Surname Study – Vinson – Halifax County, NC – Part 3

Surname Saturday
Howell/Vinson
By Don Taylor

During Part 2 of this study, I examined the Vinson family of Halifax County, North Carolina during the 1860 Census. I determined 3 Vinson lines were of interest.

1. Unknown and Elizabeth Vinson (b. 1784-1785)
2. Robert (b. 1824-1830) and Martha Vinson
3. Littleberry (b. 1815-1816) and Fanny Vinson

1850 Census

A search for Vinson surname during the 1850 Census located two families with the surname.

Littleberry Vinson

Littleberry Vinson and family consisted of Littleberry, Fanny, and two children.

• Littleberry Vinson, age 32
• Fanny Vinson, age 29
  • Laura Vinson, age 5
  • Robert Vinson, age 2

This family coincides with my known Littleberry Vinson (b. 1815-1816) and his two children Laura and Robert.  However, Fanny Vinson, age 29 (b. 1820-1821) does not coincide with Elizabeth [Vinson] (b. 1815-1816]. I attribute this to Littleberry Marrying twice. Once to Fanny with whom he had two children, Laura and Robert, and again to Elizabeth. Because the gap between Robert and Littleberry (Jr.) is ten years, I suspect that Fanny is the mother of the first two children and Elizabeth is the mother of the second two children.

Robert Vinson

The other Vinson family in Halifax County during the 1850 Census is Robert and Martha Vinson. Robert is 20 and Martha is 21. This is the same Robert and Martha as identified previously before they had any children.  Robert’s being 20 suggests a birth in 1829-1930. As such, I’ll adjust his birth entry as between 1824 and 1830.

John Vincent

The John Vincent family is consistent with my findings for the John Vinson family. It describes that:

• John is 33       (b. 1816-1817) – Consistent
• Leonora is 32 (b. 1817-1818) – 8 years younger.
  • Virginia 5       (b. 1844-1845) – 1 year younger.
  • Elizabeth 3     (b. 1846-1847) – Consistent
  • Susan 1           (b. 1848-1849) – 1 year older.

The 7-year gap between John’s wife between the 1850 Census where Lenora is 32 and the 1860 Census where Ellenor is 35 suggests they are two different individuals. If that is the case, the four-year gap between Susan and James would sensibly be the place where one wife died, and he remarried. Also, during the 1850 Census, living with John and Leonora is 30-year-old Eliza Beasley. I have previously accepted that Eliza is Leonora’s sister.

Elizabeth Vinson

Elizabeth shows in the 1850 Census as Elizabeth Vincent, age 64. Living with her is Nancy Vincent, age 25. They are living next door to John.  I believe Nancy to be John’s sister.

Other Vincents

The 1850 Census also enumerated six other Vincents. One is family consisting of Michael, Rebecca, and Walter. They were born in Northampton County, North Carolina and appear to be transitory to Halifax County.  Likewise, James and John Vincent were born in Northampton County and seem to be briefly in Halifax County. Finally, a Phil Vincent is living in a home with several people surnamed Snow. The entry for Phil does not give a birth location. I guess that he is also transitory in Halifax County.

Conclusion

The 1850 Census provided information regarding a first wife for John Vinson and a first wife for Littleberry Vinson. It also suggests Elizabeth had another child, Nancy. The 1850 Census is the earliest census which provides the names of all household members. The 1840 Census only provides the name of the head of the household and numbers of household members in various age groups.

Vinson Families in Halifax County 1850 thru 1880.

• Elizabeth Vinson       (b. 1784-1785)
• John Vinson                (b. 1816-1817)
• + Lenora [Vinson]   (b. 1817-1818)
  • Virginia Vinson          (b. 1844-1846)
  • Elizabeth Vinson       (b. 1846-1847)
  • Susan Vinson             (b. 1847-1849)
• + Ellenor [Vinson]    (b. 1824-1825)
  • James W. Vinson        (b. 1851-1852)
  • Benjamin I. Vinson    (b. 1854-1855)
  • Joseph Burkhead Vinson       (b. 1857-1858)
  • Ellen B. Vinson           (B. 1860-1861)
• Nancy Vinson                       (b. 1824-1825)

•  Robert Vinson (b. 1824-1830)
• + Martha, [Vinson] (b. 1828-1829)
  • John H. Vinson           (b. 1850-1851)
  • Thomas L Vinson       (b. 1853-1854)
  • Albert L. Vinson         (b. 1855-1856)
  • Turner Vinson           (b. 1858-1859)
  • Laura E “Lizzie” Vinson (b. 1865-1866)

• Littleberry Vinson      (b. 1815-1816)
• + Fannie [Vinson]     (b. 1820-1821)
  • Laura Vinson (b. 1845-1846)
  • J. Robert Vinson (b. 1847-1848)
  • + L. N. Vinson (b. 1853-1854)
    • C.R. Vinson, (b. 1871-1872)
    • Fannie Vinson, (b. 1872-1873)
    • B. H. Vinson, (b. 1873-1874)
    • Emmett Vinson, (b. 1876-1877)
• + Elizabeth [Vinson]   (b. 1815-1816)
  • Littleberry Vinson (b. 1857-1858)
  • William Vinson (b. 1859)