Williams - Locke Family History

In the Carolina colony, during the 1600s, direct importation was not as extensive as in other southern colonies. With the increased demand for cash crops in European markets and the need for fertile land, the Royal African Company and British Lords Proprietors in 1663 offered additional acreage for every male and female slave brought into Carolina during the first five years of white settlement. In 1669, Article 10 of the Fundamental Constitutions of Carolina stated, “Every freeman of Carolina shall have absolute power and authority over his negro slaves, of what opinion or religion soever.” The labor-intensive cash crops of tobacco, rice, indigo, sugar, tar, and turpentine made the use of our skilled ancestors a solution to the inadequate labor supply. Most of this need was met through the natural increase of slave populations, which outpaced slave imports by 1720. After the Carolinas officially split in 1729, North Carolina had 6,000 slaves compared to South Carolina’s 32,000.

Many of our ancestors disembarked on the ports in Carolina namely, Bath, Beaufort, Brunswick, Currituck, New Bern, Plymouth, Roanoke, and Wilmington, and Charles town (Charleston, SC – largest slave port in the US). The closest port to our family settlement was in Wilmington, N.C. on the Cape Fear River. The trading of our ancestors took place at various auctions throughout the Southern States for roughly over 3 centuries. It can be deduced that many of our ancestors passed through the auction block at the Market House in Fayetteville, N.C. now known to some as the “old slave market.” 

During the 1800s, slavery was still full fledged but slight improvements started to surface in North Carolina. In 1808, the U.S. Congress passed a law prohibiting the engagement in international slave trade.  Then in 1816, the North Carolina General Assembly passed an “Act to Dispose of Illegally Imported Slaves”. The proceeds of the sale of illegal slaves was paid to the North Carolina Treasury. That same year, the North Carolina Manumission Society was formed. It included Quakers and other anti-slavery groups. Not long after, the Panic of 1819 caused many slave owners to sell their slaves due to worsening economic conditions. Many farmers decided to abandon their farms and head to western states or to Texas Territory to make a new start. Another North Carolina law passed in 1830 made it a crime to teach a slave to read or write. Laws were even extended to restrict the rights of free blacks. Unfortunately in 1835, the North Carolina Constitution was amended to take away the right of freed slaves to vote, attend school and preach in public.

By 1860 the slave population increased to over 333,000 thousand in the State of North Carolina. This would mean there was a 95% probability that our ancestors were enslaved in the State. Fayetteville had a total population of 4,800 residents and about 1,500 enslaved to lower than 500 freed blacks. At that time, the North Carolina General Assembly had a higher percentage (85) of politicians owning slaves than any statehouse in the country.  On January 1st 1863, the Emancipation Proclamation, issued by President Abraham Lincoln changed the status of enslaved African Americans from slave to free in North Carolina and other Confederate States of America.  By 1865, Slavery was  abolished by the Thirteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution, excluding convicted criminals. In the immediate aftermath of war, our ancestors sought precisely those rights and freedoms that had been denied them under slavery: normalization of marriage, equal political and civil rights, education, and the right to own property. 

After the Emancipation Proclamation, Lewis and Rosetta made their home in Flea Hill Township, Fayetteville, Cumberland County, North Carolina. It is now known as Eastover Township. There she took care of the house and he was a spirit barrel cooper. The family history always stated there were three (3) children in the family: Joe, James Britt, and Maggie.  However, the early census records and marriage certificates show that there were four (4) other children: Mary, John Henry, Jane, and Rose.

Just down the road in the same township Emmanual and Sylvia Locke live right next door to his father John Locke (born in 1816) and siblings. John worked as a Turpentine distiller. Emmanuel was a farm laborer and Sylvia kept the house.  The records show that, between 1862 – 1892, they had 14 children: Isaac, Alexander, Mary Jane, Thomas, Amanda, Amos, Julia Ann, Mary E., Liza, Sarah, Irene, Willie, John, and Shepherd.

James Britt Williams (son of Lewis Williams) second marriage was to Mary Alice Jones on November 30, 1893. From this union eight children were born and they were: Harriett, Mary Rachel, John Henry, Sarah Kate, Elizabeth, James Britt Jr., Nathaniel, and Alice Lee.

Joe Williams (son of Lewis Williams) married Maggie Williams on December 3, 1899; they resided in Flea Hill Township. They were blessed with three children: Hattie Williams Tucker, Ethel W. Tucker, and Hervie (Joseph) Williams, Jr. Their descendants are mainly in NC, VA, GA, and TX.

Maggie Williams (daughter of Lewis & Rosetta Williams) had one son, Lewis Williams.  Lewis had one son, Lewis Jones.  Lewis Jones married Mamie Melvin; from this union two children were born: Larry J. and Cynthia.  Mamie and the children still reside in the Fayetteville area.

On November 5, 1891, Thomas Locke joined in holy matrimony with Lina Jane Cogdell.  Together they had 6 children: Bessie, Pearl, Lemon, Hattie, Lilly, and Jeff.  There were some complications with the birth of Jeff which led to Lina Jane’s unfortunate death two days later on January 20, 1903. 

The Williams family joined Beaver Creek A.M.E. Zion Church which is now Simon Temple. Roxanna (daughter of James Britt) Williams McDonald’s father-in-law was 1 of 4 signers of the deed in 1873 when the land was sold from a white merchant. We still find many of our relatives worshiping there each Sunday morning.

After the unfortunate death of Lina Jane, Thomas had to split up the 6 children to live with other families.  The census records of 1910 has Bessie and Lilly living with their Aunt Jennie Cogdell and Uncle John Kelly in Mars Hill Township on Clinton Rd.  Right down the road, Hattie lived with her Uncle Daniel Cogdell and Aunt Bertha.  Meanwhile, Thomas had kept the remaining 3 children and lived next to his father Emmanual, who owned his home on Clinton Rd., in Mars Hill Township, Cumberland County, NC. 

It was here, in Mars Hill Township, where Bessie Locke met Willie Raymond Williams, who was living with his Grandmother Rosetta.  As fate would have it, they united together as one and married on August 27, 1911. It is with the sacred union between Willie Raymond Williams and Bessie Locke on August 27, 1911 that our annual family reunion of the Williams & Locke families began more than 100 years ago.

Thomas Locke later remarried Emma Moore on January 22, 1916 and together they gave birth to George Locke on November 26, 1916.

On October 27, 1916, Lilly Locke married Fred Gainey.  Two years later Pearl Locke married Edison Williams on October 3, 1918.  In the same year, Lemon Locke lived in Vander, working on the Troy Allen Farm and registered for World War I. 

Lemon later married Emeline McNeill on April 28, 1934.  Their children were: Mildred, Milton Freeman, W. H. Marsh, Lena Bell, William, Annie Pearl, Joseph, Orman & Josephine (twins), and Esterlene. 

In the 1930s, Eula Mae and Hubert left Baltimore back home to Fayetteville.  Then Fred and Lilly moved to West Baltimore on Division Street.  They had 7 children: Charles, Fred Jr., Hattie, Bessie, Lizzy Jane, Gloria, and Marion. They remained there until their death and have many generations that still continue their legacy.

The Locke family has always been a strong family.  They decided, early in the twentieth century, to no longer be sharecroppers and purchased land to live and operate on.  Emmanual Locke, born a slave, was one of the first in the family to own land.  His wife, Sylvia, moved after his death and purchased some more property.  Then, the brothers, Amos, Shepherd, and nephew Jeff purchased land in Eastover Township.  Jeff shared his home with his father Thomas Locke and Emma Moore on his farm until Thomas died on December 16, 1941. 

In the same area, a few houses over, Shepherd put a family cemetery on his land, called Locke Family Cemetery.  The cemetery still remains in the hands of the family as it was passed down to Herman Lee Locke and now Mildred Boykins.  Family members can still choose to have their final resting place in our family cemetery with our beloved trailblazers. 

The Locke family has been a spiritual family and many generations have attended Locks Creek AME Church.  We can still find many of our relatives worshipping there each Sunday morning.  As well, many of the family are buried in the church cemetery.

From the late 1930s and early 1940s, many African-Americans migrated to various places for greener pastures and survival.  Many families split throughout the nation but the union of Willie Raymond Williams and Bessie Locke was a conversion of two large families.  These two families continuously worked together and made indelible impressions on many lives and our nation. 

Our family members have led fruitful and productive lives. Our professions include the following: farmers, housekeepers, domestic workers, steel workers, factory workers, nurses, educators, ministers, musicians, dentists, military officers, law enforcement, government workers, and many more.

Helping family and the community has always been a part of our rich heritage.  The oral history is corroborated by documented data showing that these two large families, Williams and Locke, came together as a “village to raise the children.” Despite the many challenges in society, our family has made a concerted effort to foster and strengthen the relationships that existed over 100 years.