I
don't know who Ned's father was but his mother's name was Edith Herring-Johnson.
Edith and her family of 1870 lived in a household (212) that was located near
her mother and older brother's home (213). Edith's mother's name was Phyllis Herring
and her older brother's name was Archie Herring. Their homes were located somewhere
close to where aunt Ada's present day home is located. As a matter of fact, other
than Edith, Gabe Powell and his first wife Julia who I think was also one of Phyllis'
daughters were some of Phyllis and Archie's closest neighbors in 1870. Gabe's
old place (216) of 1870 on was in "hollerin" distance of aunt Ada's
present day home.
Click here
view the 1870 Bladen County information. Notice the house numbers 212-216.
I also found that Shade Herring who was born in 1855 and was found
as a youth living in the Longview area of Sampson County was also a residence
of this community in 1880. He returned to the Longview area by 1900 to live there
for the remainder of his days. At this moment I do not know what his relation
was to Phyllis, Archie, Edith or Ned. I know many of Shade's present day descendants
including two that were also called Shade Herring (father and son) who also lived
in the Longview area of Sampson County.
In all the information
that I found on Edith and her mother Phyllis, they were listed as widows but Edith
continued to have children all through the 1870's and 80's. I have learned through
my readings on slavery that just because a woman was listed as being a widow didn't
necessarily mean her husband had met his death. Since It was against the law for
slaves to be married some slaves cohabited and had children with multiple partners.
When slavery was ended the newly freed parties had to choose who they wanted to
marry and call their spouse. The mate not chosen would then be know as a widow
or widower until or if they married. I have also ran across information that showed
a woman to be called a widow if her man was sold off to some other place during
slavery and she never married after slavery. At this time I have no idea which
of these three cases applies to Phyllis and Edith.
Note:There is
another possibility and it gets my elder relatives on the edge when I even hint
at the idea. What if Edith was involved with her slave master or some of his relatives?
For the longest time I have been thinking that Edith's last five children were
fathered by some of Joel Jr. Johnson's sons, especially her former slave owner
Owen who was the same age as she was. Most of her children has been listed as
mulatto at one time or another and I am at odds as to how Edith could have still
been listed as a widow in 1880 with an addition of four more children birthed
by her by then and one after. Also, for some reason Owen was more than generous
about giving Edith's children land that was part of his estate before his death.
I plan to research all of this sometime in the future.
Somehow Phyllis,
her daughter Edith and Ned Edmund were closely related to Ned Edward Autry's family
of the McDaniels township of Sampson County.
Click here
for a page of additional information that mentions some of my findings and thoughts
on this. Their true relation will soon be known for I am awaiting information
that I hope will unravel this mystery.
Ned Edmund was suppose to have
been born sometime around 1854 and was the only child of Edith's that was listed
with the surname of Herring. All of her other children were found to be using
the surname of Johnson. I first found Ned in 1870 living with a white family as
their servant in the Colly township of Bladen County NC somewhere between what
is now the Susie Sandhill and the Barnes brother's blueberry farm. He was listed
as being 10 years old and was called Ned Herring at that time. Currently, none
of Ned's 3rd generation of living descendants, his grandchildren, will acknowledge
that he was born a Herring instead of an Autry. It seems to anger them when word
is mentioned that Ned was not truly an Autry.
The white family that
Ned was living with during that time was the family of Owen and Margarette Johnson's.
Owen was the son of Joel Johnson Jr. who was the brother of Daniel Johnson. Daniel
was the slave owner of Ned's father-in-law, Henry Johnson, before slavery was
legally ended. Here is a list of Owen and Margarette's children.
1
Luella Johnson born abt. 1867
2 Robert L Johnson born abt. 1869
3
Julius W Johnson born abt. 1873
4 Thomas J Johnson born abt. 1874
5 Mary P Johnson born abt. 1879
I haven't been able to find out anything
about the servant system that was used after slavery was legally terminated. I
don't know if Ned could have been paid or was just provided a meal and shelter
for his services. Or Maybe his mother could have received payment for services
rendered by him.
This
photo shows all that is left of the Johnson homestead which is located in the
same area where Ned Edmund lived as a youngster. The people in the picture are
descendants of Owen Johnson and one of Ned's grandsons, Winston Whitted who showed
them how to find this place.
In 1880 Ned was found living in the household
of Jas. B Mulfore and his wife Susan, another white family living in the Colly
township of Bladen County NC. He was still employed as a servant and his name
was listed as Ned Edmund Autry. Autry being a surname that he apparently assumed
or liked. Some of the elders of the family says that his father was a man that
used the surname of Autry. If so he did not live in Bladen County.
In some information of 1880 Ned was found to be listed as a mulatto. From looking
at the photo of Ned in the guestbook you can clearly tell that there is an immediate
line of Caucasian blood in his ancestry. In other words, I think one of his parents
or one or more of his grandparents were close to 100% Caucasian.
Sometime
between 1880-1882 Ned met and married Mary Carlton Johnson. (Carlton being her
middle name representing her mother's maiden name). Shortly after 1880 Mary moved
to the Turnbull township of Bladen County from the Warsaw township of Duplin County
NC with her father, Henry Johnson and her brother's Toney Troy and George Johnson.
After Ned's marriage to Mary they began what was to become a very large family
and they lived in the Colly township of Bladen County for the rest of their natural
lives.
Ned was listed as being a farmer during his adult life and it
has been said that he had been a very profitable man. I have even heard that he
was able to buy new trucks way back in the day. Somebody and I don't remember
who, told me that in his latter years he even became a preacher of the gospel.
Click here for information
about Ned's brothers and sisters.
