Life History

Notes

• The first record of Thomas Edmonds is the 1880 census where he is enumerated with his mother in Madison County, North Carolina.
  
  1880 Federal Census, Madison County, North Carolina, 10 June, Upper Laurel, District 131, page 9, No Hse/Fam #s
  Edmonds, Catharine  W F 40 Widow   Works on Farm and Keeps House NC NC NC
  -- page 10 --
  Edmonds, Thomas  W M 3 Son NC TN NC
  
  In 1880 we see living next door, a John Reed and his wife Parthena.  There is a family tradition mentioned in some of the many Edmonds genealogies, that John Reed is Thomas Edmonds' real father.  This funny business probably happened during the time when John and Parthena lived next door to Catherine Edmonds.
  
  1880 Federal Census, Madison County, North Carolina, 10 June, Upper Laurel, District 131, page 9, No Hse/Fam #s
  Reid, John W M 70   Farmer and Merchant VA NC NC
  Reid, Parthena W F 50 Wife Keeps House SC SC SC
  
  After Parthena's death John married Thomas' mother Catherine White Edmonds, thus becoming Thomas' legal stepfather.  But they did not marry until 1897, a year before Thomas married Arra Bell Hall.  I also have not found the exact death date for Cam Edmonds.
  
  There are some factors missing in the public record.
  
  Thomas never went by the surname Reed, according to some sources, and records available.  But other famliy sources insist that sometimes he went by Edmonds, but sometimes by Reed.  Even Thomas' death certificate, reporting his father as John Reed, still has Thomas' name as Thomas Edmonds, and his children were named Edmonds.
  
  When we were working together on this problem in 2011, Edmonds researcher Shirley reported that she received information from a descendant of Thomas indicating that John Reed was the father.
  
  --------------
  FROM GERALD BOLLINGER correspondence to me in 2005
  gbollingeraustin.rr.com
  My wife, Donna (Edmonds) is the daughter of Thomas S. Edmonds and Pansy Mae Hall.  Thomas is the son of John H. Reed and Catherine (White) (Edmonds) Reed.
  --------------
  
  This is 110-120 years after the death of John Reed, who died sometime before 1900.  To evaluate the strength of this family tradition, we would need to know how aware they are of the details of the historical sources.  But the weight of family memories reported by descendants seems consistent in the testimony that Thomas Reed/Edmonds was the illegitimate child of John Reed and Katherine White Edmonds.
  
  Shirley shared a further contribution from Gerald Bollinger on his wife's father Thomas Edmonds, explaining the background social and legal context:
  
  --------------
  I talked to Gerald Bollinger tonight.  He's the husband of Donna, Thomas's 12th child.  He said that Sheriffs and counties back then didn't recognize bastard children and they had to use the mother's name.  That's what happened in the 1880 with all the kids I've found in Jefferson--they all have their mother's last names.
  --  Shirley, email to Orville Boyd Jenkins, 30 July 2011
  --------------
  
  I'm not sure what a sheriff could have to do with it.  But social opprobrium was high in matters like this and record-keeping was a sticky wicket in that era for some local cultures.  Still, the fact that this was the social situation just explains how it might have happened that John Reed could be his father.  it does not confirm that John Reed was his father.  It is easy to see that this would be the conclusion within the family.
  
  Another descendant contacted me with family information on this situation.
  
  "I am Elijah Edmonds great-granddaughter.  According to my uncle who visited a lot with Catherine Edmonds Reed when he was a young man,  Thomas was the illegitimate son of John Reed.  Supposedly Catherine came home to NC because Cam had died in TN. Catherine married John Reed after his wife died and at times Thomas went by Reed and at other by Edmonds."
  --  Ancestry Messaging, message to Orville Boyd Jenkins, 17 April 2012
  
  This fills in one fact missing in documentary evidence, Cam´s place of death, Tennessee.  Some genealogies report the place as Jefferson County, his longtime place of residence.  It would help if we can get his exact date of death.  This also confirms that after the death of John Reed's wife, he and Catherine did legalize their relationship.
  
  "I have a letter from the granddaughter of Edy Edmonds Strange, a decendent of the elder Thomas Edmonds. This letter tells that Catherine lived with James C. in Tennessee until his death.  When he died she walked back to North Carolina to be with her family.  Once there she married a Reed.  This was the biological father of Thomas Edmonds.  Thomas refused to carry his father name after his father died and started using the name of his half-sibling.  Thomas and his decendents are now Edmonds."
  --  Suzanne Kennedy, Geneanet Messageing to Orville Boyd Jenkins, 7 August 2015
  
  For his own part, in his marriage license information, Thomas himself declared that his father was unknown.  This is stated twice in his own handwriting, one phrase stating "the father unnown."  John Reed was stil living at this time, and had married his mother the previous year.  He could easily and legally have stated then that his fatehr was John Reed, but instead he reported that his father was unknown.
  
  The initial basic information from Thomas' marriage certificate was provided by Suzy Crews.  Marriage record for Thomas Edmonds and Arra Bell Hall
  
  NC Marriages List 1850 - 1920
  Yancey County
  (Very Common Transcription Error in Tom's last name)
  Thomas EDWARDS [Edmonds] 22
  Spouse Ana Belle HALL 18 [b abt 1880]
  18 Jun 1898
  Witnesses: D J Young - A E Hensley, R J Hyatt, H B Silver
  --  Courtesy of Suzy Crews, comment on this genealogy on Ancestry.com, 2 Nov 2013
  
  Here is a full transcription of the details of the license and certificate from Yancy County, North Carolina public records, made available later by Ancestry.com in its ever-growing digital library.  Acecessed 7 June 2015..
  
  North Carolina, Marriage Records, 1741-2011
  Thomas Edmonds of Madison County
  Age 22 [b abt 1876]
  License issued 18 June 1898 Yancey County, North Carolina, USA
  Father Unnon [Unknown]
  Mother Catherine Edmonds "the father unnown, the mother living" resident of Madison County
  Spouse Arra Bell Hall of Yancy County
  Spouse Age 18 [born abt 1880]
  Spouse Father Mat Hall, Mother Rachel Hall, both living in Yancy County
  Ceremony 18 June 1898 Yancey County, by I J Yancey, JP
  Ceremony at Thomas Hensley [residence?]
  Witnesses:
  A E Hensley of Micaville, NC
  R J Hyatt of Burnesville [Burnsville], NC
  H B Silver of Micaville, NC
  
  In 1900, Thomas is enumerated with Ara B.  There is one child, 1-year-old Bertha, who does not show up in later censuses of Tom with his second wife Pansy.  Perhaps this child of Arra also died, perhaps in an epidemic that took her mother.
  
  1900 Federal Census, Madison County, North Carolina, 29 June, Upper Laurel Township, District 84, page 11A, Hse/Fam #193
  Edmonds, Thomas Head W M Feb 1876  24 Married 3 years NC NC NC Farmer Owns
  Edmonds, Ara B Wife W M Dec 1880  19 Married 3 years 1 child/1 living NC NC NC
  Edmonds, Bertha Dau W F Apr 1899 1 Single NC NC NC
  
  Next door to them is Thomas' older brother Elijah L Edmonds and his wife Nancy, with their children.
  
  1900 Federal Census, Madison County, North Carolina, 29 June, Upper Laurel Township, District 84, page 11A, Hse/Fam #193
  Edmonds, Elijah L Head W M May 1865  35 Married 12 years NC NC NC Farmer Rents
  Edmonds, Nancy  Wife W M March 1865  35 Married 12 years 7 child/7 living NC NC NC
  Edmonds, William  W M Nov 1888 11 Single NC NC NC
  Edmonds, Oscar  W M Oct 1890 9 Single NC NC NC
  Edmonds, Stuart  W M May 1892 8 Single NC NC NC
  Edmonds, George W  W M Nov 1893 6 Single NC NC NC
  Edmonds, Mary Dau W F Apr 1895 5 Single NC NC NC
  Edmonds, Elijah G  W M Dec 1896 3 Single NC NC NC
  Edmonds, Andrew  W M Apr 1898 2 Single NC NC NC
  
  On following pages other family members are enumerated.  On the next page is another brother William, and on the page after William is Thomas' mother, Catherine Reed, and his grandmother, Catherine's mother, 102-year-old Polly White.
  
  In 1904, after Ara Bell's death, Thomas married her sister Pansey Mae Hall.
  
  NC Marriages List 1850 - 1920
  Thomas EDMONDS 29 - Pansey M HALL 19
  Married 16 Apr 1904 Yancey County
  Ceremony performed by Rev E Silver
  --  Courtesy of Suzy Crews, comment on this genealogy on Ancestry.com, 2 Nov 2013
  
  The 1910 census reports Thomas as age 34, thus born about 1876.  His wife Pansy (Hall) is reported here as his second wife.
  
  1910 Federal Census, Madison County, North Carolina, 3 May, Upper Laurel Township, District 92, page 8B, Upper Laurel Rd, Hse #148, Fam #149
  Edmonds, Thomas S Head M W  34  2nd Marriage Married 6 yrs TN TN TN Farmer Owns [b abt 1876]
  -- page 9A --
  Edmonds, Pansy M Wife  F W  26  1st Marriage Married 6 yrs 4 children/4 living NC NC NC
  Edmonds, William S Son  M W 5 Single NC NC NC
  Edmonds, Kanie M Son  M W 4 Single NC NC NC
  Edmonds, Dora E Dau  F W 4 Single NC NC NC
  Edmonds, Vertie Dau  F W 4mos Single NC NC NC
  
  Tom's age in 1920 does support birth in 1872, instead of 1877.  But would his mother confuse a 3-year-old with an 8-year old? Note that the child called Kanie in 1910 is now enumerated more reasonably as Kennie.
  
  1920 Federal Census, Madison County, North Carolina, 10 January, Upper Laurel, District 127, page 2B-3A, Hse/Fam #37
  Edmonds, Tom S Head Owns M W  48 TN TN KY Farmer [b abt 1971]
  Edmonds, Pansy M Wife F W  37 NC NC NC [b abt 1882]
  Edmonds, Spurgin [sic] Son M W  14 NC NC NC [b abt 1905]
  Edmonds, Kennie M Son M W  12 NC NC NC [b abt 1907]
  -- page 3A --
  Edmonds, Dora Dau F W  11 Single NC NC NC [b abt 1908]
  Edmonds, Vertie Dau F W  10 Single NC TN NC [b abt 1909]
  Edmonds, Rachel Dau F W  7 Single NC TN NC [b abt 1912]
  Edmonds, Troy Son M W  6 NC NC NC [b abt 1913]
  Edmonds, Ed Son M W  4yrs8mos NC NC NC [b abt April 1915]
  Edmonds, Sue Dau F W  2 Single NC TN NC [b abt 1917]
  
  The enumerator spelled Spurgeon's name as he heard it.  Note that Spurgin matches William S in 1910.  The Social Security Death Index for William has his name as William S.  Family sources, and his death certificate have the name as William Spurgeon Edmonds.
  
  "I have a copy of a Delayed Certificate of Birth Registration in North Carolina for Rachel Edmonds the daughter of Thomas and Penny [Pansey] Hall Edmonds."
  --  Suzanne Kennedy, Geneanet Messageing to Orville Boyd Jenkins, 7 August 2015
  
  Social Security Death Index
  William S. Edmonds
  Born 15 Aug 1904
  Died 23 Apr 2002
  Last Residence Mars Hill, Madison, North Carolina 28754
  SSN 242-05-8159 issued North Carolina (Before 1951)
  
  North Carolina Death Collection, 1908-2004
  William Spurgeon Edmonds
  White Male, Age: 97 Years
  Hispanic Origin: Non-Hispanic
  Marital Status: Married
  Father's Last Name: Edmonds
  Birth 15 Aug 1904 Yancey County, North Carolina
  Residence Burnsville, Madison County, North Carolina 28754
  Education: 4th grade
  Death 23 Apr 2002 Asheville, Buncombe County, North Carolina
  Hospital ER/Outpatient, MEM MISSION HOSP OF WNC
  Attendant: Physician
  Burial Location: Burial in-state
  Social Security Number: 242-05-8159
  Recorded date: 30 Apr 2002
  Source North Carolina State Center for Health Statistics
  
  Living next door to Tom and Pansy in 1920 is a widow Daisy Shelton and her children.  On the other side of Daisy is 19-year-old Elijah L Edmonds and his wife Mary L.  Elijah fits the profile of Thomas nephew, the son of his brother Elijah L.  But in the 1900 census, when Elijah was living next door to Thomas (see above), the son is listed as Elijah G.  The birth date of Elijah G in 1900 also is reported as Dec 1896, and age 3.  This does not match the age of Elijah L in 1920, reported as 19.  If Elijah was born in December 1896, his age in January 1920 should be 23.  This is not definitive, however, as we have seen so often in birth date error in the 1900 census, often one or two years off.
  
  1920 Federal Census, Madison County, North Carolina, 10 January, Upper Laurel, District 127, page 2B, Hse/Fam #35
  Edmonds, Elijah L Head Rents M W  19 TN TN KY Farmer [b abt 1901]
  Edmonds, Mary L Wife F W  21 NC NC NC [b abt 1899]
  
  On the previous page are Thomas' cousins and his mother, in the household of his older brother William M Edmonds.
  
  In 1930, Thomas' mother is living a few houses away on the previous page, in the household of her oldest son, 60-year-old William Edmonds.  Tom's age here supports the original birth estimate in 1877, based on his age of 3 in the 1880 census.
  
  1930 Federal Census, Madison County, North Carolina, 18 April, Upper Laurel Township, District 19, page 9B, Flag Pond, Tennessee, Hse #164, Fam #170
  Edmonds, Thomas S Head Owns Value $800 M W  53 First married at age 20 NC TN KY Farmer [b abt 1877]
  Edmonds, Pansy Wife F W  49 First married at age 19 NC NC NC [b abt 1881]
  Edmonds, Troy Son M W  17 NC NC NC Laborer [b abt 1913]
  Edmonds, Ed Son M W  14 NC NC NC Laborer [b abt March 1916]
  Edmonds, Susana Dau F W  13 NC NC NC [b abt 1817]
  Edmonds, Mills Son M W 11 NC NC NC [b abt March 1919]
  Edmonds, Imogene Dau F W  9 NC NC NC [b abt 1921]
  Edmonds, Donnie Dau F W  5 NC NC NC [b abt 1925]
  Edmonds, Alfred S Son M W  1yr1mo NC NC NC [b abt March 1929]
  
  In 1940, Tom's daughter, apapetnly Susanna, has returned to his home, after being widowed in West Virginia.
  
  1940 Federal Census, Madison County, North Carolina, 11 April, Township 11, District 8-24, Page 3B, Lower Laurel Rd, Hse #42, Owns $300
  Edmonds, Tom Head M W 68 Married Grade 0 b NC Same place in 1935 Farmer [b abt 1872]
  Edmonds, Pansy Wife F W 56 Married Grade H4 b NC Same place in 1935 [b abt 1884]
  Edmonds, Mills Son M W 20 Grade H4 b NC Far Helper [b abt 1920]
  Edmonds, Imogene Dau F W 18 Single Grade H1 b NC Same place in 1935 Rug Maker [b abt 1922]
  Edmonds, Donnie Dau F W 16 Single Grade H1 b NC Same place in 1935 Home Work [House work?], Private Home [b abt 1924]
  Edmonds, Alfred Son M W 11 Single Grade 4 b NC Same place in 1935 [b abt 1929]
  Shelton, Mrs Blaine [Susanna?] Dau F W 29 Widow Grade 6 b NC Same house in 1935 [b abt 1911]
  Shelton, Genevive Granddau F W 5 Single Grade 10 b Same house in 1935 NC [b abt 1935]
  Shelton, Blaine Jr Grandson M W 3 Single Grade 0 b WV Princeton, Mercer Co WV in 1935 [b abt 1937]
  
  Thomas' death certificate is the only record I have seen for his middle name (other than several family genealogies that provide no source documentation or discussion).  The information seems to confirm this is the son of Catherine White Edmonds Reed.  Her name, though, is recorded as Kathleen, rather than Katherine, or Catherine.  This is the only documentation where John Reed is reported as Thomas' father.
  
  In the 1880 census, where Thomas is first reported, he is said to be 3 years old, making him born in 1877.  But the death certificate gives his birth date as 8 Feb 1872.  The certificate is typed, so there is no error in misreading it.  However, it is possible that the data was handwritten by the informant, S P Edmonds, and that 1877 was read as 1872.  Confusing 7 and 2 is a common mistake in transcriptions of engravings or handwritten documents.  The same could account for Thomas' mother being recorded here as Kathleen instead of Katherine.
  
  But the age is 93, matching birth in 1872.  Did the attending physician determine the age by the date of birth he recorded?  Or were they reported to him separately by the informant?  It does not seem the 1880 census report could have easily confused 3 years old with 7 years old.  The 1930 census above, likewise, supports birth in 1877.  The 1910 census is close with birth roughly 1876.  I suggest the correct birth date is 8 Feb 1872.
  
  North Carolina Death Certificates, 1909-1975
  Thomas Sheridan Edmonds
  Residence RFD 1, Mars Hill, Madison, North Carolina
  White Male, Farmer, Age 93 (88?), Never served in military
  Birth 8 Feb 1872 [1877 ?] North Carolina, United States
  Death 28 Nov 1965 Mars Hill, Madison County
  Cause of death Coronary Thrombosis, due to arteriosclerosis
  Informant S P
  Spouse Pansy Hall
  Father John Reed [Stepfather]
  Mother Kathleen [Katherine] Edmonds
  Burial 1 Dec 1965 Mars Hill Cemetery, Mars Hill, Madison NC, by Holcombe Funeral Home
  
  Note that his name on the death certificate and the grave is Edmonds, even though the death certificate reports John Reed as his father.
  
  Suzy Crews has provided the obituary information for Thomas.  The obit provides no birth or death information, just the announcement of the service and report of survivors.
  
  Obituary of Thomas S. Edmonds, Post-Herald and Register, Beckley, West Virginia, December 5, 1965
  
  "Funeral services for Thomas S. Edmonds, 95, father of Mrs. Bertha Shrewsberry, Beaver, will be held today at 2:30 p. m. in the Holcombe Funeral Home, Mars Hill, NC., with burial in the Calvary Baptist Church Cemetery [should be Mars Hill Baptist Cemetery], at Mars Hill. Edmonds was a retired farmer. Additional survivors include his wife, Mrs. Pansy Hall Edmonds; six other daughters; five sons; 49 grandchildren and 41 great-grandchildren."
  --  Provided by Suzy Edmonds Crews, Note on this genealogy on Ancestry, 1 November 2013)
  
  The obituary appears to have the wrong church name here.  Suzy Crews has posted a photo of the gravestone on Find a Grave.  Thomas' grave is in the Mars Hill Cemetery, and Find a Grave notes that it is also called Mars Hill Baptist Cemetery.  It is the cemetery of the Mars Hill Baptist Church, which is close by.
  
  ---------------------------
  Thomas Sheridan Edmonds
  Birth Feb. 8, 1872
  Death Nov. 28, 1965
  
  Thomas Sheridan Edmonds
  Age 93, Birth 8 Feb 1872 North Carolina
  Death 28 Nov 1965 Mars Hill, Madison Co
  Spouse's Name Pansy Mae Hall
  Father's Name John H. Reed
  Mother's Name Katherine White Edmonds Reed
  Residence Mars Hill, Madison, North Carolina
  
  Spouse Pansy Mae Hall Edmonds (1882 - 1978)
  
  Children:
  Canie Madison Edmonds (1906 - 1978)
  Troy Edmonds (1914 - 2011)
  Edd Edmonds (1916 - 1985)
  
  Burial Mars Hill Cemetery, Mars Hill, Madison County, North Carolina
  Maintained by Suzy Crews, Originally Created by Lady Nan Sep 09, 2010
  --  Find A Grave Memorial #58412089, http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=58412089
  ---------------------------

Sources

• 1. Obituary of Thomas S. Edmonds, Post-Herald and Register, Beckley, West Virginia, December 5, 1965
• 2. North Carolina, Death Certificates, 1909-1975
• 3. 1930 Federal Census, Madison County, North Carolina
  • no date, Upper Laurel Township, District 19, page 9B, Hse #174, Fam #181
• 4. 1880 Federal Census, Madison County, North Carolina
  • 10 June, Upper Laurel, District 131, page 10, No Hse/Fam #s
• 5. 1930 Federal Census, Madison County, North Carolina
  • 18 April, Upper Laurel Township, District 19, page 9B, Flag Pond, Tennessee, Hse #164, Fam #170
• 6. 1910 Federal Census, Madison County, North Carolina
  • 3 May, Upper Laurel Township, District 92, page 8B, Upper Laurel Rd, Hse #148, Fam #149
• 7. 1920 Federal Census, Madison County, North Carolina
  • 10 January, Upper Laurel, District 127, page 2B, Hse/Fam #37
• 8. 1940 Federal Census, Madison County, North Carolina
  • 11 April, Township 11, District 8-24, Page 3B, Lower Laurel Rd, Hse #42, Owns $300
• 9. Gerald Bollinger 2005, via Shirley, email to Orville Boyd Jenkins, 24 July 2011
• 10. NC Marriages List 1850 - 1920
• 11. 1900 Federal Census, Madison County, North Carolina
  • 29 June, Upper Laurel Township, District 84, page 11A, Hse/Fam #193
• 12. Ancestry Messaging
• 13. Geneanet Messaging
• 14. North Carolina, Birth and Death Indexes, 1800-2000
  • Volume: 15, Page 104
• 15. U.S., Social Security Death Index, 1935-2014
• 16. Suzy Crews