres in Duplin County. 
Described as “Allen’s Swamp to Drew Hall’s line to Woodward’s land connecting with 
Bostick’s existing line.”  Recorded in Duplin County Book 66, page 339, Grant No. 1023 
Issued July 11, 1788.  (The same year our John was born) This establish the fact that 
England was still giving it’s English decent colony members grants of land.

This 250 acres were what the nine children of Charles (b. 1750) and Nancy Bostick would 
refer to as the “Bostick Plantation”.   Land that was bought when Charles II was just 28 
years old. Land bought when his dad Valentine (b. 1730) was 48 years old.  (We 
established the fact that they sold their land in Virginia in 1741, they recorded a WILL, 
and Charles II was born in 1750 in Onlsow County.)    So if their son Charles is buying 
land of his own in 1778 where he and his wife Nancy raised 9 children;  it is safe to say 
that his father Valentine and his Mother Mary were still alive; and probably moved with 
Charles and Nancy to Duplin, because they were only 48 years old when their only son 
Charles bought the acres of property in 1778. 

It is also safe to assume that Valentine and Mary gave their only son Charles the money 
to buy the acres;  money that Valentine inherited from the sale of his fathers 400 acres 
in Virginia in 1741

I found the deed documenting:  This land was handed down to Charles (b. 1750) and Nancy’s 
oldest son John Bostick (b. 1788) the year of Charles II’s death in 1814.  This land was 
handed down again to John Bostick’s oldest son in 1848;  Our John Miller Bostick 
(b. 1824). Recorded in Duplin County Deed Book on April 1848.  It is a well documented 
English tradition to hand down all inheritance to the Oldest Born Son.  

John Bostick (b. 1788) at age 23, married in 1811 to Elizabeth Miller (b. 1791). They had 
two daughters and one son:  (Mosley b. 1814).  Mosely Bostick married Drew Thigpen in 
Duplin county; the same Drew Thigpen that shows up as one of the witnesses on almost all 
the deeds and wills in Duplin County!  Celea Bostick (b 1811) married Hosea Hunter (b. 
1807) of Limestone, NC.   Hosea and Celea had only one son- John Edward Hunter (b 1834).  
There are many ties between the Hunters and Thigpens to the Bostick family of Duplin 
County.  For 10 years John Miller and Eliabeth Miller would not have another child after 
Mosely was born in 1814. Their only son (OUR John Miller Bostick) was born  Feb. 23, 
1824. (My father Milton Bostic shared the same birth date as his great grandfather and 
never knew it!)

Elizabeth Miller (b. 1791) died twenty years after the birth of her son in 1824 but 
sometime prior to 1840 because:  Records show John (b. 1788) married again in 1841, to 
Emma Lanier (born 1807). Emma was 29 years younger than John;  John was 53 years old 
when he married Emma.  They had 4 children.  Thomas (b. 1841), Jacob (b. 1844), Samuel 
(b. 1845), and Mary (1847);  all born in Duplin county.  John died in 1848 a year after 
their last child Mary was born, John was 60 years old. (Leaving a 41 yr. old widow Emma 
and 4 young children under the age of 7).  

I located a deed transaction between the two Johns recorded in Duplin County in 1848.  
John gave his son John Miller 220 acres of his land defining the boundary lines that go 
“through my Plantation”, running along Stephens Swamp known by the name of  J. HALL 
place”. It is safe to assume that John left the other 30 acres and the house to his wife 
Emma Lanier Bostick and the 4 small children under the age of 7 when John died in 1848, 
the same year John Miller Bostick received 220 acres of LAND.  (Recorded in Duplin County 
Court Deed Transactions on April, 1848)

John Miller Bostick born (Feb. 23, 1824);  married Sarah Elizabeth Williams at age 24.  
They had 9 children :  Sarah E. (b. 1849),  Stokley Sidbury (b. 1851),  Mary C. (b. 
1856), Chancy W. (b. 1854), Ira M. (b. 1859),  Jesse T. (b. 1862/63),  John W. (b. 1864), 
Uriah S. (b. 1864, and our Osker W.. (b. 1867).

If John Miller Bostick continued his forefathers custom of handing down his property to 
his oldest son;  then Stokley Sidbury Bostick (b. 1851) would have inherited the 220 
acres of the “Bostick Plantation”.  

John Millers’ wife Sarah Elizabeth Williams Bostick stopped that ridiculous English 
custom dead in it’s tracks.  Why shouldn’t all the children inherit equally?!  I found 
evidence that Sarah deeded each of her children land ranging from 25-35 acres.  
Registered in Duplin County Deed book in 1897.  It was all the proof I needed to prove 
that the “Bostic Plantation” did exist and that the RUMOR was false: it was never lost 
in any game of poker by any John Bostic kin to me!

John Miller Bostick served in the Civil War between 1861-1865.  He served first in the 
Cavalry in the 8th  Battalion Partisan Rangers in 1863, which later merged into the 
infantry of the  NC 66th Regiment Infantry under Major John H. Nethercutt.  (He was a 
horseback ranger!)  

My dad Milton Bostic (b. 1922) shared the love of the military with his great 
grandfather, and his great great great grandfather.  My father served for 26 yrs. in the 
US Navy. He participated in the Korean War and World War II, with active combat in 
Europe, Africa and several Pacific locations, involved in 12 major battles. 

We have now established that our ancestors participated in the Revolution, Civil War, 
Korean and World War II;  We can be proud of our family patriotism!

When dad told me that story in 1996; I didn’t tell my dad that the reason I did not 
believe the gamblin’ story about “Old John Bostic” was more than just pride.  Even though 
dad spent 26 years in the Navy;  cards,  alcohol, and foul language were forbidden in the 
house of Milton and Dot Bostic.  (Habits automatically associated with military men)  Dad 
came from a family of proud-hard working-Christian family loving farmers . A family that 
stuck together and knew how to survive and frowned on wasting anything.  A family that 
knew how to stretch a penny into a dollar.  A family that believed in “saving for a rainy 
day”. A family that took care of their families and passed good moral, values and 
principles down to their children.  No way was I gonna believe that ANY John Miller, 
John Bostick or Osker Bostic before me were any different.  Cheating, gambling, lieing, 
stealing, cussing and drinking were just not part of the world I was brought up in. 
To call Milton Bostic a liar was fightin’ words!  He always told us that “we better not 
start a fight, but we better not run from one either!” The only exception was when 
someone called us a liar – then it was ok to “beat the livin’ daylights out of them!” It 
was ok for Milton and Dot to “physically” discipline their children; but heaven help 
anyone else that laid a hand on one of us! It was those deep seated beliefs in my 
family name that motivated me to find our roots.  It took me six years to find all the 
pieces of the puzzle; and what a find!

Dad once told me “if you raise your children right, and stand by them no matter what, 
even though they may take several wrong paths in their life, they will return to the 
fold!”  Dad was always right!  By tracking the family through 12 generations, it was easy 
to see that our dad and our father ancestors “stayed” with their family.  Raising and 
directing their kids through life was important to them. At a very young age of 6, the 
only thing my father told me that he expected out of me is that I WOULD finish high 
school!  So it never entered my mind when I was growing up, that I had any other options 
such as “dropping out”.  I am very grateful to him for instilling ambition and 
responsibility in me very early in life.

Through the census of the 1600, 1700, and 1800’s:  I was able to see how many families 
took in other family members under their roofs during hard times in the 1700 and 1800’s. 
Times were hard for our fore fathers;  but families drew together and took care of their 
own.  The war left many children orphaned.  The census allowed me to see that many nieces 
and nephews were living in the household of their uncles  So it is safe to assume that if 
their father was killed in the war, or their parents died from accidents or diseases, or 
abandoned them; other family members assumed the responsibility of raising the children.
 
Through the census records:  I could also see which families had blacks listed as servant 
and part of their household.   I was disappointed to find many records showing our 
ancestors owned slaves: I am a true Carolina girl and have always lived in the south.  
But I believe the slavery and persecution of others is wrong and unjust.  The bible 
scriptures  teach us to stick to our own race,  I do not believe in inter-racial 
marriages or same sex marriages; however, I also believe we all are created equal in the 
eyes of God; and since HE sees it that way, then so should we! 

Sometime during their life, all eight of my grand parents kids moved away from the home, 
and back into the home when times got a little tough; and they needed to get back on 
their feet. Having that kind of security blanket is priceless.  Always knowing you can go 
home if you need to. I took that for granted until both my parents passed away in 1998 
and 2000.  It truly is a wakeup call.

Tracing the roots of our ancestor, John Miller’s youngest son Osker (b. 1824), proved to 
be very difficult.  Osker did show up on the last census made in 1870;  (where all the 
records were gathered and furnished to the Morman Church of Later Day Saints.). While the 
Root Web and Ancestry Tree does verify some of the information;  the puzzle could not 
have been put together without the Morman’s census records.  This was the only record of 
him I could find.  Our family was always so uncertain on the way Osker was spelled.  But 
it was these same records that dropped the “K” from Bostick. The census had his name 
spelled “Osker W. Bostick” .  It also listed the correct names and birthdates, parents, 
and sibling information that identified our Osker Bostic as we know him.  It just makes 
me furious that our EARLY government run agencies such as the Census and Immigration 
through Ellis Island could get away with “changing” our ancestors names.  Odds are they 
wouldn’t like their dad’s name changed any more than I do! 

My great grand father: Osker Bostic (B. 1867)  was the youngest son of John Miller and 
Sarah Bostick; and would have only inherited a maximum of 35 acres from the Bostick 
Plantation. It is safe to assume that my grandfather Rushion and Lucretia Mobley Bostic 
bought their farm of 100 acres in Beulaville, NC from other sources;  or perhaps its was 
Lucretia Mobley’s (b. 1903) dowry from her father Edgar L. Mobley.  From whatever source 
the Bostic Farm land originated, I am truly thankful.

Rushion and Lucretia Bostic had three sons: Milton, Macon and Rivers.  It is his through 
his son Rivers Bostic that the bloodline of Rushion, Osker and all the Bostic’s before 
them’s bloodline and name will be carried into the future.   Rivers has 3 sons: Ronald, 
Charles and James.  They lived in Baltimore MD for years and now reside in Shrewsbury, PA.

Rushion Bostic had 3 brothers:  Seth, Miller, and Macy Bostic.    It is through their 
heirs that Osker’s and this forefather’s bloodline and name will be carried into the 
future.  (They settled in Pitt, NC and Chinquapin, NC)

My grandmother Lucretia Mobley married Osker Bostic’s son Rushion (born 1897).  My 
grandfather’s nick name for her was “Crecy”; and the his only word that he used that 
could be misconstrued as “cussing” was:  “DOD-LUM-IT!”  The only time I heard my 
grandmorther raise her voice to anyone was when they touched her sewing machine!  I 
am proud that my oldest daughter and grandmother share the same birthday, April 2nd. 

I can only hope to instill into my three children the kind of family values and love that 
my parents and grand parents instilled in me.  I can only hope to live long enough to be 
a big part of my grand children’s lives.   We should all cherish this kind of 
unconditional love.  I pray that we all protect our family name, because in the end, our 
family and our name is all that we end up with!  

It is only fitting that I felt inspired to finish writing this letter to my family on 
Feb. 23, 2004 which would have been my dad’s 82nd birthday; and mail it to my family 
members on my mother’s 72nd birthday!    

In the coming years, I hope to be able to find the time and energy to trace my 
grandmothers bloodlines:  Mobleys, Whaley, Crafts, Browns, Sandlin’s and Thomas; and 
uncover the Scotch-Irish link my dad insisted on all his life!

There was one thing that was naturally understood among the Bostic clan of Duplin County 
– Our parents and our grand parents LOVED US BEYOND A SHADOW OF A DOUBT AND WOULD KILL TO 
PROTECT US!  We are a proud family; but now that our “corner stones” have passed away,  
we have all lost touch and scattered across the country.   But we all know we come from a 
long line of Christians, farmers, soldiers, and most of all – love!    

I pray God will bestow the best of blessings on this house and all that shall dwell in it!

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This file was contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives by
Wanda Bostic Dunlap - chantileee2@verizon.net
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