Logan Berry (1813 -1910)

By John Berry

Logan Berry

Logan Berry is believed to be the author's 1st cousin (3 times removed). His line also appears to descend from William Berry, Sr., (1738-1780). The line would go like this William Berry, Sr., Lott Berry, John Berry (shared descendant of mine) and then it gets fuzzy. It is hard to tell which part of the Berry line that this Ezekiel came from.  I had previously listed Ezekiel Berry as born in 1813 (as the son of John), which would have made it impossible for him to be Logan's father. Another Ezekiel Berry (a common name for Berrys here) would have had to have been born earlier.

In any event, Logan Berry was born on December 18, 1813 in Burke County, North Carolina, the son of Mary Hildebrand and Ezekiel Berry. Ezekiel Berry was part of the Burke County Berry clan and was prosecuted for an out of wedlock birth related to the birth of Logan. This is reflected in the Lincoln County records. Ezekiel Berry was living in Burke or old Lincoln County where he was said to be a very wealthy man. He fathered a son by Maria (Mary) Hildebrand (1795-1880), a woman who worked in his home, and she named him Logan Berry in honor of his father. Maria/Mary and her future husband, James Clark, left the area and moved away to Macon County, North Carolina, and raised Logan Berry who left an illustrious line of descendants.  Mary Hildebrand and James Clark married on Oct. 2, 1817.

The old Lincoln County Judgment Rolls show that Ezekiel Berry was tried for the out of wedlock birth about the time of Logan’s birth but the results are not known.

Lincoln County Records re Logan Berry's birth

Logan Berry grew up in Macon County and married Matilda Postell of Buncombe County, NC, born June 15, 1813, on February 9, 1832. Matilda Postell passed away on August 15, 1884 and is buried in the Jennings Cemetery in Holly Springs, North Carolina.

The couple had 10 children:

William H. Berry (Dec. 18, 1833 - April 27, 1915). Married to Mary Angeline Moore

Mary (Polly) Ann Berry (Jan. 15, 1835 - Oct. 27, 1872). Married to John Parker Moore

Nancy Katherine Berry (Dec. 18. 1836 - Oct. 20, 1919). Married to Burr Allen

James M. Berry (Oct. 22, 1838 - July 22, 1864). Unmarried.  Died during the Civil War, Battle of Atlanta.

Logan Alexander Berry (Oct. 27, 1840- July 22, 1864). Unmarried.  Died during the Battle of Civil War, Battle of Atlanta. Logan Berry had served in the 39th Regiment of the North Carolina Infantry, Company B.

Sarah Malinda Berry (Oct. 27, 1845 - Sept. 11, 1885). Unmarried

Margaret Matilda Berry (July 30, 1847 - Apr. 26, 1941). Married to Joseph Huffman Higdon

John Taylor Berry (Aug. 8, 1849 - June 23, 1934). Married to Modean Corbin (first wife) and then to Delia Clouse (second wife).

Ruth Angeline Berry (Nov. 23, 1854 - Nov. 5, 1924). Married Furman Henry.

Laura Jane Berry (Dec. 29, 1856 - Oct. 23, 1939).  Married Zachary Taylor.

Logan Berry passed away on February 8, 1910 in Holly Springs, NC. His will was probated by John Berry (it appears to be his son) on June 6, 2010 where he maintained assets of $746.00 at that time.

Portions of Estate Record of Logan Berry

Logan Berry left behind many descendants that carry on his part of the Burke Berry line today.  HIs memorial grave is shown below:

If anyone has additional information on Logan Berry, which updates or corrects any information, please let me know.

John Berry of Burke County - 1790 - 1871

By John Berry

John Berry's signature

John Berry, born 1790, likely in Burke County, North Carolina, lived until 1871. It is strongly believed and has been verified by other researchers of the Berry family, that his father was Lott Berry (1765-1831) and mother was Millie (Thompson) Berry of Burke County, North Carolina. His siblings were Archibald Berry, David and Mina (Elminor) Berry.

Lot Berry descendant chart by Marguerite Berry
Carswell & Jean Norvell Berry

John Berry was married to Barbara (Barbary) Fry (1795-1861), the daughter of Nicholas Fry, Jr., on January 1, 1813. The Lincoln County marriage document, shown below, is signed by John Berry, Phil Whitener and Peter Fry.

Marriage of John Berry to Barbara Fry, 1813

After his first wife passed, John Berry married Priscilla Bowman (1836-1911) who was 40 years younger than him.  He had many children between his two wives.  John Berry is said to be buried at Friendship Methodist Church, near Hickory, North Carolina.  He is listed as a farmer in the 1850 and 1860 Censuses.  John Berry owned land located on the Old Hickory Road about 3 miles east of Connelly Springs, North Carolina.  He is shown below affirming his father-in-law's service (Nicholas Fry, Jr.) in the Revolutionary War.  

Father-in-Law Nicholas Fry's Statement

Nicholas Fry, Jr. Revolutionary Census

John Berry had 2 marriages and at least 11 children.  In John Berry's first marriage to Barbara Fry, his known children were Ezekiel Berry, William Martin "Billy" Berry, Lawson Berry, Calvin Berry, Mary Matilda Berry, Peggy Berry and Isabel Berry.  In his marriage to Priscilla Bowman, John Berry had 4 additional children: Portland Levi Berry, Rhoda Berry, Pinkney Andrew Berry and James Theodore Berry.  John Berry and his family cared for his first father-in-law, Nicholas Fry, Jr., who was a revolutionary pensioner.

Deed from J.W. Wilson to Priscilla Berry, 1873

If any other information is known, please let this author know.  John Berry is the author's Great, Great, Great Grandfather.  Special thanks to my late uncle, Connelly Burgin Berry and to Virginia Berry Niemeyer for information that contributed to this article.