Recorded deaths at the Poor House in Orange County, North Carolina
 
Recorded deaths at the Poor House in Orange County, North Carolina
 
 
The following names and dates were taken from various sources, including Orange County's Wardens of the Poor Proceedings, 1854-1879 (microfilmed by the North Carolina Department of Archives and History, and kept at the Orange County Public Library in Hillsborough, North Carolina), and from U.S. Census records for Orange County, North Carolina.

The fiscal year for the poor house was from September to September of each year. In the pre-1858 records viewed, either names were illegible, deaths were not listed, or I wasn't able to find them. There were no records for 1862-1865 (roughly the Civil War-era) on the microfilms I accessed. Names in parentheses are other possible spellings; some first and/or last names may be mis-transcribed, and a few race descriptions will likely be incorrect.

The records do not state if the people recorded as having died at the poor house were buried in the poor house cemetery or if their bodies were claimed by the family and buried elsewhere; however, it is likely that most if not all people who died at the Poor House were buried in its cemetery.
 
1858
Name Date of birth Date of death Race Notes
Bridgett Castleberry unknown May 2 White  
Bradley Collins unknown June 5 White A Bradley Collins is listed in the 1840 Federal Census for Orange County
Susan Durham Circa 1790 October 3 White Listed in the 1850 Federal Census for Orange County as living in the Poor House; she is also listed as "insane"
 
1859
Name Date of birth Date of death Race Notes
Hannah Cabe unknown April 6 White  
George Nelson Circa 1795 June 30 White A farmer named George Nelson is listed in the 1850 Federal Census for Orange County
Francis Hopkins unknown February 14 White  
Stacy Carden Circa 1775 February 29 White Her husband, Reuben, also was a resident of the Poor House; both are listed in post-1800 Orange County censuses
 
1860
Name Date of birth Date of death Race Notes
Levi Mendenhall Circa 1770 May 1 Black A Levi Mendenhall is listed as living in the home of architect John Berry (!) in the 1850 Federal Census for Orange County
Hannah Carson (Carsen) Circa 1810 September 15 White A Hannah Carson is listed in the 1850 Federal Census for Orange County
 
1861
Name Date of birth Date of death Race Notes
Benjamin Carroll Circa 1795 March 7 White A "labourer" named Benjamin Carroll is listed in the 1850 Federal Census for Orange County (another Benjamin Carroll is also listed as having been born circa 1842)
Tennepee (Tennessee) Martin Circa 1809 March 15 White A Tennessee Martin is listed in the 1840 and 1850 Federal Censuses for Orange County
James Hope unknown March 15 White  
Aaron Durham Circa 1776 May 28 White Listed in the 1860 Federal Census for Orange County as a "pauper" living in the Poor House
George W. Barbee unknown August 8 White  
Moses Jones Circa 1763 August 8 White Listed in the 1860 Federal Census for Orange County as a "pauper" living in the Poor House
Susan Glenn's child July 7, 1861 July 7 White  
 
1866
Name Date of birth Date of death Race Notes
Jollie Revel unknown October 5 Black "colored freeman"
 
1867
Name Date of birth Date of death Race Notes
Charles unknown February 16 Black "colored freedman"
Jack King unknown March 27 Black "colored freedman"
 
1868
Name Date of birth Date of death Race Notes
Susan Ruffin unknown January 14 Black  
Claripes (Clasipes) Hailey unknown February 27 White  
Margaret Terrell unknown June 8 White  
Alvis Allen unknown August 16 White  
Mary Seyerck (Sayevek) unknown September 12 White  
Daniel Clemmons Circa 1801 October 12 White A labourer named Daniel Clemmons is listed in the 1850 census for Orange County
Isabella George unknown November 20 White  
Thomas Hinton unknown November 28 White  
 
1869
Name Date of birth Date of death Race Notes
Joel Mitchell unknown March 16 White  
Stanford Morse (Moore) unknown March 22 White  
Nathaniel Revel (Revels) Circa 1800 September 7 "Mulatto" "accidentally poisoned"; a laborer named Nat Revils is listed in the 1860 census for Orange County as living in the household of Rachel (spelled "Rachail") Bain
Hester Tapp Circa 1778 October 8 Black "cut with an axe"
Gift Barbee (Hardy) Circa 1770 October 17 Black Died of old age
Nicey Self Circa 1820 October 12 White Died of "dropsy of chest" (edema)
Child of Harriet (Hanes) Scott unknown October 12 White  
Daniel Walker Circa 1780 October 29 Black Died of "dropsy of whole body" (edema)
 
1870
Name Date of birth Date of death Race Notes
Sally Foster (Larter) Circa 1780 February 22 White Died of "dropsy of whole body" (edema)
Joseph Cook (Cash) Circa 1854 March 9 Black Died of "consumption" (tuberculosis)
Margaret Ann Burton (Benton) unknown June 25 White  
Nancy Blalock unknown December 12 White  
 
1871
Name Date of birth Date of death Race Notes
Robert Jeffreys Circa 1767 February 8 White Listed in the 1870 Federal Census for Orange County as a "pauper" living in the Poor House
Samuel Burns unknown February 12 White  
Fanny Williams unknown April 1 White  
W C Scott unknown May 12 White "child of Hariet Scott"
Lucy Laws Circa 1789 July 6 White Listed in the 1870 Federal Census for Orange County as a "pauper" living in the Poor House
Phebe Self Circa 1769 July 14 White Listed in the 1870 Federal Census for Orange County as a "pauper" living in the Poor House
Milly Hopkins unknown November 12 White  
 
1872
Name Date of birth Date of death Race Notes
James Mangum Circa 1840 March 12 Black "accidentally killed"; listed in the 1870 Federal Census for Orange County as a "pauper" living in the Poor House and as "idiotic"
Riley Coure (Couse, Crese) unknown March 12 White  
Jerry Purefoy Circa 1780 March 12 White Listed in the 1870 Federal Census for Orange County as a "pauper" living in the Poor House
Joseph (Josef) Paul Circa 1785 March 18 Black Listed in the 1870 Federal Census for Orange County as a "pauper" living in the Poor House
Samuel Foster unknown March 25 White  
Mahala Bunn unknown June 22 White  
Betsy Porter unknown September 22 White  
Child of Martha Burton (Burtin) September 27, 1872 November 22 White 25-year old Martha Burton (and her six-month old daughter, Margaret) is listed in the 1870 Federal Census for Orange County as a "pauper" living in the Poor House
John Carroll unknown November 7 White  
 
1873
Name Date of birth Date of death Race Notes
Hannah Ray Circa 1810 January 13 White  
Green Williams Circa 1795 December 28 White Listed in the 1870 Orange County census as living in Bingham Township
Seodocia Ann Roberts unknown September 17 White  
Ann Whitaker unknown December 26 White  
 
1874
Name Date of birth Date of death Race Notes
Sarah Ivey unknown April 23 White  
Hiram Riley Circa 1809 July 5 White Listed in the 1870 Federal Census for Orange County as a "pauper" living in the Poor House and as "idiotic"
Emeline Marris (Massis) unknown August 28 Black  
 
1875
Name Date of birth Date of death Race Notes
James (Jonces) Mayo unknown January 23 White  
Zackick (Zadwick) Ward unknown March 13 White  
Nelson Sears (Seuss) unknown May 7 White  
Elizabeth Elkins unknown July 6 White  
Sally Ann Ray unknown July 15 White Had a child (also named Sally Ann) born January 8
George Freeland unknown September 20 Black  
David Ray unknown October 29 White  
 
1876
Name Date of birth Date of death Race Notes
Jane Nevill unknown January 20 Black  
William Vickers unknown February 6 White  
Johann Council Circa 1829 March 6 Black Listed in the 1870 Federal Census for Orange County as a "pauper" living in the Poor House
Stephen Jackson unknown March 28 White  
Frank Terry June 9, 1876 June 12 White "child"
Lee (Leroy) Couch Circa 1800 June 25 White Employed for several years as a nurse for UNC students; once lived east of Chapel Hill. For more information, read this excerpt from Battle's 1907 history of UNC.
Gilly Ware (Wair) Circa 1780-1785 June 27 White Nicknamed "Granny"; husband Samuel died circa 1831; listed in the 1870 Federal Census for Orange County as living in the Poor House
John Elkins unknown August 4 White  
 
1877
Name Date of birth Date of death Race Notes
Samuel Douglass unknown February 29 Black  
Fred Cameron unknown March 15 Black  
Sewanny Riley unknown July 10 White  
Mary E. Jeffers unknown September 12 White  
Dilsey Rasbury Circa 1800 December 29 Black Listed in the 1870 census for Orange County, as a domestic servant for the (Lemuel) Lynch family living in Hillsborough
 
1878
Name Date of birth Date of death Race Notes
Dicey Hall unknown June 9 White  
Elizabeth Jacobs unknown June 16 White  
Easter Faucett unknown July 30 White  
George Daniel unknown unknown Black  
John Walker unknown unknown Black  
 
Poor House residents whose deaths were recorded in the 1880 Federal Census mortality schedule for Orange County
Name Birth Death Race Notes
Susannah Poteat Circa 1868 September 1879 unknown Died of diptheria (may not have died at Poor House, but in vicinity)
Susan Chavis Circa 1810 November 1879 Black Died of chronic diarrhea
James Rucker Circa 1797 January 1880 unknown Died of old age
Betsey Tayler (Taylor) Circa 1817 February 1880 White Died of epilepsy
John Terrell Circa March 1880 May 1880 White Cause of death unknown
Thomas D. Palmer Circa July 1879 July 1880 unknown Died of cholera (may not have died at Poor House, but in vicinity)
 
Those whose burials and/or coffins or burial clothing were paid for or reimbursed for by the poor house (but burial site is unknown)
Name Year Reimbursement Notes
L. Jeffreys 1850 "Burial expenses" A Littleton Jeffreys, age 80, is listed in the 1850 Federal Census for Orange County as living at the Poor House
Mrs. Sutton 1857 coffin There is a Malinda Sutton, age 30, listed in the 1850 Federal Census for Orange County (but not the 1860 census)
Minerva Chamblee 1857 burial clothes  
Mrs. (Wm., Willis, Phillis, Phyllis) Woods 1859/1860 burial A Phillis Woods (born circa 1795) is listed in the 1860 Federal Census for Orange County as living in the Poor House
William Corey (Coray) 1859/1860 burial  
Sam Archer 1859/1860 coffin A Samuel Archer (born circa 1820) is listed in the 1850 Federal Census for Orange County
Mary Wilkins 1860/1861 coffin A Mary Wilkins (born 1859) is listed in the 1860 Federal Census for Orange County
Polly Borland 1860/1861 coffin  
Nancy Lashley 1860/1861 coffin A Nancy Lashley (born circa 1849) and Nancy Lashley (born circa 1815) are listed in the 1860 Federal Census for Orange County
 
Other individuals who are known to be buried at the Poor House
Name Birth Death Race Notes
Cyrus Guy Circa 1845 December 1869 "Mulatto" Lynched by the KKK; for more information, read this webpage on Cyrus Guy
Robert Taylor May 28, 1897 October 18, 1931 Black Born in Jackson County, Florida. Served in the U. S. Army (serial number 2908690) during World War I in Company C, 547th Engineers Service Battalion; served in France from 25 October 1918 to 12 July 1919, honorably discharged 22 July 1919. Died in Durham, NC.
Brinkley Bynum Circa 1846 August 4, 1935 Black Lived in Chapel Hill prior to his death, and had been a slave of the Stone family of Chatham County prior to emancipation, and served as a personal slave of the Stone brothers during their service in the war. His tombstone inscription reads: "He served faithfully with the Confederate Army as body-servant to Kearney and Crosley Stone of Chatham County"; a Carney Stone (1818-1912) is listed in the 1860 Federal Census in the Eastern District of Chatham County with two male slaves between the age of 13 and 15, one of which could be Brinkley; "Crosley" is probably mispelled as well, and is likely "Crosby." Brinkley died of "chronic cardio-vascular renal disease" while at the County Home; his tombstone incorrectly lists his date of death as August 3. His 1901 Civil War pension can be found online (PDF file).
Thomas Allred June 15, 1884 February 6, 1971 White Lived near Mebane and died at Triangle Nursing Home #2 of a "cerebrovascular accident" (i.e. stroke)
 
 
For further reading and research on the poor house:

The U.S. Federal Censuses for Orange County, North Carolina (for 1850, 1860, 1870, 1880, 1900, 1910, 1920, and 1930) have the residents of the Poor House/Home for the Aged and Infirm/County Home listed together. Earlier census may also list residences, but the information is recorded differently.

The library system at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, the State Archives in Raleigh, and the NC Room in the Orange County Public Library in Hillsborough each have microfilm and/or original documents.

The book Public Poor Relief in North Carolina by Roy Melton Brown (1976).

The book Orange County 1752-1952 by Lefler and Wager (1953) has information on the poor house in the "History of the County Government" chapter.

The Durham-Orange County Genealogical Society ("DOGS") newsletter The Trading Path for Spring 1995 has some transcribed information on poor house residents.

The defunct Orange County newspaper Hillsborough Recorder (1820-1879) often had death and/or burial notices.

The annual reports of the Board of Public Charities of North Carolina discuss each county's poor house.

Mary C. Engstrom's cemetery survey notes: Page 1; Page 2; Page 3 (thanks to Milton Forsyth for providing these)
 
 
 
[Page created: 22 December 2008; Last updated: 18 April 2016]

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