Hertford County NcArchives Biographies.....Darden, Abraham ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/nc/ncfiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Cliff Darden cliffdarden@cs.com December 30, 2015, 9:52 pm Source: Cliff Darden Author: Cliff Darden ABRAHAM DARDEN According to his own Bible (printed in Brattleborough, Vermont by John Holbrook in 1816), “Abram Darden was born 16th February in the year 1781” in Hertford County, NC, the fourth and last child of William Darden (1/2/1748- 3/2/1801) and Claodesha Stephenson (4/18/1755-4/18/1784). William is listed in the Hertford County tax lists of 1779 and 1782. Abraham’s older sisters were Sarah (2/16/1775-ca 1834), Elizabeth (5/30/1776-9/12/1820) and Priscilla (8/3/1778-8/27/1843). As his mother died when he was only 3 years old, he probably had no memory of her. His paternal grandfather, Elisha Darden, died before his birth, but it is very likely that he did spend some time as a child with his maternal grandfather and namesake, Abraham Stephenson Jr (ca 1725-5/6/1791) of Northampton County, NC. His father married for a second time on 4/4/1785 to Susanna Speight, daughter of Joseph Speight (ca1725-1792) of Gates County. Abraham gained a brother from that union on 2/23/1786, Joseph Speight Darden, with whom he was apparently close until Joseph’s death on 10/21/1815. The two shared being named for and being named in the wills of their maternal grandfathers, in addition to being the only sons of William Darden. It appears to be no coincidence that the William Speight Darden Bible (son of Joseph Speight Darden) was also printed in Brattleborough, Vermont in 1816). It was likely purchased by Abraham Darden for his deceased half brother’s son. In about 1788, William and Susannah moved their family of 5 children to northeastern Dobbs County, NC, to land that he had purchased from Benjamin Bryant (Dobbs Grantee Index 1759-1792, Book 15 page 87), adjoining Sandy Run (Pitt County border) and Ned’s Branch (his brother-in-law Titus Carr’s land). Abraham was to grow to adulthood on this land, adjoining his aunt & uncle, Titus & Winifred Stephenson Carr. He likely spent some time fishing in Carr’s Mill Pond on Ned’s Branch that separated the Carr and Darden land. The breached dam is still visible in the woods on that property. When his grandfather died in 1791, Abraham received 2 slaves, Tody & Fong outright, as well as others upon the death of his father. In addition, he was to receive his grandfather’s plantation if his uncle, Charles Stephenson and Charles’ son John died without heirs. On August 20, 1797, 48 acres were surveyed for William Darden in Glasgow County. One of the chain bearers was Abram Darden (16 years of age). November 20, 1798, 17 year old Abraham was again a chain bearer for a land grant in Glasgow County of 23 acres to his father. He was being trained for adult responsibility, as was the custom of the time. In 1799, Abraham’s uncle, David Darden, died in Hertford County. Abraham traveled with his father to the estate sale, where his father (the executor) gave “two horses, one colt, all cattle, sheep, hogs & plantation utensils of every kind belonging to the Meherrin Plantation” to Abraham, witnessed by another uncle, Reddick Darden ( Northampton Deed Book 11, pages 192-3). This was to be the last record of the father and son spending time together. The family Bible of Abraham Darden reports that "Wm Darden father to A. Darden departed this life 2nd March at day break in the year of our Lord 1801". The entry was made by Abraham. As he was not yet 21, Abraham was appointed a guardian, Joel Moye, the husband of his eldest sister, Sarah, who also was executor of his father’s estate. The Moye’s lived just across Sandy Run, in Pitt County, adjoining the Darden land to the north. The estate sale was conducted by Joel on June 2, 1801. Among the purchases made by Abraham were the following: a woolen wheel and cards, a desk, 30 pounds of hog lard, a sermon book, a pair of silver knee buckles, a copy of Martin’s Justice, 6¼ yards of Negro cotton, a pair of silver shoe buckles, 1 lott of clothes, 1 plow hoe, 3 weeding hoes, 35 head of hogs, 1 heffer, 1 plow stock & traces, I lott of rope, 26 barrels of tar and 34 barrels of turpentine. With the items given to him by his father at his uncle David Darden’s estate sale, it appears that the 20 year old Abraham should have been able to set up housekeeping on his own and gives a forecast of his future as a politician (Martin’s Justice). Joel Moye bought the Bible that no longer exists. On August 8, 1801, Pitt County Deed Book P, pages 6 & 7, shows that Oliver Smith granted to William Darden’s children (including Abraham) 585 acres of land that their father had paid for prior to his death. In November, 1801 William’s Pitt County lands were divided among his children (book P, page 53). In November, 1801, the Greene County court appointed William Ormond, Thomas Ormond, John Harper and Newet Edwards to divide William Darden’s land. The February, 1802 court received the divisions. Abraham received parcel #1, 92 acres that ran along Ned’s Branch to the intersection with Sandy Run. It adjoined parcel #6 given to his half brother, Joseph Speight Darden (133 acres) that appears to contain the current family cemetery. On February 20, 1802, Abraham sold to Henry Deberry “a Tract of Land formerly the Property of Capt. Abraham Stevenson & Since by the last will & Testament of s..d Stevenson he gave it to the aforesaid Abraham Darden, Containing by estimation Three hundred & fifty acres.” Apparently, Abraham’s uncle, Reddick Darden (a Northampton County resident & one of the witnesses) had “assisted” the just barely 21 year old (on 2/16/1802) in this sale that ended in the North Carolina Supreme Court in the fall of 1805 as “Bryant and others V. Deberry” where Justice John “Haywood, for plaintiffs, contends that the devise over to Abraham Darden is void devise”. His opinion eventually became the ruling of the court “If there be a devise of lands to A. for life, and after his death to John, son of A. and his heirs forever, and if no heir, then over; the limitation over is too remote, and void.”-Abraham could not have inherited the plantation and could not legally sell it to Henry Deberry. On March 26, 1802, Abraham sold 62 acres of his Pitt County land to John Frizzle (book P, page 155). On September 8, 1803, Abraham Darden married Sarah (Sally) Westbrook (9/22/1781-183?), the daughter of Moses Westbrook (ca 1752-9/9/1816) and Persis Westbrook (d 10/1/1830). Moses had immigrated from Southampton County, Virginia and served in the Revolutionary War. Moses served in the NC House of Commons in 1786 and was the leading recipient of votes (as an anti-federalist) in the aborted Dobbs County state constitutional convention election of 1789. His wife, the former Persis Young, was the daughter of Charles & Grace Young. Charles Young was the first clerk of court and surveyor of Dobbs County. February 12, 1804 saw the birth of the first of Abraham & Sally’s 13 children, William Augustus Darden (d 1/23/1877). He married Catherine Edwards Holliday, (3/21/1806-10/19/1830), daughter of Theophilus Edwards (2/14/1765- 9/7/1834) and Elizabeth Sheppard (10/15/1780-2/27/1864) on July 27, 1826. She was the widow of Titus Holliday. Their daughter, Juliann Priscilla, was born on 12/10/1827. After Catherine’s death, William married Eliza Carr Holliday (7/8/1811- 2/28/1832), daughter of Col. William Holliday (10/20/1770-8/12/1835) and Nancy Carr (1/7/1778-11/18/1847) on May 12, 1831. Nancy Carr Holliday was the daughter of William’s great aunt & uncle, Titus & Winifred Stephenson Carr. William & Eliza’s daughter, Sarah Frances Eliza Darden, was born on February 9, 1832, 19 days before her mother died. After the death of Eliza, William Augustus married (for the 3rd and last time) Harriett Speight (1805-1844), daughter of William Vines Speight (1778- 10/31/1836) and Margaret Ellis (1778-9/15/1826) on 2/26/1833. They had the following children: 1. Sarah H. Darden b 10/4/1834-died before 1860 2. Capt. William Abram Darden Jr., CSA, (5/15/1836-6/2/1890) 3. Margaret Louiza Darden b 5/12/1837-died before 1840 4. infant not named (6/24/1839-7/19/1839) 5. Temperance Speight Darden (12/24/1840-9/30/1841) named for her maternal aunt. 6. infant not named (12/24/1841-1/9/1842) 7. Harriet Speight Darden b 4/18/1844-died before 1850 Abraham and Sally’s second son, David Franklin Riddick Darden was born March 11, 1806, named for 2 of his paternal great uncles. According to the family Bible, he “decd this life Tuesday 7th day of Sept. 1830 at 2 o’clock.” Their first daughter, Parcis, was born December 12, 1807. She died March 7, 1831. According to the General Assembly Session Records, (November, 1807 box #3), Abraham Darden (age 26) was elected Justice of the Peace for Greene County, apparently his first elective office. He would have then been able to make use of the copy of Martin’s Justice the he purchased at his father’s estate sale, following his father as a justice of the peace. On March 26, 1809, Abraham sold to his half brother, Joseph Speight Darden, the 92 acre plot of land that he had received in the division of their father’s lands in 1801 and the 97 acres originally given to his sister, Priscilla, in the same division for $2000.00. The deed was witnessed by Moses Westbrook and Henry Westbrook. Though the courthouse records have been burned, it is apparent that Abraham had purchased the 97 acre adjoining tract from his sister between 1801 and 1809. It is also obvious that Abraham had moved his young family from northeast Greene County to the western side of Contentnea Creek, as the few records now available subsequently show him with property on Appletree Swamp, Nahunta Creek and Fort Run. Abraham and Sally’s fourth child, Claodesha (Dicey) Stephenson Darden (named for her paternal grandmother), was born August 12, 1809. She married Rev. Henry Swinson (4/21/1802-9/4/1859) on May 11, 1831, gave birth to Abraham Darden Swinson on September 23, 1832 (d ca 1875), Mary Swinson (b ca 1834) and Nancy Swinson (b ca 1836). Claodesha died May 8, 1838. Since the Greene County census of 1810 has been lost, there is no record of Abraham and his family for that time-the first in which he would have been listed by name. Elizabeth Cornelia Darden was born May 24, 1811 and died August 18, 1826. In those years, elections were held for the NC legislature every year. Abraham Darden was elected to the NC House of Commons for 1811 (age 30) and 1812, representing Greene County. On December 23, 1811, a bill was voted upon in the House of Commons to give to the legislature (not the people) the right to choose the electors (Carolina Federal Republican, New Bern January 11, 1812). Abraham Darden voted (in the minority) against the bill. Again from the Carolina Federal Republican, April 4, 1812, Abraham Darden was foreman of a Greene County Superior Court grand jury that passed the following resolution: “We the Grand Jurors of the County of Greene, Present that we have seen with alarm and apprehension, the act of the last legislature of this state, taking from the people and vesting in themselves the right of electing electors of President and Vice-President of the United States. The appointment to these offices the most interesting under our excellent form of government, are safest lodged in the hands of the people themselves; and an act which deprives the freemen of the county of a right so deeply affecting their rights and happiness, merits severe reprobation as weakening the checks which the people ought to hold upon the conduct of their agents, and undermining the most essential principles of a Republican Government.” Obviously, he was like his father-in-law, Moses Westbrook, in supporting limited government. Winnifred Susannah Darden (5th child) was born June 23, 1812. After the death of her sister, Dicey, she became the second wife of Rev. Henry Swinson on September 8, 1838. They had one child, Winnifred Swinson, who was born ca 1839. Her mother must have died soon after, as her father married for a third time in 1840. According the NC General Assembly Records, a “petition to establish Snow Hill Academy” was approved on November 26, 1812. Abraham Darden was appointed one of the trustees. Sally Ann Eliza Darden was born to Abraham and Sally on September 22, 1813. She died March 3, 1832. Priscillaan Harriet Darden was born February 12, 1815. She married her first cousin, Abraham Darden Moye (12/22/1801-10/22/1861), son of Joel and Sarah Darden Moye on May 31, 1832, according to Roger Kammerer-she died in childbirth ca 1835. Nancy W. Darden was born March 6, 1816. She married Henry Edwards and became the mother of Sarah Frances Eliza Edwards on October 7, 1832. She died 1/24/1837. There is a “list of taxable and taxables property’ for Greene County in 1816. Abraham Darden is listed in Captain Henry Westbrook’s district with 950 acres of land, $2280 (5th highest tax in the district), 1 white pole (Abraham), 13 black poles. On November 6, 1817, he witnessed the will of his neighbor (Nahunta and Appletree Swamp) Samuel Brown. On September 18, 1818, A. Darden and Sarah (Sally) Darden witnessed the will of Susannah Hill of Wayne County. Abraham “proved in open court by oath” the will in February of 1819. On January 18, 1819, the lands of Abraham’s half sister, Susannah Darden (deceased), were divided in Pitt County (book CC, page 49). Abraham received 10 acres. On the same date, the Pitt County lands of his half sister, Rebecca Darden (also deceased), were divided (book CC, page 51). Abraham received 9 ½ acres. Juliann Darden was born 10th May in the year 1819 and died September 27, 1823. After an absence of 6 years, Abraham Darden was again elected to the NC House of Commons for the years 1819, 1820 and 1821. His future in-law, William Vines Speight, represented Greene County in the NC Senate from 1808 through 1821. Abraham Darden was elected to replace him as state senator in August, 1822. According to the 1822 Journal of the Senate, the session began on November 18, with no senator from Greene County. Abraham apparently did not participate in any of the sessions and on December 11, “The Speaker laid before the Senate the resignation of Abraham Darden, the Senator elect from the County of Greene; whereupon it was ordered that a writ of election issue to the sheriff of Greene county, commanding him to hold an election at the several places appointed by law, in said county, for the purpose of choosing a person duly qualified to represent said county in the Senate, on Thursday the 19th day of this month.” On Monday, December 23, 1822, “William V. Speight, the senator from the County of Greene, elected to supply the vacancy occasioned by the resignation of Abraham Darden, appeared, produced the certificate of his election, was qualified before the senate, and took his seat.” On December 24, 1822 “Mr. Speight introduced the following resolution: That William A. Darden (18 year old son of Abraham) be, and he is hereby allowed the sum of ten cents per mile, for traveling eighty miles to convey the writ of election to the sheriff of Greene county, to supply the vacancy occasioned by the resignation of Abraham Darden, Senator of the said county; and the Treasurer be and is hereby directed to pay the same, and for which he shall be allowed in the settlement of his public accounts.” It passed the Senate on December 26. Apparently, William Augustus Darden had traveled to Raleigh with his father’s resignation. (William Vines Speight was thus able to serve his last term with his baby brother, whom he had raised after the death of their uncle William Speight in 1802, the future US Senator Jesse Speight (1795-1847), in the NC House of Commons.) The 1820 federal census was of Abraham Darden was taken August 7, 1820. It showed the following: Free white persons-males-10 thru 15-1 (David Franklin Reddick Darden-14) Free white persons-males-16 thru 18-1 (William Augustus Darden-16) Free white persons-males-18 thru 25-1 unknown Free white persons-males-26 thru 44-1 (Abraham Darden-39) Free white persons-females-under 10-6 (Juliann Darden-1, Nancy W. Darden- 4, Priscillann Harriet Darden-5, Sally Ann Eliza Darden-6, Winnifred Susannah Darden-8, Elizabeth Cornelia Darden-9) Free white persons-females-10 thru 15-2 (Claodesha Stephenson Darden-10, Parcis Darden-12) Free white persons-females-26 thru 44-1 (Sarah Westbrook Darden-38) Slaves-males-under 14-10 Slaves-males-14 thru 25-3 Slaves-males-26 thru 44-4 Slaves-males-45 and over-1 Slaves-females-under 14-9 Slaves-females-14 thru 25-1 Slaves-females-26 thru 44-5 Slaves-females-45 and over-1 Number of persons-engaged in agriculture: 14 Free white persons under 16: 9 Free white persons over 25: 2 Total free white persons: 12 Total slaves: 34 Total all persons-white, slaves, colored, other:46 Maria Louisa Darden was born November 11, 1820 (died 5/10/1890). She married Abner Speight (11/17/1811-11/30/1874), the son of Arthur Speight (11/17/1785-7/10/1848) and Catherine Tart Eason (4/13/1789-11/15/1841) on 12/26/1839. Both are buried in the old family cemetery behind Tabernacle UMC, Speight’s Bridge. Their children were: 1. 2nd Lt. Arthur (Arch) W. Speight, CSA (5/5/1841-9/17/1862 @ Battle of Antietam) 2. Abraham Lafayette Speight (11/10/1843-4/29/1867) 3. Sarah Elizabeth Speight (10/2/1842-2/16/1917), married Shadrach Wooten, Jr (2/1/1841-11/24/1911) on 2/7/1861. 4. Samuel Speight (b 4/28/1845) 5. Catherine (Kate) Tart Speight (9/17/1846-2/5/1924) married James Sterling Wooten (2/3/1848-11/11/1886)  6. Julia Speight (b ca 1848) married William Isler Wooten (1847-1896) 7. Louisa Speight (b 3/28/1848) 8. Harriett Ann Speight (12/28/1849-1/23/1850) 9. Robert Edward Speight 10. William Polk Speight (b 11/17/1850) 11. Infant daughter (10/17/1851-10/17/1851) 12. Emma Nancy Speight (9/20/1852-11/22/1939) married Stephen Joseph Daniel (d 12/2/1890) on 12/21/1871. 13. James B. Speight (12/3/1856-11/13/1921), buried @ Tabernacle UMC, Speight’s Bridge, Greene County, NC. 14. Mary Jane (Molly) Speight (b 7/27/1858) married William Isler Wooten (1847- 1896) after her sister’s death. 15. Martha Rachel Lee Speight (1/27/1863-8/2/1913) married Benjamin Bynum, buried @ Tabernacle UMC, Speight’s Bridge, Greene County, NC. Abrm Stephenson Darden was born December 21, 1821. He died October 6, 1832. Willis Joseph Lafayette Darden, the last of Abraham and Sarah’s 13 children, was born March 13, 1825 (d 1/24/1858). He married Sarah Eason Speight (4/28/1821-7/1/1858), younger sister of the above Abner Speight on 2/22/1844. Their children were: 1. Sgt Abraham Lafayette Darden, CSA, (12/7/1844-5/24/1902). He is buried in the Cox cemetery just southeast of Speight’s Bridge with his wife Obedience Cox (2/18/1847-8/23/1884), daughter of Sanders Pinkney Cox and Zilpha J. Cox. They were married 7/1/1858. 2. Kate Darden (1/15/1845-5/13/1919). She married John Williams Isler (2/23/1830-12/12/1892) on 4/17/1873 & is buried in the Fairview Cemetery, Lenoir County, NC. 3. Alice Darden (5/15/1851-3/20/1858). Alice is buried in the old family cemetery behind Tabernacle UMC, Speight’s Bridge beside her mother who sleeps for eternity beside her husband. On August 2, 1825, Abraham sold the land inherited from his half sister, Rebecca (book CC, page 51) to Cullen Tripp for $47.50. The deed was witnessed by sons William A. Darden and David R. Darden. He was training his sons as his father had trained him. On February 15, 1826, Abraham deeded the land inherited from his half sister, Susannah Darden, to his nephew Alfred Moye (son of Sarah Darden & Joel Moye) with “love and affection” Abraham Darden, son of William and Cloadesha Stephenson Darden, “departed this life on Tuesday 22nd day of Sept. in the year of our Lord 1829” according to his family Bible, leaving his widow, Sarah, and 11 children at home. William Augustus Darden had married and moved out. After Abraham’s death, the 1830 census showed his widow as “Sally Darders” with the following: Free white persons-males under 5:1 (Willis Joseph Lafayette Darden-5) Free white persons-males 5 thru 9:1 (Abraham Stephenson Darden-8) Free white persons-males 20 thru 29:1 (David Franklin Riddick Darden-23) Free white persons-females 10 thru 14:4 (Maria Louisa Darden-9,Nancy W. Darden-13, Priscillaan Harriet Darden-14, unknown) Free white persons-females 15 thru 19:2 (Sally Ann Eliza Darden-16, Winnifred Susannah Darden-18) Free white persons-females 20 thru 29:2 (Claodesha Stephenson Darden-20, Parcis Darden-22) Free white persons-females 40 thru 49:1 (Sarah Westbrook Darden-48) Slaves-males under 10:11 Slaves-males 10 thru 23:2 Slaves-males 36 thru 54:3 Slaves-females under 10:6 Slaves-females 10 thru 23:6 Slaves-females 24 thru 35:1 Slaves-females 36 thru 54:2 Slaves-females 55 thru 99:1 Free white persons under 20:8 Free white persons 20 thru 49:4 Total free white persons:12 Total Slaves:32 Total-all persons (free white, slaves, free colored):44 Sally has lost her husband and 2 daughters since the 1820 census. William Augustus, her eldest child, is listed 4 persons from her, with a total of 4 free white persons and 17 slaves. On July 20, 1835, Henry Swinson (Cloadesha Darden’s husband), sold 224 acres “a portion of the lands of Abraham Darden allotted to Dicey Darden” to Kindred Sauls. This tract included the following descriptions of the location “adjacent a small branch that makes into Fort Run, Robert Best’s corner, about 80 yards above the crossing place, with the courses of the run” (Greene County DB #2, page 69). It is probable that the widow, Sally Darden, has died by this time. Before the 1840 census Sally and all of her children except William Augustus, Maria Louisa and Willis Joseph Lafayette Darden will be dead. The 3 surviving children had each married descendants of Capt. William Speight (d ca 1784) and moved into the growing Speight’s Bridge community, north & east of Contentnea Creek. According to the Greene County Estates, 1839-1845 (the only book to survive the court house fire of 1876), the following “division of Negroes of A. Darden” was made (February, 1840, page 58): to Willis Joseph Lafayette (age 14): Lewis ($750), Stephen ($750), Jonas ($425), Ames ($425), Clara ($375), Sam ($700), Tabitha ($300), Old Lucy ($0), Allen ($225), Henry ($175); to Maria Louisa (age 19): Tom ($800), Greene ($775), Henry ($600), Wright ($500), Jane ($325), Martha & children ($375). On pages 200-1, the lands of their father apportioned to each (above) divided. Lafayette received 112 acres. Locations mentioned in the document are “the run of Appletree Swamp, the mill, Samuel Pridgen’s field, over the road, the run of Nahunta Creek, the mouth of Appletree Swamp. Maria Louisa Darden Speight received 125 acres. Locations mentioned in her portion were “the run of Nahunta Creek, WJL Darden’s corner, west side of the main road, Samuel R. Pridgen’s corner, the mouth of Meadow Branch on the run of Nahunta Creek.” Both of these parcels of land are north of Nahunta Swamp. It is possible that Abraham, Sally and most of their children were buried in the cemetery that once existed on the northwest side of Harper Road between US Hwy 58 and Shingleton Road and was destroyed in the middle of the 20th century. On April 9, 1855, Abraham Darden Swinson (son of Claodesha Darden Swinson), sold 175 acres on the north side of Appletree Swamp “set aside” for his aunt & step-mother, Winifred Darden Swinson, to Lucretia Edwards. File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/nc/hertford/bios/darden43nbs.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.net/ncfiles/ File size: 24.3 Kb