Ye Old Ancestors - The Berrys of Drowning Creek

By John Berry

This is a reprint of my Uncle Burgin Berry's research entitled Ye Old Ancestors, The Berrys of Drowning Creek. This was likely prepared in the mid-1980s and a few things have changed. I believe that this is clearly our Berry line, but I believe that our ancestor was Ezekiel Berry's brother, Lott Berry. Lott Berry had 4 children, including Archibald mentioned below and John Berry (my line).

Henderson Berry (my great grandfather), as noted below in my uncle's handwriting, lived on the same land (albeit a smaller portion) as William Berry did in the 1760s. Lots of great research by my late uncle in here.  

William Berry, Sr. Land Plan for 381 Acres 1778

By John Berry

Below is a land plan for William Berry, Sr on the Catawba River, consisting of 381 acres from 1778.  The Chain Carriers were William Berry, Jr and neighbor Patrick O'Neal.  The document is signed by David Vance and Christopher Beekman, dated Dec. 1, 1778. The Land Plan number is No. 81.

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.

Henderson David Berry (1866-1935)

By John Berry

Henderson David Berry was born on February 11, 1866 and died on February 3, 1935. He lived in Burke County, North Carolina. He was the son of William Martin "Billy" Berry (1825-1924) and Adelaide Speagle (1833-1904). Henderson Berry's farm lies on the same land that William Berry, Sr. (1738-1780) did.

Diagram of Henderson Berry's land in Burke County

He resided on Drowning Creek on a farm and is buried at Mt. Harmony Methodist Church.

Grave Marker of Henderson and Ella Berry

Lou Ella Williams Berry 1910s

Henderson Berry appears in this 1901 Berry Reunion photo, but I have had a
hard time placing him. The following photo contains the 
list of attendees. If anyone can identify Henderson, please let me know.

The list of attendees for the 1901 Berry Reunion, above, is shown below:

1901 Berry Reunion Attendance List

On November 14, 1889, Henderson Berry married Lou Ella Williams and had two sons and two daughters: Gilmer Connelly Berry (1890-1964), Maude E. Berry (1892-1972), Jonsie E. Berry (1895-1989) and Ivey Jones Berry (1901-1961).

In 1906, Henderson Berry engaged in lumber and work associated with the repair of roads and bridges.  In 1910, Henderson Berry was appointed a Democratic election judge in Icard, NC by the County Board of Elections. In 1918, he was named by Burke County as an Agricultural Advisor. In 1919, Henderson Berry was a speaker at a Burke County event on the topic of Growing Wheat.
In January of 1920, Henderson Berry was appointed to a committee for World Prohibition of alcohol in Burke County. In 1922, Henderson Berry was nominated as the Democratic candidate for County Commissioner by the Burke County Democratic Party.

Henderson Berry was into local politics and became part of the Democratic party in Burke County at the time, holding some offices and was known by Senator Sam Ervin.

     

William Martin "Billy" Berry (1824-1911)

By John Berry

William Martin "Billy" Berry

William Martin "Billy" Berry (July 5, 1824 - Nov. 6, 1911) (my great, great grandfather) lived in Burke County, North Carolina and was buried at Warlick's Baptist Church in Icard, NC, a church near (and overlooking) Drowning Creek. Billy Berry was a stage driver, with Philip Warlick and operated a coach line between Salisbury and the Old Fort area. He also hauled provisions during the Civil War for the Confederacy.  

On August 29, 1833, Billy Berry married Adelaide Speagle (Aug. 29, 1833 - Mar. 9, 1904), the daughter of Martin Speagle and his wife Elizabeth Hudson.  They were the parents of 9 children: Ruffin Berry, Martin Berry, William Pinkney Berry, Henderson Berry (my line), Stanley Berry, Audrey Berry (Cook), Ezekiel Berry, Jane Lucinda Berry, Martha Ann Berry and Isabel Berry.

Adelaide Speagle Berry (1833-1904)

A photograph of the Berry reunion, with Billy Berry and Adelaide Berry was taken in about 1901.  The photo is not great, but I hope to someday get a better copy of it. The picture is below:

1901 Berry Reunion - Billy and Adelaide in center

William Martin "Billy" Berry passed on November 6, 1911 and was buried at Warlick's Baptist Church.  His gravestone is shown below:

Any additional information on this ancestor is greatly appreciated.  

Nicholas Fry - Father in Law of John Berry of Burke County, NC

By John Berry

Nicholas Fry, Jr. (1746-1841) (my 4th Great Grandfather) was born on February 2, 1746 in Berks County, Pennsylvania and moved with his German parents (Nicholas Fry, Sr and Maria Elizabeth Pabst) to Lincoln County, North Carolina in or about 1761. He was married to an Elizabeth Burns Fry and he is listed as having a daughter Sally Fry (1780-1853) in 1780 and then daughter Barbary Fry in 1795 (1795-1861). There could have also been two sons, David and Peter Fry, but this also is not been confirmed in my research. Not much, so far, is known as Elizabeth (possibly Burns) or a Margaret Ansell, but they are not in the area or life towards the end of Nicholas' life. There is some discussion about whether or not Nicholas and his wife remarried or died early, but my research hasn't determined this yet.

Nicholas Fry, Jr. Signature - 1838

Nicholas served in the American Revolution in 1781 and his unit was later discharged after a number of battles near Beatty's Ford and was later given a pension for his service to our country. Nicholas Fry was a private in the Company commanded by Captain McFarland, from the Regiment commanded by Colonel McDowell in the North Carolina Line for 6 months.  He received a pension for his service and is inscribed in the Rolls of North Carolina at the rate of 20 Dollars and 50 Center, per annum, commencing on 4 Mar 1831.  The certificate of pension was issues 13 Aug 1838 and thereafter sent to Nicholas Fry, living in Lovelady, Burke County, NC, residing with his son-in-law, John Berry (who married his daughter Barbara Fry). This John Berry (1791-1871) is my Great times 3 grandfather.

As Nicholas got older, he lived with John Berry until he passed in the early 1840s. John Berry cared for Nicholas Fry until he passed in or around 1841. Here is a copy of Nicholas Fry's Revolutionary War application. The link to the transcribed version is here.

1841 Revolutionary War Pension List