William John A. King

THIS PAGE NOW IN RESEARCH STATUS Various census & other data have not been fully resolved. The issue of whether direct line ancestor Wm. J. A. King, husband of Sara Jane Plummer, was in fact John King or Julius King, remains unresolved. Please treat this page heading as conjectural, and the page as a research worksheet at present.

2 Brothers named Wm. J. A. King Apparently, both sons of George Washington King were named William and carried the initial "A.". It is the belief of researcher Murphy Whisnant that John, the younger of the two, is the husband of Sarah Jane Plummer and our direct line ancestor. Sarah Jane Plummer is known to be the mother of Alfonso King. The "John" vs. "Julius" has been a problem for several researchers. The rationale for John being the younger and our direct line is outlined below in the Source Notes section.

	Date	Location	Notes	Sources
Birth	15 Jan. 1840	Mecklenburg Co. NC
Marriage	3 Oct. 1861		To Sarah Jane Plummer
Death	8 Nov 1867	Mecklenburg Co., NC
Burial		Trinity Methodist Cemetery, Mecklenburg Co. NC

Ancestry chart segment

 Generation 4               Generation 5                 Generation 6
 
                                                   +--George Washington King
                                                   |  (d.>1847)             
                        +-- William John A. King --+
                        |   (1840-1867)            |       
 Alfonso William King --+                          +--Mary "Polly" Hipp
 (1860-1929)            |                            (????-????)
                        +-- Sarah Jane Plummer
                            (1844-1912)

Sources:

Children

(children with Sarah Jane Plummer)

Name	Gender	Date of Birth	Birthplace	Spouse	Notes	Sources
Alfonso William King	M	9 Dec 1861		Margaret Elizabeth Herron	Direct line
Lillian Calidonia King	F	16 Jul 1867		1) 22 Jun 1884 To William Herron 2) 15 Feb 1894 To George R. Todd	died 29 Jan 1936, Meck Co. NC

(additional children of Sarah Jane Plummer)

Name	Gender	Date of Birth	Birthplace	Spouse	Notes	Sources
Josephus H. King	M	1869		Lulu Jolly	Joe was blind; died 1930 Meck. Co.
John Franklin King	M	18 Sep 1874		m. 18 May 1909 Virgie Elliott	died Dec 1952
Cora Jane King	F	18 Dec 1875		not married	died 18 Dec 1955

Places of Residence

Location	Dates	Notes	Sources
Western Division Mecklenburg Co. NC	1860
Long Creek Twp., Mecklenburg Co. NC	1870-1880

Sources

Ref. Num.	Description	Image of original
1	1860 United States Federal Census, Western Division, Mecklenburgh Co., NC, Page 61, lines 27-31 lists John King, 23, married to Abigal King, 24. They live with three other people of unknown relation: Thomas Love, 9; Julius King, 26; and James Chaney, 23. Everyone was born in NC. John and Julius are illiterate. This census is dated 6 Jul 1860.
2	1870 United States Federal Census, Long Creek Twp., Mecklenburgh Co., NC, Page 35, lines 16-19 lists Sarah J. King, 26, living with three children: son Alphonza King, 7; daughter Calindo King, 5; and son Josephus King, 1. Everyone was born in NC. This census is dated 30 Aug 1870.
3	1880 United States Federal Census, Long Creek Twp., Mecklenburgh Co., NC, Enumeration District 122, Page 20, lines 40-45 lists widow Sarah J. King, 35, living with four children: son Alfonso W. King, 17; daughter Lily C. King, 13; son Joseph King, 8; son Franklin King, 6; and daughter Cora King, 4. Everyone and their parents were born in NC. This census is dated 15 Jun 1880.
4	NC Troops 1861-1865, by Louis H. Manarin, Vol. IX, pg. 585. Company I, 37th Regiment NC Troops: "King, William J., Private. Resided in Mecklenburg County and enlisted in Iredell County at age 22, August 15, 1862, for the war. Wounded at Chancellorsville, Virginia, May 1-4, 1863. Returned to duty in November-December, 1863. Captured near Petersburg, Virginia, April 2, 1865. Confined at Point Lookout, Maryland, until released on June 28, 1865, after taking the Oath of Allegiance. King, George W., Private. Resided in Mecklenburg County and enlisted in Iredell County at age 24, August 15, 1862, for the war. Present or accounted for through February, 1865." Note: Wm. J. A. King enlisted with his cousin George W. King, pvt. in same Company I, 37th Regiment, both enlisting in Iradell Co., NC on the same day. Family traditions is that the cousin George W. King was killed in action. This argues that he was George W. King, the son of Argyle King, rather than George W. King, the son of Colin C. King. Colin's son survived until Jan. 1890. His age at enlistment in 1862, 24 yrs, (so born about 1838) closer matches Colin's son. Family tradition also has it that Wm. J. A. King was wounded in the Civil War. This material provided to us by Murphy Whisnant.
5	Random Internet Find Found this source on the internet (http://www.carolsutton.net/civil_war/civil_war_sutton-sustare.html) and the website they source is down, so I can't trace the source of the information: William Julius A. King Military Service: CSA - Co. I, 37th Reg NC Troops - Private. DEATH: 08 NOV 1867, BURIAL: , Trinity MC Cemetery. Long Creek, NC. Father: George W. KING, Mother: Polly HIPP, Family 1: Sarah Jane PLUMMER via: Kenneth Stith web site: http://stith.packent.com/ [site is no longer in existance].
6	Will of Sarah Jane King Mecklenburg County, North Carolina, Signed 28 June 1912. Names children Cora Jane King (Executrix), A. W. King, Mrs. Lillie C. Todd, J. H. King, & J. F. King. Witnesses: W. E. West, W. L. McConnell.	Will transcription
7	Will of Julius A. King form Will Book K, p 140-141 Mecklenburg Co., NC. Names Margaret E. King & children by her husband Alphonso W. King; Gracy L. King eldest dau. of Alphonso W. & Margaret E. King; 26 acres of land in Paw Creek township known as the old George King Place; burial to be at Moore's Chapel in Paw Creek Township. "to Margaret E. King and her children by her husband Alphonso W. King during the joint or several lives of the said Alphonso W. and Margaret E. King and after the death of the said Alphonso W. King if said wife Margaret E. King shall survive him then to her during her widowhood and after death then to all her surviving children by her said husband Alphonso W. King. Signed on 18 November1893; Alphonso King presents will, swearing that Julius A. King is dead, on 7 May 1898.	Will transcription
8	Marriages of Mecklenburg County, NC 1783-1868, by Brent H. Holcomb, Baltimore, MD; from Ancestry.com. , also from Records GRq929.3, p. 132, Pub. Library of Charlotte. King, William J. A., & Sarah J. Plummer,bond date 3 Oct. 1861, James H. Hutchison, bondsman, W. K. Reid, C.C.C.,witness; married 3 Oct. 1861 by by W M. Kerr.
9	Death Certificate from the North Carolina State Board of Health, Bureau of Vital Statistics, for Alphonso W. King. It lists his residence as Mecklenburg Co., NC. He is a white married farmer. He was born on 15 Dec 1861 in Mecklenburg Co., NC. He died at 6:00pm on 29 Mar 1932 at the Charlotte Sanitorium, Charlotte, NC. His father's name was William King and was born in NC. His mother's maiden name was Sarah Plummer and was born in NC. He was buried at Trinity Church on 31 Mar 1932.
10	Death Certificate from the North Carolina State Board of Health, Bureau of Vital Statistics, for Cora King. It lists her residence as Mecklenburg Co.,R.F.D.# 9,Charlotte, NC. She is a white woman, never married. She was born on 18 Dec 1875 in Mecklenburg Co., NC. She died on 18 Dec. 1955 in Mecklenburg Co., NC. Her father's name was William A. King; her mother's maiden name was Sarah Plummer. She was buried at William Mem. Pres. Cemetery, R.#8, Charlotte, NC on 22 Dec. 1955.
11	Death Certificate from the North Carolina State Board of Health, Bureau of Vital Statistics, for John Frank King. It lists his residence and place of death as Charlotte R # 9, Mecklenburg Co., NC. He is a white farmer; wid. Vergie E. He was born on 18 Sept., 1874 in Mecklenburg Co., NC. He died on 8 Dec. 1952. His father's name was William King; his mother's maiden name was Sarah Plummer. He was buried at Williams Mem. Pres. Cemetery, Mecklenburg Co., NC on 10 Dec. 1952.
12	Death Certificate from the North Carolina State Board of Health, Bureau of Vital Statistics, for Joseph H. King. It lists his residence as Beatty Fd. Rd., Mecklenburg Co., NC. He is a white farmer, married to Lula Jolly. Date of birth not given. He died on 3 Jan. 1930. His father's name was W. F. (sic) King, born in NC; his mother's maiden name was Sarah Plummer, born in NC. He was buried at Trinity Cemetery, Mecklenburg Co., NC on 15 Jan. 1930.
13	Research of Murphy & Robbie King Whisnant, correspondence & interviews of Murphy Whisnant by E. W. Williams, 1990-ongoing.
14	Interview of Henrietta King DeV. Rotunno, at her retirement apartment in Charlotte NC in the 1990's, by Robbie King Godfrey Whisnant & Murphy Whisnant. George Washington King was named as Henrietta King's great-grandfather. Henrietta is the youngest daughter of Alphonso King by his 3rd wife Henrietta Johnson. Henrietta King was well known to Robbie King Whisnant, who was close to her in age. They often played together as children at the farm of Robbie's grandfather (Henrietta's father). During the interview, Henrietta, volunteered a story from her childhood. Her father had told her that her great-grandfather's name was George Washington. She misunderstood, and bragged to school friends that she was related to the first president. Her father heard her telling a friend that George Washington was her great-grandfather, and he corrected her to understand that it was George Washington King. This direct line connection to George Washington King is reinforced by the wills of John I. King and George W. King.
15	Interviews of Mack Herron King by Robbie King Godfrey Whisnant & Murphy Whisnant. Mack Herron King stated that Wm. J. A. King was the father of Alphonso W. King and grandfather of Mack Herron King. Mack Herron King pointed out the grave of Wm. J. A. King, his grandfather, at Trinity Methodist Cemetery.

Source notes

• Evidence for direct line ancestor Wm. J. A. King who married Sarah Jane Plummer being the same person as John King is based on 9 points of evidence. Please see Wm. J. A. King - John or Julius
• Per Murphy & Robbie King Whisnant, children Josephus, John Frank and Cora Jane were given the King name although born after the death of Wm. J. A. King. Further information on their parentage has been lost.

Conjecture

The census for William John A. King and William Julius A. King are fully searched although not settled.

Research Wishlist

I'd like to find an 1850 census entry for William Julius A. King, William John A. King, and Margaret King. I (RBW) have searched manually through all of the 1850 Mecklenburg Co., NC census records (during period when we thought that Wm. Julius A. King was the direct ancestor) and found the following:

Back Creek Twp.

Richard King living with son Ela[illegible], and daughters Mary, Ann, Jane, Rose, and Matilda.

Paw Creek Twp.

Ezekiel and wife Delilah living with daughter Mary.

Steel Creek Twp.

Arguyle King and wife Mary living with five children: Thomas, Fanny, Christiana, Mary, and George.

Center Twp., Charlotte Twp., Davidson College Twp., Gilead Twp., Hopewell Twp., Mallard Creek Twp., Philadelphia Twp., Prosperity Twp., Providence Twp., Ramah Twp., Sardis Twp., Sharon Twp., and Sugar Creek Twp.

No Kings

The first two finds (Richard and Ezekiel) are not know to be related to our direct line Kings in any way. Arguyle King is the son of direct ancestor John King and brother of direct ancestor George Washington King.