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Caswell County Genealogy
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 1806 - 1887 (80 years)
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| Name |
Lea, Alanson M. [1, 2, 3, 4] |
| Birth |
11 Jun 1806 |
Caswell County, North Carolina  [4] |
| Gender |
Male |
| Reference Number |
19328 |
| Death |
1887 |
Arkansas |
| Person ID |
I18969 |
Caswell County |
| Last Modified |
13 Oct 2023 |
| Family |
Hightower, Rebecca Susan, b. 1813, Virginia |
| Marriage |
9 Dec 1834 |
Caswell County, North Carolina [1] |
| Reference Number |
365386 |
| Notes |
- Marriage Record
Groom Alanson M. Lea
Bride: Rebecca S. Hightower
Bond Date: 9 December 1834
Bondsman/Witness: Vincent Bradsher
Location: Caswell County, North Carolina
Source: Caswell County, North Carolina Marriage Bonds, 1778-1868, Katharine Kerr Kendall (1981) at 59.
North Carolina Marriage Collection, 1741-2004
Name: Alanson M. Lea
Spouse: Rebecca S. Hightower
Marriage Date: 9 Dec 1834
Marriage County: Caswell
Marriage State: North Carolina
Source Vendor: County Court Records - FHL # 0478484-0478488
Source: County Court Records at Yanceyville, NC
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| Children |
| + | 1. Lea, Nancy Elizabeth, b. 1835, North Carolina [Father: natural] [Mother: natural] |
| | 2. Lea, Martha Banks, b. Abt 1840, North Carolina [Father: natural] [Mother: natural] |
| + | 3. Lea, Priscilla Frances, b. Abt 1842, North Carolina [Father: natural] [Mother: natural] |
| + | 4. Lea, William Anderson, b. 8 Jan 1844, North Carolina d. 2 Jul 1905, Dallas County, Arkansas (Age 61 years) [Father: natural] [Mother: natural] |
| | 5. Lea, James H., b. Abt 1847, North Carolina [Father: natural] [Mother: natural] |
| | 6. Lea, Joshua, b. Abt 1850, Arkansas [Father: natural] [Mother: natural] |
| | 7. Lea, Andrew Hunter, b. Abt 1854, Arkansas d. 22 Oct 1876 (Age ~ 22 years) [Father: natural] [Mother: natural] |
| | 8. Lea, Leonidas, b. Abt 1856, North Carolina [Father: natural] [Mother: natural] |
| | 9. Lea, Charlie, b. Abt 1859, Mississippi [Father: natural] [Mother: natural] |
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| Family ID |
F8626 |
Group Sheet | Family Chart |
| Last Modified |
13 Oct 2023 |
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| Notes |
- Alanson M. Lea (1806-1887)
(for larger image, click on photograph)
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Diary of Alanson M. Lea
Alanson M. Lea, great-grandson of William and Mary Barnett Lea, grandson of Zachariah and Ann Townes Lea, son of Vincent and Nancy Bradsher Lea, and company started September 21, 1847 on a wagon train from three miles east of Quinton Anderson's Store for Arkansas. The first night they camped at the Concord Meeting house, and from there on is a list of towns and places and dates they were there as he has given its description in the diary.
22nd Thomasville, camped three or four miles beyond Troublesome bridge. 25th Salem twelve o'clock, consulted a physician about sick child, Fanny, paid $1.25. 26th in sight of Pilot Mountain eighteen miles of Mt. Airy. At night three miles of Mt. Airy. Was on a flat rough road, had a hard pull.
October 1st passed Buck Mountain and camped in one mile of Iron Mountain. Dodson is sick. 4th Crossed Holston River. Good new bridge, camped in a lane five or six miles. 5th Cedarville passed through Abingdon, Virginia. Passed good houses and meadows.
10th Cave Spring fifteen miles from Rogersville, Camped Hawkins County. 11th in sight of Clinch Mountain all day. Traveled over good roads, camped near Granger Co. 13th camped six miles of Knoxville. Muddy this morning, plenty of pines, hilly roads. 15th camped four miles of Kingston. Frost and cool this morning.
17th camped three miles of Crab Orchid Mountain. Went up the first decent of Mt. Steep. 18th fifteen miles of Sparta. Crossed Dodge Creek on a Pole bridge, a deep dark creek. 20th camped about five miles up Cumberland Mountain. McParrott fell, left partly crippled.
21st passed Smithville, Liberty and went through Alexandria. Dodson still complaining. 22nd passed through Lebanon, a handsome village. Traveled by some good farms. 25th passed Nashville. Camped near a house shucking corn and great hollowing.
28th Crossed river into Dixon County. Stalled at the bank, Bateman's doubletree broke. 29 passed Charlotte. 31st passed Camden. Rufus sick. November 1st through Huntingdon. Passed through a poor nobby country with bad water.
3rd passed through Jackson. Passed good looking cotton patches. Traveled good roads. 5th thirteen miles of Somerville. Rained about all day, traveled on good land. 9th through Memphis crossed the river. A very rainy and storm night. A little cooler. 10th on old Military Road passed Marianna. Rained night and morning. Mud not very deep.
No Good Water
12th two miles from Blackfish. 15th Crossed St. Francis River passed through Witsburg. No good water only river. 16th nearly out of provisions. 20th crossed White River. Bad roads, crossed the lake, up the hill and camped.
21st traveled about twenty five miles through prairies, camped at a scope of woods. 24th crossed river and through Little Rock. Went over poor rocky piney country and camped. 26th crossed Saline River and Fed at Cliff's Mill, took the Camden road, cross creek.
Sunday 28th got into Dallas County and took up at Monro Smith's. Camped there, looked about until Thursday got a place and went to it in the evening.
There were only two days in this long hard journey from Caswell County, N.C. to Dallas County Arkansas that the train did not roll. One day it rained too hard and one day they were water bound.
A few got sick but as far as his records show no one died or left the train.
A descendant of Alanson M. Lea, Garland and Deana Lea, brought this diary from Arkansas that they had gotten from Opal Burks, another descendant of Alanson Lea.
There were many things recorded in the book that Alanson kept in this diary such as store accounts, school records, farm records, Cotton scaling, etc. There was even Bible scripture written there. Weather records of frost was also kept. The only people mentioned in the book were Dan, Dodson, Susan Hightower, his wife, McParrott, Bateman, Lipscomb, Rufus.
--- Miss Bessie Bradsher
Source: The Heritage of Person County, Volume I, Madeline Hall Eaker, Editor (1981) at 26-27 (Article #15, "Diary of Alanson M. Lea" by Miss Bessie Bradsher).
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Note the following from At the Foot of the Lake: The Pattillo-Patillo Family and Allied Lines, Millard Quentin Plumblee (1987) at 90-91:
"Probably Alexander M. Lea lived at the farm (presently owned by Morris T. Fuqua) adjoining the east side of the Zachariah Pattillo homestead tract. He had formerly bought the adjoining snout parcel of land from Mary L. Pattillo. It is believed that Alexander M. Lea, who married Elizabeth Ferguson 24 October 1797, witnessed by William Dix and Duke Williamson, was very closely related to Alanson M. Lea, who married Rebecca S. Hightower on 9 December 1834, witnessed by Vincent Bradsher. Alanson M. Lea kept a diary of his wagon train trip west.
Sept. 21, 1847, Alanson M. Lea & Co. started from 3 miles east of Quinton Anderson's Store for Arkansas. The first night we camped at Concord Meeting House. (Author's note: Now Concord United Church of Christ, Stoney Creek Township, Caswell County, North Carolina. . . .
Sunday, November 28, 1847, got into Dallas County, Arkansas, and took up at Monroe Smith's . . . camped there, looked about until Thursday, got a place and went to it in the evening.
In March 1981, Garland Lea and wife of Friendship, Arkansas, a descendant of Alanson M. Lea, visited this author [M. Q. Plumblee]. Several places were visited, including the old Anderson's Store site, the Morris T. Fuqua farm, and Cross Roads Presbyterian Church, Alamance County, North Carolina. At that time a complete copy of Alanson M. Lea's diary was presented to the author [M. Q. Plumblee] as a gift."
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This might be of interest to some. My Wallace ancestors also moved from Caswell Co. to Dallas Co., Ark in the late 1840s. The following is from a transcription of a 1971 interview conducted with my great uncle Sam Wallace, who lived in Dallas Co. all his life.
"My grandfather Wallace, when he came into this country brought Dr. Lee's negroes here from North Carolina. He stopped up here at what we know now as the Barger place, and they cleared some land there. Sometime during that winter or the next spring Mr. Bartlett Barby came in here. Dr. Lee sold his claim there to Mr. Bartlett Barby and went down to what we now know as Lee's Ferry and settled there. My grandfather moved here to this place. That was in 1849."
There was a James M. Lea, age 37, in the 1850 Dallas Co. census who was listed as a physician. He was from NC, and owned slaves according to the 1850 slave schedules. I have assumed that this was the "Dr. Lee" referred to above. Maybe others will know how he might have been related to Alanson M. Lea.
Source: 28 November 2011 Post to the Caswell County Historical Association Message Board by rac94116@yahoo.com.
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Letter of Alanson Lea June 22nd 1877, Dallas County, Arkansas, to James H. and Jennette Lea.
Dear Bro and Sister:
Today being a rainy day, I concluded to write you a few lines. We had a heavy rain yesterday evening, ground very wet. Corn looks well, just beginning to tassel, wheat damaged some by rust and wet. Oats tolerable good, if the big rain doesn't cause them to fall down, just commenced cutting winter oats yesterday.
We had an abundance of sickness last fall and winter. You are aware perhaps that our youngest son, Andrew Hunter, died last October 22 of swamp fever, brother George's wife died about Christmas of pneumonia. There have been a great many other deaths.
We are now through the mercies of a kind Providence enjoying common health, hoping when these lines come to hand they may find you and yours all well.
Cousin Will and family were all well the other day. William Anderson and family are well, they have two children, a daughter and son (John Thomas). Fannie has three children. They were all up the other day, the baby (Lydia) had been sick but was better. Brother George was well the last time I saw him, still staying in Princeton, his baby is at Ira's. He is married as you know.
Times are tolerably tight with us now, cotton low, corn up to $1.00 per bushel and getting very scarce at that, bacon 12 1/2 cts. per lb., flour very high. Our people ruin themselves raising cotton to buy everything else. I have followed raising corn, wheat, and oats and I am raising my meat and what cotton I could, and thanks to kind Providence, we have sufficiency of provisions and some to spare.
Dear brother please write to us soon and give us the news of your section, how the times are and the prospects of the crops. I would like to hear from Cousin John Bradsher, Cousin Martha Walton, Old Uncle Stephen Garrett and the rest of my old acquaintances. As to moving to this country, I would advise every body thats got a home and can make a living on it to stay on it.
I would like to hear from you, what preparation you are making for the future. Remember you can't live always and the young die as well as the old. Andrew Hunter was not quite twenty-three years old and he is gone, he had been a member of the church several years and said he was not afraid to die, it is a great thing to be always ready when called to go. I was seventy-one the eleventh day of this month and agreeable to the course of nature can't live many years. I should be very glad to hear that you and cousin Henry had given your hearts to God and had resolved to spend the balance of your days in his service. Regards to all inquiring friends and receive a portion for yourselves.
--- Alanson M. Lea
Some background: Alanson Lea's parents were Vincent Lea and Nancy Bradsher who married March 20, 1805. Alanson was born June 11, 1806. Nancy Bradsher Lea died September 5, 1824. October 25, 1825, Vincent married Nancy Lea, daughter of Carter Lea I and Patsy Hubbard McNeill Lea.
In Patsy's will made June 11, 1831, after her husband's death, she mentions her son Carer Lea II, grandsons Leallen and James H. Lea and eight granddaughters, Phebe A. Daniel, Rachel Daniel, Martha Daniel, Nancy Love, Martha Day, Mary Day, Mary Lea, my grandmother, and Martha Lea.
Source: The Heritage of Person County, Volume I, Madeline Hall Eaker, Editor (1981) at 290 (Article #596 "James H. and Jenett Lea" by Miss Bessie Mary Bradsher).
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Alanson M. Lea Will
Will of A. M. Lea
Name: A. M. Lea
Probate Date: 25 May 1887
Probate Place: Dallas County, Arkansas
Inferred Death Year: c.1887
Inferred Death Place: Arkansas
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1850 United States Federal Census
Name: Alanslat m Lea (Alanson M. Lea)
Age: 44
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1806
Birth Place: North Carolina
Gender: Male
Home in 1850( City,County,State): Princeton, Dallas, Arkansas
Household Members: Name Age
Alanson m Lea 44
Rebecca S Lea 37
Nancy E Lea 14
Martha B Lea 12
Prissilla F Lea 8
Wm A Lea 6
Jas H Lea 3
Infant Lea 0
Martha E Hightour 46 (possibly a sister of Rebecca Susan Hightower Lea)
Jas W Lea 18 (may be some relationship other than a child)
1870 United States Federal Census
Name: Alanson M Lea
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1806
Age in 1870: 64
Birthplace: North Carolina
Home in 1870: Princeton, Dallas, Arkansas
Race: White
Gender: Male
Post Office: Princeton
Household Members: Name Age
Alanson M Lea 64
Rebecca S Lea 55
Martha B Lea 30
Wm A Lea 26
Joshua Lea 20
Andrew H Lea 16
Leonidas Lea 14
Charlie Lea 11
1880 United States Federal Census
Name: Alansom M. Lea
Home in 1880: Princeton, Dallas, Arkansas
Age: 74
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1806
Birthplace: North Carolina
Relation to Head of Household: Self (Head)
Spouse's Name: Rebecca S.
Father's birthplace: North Carolina
Mother's birthplace: North Carolina
Occupation: Farmer
Marital Status: Married
Race: White
Gender: Male
Household Members: Name Age
Alansom M. Lea 74
Rebecca S. Lea 64
Martha B. Lea 42
Joshua Lea 30
Effie L. Harrison 9 (grandchild)
Irving Harrison 7 (grandchild)
Oriel Harrison 5 (grandchild)
Mary V. Harrison 1 (grandchild)
John T. Taylor 17
Based upon the above list of grandchildren it appears that a daughter of Alanson M. Lea married a Harrison.
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| Sources |
- Details: Caswell County, North Carolina Marriage Bonds, 1778-1868, Katharine Kerr Kendall (1981) at 59.
- Details: The Heritage of Person County, Volume I, Madeline Hall Eaker, Editor (1981) at 26-27 (Article #15, "Diary of Alanson M. Lea" by Miss Bessie Bradsher).
- Details: 1870 US Federal Census (Princeton, Dallas County, Arkansas).
- Details: Kathy's Kin RootsWeb Database.
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: Address
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: City/Town
: County/Shire
: State/Province
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: Not Set
