You know what they say, research is never done. This is another one of those topics I’m going to have to circle back around to. Maybe someone better than me can sort this out.
Until this week, I believed that James C and Martha had the following children who survived to adulthood.
Throughout the past month I saw a few times 1/7th of the estate of James C and Martha Smith. While I did take note of it, I had not figured out why.
WC Christian
Wiley and Willis had mentioned 1/3 of 1/7th in the estate. In addition, I found where WC Christian, in Carroll County, TN, sold his one half of one seventh interest in the same named slaves as Nancy, Wiley, and Willis to Cudy J Smith on May 22, 1858.
I filed it away to look at later. Do note that N Cawthon witnesses said sale in Carroll County, Tennessee. The other witness, Alvin Hawkins, witnesses another sale on the same day.
This sale is from none other than Nathan Cawthan selling his 2/7ths and 1/2 of 1/7th interest in these same named slaves. I’m still further researching the Cawthans so I will leave it at that for now.
The other witness is EN Williams. Does he tie back to the Williams’ in Montgomery County?
We know WC Christian is in Carroll County in 1858. At this point, I’m not sure where he is in 1850.
In 1860, there is a William Christian living in Lousiana working as a farm laborour. While this is a transient sort of job, Rapides Parish is a long way from Carroll County, TN. Nonetheless, it’s the only possible person I’ve found. So far.
There is a W C Christian who married Lucy Ann Cawthan, daughter of Nathan and Susan Johnson Cawthon who passed away in 1925. According to her death certificate, she was born in Tennessee on 20 October 1848.
On the 1880 Census of Humphreys County, Tennessee, we find Wm C. Christian living with wife Lucy A and children Samuel H, Hettie L, and William. Samuel H sounds familiar. As in the Samuel H Christian who lived in Montgomery County on lands adjoining Green. Is this a coincidence?
Add to the coincidence that they are living among Cawthon, Williams, and Moore families and Humphrey County is about 40 miles from Carroll County. In fact, in 1900 and 1920, a Mark Williams is living with Lucy and her two daughters.
According to Find A Grave, Lucy’s husband was William C Christian. He died in 1894 and is buried in the Cawthon Cemetery in Carroll County. The same cemetery where Nathan and Susan are buried.
At this point, I think it’s certainly a good possibility it’s the same W C Christian. It further signifies the ties between the Cawthon and Smith families. It still doesn’t tell me who his parents were or when he went to Tennessee?
This is only a hypothesis at this point, A couple of things give me pause. First, the age difference between he and his sister.
Martha S Bruton
A couple of days ago, I happened upon a document in Montgomery County from George and Martha S Bruton to who else but Nathan Cawthon. While it doesn’t name the slaves, it does specify they belonged to the estate of James Smith decd, now in the possession of Martha Smith widow.
It would seem then that WC Christian and Martha S Bruton are siblings and their parent is an heir to the James C and Martha Smith estate. How is the question.
When I research Martha S Bruton, I find that Martha L Christian married George on 7 March 1844. Interestingly, Green Smith was one of the bondsmen. He wasn’t a bondsman for his own daughter. These slaves cannot have belonged to Green because he sold his rights before his death.
Which Christian?
My initial theory is that there is a daughter of James and Martha who married Christian and died when her children were young. We have Martha born about 1827 and W C born about 1837. My best estimate is that James and Martha’s daughter would be between 20 and 30 in 1830.
There are four Christians in the 1830 Census for Montgomery County.
- William — I think he and his wife are too old and they have no female under five living with them. He lives next to Green.
- John — I think he and his wife are too old and they have no female under five living with them.
- William — He’s 40-49, his wife is 20-29, and they have a female under five.
- Thomas — I think he and his wife are too old and they have no female under five living with them.
When I look at each one, only one can fit. Of course, it would have to be one of the two Williams. Ages are right for the daughter and match what I estimated for William’s wife.
In 1840, Martha would be between 10 and 15 and now they should have a son under five.
All four of the above men are not to be found in Montgomery County in 1840. The only Christians I find on the 1840 Census are
- Mary — Living next door to Green. I don’t think it’s the same family…exactly. Mary has 5 men age 20-30 living with her! There is also a female 15-20 and one 60-70. That’s a pretty big jump in age for Mary in ten years. The female could possibly be Martha.
- John L — There is a female 10 – 14 living with him. No female that would be between 30 and 40. A male 5-9. Not quite where we need it to be for W C.
After researching some more, I find a probate record for William B. Christian in 1843. It states that James Lilly is guardian of William Christian’s children and in right of his wife is entitled to profit from the sale of two slaves.
Also in this probate, there is a petition of James Lilly and wife Sarah and Martha and William Christian infants under the age of twenty. Martha and William!
William B Christian died sometime after their son was born and his wife, Sarah, married James C Lilly according to this probate record.
In 1840, James C Lilly had living in his household
- Male under 5 – 1
- Male 15-20 1
- Male 30-40 1
- Female 30 to 40 1
Martha isn’t living with them and he has one older possible son living with him. I would have expected Sarah to be in the 20-30 column but ages often differed by a few years. I’m not sure where Martha is.
At this point I’m convinced that Sarah is the daughter of James and Martha Smith.
Sarah
In the 1850 census, James C Lilly is living next door to Green and Olive Olive Smith. I wonder if the Mary Christian living next to Green in 1840 is William B’s mother. Nothing to back that up. Martha married in 1844 and is living with her husband and family.
William is living with his mother, Sarah, stepfather James, and sister Arman (Ariaan?) A Lilly who was born about 1841.
Sarah would have been born about 1812 and married by the time Martha was born in around 1828.
So far the only thing I’ve found to prove or disprove my theory is a marriage announcement in the Carolina Observer on 10 May 1826 that Mr. William Christian was married to Sarah Terrill.
Marriage of William Christian to Miss Sarah Terrill
The only Terrell I have found so far in Montgomery County is William Terrel in the 1810 Census. There were
- Males
- under 10 2
- 26-44 1
- Females
- under 10 2
- 26-44 1
Sarah would not be on this census. I’m not sure where the Capt. James Randal area is. If I had to bet, it would be in the current Norwood area of Stanly County. Stanly County wasn’t formed until 1841 so that doesn’t explain why they are missing from later censuses.
Sarah must have passed away by 1856 because I think James C. Lilly had remarried and had more children.
Conclusion
I have no idea why Martha L Christian and William C Christian have any claim to the estate of James C and Martha Smith. I suppose William B Christian could be the illegitimate child of son I don’t know about but that wouldn’t make them lawful heirs. I also could have found the marriage of the other William Christian living in Montgomery County in 1830.
Since Sarah may have died shortly after the 1850 census, it would stand to reason she could still be a daughter of James C. and Martha Smith.
This research is certainly not complete, but I’ve exhausted all I can at the moment. Perhaps someone will have some knowledge of the Christian and Terrell families.
My next step is to further research Sarah and find further evidence that supports that William C indeed married Nathan Cawthon’s daughter.
Sources
“United States Census, 1850”, Montgomery County, North Carolina, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M4B8-BPX : Mon Mar 11 00:04:22 UTC 2024), Entry for James C Lilly and Sarah Lilly, 1850.
Carroll. Deeds March 1855–November 1856. images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-CSZF-1B8J: Mar 23, 2024) Image 694. WC Christian to Cudy J Smith.
Carroll. Deeds March 1855–November 1856. images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-CSZF-1B8J: Mar 23, 2024) Image 694. N. Cawthon to Cuddy J Smith.
“Tennessee Deaths, 1914-1966”, , FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:NSJ4-KJ1 : Mon Mar 11 00:08:52 UTC 2024), Entry for Lucy Ann Christrian and Nathan Cowthom, 1925.
“United States Census, 1880”, , FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MDQ5-QKG : Sun Mar 10 11:08:03 UTC 2024), Entry for Wm. C. Christian and Lucy A. Christian, 1880.
Montgomery County Deeds. Images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-996S-J3MQ?view=explore: March 30, 2024) Image 218. George M Bruton and Wife to Nathan Cawthon.
“North Carolina, County Marriages, 1762-1979 “, , FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XF9X-JY6 : Sun Mar 10 02:10:57 UTC 2024), Entry for George M Bruton and Martha L Christian, 07 Mar 1844.
“North Carolina Estate Files, 1663-1979,” database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-89CF-2R5X?cc=1911121&wc=Q64S-865%3A1066705302%2C183222301%2C1589146526 : 20 November 2015), Montgomery County > C > Christian, William B (1843) >; State Archives, Raleigh.Fayetteville Weekly Observer. Wed, May 10, 1826, Page 3. Digital image (newspapers.com/image/63428321). Access Mar 30, 2024.
Chasing the Past 
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