This past week I spent two days at NC Archives reading through the Indenture/Apprentice records for Bertie County ca. 1750-1839.  My goal was to find some untold record hopefully relating to my Burris family who removed to Stanly County NC. That, and to locate a solid connection to family who moved to Maury County in Tennessee.

Reading through hundreds of pages, I failed to add to what’s already known about the Burris family.  However, yesterday afternoon, I came across one record that may be of value to those searching the Hathcock family who settled in now Stanly County. Before showing  you the document in question I’d like to share my general observations of what I saw and read.

It seems easily, that more that 30% of the entries I read were for young orphans who were listed as either “Free People of Color,” Black, or Mulatto. It’s odd and I still can’t fully wrap my mind around the use of various tags placed on people of the day.  However, I do know that Free People of Color were considered mixed, being part white and part black or native. I guess they could also be a mix of black and native. I think Mulatto is similar but I cannot distinguish any difference from the label used for Free People of Color.

You can see above that on 9 Feb 1818, the court placed “Jesse Heathcock, aged eleven years on the 15th March next” to live with Peter Kirkham to learn the art and mystery of a Carpenter. From the above we know Peter is a carpenter. Also, subtracting 11 from 1819, we know this Jesse was born in 1808. There is no mention of race so it appears from the record that this Jesse was considered to be white.

Now, from but a few web sites I’ve seen connected to the Hathcock family of Stanly County, a Jesse Hathcock is mentioned who married a person named Mary. This Jesse is listed in family histories as being born ca. 1808.  A perfect match.

I’ve not researched the above enough to proclaim a change in the Hathcock Family status quo. It’s presented here only as a bit of information worthy of further research which will hopefully be seen and researched by those whose families may be impacted.