Emma Durham was born 1854 in Clayton, Johnston Co, NC, the 3rd of 5 known surviving children (3 boys/2 girls) born well-to-do farmers Harry Durham and his (2nd) wife, Martha Shaw.
She was the paternal grandchild of James B. Durham and Drusella Thompson of Clayton; and gr-grandchild of Samuel Durham and Mary Parker of Smithfield, Johnston Co. She is a direct descendant of this family's patriarch, John Durham I., who immigrated from England ca. 1660 for settlement in Baltimore, Maryland.
Her father had married (unknown) in about 1833, and this marriage produced 3 children: Harris (1834-1861), Martha Ann (1836-1888), and William A. (1837-1861). After his first wife passed, he married Martha Shaw on May 23, 1844 who became mother to Emma and her 4 siblings.
Emma was raised on her father's farm in Clayton, where the Durhams were reported to have had a "fine farm with a handsome mansion home". She was 7 years old when Civil War broke out, and two of her older half brothers (Harris and William) both enlisted in the CSA and were killed during the war. Between war's end and the turn of the new century, Emma would bury a younger brother, her two younger sisters, and both her parents, forcing her to leaving the family farm and move into the town of Clayton with relatives. All that was left of her family was her older brother, Madison Durham.
On January 15, 1903, the 49-year old married for the first time, becoming the 3rd wife of 61-year old Sheriff and CSA veteran, Jesse T. Ellington, of Clayton. Jesse was a father of 9 children by his two previous wives, but all were grown and out of the home by the time of this marriage.
The marriage lasted 7 years until Jesse died in 1910. The then 56-year old widow moved out of her husband's home, and moved in with relatives, remaining in Clayton until her death some 28 years later.
According to her gravestone, Emma passed March 10, 1939 at age 84; however an obituary was found in the SMITHFIELD HERALD dated March 14, 1935 indicating she had just died at age 80, which was confirmed by NC Death Certificate, so her date of death on the stone seems to be in question. It is interesting to note that Emma is buried near her only surviving brother, Madison Durham (1848-1923), in the Clayton City Cemetery, and not near her husband -- who is buried near his first and second wives.
Her parents and most of her other siblings are buried in Maplewood Cemetery in Clayton. Her older half sister, Martha Ann, had married Seth Woodall, a merchant in Smithfield, and is buried in Riverside Cemetery in Smithfield.
She was the paternal grandchild of James B. Durham and Drusella Thompson of Clayton; and gr-grandchild of Samuel Durham and Mary Parker of Smithfield, Johnston Co. She is a direct descendant of this family's patriarch, John Durham I., who immigrated from England ca. 1660 for settlement in Baltimore, Maryland.
Her father had married (unknown) in about 1833, and this marriage produced 3 children: Harris (1834-1861), Martha Ann (1836-1888), and William A. (1837-1861). After his first wife passed, he married Martha Shaw on May 23, 1844 who became mother to Emma and her 4 siblings.
Emma was raised on her father's farm in Clayton, where the Durhams were reported to have had a "fine farm with a handsome mansion home". She was 7 years old when Civil War broke out, and two of her older half brothers (Harris and William) both enlisted in the CSA and were killed during the war. Between war's end and the turn of the new century, Emma would bury a younger brother, her two younger sisters, and both her parents, forcing her to leaving the family farm and move into the town of Clayton with relatives. All that was left of her family was her older brother, Madison Durham.
On January 15, 1903, the 49-year old married for the first time, becoming the 3rd wife of 61-year old Sheriff and CSA veteran, Jesse T. Ellington, of Clayton. Jesse was a father of 9 children by his two previous wives, but all were grown and out of the home by the time of this marriage.
The marriage lasted 7 years until Jesse died in 1910. The then 56-year old widow moved out of her husband's home, and moved in with relatives, remaining in Clayton until her death some 28 years later.
According to her gravestone, Emma passed March 10, 1939 at age 84; however an obituary was found in the SMITHFIELD HERALD dated March 14, 1935 indicating she had just died at age 80, which was confirmed by NC Death Certificate, so her date of death on the stone seems to be in question. It is interesting to note that Emma is buried near her only surviving brother, Madison Durham (1848-1923), in the Clayton City Cemetery, and not near her husband -- who is buried near his first and second wives.
Her parents and most of her other siblings are buried in Maplewood Cemetery in Clayton. Her older half sister, Martha Ann, had married Seth Woodall, a merchant in Smithfield, and is buried in Riverside Cemetery in Smithfield.
Emma Durham was born 1854 in Clayton, Johnston Co, NC, the 3rd of 5 known surviving children (3 boys/2 girls) born well-to-do farmers Harry Durham and his (2nd) wife, Martha Shaw.
She was the paternal grandchild of James B. Durham and Drusella Thompson of Clayton; and gr-grandchild of Samuel Durham and Mary Parker of Smithfield, Johnston Co. She is a direct descendant of this family's patriarch, John Durham I., who immigrated from England ca. 1660 for settlement in Baltimore, Maryland.
Her father had married (unknown) in about 1833, and this marriage produced 3 children: Harris (1834-1861), Martha Ann (1836-1888), and William A. (1837-1861). After his first wife passed, he married Martha Shaw on May 23, 1844 who became mother to Emma and her 4 siblings.
Emma was raised on her father's farm in Clayton, where the Durhams were reported to have had a "fine farm with a handsome mansion home". She was 7 years old when Civil War broke out, and two of her older half brothers (Harris and William) both enlisted in the CSA and were killed during the war. Between war's end and the turn of the new century, Emma would bury a younger brother, her two younger sisters, and both her parents, forcing her to leaving the family farm and move into the town of Clayton with relatives. All that was left of her family was her older brother, Madison Durham.
On January 15, 1903, the 49-year old married for the first time, becoming the 3rd wife of 61-year old Sheriff and CSA veteran, Jesse T. Ellington, of Clayton. Jesse was a father of 9 children by his two previous wives, but all were grown and out of the home by the time of this marriage.
The marriage lasted 7 years until Jesse died in 1910. The then 56-year old widow moved out of her husband's home, and moved in with relatives, remaining in Clayton until her death some 28 years later.
According to her gravestone, Emma passed March 10, 1939 at age 84; however an obituary was found in the SMITHFIELD HERALD dated March 14, 1935 indicating she had just died at age 80, which was confirmed by NC Death Certificate, so her date of death on the stone seems to be in question. It is interesting to note that Emma is buried near her only surviving brother, Madison Durham (1848-1923), in the Clayton City Cemetery, and not near her husband -- who is buried near his first and second wives.
Her parents and most of her other siblings are buried in Maplewood Cemetery in Clayton. Her older half sister, Martha Ann, had married Seth Woodall, a merchant in Smithfield, and is buried in Riverside Cemetery in Smithfield.
She was the paternal grandchild of James B. Durham and Drusella Thompson of Clayton; and gr-grandchild of Samuel Durham and Mary Parker of Smithfield, Johnston Co. She is a direct descendant of this family's patriarch, John Durham I., who immigrated from England ca. 1660 for settlement in Baltimore, Maryland.
Her father had married (unknown) in about 1833, and this marriage produced 3 children: Harris (1834-1861), Martha Ann (1836-1888), and William A. (1837-1861). After his first wife passed, he married Martha Shaw on May 23, 1844 who became mother to Emma and her 4 siblings.
Emma was raised on her father's farm in Clayton, where the Durhams were reported to have had a "fine farm with a handsome mansion home". She was 7 years old when Civil War broke out, and two of her older half brothers (Harris and William) both enlisted in the CSA and were killed during the war. Between war's end and the turn of the new century, Emma would bury a younger brother, her two younger sisters, and both her parents, forcing her to leaving the family farm and move into the town of Clayton with relatives. All that was left of her family was her older brother, Madison Durham.
On January 15, 1903, the 49-year old married for the first time, becoming the 3rd wife of 61-year old Sheriff and CSA veteran, Jesse T. Ellington, of Clayton. Jesse was a father of 9 children by his two previous wives, but all were grown and out of the home by the time of this marriage.
The marriage lasted 7 years until Jesse died in 1910. The then 56-year old widow moved out of her husband's home, and moved in with relatives, remaining in Clayton until her death some 28 years later.
According to her gravestone, Emma passed March 10, 1939 at age 84; however an obituary was found in the SMITHFIELD HERALD dated March 14, 1935 indicating she had just died at age 80, which was confirmed by NC Death Certificate, so her date of death on the stone seems to be in question. It is interesting to note that Emma is buried near her only surviving brother, Madison Durham (1848-1923), in the Clayton City Cemetery, and not near her husband -- who is buried near his first and second wives.
Her parents and most of her other siblings are buried in Maplewood Cemetery in Clayton. Her older half sister, Martha Ann, had married Seth Woodall, a merchant in Smithfield, and is buried in Riverside Cemetery in Smithfield.
Gravesite Details
3rd Wife of Jesse T. Ellington
Family Members
Sponsored by Ancestry
Advertisement
Advertisement
