Edgecombe County, NC - Varnell Family Observations

                                

Edgecombe/Wilson County Letters

Information gathered and written by Hugh Buckner Johnson about the Varnell 
Family of Edgecombe/Wilson Counties. Information given to Floyd & Cleo 
Varnell by Hugh years ago. They were kind enough to allow me to transcribe 
and contribute.  <information> bolded is added by Charlotte Varnell Beck.

Some Observations on the Varnell Family

By
Hugh Buckner Johnston

     Varnell is a somewhat scarce surname in our area. There was one family 
just west of Macclesfield, and another group were northerly from Holden's 
Crossroads in Wilson County, where they had intermarried with my Woodard and 
Batts connections. There are seventeen listings in the latest Wilson 
Telephone Directory.
     Before 1790 the family historian may have some difficulty, but in that 
year John Varnal was living in Gates County with three males over sixteen 
and one under sixteen, and two females.  I am inclined to believe that he 
was the father of Benjamin Varnal or Varnell who was listed in the Edgecombe 
county Census of 1810 (page 734), and that Benjamin Varnell was the father of 
at least three known children:

1. Elizabeth Varnell married Enoch Flora in Edgecombe County on July 11, 1827, 
bonded by William D. Petway. They appear to have moved away before 1850, but 
some of his collateral descendants still reside in Wilson County. Enoch was a 
son of Lazarus and Winnifred Flora. (Winnifred had after her husband's death 
an illegetimate child by my 3rd greatgrandfather Jonathan Thomas who died in 
1802 at the old Thomas Homeplace now owned by Dr. E. C. Neeland of Wilson).

2. Isiah Varnell married Peninah _______________ and moved westward. He has a 
descendant, Mrs. Joe Williams, living in 1982 at 1307 Jo Creason Drive, Benton, 
Kentucky 42025. Her grandmother Cox was Pernecia Joseph Varnell, a 
granddaughter of the preceeding couple.

3. Levi Varnell married Barshaba Brinkley in Edgecombe County on December 26, 
1822, bonded by Isaiah Varnell.  She was born in 1787 and living in 1850 with 
her son Kinchen Varnal, a laborer born in 1826.  On April 16, 1851 Kinchen 
Varnell married Martha Carter, bonded by Patrick Byrum, in Edgecombe County.
The Varnells of what is now Wilson County probably descend from William 
Varnell, son of Levi and Barshaba (Brinkley) Varnell. He ws born on March 27, 
1824. On June 2, 1846, he married Sally Barnes who was born in 1829; William 
W. Barnes bonded the marriage. In the Edgecombe County Census of 1850 William 
and Sally Varnell were listed with two children; they may have had others who 
were listed in the Edgecombe County Censi of 1860, 1870, and even 1880. 
William and Sally (Barnes) Varnell appear to have had at least three children:

1. Bolden Varnell was born in 1846.  He married Lusanna (Susanna?) <Martha 
Edwards>_________________ and was living in 1870 in the Otter's Creek District 
of Edgecombe County.

2. John Varnell was born in 1848.  He married <Sallie Forbes> and had several 
children:

a. Kinchen Varnell married Bettie <Baker>______ who died on October 30, 1899.
b. Mittie Varnell died on March 10, 1896.  She married Willis Baker who died 
on Oct 23, 1899.
c. Teresa Varnell married Reddick Baker who died on March 17, 1900.

3. Robert "Bob" Varnell was born on July 6, 1852, and died on October 25, 
1908. On January 6, 1880, in Wilson County, he married Mary Elizabeth Woodard, 
daughter of Gray Wilson Woodard and wife Mary Barnes, daughter of James 
Stephen Barnes and wife Obedience Johnson. She was born on July 9, 1860, and 
died on September 6, 1925.  They had nine children.

a. Gray Wilson "Wilse" Varnell was born on March 19, 1881
b. James William Varnell was born on November 16, 1882
c. John Bunyan Varnell was born on November 3, 1884.
d. Sarah Brittana Varnell was born on December 2, 1888.
e. Evy Cornelia Varnell was born on December 2, 1888.
f. Robert Edwin Varnell was born on July 18, 1890.
g. Bolen Floyd Varnell was born on December 17, 1892.
h. Charles Wright Varnell was born on May 10, 1896.
i. Mary Obedience Varnell was born on November 24, 1900.


**This information was given to me (to make a copy of) by Mr. And Mrs. Floyd 
Varnell of 2050 Firestone Pkwy. On 2/28/02 to utilize.*****

Transcribed on PC by Charlotte Varnell Beck on 2/28/02

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This file was contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives by
Charlotte Beck <Cvbeck@cox.net>
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