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Mahala
Catherine Miller |
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Born: 06 Apr 1830, Lincoln/Catawba County, NC Died:
09 Jan 1901, Alexander County, NC |
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Mahala Catherine Miller was born 06 Apr 1830 to
Jacob
Miller and Elizabeth Fulbright. Mahala was petite and dark
complected but as capable as a Bantam rooster when it came to
standing up for herself or working. |
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According to the 1850 Census, Mahala was
living with her parents and ten other siblings on the family
farm in Catawba County. She was 20-years-old. |
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1850 Catawba County
Census |
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First Name |
Last Name |
Age |
Sex |
Occupation |
Real Estate
Value |
Birth
County |
Attended
School |
> 20
Can't Read
Or Write |
Jacob |
Miller |
50 |
M |
Farmer |
$400 |
Rowan |
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X |
Elizabeth |
" |
42 |
F |
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Catawba |
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X |
Franklin |
" |
22 |
M |
Farmer |
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" |
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Mahala |
" |
20 |
F |
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" |
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Dolphus |
" |
18 |
M |
Farmer |
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" |
X |
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Isah
(Isaiah) |
" |
16 |
M |
Farmer |
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" |
X |
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Louize |
" |
14 |
F |
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" |
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Peter |
" |
12 |
M |
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" |
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Levan |
" |
10 |
M |
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" |
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Joshua |
" |
6 |
M |
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" |
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Wiley |
" |
4 |
M |
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" |
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Barbary |
" |
3 |
F |
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" |
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Nancy |
" |
1 |
F |
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" |
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Mahala, often called Haley, gave birth to a child out of
wedlock.
The child's name was
David James Fulbright. |
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(Right) Mahala Catherine Miller |
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David James Fulbright was
born on 12 Aug 1855 and he did very well for himself. He owned a
mercantile store with a post office, he was a Justice of the
Peace and even briefly taught school. He married Sarah Fulp and had
a large family. One of their daughters, Sallie Fulbright,
drowned in the accident at the Catawba River which also claimed
the life of
Eliza Jane Goble. These girls were first cousins. Sarah
Fulp Fulbright was a mid-wife and dresser of the dead. She
lovingly had to lay out both girls for their funerals. |
It
is not certain who David James’ father was, although Mahala said that it
was David F. Fulbright, her first cousin. Mahala knew that her
Uncle William and Aunt Regina were well situated and she claimed
David was the father. At the time of conception, David seemed
too young to father the child, but he was named in the Bastardy
Bond and
David James Fulbright
was bound to his grandfather,
Jacob Miller by the Courts. David F. Fulbright was born on
18 Feb 1840 and was killed in the Civil War at the Battle of
Chancellorsville, on 03 Feb 1863. Many believe that the real
father was Randolph Johnson.
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Mahala married widower
J.
Walter "Walton" Douglas in late 1859. Walter Douglas had
been married to Susan Stewart, daughter of Ralph "Rafe" Stewart
and Rebecca Johnson. Walter and Susan had five children, one
being Julius Douglas who married Mahala's sister, Sarah Louise
Miller. Walter also had a son, Leander Byers, before he was
married to Susan. |
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Mahala and Walter had one daughter. |
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Children of J. Walter "Walton" Douglas and Mahala
Catherine Miller |
Name |
Birth Date |
Death Date |
Spouse |
Frances Elizabeth Douglas |
05 Mar 1860 |
3 Jul 1926 |
Jacob Hedrick Goble |
Fannie's headstone
at Sharon Lutheran Church in Iredell County, NC, says
that she was born in 1861. Some documents list her
birth date as 1860 while others list it as 1861.
The most important document, however, is the 1860
Census. On this document F.E. Douglas is listed as
being 3 months old. Fannie could not have been
listed on the 1860 Census if she wasn't born until 1861. |
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The 1860 Census shows Mahala "C.M." married to Walter/Walton and
living in Alexander County, NC, with his 5 children and their
daughter Frances "Fannie" Elizabeth (F.E.) who was
three months old. |
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1860 Alexander County Census |
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First Name |
Last name |
Age |
Sex |
Occupation |
Real Estate
Value |
Personal
Estate
Value |
Birth
Place |
Walton |
Douglas |
39 |
M |
Farmer |
$475 |
$200 |
NC |
C. M. |
" |
31 |
F |
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NC |
J. M. |
" |
13 |
M |
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NC |
M. A. |
" |
11 |
F |
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NC |
M. J |
" |
8 |
" |
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NC |
Daniel |
" |
6 |
M |
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NC |
Eleana |
" |
5 |
" |
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NC |
F. E. |
" |
3/12 |
F |
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NC |
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The 1880 Census shows Mahala and her daughter F.E. (Frances
"Fannie" Elizabeth) Douglas living with Mahala's son David James
Fulbright (age 24)and his family. Mahala's age was 50 and
her daughter Fanny was 20. David's family listed on this
Census were his wife Sarah Jane Fulp Fulbright (age 22), and
their children Arabella Samerimus Fulbright (age 2) and Cora
Anthony Elizabeth Fulbright (age 5 months). |
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Living next door to the Fulbright & Douglas family was Mahala's
brother Levan Miller (age 45), his wife Mary Elizabeth Sipe
Miller (age 33), their children Peter Theodore Miller (age 12),
Ida Matilda Miller (age 10) and Lawrence Noah Miller (age 1).
The Miller's also had a 17 year old servant girl living with
them by the name of Jane Bailey. Levan's wife, Mary, was
listed on the Census as being crippled. |
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1880 Alexander County Census - Miller's Township |
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House |
Name |
R |
Sex |
Age |
Born
1880 |
Relation |
S
M
W |
Occupation |
Health |
*C |
Can't
Read |
Can't
Write |
Born |
Last |
First |
51 |
Fulbright |
D.J. |
W |
M |
24 |
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Head |
M |
Farming |
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NC |
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----- |
S.J. |
W |
F |
22 |
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Wife |
M |
Keeping House |
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NC |
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----- |
A.S. |
W |
F |
2 |
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Daughter |
S |
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NC |
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----- |
C.A.E. |
W |
F |
5/12 |
Jan |
Daughter |
S |
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NC |
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Douglas |
M.C. |
W |
F |
50 |
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Mother |
W |
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X |
NC |
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Douglas |
F.E. |
W |
F |
20 |
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Half-Sister |
S |
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NC |
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52 |
Miller |
Levan |
W |
M |
45 |
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Head |
M |
Farming |
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X |
NC |
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----- |
M.A. |
W |
F |
33 |
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Wife |
M |
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Falling |
X |
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X |
NC |
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----- |
P.F. |
W |
M |
12 |
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Son |
S |
At Home |
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NC |
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----- |
I.M. |
W |
F |
10 |
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Daughter |
S |
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X |
X |
NC |
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----- |
N.L. |
W |
M |
1 |
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Son |
S |
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NC |
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Bailey |
Jane |
W |
F |
17 |
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Servant |
S |
House Keeper |
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X |
X |
NC |
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According to the 1900
Census, Mahala was living in Miller's Township of
Alexander County, NC, with her daughter, Fannie, and Fannie's
husband, Jacob Hedrick Goble. |
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1900 Alexander County Census - Miller's Township |
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Last Name |
First Name |
Relation |
Race |
Sex |
Birth
Date |
Age |
S
M
W |
Years
Married |
Kids
Born |
Kids
Living |
Occupation |
Can
Read |
Can
Write |
Goble |
Jacob |
Head |
W |
M |
Oct 1850 |
39 49 |
M |
14 |
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Farmer |
Yes |
Yes |
------ |
Fanny |
Wife |
W |
F |
Mar 1860 |
40 |
M |
14 |
5 |
4 |
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Yes |
Yes |
------ |
Martin L. |
Son |
W |
M |
May 1887 |
13 |
S |
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Yes |
Yes |
------ |
Eliza J. |
Daughter |
W |
F |
Nov 1890 |
9 |
S |
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Yes |
Yes |
------ |
Otis C. |
Son |
W |
M |
Sep 1893 |
6 |
S |
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------ |
Rebecca |
Daughter |
W |
F |
Aug 1895 |
4 |
S |
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Douglass |
Mahalia |
M-in-Law |
W |
F |
Sep 1829 |
70 |
W |
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3 |
2 |
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Yes |
Yes |
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Mahala Catherine Miller Douglas died 09 Jan 1901. |
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The Landmark
Statesville, NC, Newspaper
Death Notices |
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Douglas, Mahala, Mrs. - Aged
70 years. Died Jan 9, 1901 at her home in
Alexander County near the Iredell line. She was
the mother of D. J. Fulbright of Shiloh Township. |
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SOURCES |
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A special thanks to Boyd and Becky Goble for the
photo of Mahala Catherine Miller. |
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If you have additional photo or information on Mahala Catherine
Miller, please contact me. |
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