Mertz Genealogy - Person Sheet
Mertz Genealogy - Person Sheet
Birth18 June 1854, Sampson Co, NC
BurialClinton City Cemetery, Sampson Co, NC
FatherGeorge W Herring (1828-<1863)
MotherMary Eliza Carroll (1835-1917)
Spouses
Birth14 June 1855, New Hanover Co, NC
BurialClinton City Cemetery, Sampson Co, NC
FatherRobert Calvin Johnson (~1827-<1871)
MotherMargaret Elizabeth Lee (1836-~1895)
Marriageabout 1878
Parent-Proof notes for Francis Withington Herring
The fact that Frank was the son of George W who in turn was the son of Amos is told through Census listings.
I have a copy of his death certificate giving his date of birth, date of death and the names of his parents as George W Herring and Mary Lizer Carroll -- both of whom it says were born in Sampson County. The informant was R B Herring, his son Robert B I assume. He died suddenly of acute dilatation heart.
I have a copy of his death certificate giving his date of birth, date of death and the names of his parents as George W Herring and Mary Lizer Carroll -- both of whom it says were born in Sampson County. The informant was R B Herring, his son Robert B I assume. He died suddenly of acute dilatation heart.
Census History notes for Francis Withington Herring
He apparently lived his entire life in Sampson County.
Research notes for Francis Withington Herring
All information on Frank's ancestors comes from the Herring Family Genealogy book in New Hanover County Library. I have also found WFT 1-2408 which seems to be the earlier version of this book, entered into a tree. The WFT added Mary Jane Fennell's father Nicholas and Rebecca Loftin's father Cornelius.
Frank is 6 in the 1860 Census. The 1900 Census says he was born Jun 1854. They are living in Taylor's Bridge Twp, Sampson Co. His tombstone, which we have seen, says 18 Jun 1854 to 27 Feb 1924.
He is shown living in Taylor's Bridge, Sampson County in the 1880 Census, age 25, a farmer with wife Emma A. He had a sister Eliza Jane who married a Highsmith and a brother Lewis who married Sallie Johnson.
Frank is 6 in the 1860 Census. The 1900 Census says he was born Jun 1854. They are living in Taylor's Bridge Twp, Sampson Co. His tombstone, which we have seen, says 18 Jun 1854 to 27 Feb 1924.
He is shown living in Taylor's Bridge, Sampson County in the 1880 Census, age 25, a farmer with wife Emma A. He had a sister Eliza Jane who married a Highsmith and a brother Lewis who married Sallie Johnson.
My Comments notes for Francis Withington Herring
Emma’s father was Francis Withington Herring. I have already cited the 1900 Census which links Emma Wyatt Herring to her father Frank/Francis and the 1880 Census that finds Frank already married to Emma. We know his birth and death dates from his tombstone (18 Jun 1854 – 27 Feb 1924). He married Emma Alice Johnson in about 1878, but so far I have not been able to find the exact date of that marriage.
His obituary in the Wilmington Star newspaper notes that services were performed for him “at the late residence in Clinton” by two Baptist ministers so Frank and Emma must have been Baptist and presumably Emma Wyatt was raised Baptist, too. It says he was survived by his wife and two daughters – Mrs. T A Lawther of Wilmington and Mrs. R J Farrior of Wallace and a son R B (his name was Robert) Herring of Clinton. He also was survived by a brother, Louis Herring, of Harrell’s Store and a sister Mrs. James Highsmith of Atkinson. Mr. and Mrs. Lawther and little son, of Wilmington, attended the funeral. The little son must have been 8-year old James Wyatt.
His obituary in the Wilmington Star newspaper notes that services were performed for him “at the late residence in Clinton” by two Baptist ministers so Frank and Emma must have been Baptist and presumably Emma Wyatt was raised Baptist, too. It says he was survived by his wife and two daughters – Mrs. T A Lawther of Wilmington and Mrs. R J Farrior of Wallace and a son R B (his name was Robert) Herring of Clinton. He also was survived by a brother, Louis Herring, of Harrell’s Store and a sister Mrs. James Highsmith of Atkinson. Mr. and Mrs. Lawther and little son, of Wilmington, attended the funeral. The little son must have been 8-year old James Wyatt.
Find-a-Grave notes for Francis Withington Herring
Parent-Proof notes for Emma Alice (Spouse 1)
She lived in the household of her parents in 1860 and 1870 Census. Land owned by her father passed to her mother and later her husband.
My Comments notes for Emma Alice (Spouse 1)
Mary, from the beginning, remembered the name Emma Alice Johnson (mother of Emma Wyatt Herring) and of course the Herring book pretty quickly confirmed that as an accurate recollection. But it was a long time until we could get any information on that line.
As we had gotten to know the Herrings, Carrolls and Lambs, it became clear that we had a lot of Sampson County people who tended to marry Sampson County people and stay put. Emma Wyatt Herring was born in Harrell's Store, NC to Frank Herring and Emma Johnson who had only recently been married by 1880. So, it seemed it would be a simple matter to find a Johnson household in the 1860 and/or 1870 Census of Sampson County with a daughter named Emma Alice and in that way learn the name of her father. And there were plenty of Johnson“s in those Census listings, but no Emma to be found in anyone“s household.
The break came when we decided to make a trip to Sampson County and visit some of the towns and villages whose names had been appearing in the records (Clear Run, Harrell's Store, Ivanhoe, Tomahawk, Black River). We also visited the county library in Clinton. They had a fairly good local history room, and there were a few family books there, and about the first one Mary picked up was one on the Johnson family -- not knowing if it had anything to do with her Johnsons or not.
Mary checked the index for Emma, found one, turned to the page and there it all was. It showed Emma Alice Johnson married to Frank Herring with children Myatt Herring (their typo) and Withie Herring and others. It showed further that Myatt married Thomas Alonzo Lawther and had their kids including TA Jr -- so this was a direct hit. It was paydirt and what a history it told of the Johnson (Johnston, Johnstone, de Johnstone) family, back to about the year 1300. Later I found a book at our library that had the same early Johnson ancestors but it branched off from Mary's line about 5 generations back so there was no mention of Emma Alice. Nonetheless it was yet another family historian who believed the very early history as found in the Sampson County book.
It seems hard to believe that we went from having no information on this family to knowing 19 generations by driving 50 miles, but apparently we did. And what a clan it was.
Her birth was probably in what is now Sampson County (may then have been New Hanover). In the 1930 Census, she is listed in the household of Thomas and Wyatt H Lawther in Wilmington. Her obituary in the local paper says she died Saturday morning (20 Aug) at the home of her daughter after a lengthy illness. She was 77. At some point, after her husband died, she obviously came to live in Wilmington.
She is age 24 in the 1880 Census. 1900 Census says Jun 1855 and she is 44. Her tombstone, as transcribed, says 14 Jun 1855 to 20 Aug 1932. The 1900 Census says she and Frank had been married 22 years.
As we had gotten to know the Herrings, Carrolls and Lambs, it became clear that we had a lot of Sampson County people who tended to marry Sampson County people and stay put. Emma Wyatt Herring was born in Harrell's Store, NC to Frank Herring and Emma Johnson who had only recently been married by 1880. So, it seemed it would be a simple matter to find a Johnson household in the 1860 and/or 1870 Census of Sampson County with a daughter named Emma Alice and in that way learn the name of her father. And there were plenty of Johnson“s in those Census listings, but no Emma to be found in anyone“s household.
The break came when we decided to make a trip to Sampson County and visit some of the towns and villages whose names had been appearing in the records (Clear Run, Harrell's Store, Ivanhoe, Tomahawk, Black River). We also visited the county library in Clinton. They had a fairly good local history room, and there were a few family books there, and about the first one Mary picked up was one on the Johnson family -- not knowing if it had anything to do with her Johnsons or not.
Mary checked the index for Emma, found one, turned to the page and there it all was. It showed Emma Alice Johnson married to Frank Herring with children Myatt Herring (their typo) and Withie Herring and others. It showed further that Myatt married Thomas Alonzo Lawther and had their kids including TA Jr -- so this was a direct hit. It was paydirt and what a history it told of the Johnson (Johnston, Johnstone, de Johnstone) family, back to about the year 1300. Later I found a book at our library that had the same early Johnson ancestors but it branched off from Mary's line about 5 generations back so there was no mention of Emma Alice. Nonetheless it was yet another family historian who believed the very early history as found in the Sampson County book.
It seems hard to believe that we went from having no information on this family to knowing 19 generations by driving 50 miles, but apparently we did. And what a clan it was.
Her birth was probably in what is now Sampson County (may then have been New Hanover). In the 1930 Census, she is listed in the household of Thomas and Wyatt H Lawther in Wilmington. Her obituary in the local paper says she died Saturday morning (20 Aug) at the home of her daughter after a lengthy illness. She was 77. At some point, after her husband died, she obviously came to live in Wilmington.
She is age 24 in the 1880 Census. 1900 Census says Jun 1855 and she is 44. Her tombstone, as transcribed, says 14 Jun 1855 to 20 Aug 1932. The 1900 Census says she and Frank had been married 22 years.
Find-a-Grave notes for Emma Alice (Spouse 1)