Friday's Photo: A Sampson County Family

The scans of the above photos were generously shared with me by a Giddens researcher whose family descends from Henry Benjamin Giddens and his wife, Margaret Jane Vann.[1]

Identified were Margaret Jane Vann and Henry Benjamin Giddens, seated on the far right. No other persons were identified. Confirming Margaret and Henry's identity was easy as their photos are attached to their shared cemetery stone.[2] 

The second photo indicates a family relationship. And, the manner of dress for young and old alike shows that this wasn't just any family gathering. I suspect a funeral. 

The group in the photo was thought to be a Giddens or Britt family of Sampson County, North Carolina, but Margaret Jane Vann's large family of Lisbon in Sampson County should not be ruled out as a likely candidate. Margaret Jane Vann was the daughter of Kedar Vann and Louisa Robinson, and according to Kedar Vann's obituary, Margaret had at least eight siblings.[3] 

Left - This man resembles a photo of Preston Stewart Vann. 

Right - This man resembles a photo of Dallas Herring.

Investigation of Margaret's siblings led to the possible identification of two men seen in both photos. Photos of Preston Stewart Vann, Margaret's younger brother, and Dallas Herring, husband of Margaret's sister, Mary, were found by searching Ancestry.com's All Public Member Photos & Scanned Documents. These found photos strongly resemble the two men pictured above. I do not have permission to post the images found at Ancestry, but source number four below this post contains links accessible to those with memberships.[4] 

The young women's clothing and hairstyles date the photo to just after 1900.[5] 

If I am correct in the identification of Dallas Herring, the photo would have to have been taken before his death date of 20 December 1910. If my identification of Dallas Herring is not correct, we know that the last possible date for the photo would be Margaret Vann Giddens' death date of 5 September 1918.[6] 

I have enlarged and cropped portions of the larger photo for better viewing and identification. If you have this photo or can identify others in the image, please contact me by commenting on this page or through my Facebook page. 

If you want to know more about the families I research, click here to like my Facebook page, where you will see each post and other genealogical finds. 

.

Diana

© 2022 

    1. "Family Gathering in Sampson County, NC," two photos, n.d.; scanned images, from the privately-held collection of Gus Grubba, NC, 2022. 

    2. Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/54536365/henry-benjamin-giddens: accessed 26 August 2022), memorial page for Henry Benjamin Giddens (28 Dec 1833–12 Oct 1922), Find a Grave Memorial ID 54536365, citing Springvale Cemetery, Clinton, Sampson County, North Carolina, USA; Maintained by Kathryn Ryan (contributor 47743666).

    3. "Aged Citizen Dead", The Commonwealth (Scotland Neck, North Carolina), 27 June 1901, p.4; database with images, Newspapers.com (https://www.newspapers.com/clip/106218473/kedar-vann-father-in-law-of-h-b-giddens/: accessed 24 July 2022).

    4. colacarl, "Dallas Herring & Molly Vann," photo from public tree, Ancestry (https://www.ancestry.com/mediaui-viewer/collection/1030/tree/22422517/person/29558958892/media/7168aef6-d099-4b2c-8d66-6bd92a5b0f5d?_phsrc=yzP9272&usePUBJs=true&galleryindex=1&sort=-created : accessed 25 August 2022).  Also, Janet Naylor Jagunic, "Preston Stewart Vann,"photo from public tree, Ancestry (https://www.ancestry.com/mediaui-viewer/collection/1030/tree/110312326/person/162095995413/media/0364be48-bcad-48d3-bb6f-3d06b4fca900?_phsrc=yzP9266&usePUBJs=true&galleryindex=2&sort=-created : accessed 25 August 2022). 

    5. “History of Women’s Fashion from 1900 to 1919,” Glamour Daze, A Vintage Fashion and Beauty Archive (https://glamourdaze.com/history-of-womens-fashion/1900-to-1919 : accessed 24 August 2022)

    6. Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/151112532/dallas-herring: accessed 26 August 2022), memorial page for Dallas Herring (28 Jan 1860–20 Dec 1910), Find a Grave Memorial ID 151112532, citing Herring Cemetery, Sampson County, North Carolina, USA; Maintained by Eric B Stone (contributor 47268178).Also, Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/54536290/margaret-jane-giddens: accessed 26 August 2022), memorial page for Margaret Jane Vann Giddens (23 Aug 1847–4 Sep 1918), Find a Grave Memorial ID 54536290, citing Springvale Cemetery, Clinton, Sampson County, North Carolina, USA; Maintained by Kathryn Ryan (contributor 47743666).