Nameless Negatives: Post #1 My Favorite Unknown

As the first post in my "Nameless Negatives" collection I believe my title may need to be explained.
I have many photographs (not actually in negative form of course) from an unknown time, unknown place, and of unknown people. Hopefully sharing these photos online will either help connect me with others who can place names with the faces, or motivate me to do more digging.

Nameless Negatives: Post #1 "My Favorite Unknown"

This is one of my favorite photographs from my nameless pile. I have no clue who these people are but every time I look at the picture I feel connected. They look young, happy, and almost playful with their slight-smiled smirks. 

Possible location: Halifax County, North Carolina or somewhere in Virginia
Possible relatives (Surnames): Allen, Cawthorn, Montague (I found this in Uriel's collection which contained photographs mainly from these families)
Possible time period: don't have the slightest idea

Below is the original condition of the photograph with scratches and holes. The above image has been edited.

Allen/Cawthorn Family Record Cont'd.

CONTINUED: I found this in my great grand uncle, Uriel Powell's genealogy research. I do not know where this came from, if it is an original or if it was made by Uriel. Transcribed by K. Stevens, click on images for a larger image.

Marriages:
James E. Allen was married to Maranda Cannady
Elizabeth C. Allen was married to Meradeth Yancey 28 Nov 1829
Emeline H. Allen and William D. Allen were married 22nd March 1838
Charles P. Allen and Elizabeth Jones were married 14 May 1840
David B. Allen and Mary A. Montague were married 24 Dec 1844
William N. Allen and Francis Mayes were married 12 March 1848
Benjamin Allen and Eliza Mallory were married 17 Feb 1847
Martha A. Allen and William Mayes were married 12 Jan 1848
Mary C. Allen and Frances Hester were married 29 Jan 1851
Cornelia E. Allen and John W. Cawthorn were married 25 Oct 1868
Mary B. Allen and Lester e. Wright were married 6 Dec 1876
Cordelia A. Allen and M.E. Allen were married 28 Dec 1870
Martha E. Allen and Abner Overton were married 6 Oct 1875
Anna B. Allen and A.A. Overton were married 5 Nov 1870

Deaths:
David B. Allen died 31 Jan 1862
Mary A. (Allen) Overton died 19 Jan 1901
John W. Cawthorn died 14 March 1901

Allen/Cawthorn Family Record

I found this in my great grand uncle, Uriel Powell's genealogy research. I do not know where this came from, if it is an original or if it was made by Uriel. Transcribed by K. Stevens, click on images for a larger image.

John Brent was born in Charlotte Co., VA
Margarett Brent his wife was born in Prince Edward Co., VA
James Brent their son was born 2nd July 1763
Polly Brent their daughter was born 27th Dec 1788
Julia A. Brent their daughter was born 9th April 1791

James Cawthorn and Harriett Heflin his wife were reared in Granville Co, NC
Archibald L. Cawthorn their son and Ann Elizabeth Nipper of Wake Co, NC were married in 1841
John W. Cawthorn their son was born 3rd Oct 1843
John W. Cawthorn and Cornelia E. Allen were married 25th Oct 1868
John W. Cawthorn died 14 March 1901

Charles Allen and his wife Elizabeth were born in Prince Edward, VA
Edward C. Allen their son was born 18 March 1783
Edward C. Allen and Julia A. Brent were married 17 Dec 1807
James E. Allen their son was born 10 Mar 1810 VA
Elizabeth was born 4 May 1812 VA
Emeline H. Allen was born 10 Jan 1816 VA
Charles P. Allen was born 17 July 1818 VA
David B. Allen was born 28 June 1820 VA
William N. Allen was born near Corinth, NC 18 Feb 1822
Benjamin S. Allen was born 11 July 1824
Mary C. Allen was born 18 Feb 1827
Martha A. Allen was born 21 Dec 1829

Walter Lewis Cawthorn (son of John W. & Cornelia E. Cawthorn) was born 16 July 1869
Charles Brent Cawthorn was born 8 July 1871
Pattie Elliott Cawthorn was born 1 April 1874

William Montague was born in Granville Co, NC died in 1844 age 45 years
Barbara Cook his wife was born in Franklin Co, NC died 1870
David Brent Allen and Mary Ann Montague were married 24 Dec 1844
Cornelia E. Allen their daughter was born 24 July 1847
Mary B. Allen was born 18 Dec 1849
William E. Allen was born 22 April 1851
Cordelia A. Allen was born 22 April 1853
Flora A. Allen was born 20 Feb 1855
Martha E. Allen was born 4 May 1856
Anna B. Allen was born 25 Oct 1860

Cawthorn Family Bible

Among my historic document finds in Uriel's genealogy collection, was a few loose pages of a family record. If I had to guess I would say this family record is at least from the mid-1890s if not later.

Cawthorn Family Bible, transcribed by K. Stevens, 2011.
Births:
John W. Cawthorn was born the 3rd of October 1843
Cornelia E. Allen (Cawthorn) was born the 24th of July 1847
Walter L. Cawthorn was born the 16th of July 1869
Charlie B. Cawthorn was born the 8th of July 1871
Pattie E. Cawthorn was born the 4th of April 1873
Lucy A. Cawthorn was born the 31st of January 1874
Lillie W. Cawthorn was born the 1st of April 1878
Mary E. Cawthorn was born the 10th of September 1879
Annie C. Cawthorn was born the 23rd of August 1881
David A. Cawthorn was born the 7th of September 1883
Bertha L. Cawthorn was born the 25th of  June 1885
Allen L. Cawthorn was born the 12th of January 1888
Lilian May Cawthorn daughter of Walter L. and Roaxie M. Cawthorn was born November 15, 1895
Rorland Everett Cawthorn was born November 15, 1895

Cawthorn Family Record, Births, image by K. Stevens, 2011.

Deaths: 
Lillie W. Cawthorn died the 5th of December 1882
David A. Cawthorn died the 14th of September 1884

Marriages:
John W. Cawthorn and Cornelia E. Allen were married the 25th of October 1868
Charlie B. Cawthorn and Ms. Clara P. Heywood were married November 7, 1894
Walter L. Cawthorn and Roaxie M. Saunders were married the 20th of Jan 1895

Cawthorn Family Record, Deaths & Marriages, image by K. Stevens, 2011. 

Confederate Solider: John Warren Cawthorn

John W. Cawthorn, enhanced version of Tin Plate, by K. Stevens

John Warren CAWTHORN was born 3 Oct 1843 in North Carolina to parents Archibald Lewis CAWTHORN and Elizabeth Ann NIPPER. He lived in Granville County for most of his life.

In 1861, at the age of 17, John took up service in "The Granvile Rangers", Company G, 30th Regiment NC, of the Confederacy.  He was taken as a prisoner of war the 22nd of Sept 1864 and released 24th June 1865 after taking an Oath of Allegiance. Upon his release he was physically described as standing 5 feet 8 inches, with a "florid" complexion, red hair, and hazel eyes.

John was married to Cornelia ALLEN, daughter of David B. ALLEN and Mary "Polly" Ann Allen on 25 Oct 1868 by J.L. Purefoy. John Warren CAWTHORN worked as a farmer and in 1886 owned 147 acres in Granville county. By the 1900 census, John and his family had moved to Nash county, NC where he continued to work as a farmer.

John and Cornelia ALLEN had ten children: Walter L. (b. 1869, d.1916), Charles Brent (b.1871), Pattie Elliot (b. 1875, d. 1937), Lucy B. (b. about 1876, d. before 1937), Lillan V. (b. about 1878, d. 1882), Mary Ellen (b. 1879, d. 1947), Annie C. (b. about 1882, d. 1966). David Allen (b. 1883, d. 1884), Bertha J. (b. 1885, d. 1976), and Allen L. (b. 1888, d. 1933). 

John died 14 March 1901. 

Lines Sacred to the memory of David Allen Cawthorn

As my first post I thought it would be best to share a poem I found in my great grand uncle's genealogy research. It was his original documents and research that got me interested in genealogy, and now I have been researching  for over 8 years. I don't know if the document I have is original or if it had been recopied by my great grand uncle Uriel.

Transcribed by K. Stevens, 2011.
Lines sacred to the memory of David Allen Cawthorn infant son of John W Cawthorn and Cornelia E Cawthorn who was born Sept. the 7^th 1883 and died September the 14^th 1884.

“I have a son, a third sweet son; his age I cannot tell

For they reckon not by years and months; where he is gone to dwell.

To us for twelve anxious months his infant smiles were given;

And then he bid farewell to earth; and went to live in heaven.

I cannot tell what form is his, what looks he weareth now,

Nor guess how bright a glory crowns his shining seraph brow,

The thoughts that fill his sinless soul, the bliss which he doth feel,

Are membered with the secret things, which God will not reveal.

But I know for God hath told me this that he is now at rest

Where other blessed infants be, on their Savior’s loving breast;

I know his spirit feels no more this weary load of flesh

But his sleep is blessed with endless dreams of joy forever fresh.

I know the angels fold him close beneath their glittering wings,

And soothe him with a song that breathes of heaven’s divinest things

I know that we shall meet our babe (his loved ones here below)

Where God for aye shall wipe away all tears forever more.

What e’er befalls his brethern twain, his bliss can never cease;

Their lot may here be grief and fear; but his is certain peace.

It may be that the tempters wiles their souls from bliss may sever

But if our own poor faith fail not, he must be our’s forever.

When we think of what our darling is and what he still must be;

We muse on that world’s perfect bliss and this world’s misery

When we groan beneath this load of sin and feel this grief and pain,

O we’d rather live without him here than have him back again.”

-Cornelia E.  Cawthorn   June 7^th 1885

Page 1

Page 2