The following titles include information pertinent to Beaufort, Carteret, Craven, Granville, Halifax, Hyde, Orange, Rowan, Sampson, Pasquotank, and Vance Counties, and Eastern North Carolina.

Reviews of these publications appear in
The North Carolina Genealogical Society Journal.

Afro-American Death Notices
from Eastern North Carolina Newspapers, 1860 – 1948
65 pp.
$12.00, $1.75 shipping

REVIEW:
       -- Maurice C. York -- Joyner Library, East Carolina University--Greenville, NC
Mr. Munson’s book is a very valuable source of information. There is a growing interest in African Americans among historians and genealogists alike, and this book has important material for both groups. Professional historians will appreciate the references to free blacks and slaves before and during the Civil War, people engaged in the fishing industry, and the subtle revelations about race relations that spring from these obituaries. Persons who seek facts about their ancestors will, of course, appreciate Mr. Munson’s efforts. This book unlocks many facts that would be hard to glean and sheds light on an important aspect of the state’s history.

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Afro-American Death Notices
from Eastern North Carolina Newspapers, 1859 – 1935
75 pp.
$10.00, $1.75 shipping

Searching for African American death notices from mid-nineteenth to early twentieth century Eastern North Carolina newspapers can sometimes be like the proverbial needle. Some papers included them; some did not. Eastern North Carolina African American researchers will find valuable information contained in this book.

Beaufort News, Beaufort, NC, Obituaries
Volume 1, 1920 – 1929
201 pp., full-name index
$30.00 + $2.50 shipping

There are approximately 500 obituaries in Volume 1, transcribed as originally published, with no corrections made for mistakes in spelling, grammar, and usage. Valuable genealogical information is provided, including cause of death, names of relations, residence, and out-of-town visitors. These are not written-to-formula obituaries such as one finds today, but ones that often include interesting bits of information about the deceased.

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Beaufort News, Beaufort, NC, Obituaries
Volume 2, 1930 – 1933
162 pp., full-name index
$25.00 + $2.50 shipping

There are approximately 350 obituaries in Volume 2, transcribed as originally published, with no corrections made for mistakes in spelling, grammar, and usage. Valuable genealogical information is provided, including cause of death, names of relations, residence, and out-of-town visitors. Often the obituaries include interesting bits of information about the deceased, such as “an 83-year-old Confederate who had enlisted at age fifteen” and “a 60-year-old beheaded by a train.”

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Beaufort News, Beaufort, NC, Obituaries
Volume 3, 1934 – 1937
148 pp., full-name index
$25.00 + $2.50 shipping

There are approximately 400 obituaries in Volume 3, transcribed as originally published, with no corrections made for mistakes in spelling, grammar, and usage. Valuable genealogical information is provided, including cause of death, names of relations, residence, and out-of-town visitors. Often the obituaries include interesting bits of information about the deceased.

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Beaufort News, Beaufort, NC, Obituaries
Volume 4, 1938 – 1941
136 pp., full-name index
$25.00 + $2.50 shipping

There are over 300 obituaries in Volume 4, which covers the latter days of the Great Depression to the start of World War II. Since Carteret County is a coastal county, there are obituaries for persons connected with the sea, including sailors, lighthouse keepers, tug boat captains, and sailing masters. The last obituary in the book is for a young man who was on board the USS Oklahoma at Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941.

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Beaufort News, Beaufort, NC, Obituaries
Volume 5, 1941 – 1945
167 pp., full-name index
$25.00 + $2.50 shipping

There are approximately 500 obituaries in Volume 5, transcribed as originally published, with no corrections made for mistakes in spelling, grammar, and usage. The book covers the war years. Over twenty men from Carteret County were killed, one aboard the USS Oklahoma at the start of the war, December 7, 1941, and one near the end at Lobach, Germany, April 8, 1945. The obituaries contain much genealogical information.

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Beaufort News, Beaufort, NC, Obituaries
Volume 6, 1946 – 1948
120 pp., full-name index
$22.00 + $2.50 shipping

There are over 300 obituaries in Volume 6, the last volume in the series. The presence of World War II is still felt as missing men are declared dead and bodies of those killed in action are returned for burial. Much genealogical information is included, including parents of deceased, residence, occupation, church preference, children, and other family relatives.

Carteret County, NC: War on the Home Front
Volume 1, December 1941 – December 1942
164 pp., full-name index
$25.00 + $2.50 shipping

This book compiles articles from the Beaufort News, which tell what the people in Carteret County were coping with and what they were called upon to do in 1941 and 1942. Not everyone who goes to war wears a uniform. This is especially true of those who remain behind on the home front. Yet their service is just as valuable. They gave time to the Red Cross, served as airplane spotters and air raid wardens, raised money for the war effort, gave moral support to their family and friends serving in far-off lands, all the while doing without necessities such as sugar and gasoline. These transcriptions give a powerful insight into the war era.

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Carteret County, NC: War on the Home Front
Volume 2, 1943
170 pp., full-name index
$25.00 + $2.50 shipping

REVIEW:
         -- Jack Spencer Goodwin
              -- Library Director, Carteret County Historical Genealogical Society
This compilation is really a documentary history of World War II in Carteret County – the raw material of history, presented without an historian’s comments or revisions. It creates a sense of immediacy in the reader that cannot be duplicated in a conventional narrative. The war period was both exciting and tragic. The accounts of those days as presented here rekindle those emotions in the reader. Carteret County once again is in debt to Mr. Munson for his contributions to our history.

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Carteret County, NC: War on the Home Front
Volume 3, 1944
138 pp., full-name index
$25.00 + $2.50 shipping

The beginning of 1944 found men and women from Carteret County serving in all theaters of war. During the year some would be killed; a number would be wounded; many would be decorated for bravery. Almost 700 names are listed, along with the individual’s rank, location (unless vital to wartime secrecy), and what they were doing.

On the home front civilians still dealt with rationing. Some critical goods, like tires and kerosene, continued to be rationed, while rationing of other items, like pressure cookers and feed grinders, was stopped. Citizens worked to raise money for the War Fund Drives either through direct contributions or through working at money-raising events.

Scrap paper was still being collected for the war effort. Not one sinking by a U-Boat off the North Carolina coast was reported in the Beaufort News during 1944.

Citizens of Beaufort County , NC, and Vicinity
1815-1825
136 pp., full-name index
$20.00 + $2.00 shipping

The American Recorder was the second newspaper to be published in Beaufort County . It was a weekly paper and was published from 1815 to 1825, first by I. M Williams, then by John M Williams. In addition to news of local, national, and international interest, the American Recorder, published in Washington, N. C., carried a variety of advertising. These advertisements for the years 1815 1825 are compiled in this volume. In them the citizens of Beaufort County and the surrounding area sold their houses, lots, personal property, and slaves; store owners advertised their stock and wares; owners sought runaway slaves, indentured apprentices and stolen or strayed horses; items were lost and advertised for; proceedings of courts were published; property was listed for sale to satisfy delinquent taxes; craftsmen advertised their products. Notices of marriages and deaths are compiled. The names of almost 900 citizens are indexed.

Citizens of Craven County, NC, and Vicinity
Volume 1, 1809 – 1813
109 pp., full-name index
$20.00 + $2.00 shipping

The Carolina Federal Republican was published once a week in the town of Newbern. The price of a subscription was three dollars, one half to be paid in advance, the remainder due at the end of six months. Advertisements cost seventy-five cents a square for the first week and thirty-five cents for each continuance.

These advertisements for the years 1809 –1813 are compiled in this volume. In them the citizens of Craven County and the surrounding area sold and rented their houses, sold lots, plantations, personal property, and slaves; owners sought runaway slaves; horses strayed; items were lost and sought; proceedings of courts were published. In 1812, war was declared between the United States and Great Britain. The Carolina Federal Republican carried the war declaration, a copy of which appears at the end of this volume. The war brought advertisements for deserters from the army and navy; in one, thirty-five deserters are sought. Also advertised were prize cargoes from ships captured by American privateers, such as the Snap Dragon, captained by Otway Burns.

The names of around 600 citizens are found in these advertisements.

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Citizens of Craven County, NC, and Vicinity
Volume 2, 1814-1818
141 pp., full-name index
$20.00 + $2.00 shipping

Volume 2 completes this series of compilations of advertisements from the Carolina Federal Republican, a newspaper published in New Bern, NC, in the first decades of the nineteenth century. The index contains over 1,000 names of residents of Craven County and the surrounding areas.

Citizens of Edgecombe County, NC, and Vicinity
1826 - 1830
122 pp., full-name index
$20.00 + $2.00 shipping

In addition to news of local, national, and international interest, the Tarborough Free Press, published in Tarborough, N. C., carried a variety of advertising. These advertisements for the years 1826 – 1830 are compiled in this volume. In them the citizens of Edgecombe County and the surrounding area sold their houses, lots, plantations, personal property, and slaves; store owners advertised their stock and wares; owners sought runaway slaves, indentured apprentices and stolen or strayed horses; schools opened for students; items were lost and sought; proceedings of courts were published. The names of almost 700 citizens, some listed numerous times, are found in these advertisements. There are two dates at the end of each ad. The one in bold type is the date it appeared in the paper; the other is probably the date of its submission.

Citizens of Halifax County, NC, and Vicinity
1824-1825
57 pp., full-name index
. . .$10.00 +$1.50 shipping

The Free Press carried a variety of advertising. These advertisements for the years 1824 – 1825 are compiled in this volume. In them the citizens of Halifax County and the surrounding area sold their houses, lots, plantations, personal property, and slaves; store owners advertised their stock and wares; owners sought runaway slaves and stolen or strayed horses; schools opened for students; items were lost and sought; proceedings of courts were published. The names of almost 200 citizens, some listed numerous times, are found in these advertisements.

Citizens of Orange County, NC, and Vicinity
Volume 1, 1820 – 1822
111 pp., full-name index
$20.00 + $2.00 shipping

The Hillsborough Recorder carried news of local, national, and international interest, plus a variety of advertising. These advertisements for the years 1820 – 1822 are compiled in this volume. In them the citizens of Orange County and the surrounding area sold their houses, lots, plantations, personal property, and slaves; store owners and tailors advertised their stock and wares; owners sought runaway slaves and apprentices and stolen or strayed horses; traveling dentists set up shop; schools, such as English, dancing, and singing, opened for students; watches, clothes, notes of hand, and deeds of trust were lost and sought; proceedings of courts of equity were published. The names of almost 600 citizens, some listed numerous times, are found in these advertisements.

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Citizens of Orange County, NC, and Vicinity
Volume 2, 1823 – 1829
127 pp., full-name index
$20.00 + $2.00 shipping

The Hillsborough Recorder carried news of local, national, and international interest, plus a variety of advertising. These advertisements for the years 1823 – 1829 are compiled in this volume. In them the citizens of Orange County and the surrounding area sold their houses, lots, plantations, personal property, and slaves; owners sought runaway slaves and apprentices; business owners advertised their wares; items, such as notes of hand, were lost and sought; dancing schools opened for students; trust sales were held; proceedings of courts were published; and the county sheriff notified citizens of the taxes due on their property for the past year. The names of over 700 individuals are found in these advertisements.

Citizens of Rowan County, NC, and Vicinity
Volume 1, 1820-1822
167 pp., full-name index
$25.00 + $2.50 shipping

In addition to news of local, national, and international interest, the Western Carolinian, published in Salisbury, N. C., carried a variety of advertising. These advertisements for the years 1820 – 1822 are compiled in this volume. In them the citizens of Rowan County and the surrounding area sold their houses, lots, plantations, personal property, and slaves; store owners advertised their stock and wares; owners sought runaway slaves, indentured apprentices and stolen or strayed horses; items were lost and sought; proceedings of courts were published. Notices of marriages and deaths are compiled as well as interesting news articles containing the names of citizens. The names of almost 1,300 citizens are indexed.

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Citizens of Rowan County, NC, and Vicinity
Volume 2, 1823-1824
197 pp., full-name index
$25.00 + $2.50 shipping

In addition to news of local, national, and international interest, the Western Carolinian, published in Salisbury, NC, carried a variety of advertising. These advertisements for the years 1823-1824 are compiled in this volume. In them the citizens of Rowan County and the surrounding area sold their houses, lots, plantations, personal property, and slaves; store owners advertised their stock and wares; owners sought runaway slaves, indentured apprentices, and stolen or strayed horses; items, such as pocket books and overcoats, were lost and sought; proceedings of courts were published; sheriffs advertised real estate for sale to satisfy delinquent taxes. Notices of marriages and deaths are compiled as well as interesting news articles containing the names of citizens. The names of almost 2,000 citizens are indexed.

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Citizens of Rowan County, NC, and Vicinity
Volume 3, 1825-1826
207 pp., full-name index
$25.00 + $2.50 shipping

In addition to news of local, national, and international interest, the Western Carolinian, published in Salisbury, NC, carried a variety of advertising. These advertisements for the years 1825-1826 are compiled in this volume. In them the citizens of Rowan County and the surrounding area sold their houses, lots, plantations, personal property, and slaves; store owners advertised their stock and wares; owners sought runaway slaves, indentured apprentices, and stolen or strayed horses; items, such as pocket books and overcoats, were lost and sought; proceedings of courts were published; sheriffs advertised real estate for sale to satisfy delinquent taxes. Notices of marriages and deaths are compiled as well as interesting news articles containing the names of citizens. The names of almost 1,900 citizens are indexed.

Creedmoor Times-News, Creedmoor, Granville County, NC
1915, 1918 & 1919
60 pp., full-name index
$10.00 + $1.50 shipping

The Creedmoor Times-News was published each Wednesday in Creedmoor, Granville County, NC. Only the years 1915, 1918, & 1919 were available. There are approximately 100 obituaries in this volume. Family members, friends, and even physicians were among the obituary writers, and they often included poetry when speaking of the deceased. There is a strong religious faith expressed in many of the write-ups. Heart trouble, Bright’s disease, and appendicitis were causes of death; almost 25 percent died from influenza and pneumonia.

Hyde County Messenger, Fairfield, NC
Obituaries, 1926-1941
131 pp., full-name index
$25.00 + $2.00 shipping

The Hyde County Messenger was a monthly publication of the Hyde County Baptist Churches. Its purpose was “to promote the interest of God and advance his Kingdom’s work, and to deepen the spiritual life of the church, home, and entire community.” The magazine’s run is incomplete. Only certain volumes were available for microfilming, and not all years have a complete 12 issues. Some issues had material clipped before microfilming. In spite of this, over 400 obituaries were found for this volume. Family names having large numbers of obituaries include Gibbs, Harris, Jarvis, Spencer, and Williams.

Marriage and Death Notices from the Hillsborough Recorder, Hillsborough, Orange County, NC
Volume 1, 1820 – 1836
78pp., full-name index
$10.00 + $1.75 shipping

Marriage and death notices are not the written to formula type that modern readers are familiar with. Nor are they the long, often sentimental, types common in the latter part of the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Most death notices are a single line or two, but a few are several paragraphs long. Age, residence, and cause of death are often included. Marriage accounts are also brief and often contain information on the place of marriage, person performing the ceremony, and the name of the bride’s father. Both marriage and death notices come from all sections of the state, and there are also some for North Carolinians who moved to states including Alabama, Illinois, and Tennessee. There are also death notices for several Revolutionary War soldiers. This book contains the names of over 650 individuals.

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Marriage and Death Notices from the Hillsborough Recorder, Hillsborough, Orange County, NC
Volume 2, 1837 – 1845
116 pp., full-name index
$20.00 + $2.00 shipping

Marriage and death notices are not the written to formula type that modern readers are familiar with. Nor are they the long, often sentimental, types common in the latter part of the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Most death notices are a single line or two, but a few are several paragraphs long. Age, residence, and cause of death are often included. Marriage accounts are also brief and often contain information on the place of marriage, person performing the ceremony, and the name of the bride’s father. Both marriage and death notices come from all sections of the state, and there are also some for North Carolinians who moved to states including Alabama and Tennessee. There are also death notices for several Revolutionary War soldiers. This book contains the names of over 850 individuals.

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Marriage and Death Notices from the Hillsborough Recorder, Hillsborough, Orange County, NC
Volume 3, 1846 – 1853
134 pp., full-name index
$20.00 + $2.00 shipping

Marriage and death notices are not the written to formula type that modern readers are familiar with. Marriage accounts are also brief and often contain information on the place of marriage, person performing the ceremony, and the name of the bride’s father. Notices of deaths are becoming longer as compared to those in Volumes 1 and 2. Age, residence, and cause of death are often included. Both marriage and death notices come from all sections of the state, and there are also some for North Carolinians who moved to states including Alabama and Tennessee. There is death notices for a Revolutionary War soldier who died in 1846 and six for veterans of the Mexican War. This book contains the names of almost 1,000 individuals.

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Marriage and Death Notices from the Hillsborough Recorder, Hillsborough, Orange County, NC
Volume 4, 1854 – 1859
150 pp., full-name index
$20.00 + $2.00 shipping

On May 5, 1857, Dennis Heartt, editor and proprietor of the Hillsborough Recorder, wrote the following in his paper: “Writers of obituary notices should reflect that readers in general, being strangers to the parties, cannot appreciate their feelings, and will not read lengthened notices with interest. Ten lines, will, except in rare instances, comprehend all that need to be said, or that affection should require.” Two of those very lengthy “rare instances” in this volume are two of North Carolina’s most well-known citizens: Professor Elisha Mitchell, who is forever linked with Mt. Mitchell, and Judge Frederick Nash, Chief Justice of the North Carolina Supreme Court. Both marriage and death notices come from all sections of the state, and there are also some for North Carolinians who moved to other states. This volume contains the names of almost 1,100 individuals.

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Marriage and Death Notices from the Hillsborough Recorder, Hillsborough, Orange County, NC
Volume 5, 1860 - 1865
150 pp., full-name index
$20.00 + $2.00 shipping

This is the final volume in this series of transcriptions of marriage and death notices from the Hillsborough Recorder. Although this volume ends in 1865, Dennis Heartt, the proprietor, would continue on with the paper until 1869, when he sold it. Heartt died on May 13, 1870, after nearly fifty years as editor and proprietor of the Hillsborough Recorder. Ownership of the paper passed through several individuals who continued publication in Hillsborough until 1879. John D. Cameron, who was the paper’s owner at that time, moved it to Durham, North Carolina and changed the name to the Durham Recorder.

Dennis Heartt’s obituary, which appeared in the Hillsborough Recorder on May 18, 1870 , follows the index.

The News Dispatch, Clinton, NC, Obituaries
Volume 1, 1909-1911
99 pp., full-name index
$20.00 + $2.00 shipping

Practically no death certificates were recorded in North Carolina before 1913, making newspapers a prime source for death dates before then. Obituaries of the period are written in a florid, sentimental style by a variety of people including relatives, friends, and teachers. The earliest birthday listed is 1817; several Confederate veterans, one a survivor of the charge at Gettysburg, are found. Approximately 200 obituaries are included in this volume.

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The News Dispatch, Clinton, NC, Obituaries
Volume 2, 1912 & 1914
93 pp., full-name index
$20.00 + $2.00 shipping

Modern readers will find the style of the obituaries a bit flowery; many are elaborate accounts of the departed’s life, illness, and funeral, with family members, relatives, and ministers among the writers. The year 1913 was not located for microfilming. The earliest birthday listed in 1814; a number of Confederate veterans are recorded. Approximately 200 obituaries are included in this volume.

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The News Dispatch, Clinton, NC, Obituaries
Volume 3, 1915-1917
111 pp., full-name index
$20.00 + $2.00 shipping

This volume, which is the final one compiled from The News Dispatch, contains over 225 obituaries. Many tell the cause of death, such as pneumonia, typhoid fever, stroke, as well as other genealogical material.

Obituaries from the Elizabeth City Independent
Elizabeth City, Pasquotank County, NC
Volume 1, 1919-1922
103 pp., full-name index, photographs
$20.00 + $2.00 shipping

There are over 250 obituaries in this volume that include name, age, residence of the deceased, date of death and funeral, names of surviving relatives, etc. Brief obituaries were printed free-of-charge, but long ones were printed at a cost of one cent a word.

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Obituaries from the Elizabeth City Independent
Elizabeth City, Pasquotank County, NC
Volume 2, 1923-1927
135 pp., full-name index, photographs
$22.00 + $2.50 shipping

There are over 400 obituaries in this volume that include name, age, residence of the deceased, cause of death, date of death and funeral, names of surviving relatives, etc. Brief obituaries were printed free-of-charge, but long ones were printed at a cost of one cent a word.

Obituaries from the Gold Leaf
Henderson, Vance County, NC
Volume 1, 1900-1902
99 pp., full-name index
$20.00, $2.00 shipping

The Gold Leaf was founded in 1881 by Thad R. Manning and published once a week. There are around 200 obituaries in this volume. Vance County lies along the Virginia border, and obituaries for Virginians having ties to the county are included, as well as for people who had moved off to neighboring Granville, Halifax, and Warren counties. A number of the deceased were born in the first third of the nineteenth century.

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Obituaries from the Gold Leaf
Henderson, Vance County, NC
Volume 2, 1903-1907
131 pp., full-name index
$25.00, $2.00 shipping

The Gold Leaf was founded in 1881 by Thad R. Manning and published once a week in Henderson. Most of the obituaries are for residents of Henderson and Vance County, but also include people who had moved off to neighboring Granville, Halifax, and Warren counties. Genealogical information often includes birth date, name of wife or husband, parents, children, occupation, and burial cemetery. A number of the deceased were born in the first third of the nineteenth century.