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Lest We Forget ; Our Melvins and Kin by Lionel Dane Melvin NCMcKay Home "Lest" Contents Page Book Index-> A-F, G-Mc, M-Q, R-Y <--Pg. 069 Pg. 071--> 70 ies of Bladen, Robeson, Cumberland and Sampson counties, many of them assuming leadership positions. One son was high Sher- iff, another sat on the Count of Pleas and Quarter Sessions, and a grandson was a captain in the Civil War. Perhaps no- thing reveals more the character of the man than a story told me many years ago by a Melvin descendant, the late Gaston P. Sutton, then an elderly man approaching his eighties. It seems, according to Mr. Sutton, that JOHN MELVIN in his old age used to regularly take his place on one of the benches under the water oak on the northwest corner of the court- house square in Elizabethtown during court week along with other old timers who passed their hours exchanging favorite tales of yesteryear. As was common then, an "upcountry" wag- on drew up on one occasion bearing apples and cider for sale. A conversation began and it was learned that the stranger was from that part of the country where JOHN once lived and fell in love with Mary Jane Nutt. JOHN asked him if he knew her and the stranger replied, "Yes, she is married and has seven children". To which JOHN responded, "Tell her when you go back home that you saw JOHN MELVIN and he kept his word. He never married, but he is the father of 22". A great-great grandson, JOHN BROADUS MELVIN, has prepared for me a break- down of the children of the two wives which follows: son, Sheriff James Melvin, born 15 Feb. 1797, died 4 Feb. 1881. Married Miriam Simmons, born 4 March 1804, died 27 Nov. 1881. son, ROBERT MELVIN, born 16 Dec. 1801 in Bladen County, N.C., died 1881 in Cumberland County, N.C., and buried at Beaver Dam. Married Martha Smith, born 13 Sept. 1813, died 16 Jan. 1871 in Cumberland County. son, Jonathan Melvin, born in Bladen County, N.C., 1803, died in Bladen 5 May 1875 and buried in the Melvin -Tatum Cemetery at Peters Creek, N.C. Unmarried. dau. Elizabeth Melvin, married Joshua Tatum. Children: son, Robert W. Tatum, born in Bladen County, N.C., 18 Aug. 1833, wounded in battle in Virginia during the Civil War, recovered and assigned to Fort Fisher where he died 19 June 1861 and was buried in the Melvin-Tatum Cemetery at Peters Creek in Bladen County, N.C. dau. Julia Ann Tatum, born 23 Dec. 1834, died 25 July 1879 and buried in the Melvin-Tatum Cemetery at Peters Creek, Bladen County, N.C. son, Daniel Melvin, died young. son, Frank Melvin, no further information. dau. CATHERINE MELVIN, born 30 Nov. 1791, died 20 Oct. 1864. Married Henry Bullard, born 17 March 1791, died 29 July 1873. son, Thomas Melvin, died young. dau. Damaris Melvin, born in 1808, died 6 Jan. 1882, buried in the Melvin-Tatum Cemetery at Peters Creek in Bladen County, N.C. dau. Rosanna Melvin, born 1806, died after 13 Feb. 1880, before 22 Sept. 1882. (All of the above children were by Kesiah Suggs.) <--Pg. 069 Pg. 071--> |
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