Tony Reid/Reed and his mother Winnie Crowell

Another story from my stepmother’s family — One of their ancestors was Tony Reid/Reed. I first learned his name when I received the death certificate for my stepmother’s grandmother, Daisy Fyre. It stated that her father’s name was Tony Reid, but that the mother was unknown.

When I spoke to my stepmother’s aunt, she told me a story about Tony that matched information also received from my step-uncle the other day. The story about Tony is that he saw his wife to be and asked his master to buy her. He worked seven years in order to “make” enough money so they could get her.

Information from my step-uncle from a cousin of his is that Tony was a slave of Miles Reid. Tony’s mother was named Winnie Crowell and she was sold to Miles Reid. This was in a town called “Tucker” in Stanly County. Winnie also had a son named Ambros that was sold to a plantation in Georgia and she begged her master, Miles Reid to keep Tony. Tony lived from about 1834-1926. Tony and his wife, Betty Paker, had 13 children.

So, before I received this information, I had not found Tony in any census records. Turns out, I had not been looking in the right place.

• With the names of Crowell and Reid, I began to do some general internet searching for any relationship between these names. I found out that a white woman named Ann Reid had married a white man named Jennings Crowell and they lived in Stanly county. Good to know about.
• 1870 Census – since I had not located Tony, I decided to look for his mother. A census search quickly found her! In Cabarrus County, NC (Concord) are living a 50 year old Winnie Crowell and a 30 year old Tonney Crowell. I began to suspect this was them as there were no other Winnie Crowell’s to be found. Living with them is a 14 year old girl named Eliza Palmer. Is this Tony’s wife to be? The age difference is about 15 years.
• 1880 Census – 41 year old Tony Reid and 24 year old wife Elizabeth are living in a township called Reed Misenheimer’s in Cabarrus County, NC. So, his wife is about 15 years younger! I do believe the Eliza Palmer living with them is his wife to be. At this point, they have 4 children – 7 year old daughter Frances L., 5 year old son John W., a 5 year old daughter whose name is hard to read, and a 3 year old daughter, Hattie. Tony’s occupation is listed as a miner and a farmer and it is noted that he cannot right.Now, interestingly enough, the next household is headed by a black 40 year old man named Amos Melcher? He is married to 33 year old wife Adeline H. They have 7 kids – 15 year old son Thompson, 13 year old daughter Georgianna, 12 year old daughter Dora, 10 year old son Horace, 8 year old son Buckie, 7 year old daughter Mary E., and a 4 year old daughter whose name I can’t read. Right next to them is a woman named Weensy/Wenny Crowell, age 55 and listed as Mother. She is in a household to herself, so whose mother is she? Amos’? If so, that would be Tony’s brother! Is Georgianna so named because he spent time in Georgia? Questions to further investigate!
• 1870 again – so, I go back to 1870 now that I have the name Amos to see how close he is to Tony & Winnie. I found him, but he is not living near Winnie and Tony.
• 1900 Census – Found Tony & Bettie! He’s enumerated as “Loney” in Ancestry’s database.

Stay tuned…