Emily Massengill Stancil, Johnston Co, NC, 1848-1884

Emily MASSENGILL, my 3rd great aunt, was born July 1848 in North Carolina as the second child of my 3rd great grandparents, Aaron MASSENGILL and Wilsie HARPER. She had two siblings, Mary Ann Rebecca and Bethena Hawkins.  

When she was 18, Emily married Moses STANCIL, my 3rd great uncle and also son of my 3rd great grandparents, William Young STANCIL and Elizabeth Sallie MORGAN, on 11 Dec 1866 in Johnston County, NC.

I descend from her sister, Mary Ann Rebecca, who married William Stancil, a brother of Moses. Two sisters married two brothers! AND...each of them are children of my 3rd great grandparents. How weird is THAT?

Moses served in the Confederate Army along with his two brothers Young Allen and Joseph Stancil. He helped build the Ironclad Abemarle and then fought on it in the battle at Plymouth, NC and until it was torpedoed. He served with Company B, 8th BN of NC. 

Emily was counted in the 1860 census in the Neuse River area of Johnston County, NC. She was also counted in 1880 the census in Smithfield, Johnston County, NC.

Moses and Emily had the following children prior to her death at age 36:

1. F. L. Stancel was born about 1869 in NC.
2. Bettie STANCIL was born about 1870 and died in 1891 in NC. 
3. David H. STANCIL was born about 1871 in NC.
4. William Aaron STANCIL was born about 1875 in NC.
5. S. H. Stancel was born about 1878 in NC.
6. Moses Luther STANCIL was born on 28 Dec 1879 in NC.
7. Junius J. STANCIL was born in 1882.

Emily died of July 1884 in Johnston County, NC. 

Mary Ann Flowers Harper, 1798 - 1850ish, Johnston County, NC

My 4th great grandmother, Mary Ann FLOWERS,  was born just before the turn of the century -  about 1798 - in Johnston County, NC. She was the 7th of 15 children of Jacob FLOWERS and Pheriba JOHNSON. Her siblings were: 

1. Winifred
2. Edney
3. John
4. Michael
5. Emily
6. Winnie
7. Sally
8. Pherebe
9. Emily
10. Harriett
11. Tempy
12. Martha
13. Jacob
14. Elizabeth

That's a lot of kids! It's little wonder then that she married at age 14 Reddick HARPER on 01 Mar 1812 in Johnston County North Carolina. They had nine children:

1. Ammy who married Aaron W. MASSENGILL on 12 Aug 1851 in Johnston County.
2. Bryant. Don't know much about him.
3. Wilsie HARPER, born in 1819 and died about 1881. She married Aaron MASSENGILL on 25 Mar 1846 in Johnston County. These are my 3rd great grandparents. 
4. Elizabeth Emily born in 1827. Elizabeth may have been named for Mary Ann's youngest sister.
5. Susan Maria born in 1829 and died in 1907 - both events in Johnston County. Her mother, Mary Ann, was living with her on the 1850 census. 
6. Nancy Wiley born in 1835 and died on 24 Feb 1910 in Johnston County. She married Aaron W. MASSENGILL on 18 Mar 1855 in Johnston County.
7. Jacob was born in 1837. He married Willy Jane ATKINSON on 15 Jan 1861 in Johnston County.  Jacob may have been named for Mary Ann's youngest brother.
8. William was born in 1841 in Johnston County.
9. George Robert was born in 1844. He died on 23 Feb 1916 in Raleigh, Wake County, North Carolina. He married Phereby SMITH on 10 Dec 1866 in Johnston County.  His mother Mary Ann was in her mid-40s when George was born. She had her 9 children over a 25 year range!

1850 was the first US census to enumerate women, so Mary Ann shows up then living in District 3 of Johnston County at age 52 living with her daughter Susan. She does not show up on the 1860 census, so she may have died within the decade. 

You should note that some of these facts are documented but others are not. I won't list all the sources here, but if you want to know if I have a source for a particular fact, feel free to drop a note!  Otherwise...do your own research. 

Will of Jacob FLOWERS, 1776 - 1856

The Will of Jacob FLOWERS

My 5th great grandfather, Jacob FLOWERS Sr., left a will rich in family information. It contains the names of children, their spouses, and grandchildren. It shows Jacob to be a man of means who cared a great deal about his family. He must have been ill when he wrote the will as it was proven in court barely a year after it was written.

Will of Jacob FLOWERS, Sr.: [punctuation inserted for clarity] 

I, Jacob FLOWERS of the County of Johnston and State of North Carolina being of sound mind and memory but considering the uncertainty of my earthly existence do make and declare this my last will and testament in manner and form following that is to say:

First - That my executor herein after named shall provide for my body a decent burial suitable to the wishes of my relatives and friends and pay all funeral expenses together with my just debts, howsoever and to whomsoever owing out of the monies that may come into his hands as a part or parcel of my estate.

Item - I give and bequeath to my beloved wife Pherebee three beds & furniture, all the household and kitchen furniture not otherwise disposed of in my will, fourteen shoats, two sows and pigs, seven head of cattle if said hogs and cattle be in my posession (sic) at the time of my death all the domestic fowls and poultry, one bay mare, one pair of cart wheels, all my crop of my description and all the provisions on hand at the time of my death, and my working tools except enough of this item to pay all expenses named or herein after named in my will.

Item - I give and bequeath to my oldest daughter Mary, wife of Reddick HARPER, one dollar to be paid by my executor within two years from the time of my death out of my belongings to my estate.

Item - I give and bequeath to my daughter Winny, wife of John HARPER, one dollar to be paid out by my executor as the above bequesth. (sic throughout)

Item - I give to my granddaughter Sally, wife of William ROBERTS, one dollar to be paid by my executor as in the former bequesths.

Item - I give and bequeath to my daughter Sally, wife of Laban GRIFFIS (sic) one dollar to be paid by my executor as in the former bequesth.

Item - I give and bequeath to my daughter Pherebee, wife of Elijah GODWIN, one dollar to be paid by my executors as in the former bequesth.

Item - I give and bequeath to my daughter Elizabeth, wife of Stephen GODWIN, one dollar to be paid by my executor as in former bequesths.

Item - I give and bequeath to my daughter Emily, wife of Matthew DODD, one dollar to be paid by my executor as in former bequesth.

Item - I give and bequeath to my daughter Harriet, wife of Wesley (sic) GODWIN, one dollar to be paid by my executors as in former bequesths.

Item - I give and bequeath to my daughter Tempy, wife of John FLOWERS, one dollar to be paid by my executors as in former bequesths.

Item - I give and bequeath to my daughter Martha, wife of Robert MASSINGILL, one dollar to be paid by my executors as in former bequesth.

Item - I give and bequeath to my son Jacob one dollar to be paid by my executors as in former bequesth.

And I lastly do hereby constitute and appoint my friend Robert MASSINGILL as my lawful executor to all intents and purposes to execute this my last will and testament according to the true intent and meaning of the same and every part and clause thereof hereby revoking & declaring utterly void all the other wills and testaments by me heretofore made. 

In witness whereof I the said Jacob FLOWERS Sr. do hereunto set my hand and seal the 28th day of July A.D. 1853. 

Signed, sealed, published and declared by Jacob FLOWERS Sr., to be his last will and testament in the presence of us who at his request and in his presence to subscribe our names thereto.

Jacob FLOWERS (seal)

Witnesses:
S. B. LASSITER
Jesse BARBER

Proven at August Term 1854.