Craven County Genealogy

The Craven County Genealogy category contains posts and various records, including deeds, wills, land records, census records, tax lists, bastardy bonds, Bible records, apprenticeship bonds, estate records, and more.

For even more information on Craven County Genealogy, check out the East Carolina Roots Forum, where you'll find surname-specific forums, as well as a General Discussion forum.

Is Harriet Morris a relative of Laban Morris?

Sara Whitford 3 Comments

(This article was originally published July 25, 2018. It was most recently updated June 6, 2019.) It’s now worth investigating the possibility that Harriet Morris is a daughter of Thomas Morris of Beaufort County and granddaughter of Elisha Morris. While Laban descendants undoubtedly share some kind of DNA with Harriet Morris descendants, I’m doubtful it’s enough […]

Who was Nancy MORRIS?

Sara Whitford Leave a Comment

(This article was originally published January 22, 2014. It was most recently updated June 6, 2019.) Nancy MORRIS shows up in the household of Laban MORRIS in 1850 and 1860, and best I can tell from ages on census records, she was living with the family as early as 1830. Many years ago, before I realized how […]

Brick Walls: Jesse P. Vendrick, Sr.

Becky Sumrell Leave a Comment

My 5th great-grandfather, Jesse P. Vendrick, was probably born in Craven County circa 1760. The identities of his parents and the mother of his children are mysteries. Why? Because there were two Jesse Vendricks in this generation. I think. Thought? I don’t know! And there are two, possibly three, more Jesse Vendricks in the next […]

Brick Walls: Dewitt Sumberlin/Sumrell

Becky Sumrell Leave a Comment

Dewitt Sumrell was born circa 1825 in Lenoir County. This date is a guessimate based upon the birth dates of his two known sons in the mid to late 1840s. The place, though, comes from the death certificate of his son, James Henry Sumrell. According to James’s son, the informant, both James and Dewitt were […]

The Brother-in-Law Conundrum

Becky Sumrell Leave a Comment

The word “brother-in-law” is becoming the bane of my research. In earlier times, the term “in-law” had a broader scope than is now the case. Pretty much anyone related to you by marriage was an in-law. Therefore, a brother-in-law could be one in the modern sense, a stepbrother, or even the brother of your brother’s […]