One Descendant of Henry Silver (c.1836-c.

1920), a Free Person of Color

of Halifax County, North Carolina By Debora Pullen Plunkett

1. HENRY SILVER, a free person of color, was probably born between 1833 and 1838 in Halifax County, North Carolina1, and died between 1 June 18802 and 21 November 18883, likely in Halifax County, North Carolina. Henry was likely married twice, first to LUCY [UNKNOWN], who was probably born in 18454, and likely died before 05 July 18795, the date of Henrys second marriage, in North Carolina. Henrys second wife was (2) JANE RICHARDSON, daughter of Robert Richardson and his wife, Nancy6. Henry and Jane married on 05 July 1879 at the home of Cofield Richardson (relationship unknown) in the town of Fishing Creek in Warren County, North Carolina7. Jane was born about 18608 in North Carolina, and died before 26 December 18949. Henrys parents are unidentified, although, according to census records, they both were born in North Carolina. As enumerated in the 1850 U.S. population census10, Henry was a free person of color living with James and Hixey Carlisle, white farmers. The relationship between Henry

Debora Pullen Plunkett, 2732 Millers Way Drive, Ellicott City, Maryland, 21043; email: daplunkett@comcast.net. Ms. Plunkett has been researching her family history, focused largely in North Carolina, for thirteen years. She is currently pursuing genealogical certification through the Board for Certification of Genealogists. 1 James Carlisle household, 1850 U.S. Census, Halifax County, North Carolina, population schedule, Western District, Ringwood post office, page 56, dwelling 680, family 611; National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) micropublication M432, roll 633. Henry is 14 years old; and, J. Richardson household, 1860 U.S. Census, population schedule, Halifax County, North Carolina, population schedule, Grove Hill Post Office, page 118, dwelling 895, family 895; NARA micropublication M653, roll 916. H. Silver is 22 years old. Presumably this is the same Henry Silver as the one found living with the Carlisle family in 1850; and, Henry Silver household, 1870 U.S. Census, Warren County, North Carolina, population schedule, Formosa township, Brinkleyville post office, page 63, dwelling 498, family 498; NARA micropublication M593. Henry is 34 years old; and, Henry Silver household, 1880 U.S. Census, Halifax County, North Carolina, population schedule, Brinkleyville township, enumeration district (ED) 135, supervisors district (SD) 2, sheet 50, dwelling 433, family 433; NARA micropublication T9, roll 966. Henry is 47 years old. 2 Official census date for 1880 U.S. Census, 1 June 1880. 3 Silver-Arrington marriage, 21 November 1888, in Halifax County Marriage book (original volume), unpaginated, arranged by date, County Register of Deeds Office, Halifax County, North Carolina. Both of Manuels parents are deceased. 4 Henry Silver household, 1870 U.S. Census, Halifax County, North Carolina, population schedule, Formosa Township, page 63, dwelling 498, family 498. Lucy is 25 years old. 5 Silver-Richardson marriage, 05 July 1879, in Warren County Marriage book (original volume), unpaginated, arranged by date, Register of Deeds Office, Warren County, North Carolina. 6 Robert Richardson household, 1870 U.S. Census, Halifax County, North Carolina, population schedule, Arcadia township, Halifax post office, page 7, dwelling 53, family 53; NARA publication M593, roll 1141. Silla is 12 years old; and Henry Silver household, 1880 U.S. Census, population schedule, Halifax County, North Carolina, population schedule, Brinkleyville, ED 135, SD 2, sheet 50, dwelling 433, family 433. Lucy is 20 years old. 7 Silver-Richardson marriage, 05 July 1879, in Warren County Marriage book (original volume), unpaginated, arranged by date, Register of Deeds Office, Warren County, North Carolina. 8 Henry Silver household, 1880 U.S. Census, population schedule, Halifax County, North Carolina, population schedule, Brinkleyville, ED 135, SD 2, sheet 50, dwelling 433, family 433.Jane is 20 years old. 9 Ibid. 10 James Carlisle household, 1850 U.S. Census, Halifax County, North Carolina, population schedule, page 56, dwelling 680, family 611. Henry is 14 years old.

and the Carlisles is unknown. Although records found do not indicate that Henry was attending school in 1850, and there are no records that indicate he can either read or write, as one of very few free blacks during this time, it is possible that he attended school in that the 1850 census shows five 5 free Black students attending school in Halifax County11. It is possible that Henry lived with the Carlisles as early as 1840, where the enumeration12 for family members living with head of household James Carlisle included two free persons of color one male under 10 years of age, possibly Henry Silver, and one female between the ages of 24 and 35, possibly Henrys mother. Henry could have been bound as an apprentice, as was quite common during that period, when children were bound as apprentices in various crafts. Some apprentices were bound to learn the art, trade and mystery of farming which may simply have meant working as an unpaid field hand; others were trained as coopers, blacksmiths, cordwainers, or other useful occupations.13 Searches for an apprentice bond for Henry Silver were negative. Free blacks in North Carolina were not unusual, in fact, .the free Negroes in North Carolina had increased by 1860 to a little more than thirty thousand, a population exceeded by only five other states in the nation14. In 1860, 22 year old H. Silver (probably Henry Silver) is working as a blacksmith and living with the J. Richardson 15 family in Halifax County. J. Richardson is also occupied as a blacksmith, as noted in this same referenced 1860 census. As one of 30,463 free blacks in North Carolina in 1860, Henry appears to have been one of few free blacks who were not primarily skilled at that time as agricultural laborers16. The first record of Henry Silver with his family is in the 1870 U.S census, where he is listed with his wife, Lucy, and six children17. It is not clear if all of the children noted were parented by Henry and Lucy, and given Lucys age at that time (25), it is possible that the two older children (ages 13 and 14) were either Henrys children from another relationship, or were not Henry and Lucys children, but were related in some other way to the Silver family. According to the 1870 U.S. census, Henry owned real estate valued at $120, and personal property valued at $100. While Henry was by no means wealthy ($100 is equivalent to approximately $1637 2007 consumer price index (CPI) dollars)18, he is one of few blacks who actually own real estate and have personal property value. This census also indicates that neither Henry nor any members of his family could read or write. While Henry is employed as a blacksmith in 1850, records thereafter reflect his work in farming, which is consistent with the agrarian society in place in the anti-bellum south, where the majority of African Americans lived in small rural communities among their extended kin. They remained tied to the land as either sharecroppers or small-scale farmers19. No records have been found regarding land ownership for Henry, and a search for military records was also negative.
11

Peggy Jo Cobb Braswell, Free Blacks in Halifax County, North Carolina, (research paper located in library files, Halifax County Public Library, Halifax, NC, dated August 25, 1989), 4. 12 James Carlisle Household, 1840 U.S. Census, population schedule, Halifax County, North Carolina, page 10, line 5; NARA publication 362. 13 Paul Heinegg, Free African Americans of North Carolina and Virginia (Baltimore, Maryland: Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc., 1997) 11. 14 Braswell, Free Blacks in Halifax County, North Carolina, 5. 15 Heinegg, Free African Americans of North Carolina and Virginia, 594; This is likely John James Richardson, son of Absolom and Rhoda Richardson of Halifax County; John James is married to Harriett Richardson (noted as H. Richardson in 1860 Halifax County, NC census). 16 Jeffrey J. Crow, Paul D. Escott, and Flora J. Hatley, A History of African Americans in North Carolina (Raleigh, North Carolina: North Carolina Department of Cultural Resources, 1994), 52. 17 Henry Silver household, 1870 U.S. Census, Halifax County, North Carolina, population schedule, Formosa, page 63, dwelling 498, family 498. 18 Measuring Worth, on-line service (www.measuringworth.com, accessed 24 May 2008). 19 Dee Parmer Woodtor., Finding a Place Called Home (New York: Random House, 1999), 101.

Children of Henry and his first wife, Lucy (UNKNOWN) Silver, all born in Halifax County, North Carolina: i. JIM SILVER, b. about 185620 in Formosa. ii. SALLIE SILVER, b. about 185721 in Formosa. iii. MAC SILVER, b. about 186322 in Formosa. 2 iv. MANUEL SILVER, born June 186723 in Formosa, m. Elizabeth Arrington. v. ANNIE SILVER, b. about 186824 in Formosa. vi. WINNIE SILVER, b. February 187025 in Formosa. vii. PATTIE SILVER, b. 10 December 187426 in Brinkleyville. viii. HENRY SILVER, b. January 187527 in Brinkleyville. ix. ASSA SILVER, b. January 187728 in Brinkleyville. Children of Henry and his second wife, Jane (Richardson) Silver, all born in Brinkleyville Township, Halifax County, North Carolina: 11 i. ANTHINA29 SILVER, b. about 1879. 12 ii. WILLIE 30 SILVER, b. April 1880. 2. MANUEL SILVER, son of Henry Silver and Lucy Copeland, was born in June 186731 in Formosa Township, Halifax County, NC, and died suddenly of heart trouble on 23 October 1916 in Brinkleyville Township, Halifax County, NC32. He was married to ELIZABETH LIZZIE ARRINGTON on 21 November 1888 by Reverend Albert Burgess, a Baptist Minister at White Rock Church in Brinkleyville Township, Halifax County, NC33. Elizabeth was the daughter of Dora Boyd and probably Squire Arrington 34. It is possible that her fathers first name was not Squire but rather that it was a title, representative of the landowner of the plantation on which
20

Henry Silver household, 1870 U.S. Census, Halifax County, North Carolina, population schedule, Formosa, page 63, dwelling 498, family 498. Jim is 14 years old. 21 Ibid. Sallie is 13 years old. 22 Ibid. Mac is 7 years old. 23 Ibid; and, Henry Silver household, 1880 U.S. Census, Halifax County, North Carolina, population schedule, Brinkleyville, ED135, SD 2, sheet 50, dwelling 433, family 433. Mann is 2 years old (1870), and Emmanuel is 10 years old (1880). 24 Ibid. Annie is 3 years old (1870), and 12 years old (1880). 25 Ibid. Winnie is 1 year old (1870), and 8 years old (1880). 26 Henry Silver household, 1880 U.S. Census, Halifax County, North Carolina, population schedule, Brinkleyville, ED135, SD 2, sheet 50, dwelling 433, family 433. Pattie is 6 years old. 27 Ibid. Henry is 2 years old. 28 Ibid. Asa is 4 years old. 29 Ibid. Anthina is 1 year old. 30 Ibid. Willie is 2 months old, born in April 1880. 31 Henry Silver households, 1870 U.S. Census, Halifax County, North Carolina, population schedule, Formosa, page 63, dwelling 498, family 498; and, 1880 U.S. Census, Halifax County, North Carolina, population schedule, Brinkleyville, ED135, SD 2, sheet 50, dwelling 433, family 433. Mann is 2 years old (1870), and Emmanuel is 10 years old (1880). 32 Manall Silver, death registrations, book 3, certificate no. 21, no date listed, North Carolina State Board of Health Office of Vital Statistics, Halifax County/Brinkleyville, filed 23 October 19(16 - date illegible filed in 1916 book); and, Manall Silver, Death Certificate Book 3, page 21, 23 October 1916, North Carolina, Halifax County North Carolina Deaths Vol 1, 1913-1932, Parent: Henry Silver. 33 Silver-Arrington marriage, 21 November 1888, Halifax Marriages Book 4, page 26, Register of Deeds Office, Halifax County, North Carolina. 34 Dorah Boyd Arrington, death certificate no. 93-8051, register no. 23 (21 November 1923), North Carolina State Archives: Raleigh. Dorahs spouse is Squire Arrington.

Elizabeths mother (Dora Boyd, who was born 18 October 184035), likely served as a slave. As noted on Wikipedia, In an English village since the 17th century and possibly to this day, the squire was the person of pre-eminent social position in the community by virtue of being the principal landowner.36. Elizabeth was born January 1870 in Judkins Township, Warren County, NC37, and died after 23 October 1916 in Halifax County, NC38. Manuel and Lizzie lived in rural North Carolina, where they raised 11 children39, all of whom worked at various times on the family farm. Children of Manuel Silver and Elizabeth Arrington, all born in North Carolina: i. SALLIE B. SILVER, b. September 188940, d. 22 December 197141 in Halifax County, NC. 3. ii. BENJAMIN MANUEL SILVER, b. 08 April 189242 in White Rock Township, Warren County, d. 02 February 196043 in Brinkleyville Township, Halifax County, NC. iii. ROSA LOU SILVER, b. October 189344, d. 13 March 195345 in Halifax County, NC.

35 36

Ibid. Wikipedia.com (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Squire : accessed 9 April 2007). 37 Dora Arrington household, 1880 U.S. Census, Warren County, North Carolina, population schedule, Judkins township, ED 288, SD 2, dwelling 42, family 42; NARA micropublication T9, roll 985. Lizzie 7 years old; and, Man L Silver household, 1900 U.S. Census, Halifax County, North Carolina, population schedule, Knights Stone township, ED 24, SD 2, sheet 13B, dwelling 229, family 236 (scratched through 238); NARA micropublication T623, roll 1199. Lizzie 30 years old; and, Manual Silver household, 1910 U.S. Census, Warren County, North Carolina, population schedule, Judkins township, ED 95, SD 2, sheet 8A, dwelling 97, family 97; NARA publication T624, roll 1133. Elizabeth is 38 years old. 38 Manall Silver, death certificate no. 21, no date listed, North Carolina State Board of Health Office of Vital Statistics, Book 3, Halifax County/Brinkleyville, filed 23 October 19(16 - date illegible filed in 1916 book). Wife is living. 39 Interview with Ruth Pullen (Mrs. Ruth Pullen; 4119 Fords Lane, Baltimore, MD 21215), by author, 30 July 2000. Transcript held by author (2732 Millers Way Drive, Ellicott City, MD 21043); and, Man L Silver Household, 1900 U.S. Census, Halifax County, North Carolina, population schedule, Knights Stone, ED 24, SD 2, sheet 13B, dwelling 229, family 236 (scratched through 238); and, Manual Silver household, 1910 U. S. Census, Warren County, North Carolina, population schedule, Judkins, ED 95, SD 2, sheet 8A, dwelling 97, family 97. 40 Man L Silver household, 1900 U.S. Census, Halifax County, North Carolina, population schedule, Knights Stone township, ED 24, SD 2, sheet 13B, dwelling 229, family 236 (scratched through 238); and, Manual Silver household, 1910 U. S. Census, Warren County, North Carolina, population schedule, Judkins, ED 95, SD 2, sheet 8A, dwelling 97, family 97. Sarah [age at last birthday] 20. 41 Sallie Hardy, North Carolina Department of Health, Index to North Carolina Death Collection, 1970-1974, digital image, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com: accessed 9 April 2007), certificate no. 42B724 (22 December 1971). 42 Man L Silver household, 1900 U.S. Census, Halifax County, North Carolina, population schedule, Knights Stone, ED 24, SD 2, sheet 13B, dwelling 229, family 236 (scratched through 238). Ben M. [date of birth] Apr 1892, [age] 8; and, Manual Silver household, 1910 U. S. Census, Warren County, North Carolina, population schedule, Judkins, ED 95, SD 2, sheet 8A, dwelling 97, family 97. Manual, Jr. [age at last birthday] 18. 43 Ben Manuel Silver tombstone, Shiloh Church Cemetery, Warren County, North Carolina; photographed by author, August 2003; and Ben Manuel Silver, death certificate no. 484, North Carolina State Board of Health Office of Vital Statistics, North Carolina State Archives. 44 Man L Silver household, 1900 U.S. Census, Halifax County, North Carolina, population schedule, Knights Stone, ED 24, SD 2, sheet 13B, dwelling 229, family 236 (scratched through 238). Rosa L. [date of birth] Oct 1893, [age] 7; and, Manual Silver household, 1910 U. S. Census, Warren County, North Carolina, population schedule, Judkins, ED 95, SD 2, sheet 8A, dwelling 97, family 97. Rose [age at last birthday] 16. 45 J. Rives Manning, Jr., compiler, Headstones of Halifax, 2 volumes, (Halifax County, North Carolina: Halifax County Historical Society, 1996), 1:26; Rosa Lou Nicholson Died Mar 13, 1953.

iv. DORA A. SILVER, b. May 189546, d. 198047 in Newport News, VA. v. WILLIAM JOE SILVER, b. 25 December 189548, d. 05 July 195049 in Warren County, NC. vi. NEVA B. SILVER, b, May 189750 in Halifax County, d. 17 October 196251 in Glasgow, North Carolina. vii. LUCY SILVER, b. January 189952 in Warren County, d. 10 July 191853 in Halifax County, North Carolina of tuberculosis54. viii. PEARL SILVER, b. about 190155. ix. MARY SILVER, b. 190456, d. 23 May 194257 in Halifax County, NC. x. ETHEL SILVER, b. about. 190858, d. about 1988 in a nursing home on Park Heights Avenue in Baltimore, MD59. She married Unk Ingraham60. xi. ANNIE MAE SILVER, b. about 190961 in North Carolina. 3. BENJAMIN MANUEL SILVER, son of Manuel Silver and Elizabeth Arrington, was born 08
46

Man L Silver household, 1900 U.S. Census, Halifax County, North Carolina, population schedule, Knights Stone, ED 24, SD 2, sheet 13B, dwelling 229, family 236 (scratched through 238). Dora A. [date of birth] May 1895, [age] 5; and, Manual Silver Household, 1910 U. S. Census, Warren County, North Carolina, population schedule, Judkins, ED 95, SD 2, sheet 8A, dwelling 97, family 97. Dora [age at last birthday] 15. 47 J. Rives Manning, Jr., compiler, Headstones of Halifax, 2 volumes, (Halifax County, North Carolina: Halifax County Historical Society, 1996), 1:26; Dora Tabron [born] 1894 [died] 1980. 48 Man L Silver household, 1900 U.S. Census, Halifax County, North Carolina, population schedule, Knights Stone, ED 24, SD 2, sheet 13B, dwelling 229, family 236 (scratched through 238). William J. [date of birth] May 1895, [age] 4; and, Manual Silver household, 1910 U. S. Census, Warren County, North Carolina, population schedule, Judkins, ED 95, SD 2, sheet 8A, dwelling 97, family 97. William [age at last birthday] 14. 49 William Joe Silver, Death Certificate, North Carolina State Board of Health Bureau of Vital Statistics, Book 37, death certificate no. 3. 50 Silver households, 1900 U.S. Census, Halifax County, North Carolina, population schedule, Knights Stone, ED 24, SD 2, sheet 13B, dwelling 229, family 236 (scratched through 238). Never B. [date of birth] May 1897, [age] 3; and, 1910 U. S. Census, Warren County, North Carolina, population schedule, Judkins, ED 95, SD 2, sheet 8A, dwelling 97, family 97. Never [age at last birthday] 12. 51 Neva B. Solomon, NC State Archives, North Carolina Deaths Index, 1908-67, vol. 30, p. 409, Neva B Solomon, [age] 64, [date] 10-17-62. 52 Man L Silver household, 1900 U.S. Census, Halifax County, North Carolina, population schedule, Knights Stone, ED 24, SD 2, sheet 13B, dwelling 229, family 236 (scratched through 238). Lucy A. [date of birth] Jan 1899, [age] 1; and, 1910 U. S. Census, Warren County, North Carolina, population schedule, Judkins, ED 95, SD 2, sheet 8A, dwelling 97, family 97. Lucy [age at last birthday] 10. 53 Lucy Silver, State of North Carolina, Halifax County North Carolina Death Index, vol. 1, 1913-1932, subscription database, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com: accessed 3 March 2004), book 5, page 38 (10 July 1918); and, Lucy Silver, death certificate no. 38, North Carolina State Board of Health Bureau of Vital Statistics, book 5. 54 Ibid. 55 Manual Silver household, 1910 U. S. Census, Warren County, North Carolina, population schedule, Judkins, ED 95, SD 2, sheet 8A, dwelling 97, family 97. Pearl [age at last birthday] 8. 56 Ibid. Mary [age at last birthday] 4. 57 Mary Silver, North Carolina Death Collection Index, 1908-1996, Ancestry.com (http://ancestry.com : accessed 3 March 2004). 58 Manual Silver household, 1910 U. S. Census, Warren County, North Carolina, population schedule, Judkins, ED 95, SD 2, sheet 8A, dwelling 97, family 97. Ethel [age at last birthday] 8. 59 Interview with Ruth Pullen (Mrs. Ruth Pullen; 4119 Fords Lane, Baltimore, MD 21215), by author, 30 July 2000. Transcript held by author (2732 Millers Way Drive, Ellicott City, MD 21043). 60 Ibid. 61 Hardy household, 1930 U.S. Census, Halifax County, North Carolina, population schedule, Brinkleyville, ED 422, SD 3, sheet 4B, dwelling 70, family 70; NARA micropublication T626, roll 1696. Annie M Silver [relationship to head] sister-in-law, [age] 17.

April 1892 in White Rock, Warren County, NC62, and died of cardio renal vascular disease after suffering for over 15 years with heart disease63. His date of death was 02 February 1960 in Brinkleyville Township, Halifax County, NC64. Benjamin married MINNIE RUTH BURGESS on 13 December 1916 in Halifax County, NC65. Minnie was the daughter of Doctor Burgess and Mariah Williams, and was born 03 August 1898 in Fishing Creek Township, Warren County, NC66. Minnie suffered from cancer of the stomach and the esophagus, which eventually took her life on 11 March 1974 in Hollister, Halifax County, NC67. Both Benjamin and Minnie were buried at Shiloh Church Cemetery in Arcola, Warren County, NC68. Ben and Minnie lived in rural North Carolina, where they worked on a farm, growing and raising most of their familys sustenance and also selling farm produce and small livestock for income. Ben Silver was a sharecropper, hiring local farm hands to assist with tending the farm, and working the land in return for a likely small subsistence and long-term financial obligation69. Minnie hand-sewed most of the clothing for the family. The Silvers spent their weekdays and Saturdays working on the farm while Sundays were reserved for church and family time. The
62

Man L Silver Household, 1900 U. S. Census, Halifax County, North Carolina, population schedule, Knights Stone, ED 24, SD 2, sheet 13B, dwelling 229, family 236 (scratched through 238).. Ben is 8 years old [date of birth] Apr 1892; and, Manuel Silver household, 1910 U. S. Census, Warren County, North Carolina, population schedule, Judkins, ED 95, SD 2, sheet 8A, dwelling 97, family 97; and, Ben Silver household, 1920 U. S. Census, Halifax County, North Carolina, population schedule, Brinkleyville township, ED 33, SD 3, sheet 3A, dwelling 39, family 39; NARA micropublication T625, roll 1303. Ben is 27 years old; and, Ben Silver household, 1930 U. S. Census, Halifax County, North Carolina, population schedule, Brinkleyville township, ED 42-1, SD 3, sheet 9B, dwelling 159, family 159; NARA micropublication T626, roll 1696. Ben is 39 years old; and, Ben Silver tombstone, Shiloh Church Cemetery, Warren County NC, [tombstone inscription] April 8, 1892 - February 2, 1960; and Ben Silver, Death Certificate no 42, State of North Carolina, North Carolina State Board of Health Office of Vital Statistics, 484, Registration District No. 42.00; and Ben J. Silver, birth certificate, State of North Carolina, Birth Certificate, North Carolina State Board of Health Bureau of Vital Statistics, Page 47, Birth certificate of son, Ben J. Silver birth place listed as White Rock, NC. 63 Ben Silver, Death Certificate no. 42, State of North Carolina, North Carolina State Board of Health Office of Vital Statistics, 484, Registration District No. 42.00 64 Ben Manuel Silver tombstone, Shiloh Church Cemetery, Warren County, North Carolina; photographed by author, August 2003; and, Ben Silver tombstone, Shiloh Church Cemetery, Warren County NC, [tombstone inscription] April 8, 1892 - February 2, 1960. 65 Silver Family Reunion Program, (5 August 2006). 66 Dock Burgess household, 1900 U.S. Census, Warren County, North Carolina, population schedule, Fishing Creek township, ED 92, SD 5, sheet 3B, dwelling 46, family 46; NARA micropublication T623, roll 1222. Minnie [date of birth] June 1898, [age]2; and, Dock Burgess household, 1910 U.S. Census, Warren County, North Carolina, population schedule, Fishing Creek township, ED 91, SD 2, sheet 5B, dwelling 81, family 81; NARA micropublication T624, roll 1133. Minnie is 13 years old; and, Ben Silver household, 1920 U.S. Census, Halifax County, North Carolina, population schedule, Brinkleyville, ED 33, SD 3, sheet 3A, dwelling 39, family 39. Minnie is 22 years old; and, Ben Silver household, 1930 U.S. Census, Halifax County, North Carolina, population schedule, Brinkleyville township, ED 42-1, SD 3, sheet 9B, dwelling 159, family 159. Minnie is 35 years old, married at age 19; and, Manual Silver household, 1910 U. S. Census, Warren County, North Carolina, population schedule, Judkins, ED 95, SD 2, sheet 8A, dwelling 97, family 97; and Minnie Silver tombstone, Shiloh Church Cemetery, Warren County NC, [inscription] 8/3/98-2/11/76; and, Joseph Stephenson, The Odyssey of Dock Burgess As He Remembers It, (Self-published, 1994), Page 3, Minnie, born January 1898. 67 Minnie Silver tombstone, Shiloh Church Cemetery, Warren County NC, [inscription] August 3, 1898 - March 11, 1974], photographed by author; and, Minnie Silver, death certificate no. 576, North Carolina State Board of Health Office of Vital Statistics; Registration District no 42-80; Local No. 111, Halifax Memorial Hospital. 68 Ben Silver tombstone, Shiloh Church Cemetery, Warren County, NC, [inscription] 4/8/1892-2/2/60, photographed by author, August 2003; and Minnie Silver tombstone, Shiloh Church Cemetery, Warren County NC, [inscription] 8/3/98-2/11/76, photographed by author, August 2003. 69 Charles L. Blockson, Black Genealogy (Baltimore: Black Classic Press, 1977), 72. According to Blockson, many former slaves were sharecroppers, working someone elses land in return for a meager existence and usually a state of perpetual debt.

family attended Shiloh Baptist Church in Warrenton, North Carolina, and was active on the choir and in church leadership.70 Shiloh Baptist Church was organized in Warren County, North Carolina in 1869, and is one of the oldest Churches in the area.71 The Silver children attended grade school, with the six youngest children attending the Tabron School through fourth grade, after which they attended the Goldmine School through the eighth grade. McIver High School was attended by the six youngest Silver children. Although the Silver family was poor, they valued hard work and learning, although school was sacrificed for farming, particularly during harvest times. 72 Children of Benjamin Silver and Minnie Burgess, all born in Halifax County, North Carolina: i. ALSA SILVER, b. November 191773. ii. CEOZY SILVER, b. 29 October 191874, d. of pulmonary tuberculosis/meningitis on 16 February 194375 in Halifax County, NC and is buried at Shiloh Church Cemetery in Arcola, Warren County, NC76 He was married to Viola Johnston77 They are not known to have children. iii. BEN JUNIOUS SILVER, b. 02 February 191978, d. 26 October 1995 in Halifax County, NC79. He married Louise Marie Solomon80; b. 24 August 1923 in Halifax County, North Carolina81, d. 09 May 2006 in Rocky Mount, North Carolina82. Ben served in the U.S. Army, and was honorably discharged from Fort Bragg, North Carolina on 10 July 194283.
70

Interview with Ruth Pullen (Mrs. Ruth Pullen; 4119 Fords Lane, Baltimore, MD 21215), by author, 30 July 2000. Transcript held by author (2732 Millers Way Drive, Ellicott City, MD 21043). 71 125th Anniversary booklet for Shiloh Baptist Church, Arcola, North Carolina, 4 November 1994. 72 Interview with Ruth Pullen by author, 30 July 2000. 73 Ben Silver household, 1920 U.S. Census, Halifax County, North Carolina, population schedule, Brinkleyville, ED 33, SD 3, sheet 3A, dwelling 39, family 39. 74 Ceozy Silver tombstone, Shiloh Church Cemetery, Warren County, NC, [inscription] October 29, 1917 February 16, 1943, photographed by author, August 2003; and, Ben Silver Household, 1930 U.S. Census, Halifax County, North Carolina, population schedule, Brinkleyville, ED 42-1, SD 3, sheet 9B, dwelling 159, family 159. Ceozy is 12 years old; and, State of North Carolina, Death Certificate, North Carolina State Board of Health, Office of Vital Statistics, Page 198; Registration Dist. No. 42-60, Certificate 9, Halifax, Roanoke Rapids, NC; R.R. Hospital; died 16 February 1943. 75 State of North Carolina, Death Certificate, North Carolina State Board of Health, Office of Vital Statistics, Page 198; Registration Dist. No. 42-60, Certificate 9, Halifax, Roanoke Rapids, NC; R.R. Hospital; died 16 February 1943. 76 Ceozy Silver tombstone, Shiloh Church Cemetery, Warren County, NC, [inscription] October 29, 1917 February 16, 1943, photographed by author, August 2003. 77 Interview with Ruth Pullen by author, 30 July 2000. 78 Ben Junius Silver tombstone, Shiloh Church Cemetery, Warren County, NC, [inscription] US Army, World War II, 2/2/19-10/26/95, photographed by author, August 2003; and, Ben Silver Household, 1920 U.S. Census, Halifax County, North Carolina, population schedule, Brinkleyville, ED 33, SD 3, sheet 3A, dwelling 39, family 39; and, Ben Silver household, 1930 U.S. Census, Halifax County, North Carolina, population schedule, Brinkleyville, ED 42-1, SD 3, sheet 9B, dwelling 159, family 159; and, Ben Silver, State of North Carolina, Birth Certificate, North Carolina State Board of Health, Bureau of Vital Statistics, Book 6, page 47, Brinkleyville, Halifax Co; [father] Ben M. Silver and [mother] Minnie Burgess; 2 Feb 1919; Dora Arrington, midwife. 79 Ben Junius Silver tombstone; and, State of North Carolina, Birth Certificate, North Carolina State Board of Health, Bureau of Vital Statistics, Book 6, page 47, Brinkleyville, Halifax Co; [father] Ben M. Silver and [mother] Minnie Burgess; 2 Feb 1919; Dora Arrington, midwife. 80 Family of Louise Solomon Silver, Funeral Bulletin for Louise Solomon Silver, 9 May 2006. 81 Louise M. Solomon, North Carolina Birth Index, 1800-2000; 20 August 1924. Roll number: B_C047_66001, vol: 11, page: 423; digital image, Ancestry.com (http://ancestry.com : accessed 12 June 2004). 82 Family of Louise Solomon Silver, Funeral Bulletin for Louise Solomon Silver, 9 May 2006. 83 Ben J. Silver, U.S. World War II Army Enlistment Records, 1938-1946 [database online], Ancestry.com (http://ancestry.com: accessed 30 March 2002).

iv. LIVING SILVER, b. 05 June 192184. v. LIVING SILVER, b. 06 April 192385. vi. JOHN CLARENCE SILVER, b. 14 March 192586; d. 23 July 1986 in Baltimore, MD87, m. Mabel Lynch 194988. Clarence, as he was known, graduated from McIver High School in Halifax County, North Carolina89. At the age of 22, he enlisted in the U.S. army where he served during World War II form 1943 to 1946, after which he was honorably discharged90. Sometime thereafter he moved to New Jersey with his wife, Mabel. This is where his daughter, Teresa, was born. Following the divorce with Mabel, he moved to Baltimore where he lived until his death.91 vii. LIVING SILVER, b. 27 February 192792. viii. WILLIAM HAYWOOD SILVER, b. 15 October 192893; d. 13 June 1990 in Halifax County, NC94, m. Hattie Lucile Alston 194695. ix. JOHN ARTIS SILVER, b. 11 April 193096; d. 01 September 1997 in Baltimore, MD97, m. Blanche Coppage98. x. LIVING SILVER, b. 04 April 193299. xi. LIVING SILVER, b. 10 September 1934100. xii. LIVING SILVER, b. 27 September 1936101. xiii. LIVING SILVER, SR., b. 04 December 1939102. xiv. LIVING SILVER, b. 06 February 1942103. xv. LIVING SILVER, b. 06 February 1942104.

84

Ben Silver Household, 1930 U.S. Census, Halifax County, North Carolina, population schedule, Brinkleyville, ED 42-1, SD 3, sheet 9B, dwelling 159, family 159. 85 Ibid. 86 Ibid. 87 Family of John Clarence Silver, Funeral Program for John Clarence Silver, 23 July 1986. 88 Interview with Ruth Pullen, by author, 30 July 2000. 89 Joseph Stephenson, The Odyssey of Dock Burgess As He Remembers It, (Self-published, 1994), Page 9. 90 Ibid. 91 Interview with Ruth Pullen, by author, 30 July 2000. 92 Ben Silver Household, 1930 U.S. Census, Halifax County, North Carolina, population schedule, Brinkleyville, ED 42-1, SD 3, sheet 9B, dwelling 159, family 159. 93 Ibid. 94 Family of Haywood Silver, Funeral Bulletin of William Haywood Silver, 13 June 1990. 95 Ibid. 96 North Carolina Birth Index 1800-2000 [database online], Ancestry.com (http://ancestry.com : accessed 20 June 2004), Book B_C047_66001, vol: 21, page: 145. 97 Family of John Artis Silver, Funeral Program of John Artis Silver, 1 September 1997. 98 Interview with Ruth Pullen, by author, 30 July 2000. 99 North Carolina Birth Index 1800-2000 [database online], Ancestry.com. (http://ancestry.com: accessed 20 June 2004); Book B_C047_66001, vol: 19, page: 66. 100 State of North Carolina, Birth Certificate, North Carolina State Board of Health Bureau of Vial Statistics, 145, Brinkleyville, Halifax. 101 North Carolina Birth Index 1800-2000 [database online], Ancestry.com. (http://ancestry.com : accessed 20 June 2004) Book B_C047_66001, vol: 23, page: 129. 102 Ibid. Book B_C047_66002, vol: 26, page: 141. 103 Ibid. Book B_C047_66002, vol: 29, page: 17; and, Silver Family Reunion Program, (5 August 2006). 104 Ibid. Book B_C047_66002, vol: 29, page: 14; and, Silver Family Reunion Program, (5 August 2006).