Franklin County Family Histories

 

Solomon Family History, Part 2 Contributed by: Joe Max Williams, Columbia, TN, obtained from records at Auburn University Copy of Letter from Josiah Bridges Solomon to Frank Solomon, grandson of William Solomon & Harty Bridges.

He had a number of children, viz: John, Josiah, Benjamin Bell, William, and George W. His daughters were Tempe, Martha, Lucy and Elizabeth. All these lived to be grown and married except William who died young. John left the state and went to AL before my recollection. I do not know whom he married. He had a son who the family called Frank who visited his relatives in NC when I was a lad of about 12 years of age. He was a fine specimen of manhood. Josiah Bridges, son of Josiah Bridges, married Elizabeth A. Hutchins of Wake County, NC. Tempe married Caswell Finch of VA. Lucy and Martha each married a Denby. The Denbys were named Thomas and John. Both my Aunt Denbys having died, the men left NC and moved to Indiana. Benjamin Bell Bridges married Rebecca Southerland of Warren Co., NC, daughter of James Sutherland. George Bridges married Miss Delany Bryant of Nash County. Elizabeth Bridges and my father, Jeremiah Solomon, were married March 4, 1818.    Mrs. Elizabeth Bridges Solomon was in every sense a worthy wife of my father.  Her mother died when she was quiet young, but old enough to have received such careful training as to qualify her for the faithful discharge of her duties of life.  She had received only such school education as was afforded by  neighborhood schools. These are what was known as subscription schools.  The aspirant to the position of School Teacher would go around among the citizens of the neighborhood in which he proposed to teach and ascertain how many pupils each head of the family would agree to send to school -or enter as pupil - at a specified price per term of so many months.  If he could secure pupils enough to justify his teaching the school, he or she ( but almost universally he and not she ) would fix a day for opening school, when it was expected that every pupil entered would be on hand, and usually they were all there, ready to take the measure of the new teacher.  This they generally accomplished in two or three days.  I do not mean that they measured his scholarship, but the man.  Whether he loved children, whether he was firm in his demands upon them; whether he was kindly disposed toward his pupils, or was a surly or tyrannical disposition.  And it was a rare thing that the teacher was not correctly measured and estimated before the first week if school was out But if my mother had not the educational advantages which are enjoyed by the present generation, she was a woman of rare mental endowments naturally, and used these natural powers wisely and conscientiously.  AS A WIFE She was a model.  She always treated her husband with a marked respect, and his opinion with due deference, while he often sought her opinion on matters pertaining to their mutual interest. I do not remember an instance in which my father entered  into any business of importance in regard to which he did not consult my mother?s judgment, while she never had a disposition to assume the direction of management of affairs which belonged peculiarly to his department of family government.  With true wifely devotions and confidence in his judgement and integrity she leaned upon him, looked up to him as the head of the family, deferred to his judgement when they held diverse opinions on any given question of family affairs.  Hence they lived together thirty two years without discord or strife , each striving to promote the best interest of the family, training their children to habits of industry and usefulness and , above all else, training them in love and service of God.  As intimated above.

AS A MOTHER  she was above praise.  She was ready to do all that sacred name involves at what ever cost of toil and self denial.  She never refused nor failed to do what her sound judgement guided by the word of God dictated as her duty.  In every instance her watchful eye was upon her children, to admonish, to restrain, to encourage and, whatever she thought necessary, to punish for the good of the child. She was ever indulgence when indulgence was admissible, but beyond that she would not go.  Like my father, she required strictest conformity to parental authority.  When she spoke she meant all she said and exacted all that she required of her children, obedience to the letter.  Parental authority was the supreme law of the household.  And yet she and my father were devotedly affectionate to their children.  Their love, however, was not of the sickly sentimental character that was fickle or changeable, or that prompted them to silly, not to say, cinnival indulgence of the whims and caprices of inexperienced youth.  It was of that sturdy and unchangeable character that jealously watched for the lasting welfare of the children, both as citizens of the state and heirs of the eternal inheritance.        Now, in my old age , I thank God for such parents. On the 9th of Sept.,1884, after remaining a widow of more than 32 years, she quietly fell asleep in Jesus at the old house in which she had lived 50 years and her remains rest in the family burying ground beside those of my father, mingling with those of a number of her children.

BIRTHS, DEATHS, AND MARRIAGES OF SOLOMONS Jeremiah Solomon, youngest son and child of William and Diana Solomon, was born in Franklin Co., NC, January 30th, 1790 and departed life June 28th, 1852.  Elizabeth Bridges, daughter of Josiah and Martha Bridges, was born in Franklin Co., NC, April 8th, 1800 and departed this life September 9th, 188-. Jeremiah and Elizabeth were married March 4th, 1818.                    BIRTHS AND DEATHS OF THEIR CHILDREN  Diana Martha Solomon  February 10th, 1819-June 30th, 1820             Lavinia Ann Solomon    May 2nd, 1821-October 5th, 1884             Josiah Bridges Solomon January 18th, 1824             William Purefoy Solomon April 22nd, 1826-February 21st, 1873             Elizabeth Helen Solomon February 13th, 1829-March 20th, 1849             Mary Ellen Solomon March 22nd, 1834       Jeremiah Henry Solomon January 18th, 1836-January 29th, 1859             Lucy Isabella Solomon September 6th, 1839-June 17th, 1856       Martha Augusta Solomon October 20th, 1843  MARRIAGES              Lavinia Ann married William Powell of Wake Co., NC, March 8th, 1843             Josiah Bridges married Mary Malissa Burges of Warren Co., NC, October 22nd, 1849             Mary Ellen married John C. McCraw of VA, July 28th, 1859             William Purefoy Solomon married Mary Pryor Brinkley of Halifax Co., NC             Martha Augusta Solomon married William J. Judd of Wake Co., NC                                     Children of Josiah B. and Mary Melissa Solomon               John Burgess Solomon, 06 Mar 1853, Warren Co., NC, 15 July, 1884, Magnolia,  La Rue Co., KY             William Thomas Solomon, 25 Aug 1850, Davis Co., NC,             Josiah Bridges Solomon, 06 Dec 1854, Warrenton, NC, 12 Sep 1856, Warrenton, NC             Martha Alston Solomon