Here is the Douglas family as I found it to be from 1880 to the early 1900’s in Anson County NC. Henderson Douglas a mulatto who was born into slavery sometime around 1825 married Mourning Meachum-Douglas who was also born into slavery sometime around 1830. Mourning was owned by William Meachum of Sandy Point Anson County.
Note: Just because Henderson and Mourning were said to be man and wife with an X amount of children born during slavery does not necessarily mean that they lived together as man and wife raising a family of children. I have read many times where the slave parents lived together or apart as man and wife and sometimes have different slave masters. I have also found that the offspring’s of these unions were claimed by the female’s slave owner. Here is some information that I came across on Sarah Louise Agustus, Tempie Herndon Durham and Betty Cofer exslaves from the Fayetteville, Durham and an unknown area of NC whose parents or mates were also owned by different slave owners. Here is a more detailed evaluation of this matter.
Henderson and Mourning were said to have had 19 children, but I have only found information on 12 and possibly 5 others that are not listed below. The following are the descentdants of Henderson Douglas:
Descendants of Henderson Douglas
1 Henderson Douglas 1825 –
.. +Mourning Meachum 1830 – 1924
….. 2 Henry Douglas 1867 – 1931
……… +Narcis Boggan
….. *2nd Wife of Henry Douglas:
……… +Sarah Ann Clemons 1861 – 1946
…………. 3 Salathis Douglas
…………. 3 Joseph Douglas
…………….. +Sallie 1898 –
…………. 3 John Frank Douglas
…………….. +Fannie 1897 –
…………. 3 Henry C Douglas
…………. 3 Jay C. Douglas
…………….. +Addie 1905 –
…………. 3 Ellouise Douglas
…………. 3 Willie R. Douglas Thomas 1892 – 1976
…………….. +Sophie Jane Powell 1900 – 1980
…………. *2nd Wife of Willie R. Douglas Thomas:
…………….. +Carrie Flowers Douglas
….. 2 Johnny A. Douglas 1849 – 1928
……… +Lydia Spenser 1853 –
…………. 3 Alexander Douglas 1869 –
…………….. +Gilla
…………. 3 Asbury Douglas 1872 –
…………….. +Hattie 1865 –
…………. 3 George Douglas 1873 –
…………. 3 Eugenia Douglas 1876 –
…………. 3 Frances Douglas 1880 –
…………….. +Elizabeth
…………. 3 Ada Douglas 1883 –
….. 2 Joseph Douglas 1850 – 1928
……… +?
…………. 3 Walter Hicks 1870 –
….. *2nd Wife of Joseph Douglas:
……… +Elvie Watson 1867 –
…………. 3 Mary Frances Douglas 1889 –
…………….. +? Broadway
…………. 3 Ophelia Douglas
…………. 3 Ola Jane Douglas
…………….. +?
…………. *2nd Husband of Ola Jane Douglas:
…………….. +?
…………. 3 Joseph Douglas 1885 – 1929
…………. 3 Susa Douglas 1898 –
…………. 3 Charlie Douglas 1908 – 1929
…………. 3 Nezzie Douglas
…………….. +George McBride
….. *3rd Wife of Joseph Douglas:
……… +Emaline
….. 2 William Douglas 1855 –
……… +Elizabeth
…………. 3 George A. Douglas 1880 –
….. *2nd Wife of William Douglas:
……… +Cora Richardson
….. 2 Aron Douglas 1856 –
……… +Catherine Coppedge 1858 –
…………. 3 Henderson Douglas 1872 –
…………….. +Maggie 1886 –
…………. 3 Fannie Douglas 1878 –
…………. 3 Glennie Douglas 1887 –
…………. 3 David Douglas 1880 –
…………….. +Cattie
…………. 3 Vanna Douglas 1891 –
…………. 3 Hattie Douglas 1889 –
…………. 3 Josie Mae Douglas 1894 –
…………. 3 Julian Douglas 1892 –
…………. 3 Marie Douglas 1902 –
…………. 3 Isiah Douglas 1896 –
…………. 3 Selathial Douglas 1899 –
….. 2 Ann Elizabeth Douglas 1858 –
……… +Peter Kersey 1850 –
…………. 3 Arthur Kersey
…………. 3 Jim Kersey
…………. 3 Harrisson Kersey
…………. 3 John C. Kersey
…………….. +Eva Biddle
…………. 3 Ben Kersey
…………. 3 Weaver Kersey
…………. 3 Cleveland Kersey
…………. 3 Hattie Kersey
…………. 3 Della Kersey
…………. 3 Henderson Kersey
…………. 3 Rosa Kersey
…………. 3 Daisy Kersey
….. 2 Matilda Ann Douglas 1863 –
……… +Allan Robinson 1852 –
…………. 3 Henry Robinson 1880 –
…………. 3 Thomas Robinson 1882 –
…………….. +Rossie Rushing
…………. 3 Rachel Robinson 1885 –
…………. 3 Jordan Robinson 1887 –
…………. 3 Emma Jane Robinson 1888 –
…………. 3 Lydia Ann Robinson 1892 –
…………. 3 Willie W Robinson 1894 –
…………. 3 Gains Robinson 1895 –
…………….. +Armadella Horn
…………. 3 Mariane Robinson 1896 –
…………. 3 Ella Robinson 1898 –
…………. 3 Percy Robinson 1900 –
…………. 3 Fallie Robinson 1903 –
…………. 3 Julia Robinson 1907 –
….. 2 Charles Douglas 1864 –
……… +Elizabeth Rickets
…………. 3 Mary Ann Douglas 1883 –
…………. 3 Carles W Douglas 1890 –
…………. 3 Patsey Douglas
…………. 3 Mathew Douglas 1895 –
…………. 3 Marrie Douglas 1896 –
…………. 3 Ola E Douglas
…………. 3 Wilma Douglas 1899 –
…………. 3 Johncie Douglas 1902 –
…………. 3 William Douglas 1903 –
…………. 3 Ajie D Douglas 1904 –
…………. 3 Robert Douglas 1906 –
…………. 3 Mammie Douglas 1908 –
…………. 3 Katie Douglas 1910 –
….. 2 Harriet Douglas 1866 –
……… +Joe Smith
…………. 3 John S Smith 1888 –
…………. 3 Mary Ann Smith 1890 –
…………. 3 Joseph C Smith 1894 –
…………. 3 Sarah E Smith 1895 –
…………. 3 Lonnie B Smith 1898 –
…………. 3 Roosevelt Smith 1906 –
….. 2 Caroline Douglas 1868 –
….. 2 Hay Douglas
….. 2 Alexander Douglas 1848 –
……… +Miranda 1852 –
…………. 3 Mary Jane Douglas 1868 –
…………. 3 Daniel Douglas 1870 –
…………….. +Flora Hart 1878 –
…………. 3 Mary Ann Douglas 1872 –
…………. 3 Luther M Douglas 1874 –
…………….. +Ellie Morris
…………. 3 Joseph Douglas 1876 –
…………….. +Erwina 1878 –
…………. 3 Alexander Douglas 1878 –
…………….. +?
…………. 3 John Douglas 1880 –
…………….. +Lula 1890 –
A DOUGLAS FAMILY MYSTERY
Henderson and Mourning Douglas were said to have had 19 children. For some reason I could not find Henderson or any member of his family living in Anson or any other County in North Carolina in the year of 1870. I accidentally did a search of Chesterfield County South Carolina which borders Anson County North Carolina to the south. To my surprise in the township of court house this is what I found.
A. Douglas 55
M. Douglas 50
A. Douglas 16
A.E. Douglas 4
T.A. Douglas 12
O. Douglas 7
H.C. Douglas 1 Henderson Douglas
Mourning Douglas
Aaron Douglas
Ann Elizabeth Douglas
Tillie Ann (Matilda) Douglas
Ophelia Douglas
Hay Douglas
The next door neighbors household consisted of as follows
E.B. White 64 (A white man who was a former slave owner)
M. White 55 (Was listed as EB’s wife and black)
S.H.W.Falliat 25 (Listed as white)
H. Douglas 3 (Henderson and Mourning’s son Henry Douglas)
A few more houses on down the road I found two more son’s
J. Douglas 10 (Living with a white family-surnames Douglas)
W. Douglas 22 (Was found in the next home living alone)
J. Douglas could not have been Johnny or Joseph because they were much older at the time. I also found W. Douglas again in 1880. His named was Washington Douglas and by then had moved to the Jefferson township of Chesterfield County, South Carolina. I have not had the time to do a detailed search of the court house township for the rest of Henderson and Mourning’s younger children. Maybe I will one day.
An Interesting Finding
I am positive that Henderson and Mourning Douglas were living in South Carolina in 1870 and before. I found one of their oldest sons (Alexander Douglas) who was around a year older than John Douglas. He was listed as being born in South Carolina and had moved to North Carolina by 1870. He moved from South Carolina to a township which was then located in Richmond County, but is presently a township located in Scotland County North Carolina. Scotland County was formed in 1899 from Richmond County.
By 1900-1910 nieces and nephews that were children of 3 of his younger brothers had also followed him to Scotland County from the Gulledge and Morven townships of Anson County. And to my surprise by 1910-1920 a younger brother, Arron Douglas who had also lived in Anson County moved and made Scotland County his home.
My aunt Virginia is a woman that has been blessed to live a great number of years, stay in good health and remember most of the things that she has heard or seen in her younger days, God bless her. When I asked her if she had ever known that her father had uncles and first cousins living in Scotland County she told me that her father would stop and visit many of them on his way to and from Anson County.
Note: Henry Douglas, my grandfather William’s father died in 1931. I know that he was living with Sarah and their children in 1900 and that shortly after 1900 his and Sarah’s marriage had dissolved. After 1900 he seems to vanish from Anson County. Strangely, a Henry Douglas appears in Scotland County around the same time as Arron Douglas and lives in the same community with the other Douglas clan from Anson County. Here is his family of 1920-1930.
Henry Douglas (head of household)
Mary Douglas (wife)
Albert Douglas born abt. 1904
Pearl Douglas born abt. 1906
Thomas Douglas born abt. 1908
Jethro Douglas born abt. 1912
Hattie Douglas born abt. 1914
Hannah Douglas born abt. 1916
Silas Douglas born abt. 1926 this could have been a grandson
I don’t know if this is my gg grandfather or some of his older nephew’s family. I have recently obtained my gg grandfather’s death certificate from Anson County and it states that Henry’s wife at the time of his death was named Roxie Douglas. It is possible that this is another family that my gg grandfather started only to abandon for Roxie shortly before his death. But what if Mary could have also been called Roxie?
From 1880-1920 Henderson and Mourning were found living in The Gulledge and Morven townships of Anson County. During that same time I found some of their children living in the Gulledge, Morven, Ansonville, burnsville and Lilesville townships of Anson County. Today I would assume that their descendants can be found living in most parts of the free world.
Mourning and Henderson both lived very long lives. Henderson lived to be more than 85 years of age and Mourning was said to have lived to be almost 100 years of age. At the time of her death sometime after 1920 she had almost 200 grandchildren and well over 1000 great grandchildren. What a remarkable woman to have lived and seen such an achievement.