Items

• Unknown man possibly Richard Gwyn Franklin

  Black and white photograph of unknown man possibly Richard Gwyn Franklin taken by J.W. Watson in the Mary McNeely Collection.
  

• Richard Gwyn Franklin

  Black and white photograph of Richard Gwyn Franklin around toddler age with a cat in the Mary McNeely Collection.
  

• Richard Gwyn Franklin

  Black and white photograph of Richard Gwyn Franklin possibly in his early twenties in the Mary McNeely Collection.
  

• Richard Gwyn Franklin

  Black and white portrait of Richard Gwyn Franklin son of Columbus Bernard Franklin in the Mary McNeely Collection.
  

• photograph of Margaret Franklin Moore Penn and Wilma "Willie" McHenry Moore Gentry

  photograph of Margaret Franklin Moore Penn and Wilma "Willie" McHenry Moore Gentry
  

• photograph of Dr. R.B.C. Franklin

  photograph of Dr. R.B.C. Franklin, Surry County Health Officer
  

• photograph of Dr. R.B.C. Franklin

  photograph of Dr. R.B.C. Franklin
  

• photograph of the Edwards Franklin House Sonker Festival

  photograph of the Edwards Franklin House Sonker Festival. Home to the following families: Gideon Edwards 1799-1820 Meshack Franklin 1820-1847 Sinclair McMickle 1847-1914 James Blevins 1914
  

• Franklin Family of Orange County (VA) and Surry County (N.C.)

  Franklin Family of Orange County (VA) and Surry County (N.C.) including Lawrence Franklin (before 1696-1764), Bernard Franklin (1731-1828), Jesse Franklin (1760-1823), Matilda Caroline Franklin (1805-1835)
  

• Newspaper article called "Last Installment on Life of Meshack Franklin Appears Today" by Ruth Minick in the Mount Airy News

  Newspaper article called "Last Installment on Life of Meshack Franklin Appears Today" by Ruth Minick in the Mount Airy News on February 20, 2000
  

• Newspaper article called "Jesse Franklin Was a Self-Contained But Great Individual" by Ruth Minick in the Mount Airy News

  Newspaper article called "Jesse Franklin Was a Self-Contained But Great Individual" by Ruth Minick in the Mount Airy News on February 6, 2000
  

• Descendants of Bernard Franklin

  Genealogy list of the Descendants of Bernard Franklin
  

• Historical Research Report: The Edwards-Franklin House of Surry County

  Historical Research Report: The Edwards-Franklin House of Surry County by Bruce S. Cheeseman with reference to the Edwards, Franklin and McMickle families
  

• Franklin Family Genealogy

  Genealogical information on members of the Franklin family
  

• Letter from Benjamin Smith to Jesse Franklin

  Letter from Benjamin Smith to Jesse Franklin recounting his military career. letter, 1 sheet folded in half to make 4 writing sides, Belvedere, 5th February 1812, Dear Sir, Your much esteemed favor of the 10th Dec. was only received yesterday. I can account for the delay by supposidly it has lain at the Post Office in Smithville as it was sent up from thence. My winter & spring residence is here & in the summer only we live there. After returning you my warmest thanks for the interest you appear to readily to take in my news, I may alow myself to acknowledge that I felt surprize & concern at your supposed silence for as it was reckoned patriotic & praise worthy in our revolutionary war to step forward with offers to serve our country in a military capicity & as it was the policy to engage much of fortune & influence to their sons to attack the father there; So I could not believe I had acted improperly. I know that the last administration was pleased with such a man of fortune as General Hampton offering his service & altho I do not compare with him or think it of consequence to be equal in that respect & yet I know I have been considered for N Carolina amongst the first. I will venture to declare my zeal & desire to serve my country when in a ????? equal to any man of my talent. I have a very humble opinion. I know that the fate of a battle frequently depends on circumstances, sometimes the most ?????; that the best of Generals may commit error & that more of those except allowing a surprise may be palliated or excused. It is therefore with confidence. I offer myself to the consideration of government a beardless youth I commenced the revolution in Charleston by participating in the very first act of what was then called Rebellion, then only nineteen I was permitted by my Father in 76 to make a Tour to the North and with a positive promise that I would return in the Winter. When at Philadelphia I heard of the arrival of the British troops in the Lord Howe's fleet at Sandy Hook. Immediately I hastened to General Washington who held Quartered was in the ????? of New York. On delivery of a ???? ????? inparticular ?????, & my near connection Gov Edward Rutledge. I was invited by that great & illustrious man into his family as a volunteer aid, In which capicity I served him on York and Long Island accompanying him amongst the ???? in the ????? remained with him, receiving in the meantime invitations into the military families of General Mifflin the Lord ????? then very popular officers & had the offer of going with Gates to Canada but being solemly pledged to obey one of the holy fathers with much chagrin. I returned from these great & glorious prospects & the certainty of being a permanent aid to Gen Washington the ? Winter when his old aides Webb, Carcy & Taylor were promoted to Regiments, With the ???? I slept & took the tour of the lines on Long Island each night while we remained. Hard was the duty of returning & service the mortifications. Did I not receive my Father I could not have forgiven their blight to a glorious prospect as ever a youth had. On my return to Charleston I served with a distinguished corp of artillery which is mentioned with great Respect by Judge Marshall & in the highest terms by Gen Moultrie an aid to which I finished the last military service of the Revolution by entering Charleston ? the British evacuated it. I believe the???? of the Navy might know of my military Service at ???? for our Corp was certainly the cause of a brillant Victory ???? ???? ???? I have thought it proper to give this hasty sketch to enable you to exercise the good disposition you have been pleased to express with some information I may write further soon in the mean time receive my grateful acknowledgement for the encouragement to write to you confidentally or otherwise. Present my ? the ???? & believe me with much esteem, Yours very ???? ??????? ?????? (possibly ?Benj Smith?), on the front of the folded letter it says - The Honorable Jesse Franklin, Senator in Congress, Washington
  

• Biography of Jesse Franklin Graves

  Handwritten Biography of Jesse Franklin Graves. biography, (the writing is by an unknown author, 1 sheet folded so there are 4 writting pages, Jesse Franklin Graves was born in Surry County near its town of Mt. Airy August 31st 1829. His father Solomon Graves was an able lawyer, and his mother was a Miss Mary Cleveland Franklin, daughter of Governor Jesse Franklin who had served his country as United States senator and governor of North Carolina. His boyhood and early manhood were spent amid the tranquil scenes of country life, and here was implanted that deep love of nature and reverance for God, as revealed in the world about him, which was always, one of his marked characteristics. Graceful flowers and ??aving grasses sprang up at his feet, majestic forests crowned the hills, and the grand blue mountains encircled the homes in "the hollow," and from all these the thoughtful boy learned many lessons, not?taught? in the little country school house. Later he attended school in town, but he was to learn early in life the lesson of self reliance, for just as he was ready to enter college his father's comfortable property was engulfed by the misfortune of a friend. ?????ing a school he taught for some time and was thus enabled to enter Emory & Henry College, Virginia; and alternately imparting and receiving instruction he completed his college course. A few extracts from a book written about their time containing some ?ricepts? and rules of conduct for his own guidance, may aid in forming some estimate of the young man's character at the close of his college career. He had chosen the law as his profession but had not then entered a law school. In the first page of the book are written the ten commandments, then follow the precepts a few of which are quoted. 1. Never to deceive wilfully. 2. When I hear a person evilly spoken of to tell on proper occasions all his good traits and deeds. 3. To treat all with respect but to make none as friends until they are tried and found true. Be punctual in all things even in small matters. Be strict in adherence to truth and every virture, to oppose and denounce vice even when I must respect those who are guilty of it. Concluding he writes "I shall strive to perform these devine commands and wholesome precepts." Principles based upon immutable law formed a fitting foundation for the character of one who was to make the law his profession. He read law with Judge Pearson and was admitted to the bar in 1853. Of his public life we have given a brief picture, yet without a glimpse of the man in his home relations and among his friends. (The following was written and then crossed out - Married to Miss Mary ?E? Porter a true helpmate the picture would be incomplete). Happily marrried to Miss Mary E. Porter, daughter of Stephen Porter of Wythe County, Virginia, a true helpmate. Their home was almost an ideal one, and here was best revealed the nobility of his character. Chivalrous in his devotion to his wife, tender wise and loving in the guidance of his children, ?????? and hostpitable to his friends, he was the embodiment of a truly good man. Beneath his dignified bearing he prosessed a rare fund of (The following was written and then crossed out - fun and genial) humor and among his legal brethern ??? East, he was (The following was written and then crossed out - lovingly nick-named) familiarily know as "Uncle Remus". (The following was written and then crossed out - Among naturaly his closest friends were men of broad intellectualculture and prominent high standing, and from a friendship dating from else time when back were members of the governors council during the war. There were some men dear to him than the late Honorable General Davis of - W. Among) His chosen friends were men of broad intellectual culture, whose names were identified with the highest interests of the state (The following was written and then crossed out - and among them none were more highly esteemed than the late Honorable Davis of W.
  

• Letter from William S. Ball to J.F. Graves

  Letter from William S. Ball to J.F. Graves regarding the settlement of the Surry Tobacco cases. letter, 1 sheet folded so there are 4 writting pages, Greensboro, North Carolina, March 18th, 1878Honorable J. F. Graves, Mt. Airy, North Carolina, Sir: I relation to the settlement of the Surry Tobacco cases, in which you are one of the counsel for the Defendants, I have the honor to make the following communication: Your clients, John M. Brower, C. W. Lewis, John L. Worth, Winston Fulton, W. M. Banner, J. M. Fulton, J. H. Fulton, William Hanner, R. P. Rawley, R. E. Reeves, M. C. Reeves, W. M. Cundiff, J. R. Gilmer, A. L. Porter, L. S. Marion, L. N. Marion, John R. Patterson, W. E. Patterson, Rufus Roberts and Madison Hines, as you of course, are aware made propositions of settlement to the proper authorities at Washington. The ?Commissioner of Internal Revenue instructs me to inform your clients that he has decided with the recommendation of the Honorable Attorney General and the advice and consent of the Honorable Secretary of the Treasury to accept of the said propositions, under the following modifications and conditions towith: The said sum of twelve thousand dollars to be fully and entirely paid before any portion of this compromise shall be operative, as also all the costs and expenses incident to all the said several suits and proceedings, wheter civil or crimmial, together with such reasonable fee to the Assistant District Attorney who has had charge of these several suits and conducted the prosecutions, as the Judge of the Court wherein the siad causes are pending shall certify to be just and reasonable; and provided also that the ?????ents Richard E. Reeves, Micajah C. Reeves, John M. Brower and John L. Worth, who, it appears were indicted under section 3375 R. S. shall come into Court and plead guilty thereto, in order that they may stand in the same position with the other defendents; and there??? the said crimmial proceedings are to stand continued for sentence, which is not to be moved or against either of the said defendants so long as he or they commitno further infractions of the law; the District understanding being and this compromise to be accepted by the said defendants upon this their understanding and consent that if they or either of them shall commit further infractions of the laws relating to internal revenue, then the government shall be at liberty to move for the sentences now suspended in their cases, respectively, no limit standing the payment of the money, which is inno case to be refunded." These terms must be accepted or rejected at the next term of the Court at Greensboro, beginning Monday the first day of April 1878. If accepted, the money, including costs and whatever fee may be allowed to the Assistant District Attorney, must be paid into Court, otherwise the cases will be proceeded with, as if no propositions had been made or considered. I would suggest that the earlier in the term the adjustment is made, if made at all, the less will be the costs, for the reason that if the cases are settled, the witnesses may then be ?disimped? I have no means of knowing what the amount of the costs or the fee will be. John W. Payne, Esq. Clerk of the Court, has been requested to make out the bills of costs so far incurred, which, I presume, he will furnish upon application. Yours ?????, William S. Ball, Appointed U. S. Attorney
  

• Maude Lee Griffith Portrait

  Portrait of Maude Lee Griffith born 16 August 1887 in Surry County. Died in 21 September 1937. Daughter of Robert Franklin Griffith and Virginia Boyles.
  

• Celebration of Life for Mrs. Almarie Thompson Franklin

  Funeral program for Almarie Thompson Franklin
  

• Home Going Celebration for Mrs. Sina R. Franklin

  Funeral program for Sina R. Franklin