Title: Letter written to Miss Zella Briggs by Willis Grandy Briggs
Year: March 14, 1900
Place: Raleigh, NC
Typed: Presumably THB3 (unknown)
Retyped: THB6 7/29/98
Notes: (THB6) I am unclear about the true publication date of this letter. I believe that this letter was written by hand in or around 1900; and was put into type by THB3 sometime after that.
My Dear Cousin:
What information I possess was acquired from Aunt Lucinda Gray Briggs, who died in 1896, at the ripe old age of 94. Now, as to where our ancestors came from! Aunt Lucy said that three brothers, Thomas, Frederick, and unknown came over from Ireland and settled first in Virginia. Then, one moved North, one to S. Carolina, and one to Scotland Neck, NC. I do not think that the three brothers theory is correct. Their names are not among the emigrants to Virginia prior to 1700, and our family was certainly in this country by 1700, and probably much eariler than that.
Aunt Lucy said that once when Uncle Daniel Briggs was North, he met Gov. Briggs of Mass. And received an invitation to visit him. They traced out their relationship. This I think probable because there were Briggs in the colony of Mass. At an early period. You remember that the Puritans, before they started their delightful pastime of burning witches, chased all the Baptists and Quakers out of the colony, after stealing their property under the pretexts that they were heretics and threatening their lives. Well, our ancestors, as far back as you can find have always been Baptists, and when they entered Virginia it must have been in their flight from Puritan persecution. I think it extremely probable that they came from the New England states into Virginia whence one went to South Carolina, and another to Scotland Neck. Ours is the only Briggs family in Central and Eastern Carolina, but there are numerous Briggs in western NC who are not related to us as I know.
Joel Briggs
Joel Briggs lived at Scotland Neck, NC. His mother was a Gray from Virginia and her grandfather, named Turner, was a remarkable man in colonial VA. Aunt Lucy says he cut a new set of teeth at age 100, and went fox hunting when he was 116.
Joel Briggs married Elizabeth Joyner and carried her to Scotland Neck about 1756. Joel and his wife were both very religious people. They were well to do, both owning property in that section. Neither lived to an old age; they died within a short time of each other in about 1770 leaving four little children.
Four Orphans
These little orphans were John Joyner Briggs, born in 1760 and named for his mother’s father, Thomas Briggs, Betsy Briggs, and Fannie Briggs. Mathew Joyner, an uncle, had been named as guardian for the children. He lived about 20 miles from where this city [TB1]now stands. He carried the children to his home and treated them well. He was a very religious man and devotional. But he held an office of some kind under the Kind, and was a loyal subject of King George.
When the American Revolution sprang forth, Mathew Joyner refused to change his views and would not lift a hand or voice against the Kind. In other words, he was strong “Tory.” Of course this did not make him very popular with the American Patriots and they not only confiscated his property, but that of the four orphans, which had been entrusted to Mathew Joyner, Tory, as guardian.
Before taking up the history of John Joyner Briggs, perhaps ‘tis well to mention the fate of the other orphans. Thomas died when a very young man unmarried. Betsy died single and Fannie married a man named Andrews and moved from the state. This leaves us John Joyner Briggs (1770 – 1856).
John Joyner Briggs
At the close of the Revolutionary War, he was a poor young man, his property having been taken from him, but he had a stout heart, a lofty character, and an indomitable will. He married Elizabeth Utley of this section about 1790. Elizabeth Utley was the daughter of David and Mary Penny Utley. David Utley and Mary Penny were married at the tender ages of 18 and 13 respectively. David seems to have been just as rash in other lines as he was in the matrimonial direction, for he raced horses, fought chickens, and gambled at such a desperate pace that not many years elapsed before Mary, who was blushing bride at 13, found herself a wido.
But to resume the career of John Joyner Briggs and his devoted and faithful wife, Elizabeth Utley Briggs. They went to Fayetteville, NC, where he opened a store, but was afterward burned out and decided to move to Raleigh and locate here, the legislature in session at Hillsboro having determined by legal enactment to establish at this place “the city of Raleigh” to be the capital of the state.
When John Joyner Briggs reached Raleigh in about 1800, he found five houses only and what are now the principal streets were then cedar growth, and deer were not scarce. He opened the first store, and assisted in layout out the first streets. He also knew the carpenters trade and worked at this during the first years. He died in 1856 at the ripe old age of 96 years. You cannot be too proud of this ancestor. He left a reputation for true worth and integrity which abides to this day. Mr. Boylan, one of the wealthies men in Raleigh, often remarked in confidence of everyone in John Brigg’s character was worth mor than his (Boylan’s) fortune. He was a Baptist, a charter member of the church here and a most devout man. No crime could be greater than breaking one’s word in his opinion. He always kept the most trivial promise strictly. Some of his religious views were peculiar, in fact, more like a Quaker than a Baptist. For instance, he would not permit a portrait to be made of himself, holding that the Bible said, “Thou shalt make unto thyself no graven image, neither likness of etc..” He read his Bible diligently and if he was interrupted would never reply until he had finished the chapter.
John Joyner Briggs has nine children, five boys and four girls. You will notice that nearly all these children have “Gray” for a middle name. John Joyner Brigg’s grandmother, as before stated, was a Gray, and Gray has remained a favorite middle name in the Briggs family to this day.
The Nine Children
The children of John Joyner Briggs were as follows: Polly Lucinda Gray, Mary Ann Penny, Elizabeth Gray, Daniel Gray, James Gray, John Gray, and Thomas Henry Briggs.
The Four Girls
Polly and Mary Ann Penny died in their youth unmarried. Lucinda Gray died an old maid in 1896, aged 94. Until about twelve years since the house in which she was born was still standing. A better woman than Aunt Lucy, your great grandfather’s sister, never lived.
Elizabeth Gray Briggs (1799-1845) married Thompson Parkam. They died having two daughters, and a son, James T. Parkam, who lives in Raleigh now with his family.
James G. Briggs
James Gray married Nancy Taylor of Greene County, NC. He died from the effects of poison drunk in coffee at a marriage. He left two daughters, Mariah and Betty. The former married a man named Eason[TB2] and moved to Tennesee while the latter never married.
John G. Briggs
John G. Briggs (1808 – 1843) married Harriet Moses of Greene Co. NC. They left four children: Leonidas Lafayette, Fesmer, Lavinia Araminta, and Lucinda. Lavinia married A.C. Davis of Mosley Hall, NC and had two children. Col. Adam C and Jefferson Davis. Lucinda married Phelps of Georgia and then moved North. They have children living now in New York I think. Leonidas Lafayette married in New York, died and left four children, one of whom, as you know, was your father.
Daniel G. Briggs
Daniel G. Briggs (1812 – 1863 ) married Mary Squiggins of Weldon, NC and left two daughters: one died single, the other married Daniel Trueblood of Weldon.
William Gray Briggs
William Gray Briggs (1815 - ? ) married Prudence Bryant of Edgecomb County, NC and had four sons: (1) Benjamin Franklin, who married Nancy Barnes, had two sons, Roscoe and Charles, both prosperous men at Wilson, NC. (2) Peter Marcellas, married Fannie Mahoy, and they are living in Durham, having a son and daughter. (3) William Woodard, married Fannie Bryant. They are living at Wilson and have no children. (4) Christopher Columbus married Mary Wooten, died leaving one son, Benjamin.
Thomas Henry Briggs
Thomas Henry Briggs (1821 – 1886) (my grandfather) was the youngest of John Joyner Brigg’s children. He was named Thomas after a Dr. Thomas Briggs of S.C. John Joyner wanted to name him Thomas Gray of course, but finally named him Thomas Henry after Dr. Thomas Briggs and after a young man, Henry Thomas, who died while engaged to Aunt Lucy.
Thomas Henry Briggs married Eveline Norwood. They had six children: Thomas H. Jr. (My father), James Augustine, John Daniel, and Fabius Haywood Briggs. All these married and have families living here in Raleigh. The two girls were Eveline Norwood, who married Capt. J. T. Thomas and died and Henrietta Hunter, now Mrs. E.P. Aydlett of Elizabeth City, NC. Children of T.H. Briggs and Eveline Norwood.
- T. H. Briggs – married Sarah Grandy
Children: Willis Grandy, ’87
Elizabeth Norwood - James H. Briggs – married LuLu
Children: James A Jr. married
LuLu
Everett - Evelina – married J. T. Thomas, died leaving two children,
Evie B
Victoria F. Victoria died when a few months old. Evie married Mr. Hydelett, two children. - John D. 1856 married Florence H. Dunn
Children: Thomas H. 1877, married on Sept. 11, 1902, Helen Harriman; a son, T. H. Briggs IV born Oct. 3, 1906
William Dunn, 1882, married June 8, 1908, Helen
Leckie Nmoring
Hubert Gray, 1886
Helen Florence, 1890 - Fabius H. 1800 Married Cosey
Children: John
Fabious
Mary - Henrietta, married Mr. Aydlett
Children: Ethe
Evvie
Helen
[TB1]1That would be Raleigh, NC
[TB2]1I’m unsure what the man’s name really is; its difficult to make out.