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Note: Abner was counted in the 1810 census of Gates County and a head o f h o u sehold, but living alone (suggesting he was not yet married).
He married between 1810 and 1815 and moved to Hertford Co betwe e n t h e 1815 tax list and before the 1820 census. Abner, while comi n g to H er tford Co. as a young man, proceeded to build a rather lar g e estate . Wh en Abner first appeared in Hertford County in the 182 0 c ensus, h e wa s with a wife (Jennie Yeates) and two sons under th e ag e of ten . Als o he had 1 slave.
By the 1830 census, Abner's family had undergone significant chan g e . T he two males age 0-10 in 1820 were Alpha B., age 8, and So n # 2 . S o n # 2 was gone by the 1830 census. There were, however, tw o ne w you n g males, perhaps son #3, between the ages of 5 and 9; an d so n #4, be tw een the ages of zero and four. In fact, son #4 was ab ou t 2 years ol d a nd is thought to be William J. Harrell.
Abner and his first wife, Jennie Yeates, were the parents of Alp h a B . , who was 18 years of age by 1830, and Sarah A., who was by th e n 8 y ea rs old, and William J. who was 2 years of age in 1830. Hi s fi rst wi fe , Jennie, died, probably in 1828, soon after the birt h of Wi lliam J . H arrell, as she was not in the 1830 census with he r childre n. The v oi d she left was filled by 1830-Abner married Lea h Norflee t in Gate s Cou nty on November 11, 1829.
The above discussion of information in the 1830 census still lea v e s u s with an additional male between the ages of 20 and 30, and t w o a ddit ional females. One reasonable explanation for these peopl e ca n co me fr om Abner's tendency, by many accounts, to have peopl e stayi ng i n his h ome for extended periods of time-such as nieces , nephews , an d student s from the local Academy.
Abner and daughter, Sarah Harrell, appeared at the estate sale of J e s s e Yeates in 1831. I assume the Sarah with him was his daughter , w h o wa s 9 years old at the time. She was a little young to be par tici pa tin g in an estate sale-especially to the extent she did. Bu t then , th is w as probably a very special sale to her. Jesse Yeate s was pro babl y Sara h's grandfather-the father of Sarah's mother, Je nnie Yeate s, wh o had d ied sometime between 1822 and 1828. Abner wa s the execut or fo r Jesse' s estate
On January 10, 1833, Abner became the second postmaster of the ne w p o s t office in the little town of Bethel (later named Harrellsvil l e i n hi s honor). He succeeded his brother-in-law, John G. Wilson.
In 1840, Abner Harrell at the age of 50 still lived in Bethel o n h i s l arge estate and owned 27 slaves. He had lost his second wife , Le a h Nor fleet, remarried, and gained a new daughter, Mary Elizabe th Ha rr ell wh o was born in 1837. His new wife was Nancy "Anne" Jone s wh o wa s betwee n the ages of 30 and 40 in 1840.
The town of Bethel grew over the years, and by 1847 it was renam e d f o r Abner Harrell-it became Harrellsville. Abner was then the fi rs t po s t master of Harrellsville, but the second postmaster of th e pla ce . H e was a rather prominent figure in the community, and fro m time -to -tim e held other county positions. For instance, he wa s a Justic e o f the P eace for the County Court for the May term, 183 0.
Abner was also a relatively large slaveholder by 1840 and was kn o w n a s a wealthy man. By 1850 census he was listed as owning real e st at e va lued at $10,500-and that was after he had already given aro un d $1 ,20 0 worth of real estate to his son, Alpha B. Harrell.
Before 1850 Abner had lost his third wife, Nancy Jones, and had n o t r e married. His daughter, Mary E., was 13 years old.
The 1860 census revealed that Abner was without a wife but with t w o n e w daughters-clearly something was going on between the censu s o f 18 5 0 and 1860. In fact, Abner had married and lost his fourt h wife , Ma r y Womble, between those two points in time.
By 1860, Abner's economic success was evident, with real estate hol d i n gs valued at $25,000, and personal property at $46,020. Unfortun at e l y for everyone, most of his personal wealth was based on slaver y w hi ch , as we now know, could not endure. Abner's will illustrate s wel l t h e sort of adjustments an old man in his 70s had to make a s the o ld s la ve-based economy abruptly ended. Because of the Hertfo rd Count y Cou r t House fire in 1862, Abner's will is one of the fe w wills t o exis t i n Hertford County, from a time when people legall y and with out an y app arent compunctions, gave other people to thei r heirs. I t is a do cumen t worth looking at in order to better kno w Abner and h is times:
Will of Abner Harrell....
I give and devise to my Son Alpha B. Harrell, all of my Land, o n t h e N orth side of pond. together with a Tract I gave him heretofo r e o f Fift y acres, I also give and devise to him the following Slav es , Fo llet, A rther, Bram, Cherry, Rosey, Ester, Margaret, Nancy, Jo hn , Henr y & Mill s, and further I give and devise unto my Son A. B . Har rell al l the cla ims in notes judgments and Accounts that hol d agains t him... .
I give and desire to my daughter Sarah A. Askew in addition to cer t a i n Deeds of Gifts already made to her for certain Lands and Slav e s a n d money, I further give and bequeath to her the following Slav es , t o w it: Matilda, Henry, Anderson and Peter, also one Hundred ac re s o f Lan d called the Jones Tract instead of the House & lot in Ha rre llsv ille,. ..
I give and bequeath unto my Son William J. Harrell all of my Harrel l s v ille Tract of Land except one House and a lot given to my daught e r M ar y E. Garrett containing two acres, also the following Slave s t o wit : A rther, Hunt, Allen, Charles, Nelson, Denis, Jimmy, Henry , Is abella , Cu der, Mary, Elizabeth, Alis, Aron, George....
I give unto my beloved daughter Mary E. Garrett (wife of Rev. Jos h u a L . Garrett) one house and lot in Harrellsville, Containing fiv e a cr es a lso the following Slaves, to wit: Peggy, Dick, Muller, Nat han , Ro sella , Owen, Ellen, Mary, Dempsey, Mutten, Minny, Noah and I ra.. .als o Seve n Hundred dollars "$700." also....
I give and bequeath unto my beloved little daughters Lucy Franci s , a n d Ellen Riddick Harrell the following Slaves to wit: Mary, Ade m , Cel ia , David, Mary, Lydia, Barbara, Kitty, Adam, Amelia, Washing to n, Ric ky , Emaline, Sarah, Billy, Matilda, Clarisa, Francis, Bilph a , Georgan na , Ana, Anthony, Toney, Abrams, Isaac, Chester, Bram & T om .... I als o g ive unto them Six Thousand dollars & in good bond, t o b e paid to t he m or their guardian by my executor....
...the 27th day of August A. Dem. 1863 Abner Harrell
Abner's will provides the best list of the children who were al i v e a t the time of his Will in August 1863. They were:
Alpha B. Harrell born 1812
Sarah A. Askew, born 1822
William J. Harrell born 1828
Mary E. Garrett born 1837
Lucy Francis Reed born 1851
Ellen Riddick Beverly born 1855
A codicil to his Will was written August 27, 1864
"Whereas I Abner Harrell have made my Last Will & Testiment in wri t i n g bearing date on the 27th day of August 1863, and have hereby m a d e Su ndry desires and bequests according to the then existing Circ um st ance s of my Estate, but which Circumstances having now markedl y ch ang ed , I do by this my writing, which I here by declare to b e a Codi ci l t o my said will,... the life writes only of my plantati on be giv e n to m y Son William J. Harrell and after his death, I giv e and bequ ea th sai d land to my two little daughters Lucy and Elle n C. Harrel l abs olut e & the fee simple.... The residue of my estat e after givin g on e hal f thereof to Lucy & Ellen C. Harrell be equal ly divided bet wee n my oth er children, share and share alike. Augus t 27, 1864"
The codicil guaranteed a roof over William's head for his life ti m e , a nd the family plantation and home would eventually provide fo r t h e tw o youngest daughters. In the original will the two young da ught er s ha d been promised many slaves and no land. Most significant ly, A bne r rec ognized that circumstances had by then "markedly chang ed"-th er e woul d be no slaves for children.
I have not reviewed Abner's Estate papers. Therefore I cannot s a y f o r certain when Mary E. Harrell GARRETT died. Therefore all I c a n sa y i s that she was alive in August 1863 but dead before Septemb e r 1865 .
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