Hamp Pruitt

Adam Hampton Pruitt was the only son of Hampton P. Pruitt and Mary Wagoner Pruitt. He was born on April 19th, either 1863 or 1864, in Wilkes County, North Carolina. (1)   He went by by the name "Hamp" Pruitt. His father, Hampton P. Pruitt, died during the Civil War.

Hamp married Samantha Blevins, the daughter of Rev. Calloway Blevins and Lucinda Caudill Blevins, on December 30, 1885.  (2)  

One of their descendants has a picture of Hamp and Samantha, along with a story that the clothes in the picture were "painted on, they didn't own anything that 'fine'."  (3)

Hamp and Samantha Pruitt - click to enlarge

Hamp and Samantha were the parents of thirteen children:

1)  Cordillia Pruitt, born and died December 7, 1886  (4)

2)  Ida Victoria Pruitt, born December 8, 1887, died 29 July 1957, wife of Volney Cleary

3)  Rev. John Caloway "Callie" Pruitt, born 28 December 1889, died March 19, 1976, husband of Amanda Ethel Cleary

4)  Rev. Adam "Addie" Wesley Pruitt, born November 17, 1891, died June 28, 1978, husband of Cordova Blevins

5)  Myrtle DeEtte Pruitt, born March 29, 1894, died November 26, 1970, wife of James Harrison Felts

6)  William Mack Pruitt, born January 7, 1896, died June 10, 1968, husband of Norma Wyatt

7)  Charlie Pruitt, born August 17, 1897, died December 15, 1980, husband of Phoebe Elizabeth Caudill

8)  Sarah Mindora "Dora" Pruitt, born November 25, 1899, died May 14, 1921, wife of Rufus Gordon Pruitt

9)  Rhoda "Fay" Pruitt, born March 20, 1902, died October 13, 1930, never married

10) Rev. James Garfield "Gar" Pruitt, born September 14, 1904, died August 1, 1962, husband of Lola Carter

11)  Sherman Vestal Pruitt, born February 10, 1907, died September 5, 1989, husband of Jessie Mae Steelman

12)  Martha Zona Pruitt, born March 5, 1909, died November 30, 1991, the wife of Lee Raymond Wheeling

13)  Leonard Dennis Pruitt, born April 30, 1911, died January 15, 1960, husband of Esther Key

Hamp and Samantha Pruitt family - click to enlarge

This photograph, badly faded and scratched, did not include any names. However, the ages of the children would suggest that the back row, left to right, would include Addie, Callie, Ida and DeEtte. The front row, left to right, would include Charlie, Dora on Hamp's lap, Mack (with his hand on his father's shoulder), and Fay sitting on Samantha's lap.  (5)

Hamp Pruitt died on July 10th, 1916, in the New Life community of Wilkes County, of cancer of the stomach, per his death certificate.  (6)

Hamp Pruitt's death certificate - click to enlarge

He is buried at Walnut Grove Baptist Church, in the same community where he lived and died. The area is now identified as Hays, NC. His tombstone provides a death date of July 9th, 1916.  (7)

Hamp Pruitt's tombstone - click to enlarge


_______________________________________________________________________________________________

(1) Official records weren't kept when Hamp was born. His death certificate lists his birth date as April 19, 1863, born in Wilkes County. The 1900 census provides a birth year of 1864. There is no indication who provided the information to the census taker, but this information was provided during Hamp's lifetime.

(2)  Marriage date is engraved on their joint tombstone at Walnut Grove Baptist church in Hays, NC.

(3)  Email from Robyn Pruitt to Ervin Pruitt, dated May 8, 2008, indicating the photo was sent to Robyn from Franky Pruitt, son of Gar Pruitt.

(4)  Ervin Pruitt has a list of names, birth and death dates, with no idea where they were originally recorded. This list contains the only known information about Cordillia.

(5)  This photograph copy is in the possesion of Stephen Pruitt. The original photo was borrowed and photographed many years ago. I'm not certain who has the original, but would like to obtain a better copy.

(6)  NC Death Certificate for Adam Hampton Pruitte, found online at Ancestry.com.

(7)  Photograph taken by Debbie Hendren Pruitt at Walnut Grove Baptist Church, 4650 Cabin Creek Road, Hays, NC.

What became of Gambill's Hollow Church?

Judge Johnson J. Hayes, in his book “The Land of Wilkes”  (1) quotes from the surviving records of (old) Roaring River Baptist Church, which is one of the oldest Baptist churches in Wilkes County.  Judge Hayes wrote that Roaring River Baptist Church:

“voted to let a church be constituted in Gambill’s Hollow, if they were found ready and ripe for it. It was constituted April 10, 1786. This was the beginning of the Baptist Church of South Fork of Roaring River. Gambill’s lived on south prong of Roaring River, as shown by numerous grants to William Gambill.” 

Judge Hayes did not indicate in his book when the last reference to Gambill’s Hollow or South Fork of Roaring River Church occurred in the minutes of (old) Roaring River Church. He did say that:

“it has not been possible to determine what became of South Fork of Roaring River Church. There is some speculation that the present church called Walnut Grove is its successor but we are unable to verify it. However, the subsequent fellowship between Walnut Grove and Old Roaring River does indicate Walnut Grove is the successor to the other.”

So where was Gambill Hollow (South Fork of Roaring River) Church located? We don’t know.

In the 1790 census, there were three Gambill households in Wilkes County. One was Martin Gamble, whose deed records indicate that he lived near the New River in what later became Ashe County. Another household was headed by Jno. Gambell, whose land was located along the Middle Fork of Roaring River. The third household was headed by Mary Gambill, widow of William Gambill, who died before February 1779, and who owned about 900 acres of land, at least some of which was located on the South Fork of Roaring River.  Upon William’s death, his plantation went to his wife during her lifetime, and then to his son, Jesse Gambill, who sold the land to his brother-in-law, Robert Johnson (the one born in 1783 – there have been several Robert Johnsons!)  The land was passed down through the Lewis Johnson family, and a portion of that land is now owned by a Johnson descendant, and located on what is now called Cabin Creek Road in Hays.

No references have been found in any old deeds concerning a church building or church property. It was common practice for churches to meet in the homes of members, rather than construct a separate church building, so perhaps this occurred with Gambill's Hollow Church.

While Gambill's Hollow Church (or South Fork of Roaring River Church) has disappeared over time, there is a creek called Gambill Creek, so named since the land containing this creek was purchased by William Gambill in February 1817.  (2)   However, the church at Gambill's Hollow predates the purchase of this particular piece of land by about thirty years. So it makes the location of the church unlikely to have been located on Gambill Creek or along Gambill Creek Road.

Gambill's Hollow (South Fork of Roaring River) Church was likely located on what is now called Cabin Creek Road, where an early Gambill settler, William Gambill, did indeed own land along the South Fork of Roaring River. The church  was almost certainly attended by Gambills and others living in the area.  While land ownership of William Gambill and his widow, Mary Gambill, can be traced through deeds, there is no record of a separate church property. And apart from references such as (old) Roaring River Baptist Church minutes, there are no surviving minutes from Gambill's Hollow (South Fork of Roaring River) Church to help identify the location of this early church.

___________________________________________________________

(1) Johnson J. Hayes, The Land of Wilkes (Wilkesboro, North Carolina: Wilkes County Historical Society, 1962. Reprint, Wilkes Heritage Museum, 2010)  

(2)  Wilkes County, NC,  Deed Book 24, Page 45, Sheriff's Sale of George Lewis land to William Gambill, February 4, 1817; located at Wilkes County Courthouse, Wilkesboro, NC

The Picture Taken at Cleghorn Baptist Church with all those Blevinses

The spouse of a descendant of John Andrew Blevins has provided the names of some of the people in the picture with Calloway Blevins.  The group includes Calloway, his mother, and five of his brothers. And no doubt a lot of their extended families!

Susan (or Susanna) Joines Blevins

Susan Joines Blevins was the daughter of Thomas Joines and Lydia Hoppers Joines. Susan (or Susanna or Susannah) was born in northwest North Carolina on March 5, 1826 and died July 6, 1918 in Virginia.

Susan married Andrew Franklin Blevins and was the mother of 10 children who survived to adulthood. Two more children evidently died young, but we know about them because Susan indicated on the 1910 census that she was the mother of 12 children.

Of the ten children who grew to adulthood, three were daughters and seven were sons. Several of those sons became ministers - perhaps four, maybe as many as six.

Susan outlived her husband by more than twenty years, and lived in Washington County, Virginia, with her son, Daniel Smith Blevins, in 1900. By 1910, she was living in Marion, Virginia (Smyth County) with her son, Esquire (Squire) Blevins.  Both of those sons have been identified as ministers.

This picture was found online; I am not certain who owns the original. Susan is seated with a dark scarf on her head. The identities of the other people are not known. Likely this picture was made while she was living with one of her sons, either Smith or Squire  (**Correction**) with her daughter, Rhoda Blevins Caudill, in Smyth County, Virginia (according to the distant cousin who sent me this picture).

Susan Joines Blevins  (click to enlarge)

Susan (Susannah) Joines Blevins is buried in the Kell Cemetery in Smyth County, Virginia, where several of her children are also buried.

Susan Joines Blevins is my father-in-law's great-great-grandmother.

Gone a' Preaching

I received a copy of this picture from one of my husband's cousins, and I'm not certain who owns the original photo.  We were told that the picture was made in Smyth County, Virginia, when Rev. Calloway Blevins went to preach a revival at the church of one of his brothers, who was also a minister.

In Smyth County, Virginia  (click to enlarge)

Callie is near the center of the photo, with a long, full, white beard. And his mother, Susan Joines Blevins, is seated beside him with a dark scarf on her head.

The man seated on the other side of Callie is "probably" his brother, at whose church he had gone to preach. 

However, he had several brothers who were ministers. In the Heritage of Wilkes County, Volume 2, descendant Ursula Blevins Proffit stated that Calloway and his three brothers, Ezekiel, John and Linville, were all Baptist ministers.The History of the Stone Mountain Baptist Association states that three of his brothers, John, Ezekiel and Smithe, were "ministers who served many churches in the Cleghorn Valley of Virginia."

According to census data, Calloway had six brothers: John Andrew, Ezekiel, Linville, Squire, William Talmadge and Smith. Two of those brothers are identified in census data as ministers: Ezekiel and Squire.

Thus, reports and records indicate that Callie's minister-brothers were, variously, John, Ezekiel, Smith, Linville and Squire. This totals five brothers who were ministers, instead of three, as various reports state...  So, in the Smyth County photograph above, we were told that the man seated beside Callie was "probably" his brother, at whose church he had gone to preach. But he apparently had several brothers who were preachers, so we have no idea which brother this might be.

I would love to know the identities of any of the other people in this photograph. Please contact me if you can identify any of these folks.


UPDATE:  The wife of one of John Andrew Blevins's descendants contacted me with the following information:

The man in the middle of the picture with the white hair and beard is Calloway Blevins. Immediately behind and to the right of him is his brother Squire Blevins. Sitting beside Calloway is his mother Susannah. Beside her is another brother, John Andrew. Between John and Susannah is Ezekiel. To the left of Calloway is Linville. The man between Linville and Calloway is Daniel Smith Blevins. The seventh brother was in North Carolina when the picture was taken. This photo taken in 1912 was all of the Blevinses who attended a revival at the Cleghorn Baptist Church near Chilhowie. Calloway had come up from North Carolina to preach at the revival.

Thanks, Brenda!

Rev. Calloway Blevins

Calloway C. Blevins was born January 26, 1847 in the Whitehead community of Ashe County, North Carolina. (Alleghany was formed from Ashe in 1859, and Whitehead is now located in Alleghany County. This explains why sometimes his birthplace is given as Ashe and sometimes as Alleghany.)

Calloway was the son of Andrew F. Blevins and his wife, Susan Joines Blevins, the oldest child in a large family.

Rev. Calloway Blevins  (click to enlarge)

Calloway, also know as "Callie", married Lucinda Caudill, the daughter of Stephen Caudill and Huldah Adams in 1865.  Callie and Lucinda had eleven children together.  Following Lucinda's death in 1911, Callie married a second time to Fannie Emaline Adams, who was a widow.

Rev. Calloway Blevins was a well-known Baptist minister who preached in many churches in Wilkes, Ashe and Alleghany Counties in northwest North Carolina and beyond. He participated in the organization of many churches in the area, and was instrumental in forming the Stone Mountain Baptist Association in Wilkes County, North Carolina, in 1897.  The History of the Stone Mountain Baptist Association, 1897-1976, compiled by the Associational Historical Committee, with Paul W. Gregory as chairman, included this statement:

from History of the Stone Mountain Baptist Association   (click to enlarge)

An entry in the Heritage of Wilkes County, Volume 2, written by descendant Ursula Blevins Profitt, includes this information:

Written by descendant Ursula Blevins Proffit  (click to enlarge)

This undated newspaper clipping, in the possession of a descendant, refers to Rev. Blevins' service as Moderator of the Stone Mountain Baptist Association.

Callie and Lucinda  (click to enlarge)

The following obituary was published in a local newspaper following the death of Calloway Blevins on August 7, 1924:

Obituary  (click to enlarge)

Rev. Calloway Blevins and his wife, Lucinda Caudill Blevins, are buried in the church cemetery of Walnut Grove Baptist Church in Hays, North Carolina. Their joint marker is located immediately behind the church sanctuary.

Rev. C. Blevins  (click to enlarge)

Lucinda Blevins  (click to enlarge)

This map shows the location of Calloway and Lucinda's homeplace in the Walnut Grove community (as identified by his great-grandson, my father-in-law) as well as the location of Walnut Grove Baptist Church, where Callie and Lucinda are buried.

Map from Google Earth  (click to enlarge)

Rev. Calloway Blevins was my father-in-law's great-grandfather. Callie Blevins died six years before my father-in-law was born.

Isaac Carter

Isaac Carter may be the father of Evaline Carter Blevins. Her mother may be Sarah Hurt. Thus far, there is not enough information to confirm the identity of Evaline's parents.

A North Carolina marriage bond for Isaack Carter and Sarah Hurt, was filed August 28, 1829 in Surry County, North Carolina.

Twenty-one years later, at the time of the 1850 census in Surry County, a household  headed by Isaac Carter, age 43, included Sally Carter, 44; "Elvoline" Carter, 17; Joshua, age 15 [his name is difficult to read, it could be something else]; Mary Carter, 14; Robert Carter, 13; Rebecca Carter, 11; and Joel James Carter, 5. All family members were born in North Carolina.


Click to enlarge

In 1860, it appears that the same family was living in Ashe County in the area served by the Chestnut Hill post office.  The family included  Isaac, 58; Sarah Carter, 58; Eveline Carter, 28; Mary Carter, 25; Columbus Carter, 23; Matilda Carter, 21; and Joel Carter, 16.  All family members were born in North Carolina.

Click to enlarge

Is this the same family?  Sally was a common nickname for Sarah. Ages for Isaac and Sarah/Sally changed by 15 years in the decade between these two censuses, which is not too unusual. Evaline, Mary and Joel's ages are consistent (all aging 11 years in a decade.)  Joshua, if that is his correct name, had left the household by 1860.  Columbus and Matilda are ten years older than Robert and Rebecca. They could be the same two people, using either a first name or a middle name.

If they are different families, the composition of the families are similar.

Ages for Evaline Carter are consistent between the 1850 and 1860 censuses, and between the 1870 and 1880 censuses following her marriage (ages 17, 28, 38, and 48). The other Evaline Carter Blevins was about 15 years younger (age 33 in 1880) and listed a birthplace of Virginia for herself and her parents.

The 1880 Federal Mortality Schedule listed persons who died during the year ending May 31, 1880, in Jefferson Township, Ashe County, North Carolina. This schedule included an elderly man named Isaac Carter, age 70, listed as married, rather than widowed. He was born in North Carolina, as were his parents. He was a farmer, but died in the Ashe County Poor House in April 1880 of Bright's Disease of the Kidney. Furthermore, a box at the bottom of the page indicated where the families of the deceased lived if they were not living in Ashe County on June 1, 1880. Isaac Carter's family was living in Wilkes County, NC, on that date.



Click to enlarge

There are a large number of Carters in Wilkes County in 1880, particularly in Edwards township. This could be Isaac Carter, Evaline's father, or another individual named Isaac Carter.

Or Evaline Carter may not have been the daughter of Isaac Carter, after all.