Notes for Regina BRITT

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Notes for Regina BRITT

BRITT/BARNES
by
Edgar L. Cothran

This is a history of my mother's family (Regina Britt Cothran). This
information was derived from census records; tax rolls; probated wills;
death records; cemetery grave markers; and interviews with family
members. It begins with the first recorded information. Information
prior to the records is supposition based on other historical data
dealing with the time period.

BACKGROUND: The BRITTS came from Ulster, Ireland and settled in the
Southeast portion of North Carolina in what is now Britt's Township,
Robeson County, in the late 1600"s. Their land was in an area now called
Britt's Township. It was bordered on one side by the Lumber River.
Through the years as the property was divided among the heirs our branch
of the family ended up with property in the Matthews Landing area, known
then as the Neck. The river served as a means of transportation to bring
in supplies. The property was probably a land grant from the King of
England. Historical documents reveal that when the white settlers
arrived in what was to become Robeson County, North Carolina, they
encountered Indians with blue eyes and some who could speak an archaic
dialect of English. They told the settlers of ancestors who could speak
out of a book. The white people interpreted that to mean reading the
Bible. The Indians in the area lived in small European style dwellings
and grew crops for food. These Native Americans also had English
surnames. Most of these names match the names of the members of Sir
Walter Raleigh's Lost Colony and many of the local people still believe
that the Indians in this area are descendants of the members of this
colony which disappeared. I'm not sure, but it makes a good story. It
is believed that the BRITTS and most of the other Scotch/Irish in the
area were loyal to the Crown during the revolutionary war. At least they
were apolitical and none in our branch of the family fought in the
Revolutionary War. There is no indication of slave ownership in their
wills and no record of service in the Civil War. However; my grandmother
did tell me a story about her grandmother hiding under the house and
shooting at Union Soldiers when they came through.

Time Line - 1584 - Sir Walter Raleigh founds Virginia
1620 - Pilgrims sail from England

BENJAMIN BRITT - born 1764 - died 1835
Married AGNES (surname unknown)
Eight children - JOEL, SR.; Jacob; Joseph; Charity; Charlotte; Mary;
Nancy; and Emma.
BENJAMIN BRITT willed his property to JOEL, SR. and Jacob and willed the
remaining children one dollar to keep them from contesting the will.
Time Line - 1774 - 1783 - Revolt of the colonies and American Revolution

JOEL BRITT, SR. - born 1806 - died 1893
Married SARAH (SALLIE) BRUMBLE - born 1815 - died 1893
Twelve children - Elizabeth; Joel, Jr.; Jacob; John; Margaret; Emily;
Benjamin; JOSEPH; Nancy; James and Evander.
JOEL BRITT willed his property to Joel, Jr. and JOSEPH.
Time Line - 1861 - American Civil War begins

JOSEPH BRITT - born 1838 died 1921
Married TEMPERANCE STONE - born 1845 - died 1923 - Daughter of JAMES R.
STONE and OBEDIENCE BARNES.
Eight children - Eldridge; JAMES(JIMMY); John; Joseph, Jr.; Lee
Andrew(Ander); Enoch; Charity and Sarah.
JOSEPH BRITT willed all of his property to sons John and Enoch. The
other children contested the will and won. My grandfather, JAMES(JIMMY),
refused his share (he said that if his father had wanted him to have it,
he would have willed it to him), and it was divided among the remaining
children. eventually the youngest son, Enoch ended up with most of it.
Grandpa never told me why he was excluded from his father's will and
denied his inheritance but I believe that it was because he left the land
at an early age and worked in the local lumber trade instead of staying
and working with his father.
Time Line - 1914 - WWI begins

JAMES(JIMMY) BRITT - born 14 Jun 1874 - died 11 Oct 1959
Married LOUISA VIRGINIA(LULA) BARNES - born 28 Sep 1886 - died 22 Mar
1974 - Daughter of WILLIS PINKNEY BARNES and HESTER STEPHENS
Twelve children - Hester; Roland; Bertha; Luella; James Pinkney(Pink);
Vander; Cleo; REGINA; Vashti; Leola; Kinchen and J. W.
Grandpa worked in the local timber industry, and then as a carpenter and
sharecropper (tobacco). At age 72 he retired to a piece of land and a
house that one of his cousins gave him a lifetime right to. I went to
live with him that year. My sister GENEVA had been living with him after
our father died in 1943. Grandpa and Grandma were amazing people. Even
at their advance ages they were exceptionally tolerant but pushed us hard
to get a good education and become good citizens. Grandpa was a Lay
Preacher (Baptist) and the best, kindest, and gentlest person I have even
known. He was the patriarch of the community and all of the people
always came to him for guidance and advice. He was very charismatic and
had piercing,pale, blue eyes and even though he was soft-spoken, people
always listened when he spoke. Grandma was familiar with folk medicine
and made home remedies from roots, herbs and plants. I remember
neighbors coming to see grandma when they or a family member was sick.
Even though neither of my maternal grandparents could read or write, they
pushed me and my sister to do well in school and get a good education.
Time Line - 1929 - The Great Depression
1941 - U.S. enters WWII

SURNAMES:
BRITT - common in the British Isles
STONE - common in the British Isles
BARNES - common in the British Isles (common American Indian name in
parts of North and South
Carolina)
STEPHENS - common in the British Isles
BRUMBLE - common in the British Isles

CONCLUSIONS: Our ancestors on my mother's side settled in America before
the colonization, in the 1600's and the BARNES name can be traced back to
the late 1500'S. In these early years assimilation with the Native
Americans was commonplace, so we more than likely have Native American
ancestors on both sides of my mother's family.

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