Caroline (Holder) Richey Ratliff-Sister of Nelson Holder Ritchie

Not much is known of the life of Caroline but what we know is that she was 2 or 3 years older than Nelson so she was born in Cumberland County (Harnett County) North Carolina abt. 1837. She was the daughter of an unknown slave and Miss. Jane McNeill Holder. I came to this conclusion because she is listed as black, so both parents were most likely black and her brother Nelson is listed as Mulatto because his mother was black and his father was white. December of 1839 when Caroline was 2 years old she was owned by Catherine Murchison, a neighbor of William Holder in Cumberland (Harnett) County North Carolina. It makes me weep at seeing the worth of Caroline and her mother Jane.

 Caroline is listed on the 1840 Cumberland County census as a slave of William Holder. Caroline was taken to Turnback County Missouri by Neal McNeill and his mother Nancy Ray McNeill in 1840. She is listed on the 1850 slave schedule of Neal McNeill as being 12 years old and male (this was incorrect) she is female and is black. Her brother Nelson is listed as 10 years old and female(this was incorrect) he is male and is mulatto. 

                                                                                                                                                                      The first we see of Caroline listed by name is in 1873 in Topeka Kansas. She is listed as Caroline Ratler on a list of letters remaining at the Topeka Postoffice under the name of Nelson  Ritchie. We can assume that her husband James Richey died before 1873 since Caroline is listed as Ratler (Ratliff).

The next time Caroline is mentioned is her obituary the 17 July 1878 in The Wichita Weekly Beacon. The obituary mention's two Ritchey (Ritchie) brothers, but this is Nelson and his second cousin Josephus (Cephus) Richey. Josephus and Nelson took on the name of Ritchie as a tribute to Col. John Ritchie an abolitionist who took Nelson and Josephus in and let them live in his home. Notice that Nelson took on the spelling of Ritchie and Josephus changed it to Richey. I am not sure which spelling Caroline took on, but she was a Ritchie and married a James Richey. James was the brother of Josephus (Cephus) Richey. So Caroline married her second cousin. At some point, Caroline ended up in Cleveland Ohio, where her daughter Anna Richey was born, and then Caroline ended up in Wichita Kansas married to a Mr. Ratliff, and there she died at the young age of 35.

Nelson H. Richey (Ritchie) is mentioned as coming to attend his SISTER Caroline's funeral. 17 July 1878 The Wichita Weekly Beacon.

There is mentioned in the Great Bend Register 18 July 1878 about the death of Caroline Ritchey, SISTER of Nelson Holder Ritchey (Ritchie).

Caroline is buried in the Highland Cemetery in an unmarked grave, in Wichita Kansas. She is in Section 4 Lot 109 grave #7. She is buried by the McAfee family. Her daughter was Anna Richey McAfee. 

Information obtained from the burial records of the Highland Cemetery mention that Anna Richey was born in Cleveland Ohio and is the daughter of James and Caroline Richey. Caroline Richey married her cousin James Richey. Notice that Caroline's name is spelled Ritchey and Richey. At the time of her death, she was Mrs. Ratliff. I cannot find the name of her husband, after many hours of research. Mr. Ratliff must have died before 1878 because there is no mention of him in Caroline's obituary, it only mentions her 15-year-old daughter. 

Caroline's daughter Anna Richey married Abraham McAfee in 1884. Abraham McAfee and his family were very prominent and highly respected people in Wichita Kansas as are their descendants today. Abraham McAfee served in the Spanish American War and Abraham's father Jacob McAfee served in the U.S. Union Army Troops in the Civil war.

 

Wiley Holder son of George Vincent Holder


Wiley Holder was born 25 April 1812 in Duplin County North Carolina. He moved to Cumberland County North Carolina in the 1830's. Wiley is first seen on a land deed in 1835. Next he is listed in 1841 as owing back taxes on his land. In 1845 Wiley is a witness for a court case. In 1846 Wiley has a marriage bond to Ann Blanchard. In 1850 Wiley is on the Census with wife Ann. Wiley in 1848 is selling land to his brothers Ithra and Jacob. In 1848 he is buying land to build a mill with his brothers. In 1860 and 1870 Wiley and Ann are again on the census records as living in Barbecue Harnett North Carolina. 1880 Census shows Wiley and his second wife Catharine living in Barbecue Harnett North Carolina. Wiley dies 2 June 1888 in Barbecue Harnett and is buried in the Holder family cemetery.

When Wiley was 27 years old in 1839 he got a 19 year old slave girl pregnant. This set in motion the family tree we have today.

 This young slave girl's name has not been found. We have named her Miss McNeill Holder. McNeill because her mother and siblings were McNeill's. Holder because she was owned by William Holder the brother of George Vincent Holder. Nelson used the name Holder also.

7 years after the event with Miss McNeill Holder, Wiley married Ann Blanchard in Nov of 1846. Together they had 5 Children:
                              Catherine A Holder born 1847      Never Married
                               Susan Jane Holder born 16 Dec 1848     Never Married         
                              John Vincent Holder born abt 1851   Married Sarah Ann McLean
                              Daniel Wiley Holder born 3 Sep 1854    Married Adelaide Wicker
                               Martin Archie Holder born Aug 1863    Never Married


After Ann's death in 1870 Wiley married Catharine Black and had 2 children together:
                                 Mary Francis Holder born 14 Oct 1875   Married John Albert Carey
                                Andrew Jackson Holder born 26 Apr 1881 Married Sarah Margaret Thomas




                                               SON OF WILEY- JOHN VINCENT HOLDER

                                          SON OF WILEY-DANIEL WILEY HOLDER

ADELAID WICKER,DANIEL WILEY HOLDER,JOHN VINCENT HOLDER,SARAH MCLEAN

                             Wiley Holder land deed-date is wrong should be 1835

                               Wiley Holder 1836 Cumberland County Land

                      1836 Land deed of Wiley Holder Cumberland County North Carolina

                                         Wiley was a witness in a court case 22 Nov 1837

                            Wiley Holder land deed 1838 cumberland County North Carolina

                 Wiley Holder land Harnett County North Carolina-still in the Holder Family

                               Wiley Holder land in Harnett County North Carolina

                                   Wiley Holder Land deed Cumberland County 1848

                    Wiley Holder land deed 1848 Cumberland County North Carolina

                                                          Wiley Holder signiture

                                     1850 Census Cumberland County(1855 became Harnett County)

                                                    1860 Harnett County Census

                                                 1870 Harnett County Census

              1880 Harnett County Census Wiley and second wife Catharine Black

                                       Wiley marriage to first wife Ann Blanchard

                                           Wiley Holder mentioned in middle column

                                                   Wiley Holder land records

                               Wiley Holder's land to be sold in 1841 for back taxes

Hand written note found in old Holder family trunk stating that Wiley is buried in the Holder family Cemetery- NO HEADSTONE FOUND

                                                          1888 Obituary for Wiley Holder

Holder Family Cemetery in Harnett County North Carolina where Wiley and his father and Mother are buried. Cemetery is on Holder property.

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Jenny McLean and Joe McLean parents of Sarah McNeill

In the last month Deena Hill and Desi Campbell ,cousins,found the parents of Sarah McNeill.
In the 1880 Census of Harnett County North Carolina Sarah list her father as born in North Carolina and her mother as born in Virginia.

A Jenny McLean (she was a McLean because Archibald McLean owned her) was found on a 1880 Upper Little River Harnett County North Carolina Census. Jenny is living with her son George and list her birth place as Virginia and her parents birth as Africa. This is a VERY exciting find, you will not see too many people that have proof of coming from Africa in their family tree.

We know this is Sarah's mother because we match DNA from people who descend from George McLean, so if Jenny is George's Mother then that means Jenny is Sarah's Mother and Sarah said her Mother was born in Virginia.

Jenny is living with her son Jim McLean in Barbecue, Harnett,North Carolina which is right next door to Upper Little River where she lived with son George. The age of Jenny in this census is WAY off but that is not unusual with former slaves. The reason being that no records were kept on slave births,death or marriages so as far as age goes it was usually a guess by who ever the census taker was asking.


Double click on this history and it will get bigger for easy reading.

                                                Slaves waiting to be sold in Virginia

                                                      Slaves being sold in Virginia

All the descendants of Jenny and Joe that have had their DNA tested come from these regions of South West Africa.

26 Aug 1820 Will of Archibald McLean listing Jenny and her husband Old Joe and son Young George

                                        up close 1820 Will of Archibald McLean

                        1838 Deed of Hugh M Clark selling Jenny to Archibald McLean Jr.

                                                  up close of 1838 deed of Hugh M Clark

                     1820 Will of Archibald McLean listing Old Joe husband of Jenny and young George son of Joe and Jenny

                                 1880 Upper Little River Harnett North Carolina Census

 Jennie McLean living with her son George in 1880 Upper Little River Harnett North Carolina
Parents listed as born in Africa!! This is very rare to find a document stating this.

             1870 Barbecue, Harnett North Carolina Jenny living with her son James(Jim)

            Jenny living with her son James (Jim) in 1870 Barbecue Harnett North Carolina ages way off but this is her.