SOUTHERNS IN NORTH CAROLINA IN THE 1840 FEDERAL CENSUS:
STOKES AND ROCKINGHAM COUNTIES
In 1840 none of the members of the original family of Southerns who came to N.C. from Virginia in 1774 or 1775 are remaining in the N.C. census. Old Reuben I and William II died in the decade of the 1830s. Their younger brother Ford may still be living this year, because in 1839 he signed an affidavit for a widow's pension for Rachel Ward. If living, Ford may be concealed in the household of a daughter whose married name is not known, and could be in Virginia. Except for that one affidavit, Ford disappears from all N.C. records after selling his property in Stokes County in 1823. Ford's other siblings had all migrated out of N.C. before 1820.
The 1840 census is dominated by the sons of Old Reuben I: Reuben II, Stephen, and Joshua, all shown in their 50s, and four of Joshua's sons: James C., Landon, Reuben V., William C., all in their 20s this year with young households. Reuben (III), in his 30s, is believed to be a son of Ford. Two mysteries this year are Polly Southern in her 50s and P.F. (the initials are unclear) Southern in Rockingham County.
Missing this year is William Southern III, a son of Ford born in 1797. He was surely in Stokes County this year. He died in 1846 and was buried at Pine Hall Plantation.
No slaves appear in any Southern household after the death of William II in the 1830s. It is not known what became of the three slaves of William II.
Stokes County White
Males
White
Females
Name 0-4 5-9
10-14 15-19 20-29 30-39
40-49
50-59
60-69
70-79
0-4 5-9
10-14 15-19 20-29
30-39
40-49
50-59
60-69
70-79
Reuben (II)
-
-
1
1
-
-
-
1
-
-
-
1
-
-
1
-
-
-
Stephen
1
1
1
1
1
2
2
1
Joshua
-
-
-
-
1
-
-
1
-
-
1
-
1
-
-
-
1
-
-
-
James (C.)
1
1
1
1
Landon (H.)
-
-
-
-
1
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
1
-
1
-
-
-
-
Reuben (V.)
1
-
-
-
1
-
-
-
-
-
-
1
-
-
1
-
-
-
-
-
William (C.)
1
-
-
-
1
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
1
-
-
-
-
-
Reuben (III)
2
-
-
-
-
1
-
-
-
-
-
2
-
1
-
1
-
-
-
-
Polly
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
1
-
-
-
1
-
-
Rockingham
County
P.F. (D.F.?)
2
1
1
1
Descriptions:
Stokes County White
Males
White
Females
Name 0-4 5-9
10-14 15-19 20-29 30-39
40-49
50-59
60-69
70-79
0-4 5-9
10-14 15-19 20-29
30-39
40-49
50-59
60-69
70-79
Reuben II
-
-
1
1
-
-
-
1
-
-
-
1
-
-
1
-
-
-
Reuben II, aka Reuben Jr., is the son of Old Reuben I. He is with wife Dosia and children who remain at home. One of the boys is Mallory.
Stokes County White
Males
White
Females
Name 0-4 5-9
10-14 15-19 20-29 30-39
40-49
50-59
60-69
70-79
0-4 5-9
10-14 15-19 20-29
30-39
40-49
50-59
60-69
70-79
Stephen
1
1
1
1
1
2
2
1
Stephen, son of Old Reuben I, with wife Rachel. In 1850 the couple had five unmarried daughters, four of them over 30, probably the oldest four seen here.
Stokes County White
Males
White
Females
Name 0-4 5-9
10-14 15-19 20-29 30-39
40-49
50-59
60-69
70-79
0-4 5-9
10-14 15-19 20-29
30-39
40-49
50-59
60-69
70-79
Joshua
-
-
-
-
1
-
-
1
-
-
1
-
1
-
-
-
1
-
-
-
Joshua, oldest son of Old Reuben I, and wife Mary Carter.
Stokes County White
Males
White
Females
Name 0-4 5-9
10-14 15-19 20-29 30-39
40-49
50-59
60-69
70-79
0-4 5-9
10-14 15-19 20-29
30-39
40-49
50-59
60-69
70-79
James (C.)
1
1
1
1
James C., son of Joshua and Mary, starting out with wife Biddy Joyce (married 1834) and young children.
Stokes County White
Males
White
Females
Name 0-4 5-9
10-14 15-19 20-29 30-39
40-49
50-59
60-69
70-79
0-4 5-9
10-14 15-19 20-29
30-39
40-49
50-59
60-69
70-79
Landon (H.)
-
-
-
-
1
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
1
-
1
-
-
-
-
Landon H., son of Joshua and Mary, with wife Mary Ann Carroll (married 1838).
Stokes County White
Males
White
Females
Name 0-4 5-9
10-14 15-19 20-29 30-39
40-49
50-59
60-69
70-79
0-4 5-9
10-14 15-19 20-29
30-39
40-49
50-59
60-69
70-79
Reuben (V.)
1
-
-
-
1
-
-
-
-
-
-
1
-
-
1
-
-
-
-
-
Reuben V., son of Joshua and Mary, with wife Nancy Joyce (married 1834) and young children. Reuben V. and James C. married Joyce sisters in a double wedding in 1834. The "V" in his name is the letter V, his second name initial, not the Roman numeral for 5. He was actually the 4th Reuben in the long chronology of Reubens in the Southern family.
Stokes County White
Males
White
Females
Name 0-4 5-9
10-14 15-19 20-29 30-39
40-49
50-59
60-69
70-79
0-4 5-9
10-14 15-19 20-29
30-39
40-49
50-59
60-69
70-79
William (C.)
1
-
-
-
1
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
1
-
-
-
-
-
William C., son of Joshua and Mary, with wife Sarah Joyce (married 1842) and one young child. Sarah was probably a sister to Biddy and Nancy, who married William's brothers in 1834.
Stokes County White
Males
White
Females
Name 0-4 5-9
10-14 15-19 20-29 30-39
40-49
50-59
60-69
70-79
0-4 5-9
10-14 15-19 20-29
30-39
40-49
50-59
60-69
70-79
Reuben III
2
-
-
-
-
1
-
-
-
-
-
2
-
1
-
1
-
-
-
-
Reuben III, most likely a son of Ford Southern, born in the first decade of the 1800s.
Stokes County White
Males
White
Females
Name 0-4 5-9
10-14 15-19 20-29 30-39
40-49
50-59
60-69
70-79
0-4 5-9
10-14 15-19 20-29
30-39
40-49
50-59
60-69
70-79
Polly
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
1
-
-
-
1
-
-
Polly is a mystery. Perhaps a widow of an unidentified Southern, or the "Patsey" seen in 1830 with a boy under 5. But this year shows a teenage girl living with her, and no boy.
Rockingham
CountyWhite
Males
White
Females
Name 0-4 5-9
10-14 15-19 20-29 30-39
40-49
50-59
60-69
70-79
0-4 5-9
10-14 15-19 20-29
30-39
40-49
50-59
60-69
70-79
P.F. (D.F.?)
2
-
1
-
1
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
1
-
-
-
-
-
P.F. (though the initials could be D.F. or many other combinations) in Rockingham County is a mystery. The most likely candidate seems to be T.S. Southern (Thomas Simpson Southern), a son of William Southern III (son of Ford Southern), born about 1816 and married Elizabeth Foy in Stokes County in 1836. "Thomas S." and Elizabeth were in Rockingham County in 1850 with two boys 10 and 12, which could be the two seen 0-4 this year.