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The above document is a partial copy of Sarah's dower found in the probate record. By this time in 1808, she was Sarah Flowers and on this document, she was identified as Salley Flowers. The entire document reads as follows: In obedience to an order of Court Signed May Term 1808 - We the under signd Jurors having been summoned & sworn by the D. Sheriff to allot and set off to Sally Flowers Widow of Jno. Giddens, Dec'd, her Dower in the Real Estate of sd Dec'd we have agreeable thereto as the above plan Represents to Witt Begin at a white oak & runs N79 W.65 pole to a sweet gum on the run of Jethros Branch then up the run of sd Branch as it meanders to a tree Huckleberry near the head thereof then S10 E 38 pole to a stake then Et 205 pole to a pine then N32 Et 276 pole to the road then with same as it runs to a pine Adam Reaves Corner, then S20 Est 41 pole to a pine her Corner, then W98 pole to a pine then N75 pole to a pine in Rhodes's Line then his line to the Begin Containing 333 Acres In testimony whereof, we have set our hands this 6th Day of June 1808 The Jurors were Ezekiel Slocumb, Sampson Edwards, Durham Graddy, Briton Hood, William Lewis, John Jones, David Edwards, Lovett Reaves, Adam Reaves, Jesse Norris, Urbane Lewis, and Jesse Bass. J. Bledsoe, DS Executed [1] |
Last week, I wrote about my fourth great-grandfather, John Giddens in the post Gathering Giddens: John Giddens, a Planter in North Carolina. Today, I am sharing all that I currently know about his wife, Sarah, my fourth great-grandmother.
Sarah Taylor was said to be the wife of John Giddens of Wayne County, North Carolina. I like proof in the form of documents. However, sometimes it is not possible. Records show that her name was Sarah but nothing documents her last name as Taylor.[2] As Sarah has been deemed Sarah Taylor by several persons whose sources are unknown, I am going to keep her as Sarah Taylor in my tree.[3] However, I will always use the acronym STB (said to be) in her record.
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By comparing Sarah's ages on census records from 1800 to 1830, it appears that Sarah may have been born between 1761 and 1765.[4] |
Sarah and John Giddens
Sarah was first found named as John's wife in his probate record in 1802. At the time of her husband's death in 1802, she had eight children. Mitchell, Abraham, David, and Jacob were minors and found named in John's probate records. [5] Elizabeth was named in a land record as John's daughter.[6] Other children are thought to be John, Isaac, and Jemima.
It is unknown when Sarah and John were married. If Sarah was the mother to all of John's children, the first four of their children were born in the 1780s as the 1790 Wayne County U.S. census record showed that John had may have had two daughters and two sons.[7] The 1800 census indicates that there might have been at least one additional child who died young.[8]
Sarah and Jesse Flowers
In May of 1805, Sarah's name was written as Salley Giddens on a document found in John's probate record. Three years later, on 27 May 1808, her name was written as Salley Flowers on a document concerning her dower in the probate record. Jesse Flowers was named as her husband.[9]
On the 1810 US Census, Jesse Flowers was listed as a head-of-household with family in Wayne County. He and Sarah are presumed to be the two adults recorded as age 45 and over. There were six males under the age of fifteen and one female under 10.[10] Four of the six males could be John and Sarah's boys, Mitchell, David, Jacob, and Abraham. Who are the additional three children? They could be grandchildren or maybe children of Jesse and a prior spouse. Assuming that my age calculations are correct, it is possible some of these children are those of Sarah and Jesse.
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| In 1818, Jesse Flowers owed past taxes on 824 acres in Wayne County.[12] |
In 1811, Jesse Flowers purchased 106 acres bordering Jethro's Marsh Branch in Wayne County from William Jones and his, wife, the former Jemima Giddens. This land was bordering some of Sarah's dower land as well as that of lands of some of Sarah's other children. Jesse Flowers sold this same land to Asher Flowers in 1820. [11]
Around the time of his marriage to Sarah, Jesse was named as guardian to the minor children of Sarah and John and it appears that he did not manage their inheritance wisely.
In 1816, Justices of Wayne County convicted Jesse Flowers in the case of Stephen Smith (current guardian) vs. Jesse Flowers (former guardian) and wife with a judgment of 2006 pounds and three pence. It was written that no personal property was found to settle the case but there was land belonging to Jesse Flowers and the dower land belonging to his wife. It was also written that it was not yet time for a sale. However, in 1818, a committee was appointed to settle accounts between Jesse Flowers and Stephen Smith the present guardian. [13]
The 1820 census showed two adults in the Jesse Flowers household, one male and one female, age 45 and over living in the home. This is presumed to be Jesse and Sarah. There was one male between the ages of 16 and 18 and one female between the ages of 10 and 15.[14]
The next mention of Sarah and Jesse was found in May of 1823 when Asher Flowers sold over 300 acres on Jethro's Marsh Branch to Sarah and John's son, David Giddens. One portion of the land was originally drawn by Abraham Giddens as part of his inheritance from his father, John Giddens. Sarah and Jesse were living on that portion of the land and Asher Flowers stipulated in the deed that Jesse and Sarah live out their lives at their home on the property. [15]
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| There were two Sarah Flowers on this census page. The eldest was identified by Sr and the youngest by Jr. |
Sarah was not found on the 1840 census. [18] Her death date and burial place are unknown.
Your Response
If you have answers to my research questions or can contradict any of the information in my post, I would love to hear from you. Please don't hesitate to contact me with questions as well. Find my email on the "About Me" tab at the top of this page.
Next Steps
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This certainly sounds like Sarah, and if it is, my age calculations are most likely incorrect and she may not have been the mother of all of John's children. S. B. Flowers is Samuel B. Flowers. Sallie Flowers, age 90, was living with Samuel Flowers in 1870. Researching the sale of this land and the NC Flowers family may be advantageous. [20] |
Research the children of John Giddens and his wife, Sarah, in hopes of learning more about their parents.
There were several Flowers families living in Gibson County, Tennessee. It might be beneficial to look more closely at these families. [19]
Next Week
Gathering Giddens: Isaac Giddens - from North Carolina to Alabama
Posts in this Series
Gathering Giddens: John Giddens, a Planter in North Carolina
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Diana
© 2022 1. "North Carolina Estate Files, 1663-1979," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-L9CF-2P37?cc=1911121&wc=Q649-S69%3A1066694502%2C183295401%2C1066696236 : accessed 3 January 2022), Wayne County > G > Giddens, John (1802); State Archives, Raleigh.
2. Ibid.
3. Lina Giddens Byrd, Giddens family record, ca. 1950, digital copy held in 2022 by D. Quinn (Virginia Beach, VA). Current location of the original is unknown. Also, Letter from Charles Giddens, (Sedalia, Missouri) to Lina Giddens (address unknown), 7 January 1952; digital copy held in 2022 by D. Quinn (Virginia Beach, VA). Current location of the original is unknown. Also, Arthur Fountain Smoot, "Giddens: History of Family and Oldest Store," Mary Daniels Johnstone, coordinator, History of Wayne County, North Carolina (Winston-Salem, 1982), p. 189.
4. "United States Census, 1800," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XHRD-ZJR : accessed 15 January 2022), John Giddens, Wayne, North Carolina, United States; citing p. 856, NARA microfilm publication M32, (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.), roll 32; FHL microfilm 337,908. Also, "United States Census, 1810," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XH2V-HSW : accessed 30 January 2022), Jesse Flowers, Wayne, North Carolina, United States; citing p. 805, NARA microfilm publication M252 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.), roll 43; FHL microfilm 337,916. Also, "United States Census, 1820," database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XHLX-X8M : accessed 30 January 2022), Jesse Flowers, Wayne, North Carolina, United States; citing NARA microfilm publication , (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.), FHL microfilm. Also, "United States Census, 1830," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XHPV-RT2 : 20 February 2021), Sarah Flowers, Capt Reasons District, Wayne, North Carolina, United States; citing 523, NARA microfilm publication M19, (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.), roll 125; FHL microfilm 18,091.
5. "North Carolina Estate Files, 1663-1979," database with images, FamilySearch Giddens, John, 1802; State Archives, Raleigh.
6. Wayne County, North Carolina, Deed Book 9: 320, William Bryan and wife, Elizabeth, to Jesse Norris, 17 September 1810; digital images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-L98Q-Q27Z?i=163&cat=307067 : accessed 1 December 2021), images 164-165.
7. "United States Census, 1790," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XH2M-CJD : accessed 30 January 2022), John Gideons, Wayne, North Carolina, United States; citing p. 467, NARA microfilm publication M637, (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.), roll 7; FHL microfilm 568,147.
8. "United States Census, 1800," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XHRD-ZJR : accessed 15 January 2022), John Giddens, Wayne, North Carolina, United States; citing p. 856, NARA microfilm publication M32, (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.), roll 32; FHL microfilm 337,908.
9. "North Carolina Estate Files, 1663-1979," database with images, FamilySearch Giddens, John, 1802; State Archives, Raleigh.
10. "United States Census, 1810," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XH2V-HSW : accessed 30 January 2022), Jesse Flowers, Wayne, North Carolina, United States; citing p. 805, NARA microfilm publication M252 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.), roll 43; FHL microfilm 337,916.
11. Wayne County, North Carolina, Deed Book 9: 437, Jemimah and William Jones to Jesse Flowers, 20 December 1811; digital images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QSQ-G98Q-Q2W9?i=221&cat=307067 : accessed 1 December 2021), images 598. Also, Wayne County, North Carolina, Deed Book 12: 486-487, Jesse Flowers to Asher Flowers, 11 March 1820; digital images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-L98Q-7H2T?cat=307067 : accessed 1 December 2021), images 253.
12. Direct Tax, Newbern Sentinel (New Bern, NC), 23 May 1818, p. 4; database with images, GenealogyBank ( https://www.genealogybank.com/nbshare/AC01061125045607275091643505686 : accessed 12 January 2022).
13. "North Carolina Estate Files, 1663-1979," database with images, FamilySearch Giddens, John, 1802; State Archives, Raleigh.
14. "United States Census, 1820," database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XHLX-X8M : accessed 30 January 2022), Jesse Flowers, Wayne, North Carolina, United States; citing NARA microfilm publication , (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.), FHL microfilm.
15. Wayne County, North Carolina, Deed Book 13: 5, Asher Flowers to David Giddens, 30 May 1823; digital images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-998Q-7HHG?cat=307067 : accessed 1 December 2021), images 308.
16. "United States Census, 1830," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XHPV-RT2 : 20 February 2021), Sarah Flowers, Capt Reasons District, Wayne, North Carolina, United States; citing 523, NARA microfilm publication M19, (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.), roll 125; FHL microfilm 18,091.
17. 1830 U.S. Census, database, Ancestry.com (https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/8058/ : accessed 15 December 2021). A search for Jesse Flowers along with spelling variations in all states was unsuccessful. Also, Public Member Trees, database, Ancestry.com (https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/1030/ : accessed 15 December 2021. A search for Jesse Flowers, along with spelling variations, resulted in 16 trees.
18. 1840 U.S. Census, database, Ancestry.com (https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/8057/ : accessed 12 December 2021. A search for Sarah, Sallie, and Sally Flowers along with spelling variations in North Carolina was unsuccessful.
19. Public Member Trees, database, Ancestry.com (https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/1030/ : accessed 15 December 2021. A search for Jesse Flowers, along with spelling variations, resulted in 16 trees.
20. Land for Sale!, Goldsboro Messenger (Goldsboro, North Carolina), 18 September 1873, p.2; database with images, Newspapers.com (https://www.newspapers.com/clip/93778653/sallie-flowers-living-near-mt-olive-in/ : accessed 12 January 2022).
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