Charles Laban Abernethy, Jr., Papers

1913-1970
Manuscript Collection #98
Portions of this collection are digitized (1 item)
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Creator(s)
Abernethy, Charles Laban, Jr., 1901-1968
Physical description
14.5 Cubic Feet, 24 boxes and 2 oversize folders, including correspondence, photographs, newspaper clippings, legal case files, school material, receipts, and a map.
Preferred Citation
Charles Laban Abernethy, Jr., Papers (#98), East Carolina Manuscript Collection, J. Y. Joyner Library, East Carolina University, Greenville, North Carolina, USA.
Repository
ECU Manuscript Collection
Access
No restrictions

Papers (1842-1970) consisting of correspondence concerning national politics, photographs, pre-World War II invitations, notes, legal papers, legal case files, school material, tariff discrimination, etc.

Biographical/historical information

Charles Laban Abernethy, Jr., the son of Charles L. and Minnie Abernethy, was born in 1901 in Rutherford College, North Carolina. After graduating from high school in New Bern, Mr. Abernethy attended the University of North Carolina for two years, transferred to Harvard University and graduated from that institution in 1922. He then studied law at Harvard and Trinity College (now Duke University) before receiving his degree from Wake Forest in 1924. Charles Abernethy, Jr., married the former Sarah All and joined his father in the firm of Abernethy and Abernethy. The senior Abernethy served the Third District of North Carolina as a member of the United States House of Representatives from 1922 to 1935. The wife of Charles Abernethy, Jr., graduated from the highly-regarded Boston Conservatory and taught piano lessons in New Bern for over thirty years.

Scope and arrangement

Although little of the correspondence is concerned with national politics, three of the early letters deal with the 1932 Democratic convention. Two letters from June 1932 contain comments by then governor of New York Franklin D. Roosevelt on the Democratic convention in Chicago and the Craven County primaries in North Carolina. In a letter written during July of the same year, Frank C. Norbeck, a delegate to the Democratic convention, discusses the issue of repealing Prohibition and its possible effect on President Hoover.

Concerning state politics, for the pre-war period there is a letter (June, 1936) from the State Board of Elections listing the official vote of the Third Congressional District election between the successful incumbent Graham Barden and Charles Abernethy, Jr. Although Mr. Abernethy ran three times for Congress this is the only correspondence dealing with his unsuccessful attempts.

Also in the pre-World War II period are two letters of invitation. The first letter (December, 1938) is an invitation for Charles Abernethy, Jr., to submit poems to the Watchtower Publishing Company. The second letter invites Mr. Abernethy to be listed in the 1940 edition of the Social Directory of the United States.

In the years after World War II there are a number of letters concerned with state and local politics. Included are letters from candidates requesting support from Mr. Abernethy; correspondence (July, 1953) concerning the appointment by Governor Umstead of a replacement to fill the United States Senate seat left vacant by the death of Willis Smith; and a letter from Johnson Mathews (July, 1963), chairman of the State Board of Paroles, commenting on the verbal attacks on that board by Judge Clawson Williams. In several letters written during 1965 and 1966 Mr. Abernethy comments on the selections for public office made by Governor Dan K. Moore. Also of interest are U.S. Senator Sam Ervin's comments (July, 1968) on the nomination of Abe Fortas to fill the seat of Chief Justice Earl Warren, and a speech by Ervin in opposition to the appointment of Thurgood Marshall.

With the collection is correspondence pertaining to a lengthy illness suffered by Congressman Abernethy. Letters from Laurel Sanitarium, Laurel, Maryland, to Charles Abernethy, Jr., concern the period in which Charles Abernethy, Sr., stayed at that institution. Several letters from the former congressman are included. Also in the collection is correspondence with the Prudential Life Insurance Company concerning the legal guardianship of the former congressman.

Additional materials include newspapers and clippings from the various schools which Mr. Abernethy attended; newspaper clippings of cases in which he was attorney; photographs of John Nance Garner, William Kerr Scott, and unidentified persons in addition to numerous photographs and snapshots of members of the Abernethy family; charters and ordinances of the city of New Bern (1913); and two maps of the Havelock-Slocum Village area of Craven County.

Some of the Abernethy and Abernethy firms' legal case files are also here.

Administrative information
Custodial History

October 1, 1969, 16 cubic feet; Legal case files of law firm of Abernethy and Abernethy of New Bern, N.C.

November 24, 1969, 12 cubic feet; Personal correspondence, photographs, clippings, legal files, and miscellaneous. Gift of Mrs. Charles L. Abernethy, Jr., New Bern, N.C.

May 6, 1970, (unprocessed addition 1), ca. 300 items.; correspondence, photographs, clippings, pamphlets, scrapbooks, miscellaneous. Donor: Mrs. Charles L. Abernethy, Jr.

June 27, 1973, (unprocessed addition 2), ca. 250 items.; poems. Donor: Mrs. Charles L. Abernethy, Jr.

Source of acquisition

Gift of Mrs. Charles L. Abernethy, Jr.

Processing information

Processed by G. Newbold, April 1970

Encoded by Apex Data Services

Descriptions updated by Ashlyn Racine, May 2023

Revised July 19, 2024, by Martha Elmore

Copyright notice

Literary rights to specific documents are retained by the authors or their descendants in accordance with U.S. copyright law.

Metadata Rights Declaration
Key terms
Personal Names
Abernethy, Charles L. (Charles Laban), 1872-1955
Abernethy, Charles Laban, Jr., 1901-1968
Meeting Names
Democratic National Convention (1932 : Chicago, Ill.)
Topical
Lawyers--North Carolina--Craven County
Places
Craven County (N.C.)--Politics and government
New Bern (N.C.)
North Carolina--Politics and government--1865-1950
Container list
0098 Digitized Material
Box 1 Folder b Correspondence, The Laurel Sanitarium, Undated
Box 1 Folder c Correspondence, Life Esurance , Undated
Box 2 Correspondence
Box 2 Folder a Correspondence: Miscellaneous , Undated
Box 2 Folder b School Papers , Undated
Box 2 Folder d Documents , Undated
Box 3 Folder a Newspaper Clippings, Undated
Box 3 Folder b Photographs , Undated
Box 4 Item a Date Books; Published Material
Box 5 Item a Books, Published Material
Box 6 Item a Books and Photographs
Box 7 Folder a Correspondence , Undated
Box 7 Folder b L.C. Neuman 1714 Spencer Avenue , 1951-1952
Box 7 Folder c Photographs , Undated
Box 7 Folder d Copies of Newspapers , Undated
Box 7 Folder e Newspaper Copies , Undated
Box 7 Folder f Printed Material, Undated
Box 7 Folder g Photographs , Undated
Box 7 Item h Marseilles, Provence, the Alps and the Riviera, F.R.'s handy guide
Box 7 Item i Parole And The Indeterminate Sentence Book
Box 7 Item j Directory Of The State And Couty Officials Of North Carolina 1995, 1995
Box 7 Item k Official Register of Harvard University , January 5th 1938
Box 7 Item l A brief description of the principal monuments , 1932
Box 7 Item m American Export Lines, The Dawn of a New Era
Box 8 Photographs, undated
Box 9 Photographs, Photograph Album, and Bound Pamphlets, undated
Box 10 Memory Book, 1981, undated
Box 11 Scrapbook, undated
Box 12 Scrapbook , Undated
Box 15 Folder a Ethan C. Mills & Wife vs. Wesley Jones, Raeford Blizzard, William S. Mills, & Donald P. Brock, January 1959 - June 1962
Box 15 Folder b E.W. Boyette vs. Burl Duguid Hardison et. al,, July 1953 - December 1959
Box 15 Folder c William Edgar Bundy & Elizabeth Bundy vs. Elza Collins & Agnes D. Collins, January 1960 - June 1963
Box 15 Folder d Rupert Bell Mansfield vs. Wallace Fisheris Company, December 1962 - April 1965
Box 15 Folder e George Elmer Basden, Roger Avery, & George Pappas vs. Carolina Lumber Company, February 1956 - February 1962
Box 15 Folder f John Stevens & Emma Stevens vs. Ozell Bell et. al. , May 1960 - May 1968
Box 15 Folder g State vs. Rudopl Bryant, June 1959 - March 1960
Box 15 Folder h Eddie Bryant & Charlie Bryant vs. George Harris, Mary Frances Farrow, & Raymund Farrow, November 1903 - February 1950
Box 15 Folder i Court Calendars, February 1949 - September 1965
Box 16 Folder a Arthur Lindsay & Lena Lindsay vs. M. Dewitt Brinson, October 1950 - 1963
Box 16 Folder b James H. Toler vs. W.O. Nesbitt, Receiver of Little Swift Creek Drainage District, et. al., May 1943 - January 1946
Box 16 Folder c Willie Franklin Kinsall & Helen Kinsall vs. the North Carolina Department of Vehicles State Highway Patrol, August 1951 - April 1960
Box 16 Folder d Mary Ann Smith vs. Joseph L. Smoth, June 1946 - December 1966
Box 16 Folder e Tryon Palace, February 1949
Box 16 Folder e Mildred Marie Purifoy Riggs et. al. vs. Emma Purifoy Hacker, et. al., February 1958 - January 1963
Box 16 Folder f Lamb Farrow vs. Union Bag-Camp Paper Corp., October 1957 - November 1960
Box 17 Folder a Earline Baker Shaw vs. City of New Bern, September 1959 - October 1960
Box 17 Folder b Frank Pollock vs Fescue Mitchell et. al., June 1952 - December 1966
Box 17 Folder c State vs. Floyd Richard Pledger, September 1961 - June 1962
Box 17 Folder d State vs. Dan Perry, H.V. High, & Pat Hunnings, January 1961
Box 18 Folder a Addie Elizabeth Allen vs. MN.D. Lane, et al, March 1948 - January 1967
Box 18 Folder b Fredrick Gaskins, March 1956 - June 1956
Box 18 Folder c Robert Griffen, Wiley G Griffen, & Dorothy Griffen va. B.F. Griffen et. al., July 1938 - February 1939
Box 18 Folder d N.E. Mohn & C.t. Hellinger vs. Otis F. Glenn, January 1930 - September 1933
Box 18 Folder e James F. Somers vs. Margaret L. Somers, May 1946 - February 1955
Box 18 Folder f State vs. Paul S. Stanley, February 1952 - November 1959
Box 19 Folder a Ardre Nolan Deed Preperation, October 1950 - December 1951
Box 19 Folder b L.C. Newman, February 1950 - OCtober 1957
Box 19 Folder c Robert & Martha Adams Legal Materials, November 1948 - February 1949
Box 19 Folder d McIntosh, October 1953 - May 1958
Box 19 Folder e United States of America Vs. J.P. McNeil, Larry Moye, James Early Phillips, & Joe Phillips, October 1965 - April 1966
Box 19 Folder f Housing Authority of the City of New Bern vs. Callaghan J. Newman, June 1951 - April 1952
Box 19 Folder g L.C. Newman vs. Abernatheys, September 1943 - August 1956
Box 19 Folder h J.V. Tingle et. al. vs. State Highway & Public Works Commission, August 1951 - July 1960
Box 19 Folder i East Carolina Lumber Company vs. Ira E. Whitford et. al., December 1953 - December 1957
Box 19 Folder j Nina E. Basnight et. al. vs. East Carolina Lumber Company, January 1934 - February 1955
Box 19 Folder k M.L. Tingle vs. Pamlico Flying Service, May 1947 - November 1949
Box 20 Folder a Craven County vs. Sarah Mumford, Herbert Mumford, Joseph Mumford, Eleanor Mumford, & the City of New Bern, May 1944 - March 1945
Box 20 Folder b Craven County vs. Bessie Torrence & the City of New Bern, June 1944 - March 1945
Box 20 Folder c Lee Burton Gillinin et. al. vs. Augustus Lawrence, March 1944 - November 1952
Box 20 Folder d State vs. Ernest Ray Simmons, June 1951 - October 1952
Box 20 Folder e McKinley Godette vs. the Fish Meal Company, April 1959 - May 1961
Box 20 Folder f Rhoda Mae Gillikin vs. Norfolk Dredging Company, December 1946 - June 1949
Box 20 Folder g Lee Burton Gillikin, et. al. vs. Augustus Lawrence & Bethany G. Lawrence, March 1952 - March 1953
Box 20 Folder h Alvin Dove et. al. vs. William Dove et. al., April 1945 - February 1949
Box 20 Folder i James Durant vs. The United states of America, November 1955 - January 1956
Box 20 Folder j Willis Daugherty vs. Commodore Boat Works, In. & J.V. Burkhart, March 1964 - December 1964
Box 20 Folder k Wilma Greene Fenderson vs. Veterans Adminstration, August 1952 - March 1960
Box 20 Folder l Willie S. Jordon vs. The Branch Banking and Trust Co., January 1944 - August 1946
Box 20 Folder m Unidentified Legal Notes, undated
Box 20 Folder n Sam Johnson vs. J. R. Taylor Sr., et. al., 1960
Box 20 Folder o James Ernest Andrews vs. Evelyn L. Sutton, July 1952 - March 1955
Box 21 Folder a United States Marine Corps Air Station November 1946- December 1947, 1946-1947
Box 21 Folder b EL Mcintosh against the Carolina Power + Light Company Dec 1952- Aug 1962, Dec 1952- Aug 1962
Box 21 Folder c United States of America vs Kevin doyt Mathews August 1962- September 1964, August 1962- September 1964
Box 21 Folder fe Marvin Montgomery vs Gulf Mehhaden Company, the fist meal company and the MN Shoal Harbor Feb 1958-May 1963, Feb 1958-May 1963
Box 21 Folder d Joseph L. Smith vs Hames Moore et al July 1957-May 1962 , July 1957-May 1962
Box 21 Folder f J.S Basnight vs New Bern Lumber Company November 1906-October 1926, November 1906-October 1926
Box 22 Folder fa United States of America vs. 208 acres of land, Daniel A Dec.s et al, Unknown owners August 1951-October 1956, August 1951-October1956
Box 22 Folder b D. A. Roebuck vs the City of New Bern et al October 1957-October 1958 , October 1957-October 1958
Box 22 Folder c Custody of the Ashford Allen Rouse and Agnes Dean House , February 1949-December 1949
Box 22 Folder d Eunice Stroud and Palmer Wray vs J.R. Steale Associates incorporated and J.R. Steale, March 1948-November 1952
Box 22 Folder e James C Swindell Jr. Dorothy Swindell vs E.J. Parrish et Al , November 1963 - February 1966
Box 22 Folder g James O Stewart et al vs Virgil sermons and Helen sermons , January 1883- October 1957
Box 22 Folder I James W. Swift vs Barrus Construction Company , September 1948- February 1949
Box 22 Folder k Stewart et al vs Sermons , November 1956-July 1958
Box 23 Folder a Union Bag- Camp Papel Corporation vs Lamb Farrow , November 1959 -December 1959
Box 23 Folder b Vance Farrow , February 1959-November 1959
Box 23 Folder c James D. Fenner vs margaret Falls , November 1929-April 1941
Box 23 Folder d W.G. Fields Senior , September 1949-July 1956
Box 23 Folder e G.W. Fillingame, July 1952
Box 23 Folder f Earl Finch vs Small Business Administration of Richmond VA Earl Finch Vs Whorton Crab Factory , March 1956-March 1960
Box 23 Folder g First Citizen Bank and Trust Company , March 1957- February 1959
Box 23 Folder h First Citizen Bank and Trust Company , November 1957
Box 23 Folder J Austin Lowell Fisher , November 1951
Box 23 Folder k Carries Fisher , May 1958
Box 23 Folder L W.P Eakes vs Richard Fonville, , April 1953-November 1956
Box 23 Folder m James M Frazier Standard Products Company , January 1962- February 1963
Box 23 Folder n James m Frazier vs American Motors Corps , April 1965-November 1965
Box 23 Folder p Mary Frazier , January 1945- April 1957
Box 23 Folder q John E French vs Tidewater Natural Gas Company , January 1956-November 1964
Box 23 Folder r Leander Foy , August 1959
Box 23 Folder s G.R. fuller , August 1942
Box 23 Folder t Geraldine Hartley et al vs James Andrews et al , June 1951
Box 23 Folder u Anna Jones Windsor Estate, February 1950-August 1950
Box 24 Folder a Anna Barber et al vs Lehman Blackburn, July 1900- September 1946
Box 24 Folder b Robert Ray Avery vs Sam Jones + Wife , April 1948- June 1948
Box 24 Folder fc Jake Hooks + Terminix Company of NC vs Herbert Daw , March 1961
Box 24 Folder d Guy Decamps Junior, Vs E idea Register , July 1960
Box 24 Folder e Orin E Dixon , April 1953- August 1953
Box 24 Folder e E.M. Doty, Inc vs Mr. and Mrs. Elbert Sidel March 1957-January 1959, March 1957-January 1959
Box 24 Folder g Annie Bell Dunn May 1951-June 1951, March 1957-January 1959
Box 24 Folder h Hildred W. Dunn vs Hon Edward Scheidt May 1964 - August 1965 , May 1964 - August 1965
Box 24 Folder I John G Dunn vs Mark S Dunn , February 1960
Box 24 Folder j John A Edwards , February 1953- August 1953
Box 24 Folder k State vs Eller , October 1963-April 1965
Box 24 Folder l A.F. Engleberg Vs The Home Insurance Company et al August 1952-November 1959, August 1952-November 1959
Box 24 Folder k Hoke L Entreken vs Velora Key Ebtreken , September 1967-October 1967
Box 24 Folder m City of New Bern Vs Earle M Walker Ruby Eating Walker , August 1961
Box 24 Folder n Ben L Eubanks + Delbart Eubanks vs Colonial John Franklin Marlard , September 1964-August 1965
Box 24 Folder o John Roberts Eubanks , June 1959
Box 24 Folder p TH Eubanks + Elizabeth D Eubanks, July 1959
Box 24 Folder q State vs Eugune Everington , August 1951-April 1958
Box m Map
Folder os1 Certificates and Awards
Folder os2 Newspapers