BEVERLY, AMANDA GRAHAM

On Amanda Beverly’s death certificate, the names of her father and mother are missing.¹Amanda Beverly death certificate: “North Carolina Deaths, 1906-1930,” database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HT-DTY3-K55?cc=1609799&wc=MJWT-N38%3A1042558201 : 3 May 2019), 004163144 > image 2417 of 3220; State Department of Archives and History, Raleigh. According to family lore, however, her father was North Carolina governor William Alexander Graham.²Personal communications between Nicholas Levy and Lewis Shiner (Friends of Geer Cemetery) and Moneta Howland (granddaughter of Augusta Beverly). By email and telephone in Jan 2021 and Feb–Apr 2022.

Family tree on FamilySearch.org, with contributions from Stacey Beverly, descendant of Walker Beverly, oldest son of Haywood and Amanda. https://www.familysearch.org/tree/pedigree/landscape/LDM3-8C9: accessed 22 Feb 2022.

Amanda was born in slavery to the Graham family of Hillsborough around 1840 and worked for them as a seamstress. Family legend has it that she sewed uniforms for Confederate soldiers and that Governor Graham gave her land in Hillsborough as reward, though the land was subsequently stolen from her.³Moneta Howland, personal communication. In 1861 she took up with Hillsborough freeman Haywood Beverly, a marriage that was made official after Emancipation.⁴Cohabitation records: “North Carolina, County Marriages, 1762-1979 ,” database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-C91D-39QT-X?cc=1726957 : 28 November 2018), > image 1 of 1; North Carolina State Archives Division of Archives and History.

By the outbreak of the Civil War, Haywood Beverly had already established himself as a tanner in Hillsborough. His sometime business partner, Robert G. Fitzgerald, called Haywood “enterprising,” and described the “fine” house he was building in Hillsborough in his 1869 diary.⁶Robert G. Fitzgerald, Diary. Part 2, Volume 4. June 28, 1867-August 8, 1871. Cited in “Haywood Beverly,” RoootsWeb. (https://freepages.rootsweb.com/~orangecountync/history/peeps/hb/hb.html. Last updated 18 Jan 2010.) The Products of Industry schedules of the 1870 and 1880 Federal Census both list Haywood’s tanning business. In 1870 he employed a helper and had $800 of capital invested in the business.⁷Ancestry.com. U.S., Selected Federal Census Non-Population Schedules, 1850-1880 [database on-line]. https://www.ancestry.com/discoveryui-content/view/3243053:1276. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2010. Original data: View all sources. In 1880 he had a partner, Forrest Atwater, and had $500 of capital.⁸Ancestry.com. U.S., Selected Federal Census Non-Population Schedules, 1850-1880 [database on-line]. https://www.ancestry.com/discoveryui-content/view/778576:1276. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2010. Original data: View all sources. In 1884 he finally sold the tannery to James A. Cheek.⁹Orange Co Register of Deeds (https://rod.orangecountync.gov/orangenc/) Date: 04/16/1888 Doc #: 00023046 Kind: S/INS Book: 52 Page: 18. Meanwhile, the 1870 census shows Amanda “keeping house” with the assistance of a domestic worker, 15-year-old Ellen Riley, who lived in their home.¹⁰“United States Census, 1870,” database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HY-DHXQ-S8N?cc=1438024&wc=K28P-SP8%3A518653801%2C518997001%2C519319001 : 14 June 2019), North Carolina > Orange > Hillsboro > image 2 of 24; citing NARA microfilm publication M593 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.). All these facts point to a life of considerable prosperity in Hillsborough.

After Haywood’s death in 1891, Amanda moved to Durham, where she remained close to her children and grandchildren.¹¹Haywood’s death: Orange County Observer (Hillsborough, North Carolina) 7 Nov 1891: 3. https://www.newspapers.com/clip/4859887/haywood-beverly-obit/: accessed 17 Feb 2022.

Children and grandchildren: “United States Census, 1900,” database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HY-68F6-LP?cc=1325221&wc=9BWW-4WG%3A1030551601%2C1032311101%2C1032325101 : 5 August 2014), North Carolina > Durham > ED 26 Durham Township (excl. Durham city) > image 24 of 70; citing NARA microfilm publication T623 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.). “United States Census, 1910,” database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:33S7-9RVY-X5S?cc=1727033&wc=QZZ4-819%3A133642301%2C137874101%2C137961801%2C1589089689 : 24 June 2017), North Carolina > Durham > Durham Ward 3 > ED 192 > image 14 of 20; citing NARA microfilm publication T624 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.). She died at age 88.¹²“North Carolina Deaths, 1906-1930,” database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HT-DTY3-K55?cc=1609799&wc=MJWT-N38%3A1042558201 : 3 May 2019), 004163144 > image 2417 of 3220; State Department of Archives and History, Raleigh. Her descendants are scattered now from New York to Texas.

Haywood and Amanda had six children: Mary (b. 1862), Julia (b.1867), Walker (b.1869), William (b. 1863), Augusta (b. 1879), and Lizzie (b. 1882).¹⁴1870 Federal Census, Hillsborough.

“United States Census, 1880,” database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:33S7-9YBG-52P?cc=1417683&wc=XWL3-PTL%3A1589411027%2C1589395954%2C1589396994%2C1589394814 : 24 December 2015), North Carolina > Orange > Hillsboro > ED 190 > image 8 of 56; citing NARA microfilm publication T9, (National Archives and Records Administration, Washington, D.C., n.d.)

1900 Federal Census, Durham. Lizzie, the youngest, has her own life story on this website, as does Augusta “Gussie” Beverly, and her husband William Henry Shearin, who married her in 1897.

Mary Beverly, the oldest child, married Frank W. Harris in March 1881. They had five children: Haywood, Julia, James, Susanne, and Katherine, all of whom moved north to New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania.¹⁵Haywood Harris Death Certificate: “North Carolina Deaths, 1906-1930,” database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HT-D1P7-TTZ?cc=1609799&wc=MJWY-GP8%3A1042623001 : 3 May 2019), 004219836 > image 1105 of 2439; State Department of Archives and History, Raleigh.

Gus Granger, descendant of Mary Beverly, personal communication.

Mary’s sister Julia married Alexander R. “Alec” Moore, a porter in the offices of W. T. Blackwell and Company, on 22 October 1890.¹⁶Orange County Observer (Hillsboro, North Carolina) Nov. 1, 1890, edition 1 Page 3. https://newspapers.digitalnc.org/lccn/sn85042052/1890-11-01/ed-1/seq-3/#words=Beverly+Haywood: accessed 25 Feb 2022. Blackwell was the original producer of Bull Durham tobacco. Alec later worked for Julian S. Carr.¹⁷Letter from Julian S. Carr to Alec Moore, 5 Sep 1898. Personal collection of Moneta Howland. Alec and Julia were living in close proximity to Amanda and Lizzie in 1900.¹⁸1900 Federal Census, Durham.

Walker W. Beverly married Lulu Carter. He was living in New York at the time of his death in 1947.²⁰“New York, New York City Municipal Deaths, 1795-1949”, database, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:2WYQ-PMK : 3 June 2020), Amanda Beverly in entry for Walker Beverly, 1947. They had six children—Julia, Louise, Wilhelmina, Walker Jr., Hayward, and Alexander Beverly—in addition to Amanda, who died as an infant.²¹Denise Beverly, descendant of Amanda’s son Walker, personal communication.

We can find no record of William M. Beverly having married.

BORN: 1840²³Amanda Beverly death certificate.

DIED: 19 Oct 1928.²⁴Amanda Beverly death certificate.

BIRTH PLACE: Hillsborough, NC.²⁵Moneta Howland, personal communication.

DEATH PLACE: Durham, NC.²⁶Amanda Beverly death certificate.

SPOUSE: Haywood Beverly.²⁷Cohabitation records.

PARENTS: William Alexander Graham.²⁸Moneta Howland, personal communication.

CHILDREN: Mary (b. 1862)
Julia (b.1867)
Walker (b.1869)
William (b. 1863)
Augusta (b. 1879)
Lizzie (b. 1882)²⁹1870 Federal Census, Hillsborough.

1900 Federal Census, Durham.

OTHER FAMILY: N/A

FAMILY BURIED IN GEER CEMETERY: Daughter Lizzie Beverly, daughter Gussie Shearin, and Gussie’s husband Wm Henry Shearin.

OCCUPATION: Keeping house.³⁰1870 Federal Census, Hillsborough

CHURCH: N/A

AFFILIATIONS: N/A

ADDRESS: 1101 Fayetteville St.³¹Amanda Beverly death certificate.

MILITARY SERVICE: N/A