North Carolina Archives
Loose Estate Papers
Tyrrell County (C.R.096.508.20), Box 20
Godfrey, Joseph, 1845

Most of the documents in this file deal with a land and timber dispute of Mark Majette against S. E. Poole and wife Lenora Poole, E. M. Simmons and wife, S. F. Simmons in 1907. The land dispute goes back to a tract of 50 acres in Gum Neck that Josiah Jarman sold to Joseph Godfrey on 12 Jun 1819. E. M. Simmons claims that he bought the land from H. A. Godfrey & W. F. Godfrey in 1883. As evidence in this suit, Mark Majette requested a deposition by Huey Godfrey a descendant of Joseph Godfrey.

Deposition of Hughy Godfrey on 13 April 1908 at Warrensburg, Johnson County, Missouri before William Suddath, Notary Public. He deposes and says as follows:
Q. Your name is Hughey B. Godfrey?
A. Yes sir.
Q. What was your father's name?
A. Joseph Godfrey.
Q. Where did he live?
A. He lived in Tyrrell County North Carolina.
Q. When did he die?
A. He died in 1845.
Q. What children did he leave?
A. He left five children by his last wife and four children by his first wife.
Q. Now let us go back and name them, his sons?
A. The oldest one was Isaac, then Stephen, then Ephreham and then myself, Hugh B. Godfrey.
Q. These you have named are his children by his first wife.
A. Yes sir.
Q. What children did he leave by his second wife?
A. He left Frank, Sallie, Josie, Ollie & Mavy.
Q. Is Isaac dead?
A. Yes sir.
Q. Did he leave any children?
A. No sir, he did not, he starved to death in Salisbury Prison.
Q. Is Stephen dead?
A. Yes sir.
Q. Did he leave any children?
A. Yes sir.
Q. Name them?
A. Hugh Alexander Godfrey & William Franklin Godfrey.
Q. Is Ephreham living?
A. No sir.
Q. Did he leave any children?
A. No sir.
Q. When did Ephreham die?
A. He died I think in about, I think to the best of my judgement he died about 1848, just to my knowledge I will not be positive about it. I was not at home and he died along about then with the dropsey.
Q. Is Frank dead?
A. Yes sir.
Q. Did he leave any children?
A. He left three children, two boys and one girl.
Q. What are their names?
A. Their names are Henry Cornelius, Elvin E. & May Godfrey.
Q. Now did he leave a widow?
A. Yes sir Frank left a widow.
Q. What was her name?
A. Mary Jane Godfrey.
Q. Is she still living?
A. Yes sir.
Q. Where does she live?
A. She lives in Stanton, Macoupen County Illinois.
Q. Now who did May Godfrey marry?
A. She married W. R. George.
Q. I will ask you to state whether Sallie Godfrey is living or not?
A. No sir she is dead.
Q. When did she die?
A. She died in 1846 I think.
Q. Did she leave any children or heirs?
A. No sir she died single.
Q. Is Joseph Godfrey living?
A. No sir he is dead, he is my half brother and died single before he was grown.
Q. Is Ollie living?
A. No sir she died small.
Q. Did she leave any children?
A. No sir-
Q. Is Mavy living?
A. No sir.
Q. Was she married or single?
A. She was married.
Q. Whom did she marry?
A. She married John Walker.
Q. Did she leave any children?
A. No sir.
Q. About when did she die?
A. She died, I think, about 1873, somewheres along there. I think it was then but I won't be positive.
Q. Did your mother die before or after the time your father did?
A. My mother died when I was quite small.
Q. Did your father' second wife die before he did?
A. Yes sir several years, she died before Mavy did. That was Frank's mother. She went to Illinois and died several years before Mavy did.
Q. You are the same Hughey Godfrey that made and executed a deed on September 11 1906 to one Mark Majette, are you not?
A. Yes sir, I am,
Q. And that deed was acknowledged before Allen M. Greer on the 15th, day of September, 1906.
A. Yes sir, I did.
Q. And that deed was to convey your interest in the land of which your father Joseph Godfrey died seized, was it not?
A. Yes sir.
Q. I now hand you a deed executed by Mary J. Godfrey, Cornelius Godfrey, E. E. Godfrey, Callie H. Godfrey, W. R. George & Mary E. George, executed on the 11th. day of October, 1906 to Mark Majette, for the same land you made a deed for and I will ask you to state whether the parties signing this deed are not the widow and children of your half brother Frank Godfrey, deceased, all the parties to the deed acknowledging the same before Elvin D. George, notary public in and for Macoupen County, Illinois on the 25th. day of October, 1906.
A. Yes sir, they are.
Q. Now yourself, the widow of Frank Godfrey, your half brother and his heirs, constitute all the heirs and the only heirs of your father, Joseph Godfrey who are now living?
A. That is a fact, yes sir that is a fact.

Transciber's Notes:

Tyrrell County marriage bonds show the marriage of Joseph Godfrey to Sarah Bartlet on 15 Sep 1816, Joseph Best security.

Hugh B. Godfrey, son of Joseph Godfrey and widowed, died 16 Feb 1919 in Warrensburg, Johnson County, MO at age 85 years, 6 months & 25 days. He was born 22 Jul 1833 in Tyrrell County, NC. He married Elizabeth Snell on 22 Aug 1861 in Madison County, Illinois. The 1870 census of Macoupin County, Illinois shows the family of Hugh Godfrey (37, born NC), Elizabeth Godfrey (38, born Illinois), Mary S. Godfrey (14), Ellen Godfrey (8), Lilly Godfrey (6), Joseph Godfrey (4) and Allie Godfrey (6/12). The 1880 census of Bond County, Illinois shows the family of Hugh B. Godfrey (46, born NC), Elisabeth Godfrey (wife, 45), Nancy E. Godfrey (daughter, 18), Lilly M. Godfrey (daughter, 16), Rosa L. Godfrey (daughter, 14) and Nora A. E. Godfrey (daughter, 10). The 1900 census of Johnson County, Missouri shows the family of Hugh Godfrey (66), Elizabeth Godfrey (wife, 65), Lillie M. Godfrey (daughter, 35), Frank M. Godfrey (son, 25) and Clara M. Sutton (niece, 22).

The 1850 census of Tyrrell County shows Isaac Godfrey (30), Elizabeth Godfrey (45), Silas Swindle (21), Nancy Swindle (18), Gibbs Swindle (16), Sally Godfrey (2) and Joseph Godfrey (11 mo). The 1860 census of Tyrrell County shows Isaac Godfrey (39), Elizabeth Godfrey (51) and Nancy Godfrey (8). Tyrrell County marriage bonds show the marriage of Giles Swindle to Betsy White on 11 Feb 1829, Charles McClees security.

The 1850 census of Tyrrell County shows the household of William J. Patrick (22) with Stephen Godfrey (25). The 1860 census of Tyrrell County shows the household of Tim. Jones Jr. (51) with Stephen Godfrey (35) and Mary Godfrey (36). Stephen & Mary were married within the year. Tyrrell County marriage bonds show the marriage of Stephen Godfrey to Mary Sawyer on 29 Jan 1859, W. W. Walker security. The 1870 census of Tyrrell County shows the household of Mary Godfrey (45) with Mary Godfrey (9), William Godfrey (8) and Hugh Alexander (5) [Hugh Alexander Godfrey.] The 1880 census of Tyrrel County shows the household of Mary Godfrey (55, widow) with William F. Godfrey (18, son) and Huey A. Godfrey (15, son). The 1900 census of Tyrrell County shows the family of William F. Godfrey (Sept 1863,36, married 15 years), Martha A. Godfrey {wife, Feb 1858, 42, married 15 years), Mary E. Godfrey (daughter, Dec 1886, 13), William C. Godfrey (son, Nov 1888, 11), Dola (?) Godfrey (daughter, Oct 1890, 9) and Minnie Godrey (daughter, Sep 1898, 1) and one child having died. The 1910 census of Tyrrell County shows the family of Frank W. Godfrey (48, married 25 years), Martha E. Godfrey (wife, 54, married 25 years), Cleveland (son, 21), Emona M. Godfrey (daughter, 23), Dora Godfrey (daughter, 18), Minnie Godfrey (daughter, 11) and Milton Godfrey (son, 7) and one child having died. Wm. F. Godfrey, age 22, son of Stephen Godfrey & Mary Godfrey, married Martha Simmons, age 24, daughter of P. M. Simmons and Phebie A. Simmons, on 7 Jun 1884 at Frying Pan, Gum Neck, Tyrrell County. William F. Godfrey was born 23 Sep 1863 in Tyrrell County to Stephen Godfrey and May Sawyer and died 12 Jan 1944 at Columbia, Tyrrell County, NC.

Hugh Alexander Godfrey was born 2 Feb 1865 in Tyrrell County and died 26 Apr 1962 in Norfolk, VA. He married Elizabeth Lamb on 19 Dec 1889 in Camden County, NC. The 1900 census of Norfolk, VA shows the family of Huey Godfrey (34, born NC), Lizzie Godfrey (wife, 34, born NC), Lula Godfrey (daughter, 8, born NC) and Burt Godfrey (son, 2, born NC). The 1910 census of Norfolk, VA shows Hugh A. Godfrey (43, widowed, born NC, Lula Godfrey (daughter, 18, born VA), Bert Godfrey (son, 11, born VA), Floyd Godfrey (son, 7, born VA) and Nellie Godfrey (daughter 5, born VA). The 1920 census of Norfolk, VA shows Dora A. Godfrey (Head, 41, wid, born VA), Mary M. Godfrey (daughter, 16, born VA), Alex C. Godfrey (son, 14, born VA) and Willie W. Godfrey (son, 12, born VA). The 1930 census of Norfolk, VA shows H. W. Godfrey (63, born NC), Dora Godfrey (wife, 51, born VA) and Willie Bulifin (step son, 22, born VA). The 1940 census of Norfolk, VA shows Hugh Godfrey (71, born NC), Dora E. Godfrey (wife, 62, born VA) and Willie Bulifant (step son, 32, born VA). Hugh's second wife was Dora Estelle (Ansell) Bulifin. Research shows that the children of Dora in the 1920 census were not children of Hugh Godfrey, but of her first husband.

Franklin Godfrey was born 14 Jan 1834 in Tyrrell County, NC and died 30 Aug 1880 in Macoupin County, IL. He married Mary Jane Sawyer on 25 Dec 1854 in Macoupin County, IL. Mary Jane was born 18 Jul 1838 in Macoupin County, IL, the daughter of Daniel Bowen Sawyer and Minerva Sawyer, and died 13 Jan 1912 in Macoupin County, IL. Daniel Bowen Sawyer was born in Tyrrell County, NC. The 1860 census of Macoupin County, IL shows the fanily of Franklin Godfrey (25, born NC), Mary J. Godfrey (22), Henry Godfrey (5), Elvin Godfrey (3) and Maria Godfrey (1). The 1870 census of Macoupin County, IL shows the fanily of Frank Godfrey (35, born NC), Mary Jane Godfrey (32), Cornelius Godfrey (14), Calvin Godfrey (13) and Maria Godfrey (11). The 1880 census of Macoupin County, IL shows the fanily of Frank Godfrey (46, born NC), Mary Godfrey (wife, 42), Henry Godfrey (son, 24), Elvin E. Godfrey (son, 23) and Mary Godfrey (daughter, 21).

The 1850 census of Macoupin County, IL shows Danah Godfrey (45, born NC) and Mary Godfrey (7, born NC) in the household of Daniel B. Sawyer (37, born NC). The 1870 census of Macoupin County, IL shows Dina Godfrey (64) living in the household of Green McManus (42) and Clara McManus (40). Danah/Dina was the second wife of Joseph Godfrey. She was interred in the Tine-Sawyer Cemetery and her maiden name was apparently Sawyer. Macoupin County marriage records show the marriage of Mary Godfrey to John H. Walker on 20 May 1863.

Return to Tyrrell County Probate Records

Updated May 23, 2026
Charles W. Barnes