In 1911 the Overseer
for Providence (now known as Providence Friends Meeting,
2054 Providence Church Road, Pleasant Garden, Randolph
County, North Carolina) produced a complaint against
Roscoe GREGSON, Claude GREGSON,
and Hubert
GREGSON for joining
the U. S.
Military Department. This complaint can be found in the
minutes of Centre Mo. Meeting of Friends that was held
at Centre, N. C. 10 mo. 21, 1911. Centre Friends
Meeting is located at 325 East NC Hwy 62, south of
Greensboro in Guilford County, North Carolina.
Hubert GREGSON
is my grandfather. I am providing a short history of my
GREGSON ancestors per my personal knowledge and the
genealogical work compiled by one of my aunts from her
thirty years of research. My aunt’s work contains more
detail than I can provide here so I have included
surnames of allied families. If any researcher should
feel that I can help them in any way or should find an
error in this information or can add to it….please
contact me at
jahlbh@bellsouth.net and mention Gregson
genealogy in the Subject Line. Thank You, Lynette
Hudspeth
A brief sketch of these three GREGSON brothers:
Charlie
Roscoe GREGSON:
Born 5 JUL
1890 in Randolph County, NC/Died 14 OCT 1971 in
Redding, Shasta County, CA.
Roscoe
joined the US Army and served overseas during World War
I. After this service to his country he moved to
Redding, California where he owned and operated a
restaurant. He never married or returned home to North
Carolina.
Claude
Walter GREGSON:
Born 13
MAR 1893 in Randolph County, NC/Died 6 SEP 1974 in
Randolph County, NC.
Claude
served in the US Navy before World War I and later
served his country when he went to Pearl Harbor to help
rebuild it after December 7, 1941. He owned a well
drilling business in Randolph County, NC and, on 8 SEP
1917, married
Verna Alma
SMITH.
Verna
was born 13 NOV 1888 and died 21 MAR 1972.
Claude
and
Verna
had three children.
Hubert
Clayton GREGSON:
Born 14
JAN 1895 in Randolph County, NC/Died 3 APR 1987 at
Moses Cone Hospital, Greensboro, Guilford County,
NC/Final resting place is
Randolph Memorial Park, 4538 US Hwy 220 Bus N,
Asheboro,
Randolph County, North Carolina.
Hubert
was inducted into the US Navy in 1911 (listed on
induction papers as having blue eyes, brown hair, and
height just shy of 5ft. 10inches). He was honorably
discharged in 1915. When the United States entered
World War II he tried to reenlist. This time, for
obvious reasons, he was rejected. He was a proud – and
lucky - father who had three sons serve with honor in
that war and return home safely. During his service in
the Navy he traveled to China and was privileged to view
the Ming Tombs. In 1916 he worked in Detroit, Michigan
for $0.39/hour. While in the Navy and during his time
in Detroit
Hubert
sent his pay home to his mother for safekeeping. When
he returned home to Randolph County, NC he married – 10
JUN 1917 –
Hazel
Ruth BARKER
and, with his savings, bought the first automobile owned
in Randolph County, NC. For many years he owned and
operated a sawmill (1916-1940) in the county and
produced molasses (every fall 1928-1945). Later in his
life
Hubert
was a brick mason who hired and supervised others in
this profession. His wife,
Hazel
Ruth BARKER,
was born 12 AUG 1896 in Randolph County, NC/Died 21
SEP 1965 in Pleasant Garden, Randolph County, NC/Final
resting place is Randolph Memorial Park, 4538 US Hwy
220 Bus N, Asheboro, Randolph County, North Carolina. She was the daughter of
George Prather (G. P./Prather/Prathy) BARKER
and
Elma Jane
BARKER –
nee BARKER.
Hubert
and
Hazel
had twelve children. When his father died in 1921,
Hubert
bought the
Gregson
home place – the land and a slat board house that had
been built by his father circa 1896 to replace the
family’s old log cabin. This property is located in
Pleasant Garden, NC. On November 28, 1938, after the
death of his mother,
Hubert
moved his family into this house. In 1962, after having
his foot break through the floorboards on at least two
occasions, he thought it was time to build a new home.
According to one of his sons, the only thing holding the
old house together “was habit and the termites holding
hands”. With the help of all his children, their
spouses, and most of his grandchildren he razed the old
home and built a new brick veneer one with a regulation
size Shuffleboard court in the basement and another
outside on the far side of the front lawn. He was an
excellent Shuffleboard player and enjoyed card games,
especially Pinochle. Although not a Saint in the
traditional sense of the word – for he could try his
wife’s patience by playing cards and some other
annoyances -
Hubert
lived his life well and with gusto; he was tolerant of
all people in all circumstances; his word was a promise
he would keep; he believed no job was worth doing if you
didn’t do it right; he had an honest down-to-earth sense
of humor; and he loved his family dearly. On his 90th
birthday he was interviewed for an article in a local
newspaper. The reporter asked him what he owed his
longevity in life to and he thought for a moment and
replied with a smile on his face, “keeping my nose out
of other people’s business”.
Hubert’s
second wife was the sister of
Hazel,
his first. He married
Elsie
Elma BARKER
on 10
Nov 1966.
Elsie
was born 12 FEB 1893 in Randolph County, NC/Died 20
SEP 1988 in Randolph County, NC.
Hubert
and
Elsie
did not have children.
***Allied Families for the above generation of
GREGSONs***
Surnames for Spouses include:
|
MILLIKAN, SCALES, CHEEK, HUNT,
ROBBINS, RAYSOR, BLACK, HINSHAW,
POOLE, FENNINGTON, REDDING,
HADLEY, STEED, DOSIER, GREGORY,
OWENS, STANLEY, MILLER, WARD,
BAILIFF, SMITH, BARKER, ADAMS,
MAULTSBY, MOFFITT, HATCHER |
Ancestors
of these three brothers and four more; Jessie Shubble,
Barney James (B. J.), Albert
Franklin, and Alfred Briles GREGSON:
Father………Henry
Clay GREGSON
Born: 3
FEB 1847 in Randolph County, NC
Died: 24
NOV 1921 in Randolph County, NC
Final
Resting Place: Centre Friends Meeting Cemetery, 325 East
NC Hwy 62, Guilford County, NC 27406
|
Married: |
1st
wife, |
Fatima Jane WOOD
on 28 FEB 1871 (b. 9 AUG 1846/d. 8 MAR 1881), Four sons
from their union |
| |
2nd wife,
|
Sarah A. HARGROVE
on 26 APR 1882 (b. Abt 1847/d. 12 MAY 1884), One
daughter from their union |
| |
3rd wife,
|
Hannah Elizabeth (Lizzie) HOCKETT
on 30 SEP 1886 (b. 31 MAY 1853/d. 12 MAY 1938), Seven
sons from their union |
Religion:
Born into a Methodist Episcopalian family but converted
to Quakerism
- probably when he married his
third wife who was a
HOCKETT-
the
Hoggatt/HOCKETT
family of NC being Quakers long in good standing
Could Read
and Write: Yes
Occupation: Farmer, also worked at Randleman Mills,
Randolph County, NC
Hair
Color: Red (according to some, a hot temper went along
with the red hair)
Mother………Hannah
Elizabeth (Lizzie) HOCKETT
Born: 31
MAY 1853 in North Carolina
Died: 12
MAY 1938 in Randolph County, NC
Final
Resting Place: Centre Friends
Meeting Cemetery,
325 East NC Hwy 62, Guilford County, NC 27406
Married:
30 SEP 1886 to
Henry
Clay
GREGSON
in North
Carolina
Hair
Color: Black (according to her son, her hair never
turned gray)
Religion:
Quaker/Society of Friends
Could Read
and Write: Yes
Parents:
Jessie Davis HOCKETT
Born:
19 AUG 1826
Died: 12 NOV 1896
Rebecca COX
Born: 20
JAN 1822
Died: 24 OCT 1876
Married: 23 FEB 1848; Centre
Friends Meeting, Guilford County,
North Carolina
****Allied Families of the above generation of
GREGSONs****
Surnames
for Spouses include:
ROBBINS, DICKS, WORTHINGTON, WOOD,
HARGROVE, HOCKETT, FRAZIER, JARRELL,
JULIAN, DOZIER, LEWIS, KIVETT
Surnames
for extended families:
COLTRANE, COX, YATES, MOFFITT,
BARKER
Grandfather…….Julius
Cicero GREGSON
(Reverend)
Born: 1
MAR 1809 in North Carolina
Died: 8
JUN 1887 at 78 years of age in Randolph County, North
Carolina
Final
Resting Place: St. Paul Methodist Episcopal Church
South Cemetery, Randleman, Randolph County, North
Carolina
NOTE:
This Church is now a museum that is open to the public
on
Sunday
Religion:
Minister of the Methodist Episcopal Church
Could Read
and Write: Yes
Married: 1st
wife,
Holland BRILES
before MAR 1835 (b. 20 OCT 1812 in
Randolph County, NC/d.
14 FEB 1868 in Randolph
County, NC), Six or seven daughters and Four sons
from their
union
2nd wife,
Rachel (Bet) ALLRED
on 15 OCT 1868, they lived in
Franklinville, NC in the 1870s and 1880s, no
children were
born of their union
Grandmother………Holland
BRILES
Born: 20 OCT 1812 in Randolph
County, North Carolina
NOTE:
According to our family records she was the 10th
child born to her parents
Died: 14 FEB 1868 at 55 years of
age in Randolph County, North Carolina
Final Resting Place: St. Paul
Methodist Episcopal Church South Cemetery, Randleman,
Randolph County, North Carolina
NOTE:
This Church is now a museum that is open to the public
on Sundays
Married: Before 1835 Julius
Cicero GREGSON, Reverend, in Randolph County,
NC
Parents: John BRILES
Born:
Abt 1775
Died: Abt 1857
in Randolph County, North Carolina
Religion:
Methodist
Family History:
Reported to be a descendant of Conrad Broyl/Broyles/Brile/
BRILES
who came to America from Germany with his
parents
in 1717 - were members of the Second Germanna
Colony of
Virginia
Ann Nancy/Nancy
Ann BECKERDITE
Born:
Abt 1777
Died: Bef 1840
***************What May or May Not Be*****************
The above Family Genealogy is
supported by written family records, cemetery
information, census data, and personal knowledge; now
for the possibilities:
In the 1980s and 1990s my aunt
corresponded with several researchers who believed
Reverend Julius Cicero GREGSON’s father was an
Amos GREGSON who lived about 10 miles south of
Lexington, North Carolina. This Amos GREGSON was
reported to have been married to a Sarah MARTIN.
There are several records in the “old” Rowan
County, NC deed books that list one “Amos GREGSON”
as a witness to transactions made in the 1790s and early
1800s. The county boundaries during that era put
Lexington, which is west of present day Randolph County,
and its surrounding area in Rowan County, NC (Lexington
is now located within the newer boundaries of Davidson
County, NC). The first son born to Reverend Julius
Cicero GREGSON and his 1st wife,
Holland BRILES, was named Amos GREGSON.
If Julius and Holland were conforming to
the traditional English order of naming their children –
and they may well have been since they named their first
female child Nancy Ann (mother Holland BRILES’
mother’s given names) and their second son, John
(Holland’s father’s name) – this is strong
evidence, but not proof, for a connection of
Julius Cicero and Amos of Lexington
GREGSON.
There is further speculation by
researchers as to a connection of Amos of
Lexington GREGSON with one George GREGSON
who appears on an Orange County, NC tax list for the
year 1755. This may be but I don’t have or know of any
specific supporting information for that connection; and
so, we continue our search for that GRIGSON, GRAGSON,
GRESTON, GREGSON ancestor who first saw fit to enter
this beautiful State of North Carolina and make it his
home.
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