Sharp Family in NC

Willie and Celia Powell

Jessie Powell’s parents were Willie Powell and Celia Averell according to Henry Clay Sharp’s notes. There is also a Jesse Powell is listed in the 1790, 1800, 1810, and 1820 North Carolina census. In the 1820 census a Jesse Powell family is listed as containing the following: two males under 10, one male under 16, one male over 45, two females under 10, one female under 16, two females under 26, and one female under 45 with eight persons engaged in agriculture and 18 slaves.

However, there were several other Jesse Powells in Bertie County at the time including a Jesse Powell born in 1772 in Bertie Co. who “was probably the famous preacher of his day, in this area.” He died in 1860 and is “buried close to the huge magnolia tree in cemetery on Lawrence family home place on Thirteen Bridges Road, between Enfield and Scotland Neck, Dawson Crossroads, Halifax County, North Carolina.” This Jessie Powell, the preacher, is known to be likely connected to Eulalia Powell.

The 1790 census for Hertford County lists the following Powell families:

Charles Powell – 3 males over 16, 3 males under 16, 1 female, 20 slaves
Anna Powell – 1 male under 16, 1 female, 2 slaves
Dempsey Powell – 1 male under 16, 1 male over 16, 6 females, 4 slaves
Shadrick Powell – 2 males over 16, 5 slaves

Jessie Powell (1790 - 1864)

Jessie A. Powell was born about 1790. The A is likely for Averell, his mother’s maiden name. He married Elizabeth Lee. Family tradition mentions she is related to Robert E. Lee. Elizabeth was born about 1795 and died in February 1878. Jessie died about 1864. Jessie and Elizabeth had seven children according to the notes of Henry Clay Sharp.

1. Solomon was born about 1824 and died in the 1890s. He married Eliza Greene and they had three children: Mary (1850-), John (1852-after 1907), Addie (1855-).

2. Anne was born on Sept. 1, 1829 and died in 1910. She married James Taylor (1822-1866) and they had four children: Ella (1850-190?), Luthor (1852-after 1907), Ada (1856-188?), Lizzie (1862-after 1907).

3. William Henry was born 1831 and died on Oct. 5, 1871. He married Augustine Pauline (Tiny) Parker in Nov. 4, 1856. They had seven children: Eulalia (1858-1938), Jessie Averell (1860-1881), Alberta (1862-1863), David Thomas (1864-1865) Henry Powell (1867-1870), Maude Agnes (1869-1888), Willie Pauline (1871-1949). (see above)

4. James M. was born on Sept. 19, 1834 and died on July 17, 1910. He married Miss Hancock (1847-1907). They had eight children. Thomas (1869-), Eli (1871-), Maude (1888-), and others.

5. Fannie was born in 1837 and died after 1900. She married John R. Powell (1835-1909). They had six children: William, Rosa (1863-after 1907), John (1865-after 1907), Julian (186?-after 1907), Paul (187?-after 1907), Fannie (1880-after 1907).

6. unknown was born 1840 and died with a few years.

7. Mary E. was born in 1842 and died on Feb. 10, 1910. She married James Sharp (1842-1903) and they at least one child. James was the brother of Charles Sharp, Eulalia Powell’s first husband.

William Henry Powell (1831 - 1871)

William Henry Powell was born 1831 in Bertie Co., NC and died Oct. 5, 1871 in Lewiston, NC. He married Augustine Pauline (Tiny) Parker in Nov. 4, 1856 at her father’s house in Mapleton, NC – see following Parker family and map in Harrellsville NC description. She was born 1835 in Mapleton, NC and died Nov. 6, 1884 in Lewiston, NC. William wrote Tiny on May 1, 1856 in which he was concerned as she had changed her standard greeting in her last letter. He was concerned that this change represented a change in her felling for him. Then, in a post script he noted that her letter was postmarked April 1 and assumed that the change was an April Fool’s joke. Tiny is listed in the 1880 Census in Woodville, Bertie County, as a widow, keeping house and head of household. William and Tiny are both buried in the Powell Cemetery near Lewiston, NC. They had seven children, all born in Woodville, NC:

1. Eulalia Powell, born May 30, 1858 and died 1938 in Harrellsville, NC. (see above).

2. Jessie Averell Powell, born Feb 15, 1860, died Sept. 17, 1881 in Woodville and is buried there. He is listed in the 1880 Census as a 20 year old single farmer with his widowed 44 yr. old mother as the head of household.

3. Alberta Powell, born Feb, 3, 1862, died Sept. 13, 1863 in Woodville and is buried there.

4. David Thomas Powell, born Jan. 1, 1864, died in June 1865 in Woodville and is buried there.

5. Henry Powell, born Mar. 26, 1867 and died Aug. 13, 1870 in Woodville and is buried there.

6. Maude Agnes Powell, born April 13, 1869, died July, 1888 in Aulander, NC and is buried in the Deans Cemetery in Aulander. She married Mike Dean in Feb. 1888 in Woodville, NC.

7. Willie Pauline Powell, born July 1, 1871 and died Nov. 23, 1949 in Harrellsville, NC. He is buried in the Cullens Cemetery in Harrellsville. She married William Edward Cullens (1861-1960) on Dec. 19, 1889 in Woodville, NC. They had two children: Ethel Lee (1890-1960), Sarah Augustine (1984-). Both were born in Harrellsville, NC.

Eulalia Powell and Powell Genealogy

This post begains a series on the Powell family genealogy. Eulalia Powell married Charles L. Sharp (1849-1886), son of John Bombrey Sharp, on Nov. 11, 1876 in Woodville, NC. They are listed in the 1880 US census with C. L. Sharp as age 31, born 1849, the head of household, married, white, mother and father born in North Carolina and occupation as “F” – farmer? Eulalia is listed as age 22, born 1858, married white, mother and father born in North Carolina and occupation as “K” – housekeeper? They had four children, all born in Harrellsville, NC: Walter Bombrey (1876-1880), Russell Aubrey (1880-), William “Willie” Walter (twin 1884-), Bombrey L. (twin 1884-1946).

Then she married Henry Clay Sharp (1844-1927), son of Jacob Sharp, on Sept. 9, 1889 in Washington DC. They had six children: Gladys (1890-1968), Jessie (twin 1892-1894), Augustine (twin-1892-1893), Maude (twin-1898), Pauline (twin-1898), Helen (1900-1964). All of Eulalia’s children were born in Harrellsville, NC. Her two husbands were cousins. She was called “Miss Lalia” by her neighbors. She died on Oct. 15, 1938 in Harrellsville, NC and is buried there.

I will cover her father, Willliam Henry Powell, and her grandfather, Jessie Powell in the next two posts. Then I will look at what is known about the earlier Powells