UNION COUNTY,
NORTH CAROLINA
POOR HOUSE

[COUNTY HOME FOR THE AGED AND INFIRM]

 

The Union County Poor House Listing from the 1850 Census.

The Union County Poor House Listing from the 1860 Census.

Paupers & Poorhouse Ledger (Miscellaneous & Incomplete Pages 1867-1871)

The Union County Poor House Listing from the 1870 Census.

The Union County Poor House Listing from the 1880 Census.

1900 Census – Residents of the Union County Home

1910 Census – Residents of the Union County Home

1920 Census – Residents of the Union County Home

Miscellaneous References

 

An excerpt from Looking Back At Monroe’s History by Virginia A. S. Kendrick

(a great book available for sale at the Heritage Room in Monroe, and also at City Hall):

From a letter dated March 20, 1867, John D. Stewart wrote the following about life in Union County, NC during Reconstruction, just after the Civil War: “The poorhouse is over-flowing with paupers and it is beyond the power of the magistrates in the greatly exhausted condition of the country, to furnish the means to support their poor. The short and simple truth is that we are smitten with a famine and those who are able to sustain themselves can do but little to sustain their starving neighbors. What is to become of our famished poor – our helpless poor, and there is still more helpless orphan children – the God of widows and fatherless children can only tell.”

 

Also see my webpage about the Union County Home Cemetery, Burials and Deaths

 

 

1850 CENSUS, MONROE, UNION COUNTY, NC  page 96B:

“Poor House”

Daniel Snead - age 47 – Overseer of the Poor - born in NC

Martha Snead – age 44 – born in NC

Daniel Snead – age 23 – born in NC

Jemima Snead – age 13 – born in NC

Soloman Snead – age 11 – born in NC

Elizabeth A. Snead – age 6 – born in NC

Danl. J. Snead – age 9 – born in NC

Elder O’Cain – age 78 – born in NC

John Allen – age 73 – born in NC

John Phillips – age 74 – born in NC

Wm. Fincher – age 45 – born in NC

Phone Hemby – age 45 – born in NC

 

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1860 CENSUS, MONROE, UNION COUNTY, NC page 449

Enoch Yandles                      40        Overseer of Poor
Delilia Yandles                       42        Domestic
Joseph P Yandles                  5 
Tho Watts                              65        Pauper
Polly Watts                             50       
William Foord [Ford?]         65       
Eliza Helms                            45                  Idiot
James Newell                         20                 
Melinda Hogler [Hagler?]
     19                 
Margaret Cuthbertson         7                    Idiot
James H Belk                         7                    Deaf & dumb

 

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Miscellaneous pages from the Paupers and Poorhouse Ledger:

 

Report made to July Court 1867 which shows a balance due J.D. Stewart

of sixty-three 48/100 Dollars on his disbursements.

 

                  Rec’d from C. Austin on poor tax for 1866                  $38.80

 

Sept 1867  Amt. rec’d for E.W. Richardson on case of

                  Bastardy against Malinda Brooks                                 $5.00

 

Oct. 3rd      Amt. rec’d from C. Austin,

                  Shff. On the Poor Taxes for 1867                                  $500.00

 

Oct 6th       Amt. rec’d from John A. McCall on

                  License Tax to retail Liquor                                           $10.00

 

Oct 8th       Amt. rec’d from P.H. Benton Esqr.  on case

                  Of Bastardy against Jane M. Harget                             $5.00

 

Nov 14th    Amt. rec’d from C. Austin, Shff on the Poor

                  Taxes for the year 1867.                                                 $239.87

 

Dec. 7        Amt. rec’d from C. Austin, Shff on

                  The Poor Tax for the year 1867                                    $307.50

 

Dec. 14      Amt. rec’d from C. Austin on poor taxes 1867            $206.50

 

       27                                                                                   $500.00

 

1868

Jany. 3rd                 “ E. Richardson on

                  Case of Bastardy against (Cate Holmes?)                     $5.00

 

Jany. 7      Amt rec’d from P.H. Benton, Esqr.

                  On a case of Bastardy against L. (Burnett?)                $5.00

 

       8       Amt. rec’d from J.P. Houston on case of

                  Bastardy against Pheby Crooks                                    $5.00

 

Jany. 11    Amt. rec’d from C. Austin on Poor Taxes 1867           $100.00

 

 

[END OF THIS SECTION]

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LIST OF PAUPERS ON OCT 4, 1870

 

Charge of John Hargett

 

Names                                     Age                 [Census data]

 

Piety Gibson                          75                    [1870 Census: white, age 74, born in NC, a pauper]

Sarah McQuistien(?)             74                    [1870 Census: white, “C.”McQuistian, age 75, born in NC, pauper, blind]

Elizabeth Harmon                 70                    [1870 Census: white, age 65, born in NC, a pauper]

Rebecca Phillips                    54                    [1870 Census: white, age 50, born in NC, a pauper]

Sarah Chapple                      60                    [1870 Census: Sarah “Chapel”, white, age 60, born in SC, a pauper]

Esther Fincher                       42                    [1870 Census: white, age 40, born in NC, a pauper]

Elizabeth Polk                       35                    [1870 Census: white, age 30, born in NC, a pauper]

Malinda Heglar                     30                    [1870 Census: Melinda “Haler,” white, age 30, born in NC, a pauper]

Margaret Cuthbertson (dead) (20?)            [1870 Census: white, age 19, born in NC, a pauper, idiotic]

Martha Norkett                     12                    [1870 Census: Martha “Norcott”, white, age 9, born in NC, a pauper, idiotic]

Mary J. Griffin                     6  Bastard

William Fincher                     65                    [1870 Census: white, age 60, born in NC, a pauper, idiotic]

Sebe Jenkins                          53

Moses Porter     Col.              80                    [1870 Census: black, age 75, born in VA, a pauper, blind]

Lewis Griffin                         23                    [1870 Census: black, age 20, born in NC, a pauper, idiotic]

Thos. Medlin                          6  Bastard       [1870 Census: black, age 3, born in NC, a pauper]

 

1871   

John Polk                               1                    [1870 Census: mulatto, age 6 mos. (born in Dec.), born in NC, a pauper]

 

Apr 29th         

Elijah Moore                          88

 

May 24th        

Mary Hooks   white insane   24

Clara Laney      Col. insane  40

Joe Horn                 insane   17

 

Apr 4th                       

A. B. Rice       white               45

 

July 29                       

James Medlin   insane           32

 

Sept 4             

Eliza Moore (Moon?) returned  88

 

Sept.18                       

Matilda Craige  [--------------] 4

 

Sept. 23                      

Corsanna                           18 months

John Presley                        5 years

Margaret “            bastard  2 years

 

Oct 23            

Hannah Bullard                    63

Amy                       bastard  50

 

Oct. 28                       

Abraham Brown                   60

Nov 25           

Andy D[-------]                       74

 

Dec 2              

Seigler bastard                       23       

 

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1870 CENSUS, MONROE, UNION COUNTY, NC  POOR HOUSE”

John E. Jenkins         - age 46, white, pauper, born in SC

Mary Trull                 - age 40, white, pauper, born in NC, blind

James Fincher           - age 7, white, pauper, born in NC

Mary Jane Polk         - age 5, white, pauper, born in NC

Thomas W. Medlin   - age 2, mulatto, pauper, born in NC

Elizabeth Wise           - age 22, white, pauper, born in NC

Margaret Hagler       - age 18, white, pauper, born in NC

Emeline Hagler          - age 10 mos. (born in Aug.), white, pauper, born in NC

           

 

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1880 CENSUS, MONROE, UNION COUNTY, NC

 

“County Poor House”

 

John A. HARGETT - age 60, white, Steward of Poor House, Born in NC

Nancy HARGETT    - age 51, white, wife, Keeping house, Born in NC

Sarah FREEMAN    - age 75, white, Boarder, Widowed or Divorced, Maimed or Crippled, Born in NC

Hannah BULLARD - age 86, white, Boarder, Single, Inflammation of Bowels, Maimed or Crippled, Born in NC

Sarah CHAPEL        - age 80, white, Boarder, Widowed or Divorced, Old Age, Blind, Insane, Born in NC

Melinda HAIGLER  - age 41, white, Boarder, Single, Laborer, Idiotic, Born in NC

Jane STARNES        - age 47, white, Boarder, Single, Insane, Born in NC

Parmelia HELMS     - age 27, white, Boarder, Married, Confined in Cell, Insane, Born in NC

Miranda STARNES - age 22, black, Boarder, Single, Confined in Cell, Insane, Born in NC

Columbus WHITLEY - age 11, black, Bound boy, Single, Servant, Born in NC

Louis GRIFFIN        - age 22, black, Servant, Single, Idiotic, Born in NC

Ellison MEDLIN       - age 23, white, Servant, Single, Laborer, Kidney Disease, Idiotic, Born in NC

James W. BAKER    - age 65, white, Boarder, Single, Insane, Maimed or Crippled, Born in NC

 

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Baptisms held at the Poor House, from the Parish Book of St. Paul's Episcopal Church, Monroe, N.C.,

published in Carolinas Genealogical Society Bulletin Vol. 39.4, Spring 2002-2003.

 

Feby 8, 1885--Baptized at the Poor House: Hattie Wise bastard child of Elizabeth Wise born Jany 2nd 1885. No sponsors.  E. A. Osborne, Priest

 

Sept 26, 1897--At County Poor House, Horace Plyler, child (illegitimate) of Martha Keziah Plyler,

born Feb. 18, 1896.  Private form.  F. W. Hilliard, Priest

 

Sept. 26, 1897--At County Poor House, James Mashall Benson, child (illegitimate) of Venie Benson,

born May 9, 1895.  Private form. F. W. Hilliard, Priest

 

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1900 Census - Residents of the Union County Home

Compiled by Ann M. Price

Name

Date of Birth

Race

Anderson, Melinda      

Apr 1840   

W

Cox, Rebecca             

Jul 1860    

W

Craig, Martha              

Mar 1825   

B

Cuthbertson, Orgarse (?)

Jan 1825   

B

Doster, Dora              

Nov 1863   

B

Doster, Ellen          

Sep 1899  

B

Hailey, Mattie            

Mar 1878  

W

Harris, Martha           

Oct 1819  

W

Helms, Nancy           

Feb 1818  

W

Ingram, Charity         

Jan 1860   

B

Johnson, (Male)        

Jan 1825   

B

Johnson, Rachel       

Jan 1860   

B

Jones, Lonnie           

May 1874  

B

Jordan, Mattie          

Jul 1863    

W

Laney, Joseph         

Jul 1820    

B

Laney, May             

Mar 1825   

B

McMillar, Female

May 1875  

B

Preslar, Rushing      

Jan 1870   

W

Robstanee, Edmond

Feb 1870   

B

Robstanee, Lizzie

Mar 1874   

B

Taylor, Ellie             

Apr 1826   

B

Thomas, David        

Jan 1870   

B

Tyson, Teresa         

Feb 1850  

W

Watts, Mollie          

May 1860  

B

 

1910 Census - Residents of the Union County Home

Compiled by Ann M. Price

Name

Age

Race

Anderson, Lindy

68

W

Barrett, Hannah

17

B

Bennett, James

3 mo

B

Bennett, Lizzie

30

B

Broom, Mary

56

W

Coan, Molsey

76

W

Cobb, John

60

W

Courtney, Oliver

70

W

Deese, Ellen

67

W

Doster, William

14

W

Faulk, Mary

40

W

Funderburk, Alf

27

B

Houston, James

30

W

Ingram, Caleb

60

B

Jones, Annie

35

B

Jones, Joe

75

B

Jones, Lonnie

30

B

Little, Martha J.

66

W

Miller, Sarah J.

55

W

Miller, Shepperd

60

W

Mullis, Mariah

95

B

Nance, Angeline

40

B

Phillips, Sanford

63

W

Porter, Lethia

35

B

Pressley, Russell E

50

W

Ross, William

52

W

Rushing, James

19

W

Smith, Suzie

68

W

Tarlton, Dock

67

W

Thomas, Dave

33

B

Thompson, Lee

88

B

Winchester, Caesar

69

B

Williams, Peter

68

B

 

1920 Census - Residents of the Union County Home

Compiled by Ann M. Price

Name

Age

Race

Anderson, Lindy

80

W

Bennett, Sherman

60

MU

Bivens, Lula

30

W

Blackman, Jennie

75

W

Blakeney, Shell

40

B

Broom, Margaret

72

W

Buchannon, Winfred

70

MU

Dargan Milton

80

B

Davis, Miller

71

W

Deese, Mary

73

W

Deese, Mary Ann

70

W

Doster, William

27

W

Fowler, Jane

60

W

Funderburk, Julian

60

B

Haney, Emma

40

W

Haney, Louisa

75

W

Harris, Jim

65

B

Jones, Fred

40

B

McAlwayne, Sarah

72

B

McCauley, Henrietta

70

B

McGinn, Eliza

50

B

Neal, Alexander

70

W

Nelson, Noah

65

B

Odum, Babe

60

B

Pierce, Jane

60

B

Phillips, Sanford

72

W

Pressley, Rush

60

W

Pruitt, Jackson

70

B

Rushing, Bonny

45

W

Smith, Ella

38

W

Smith, Louisa

8

W

Smith, Toby

80

B

Sikes, John

60

B

Stack, Elizabeth

70

B

Stack, George

70

B

Thomas, Angeline

58

B

Thomas, Lewis

75

B

Tomlinson, Frank

75

B

Wallace, Lonnie

50

B

Winchester, Caesar

65

B

Yarborough, Elizabeth

69

W

 

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Sources:

-Microfilm located at the N.C. Archives: Minutes, Wardens of the Poor, 1851-1881    

-1870 Census, Union Co., NC, page 605

-1880 Census, Monroe, Union Co., NC, page 324D    

-Looking Back At Monroe’s History by Virginia A. S. Kendrick

-Research of Ann Medlin Price.

 

 

 

To see a photo of the Union County Home as it was in 1912, click HERE .

 

Read more about the History of Poorhouses in the U.S.

 

MORE UNION COUNTY GENEALOGY

 

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This page created January 30, 2001

by Julie Hampton Ganis

Last updated April 16, 2011