#AtoZChallenge - D is for DUNSTON

D is for DUNSTON!

Today is Day 4 of the A-Z Challenge, and I'm dedicating it to my DUNSTON ancestors, of Franklin County, NC. Everything I know about my Dunstons has come through my research; I've never met any of my relatives from this branch.

The Dunstons were free people of color, who are said to have descended from one Patience Dunston, who is mentioned in Paul Heinegg's book, Free African Americans of Virginia, North Carolina, and Maryland. 

Because I am away from home, and from my regular computer, I'm going to cheat a little here by sharing an link to the page in Heinegg's book:  http://www.freeafricanamericans.com/Driggers_Dutchfield.htm

Patience Dunstan (1734 - )


6th great-grandmother
William Dunstan (1755 - )


son of Patience Dunstan
Alcy Dunstan (1782 - )


daughter of William Dunstan
Wilson Dunstan (1813 - 1896)


son of Alcy Dunstan
Wilson "Wills" Dunston (1842 - 1901)


son of Wilson Dunstan
Susan Georgiana Dunston (1865 - 1907)


daughter of Wilson "Wills" Dunston
Anna Beatrice Green (1891 - 1977)


daughter of Susan Georgiana Dunston
Arthur Person Yarborough (1924 - 1997)


son of Anna Beatrice Green
Renate Suzanne Yarborough


daughter of Arthur Person Yarborough

So, this is my line of descent from Patience DUNSTAN. I have done significant research on this line, but it mostly amounts to names and dates, with a few apprentice bonds, bastardy bonds, and military records here and there. I've met some other Dunston descendants from the area, but so far none of us are matching each other on DNA, and we have different names on our trees, so I guess not all Dunstons are connected, as we'd previously thought.

To make matters a bit confusing, I also descend from another line of Franklin County DUNSTONS! This is because my second great-grandfather, Wilson "Wills" Dunston, married another Dunston, Laura, who was the daughter of Simon Dunston and Susan REED. Here's that line:

Simon Dunstan (1817 - )
3rd great-grandfather


Laura Dunston (1846 - 1920)
daughter of Simon Dunstan


Susan Georgiana Dunston (1865 - 1907)
daughter of Laura Dunston


Anna Beatrice Green (1891 - 1977)
daughter of Susan Georgiana Dunston


Arthur Person Yarborough (1924 - 1997)
son of Anna Beatrice Green
Renate Suzanne Yarborough
You are the daughter of Arthur Person Yarborough

The only photo I've ever seen of one of my direct Dunston ancestors is this one of my 2x-ggrandmother, Laura Dunston. I've had it restored, but I don't have a copy of that with me (on vacation). I will update the photo on a later date. :)

Laura Dunston (June 17, 1846 - March 28, 1920)

From an article written by Maury York for the Tar River Roots publication, I have this excerpt:

"As in other areas of eastern North Carolina, most free blacks in Franklin County worked on farms, but few owned land.

Farmers in 1850 included members of the Anderson, Dunce, Dunston, Fog and Mitchell families.

Quite a few craftsmen, however, contributed to the local economy.

These included carpenters Leonidas Anderson, Henry and James Dunston, and John Fog. John Mitchell built coaches, and several members of the Dunston family worked as blacksmiths."

I've also been told that Simon Dunston was responsible for a lot of the stonework found in the city of Raleigh, NC but I haven't further researched this.

I may add more to this post, but for now that's all, folks!

Renate

Source info: 

Heinegg, Paul. Free African Americans of Maryland and Delaware from the Colonial Period to 1810. Baltimore, MD, USA: Genealogical Publishing Co., 2000.

York, Maury http://www.louisburg.edu/tarrivercenter/freeblacks.html Published in the Franklin Times newspaper, August 15, 2013.

Permalink: http://justthinking130.blogspot.com/2017/04/azchallenge-d-is-for-dunston.html

Amanuensis Monday - Dunston - Arendell Bastardy Bond

Hi Folks,
I know I have posted in a long time, but LIFE has taken me in other directions, so I haven't been very focused on the family history or the blog.  Hopefully, I'll get back to posting more regularly at some point, but for now, I've decided to at least try to pop in and do some of the memes, using content that I have readily available, or (perhaps) reposting some of my earleir messages.

Today, for Amanuensis Monday, I'm sharing a document that I took a picture of a few years ago during one of my trips to the North Carolina State Library and Archives.  This document is a bastardy bond, taken out for Hillory Dunston, who is the purported father of a "bastard" child born to Florence Arendell.  My interest in this was because I do have Dunston ancestors rom Franklin County, and I'm sure Hllory must've been related to them, but I have not yet established the connection.

Dunston-Arendell Bastardy Bond
(Click to enlarge)

Transcription:

State of North Carolina

Franklin County

To any lawful officer
Whereas upon the examination of Florence Arendell this day taken on oath before me, it appears that she has been delivered of a child which child is a bastard and may become chargeable to the said county and the said Florence Arendell has confessed that Hillory Dunston of the county aforesaid did beget the said child and has charged him with the same. These are therefore to command you to apprehend the said Hillory Dunston and bring him before me or some Justice of the Peace for the said county to answer the said charge.
Given under my hand and seal this 13th day of 1870.

H B Well JP (seal)

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I was unable to locate Florence Arendell in either the 1870 or 1880 Census, so unfortunately, I couldn't ascertain the name or gender of the child who is the subject of this document.  I always wonder though, if the descendents of the children for whom these bonds exist, have ever seen them, or if they know their ancestry.  Certainly, having a copy of one of these "bastardy bonds" could help to confirm family lore, in many cases, although, in some situations (such as my own, but more on that in a future post), it may actually end up causing more confusion!

Happy reading, all.

Renate

PS... One other thing:  I don't know if this Florence Arendell was Black or White.  The Dunstans had been Free Blacks prior to 1870, and, although most of them partnered with other people of color, many of them could pass for white, and could have easily chosen to cross racial lines.  Hillory Dunston was a well-known character in Franklin County, for many reasons.  He was active on both sides of the proverbial "tracks", judging from the number of times and instances that I've run across him in my research, but still, my sense is that this Florence Arendell was most likely not White.

#52Ancestors: Week 2 - "Origins" - WHERE I'M FROM

This post is being updated on January 8, 2023, for inclusion in Week 2 of Amy Johnson Crow's "52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks" writing initiative. The original post was written and shared in 2011. I remember being very proud of it, then; and, I feel the same way now. Only the slightest of changes have been made.

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July 24, 2011

Thanks again to Randy Seaver of Genea-Musings for providing us with a fun, engaging activity.  This week's assignment, was to use write a poem entitled, "Where I'm From", using the template. To visit Randy's site and read the entire challenge, please visit http://www.geneamusings.com/2011/07/saturday-night-genealogy-fun-write-poem.html

I enjoyed working on this poem, but found it challenging in some ways, as I had to grope for ideas for a few of the items. However, most came easily, and I found myself smiling, and even laughing as I reflected on memories of days gone by.  I encourage everyone to give this a try, and to share it with your family members, too. :) 
Here's my poem:

Where I'm From

By Renate Yarborough Sanders

I am from bell-bottom pants, stacks and afros. I’m from Hostess Twinkies and Now & Laters.

I am from the historic black neighborhood of Aberdeen (Built by Blacks for Blacks), paved streets, big yards, filled with children playing while mammas watched from every window, and where you’d better get home before those street-lights come on.  I'm from playing on the "Big Hills", waiting for the Ice-Cream Man or "The Truck", and from where switches came off trees faster than you could get the last disrespectful word out of your mouth.

I am from azalea bushes and crepe myrtle trees, and from my grandma’s prized roses.

I am from holding hands during mealtime prayers, and persevering above the odds; From Anna Beatrice GREEN and Mary DAVIS and YARBOROUGHS, NEALS, DUNSTONS, HILLS, ROSSES, BRYANTS and BROWNS. And, like it or not, I’m also from HAWKINS, JONES, MACONS, DAVENPORTS and more.

I am from the head-strong and faithful. I’m from, “If you can’t say something nice, don’t say nothing at all.” And, “Pretty is, as pretty does.”

I am from Baptists, and Presbyterians, and from the foot-stomping, dancing-in-the-aisle United Holiness Church. I’m from folks who love the Lord with all our hearts, souls, and all that is within us!

I'm from Cleveland, Ohio, by way of Franklin, Warren, Tyrrell and Washington Counties, in NC; Norfolk, VA; and somewhere in Africa where people spoke the Bantu languages and watched their families torn apart, chained, and loaded onto ships like somebody’s cargo. I’m from Nigeria, where my ancestors walked proudly, heads up – backs straight, until that fateful day when they were forced to bend by men whose descendants would one day be my kinfolk.

I’m from blue-crabs steamed in a touch of vinegar and seasoned (heavy) with Old-Bay; I’m from collard greens and macaroni-and-cheese, with hot, buttered corn bread on the side.

From Anna Green, a runaway transplant who shared her life with Nathaniel Hawkins, and bore six kids by him; from Arthur P. Yarborough, who after a stint as one of our nation's first black Marines, reenlisted and worked his way up to the rank of Major in the United States Army, only to be cheated out of his next promotion by the stronghold of racism.

I am from the house my grandfather built in Louisburg, the property my grandmother and mother fought to keep in Norfolk, from the last house on the left on the corner lot in Granger Court. I’m from the metal safebox which always sat on the top shelf of my parents’ closet, but now rests in mine. I’m from photo albums filled with pictures of the known and unknown, from manila folders labeled with surnames and CD-ROMs that hold pictures and documents that provide proof of my history - most of which has migrated, in digitized form, onto my laptop and my external hard drive, since the time this piece was first written.

I’m from all of this, and so much more. I’m from America.

Thanks for reading!

Renate

P.S. If you'd like to get in on the 52 Ancestors fun, just click here for more info!

Permalink to this post: https://justthinking130.blogspot.com/2011/07/saturday-night-genealogy-fun-where-im.html

A New Name for Just Thinking...!

Ever since the week I created my blog, I knew that I'd eventually have to change its name, but, as with most of the things I do, I've waited for just the right moniker to come to me. Yesterday, as I was driving to work, it did just that.

When I first began to blog, I'd thought it was going to be more like a diary - revealing more of my everyday thoughts, feelings, and life-experiences. And though there's been some of that, I quickly realized that a genealogy blog was to be just that - a web-log about GENEALOGY. As time (and posts) went on, I knew that I wanted Just Thinking... to have title that would be more reflective of my research experience, but as I've said, I had to wait for it to come to me.

During the past couple of weeks, I've been somewhat frustrated with my research. I've been going through that phase of feeling that I'll never discover anything new, and, although I've made several new contacts, everyone seems to have the same information that I already have! I'm at that point (again) where there's just not much more that I can do on the Internet, so a research trip is necessary, but this not a good time for me to take one. Work is crazy, life is hard, and I'M JUST FRUSTRATED!

On top of that, the problems that I have with my very disjointed, dysfunctional, and disengaged (living) family have been heavily pressing on my psyche. As I try to work to uncover the SECRETS of my family's past, the more I realize that without the help of my relatives, I'll probably never be privy to many of the little nuggets of family lore that I need to give me a direction to go in. Unfortunately, the few relatives who seem to even have a minute interest in what I'm doing, know even less about the family than I do! But all of this aside, there are people in my family, both young(er) and old who know things; and no matter what I do or say, I just can't break through the shield of protection that they have up around the details of our past. Even in my immediate family, where I am the youngest child, with siblings who are over a decade older, there are issues that prevent us from communicating on any level about anything such as this. Deep in my own thoughts, I'm admitting aloud something that I've realized for a long time. Mine is not one of the great, sprawling, well-connected families where everyone loves each other and stands together as one. And, this didn't just happen. My research has proven that. But, the question is WHY? WHY did Calvin and Precilla's eleven children go their separate ways - in some cases living just doors away from each other on the same street in Louisburg, but not sharing their lives? WHY did the descendants of Anna Green split off into two separate groups - one, Greens, the other Greenes - whose family lines don't even know (or seemingly acknowledge) each other? WHY did my Dunstan ancestors disappear from Franklin County and WHY doesn't anyone in my family know any of them, or where they went? And, WHY did Nathaniel Hawkins disappear into oblivion, having the details of his life seemingly erased, and leaving nothing to his six children? I have so many questions about all of these things, and in many cases, have begun to discover some answers, and as I do, it is my intention to continue to bring those answers out of the darkness and INTO THE LIGHT.