Remembrances of Rose Bay, Hyde Co., NC

My mother, Thelma Credle Fulford, met with her younger brother, Albert Bryce Credle, his wife, Virginia Wade Jennette Credle, and her mother, Willie Wade Jennette, on Sunday afternoon, September 24, 2000, to discuss their memories of families who lived in the Rose Bay community of Hyde County from around 1916 to the 1940s. They began at what is Rose Bay Creek (where the Rose Bay Oyster House now stands), and placed the families as far as the old Plank Bridge area (just beyond where the Bell Island Game Refuge entry is). There are several roads that tie into this stretch, and as a general rule, the names follow one side of the road, then, stopping at the Plank bridge area, the families will go down the other side of the road. I will try to point out these changes. Let me point out to the readers that if any of your family names are in error, I am sorry; many of them are strictly phonetic. "Miss Willie," Virginia, Bryce, and my mother were unsure of many of the spellings. - Florence Fulford Moore

Willis Swindell married Rebecca (unknown)^{1
[see addendum]}- they had two children, Allen and Ruth Swindell; she died at age 16 of flu.

Willis Pegram married (unknown). They had two daughters, Marthia and Perlina, whose nickname was "Tiny." The entire family died of tuberculosis around 1918. The second family to occupy this house was: Romulus Watson married (unknown). ^{2
[see addendum]} The third family to occupy this same house was: Oliver Ange married (unknown). The fourth family to occupy this same house was: Elmo Lupton and his sister, Beatrice Lupton, who married Joe Rayburn. ^{3
[see addendum]}

Harvey Carawan married Sarah Pegram Ballance. ^{4 [see addendum]} Sarah had Maggie and Johnny Ballance by her first husband (unknown), then Mack, Muriel, and Billy Gene Carawan by her second husband.

Joe Mason's ^{5
[see addendum]} mother lived in the next house - her name was Clarissa Mason Flood, and everyone in the community called her "Miss Clarissy." One interesting tidbit of information that my mother (Thelma Credle Fulford) and "Miss Willie" remembered was that "Miss Clarissy" was for the Union during the Civil War.

Alton Sawyer married Lula Alcock. They had Bernard, Sherwood, and Ernie. Alton's father, Eben Sawyer ^{6
[see addendum]} lived up the lane from them (off the main road).

Joe Mason [see addendum 5] married Ina Popperville; they had Clyde, Gladys, Harvey, Marvin, Mary Elizabeth, John Jesse, and Marie. There was a sawmill in front of where Joe and Ina lived.

Lizzie Whitaker ^{7
[see addendum]} and sons Tokey and Kelly. (African American family)

Leo Porter married Pauline (unknown) - they had Laura, Ruby, and a son (unknown). They lived up Porter's Lane.

Miss "Mag" Mason and Silvanus Mason ^{8 [see addendum]}. They had Lela and Corrinne ^{9 [see addendum]}. Corrinne was married twice - first husband unknown; second husband Ralph Hodges. She had James, Catherine, and Hilda by him.

Sam Sadler married Betsy Ann (unknown) ^{10
[see addendum]}. They had Jack, Cecil, Charlie, and Lilly Mae.

Billy Carawan married Annie Neal ^{11
[see addendum]}; they had Willie, Staton, Harvey, Betty, Ruth, Martha, Annie Mae (who died of hemorrhagic fever at a young age); and Arthur Windley.

Charlie Sadler married Pearl Harris ^{12
[see addendum]}. They lived in what used to be the Old Schoolhouse but later moved to another location. They had Hazel, Robert Lee, Kathleen, Gaston Bell, Edna Lucille, Lindsey Warren, and Travis.

Captain Billy Spencer married Annie Flowers; their children: John, Charlie, Billy, Walter, Macon, and Lillian.

Clarence Jennette married Willie Wade and built a new house. They had Virginia, Marlene, Cecelia, Sandra, and Clarence, Jr.

John Jarvis married Evelyn Mayo; they had no children. They ran a small store at the right-hand intersection of the highway to Swan Quarter and the road to Fairfield.

George Tilson Credle married Martha Etta Mae Cartwright. They had Albert Cartwright, Sidney Vincent, Mary Etta, George Veal, J. Mack, and Charles Conway Credle. George Tilson Credle also had a country store across the Outfall Canal from John and Evelyn Jarvis' store. George and Martha also boarded the teachers who taught school at Rose Bay.

There was a third store at Rose Bay, Bob Chadwick's store--across the road immediately in front of George Tilson Credle's store.

Cahoon Family (unknown) - Ava Blanche and Willie Hallett Cahoon. (lived in the same house after the Cahoons left) Henry Spencer (unknown)

Miss Ruth Chadwick - her grandmother, Deborah Swindell, father, Robert, and mother, Margaret Ann (unknown) ^{13
[see addendum]}, who was from Fairfield, shared this home. There was also a black woman who lived with them; her name was Dicey (unknown). When Dicey died, Molly (unknown) was hired to live with them.

On January 28, 1885, Henry W(hite) Gibbs took out a marriage license to wed Cora Eva Carawan at the residence of R.B. Carawan. They had Lula L. Gibbs born Nov. 1885, Rufus Gibbs born July 1889, and Sallie Mary Gibbs born December 1893 and Mattie Belle Gibbs born 1903. Sallie Mary married Albert Cartwright Credle--they are the parents of Thelma Credle Fulford. Henry W(hite) Gibbs was buried on April 15, 1904 in the Kilby Cemetery in Beaufort County. After his death Cora moved back to Rose Bay to stay with her parents. She married Benjamin C. Carawan on Nov. 28, 1906. No children were born from this marriage. Mattie Bell Gibbs married Foster L. Jarvis in Hyde Co. on October 19, 1918 when Mattie was only 15 and Foster was 19. Their children were Henry Lincoln, Carl Maxton, and Foster Linwood Jarvis. Foster L. Jarvis died and Mattie married Delwood C. Cherry and they lived in Bath NC.

Jody Williams married Arthell Daw, who was from Pantego - they lived in this community around early 1930s.

Harvey Credle married Mary "Lizer" ______ (African Americans); they had Tinker, Lida, Tremilla, Brice (who was deaf), and Alice Mae.

Joe Garner married Gertrude ________. They had so many children that folks did not know their names except the last child's--Gertrude named him "FINISH." She had no more children. (African Americans)

Manuel Credle married Alice _______. They had Mandy, Idell, and Dicey. (African Americans.) Idell married Kelly Whitaker, who killed her. (This family is out of sequence, as they lived next to Cora and Benjamin Carawan.)

Oliver Swindell married Mary Emma "Aunt Mell" _______. ^{14 [see addendum]} Children: Harry, Ruth, and Edmund.

Jack Swindell married Delilah _______. They lived in the same house as Oliver Swindell. They had Angus Lee, Grover, Iris, Billy, and ___________.

Nathaniel Credle married Annie McWilliams, who was from Ocracoke Island. ^{15 [see
addendum]} They had Nat, Blount, Seth, Macon, Ogden, Melissa, and Martha.

Macon Credle married Hilda Carawan; they had Delma Doris (one name) and Garland.

ACROSS THE ROAD, heading back toward the intersection of the Fairfield Road:

Seth Credle and Claudie Jarvis; they had: Helen, Seth Bridgeman, Blandina, Edith Marie Walderman Mason (married) Bessie Howard; they had Margaret, Otis, and Malcom. ^{16
[see addendum]}

Clee Hardy married Dollie (unknown) ^{17
[see addendum]} - they lived in the school house for black children. Ralph Hodges married Corinne Mason. These folks lived briefly at Rose Bay but moved to Washington NC - they were the last house before you get to Plank Bridge. They had Johnnie, Lonnie, Bessie, and others. (house is out of sequence)

Tokie Whitaker (African American) also lived in this house. (Note that Tokie Whitaker's name is listed in several places - evidently, he lived in several homes in the area.)

There were two houses next door to each other, inhabited by two African American families: Florence Hardee lived in one; however, they shared the houses among her children Clee, Burnell, Martha, John, Charlie, Jether, Kelly, Elgie, and Ophelia. Charlie married Bell Hardy, and they had Ruby.

Carrol Gibbs married Lida Bridgman. They had C. D. and Margie Payne Gibbs. They moved to the Plank Bridge Road house from the region around Lake Mattamuskeet.

Tokie Whittaker (lived in a house in front of the Carroll Gibbs residence) (African American)

George McKinney married (unknown) - they had Bill and two other children. (This house was on the left going toward Plank Bridge.)

Bill Gibbs married Susan Ann (unknown); they had Nancy, Anita, Aleph. (African American)

J. M. Jennette married Virginia Dare Alcock; they had Clarence, Violet, Maggie Bell, Odell, Forest, Alma Grace, and Garland Windley

Luke Sawyer married Betty (unknown) Evans. She had Lucille, Thurman, Aleen (who were by her first husband, a Mr. Evans), and Dewey, who was Luke's son.

George Bell Carawan married Lucy Howard. They had Columbus, Stats, Rita, and Mildred.

J. B. O'Neal married "Miss Puss." (No one knew what "Miss Puss's" name really was, because that was all her husband and family called her.) They had John B., who married Violet Jennette) and Mary.

Captain Billy Spencer married Miss Annie (unknown) . They had John, Charlie, Macon, and Lillian. Later living in the same house: Joe Bridgman married Bertha (unknown) - they had Willie and other children.

Peter Sawyer married Orpha (unknown) ^{18
[see addendum]}. They had Luke and Viola.

_________ Harris married (unknown); they had Churchville and Mary (African American)

Ervin Mayo married Mary Anne Flowers; they had Helen Rayfield, Norwood, Evelyn, twins Roy and Troy; Louise, and Ervin, Jr.

Dave Carawan married (unknown) ^{19
[see addendum]} - they had Melissa and Alvah.

John B. Neal married Ella (unknown) ^{20[see
addendum]}. They had Alvah, Mary, Martha, Rachel, Ruth, and Paul. Sam Jordan married Bell Sawyer; they had Roy, Raleigh, and Ray.

Claude Sawyer married Maysel Lupton Sawyer; they had Carolyn and Marie. Columbus Cahoon married Sil (unknown). Brice Cahoon (unknown)

Gene Carawan married Margaret Howard. They had Rita, Columbus, Murray, and Cletus.

Tom Bridgeman married Molly Tuten; they had Lida who married Carroll Gibbs and Ruby Lee, who married Willie Cahoon.

A. C. Credle married Sallie Mary Gibbs. They had Thelma, Sidney Arthur, Edith Pearl, and Brice.

Rayfield Mayo married Bernice Garrish. They had Glenda, Josephine, and a son _____.

Joe Bridgeman married Bertha Allcox. They had Jay, May, Willie, Carl, Sherwood, and Merritt.

Paul Neal married Aline Patrick. They had Kay, J. P., and Roy. Where this house was used to be the post office.