Revised and edited by Alvin Marcus Suttle, Jr.

Some of the data in this sketch was taken from census records and other related materials in the following North Carolina locations: public libraries at Charlotte, Marion, Monroe and Salisbury, Rutherford County Court House at Rutherfordton, History Room at Shelby (Cleveland County). William Roy Suttle, grandson of William M. Suttle, was a contributor of much information. Marcelle (Martin) Suttles, daughter of Zona, provided additional information.

William M. Suttle was born circa 1816 in Tennessee, according to the 1850 Cleveland County North Carolina census. He is not listed as head-of-household in Rutherford or Cleveland counties on census records prior to 1850.

Roy claims that William M. Suttle (Billy) Suttle drove a stage from Asheville, North Carolina to Marion, North Carolina. He also had a stage route between Kingsport, Tennessee and Spartanburg, South Carolina. Billy and his first wife (unknown) probably married and lived in Spartanburg prior to 1850. North Carolina census records show that his two older sons, James and John, were born in South Carolina.

John Suttle, of Greer, South Carolina, a well digger by trade, visited Roy Suttle in 1945 concerning property in downtown Spartanburg. He claimed the property belonged to the Billy Suttle family.

August 17, 1835 two hundred acres of land was deeded to William M. Suttle #3106 and #32-- (Entry numbers) from the State of North Carolina, in Rutherford County.

No marriage records for William M. Suttle have been found for his first or second marriage. The 1850 NC Cleveland County census lists William M. and second wife Mary Washburn with his two sons James C. and John H. (by his first wife). The 1860 NC Census reports his entire family including the four children by his second wife. The children are Margaret, Irene, William Henry and Marcus.

Some time after 1860 James C. left North Carolina and moved to Marion, Indiana where he served with the Union Army. He probably married his first wife there. It is told that he killed his wife and served time in an Indiana prison.

William and his son John served with the Confederate Army. When James returned to North Carolina his family was less than hospitable with his presence.

On June 12, 1864 John married Mary Hicks.

James married Anna Duckworth (second marriage) at age 42. It was around 1890 and they lived with Joseph Duckworth (brother-in-law) in the Dysartsville (McDowell County, North Carolina) Township. James worked in nearby Marion, as a bricklayer. He also worked to build the Biltmore House near Asheville for the Vanderbilts.

Margaret, the oldest daughter of William and Mary, married Daniel H. Upton around 1866. Daniel enlisted in the Confederate Army on September 15, 1864. He was wounded in the left hand while near Petersburg, Virginia on October 1, 1864 and was 'absent wounded' through February 1865. Daniel died on June 30, 1906 and is buried at the Kadish Methodist Cemetery in Cleveland County.

William and Mary moved to McDowell County about 1867 with the three children still at home: William H., Irene and Marcus. They acquired a log house (referred to as the Lower Suttle Place) that is of typical Early American construction. The house is one and a half story, 32 feet long and 18 feet wide with windowless loft for sleeping. On each side of the front door are shutters for windows. The kitchen is connected to the house with a breezeway. A chimney is at the west end of the kitchen and a chimney at the south end of the main house. Recent observations indicate that the house, though still standing, is uninhabitable.

A fence ran along the wagon road in front of the house to keep out wandering animals. The fence had one walk-in gate and a double gate from the team and wagon to enter. The wagon was pulled under a lean-to shed attached to the log crib on the north side of the house

In 1868 William M. purchased 150 acres of land on North Muddy Creek from D. Mosteller. In 1869 Mary purchased 150 acres from Mill Higgins. On October 19, 1869, they sold 100 acres of land in Rutherford County to Adam Jarrett. On April 16, 1870, they sold 100 acres to William Gamble of Rutherford County. (Book 41 and 42, Page 601-602). This property joined Suttle, McKenney, Zedock Harris and Noble Hamble (Gamble) - these 200 acres were probably the acreage that was deeded to William by the State of North Carolina back in 1835. On April 6, 1885 Mary along with sons William H. and Marcus sold 150 acres to son-in-law Daniel. Later in 1887 Mary bought 75 acres from Daniel.

William came to McDowell County as a harness maker and built a log house with shutters and a dirt floor on the hill above the "Lower Suttle Place". Later this place became known as the "Suttle Place". The date of construction is unknown.

The 1870 McDowell County census, Higgins-Township, lists with the Suttle Family a farm worker, George Patton, age 10, white male. In 1880 it lists a servant (mulatto) age 11.

Even though the grave marker of William M. lists his death as circa 1888, a McDowell County land deed dated April 6, 1885 lists William as 'deceased'. No record of Mary's death has been found. Mary's will was drawn up on September 9, 1988 and probated September 22, 1890 in McDowell County.

Marcus Suttle, Born January 21, 1858 married Ella Wiseman on October 14, 1888. Ella was one of several children as the result of a "common law" marriage between Susan Wiseman and John Hemphill. The Harness Shop or Upper Suttle Place was converted into a dwelling house where the children of Marcus and Ella were born. At this time it is not known when the Harness Shop was made into a dwelling house. In the early 1900's, Marcus and his family moved back and forth between the two "Suttle" houses. Roy believed that a Mr. Ellington once owned the Lower Suttle House and at one time a Mr. Jarrett laid claim to this property.

In 1920 William H. (son of Billy) and wife Nellie Jean (Wilson), deeded Marcus 70 acres of land that became known as the "Suttle Place" joining the property of Horace Crawley, Jeff Henline and Tom Cannon.

In the family tree of William H., an additional "s" appears at the end of the Suttle surname.

William Roy Suttle bought twenty-two acres of land from his father, Marcus in 1922.

William H. and wife Nellie sold about 80 acres of land to Ulysses Upton, son of Daniel H. and Margaret (Suttle) Upton, in the mid 1920's. This became known as the Upton Place (formerly Lower Suttle Place).

Marcus (son of William M.) and Ella (Wiseman) had nine children.

(1) Minnie Lue suffered from congenital scoliosis. (lateral curvature of the spine) After several unsuccessful operations, her legs were paralyzed and she was in great pain. She was committed to the State hospital in Morganton, NC while in her late teens. There she remained, sedated and bedridden, until a new young doctor arrived who took interest in her case. She began therapeutic treatments and learned to walk. She was later released to the care of her younger brother William Roy. Minnie never married nor had children.

(2) William Roy married Dollie Upton, his second cousin descended from Margaret (Suttle) Upton. They had no children.

(3) Carl Franklin married Lottie Dayberry. To them nine children were born: Alvin Marcus, Perry McCoy, Theodore, Betty Iris and John Weldon. Four children died at birth.

(4) Cordia Diademma (Demmer) married Benjamin Daves and had one child, Zona. Demmer and Benjamin separated with Benjamin keeping Zona. Demmer had another child, George Ray Suttle, fathered by George Davis and raised by Marcus's family. Later she married Atlee Withrow.

(5) Mary Zona married Jacob Loranz Martin and their children were Eloise, Douglas Dean, and twins Marcelle Mary and Hughcelle James.

(6) Henry Teller was christened Henry Marcus but later changed his name. He married Thelma Jones. They had three children: Dwight David, James Ray, and Mildred.

(7) Alice Millie married Will Kirkpatrick. He was the father of thirteen children by a former marriage and five children were born to Will and Alice: Ella Mae, Bill Roy, France, Helen Virginia and Eugenia Ruth.

(9) Lola died as a child.