That Elusive Springle Family

Rebecca Springle. Who is she, and where did she come from? According to the 1850 Census in Craven County, North Carolina, she was born about 1786 (she was 64 in the census). She died sometime between 1860 and 1870, as she appears on the 1860 census but not the 1870. She married James Toler in November 1810, for their marriage bond was dated 13 November 1810. That is about the extent of her life in the records I have been able to locate so far.

There are some clues to her life in those few records, though. Let’s start with the 1850 census. The household of James Toler (aged 68) in Craven County, North Carolina, was enumerated by W.H. Marshall on 13 December 1850, listing the residents in the household on 1 June 1850. The residents included James, Rebecca (aged 64), “Amonah” (i.e. Amariah, their son, aged 30), Dorcas Landin (aged 101!) and Lydia Spangle (aged 70). It is these two older women that may offer clues to the origins of Rebecca.

Springle is not that common of a name in Craven or Beaufort Counties. In fact, the 1800 Census shows only three families of Springles in Beaufort County and none in Craven. The families in Beaufort County are Charles Springle (1 male 10-15, 1 male 26-44, 1 female under 10, 2 females 10-15, 1 female 16-25, 1 female 26-44, and 1 female 45 and over); Dorcas Springle (with 2 males under 10, 1 male 10-15, 1 female 10-15, and 1 female 45 and over); and George Springle (3 males under 10, 1 male 10-15, 1 male 16-25, 1 male 45 and over, and 1 female 26-44).  [Year: 1800; Census Place: Beaufort, North Carolina; Series: M32; Roll: 30;Page: 18; Image: 25; Family History Library Film: 337906; viewed on Ancestry.com on 19 October 2014.]

We can pretty well eliminate George as a possible father of Rebecca, as he had no females in his household of the correct age group (10-15) to be Rebecca.

Charles is a pretty good candidate based on the census, as he had 2 females in the 10-15 age category and 1 in the 16-25 age group; however, Charles left a will around 1807 naming his son and three daughters: Zachariah, “Maray,” Lovey, and Suanna, accounting for all 4 children numbered in the census. Charles also left a “Rabacah Harvey” land to build a log house. [Beaufort County Old Wills, page 390; abstracted in Beaufort County Genealogical Society, Beaufort County, North Carolina Will Abstracts, 1720-1868, Baltimore, Md: Gateway Press, 1990, p. 301-302.] The bequest to “Rebacah harvey” reads in the original: “I lend to Rebacah harvey During her life or Widerhood apiese of land anywhere she may chuse to build a Log house and that to be built out of my propertay!” This Rebacah Harvey also served as a witness to the will. [“North Carolina, Probate Records, 1735-1970,” images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-195-386420-1-25?cc=1867501&wc=MDRV-SPD:169768801,170555901 : accessed 19 Oct 2014), Beaufort > Wills, 1720-1867, Vol. E > image 155 of 173.] Supposing Charles’s wife is the woman in the 26-45 year old category in the 1800 census, could Rebacah Harvey be the woman over 45 listed in his household? Or could she be our Rebecca Springle, who earlier married a Harvey? At the moment I lean toward the first until more research can be done.

That leaves Dorcas Springle with three males under 16 and 1 female under 16, plus herself over 45. Could she be the Dorcas Landon living with James Toler in 1850? Unfortunately, Beaufort County marriage records are mostly non-existent before the 1840s, so trying to determine if Dorcas (maiden name unknown) Springle married a Landin is going to take some creative research. Dorcas Landin may be the Dorcas Linton, who wrote her will on 10 July 1844, which was probated in Beaufort County, North Carolina, at the September 1850 term of court. The will reads, in full, as follows:

State of North Carolina, Beaufort County} In the Name of God, Amen. I, Dorcas Linton, being very Low in health but of sound mind and memory do make this my last will and Testament as follows

first I give unto Hannah Potter the bed and Stead & furniture that I now Lye upon and one blue Chest and what’s in it and one round Table.

Secondly I give unto Thomas Campen my other bed and Stead and furniture.

Thirdly I give unto James F. Lincoln one Cow named Pat and her increase.

fourthly I leave all the remainder of my Property in doors and without to be equeally Divided among Thomas Campen and Phereby Campen and Hannah Potter and John L. Potter.

And also I appoint and Leave Benjamin Campen and William Potter Executors.

In witness whereof I have hereunto Set my hand and Seal this the 10th day of July 1844.

Signed in the Presents of us                    Dorcas her x mark Linton {seal}

Test Wm. C. Watson

Test Peggy Ann her x mark Watson.

[Will transcribed from “North Carolina, Probate Records, 1735-1970,” images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-194-351642-1-88?cc=1867501&wc=MDRV-MNR:169768801,170533701 : accessed 19 Oct 2014), Beaufort > Wills, 1720-1867, Vol. D > image 99 of 314.]

Further research needs to be done on Dorcas Landon/Linton and how she happened to be living in the Toler household just before her death. More research also needs to be done to determine who Lydia Spangle was. Assuming Spangle is a misspelling of Springle, was she a sister or sister-in-law to Rebecca? If the Dorcas Springle in the 1800 census had three sons, one could conceivably have married, leaving a widow Lydia. Again, because of the scarcity of Beaufort County marriage records before the 1840s, more research will have to be done in deeds and other records to locate such a marriage.

I am currently no closer to determining the origins of Rebecca Springle, but I have determined future avenues to research:
1) Are Dorcas Springle and Dorcas Landon/Linton the same person?
2) Who are the male children in the household of Dorcas Springle in 1800? Who was Dorcas’s husband?
3) Who was Rebecca Harvey in the will of Charles Springle?
4) Who was Lydia Spangle/Springle?
5) Are there any other Springles in Eastern NC that may shed light on the topic?