Papers (1788-1869, 1965) Hoyle J. Windley, of Bath, NC, a teacher, postmaster, and lieutenant in the NC militia, and his children, consisting of correspondence, store accounts, receipts, promissory notes, wills, summonses, bill of sale, special events-major fire, tournaments, coronation Ball, etc.
Hoyle J. Windley and his wife Huldah lived in the vicinity of Bath, N.C., in the first half of the 19th century. Mr. Windley was a teacher, Postmaster, and lieutenant in the N.C. militia. They had three children, Barzillia Barrow Windley ("B.B."), Samuel C. Windley, and Macy Windley (Sam and Macy were twins). After the Civil War, Samuel worked as a grocery store clerk in New Bern, N.C. and B.B. worked as a painter and farmer in Fairfield and at Pungo Creek, N.C.
The correspondence from the 1830's and 1840's deals mostly with Hoyle J. Windley, father of Samuel C. Windley and B.B. Windley. A letter dated Aug. 27, 1839 advertises a shooting match with steers as prizes. Letters from 1839 and 1840 are concerned with Hoyle Windley's job as postmaster at Bath, N.C. Much of the correspondence is from the P.O. Department in Washington, D.C. and includes both personal and form letters. Other Post Office material in the miscellaneous section includes a certificate appointing Hoyle J. Windley as Postmaster at Bath, N.C. (1839) and list of the postage paid (including names) at the Bath Post Office (1839).
The bulk of the correspondence was written By Samuel C. Windley of New Bern to his brother B.B. (Barzillia Barrow) Windley covering the years 1860, and 1866-1868. These letters provide insight into the post-Civil War conditions in New Bern. Salaries for jobs such as store clerk, hired hand, and farm overseer are mentioned (Jan. 14, 1867; Feb. 1, 1868; and July 6, 1868). Several letters discuss the price of farms and farm production (Mar. 31, 1868; Aug. 21,1868; Sept. 21, 1868). The prices for hay, sweet potatoes, field peas, fodder, and Irish potatoes shipped to New York are stated (July 18,1868; Sept. 21,1868; June 21, 1868).
Samuel C. Windley writes of bank shortages due to bank investments in cotton (Feb. 12, 1860). Letters from Fairfield in Hyde County, N.C. state that the shingle business has been replaced by house painting (July 29, 1860) while others comment on shingle production at Deep Gulley and Bay River (1867).
Descriptions of special events taking place in New Bern include a major fire (Oct. 16, 1866); The New Years Day Tournament and Coronation Ball (Jan. 14, 1867); and an 1868 celebration centered around the "Atlantic Fire Truck 37," the 37 chosen women (one for each state) and the "Leap Year Ball" (Sept. 21,1868). In a letter dated Aug. 15, 1867, Samuel Windley describes Washington, N.C. in its post-Civil War condition. Other letters describe various entertainments available, including Methodist excursions to Goldsboro (June 1, 1868) and songs popular at the time (1868). Also of interest is a self description of Samuel C. Windley which includes the wearing of "Burnsides," the use of cigar and cane, and the taking of photographs (1866).
Two violent incidents in the post-Civil War sixties are recited in Samuel C. Windley's letters. One concerns a murder by group of individuals in Georgia (June 24,1867) and the other incident concerns a black person hanged in New Bern for highway robbery and murder (Aug. 15,1867).
Two final letters dating from 1965 give genealogical information on the Windley Family.
There are numerous promissory notes, receipts, and store accounts. Receipts from 1795 to 1809 are in pounds and shillings. There is a receipt for 21/2 months school tuition for 1837 (Beaufort Co.?). The store accounts date from 1821 to 1845 and include such items as sewing notions, clothes, coffee, rum, brandy, whiskey, gin, butter, eggs, wheat, tobacco, boots, gun powder, shoes, soap, combs, nails, sugar, snuff, cheese, wool cords, cigars, and grapes.
Miscellaneous items include two wills from Beaufort County pertaining to Margrett Egleton (1823) and Thomas Walker (1830), a black man. There is a bill of sale transferring a young black enslaved boy from his previous enslaver to his new enslaver in Beaufort County, 1830. Miscellaneous items pertaining to the N.C. Militia include a certificate appointing Hoyle J. Windley to the office of First Lieutenant in the 12th Regiment of the N.C. Militia (Bath Co., 1830) and an undated list of the members of the North Creek Co. of the N.C. Militia (?). Other miscellaneous items included are a contract (1837) with Hoyle J. Windley to teach school in Beaufort County (cost/student given), an inventory of the deceased Jacob D. Windley's debts, a petition by Jacob Windley's widow concerning the settlement of his land, and the text of the song, "The Raccoon Hunt."
January 26,1977, 239 items; Family papers (1788,1795,1807,1808,1823-1869), including correspondence, accounts, summonses, promissory notes, receipts, wills, and miscellaneous. Gift of Mrs. Nell Windley Lewis, Beaufort, N.C.
March 23, 2020 (unprocessed addition 1), 0.5 cubic feet; This addition includes land deeds, indentures and summons (1808-1857); receipts, promissory notes, bills (1812-1869); accounts and an account book (1818-1892) some of which pertains to estate settlements; and a small amount of correspondence (1822-1838, 1866-1869) dealing with the Windley family in Beaufort and Craven counties, North Carolina. Some documents refer to the sale of enslaved persons (1824), hiring out enslaved persons for labor (1812), and enslaved persons being part of an estate (1846). The Hiring-out system allowed a hirer to temporarily lease an enslaved person from an enslaver, generating revenue for the enslaver through the labor of the enslaved people completing the work. Also included are printed documents for the public related to elections in Beaufort County, N.C., and state constitution changes after the Civil War. Gift of Virginia Jones.
December 19, 2022, (unprocessed addition 2), 0.10 cubic feet; "Some of the Descendants of William Jordan Bowen, My Grandfather" written by Mary Johnston Harris before 1990. This genealogy also includes a section on Margaret Sophia Bowen and Guy F. Windley's children, grandchildren and great grandchildren. Gift of Lisa Lowrey Gonzalez and family.
Gift of Mrs. Nell Windley Lewis
Gift of Virginia Jones
Gift of Lisa Lowrey Gonzalez
Processed by M. Elmore, September 1977
Encoded by Apex Data Services
Descriptions updated by Ashlyn Racine, May 2023
Addition processed by Ashlyn Racine, January 2024
Literary rights to specific documents are retained by the authors or their descendants in accordance with U.S. copyright law.