There were, at least, 3 Lewis Avery/Averitts living in Craven, Beaufort and/or Pamlico Counties in the late 1800s and early 1900s and all of them were born in about 1850. This made it a challenge to figure out which one was mine. And I'm still not absolutely certain I am correct. But, by process of elimination, he is what I am left with.
First, my 2nd great-grandmother was Lula Marinda Avery Gatlin. According to her death certificate, she was born 16 May 1875 to Lewis and Catherine Gaskins Avery. The only reason I know her middle name is because it is on her husband, Albert L. Gatlin's, World War I draft registration card. When I looked at marriage records, I found one dated 7 August 1874 for Lewis Avery and Julia Catherine Gaskins. Looking at census records told me Julia was the daughter of Asa Gaskins and Marinda Ross. Asa's 1875 will gives her married name as "Evert." Those same census records showed me the three Lewis Avery/Averitts: Lewis Franlin Avery, son of Wiley Avery and Elizabeth Arnold, Lewis H. Avery, Stepehn Avery and Ada Foy and Lewis Averitt, son of James Averitt and Nancy Anderson. And, as I said, they were all born in about 1850!
Lewis Franklin Avery's middle name or initial are almost always used in the records which helped a great deal. He's the one who married Nancy Caroline "Carrie" Riggs 27 Oct 1874 then Annie West 19 Aug 1891. And for some reason, all of his children had names ending in "ie." According to his tombstone, he was born 24 Jul 1849 and died 19 February 1902.
Lewis Harvey Avery was the son of Stephen Avery and Nancy Ada Foy and was born, according to his tombstone, in 1851 and died 1933. He married Sophia Toler 24 December 1879.
The last Lewis Avery was, according to the 1850 census, was born to James Averitt and Nancy Anderson in 1850, his age is given as 1/12. If he is the L. H. Averitt buried in the Sweet Delight Cemetery, his tombstone says he was born 21 May 1850 and died 13 July 1909. I know that another child of James and Nancy is buried there, Elizabeth Ann Averitt Foy Stilley. And I also know that another of their daughters, Eleanor, married Julia's brother, Henry Allen Gaskins. I think he may also be the Lewis Avery living in the household of Colin Willis in 1900. He's listed as married, though only for 15 years. I also believe he's the one to marry Mary "Mollie" Bush 18 October 1903. If this is, as I believe, my Lewis Avery, then he and Julia must have divorced at some point, because, according to Find a Grave, she died in New Hanover County in 1920.
Woohoo! Now we're getting somewhere interesting!
I have a question for you: Is Nancy Ada Foy the same person as Nancy Gardner? This has confounded me for years! I know this isn't your line, but I'm wondering if you've been able to sort it out while you were researching your Lewis.
I had found a marriage bond for Stephen Avery (Averitt) and Nancy Gardner in 1845 with James Averitt as the bondsman. I'm guessing this James was James, the son of Enoch Averitt, uncle of Stephen who apparently helped raise him. Stephen was the illegitimate son of my 4th great-grandmother Selah Averitt (Holmes) and Joseph Hardy.
This James is also the one who married Nancy Anderson from what I can tell.
Sorry, I haven't really found anything that confirms whether or not they were the same person. I haven't even found anything that confirms Ada's first name was Nancy. Or, if I have, I didn't include it in my notes.
