John Pomphrette Blackwell Sr.

  General Notes:

"John Pomphrette Blackwell married Mary Ann Amy Webb - both were grandchildren of John Pomphrette (Pomfret). Their home was in Townsville, Granville Co. (now Vance Co.), NC, not far from historic Williamsboro (now a deserted village)." from Our Webb Kin of Dixie by W. J. Webb, 1940
The above from Clara Steele Garrett Fountain (Danville, VA) 1998

John Pomphrette, Sr. had a large farm of some 2000 acres between Big Island and Little Island Creeks and as his children married he gave them each some land. See notes on grand daughter, Mary Blanche Blackwell for reminisces about her grand father.

The 1850 Federal Census for Nut Bush, Granville Co., North Carolina, page 210B records John P. (43) and Mary A. A. (33) Blackwell with children Elizabeth Ally (21), Mary Ally (15), Ann E. Amis (10), Wm M. A. (6), John P. W. (4), and Robert M. (2). John P. and Mary are rather wealthy with real estate valued at $3,390.00. The Slave Schedule for the same year records John Blackwell of Nut Bush with 39 slaves.

The 1860 Federal Census for Nut Bush, Granville Co., North Carolina, page 173B records J. P. (53) and Mary Blackwell (43) (indexed at ancestry.com as Blacknall) with children Nannie (24), Henrietta (8), William (16), J. P. (14), and Robert (12). Also in the household is Henry Webb (1) and Young S. Webb (71-miner). J. P. and Mary are rather wealthy with real estate valued at $10,927.00 and personal property at $33,600.00. The Slave Schedule for the same year records John P. Blackwell of Nut Bush with 40 slaves. See general notes on J. P. Sr's brother, William Marshall Blackwell, for more family wealth.
Note ... the Young Webb above could be the same Young Webb listed in the 1850 census for Memphis Ward 6, Shelby Co., Tennessee ... 21 year old miner (not 71 as indexed ... see general notes on Samuel Maurice Blackwell, 1819-1873)

The 1870 Federal Census for Townesville, Granville Co., North Carolina, page 373B records J. P. (62) and Mary A. (52) Blackwell. Also in the household is Robert M. Blackwell (52 ... probably is son Robert age 22, since he is still living with his parents in the 1880 census). Next door is son J. W. Blackwell (24) with wife Sallie J. (17). Also in the household is Lucy Howell (12). J. P. and Mary Blackwell have real estate valued at $18,000.00 and personal property at $500.00. The land is still of great value, however, the Civil War has cost the family its personal property worth.

The 1880 Federal Census for Townesville, Granville Co., North Carolina, District 106, page 373B records John (73) and Mary Ann (63) Blackwell. John as listed as "maimed, crippled, bedridden, or otherwise disabled". Also in the household is son Robert M. Blackwell (32) with wife Sally Green (21) and their son William R. (7/12). A few doors away is another son, John P. Blackwell (34) with wife Sally G. (28) and children Mary B. (7), Benjamin T. (4), Minnie Alise (2), and Gertrude (9/12).

  Research Notes:

The following is from Clara Garrett Fountain written in December 1995:

John Pomphrette Blackwell, Sr.
b. 1/26/1807 Granville/Vance Co., NC
d. 6/16/1890 Granville/Vance Co., NC
m. 9/12/1837 Mary Ann Amy Webb
Children:
Maurice A. Blackwell (12/16/1843)
Nannie A. E. Blackwell (5/18/1840)
James W. Blackwell (2/21/1838)
John Pomphrette Blackwell, Jr. (4/20/1846)
Robert M. Blackwell (5/7/1848)
Henrietta Addie Blackwell (6/29/1852)

My father [AEG, Jr.] had a copy of this portrait [John Pomphrette Blackwell Sr.] in his files; however, it was not labeled and he could not remember who it was. Thanks to a hint from a distant cousin [Elizabeth Ross, daughter of Vera Anne Willis Bostic of Southport, NC], I found this photograph in a scrapbook belonging to Annie Britt Blackwell Sharp of Reidsville, NC. It was clearly identified in her own handwriting, so I copied her print [current digital copy] instead of Dad's.

The following excerpts are also from Aunt Annie's collection. Her sister, Mary Blanche Blackwell Smith [Memama's oldest sister], wrote a 52-page autobiography for her own children entitled "Reminiscences" [no date]. She wrote a charming account of the Blackwell family who lived in Townsville, Vance County, North Carolina.

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"I was born near Townsville, Granville County (now Vance) . This important event took place at the home of my Grandfather, John Pomphrette Blackwell, who married Mary Ann Amy Webb of Person county, North Carolina. Yes, I was born the 17th day of April 1873.

"My Grandfather Blackwell had a large farm of 2000 acres between Big Island and Little Island Creeks and as his children married off (Maurice, Nannie, Pomphrette, Rob and Addie) he gave them a part of his farm.

"He gave my father, John Pomphrette Blackwell, Jr., 383 acres of land through which Little Island Creek passed on the East. On this land my father cleared the land and built a little two-room log cabin between two hills, and my mother named it 'Valley Home'. She took me from my Grandmother's to this new home when I was about three months old and named me Mary Blanche -- Mary for my Grandmother Blackwell, and Blanche for my father's cousin Blanche Webb, daughter of Great Uncle Robert Webb of Nashville, Tenn., who was a Commission Merchant for many years in that city.

"The Civil War had left my father's and mother's people nearly destitute. My Grandfather had 75 slaves, or about that number, and when they were given their freedom most of them refused to leave my Grandfather, and that made it hard for him for food and clothing was scarce and neither white nor black had enough to eat.

"My Grandfather B[lackwell] gave my father the [one-horse] wagon and an old-fashioned buggy built up so high that we had to climb on chair to get in and it was very wide, possibly wide enough to seat five children. We used this buggy for special occasions to bring the Presiding Elder or Preacher home with us to spend the night or the week-end. My people were Methodists (Episcopal) and belonged to Marrow's Chapel, Granville, County, NC. They are all buried there.
"My Grandmother Mary Ann Amy Webb, daughter of James Webb of Mt. Tirzah, Person County, NC, was a most remarkable woman. She was thoroughly business, and looked after the large farm during the Civil War and afterwards until her death. Grandpa Blackwell was a cripple from rheumatism -- so much that he could not walk for thirty years but slided [sic] around in an old arm chair, the bottom of which was made from old hickory splits and it was what they called a split bottomed chair. He always carried his Bible around in the arm of that old chair and he read it every day for two or three hours. Grandma called him 'Mar's Johnnie' (like the slaves did) and he called her Mary Ann. The Civil War left my Grandparents with practically nothing.

"My Grandfather B[lackwell] turned all of his gold into the Treasury at Richmond and took Confederate money. Of course every thing practically was lost and the struggle in his latter years was a hard one.

"Grandma was buried at Marrow's Chapel, NC, and Grandpa lived with us during his latter days. He died in our home (Valley Home) and we laid him to rest by the side of Grandmother.

"My dear Grandfather Blackwell, who lived with us at this time [1890] died. He was 81 years old and read his Bible without his glasses until the week of his death. He was a wonderful, patient, Christian man and we children idolized him. We pushed him around in his arm chair and we loved to do it. He was easily excited... but if he hurt anyone it was farthest from his heart and he always begged their pardon. We buried him at Marrow's Chapel by Grandma, and Mr. Flerman the Methodist Minister preached his funeral."
Mary Blanche Blackwell Smith [4.1943]

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[From Joan Garrett Bagley's files:
"One story handed down in the family concerns John's granddaughter, Mattie Sue Blackwell. Being the youngest in the family, she was often spoiled by her grandfather. He had a habit of carrying sugared biscuits for Mattie Sue; when she was hungry and wanted a snack, he would break off a piece and give it to her. Mattie Sue was three years old when he died. Family members found a sugared biscuit in his pocket."]

John married Mary Ann Amy Webb, daughter of James (Alexander) Webb and Ann Hunt Smith, on 12 Sep 1837 in Vance Co., NC.¹ (Mary Ann Amy Webb was born on 13 May 1817 in Person Co., NC, died on 24 Apr 1885 in Bullock, Vance Co., NC and was buried in Blackwell Lot, Marrows Chapel, Bullock, Vance Co., NC.)