Zorah News, January 17, 1927

The following is from the New Bernian of January 18, 1927:

ZORAH, Jan. 17--Miss Eloise Wiley of this section spent the weekend with Miss Madie Bell Franks at Ernul.
  Guy Wetherington of Hallsboro spent Saturday night and Sunday with his mother, Mrs. H.B. Wetherington.
  Miss Mae Ipock of Jasper, who is teaching school at Clayton [sic, should be Caton], spent the week-end at home.
  Mr. and Mrs. L.M. Sutton were visitors at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Bill Toler Sunday evening.
  Henry Wetherington and son, Lewis, who are working at Havelock spent the week-end at home.
  Misses Oleta, Ora, and Mary Gray Wetherington were visitors at the home of Mrs. Nannie Toler Sunday evening.
  A large crowd attended Sunday school at New Haven church Sunday afternoon.
  Several new families have recently moved to this community.
  Mr. and Mrs. Bill Toler were visitors at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Tom Toler Sunday afternoon.

About a week later, the following article appeared (New Bernian, January 26, 1927):

ZORAH, Jan. 25--Mr. and Mrs. J.R. Toler and daughter, Thelma, spent Sunday at Bridgeton.
  Mr. and Mrs. Bill Toler spent the week-end at Spring Garden.
  Dalton Roberson, Mack Norman, Albert Morris, Hodil Norman [Hudie? Norman], and Hyman Stubbs were visitors at New Haven Church Sunday afternoon.
  Luther Lane, Miss Sena Knox and Miss Edna Whitford motored to Edwards Sunday.
  Miss Mae Ipock returned home Sunday evening.
  Mr. and Mrs. Jessie Rowe of Beaufort County spent Sunday afternoon at Mr. and Mrs. Joshua Stilley's home.
  Holmes Turner of New Bern passed this section en route to C.B. Wetherington's home.
  Mr. and Mrs. Luther Sutton of Vanceboro spent Sunday  at the home of Mr. and Mrs. George Norman.
  T.E. Whitford and son, Edgar, motored to Edwards Sunday morning.
  There will be a minstrel show and a box party combined at Coyton [sic, should be Caton] School Saturday Jan. 29. All are invited.
  Mr. and Mrs. H.W. Wetherington spent Sunday evening at the home of Mrs. H.B. Wetherington.
  Henry Wetherington and son left Monday morning for Havelock.

Eloise Wiley was the daughter of John Redding Wiley and Effie B. Price and was born about 1914, while Madie Bell Franks was the daughter of Daniel R. Franks. [1930 census records for Pamlico and Craven Counties].
  Guy Wetherington was the son of Henry Bryan Wetherington and Laura Toler. He was born in 1894 and died in 1948.
  I don't have much information on Mae Ipock, other than she was a teacher.
  L.M. Sutton married Dorcas Knox. Bill Toler married Nan Ipock.
  Henry Willis Wetherington and son Louis Henry Wetherington worked with North Carolina Pulp Company.
  Misses Oleta, Ora and Mary Gray Wetherington were the daughters of Henry Willis Wetherington.
  Bill and Nan Ipock Toler were visiting his sister, Tom and Lucy Toler Toler.

Beginning with the second article, James Robert Toler and Celia H. Stilley Toler and daughter Thelma went to Bridgeton.
  Bill and Nan Ipock Toler went to Spring Garden, probably visiting some of Aunt Nan's family.
  Dalton Roberson later married Gladys Sutton; Albert Morris is possibly the son of Ed and Augusta Jones Morris; Hudie Norman was son of John Henry and Victoria Toler Norman; while nothing further is known about Hyman Stubbs.
  Luther Lane married Essie Knox, the sister of Sina Knox. Edna Whitford is probably Edna Earle Whitford, daughter of David Purifoy Whitford and Grace Leona Price.
  Mae Ipock (see above comments).
  Jesse and Sina Stilley Rowe lived in Blounts Creek and were visiting her brother Joshua Stilley and his wife Penny Toler Stilley.
  I'm not sure who Holmes Turner is, but he was visiting Charlie Bryan Wetherington, son of Henry Bryan Wetherington.
  Luther Sutton (see above L.M. Sutton) was visiting George Norman, no further information on him.
  T.E. Whitford should be I.E. (Ira E.) and his son Edgar.
  The other families mentioned in the article are identified above.
 

Ancient News--April 27, 1916

The Sun Journal published the following on April 27, 1916:

ZORAH NEWS.

Zorah, April 27--We are having some windy weather now.
Mr. and Mrs.W.H. Caton and children of Dover were the guests of Mr. and Mrs. L.B. Caton Sunday.
Mr. and Mrs. Charley Caton were the guest of Mr. L.B. Caton Sunday.
Mr. Columbus Booth was the guest of Miss Annie Taylor Sunday afternoon, and her sister Miss Bessie was the guest of Miss Katie Gaskins a short while Sunday.
Mr. Thad Boyd of Truitt was the guest of Mr. Jesse Gaskins Saturday night and Sunday. Come again.
Mr. Mack Norman, Miss Katie Gaskins, Miss Bessie Norman, and Miss Oma Gaskins called to see Misses Janie and Annie Taylor Sunday evening.
Mr. Guy Wetherington came to Penciltucky Sunday and broke his new buggy. Ha! ha!
Mr. and Mrs. J.R. Gaskins called to see their son, Mr. Elbert Gaskins, at Broad Creek Sunday.
Mrs. M.E. Toler called to see Mrs. I.W. Toler Sunday afternoon.
Mr. Addie Stilley passed through Penciltucky Sunday en route to Truitt.
Mr. Mack Norman was the guest of Miss Katie Gaskins Saturday night.
There was a great alarm in Zorah when the wedding bells rung on the 16th. We are expecting them to ring again at the same place soon.
A large crowd of girls from Zorah attended the ball game at Truitt Saturday afternoon and report a nice time. The boys are expecting to play a match game Friday evening. Everybody is welcome to attend.
Let us hear from our sweetheart at Truitt. Wake up Truitt.
DARLING BLUE EYES.

  Mr. and Mrs. W.H. Caton were William Harvey and Myrtie Holton Caton. They were visiting his parents, Lewis Bryan and Arnecia Toler Caton. Charley and Amanda Cayton Caton were also visiting his parents.

  Columbus Booth was the son of Merritt and Mary Smith Booth. He was visiting Annie Toler (not Taylor). She and Bessie (and Janie) were the daughters of Abram Lincoln and Mary Norman Toler.

  Katie Gaskins was the daughter of John R. and Lizzy Toler Gaskins. Jesse Gaskins was their son, and Oma (Omie/Naomi) was their daughter. 

Mack and Bessie Norman were the children of John H. and Victoria (known as Puss John Henry) Toler Norman.

  Addie Stilley was the son of Jesse and Elizabeth Rice Stilley.

  As for the location of Penciltucky, the best anyone can figure is that it was down what is now the Cayton Road. This mention is the closest description of a location for Penciltucky that I can find..."Addie Stilley passed through Penciltucky en route to Truitt." Uncle Jesse Stilley (and family) lived at one time near R.W. Stilley's place, in the area where Jonathan Hannah had his trailer before he moved to the back of the Philpot field. If Addie Stilley passed through Penciltucky on the way to Truitt, he would have to have gone either down the Cayton Road or Purifoy Road to get to Truitt (Spring Hope Church area).

  For the alarm at the wedding, see my previous post on the wedding of Miss Mary Knox to Mr. Mack Wetherington.

[Posting updated to show that Katie Gaskins was the daughter of John R. Gaskins. She moved to Lenoir County and married George Washington Buck. In my records, I had she died young, but I discovered today that she lived until 1953.]

Ancient News, April 1916, An April Wedding 95 years ago

The following was found in the Sun Journal for April 18, 1916:

ALLEGES PERJURY IN CONNECTION WITH MARRIAGE LICENSE

S.E. Jones, of Zorah, Told the Register Miss Knox Was Eighteen.

MAN UNDER ARREST IS NOT THE BRIDEGROOM

  When S.E. Jones, of Zorah, this county, came over to New Bern last Saturday morning and told Register of Deeds S.H. Fowler that Miss Mary Knox, also of Zorah and the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. C.B. Knox of that place, was eighteen years of age and that he desired to secure a license permitting her to become the bride of Mr. Mack Wetherington, he probably did not think he would face a jury at the next term of Craven Court and explain why he said the young woman was eighteen years of age when she is only fifteen. However, such he will do.
  Mr. Jones secured the License and the wedding took place Sunday night at Ernul, being performed by 'Squire C.J. Heath. The parents of the bride, when they heard of the affair, decided to do about and they did, in fact their doing resulted in a warrant being sworn out for Jones charging him with perjury and today he appeared before 'Squire C.K. Hancock, this county, to answer to the charge.
  The bride's parents swore that she was fifteen years of age, that her birthday occurred last March and that it was their belief that the whole scheme was a concocted plan. Mr. Jones testified to the effect that he thought the bride was of age, that she had told him so and that he had no reason to believe otherwise.
  The affair culminated in 'Squire Hancock finding probable cause and binding Jones over to court under a bond of one hundred dollars, which he gave.

S.E. Jones was Shady Elcaney Jones, son of Azariah Jones and Sarah Jane Toler. He was born in Beaufort County in 1889 and died in 1936. He married first Nellie Jane Booth (1886-1929) in 1909, and in 1930 married Mary Emma Clemmand Ward. [The Jones Family of Blounts Creek by P.A. Jones, Jr., p. 137]

Mr. and Mrs. C.B. Knox were Charles Bryan Knox and Armetta Toler Knox.

Miss Mary Knox married Mr. Mack Wetherington (son of Henry B. and Laura Toler Wetherington) on 16 April 1916, 95 years ago on the day of this posting.

Ancient News--Zorah, March 1916

The following is from the March 30, 1916, Semi-Weekly Sun Journal:

Zorah News Items

Special Correspondence.
ZORAH, N.C., March 30--We have been in a slumber for a long time, and have just awoke. We want to hear from Truitt and Askin once more.
Our boys have organized a baseball team and will play Saturday afternoon at Mr. H.B. Wetherington's. Everybody is invited to attend.
Mr. Guy Wetherington and Mr. Henry Caton spent Sunday at Small.
Miss Essie Toler was the guest of Miss Nina Gaskins Saturday night.
Mr. Artis Whitford was the guest of Mr. Claude Booth Sunday.
Mrs. Ardel Toler and children of Forest are visiting friends and relatives at this place.
Mrs. John Booth of Oriental is visiting at this place.
Mr. Guy Wetherington has purchased a new buggy. Look out girls!
Miss Bessie Norman spent Sunday at Penciltucky.
Master Clifford Toler won the price at Vanceboro commencement for a high jump, and Miss Neva Whitford won the prize for running.
Miss Mary and Essie Knox spent Sunday afternoon with their grandparents, Mr. and Mrs. William Knox.
Mr. and Mrs. Jesse Stilley and little son, James, spent Sunday at Mr. Isaiah Toler's.
Mr. Mack Wetherington was a guest of Miss Mary Knox Saturday night.
Mr. Harvey Toler was the guest of Miss Essie Knox Sunday.
Our school will close March 30, which has been taught by Miss Bertha Pipkin of Forest.
Everybody is looking forward to a pleasant time at the county commencement. Hope it will be a grand success.
Listen! The wedding bells will soon be ringing.
With best wishes to the Sun Journal.               JUST WE TWO.

Mrs. Ardel Toler and children are Minnie Ardell Pipkin Toler, the widow of Silas G. Toler, and their children Herman and Mavis. Silas died in 1914.

Penciltucky has never been positively identified, but based on other posts, it appears to be a "community"  up what is now Stair Ridge Road (off of the Cayton Road where Cayton Hunting Club has their camp). No one knows where the name came from, either.

Mr. Mack Wetherington eventually married Miss Mary Knox. And had he lived, Harvey Toler would have probably married Essie Knox. Harvey died in 1917, and Essie would marry Mr. Luther Lane.

Miss Bertha Pipkin, the school teacher, would marry Mr. Charles H. Toler in December 1916. The Forest is another name for the Antioch community.

Ancient News--March 1931, Askin News

The following is taken from The New Bernian of March 19, 1931:

Askin News

 Friends and relatives of Mrs. Reddin Toler are mourning her death. She passed away at the home of daughter, Mrs. Tom Jones, at one a.m. Sunday. She was buried in the Cayton cemetery Sunday afternoon.
 Mr. and Mrs. S.H. Gatlin and two daughters Mildred and Dorothy and Martha and Richard Morris visited Mr. Charlie Gatlin, of Rhems, Sunday.
 Relatives and friends will be glad to learn that Mr. Waldo Arthur is recovering nicely from a recent automobile accident.
 Messrs. Lewis Wetherington and Blake Adams attended the show in New Bern Saturday night.
 The farmers of this community are prospering in everything but acquiring the weather.
 The young people of Askin are very much interested in kite flying these windy days. There will be a kite flying contest at the fair grounds Saturday.
 Misses Edna Wiley, Martha Morris, Messrs. Mark and Richard Morris and Marrie Williams attended the show at New Bern Wednesday night.
 Mrs. Lena Harding and Mr. and Mrs. Snode Harding, of Chocowinity, were the guests of Mr. and Mrs. I.W. Toler Sunday.
 Mr. and Mrs. N.A. Scott and daughter of Washington were the guests of Mr. and Mrs. Arthur Sunday afternoon.
 Mr. Mark Morris who has been working in Southport the past year spent a few days last week with his parents, Mr. and Mrs. S.E. Morris.

Mrs. Reddin Toler was Elizabeth "Lizzy" Foy and is buried in Pine Tree Cemetery. Her daughter, Mrs. Tom Jones, was Mary Susan "Mamie" Toler who married Thomas Edward Jones.

Martha, Richard and Mark Morris are all the children of Stephen Edward "Ed" Morris and Augusta Jones Morris.

Mr. and Mrs. I.W. Toler are Isaiah Willis and Vera Lucretia Whitford Toler.

Mr. and Mrs. N.A. Scott may be William A. Scott and Julia Ann O'Neal Scott, who are visiting Julia's sister Nancy Pauline and William Roberson Arthur. Waldo Arthur is the son of Nancy and William Arthur.

Ancient News--February 1906

The following is from the New Bern Daily Journal of March 3, 1906:

Zorah--Feby 28--Our farmers are busily engaged in making fences and clearing land, preparing for another crop.
Mrs. Jane Whitford who has been sick the past year, doesn't seem to get much better.
Mr. A.R. Whitford who went to Newport News some time ago, came home last week to see his mother.
Mr. G.A. Whitford went to Washington Saturday.
Miss Carrie Tunstall returned to her school in Jones County last week.
Mrs. Amanda Tuten of Edward spent last week at Mr. Silas Fulcher's.
Mr. J.M. Whitford and sister Miss Lizzie O'Neil spent Saturday night with relatives near Edward.
Messrs. Billy Yates and Jesse Latham of Gilead, spent Saturday night and Sunday at Mrs. Rose Whitford's.
Our Friendship and Pinetree schools had an exciting game of ball Friday afternoon, which resulted in a score of 14 to 21 in favor of Friendship.
Mr. S.M. Brinson our County Superintendent was here last week looking after our schools and delivered some able addresses on education which were highly appreciated by our students. He talks of consolidating our schools before another year.
Miss Rhesa Yates of Gilead is visiting relatives here.
Miss Susie Wetherington spent Monday night with Misses Mary and Cora Whitford.
Mr. and Mrs. J.O. Wiley of Cool Spring, visited relatives here last week.
Master Ivie Toler who has been spending a while on Blounts Creek returned home Friday.

Jane Whitford is Margaret Jane Wiley Whitford, wife of Bryan C. Whitford. She would eventually die in June 1906. A.R. Whitford is her son, Addison Rudolph, as is G.A. Whitford (Gilbert Arthur).
Carrie Tunstall may be Amanda Caroline Tunstall, daughter of Peyton Randolph Tunstall. If so, she later married Robert Pipkin.

Mrs. Amanda Tuten is Amanda Hollon Toler Tuten, daughter of Charles and Caroline Tunstall Toler and wife of Claudius E. Tuten. She is the sister of Mrs. Silas Fulcher (nee Verena Caroline Toler).

J.M. Whitford is John Malcolm Whitford, son of Lewis D and Rosa Tuten Whitford. There is a mistake here, in that Lizzie O'Neal is a cousin, not his sister. There is probably a line missing from this sentence, as in the New Bern Weekly Journal of 2 March 1906, is a "Durhams Creek" column which states: "Misses Mary Whitford and Lizzie Oneal, accompanied by Mr. John Whitford, all of Zorah, were the guests of Miss Maud Tuten on Saturday and Sunday."

Billy Yates is William Gilbert Yates, son of Weston and Josephine Tuten Yates, and nephew of Mrs. Rose Tuten Whitford. I'm not sure who Jesse Latham is at the moment. Rhesa Yates is the sister of Billy Yates [the name is also spelled Yeates].

Susie Wetherington is the daughter of Henry Bryan and Laura Toler Wetherington. She would later marry Mary's and Cora's brother Ira, all children of Lewis D. and Rosa Tuten Whitford.

J.O. Wiley is James O'Neill Wiley, son of Azariah F. and Ellen Ann "Nellie" Stilley Wiley. He married Della Whitford, daughter of William David and Florence Ipock Whitford.

Ivie Toler is actually Evie Toler, son of John A. and Susan (Rosa) Wiley Toler.