Chapter 10#

David J. Berry 1774 to 1838#

David J. Berry was the eighth child and the sixth son born to Robert and Elizabeth Cate Berry. The Regulator Movement had already been quieted by the brutal and unfair actions of Governor Tryon three years before David was born. David was in his formative years while the Revolutionary War was being waged. David was about 6 years old when his father, Robert Berry, his oldest brother, Robert Berry Jr., and brother-in-law, George Waggoner, joined the North Carolina Continental Army. George Waggoner, who married David’s older sister Mary Berry, was apparently mortally wounded in the battle at Guilford Court House. It is very hard to imagine how bad conditions were, what the family had to endure, or the effect it may have had on David as he was growing up.

During the Revolutionary War David was surrounded by four older brothers, John, Joshua, Isaac, Thomas, and his 2 sisters, Mary Berry Waggoner, and Elizabeth. There were neighbors who had children about his same age, so David may have been allowed to play with them some. Most likely all of the children in the neighborhood were kept busy by their mothers, who needed all the help they could get. Robert Berry’s OC family had several slaves by this time but keeping the plantation functioning was still a daunting task for Elizabeth and her children. Even though David was only five years old in 1779, he was probably still expected to do some of the daily chores, such as bring in firewood, feed the chickens, collect eggs, and duties of this nature. Robert Berry OC had planted an orchard of fruit trees on the west part of his Fiddleton plantation, so in the summer and fall there was a lot of fresh fruit available. Elizabeth Cate Berry would have made life for children as comfortable as she could in spite of the hardships the Revolutionary War had placed on everybody. How much food was sold or donated to the Army is unknown but likely everything that could be spared was contributed. The women back home also knitted socks and made clothing for the army in their spare time.

After General Charles Cornwallis surrendered at Yorktown on October 19, 1781, David’s father and older brother, Robert Berry Junior, soon returned home. David’s widowed sister, Mary Berry Waggoner, was married to James Camp in December of 1781 and soon left Fiddleton to relocate in Rutherford County, N.C. Rutherford County was about 180 miles away. David was only seven years old when Mary remarried and after James and Mary Camp left home, he probably never saw either of them again.

While food was adequate, recovery from the war would have been slow. There was a lot of help on the plantation but I suspect that everybody was expected to carry their share of the work load. By the time David was a teenager, he and some of his brothers would have been hunting wild animals and fowl to provide meat for the family. The few cows they still owned would have been used as breeding stock. At this time in his life, David certainly would have assumed adult chores with the rest of the family. It was 16 years after the Revolutionary War when David and Mary Blalock got married.

Henry Waggoner signed their bond. David Berry was 23 when he and Mary Blalock married on February 27th, 1797. All of David and Mary Blalock Berry’s children were born in Orange County, North Carolina. They even had two daughters who married in Orange County, North Carolina, before going to Georgia. Sally Berry married William Cates on July 26, 1817. Thomas Berry was their bondsman.

Winnie Berry married Joshua Norman on September 19th, 1820, and no bondsman was listed for them. David listed his family in the 1800, 1810, and 1820 census of Orange County, North Carolina. David’s niece, Catherine Berry Pickle, and her husband, Jacob Pickle, were living next door to David’s family in 1810 but the Pickle family did not list there in 1820.

In September of 1821, Henry and David Berry of Orange County sold a slave girl named Amy to William McKissack Sr. of Person County for $350. Amy may have been a daughter of one of Robert Berry OC’s original slaves. The witnesses to this transaction were Thomas P. Evans, Robert G. Cummins, William Lipscomb, and John Cummins. David was the last of Robert and Elizabeth Cate Berry’s children to leave North Carolina. David’s youngest son, Joshua Berry, was born in Orange County in 1824. Mary Blalock Berry’s pregnancy may have been the reason David and his wife did not leave North Carolina sooner. David and Mary Blalock Berry were living in Fayette County, Georgia, when they listed their 1830 census.

David J. Berry died about 1838 and would have only been 64 years old. There are records of David J. Berry’s estate where some members of his family are named. There was no mention of Mary Blalock Berry in the estate. After leaving their home in North Carolina, David J. Berry and his family lived in Fayette County, Georgia, Cobb County, Georgia, Henry County, Georgia, and Milton County, Georgia. Some of this was due to counties changing their name.

Children of David J. and Mary Blalock Berry#

Elizabeth Berry, born in NC (Mary Blalock’s and John Leathers’ daughter)

• Sarah Berry was born in Orange County, NC, on April 4, 1796.
• Winifred Berry was born in Orange County, NC, between 1800–1810.
• David J. Berry Jr. was born in Orange County, NC, between 1800–1810.
• Mary Berry was born in Orange County, NC, between 1800–1810.
• Henry Berry was born in Orange County, NC, 1810.
• George N. Berry was born in Orange County, NC, around 1810.
• Robert Berry was born in Orange County, NC, around 1812.
• William G. Berry was born in Orange County, NC, around 1817.
• Thomas Berry was born in Orange County, NC, around 1817.
• Joshua Berry was born in Orange County, NC, around 1824.

1. Elizabeth Berry: (daughter of Mary Blalock) did not marry John Dennis as reported.

2. Sarah Berry: was born in Orange County, North Carolina, on April 4, 1796. She married William A. Cates in Orange County on July 26, 1817. Sarah Cates died in Clayton County, Georgia, on April 4, 1870.

William Abraham and Sarah Berry Cates’ Children#

• Alfred Cates (b. Nov. 24th, 1818) married Mary Ann Nolen on Dec. 18, 1838, in Henry County, Georgia. Mary Ann was born in South Carolina in 1824. This couple had 12 children. At some point after the children were born, Alfred and Mary moved to Cass County, Texas.

• Romulus Sanders Cates was born Sept 21, 1819, in NC. He married Lucinda E. Reeves (daughter of Newton Reeves Sr.) on Feb. 27, 1840, in Henry County, Ga. Lucinda was born on Jan. 10, 1822, in Georgia. The family had 12 children. They moved to Winston Co., Ala. Romulus died in Ala. on Jan 2, 1896, and his wife died in Ga. on May 11, 1892.

• Martha Cates was born May 20th, 1820, and married Miles N. Hunt on Dec. 12th, 1854. Martha died on Jun 20th, 1859, in Clayton County, Georgia. The date on Miles’ tombstone is June 29th; the year is unreadable. They had 3 children.

• Mary (Polly) Cates was born 10th January, 1822, in South Carolina as her parents made their way to Georgia. She married James Alexander Walton in 1848. James was born on July 29, 1811, in Georgia and died Sept 7, 1857. He is buried with first wife Sophia at Pitts Cemetery, Moreland, Coweta, Georgia. Sophia died on Feb 26, 1847. James and Mary Polly Cates Walton were only married for 9 years before he died. This explains why Mary Cates and her two sons were living with her father in the 1860 Clayton County, Georgia, census. The household consisted of William Cates age 62, Sarah Cates age 63, Mary Cates age 38, and J. (James) T. Cates age 8. At this time, we have been unable to determine where Alexander Cates, age 4, was staying when this 1860 Northern District, Clayton County census was recorded. Mary Polly Cates named both of her sons after their father. Her first son was named James and her second son Alexander. Mary Polly Cates reverted to her maiden name after her husband died. Any living male Cates descendant from this family would match the Y-DNA of James Alexander Walton. Descendants of both of Mary Polly Cates’ two sons qualify for the DAR or the SAR as descendants of the Robert and Elizabeth Cate Berry family. Robert Berry served as a private in the North Carolina Continental Line in the Revolutionary War.

• Isaac A. Cates was born Dec. 27, 1823, in Henry County, Georgia. On Oct 20, 1844, Isaac married Serena Crow, who was born Mar 20, 1828, in Clayton County, Georgia. They were married in Henry County, Georgia, and had 11 children. Isaac Cates died Feb 8, 1891, in Ellenwood, Clayton County, Georgia. Serena Crow died on July 27, 1902, in Clayton County, Georgia.

• Elizabeth J. Cates was born Dec 23rd, 1826, in Henry County, Georgia. She died 23 August, 1896. She married Joshua M. Berry on Jan. 31, 1854. Joshua M. Berry was born in NC. Joshua M. Berry was her uncle. They had 6 children. Two of their sons were killed in a truck/train accident in 1921.

• Eleander Cates was born Nov 26th, 1829, in Henry County, Ga. She married G. G. Baker about 1849.

• Sarah E. Cates was born Nov 16th, 1831, in NC. She married Robert L. Hicks on Dec. 12th, 1869. He was born in NC, and he died after 1880. Sarah died Jan. 13th, 1894, in Clayton County, Ga. They had 1 child.

• Norisa M. Cates was born May 22nd, 1833, in Henry Co., Ga.

• Lucinda Cates was born on April 2nd, 1835, in Henry Co., Ga. She married Dewey L. Silvey about 1855. Silvey was born in 1825 and died in 1860. They had 3 children.

3. Winifred Berry was born about 1800 in Orange County, North Carolina. She married Joshua Norman in Orange County, NC. Winnie died between 1860 and 1870.

Children of Joshua and Winifred Norman#

• Lucinda Norman 1828–1900
  • +William O. Burks 1823–
• David Norman 1821–1891
  • +Elizabeth Yarbrough 1830–1894

4. David J. Berry Jr. was born about 1800 in Orange County, North Carolina. He married Margaret Erwin in Orange County, NC, on Sept 29, 1829. David Jr. died sometime after 1838.

5. Mary Berry: was born about 1800 in Orange County, North Carolina. She married Thomas Howard Barton February 24, 1831. Mary died in 1884 in Clayton County, Georgia.

Children of Thomas Howard and Mary Berry Barton#

• Seleta Barton 1832–
  • +John R. Daniel
• Mary Elizabeth Barton 1833–1899
  • +Joshua Crow 1830–1908
• William David Barton 1834–1909
  • +Narcissus V. Chapman Peeler 1828–1914
• Yancey Meredith Barton 1836–1896
• Thomas Berry Barton 1838–
• James Nelson Barton 1840–
• A. Riley Barton 1841–
• Robert Marion Barton 1844–1920
  • +Mary E. Birdwell

Yancy Meredith Barton was the 4th child of Mary Berry and Thomas Howard Barton. He was born on April 6th, 1836, in Clayton County, Georgia. He died in Rusk County, Texas, on June 10th, 1886.

“Service record of Yancey: Private in Company 1, 30th Regiment of the Georgia volunteer infantry, Army of Tennessee, Confederate States Army. Formed in Clayton County (Atlanta), Georgia, ‘The Clayton Invincibles’. Captured near Jonesboro, Georgia, September 1, 1864. Exchanged at Rough and Ready, Georgia, September 19–22, 1864. (Book: Roster of Confederate Soldiers of Georgia: 1861–1865.)”

Dr. Yancy Pascal Barton House in Rusk County, Texas#

Yancy Pascal Barton is Yancy Meredith Barton’s nephew and son of Robert Marion and Mary Birdwell Barton. He is the grandson of Mary Berry and Thomas Howard Barton.

Dr. Yancy Pascal Barton House in Rusk County, Texas

Yancy Meredith Barton was living with his first cousin, David R. Norman, in Clayton County, Georgia, in the 1860 Census. David Norman’s mother, Winnie Berry Norman, was also living with him in the same census. Winnie was also living with her son David in 1840.

I was able to find Winnie living with David in the 1850 and 1860 Clayton County, Georgia, census, but cannot find her in 1870. Robert Marion Barton was in Company E, 30th Georgia Infantry, C.S.A. He surrendered May 10 and was paroled May 18, 1865, at Tallassee, Florida. He was born in Clayton County, Georgia, and moved to Minden, Texas, in 1867. At the time he applied for his Confederate Pension in Texas (Pension number 30446), his house was valued at $1,000 and he had other assets valued at $200 in Rusk County, Texas. His commanding officer was Captain Joseph Huie. He joined the Confederate Army on September 25, 1861, at Camp Bagley near Fairburn, Georgia. Capt. Huie stated in the Pension Application that R. M. Barton was left sick and was captured in Mississippi in 1863. He was a Private in the CSA.

6. Henry Berry was born in 1810 in Orange County, North Carolina. He married Sarah Roberts in Henry County, Georgia, on April 27, 1829.

Henry Berry

7. George N. Berry was born around 1810 in Orange County, North Carolina. Nothing else is known about him.

8. Robert Berry was born around 1812 in Orange County, North Carolina. He married Eliza Everett on June 16, 1833, in Fayette County, Georgia. Elizabeth Everett was born May 30, 1814, and died 23 Apr, 1891. Robert died in Milton County, Georgia, before 1892.

Children of Robert and Elizabeth Everett Berry#

• Emanuel P. Berry 1848
  • +Clara S. Berry 1856
• Isaac Martin Berry 1833–1903
• Mary Lori Berry 1836–1890
  • +Nathan Turley 1838–1923
• Sarah A. Berry 1837–
• William H. Berry 1837–
  • +Matilda A. Starke
  • 2nd Wife: +Amelia Ann Fowler
• Robert Riley Berry 1840–1909
  • +Martha “Mattie” Starke 1844–1928
• John Allmon Berry 1843–1903
  • +Sarah Elizabeth Starke 1847–1928
• David M. Berry 1845–1911
  • +Mary Catherine Ellis 1851–1926
• Jessie Lee Berry 1852–1924
  • +Nancy Ann Henry 1857–1949
• Basil Manley Berry 1856–1914
  • +Mary Elizabeth Watson 1855–1941

NOTE: See Robert and Elizabeth Everett Berry’s Bible Page.

Robert and Elizabeth Everett Berry’s Bible Page#

Robert and Elizabeth Everett Berry's Bible Page

Martha Mattie Starke and Robert Riley Berry#

Composite picture of Martha Mattie Starke and Robert Riley Berry

Robert Riley Berry is the son of Robert and Elizabeth Everett Berry.

Robert Riley Berry 1840–1909 married Martha “Mattie” Starke 1844–1928.

Their children:

• Horace Prather Berry 1870–1958
• Robert Clark Berry 1874–1955
• Sarah Frances Leola Berry 1876–1953
• Emma Alene Berry 1878–1932
  • +William Aaron Turley 1876–1930
• Enoch Meril Berry 1881–1963

9. William G. Berry is the son of David J. and Mary Blalock Berry. He married Jane Beck.

Children of William G. and Jane Beck Berry#

• William J. Berry 1836–
• Martha Berry 1838–
• Amanda Berry 1840–
• John G. Berry 1842–
• James M. Berry 1844–
• Louisiana Berry 1846–
• Thomas J. Berry 1848–

10. Thomas Berry is the son of David J. and Mary Blalock Berry. I have no other information about Thomas.

11. Joshua Berry is the son of David J. and Mary Blalock Berry. He was born in Orange County, North Carolina, in 1824. Elizabeth J. Cates was born Dec 23rd, 1826, in Henry County, Georgia. She died 23 August, 1896. She married Joshua M. Berry on Jan. 31, 1854. Elizabeth’s parents were Isaac A. and Serena Crow Cates. Joshua M. Berry was her uncle. They had 5 children. Two of their sons were killed in a truck/train accident in 1921.

Children of Joshua and Elizabeth Cates Berry#

• Sarah R. Berry (Mrs. E. A. Wooten) 1856
• Angelett G. Berry Stallsworth 1857
• Robert I. Berry 1858–1921
• Mary E. (Mollie) 1860
• Joshua Berry 1865–1921

David J. Berry Y-DNA Proof — Two Participants#

Participant 1: Dane Eaton Berry

• Robert and Mary Williamson Berry, Princess Anne County, Virginia
• Robert and Elizabeth Cate Berry, Orange County, North Carolina
• David J. and Mary Blalock Berry, North Carolina, Georgia
• Robert and Elizabeth Everett Berry, North Carolina, Georgia
• Jesse Lee and Nancy Ann Henry Berry, Georgia
• Albert Edgar and Eddie Claude Dorton Berry, Georgia
• William Lamar and Nanny (Verna) Mitchell Berry, Georgia
• Dane Eaton Berry

Participant 2: Billy J. Berry

• Robert and Mary Williamson Berry, Princess Anne County, Virginia
• Robert and Elizabeth Cate Berry, Orange County, North Carolina
• David J. and Mary Blalock Berry, North Carolina, Georgia
• Robert and Elizabeth Everett Berry, North Carolina, Georgia
• Jesse Lee and Nancy Ann Henry Berry, Georgia
• Walter Glen and Leone P. Floyd Berry, Georgia
• Walter Comer Berry
• Billy J. Berry

Mary Lori Berry — Daughter of Robert and Elizabeth Everett Berry#

12. Mary Lori Berry is the daughter of Robert and Elizabeth Everett Berry. Mary Lori Berry was born on June 11th, 1836, and died on July 4th, 1890. Mary L. Berry is Robert Riley’s sister. She married Nathan Turley, who was born on August 25th, 1838, and died December 23rd, 1923. This couple had four children.

Children of Nathan and Mary Lori Berry Turley#

• Nathaniel Aire Turley b. 1873, d. 1937
• Mary Lou Turley b. June 22nd, 1877, d. March 18th, 1956
• Dora E. Turley b. April 11th, 1874, d. June 6th, 1915
• William Aaron Turley b. August 26th, 1879, d. Nov. 6th, 1960

William Aaron Turley is the son of Nathan (1838–1923) and Mary L. Berry Turley (1836–1890). His wife was Emma Alene Berry Turley, daughter of Robert Riley and Martha Mattie Starke Berry.

William Aaron Turley with six of his grandchildren

William Aaron Turley is shown on the left with six of his grandchildren.

Martha Mattie Stark Berry is holding the baby, Mattie Turley. Mattie is the 2nd child of William Aaron and Emma Alene Berry Turley. When Mattie Turley grew up she married J. B. Powell, son of John David and Nancy Smith Powell.

J. D. and Nancy Powell had four children. The oldest son, Melvin Ray Powell, died at birth. Lois, Hershal, and Irene are still living. The boy who is standing beside his grandmother, Martha Mattie Stark Berry, is Hershal Turley and the baby she is holding is Fred Turley. William Aaron and Emma Berry Turley are the parents of the two small boys in this picture. Martha Mattie Starke Berry is Emma’s mother.

Martha Mattie Stark Berry#

Martha Mattie Stark Berry

Dora Ellen Turley#

Dora Ellen Turley is the daughter of Nathan and Mary Lori Berry Turley.

George and Dora Ellen Turley Pace and their children

George and Dora Ellen Turley Pace and their children are shown in the picture above. This couple had eleven children and not all of them lived to be adults. They lived in Milton County, Georgia, and they also lived in Cobb County, Georgia.

George and Dora Ellen Pace listed in the 1900 Milton County, GA, Census. They listed in the 1910 Cobb County, GA, Census. Dora died after 1916. George Pace was a widower in 1920. George Pace married Cora D. (unknown surname) and was listed in the 1920 Cobb County, Georgia, Census.

Three Berry Brothers Married Three Starke Sisters#

Three of Robert Berry and Elizabeth Everett Berry’s sons married three of the daughters of Jonas and Averella Kent Starke.

• Robert Riley Berry (1840–1909) married Martha Mattie Starke Berry (1844–1928), Georgia
• John Allmond Berry (1843–1903) married Sarah Elizabeth Starke Berry (1847–1928), GA
• William H. Berry married Matilda Starke Berry, Georgia

William H. Berry’s second wife was Amelia Ann Fowler.

Mary Lou Turley — Daughter of Nathan and Mary Lori Berry Turley#

Mary Lou Turley Ancestor Line#

• Robert and Mary Williamson Berry
• Robert and Elizabeth Cate Berry
• David J. and Mary Blaylock Berry
• Robert and Elizabeth Everett Berry
• Nathan and Mary Lori Berry Turley
• John and Mary Lou Turley Hartsfield

Mary Lou Turley

Hartsfield Children#

• Oscar Lee Hartsfield
• John Irvin Hartsfield
• Ernest Jefferson Hartsfield (not shown)
• Christine Hartsfield (not shown)

John Allmon Berry#

John Allmon and Sarah Elizabeth Starke Family

This picture may have been taken for a special occasion. The couple on the left was most likely the oldest son and his new bride. It could have been a wedding celebration. Since the young couple was not front and center, I tend to believe that it was not their wedding day. The picture might have been taken of the family by a roving photographer. This business was very prosperous when cameras first became reasonably adequate. The family may have been dressed to go to church on Sunday morning. The only real information I have about this picture is that it is a picture of John Allmon Berry’s home and family.

Children of John Allmon and Sarah Starke Berry#

• Charles E. Berry b. Oct. 3rd, 1860, d. Nov. 21st, 1933
• Lula Octavia Berry b. Sept. 4th, 1871, d. Feb. 16th, 1955
• John R. Berry b. June 27th, 1873, d. Aug. 9th, 1941
• James Jefferson Berry b. Oct. 17th, 1875, d. June 17th, 1945
• Emma Averella Berry b. June 17th, 1879, d. Mar. 19th, 1962
• Walter L. Berry b. Dec 2nd, 1883, d. Mar. 7th, 1932
• Zeallia Berry b. Jan 7th, 1886, d. July 23rd, 1963

Jesse Lee Berry#

Jesse Lee Berry was David J. and Mary Blalock Berry’s grandson, and Robert and Elizabeth Everett Berry’s son.

Jesse is shown in the picture on the left. This bale of cotton won a first prize at a state fair in Georgia in 1904. The picture on the right was one taken in 1870 when Jesse Lee Berry was a young man. A picture of Jesse Lee and Nancy Ann Henry Berry’s children can be seen below.

In 1870, Jesse Lee Berry listed in Etowah County, Alabama, Census. Jesse Lee Berry was back in Henry County, Georgia, in the 1900 Census. Jesse L. Berry listed in Nances, Muscogee, Georgia, in the 1910 Census. Jesse Lee Berry was in Bozemans, Muscogee, Georgia, in 1920.

Jesse Lee Berry with prize bale of cotton, 1904

Jesse Lee Berry as a young man, 1870

Jesse’s wife, N.A. Berry, was in Spalding, Georgia, in 1930.

Five of Jesse Lee and Nancy Ann Henry Berry’s Children#

Five of Jesse Lee and Nancy Ann Henry Berry's children

Left to Right: Sarah Florence Kelly, William Oscar Berry, Albert Edgar Berry, Addie Lee Berry, and Cora Mae McVickers.

There is a very strong resemblance between William Oscar Berry and my grandfather and his brothers, Willie A. and Thomas E. Berry, from Orange County, NC.

Walter Glen Berry#

Walter Glen Berry was the son of Jesse Lee and Nancy Ann Henry Berry. He was born on January 15th, 1880, in Etowah County, Alabama, and died in Henry County, Georgia, on May 2nd, 1951. Walter Glen Berry married Leone Paschal Floyd on December 22nd, 1901. Edie is shown with her parents’ picture.

Walter Glen Berry and Leone Floyd Berry

Walter Glen and Leone Floyd Berry’s Children#

• Edie Elizabeth Berry, born February 10th, 1904
• Ruby Glenn Berry, born March 2nd, 1909
• Walter Clomer Berry, born 1912
• Minnie Paschal Berry, born Jan. 15th, 1916

2005 Berry-Nix Reunion, Cullman, Alabama#

2005 Berry-Nix Reunion in Cullman, Alabama

This was the first David J. Berry reunion that I attended. I met several of David J. Berry’s descendants for the first time. On the way to this event, I traveled the Natchez Trace from Nashville, Tennessee, and visited with John Allen Berry for the first time. In addition to all of the David J. Berry descendants who attended, there were two other family lines represented. I descend from William Berry and John Allen Berry from Thomas Berry.

2006 David J. Berry Family Reunion in Roswell, Georgia#

2006 Berry-Nix Reunion in Roswell, Georgia

The picture above was taken at the Willeo Cemetery in Roswell, Georgia, where many of Robert Berry OC descendants are buried with their families.

This event was hosted by Jo Patterson and George Pettett. They did such an excellent job with this reunion it set the stage for two more nationwide Robert and Elizabeth Cate Berry reunions.

Almost all of us out of town Berry relatives stayed at the Best Western motel in Roswell. The event ran from Friday, June 9 through Sunday, June 11, 2006. While we were in Roswell, we visited the site where Robert and Elizabeth Everett Berry’s home had once been located. The property has now been subdivided into a residential community consisting of many modern homes. We visited several local sites that had been owned by various Berry relatives. We visited the Smith plantation home in Roswell, Georgia. After leaving the Smith plantation, we toured the Bulloch Hall.

We shared our family trees, pictures, and documents. Several different speakers shared information about their family lines.

I decided while attending this reunion that I would organize one in Orange County, North Carolina, in 2007. I knew where the original Land Grant property was because my William Berry descendants had lived there all their lives. Hillsborough was an old town that was established after Robert Berry OC homesteaded Fiddleton. This 2007 event turned out to be a wonderful reunion with 116 people attending. At the 2007 reunion, John Allen Berry from the Thomas Berry line decided he would host another of these national events in 2008. He lives in Cypress Inn, Tennessee, where Thomas Berry’s widow relocated in 1814. This also turned out to be a very successful reunion.

David J. Berry Descendants Return to Orange County#

In the picture below, there are several of David J. Berry’s descendants. They made their first visit back to Orange County, North Carolina, in 2002. As far as I know, these David J. Berry descendants are the first of his family to return to Fiddleton since David J. Berry and his family left here in 1828. I know that others in his family have passed through this area, but they had no idea that this was where David was born.

The Church behind this group is Berry’s Grove Baptist Church. The land for this church was donated by John Robert and Elizabeth Bowling Berry in 1889. John Robert Berry is the grandson of William Berry, who is one of David J. Berry’s brothers. William and David J. Berry are sons of Robert and Elizabeth Cate Berry, who first settled this area of North Carolina in 1751.

David Berry's descendants in Orange County, NC, in 2002

From Left to Right: Martha Mangum’s grandson, Martha W. Mangum, Martha’s daughter Betty Bruley (Georgia), Jo Patterson, Biff Patterson (Georgia), Lois White (Alabama).

2002 Wiley P. and Ida Ann Wilson Berry Reunion#

2002 Wiley P. and Ida Ann Wilson Berry reunion

William Henry and Permillia Ann Fowler Berry#

Ancestor Line:

• Robert and Mary Williamson Berry, Princess Anne County, VA
• Robert and Elizabeth Cate Berry, Orange County, NC
• David J. and Mary Blaylock Berry, Orange County, NC and Georgia
• Robert and Elizabeth Everett Berry, Georgia

William Henry Berry was born on the 12th of November, 1837, in Fayette County, Georgia, and died on the 5th of April, 1905, in Baldwin City, GA.

William Henry Berry was married twice. He was married to Matilda A. Starke about 1859 and she died about two years later. William Henry then remarried on the 5th Feb, 1861. His new bride was Permilla Ann Fowler, who was born in November, 1839, and died on the 19th of December, 1922, in Bibb County, GA. The family had ten children in the next seventeen years, from 1862 until 1879. The first child was Viola Berry, who was born in 1861. William Edgar Berry was born in 1862. Their lives were interrupted by the Civil War and William Henry Berry was away from home on active duty in the Confederate Army. The next child, John A. Berry, was born in 1864.

William Henry and Permilla Ann Fowler Berry’s Children#

• Viola Berry b. 1861, married Medlin
• William Edgar Berry b. 1862, d. 05 July 1949, married Matilda Starke about 1859; married Permillia Ann Fowler about 1860
• John A. Berry b. 1864, d. 1899, married Harris then Woodfolk
• Frances Cornelia (Frannie) Berry b. 07 May 1866, d. 18 Mar 1940, married W.J. Taylor
• Albert Berry b. 1867, d. Bef. 1880
• Alfred Berry b. 1868, d. Bef. 1880
• Susie Ann Berry b. 1871, d. Feb 1899
• Henry Franklin Berry b. 20 Nov 1874, d. 18 Aug 1963
• Stella Berry b. 1876, d. 23 May 1944, married Fuller
• Mamie Berry b. 1879, married Tucker

William Henry and Permillia Ann Fowler Berry family

William Edgar Berry#

William Edgar Berry was born in 1862 and died on the 5th of April, 1949, in Birmingham, Ala.

Edgar Berry married Carrie Alford, who was born 11 Nov, 1872, and died on the 30th of September, 1899, in Macon, Georgia. This couple only had two sons.

1. Cuyler Cleo Berry

Cuyler Cleo Berry was born in November, 1895, and died on May 1st, 1973, in Birmingham, Alabama. He married Violet Mae Lewis on December 5th, 1915.

Cuyler Cleo and Violet Mae Lewis Berry’s Children#

• Robert Edward Berry b. 1917, d. 1988
  • +Miriam Eliz Habel b. 1918, d. 2001
• Lucile Gertrude Berry b. 1919, d. 2009
  • +Clifford L. Peeples b. 1919, d. 1992
• Violet Irene Berry b. 1921, d. 1998
  • +Willard Lee Moore b. 1919, d. 1992, Birmingham, Alabama
• Ethel Jane Berry b. 1923, d. 1997
  • +John Timmons Culberson
• William Edgar Berry b. 1926, d. 1997
  • +Virginia Beasley b. 1927, d. 2013

2. Carlton Berry

Carlton Berry has been difficult to find after the 1920 Census. He was living with his stepmother Elizabeth Staley Berry, his half sister Catherine Burkman Berry, and his brother Cleo in 1910. According to family members, Carlton moved to Tennessee and changed his name to escape a bad relationship with his first wife. Cleo Berry was the only member of the family who knew what Carlton’s new name was and Cleo died without revealing his brother’s new name to the family. Carlton is reported to have two sons.

Closing Thoughts on David J. Berry#

David J. Berry and his family located north of Atlanta, Georgia, in the late eighteen twenties and early eighteen thirties. David was about 58 years old when he arrived in Georgia. Several of his family had preceded him. His youngest son was born in 1824 in Orange County, North Carolina. All of his children were born in North Carolina; some of them even were married in Orange and Person County, North Carolina. I have no idea why David and Mary Blalock Berry delayed leaving as long as they did.

During the Civil War, General Sherman chose to make an example to the South by destroying Atlanta, the railroads, and many of the records.

Researching the David J. Berry family has been very difficult at times because of this. Once the Berry researchers made contact with each other over the Internet and we became involved in the Berry Y-DNA project, a lot of the difficulty disappeared. By locating living descendants of the David J. Berry family, it became much easier because of family records and personal knowledge. To get a complete picture of any family, you have to have archival records such as family trees, deeds, wills, birth records, census records, cemetery records, and family history. In addition to this information, you absolutely have to have Y-DNA data. When you have these two sources in hand, a lot of the guesswork is removed.

Families do tend to follow family naming patterns; therefore, you have parents, children, uncles, cousins, nieces and nephews sharing the same given names. Sometimes this causes problems placing children into the right family, but with enough research, this will eventually be accomplished. This is the main reason that I have to write a revised edition of “Our Berrys in Frontier America.” We certainly owe a debt of gratitude to all of the cousins who have submitted to Y-DNA testing. Our Berry family is very fortunate that the Civil War ended just as General Sherman approached Hillsborough, North Carolina, where so many of our valuable Berry family records are still located.