The descendants of Albert and Rebecca Whitsett, up from slavery to the American Dream based on the work of Brandon Donnell with contributions from other members of his extended family

African-American Whitsett Families

Photo Album - Albert and Rebecca Whitsett Family

ALBERT AND REBECCA WHITSETT FAMILY TREE
By Brandon Donnell

With additional information by Ron Wall

Thank you to Brandon Donnell, Bernice Mitchell and other direct descendants of Albert (1828-1888) and Rebecca (1839-1912) Whitsett of North Carolina.  They helped to launch this section of our web site.

Prior to emancipation, Albert and Rebecca were slaves owned by the James Whitsett family of Rockingham County, NC.  Albert appears on the 1852 Division of Slaves of the estates of James and his son Milton Whitsett.   James died in May 1850 and Milton two years later.  Albert and Rebecca both appear on the 1857 Division of the Slaves of Alfred M. Whitsett's Estate, along with their oldest daughter Harriet.  Alfred M. Whitsett received them as part of the estate of his father, James Whitsett.  Albert and Rebecca also appear in the Guardian Records of James T. Whitsett, son of Alfred M. Whitsett in 1857, 1858, and 1860 in the Rockingham County Record of Settlements.

On many of the census returns, from 1900 - 1930, several of the children and grandchildren of Albert and Rebecca were listed as "mulatto," a clear indication that they were of mixed race.  That leads to a conclusion that they may well be Whitsett's in blood as well as name.  This fact might be proven or disproven by 21st century DNA testing, both yDNA and mtDNA (father and mother lines).  Albert and Rebecca and their children were listed simply as "Black" on the census of 1880, put this fact is not significant because the "mulatto" label was not generally used until the 20th century censuses.

The descendants of Albert and Rebecca overcame the burden from the terrible institution of slavery to prosper.  Apparently from the time of their emancipation, they valued education, withstood the storm of racism and helped to pioneer the acceptance of African-Americans in the military and ultimately America itself.  We know the names of many famous Civil Rights leaders, but rarely do we know of the families like these Whitsett's who help make the movement successful.

Index to Family Group Sheets

GENERATION 1

1 - Albert and Rebecca Whitsett

GENERATION 3 (CONT'D)

10 - Fred Whitsett and Dorthula Thacker

GENERATION 2

2 - Lucy Whitsett and Isaac Moore

GENERATION 3

9 - Harvey Vernon Whitsett and Nettie Dobbs

GENERATION 1

Albert was part of an allotment of slaves in the estate of James and Milton Whitsett drawn by James' son Alfred M. Whitsett (James Whitsett, born ca.1774 died in May 1850; Milton was his son who died 1852) [5]
Estates of James and Milton Whitsett, Rockingham County, November 1852 pg. 25-26
"James and Milton Whitsett Division of Slaves"
"In obeyance to an order Issue from the Court of Pleas and quarter Sessions held in the county aforesaid on the 4th Monday of November 1852 directing the undersigned to divide and make partitian of the slaves of James & Milton Whitsett decd amongst their several representatives to wit John Whitsett Alfred M. Whitsitt the Heirs [of] Mary Moore decd formerly Mary Whitsitt the Heirs Emily Wall decd formerly Emily Whitsett the Heirs of Nathan Whitsett Decd, Obediah McMichael & wife Eliza and Samuel McNeely and wife Nancy and after being duly sworn according to law we proceed to examine  and value the slaves herein after mentioned and described and for the purpose of making an equall division among the several legatees as above named we have Classed them together in following manner to wit

----------------No. 1 ------ Lee valued at ----------- $550
----------------------------- Opra   "      "  -----------  $500
----------------------------- Edmund "   " ------------- $200
----------------------------- Anderson "  " ------------- $150
----------------------------------------------------------$1400
For Lot No. 1 Drawn by the heirs [of] Mary Moore $1400 "

[Simular valuation of a total of seven "lots" ]
Lot 2, heirs of Nathan Whitsett: Harest(?) $625, Thomas $250, Josuah $650;
Lot 3, Samuel McNeely & wife: Clarban(?) $700, George $500, Merica(?) $375
Lot 4, heirs of Emily Wall: John $800, Green $375, Lutitia $350
Lot 5, John Whitsett: Isaac $875, David $700
Lot 6, Obediah McMichael & wife: Baculin $800, Milly $300, Henry $600
Lot 7, Alfred M. Whitsett: Albert $850, Levi $300, Delila $425

Albert, Rebecca and daughter Harriet were part of an allotment of slaves from the estate of Alfred M. Whitsett given to his son James T. Whitsett (Alfred b. 10 Nov 1805, died 01 Feb 1857).  County Court of Pleas and Quarter Sessions, Rockingham County, North Carolina, pg. 110-111.[4]
"Division of the slaves of A. M. Whitsett   dec'd"
__________________________________________
"State of North Carolina}
  Rockingham County     }
      "In obediance to a decree of the County Court of the aforesaid county - founded on a petition filed at February term 1857 by Sarah Whitsett widow of Alfred M. Whitsett dec'd and Jas. T. Whitsett by his guardian Hugh L. Patrick, and Alfred M. Whitsett and Sarah J. Whitsett by their guardian O. McMichael, appointing the undersigned commissioners to value divide and allott the slaves belonging to the estate of Alfred M. Whitsett dec'd between the aforesaid legatees as near equal as we can.  We did after being duly sworn, proceed to value, divide and allott the aforesaid slaves as follows  Viz--" [followed by a list of names of 35 slaves and their value:
Jim $900; Ann & her infant Isabella $800; Dick $700; Caroline $625; Dernarias $400; Margaret $350; Matilda $200; Amos $750; Frances $200; Alexander $5.00; Albert $1100; Beck & her Infant Harriet $1000"; Rose and her infant Granville $750; George $200; Levi $625; John $400; William $700; Martin $1000; Mary and her infant Permelia $1000; Emily $800; Moses $575; Ransom $850; Isaac $1050; Ady and her infant Lucinda $1000; Polly and her infant Andy $950; Martha $800; Dave $900; Henry $250. All 35 slaves valued at $19,280.
The widow Sarah drew Jim, Ann and her infant Isabella, Dick, Caroline, Dernarias, Margaret, Amos, Frances, Alexander, Matilda.
James T. Whitsett (minor) drew Albert, Beck and Harriett, Rose and Granville, George, Levi, William, John.

[The last page of this document is missing from my papers]

GENERATION 2

1900 U. S. census, Simpsonville, Rockingham County, North Carolina, ED85 Sheet 15A family 257 Fulton and Winnie Whitsett
Whitsett  Fulton ... Head ..  B M Apr 1867 33 Married 7 yrs (all born North Carolina) .. Farmer
________ Winnie .. Wife ... B F May 1875 25 Married 7 yrs (mother of 3 living 3)
________ Harvey .. Son ..... B M Oct 1893  6 Single ........................................ at school
________ Fred ..... Son ..... B M Jul  1896  3 Single
________ Robert .. Son ..... B M Nov 1897  2 Single [this should be John Webster]
________ Robert .. Nephew B M Apr 1890 10 Single ........................................ Farm (Laborer)
________ Gaither . Nephew B M May 1891  9 Single

Family 259 (continued on sheet 15B)
Whitsett  Mary .... Head ... B F Jan 1872 28 Divorce Mthr of 6 all living (all born NC) Day Labor unem. 6 months
________ Madison . Son .... B M Feb 1890 10 Single Farm (Laborer) unemployed 12 months
________ William . Son ..... B M Feb 1892  8 Single
________ Mary E  . Daughter B F July 1896  4 Single
_______ Janie ....  Daughter B F Jun 1895  5 Single
_______ Annis ..... Daughter B F Oct 1897  2 Single
_______ James ... Son .....  B M Feb 1900 5/12
I am certain that this is Mary, daughter of Albert and Winnie, although I cannot prove it.  I believe that their surname changed by the time of the 1910 census making it nearly impossible for us to find them on the census.

Gaither Whitsett was born on 02 Sep 1890 in Reidsville, Rockingham County, North Carolina[2,3,4]. He died on 15 Jul 1950 in Greensboro, Guilford Co., North Carolina (died enroute to the L. Richardson Hospital)[4]. He was buried on 20 Jul 1950 in Chapel Hill Cemetery, Rockingham County, North Carolina[4]. In 1917 Gaither had a wife and three Children[3].
    1. Residence on 1 June 1900, in the Fulton Whitsett household in Simpsonville, Rockingham Co., N.C.[2]
    2. Residence on 5 June 1917 was in Gary, McDowell County, West Virginia[3].
    3. Occupation 05 Jun 1917 Gary, McDowell Co., West Virginia, Miner, NS Coal and Coke Co., #6 Works[3].
    4. Residence 15 Jul 1950, 2102 Lutheran Street, Greensboro, Guilford Co., North Carolina[4].

GENERATION 3

1930 U. S. Census, Monroe Township, Guilford County, North Carolina, ED72 Sheet 16B, 22 April 1930, family 92
Whitsett  Fred ...... Head     M Neg 35 Married at age 27 (all births NC) Laborer Saw Mill
..........  Minnie .... Mother   F Neg 56 Married at age 42 [should be mother-in-law, age 60]
..........  Dort ...... Relative  F Neg 25 Widow married at 19 Laundress At Home [sister-in-law?]
..........  Dorthula . Relative  F Neg 60 Widow married at 21 Laundress At Home [s.b. Wife, age 25 married at 17]
.......... Christine . Daughter F Neg  8  Single
.......... James .... Son ...... M Neg  7 Single
..........  Dewey .. Son ...... M Neg  5 Single
.......... Alma ..... Dau. .....  F Neg  6 Single
.......... Alice ..... Dau. .....  F Neg  1 Single

This was obviously one very confused census taker.  I  believe the 60 year old widow was Minnie, the mother of Dorthula, so that should read: "Minnie, mother-in-law, F Neg 60, first married at 21."  Dort may be Dorothy(?) either a cousin or a sister of Dorthula.  Dorthula should read: "Dorthula, Wife, F Neg 25, 1st married at 17." That leaves the question, who was the 56 year old married female, 1st married at 42?

"JoWilliamson43," hill mciver atkins gilmore-3_2009-04-13 (Public Member Family Trees, Ancestry.com on-line database, Provo, UT, 2009).