Hertford County, NC - Solon Borland's Children
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"Solon Borland & FAMILY"
Chapter 3: "Solon's Children"
THOMAS BORLAND
(11/09/08), (01-15-13)
Solon BORLAND (1811VA-1864TX) may have had seven children?
Thomas & Harold ("Little Solon") with first wife Huldah, possibly (?)
one with second wife Elizabeth, rumored to have had one (?) by creole
lady friend, George Godwin, Fanny Green & Mary Melbourne with third and
last wife Mary.
We find documentation that the five known children, Thomas, Harold
("Little Solon"), George Godwin, Fanny ("Fannie") Green, twice married
Mary ("Mollie") Melbourne plus Solon's two granddaughters Grace
("Darce") Melbourne and twice married Mary Borland BEATTIE, lived lives
any parent should be most proud about. We were unable to trace his four
grandsons, Russell & Charles BORLAND (Veterans of World War I), Godwin
Borland MOORES, or George Melbourne BEATTIE (with Oliver Typrwriter Co
in NY, 1903), --- hopefully they too lead good lives.
Material used herein from The College of William & Mary archives is
noted with (WM).
3A. THOMAS BORLAND: (1833NC-1859AR)
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http://files.usgwarchives.net/nc/hertford/bios/borland15.txt
His ancestry.
THOMAS BORLAND was first known son born to Solon BORLAND and
Huldah G (Godwin?) WRIGHT (1809VA-1837TN), with documentation of birth
during first-half of year, yet to be found. Both of Solon's parents
died two or more years before his birth.
James M WOODS wrote Solon's marriage with Huldah occurred in 1831, Fay
HEMPSTEAD (1847AR-1934AR) wrote 1850, neither one documented, ----
HEMPSTEAD provided incorrect birth date for Solon and WOODS incorrect
death date and location.
Huldah's children's names were NOT listed in her Memphis Enquire
obituary of September 9, 1837 www.rootsweb.com/~tnnews/shelby.htm ,
but are found with Thomas first in book; "A Pictorial History of
ARKANSAS From Earliest Times To Year 1890", by Arkansan Fay HEMPSTEAD.
Fay, in 1867, was a student with Thomas' cousins, Euclid, Jr
(1844MS-1896VA) and Thomas Roscius (1845NC- 1900VA) at University of
Virginia following the Civil War in which both BORLAND's were wounded,
Euclid several times.
Two of us were unable to find, as hard as we tried, any trace of
Thomas during early years of research finding his twelve year younger
six y/o cousin Thomas in 1850 census but age didn't check, so,
incorrectly assumed he may have been brought into the union by Huldah
from an earlier marriage, then following her death, returned to his
father's family.
Much was revealed from our 2006 discovery of The College of William &
Mary's Inventory of the Borland Family Papers 1771-1940 Collection
Number Mss. 65 B66 which changed many things!
The Borland papers consisted of 521 pages at The College of William &
Mary's, Earl Gregg Swem Library, Williamsburg, Virginia and had to
have come from Thomas Roscius Borland's files forty-four year after
his death, possibly from his youngst son, Colonel Charles Barney
BORLAND who also had the 1809 James SHARPLES (1751ENG-1811NY) potraits
of his family members, now at Chrysler Museum of Art, Norfolk,
Virginia. (1895 2-cent postage stamp protrait of Geo Washington, also
work of James Sharples)
We selected our limit of 75, mostly letters from the 521 pages,
documenting much which our several years of research had NOT
uncovered. Included was a letter written by the subject Thomas, s/o
Solon.
Such documentation was incorporated within our May 2006 distributed,
200 page, booklet "Solon Borland And FAMILY", which was updated once
in 2010 before this final 2011 updating, and was sent to libraries at:
Little Rock, Fayetteville, (to Springdale & Dallas county GenWeb in
Arkansas), Norfolk & Suffolk, in Virginia, Memphis, Tennessee and New
Orleans, plus universities: William & Mary, Arkansas and Tulane,
historical groups, Suffolk, Virginia, Murfreesboro, North Carolina and
Pulaski county, and City of Rogers, Arkansas.
Solon's, Thomas is documented from 1837 through 1851 by this newly
found, 'William & Mary' material, with Margaret Smith ROSS' 1969 book
revealing he died January 9,1859 at Anthony House, Little Rock, gained
from a brief, unrevealing, death notice of 15th January Arkansas
Gazette issue, indicating he's buried at Mount Holly cemetery without
a marker, where since May Day 1992, his father's memorial cenotaph
(with incorrect birth date) was placed by the Arkansas Bar Foundation
& Pulaski Bar Association in his memory.
Thomas was found listed first in two (WM) letters written by uncle
Euclid to his uncle George Godwin at Suffolk, Virginia, and as
mentioned, in Fay HEMPSTEAD's 1890 book.
Reviewing births of BORLAND family children reveals most of seventeen
children were born, with at least two years separation. Therefore, and
later confirmed by U S Seventh Census (1850) of Nicholas county,
Kentucky, Thomas' birth occurred ca1832/33, likely in North Carolina,
where brother Harold is documentarily born September 1835 as recorded
at United Sates Military Academy.
Thomas was four plus y/o when mother died in 1837. Was sent first to
childless uncle Euclid's in Marshall county, Mississippi then to
Suffolk, Nansemond county, Virginia with those who raised his father,
George GODWIN and Fanny GREEN. Thomas at age 12 was taken to Little
Rock for father's third marriage returned to Suffolk for schooling at
Suffolk Academy February under Reverand Charles H DISBROW
(1813NY-1857VA), later in 1846 schooled by Henry MARKS in Nansemond
county, at age 16, attended Alexandria Boarding School, Alexandria,
Fairfax county, Virginia under Benjamin HALLOWELL (1799- 1877), then
when 17 in 1850 at Blue Lick Springs, Nicholas county, Kentucky in
Western Military Institute, where its said many Little Rock boys
attended, under Colonel Edwin Wright MORGAN (1814PA-1869PA). In 1851
he was working under Colonel MORGAN building a road (railroad?) in
Kentucky, then next found at age 25, dead in Little Rock.
First; (WM) letter, 30 May 1837, to George GODWIN from Euclid upon his
arrival at Holly Springs, Mississippi that Solon and family visited
them from Memphis, Thomas was "delicate".
Second; (WM) 16 Apr 1838, after Huldah's death the two boys were
staying with Euclid in Mississippi, Thomas was well, but "Little
Solon" (Harold) was "delicate". Thereafter, Thomas was raised by
George GODWIN and wife Fanny GREEN in Suffolk, Virginia (as was Solon
in 1820, Thomas R, 1850 & Euclid Jr, 1851). Harold stayed with Euclid
& wife, early we thought it was him in Virginia 1840 census, now sure
that is his brother Thomas.
Third; (WM) 20 April 1845 letter from aunt Fanny (Green) GODWIN in
Suffolk to Solon's oldest brother, Roscius Cicero BORLAND (1807VA-
1845MS), Murfreesboro, North Carolina tells of Solon taking "her
Thomas" and was in Philadelphia, on the 1st, Pittsburgh the 5th,
Louisville the 10th. Solon married his third wife, Mary Isabel, on the
27th of May at Little Rock where he had moved from Louisville,
Jefferson county, Kentucky in 1843 (1st visit was to Hot Springs, Hot
Spring, now Garland county, Arkansas in 1842)
Fourth; Thomas wrote, (WM) 26 May 1849 letter from Alexandria Boarding
School, Virginia, to uncle George GODWIN.
Fifth; uncle Euclid's (WM) 12 October 1851 letter to George GODWIN
from Solon's Hot Springs, Hot Spring, now Garland county, Arkansas
home stating Thomas was in Kentucky with a Colonel MORGAN, building a
new road (railroad?).
This letter prompted a search via Genforum late 2007 in Kentucky
yielding information as to 1850 census with Thomas at Western Military
Institute (WMI). That in turn caused a follow-up with inquiry of WMI
archives who were most helpful furnishing the following.
Sixth: Western Military Institute records reveal Borland appears on
following dates:
31 Jan 1850 - assignment to Company A (2 pp.)
19 Feb 1850 - assignment to 6th Squad of Mess-Squad under Lt. Hughes
(2 pp., including orders)
8 Mar 1850 - exercises in Elocution and Declaration (2 pp.)
19 Apr 1850 - reprimand for disorderly conduct during mess (1 p.)
20 Apr 1850 - assignment to 5th Division of Quarters under Lt. West (2pp.)
23 Apr 1850 - Recitation schedule for classes (4 pp.) under Colonel
Edwin Wright MORGAN (1814PA-1869PA)
Thomas' name is found in several letters indicating he was with George
& Fanny GODWIN during most of his early years.
Also Bruce ALLARDICE, Civil War Historian of Illinois had studied WMI
and confirmed info for me.
April 2007 Margaret Smith ROSS's 1969 book revealed Thomas died
January 9, 1859 in the Anthony House, Little Rock, Arkansas, learned
from January 15th issue of Arkansas Gazette. His parents and family
had moved from Little Rock, west of Senator Wm Savin FULTON's homesite
"Rosewood" which was in part, later Arkansas School for the Blind, now
the Governors Mansion, 18th & Center, since 1949) in February 1858 to
Princeton, Dallas county, Arkansas and father Solon to Memphis June
1859.
Total frustration had set in early on concerning lack of documentation
on Thomas, --- to say the least, compounding this problem is; Dick
JOHNSON's 1855 "printers-ink" political war against Solon in editorial
of The True Democrat, 11 December 1855, saying Solon had arranged an
office for his sons over age 15, 1848 for Thomas and 1850 for "Little
Solon", at Washington City, HOWEVER We Find ---- Euclid's letter of 12
October 1851 has Thomas working on a new road in Kentucky, ~ ~ ~ I
BELIEVE Euclid's letter!! Colonel Edwin Wright MORGAN had left WMI in
1851, becoming chief engineer of Shelby railroad, Kentucky, which was
most likely the new road Thomas is said to be building in Kentucky.
It was thought brother Harold may have attended WMI but a check of
their archivies and Bruce ALLARDICE revealed, not so.
Thomas BORLAND died 9th January 1859 at the Anthony House in Little
Rock, Pulaski county, Arkansas, parents living in Princeton, buried
wthout marker in Mount Holly cemetery, believed to have been single.
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This file was contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives by
William S. Boggess - bog417@gmail.com
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