Was Owen Grimsley of North Carolina & Florida Wanted for Murder in Mississippi?

Over the past few months, I’ve been focusing on Owen Grimsley for my ProGen assignments. ProGen is a discussion and peer review based study group, studying the book Professional Genealogy: Preparation, Practice and Standards. We are currently 11 months into this study group and the information I’ve learned is so valuable, I cannot put a price tag on it!

Our most recent assignment to write a proof argument was exciting! I compiled my research, I correlated evidence and made my conclusions. In my head. It’s not the best place for all of that information to reside. When it came time to write the proof argument, I froze. I couldn’t get what was in my head on to the computer screen in front of me. The day our assignment was due, I pivoted and went with a much simpler proof.

I rewrote the assignment based on our discussion in class and the feedback that was given to me by classmates. After looking at my proof with a fresh set of eyes and through the eyes of others, I was easily able to see what I had missed and fill in the holes.

Is Owen Moore Grimsley of Florida, husband of Telitha Martin, the same Owen Grimsley wanted for murder in Mississippi?

Owen Moore Grimsley lived a quiet family life in Florida as a large landowner and orange grove farmer. After 1850, Owen and his wife, Telitha Martin were both listed in census records with a birthplace of North Carolina. In the 1840s, a newspaper record from Mississippi announced a reward for Owen Grimsley, who was wanted for murder. Military records coupled with census records will determine if the two Owen Grimsley’s are one in the same.

One or Two Owen Grimsley’s?

Owen Moore Grimsley was discharged from the Civil War in 1863.¹ His certificate of disability discharge papers from the Army of the Confederate States gives a physical description. A similar description is given of an Owen Grimsley in the 1841 reward advertisement in a Mississippi newspaper. Census records and other indirect evidence will prove the correlation between these two men.

Owen Moore Grimsley of Florida

The 1850 census record for Wilmington, New Hanover, North Carolina listed Owen M. Grimsley as a 31-year-old shoemaker from North Carolina living with Telitha Grimsley and one minor child.² Owen M. Grimsley is listed on the 1860 census of Palatka, Putnam, Florida as a 42-year-old male shoemaker from North Carolina living with Telitha Grimsley and five minor children.³  Together, these two documents indicate Owen was born about 1818 or 1819 in North Carolina and was a shoemaker.

Before the close of the Civil War, Owen is given a medical discharge from the Confederate Army. The 1863 discharge paperwork gives a thorough description of Owen M Grimsley: “45 years old enlisting in Palatka, Florida, born in the state of North Carolina, standing 5 feet, 11 inches tall with a sallow complexion, black eyes, black hair and an occupation as a shoemaker.”⁴ At 45 years old, this would indicate Owen was born in 1818 and was continuously employed as a shoemaker.

Owen Grimsley of Mississippi

A $1,000 reward is advertised in The Weekly Mississippian in June of 1841. A partial transcription of the newspaper advertisement is as follows:

“$1,000 REWARD. The subscribers will give one thousand dollars reward, for the apprehension and safe confinement of Garland Snead, George J. Hunt, Peter Snead & Owen Grimsley within the state of Mississippi; or we will give a proportionable part for either of them. – Said men committed murder upon one Bradie Brown of Kemper county, Miss on the 14^th of February 1841.
Descriptions: Owen Grimsley is about 22 years of age, weighs about 170 lbs., about 5 feet 9 or 10 inches high, square stout build, dark complexion, dark hair, dark eyes, light beard, a shoemaker by trade.”⁵

This Owen Grimsley was born about 1818 or 1819 and is a shoemaker. There is no indication of where Owen was born, and no further records indicated an Owen Grimsley lived there permanently during this time period.⁶ There is no known relationship between Owen Grimsley and the other men wanted for murder as well as Bradie Brown. There is a John Grimsley from North Carolina who lives in Marion county, Mississippi, adjacent to Kemper, who could be an unknown relative of Owen Grimsley.⁷

Owen Grimsley of North Carolina

A salaciously syndicated newspaper article found across the country had the headline “Singular Affair,” during late 1842 and early 1843. It states in Wayne County, North Carolina, a young man named Grimsley, formerly from there, was engaged to a Miss Martin. While Miss Martin was preparing for their wedding, she found a newspaper clipping published in Mississippi offering a large reward for men charged with murder, and one of those men was named Grimsley. The description of Grimsley in the newspaper article matched the description of the Grimsley engaged to Miss Martin. She turned him in to her brother, who tried to help him find his alibi. When none could be found, Miss Martin’s brother turned him in to the authorities. Grimsley eventually admitted he was there, but he did not commit the murder.⁸ No additional evidence of Owen Grimsley in relationship to this murder is found as Kemper County, Mississippi is considered a burned county with records lost in 1882.⁹ No court records indicate Owen Grimsley is held for this murder in Wayne County, North Carolina.¹⁰

As previously stated, the 1860 Florida census and 1850 North Carolina census indicate Owen Grimsley and his wife, Telitha Martin, were from North Carolina. In the book, Unto this Land, Telitha’s maiden name was given as Martin.¹¹ The Grimsley narrative in Unto this Land is compiled by the book author with family input but no sources are explicitly listed. No marriage record exists for Owen Grimsley and Telitha Martin in North Carolina to confirm Telitha’s maiden name.¹² Additionally, a search of marriage records in Florida do not list the names of the parents for the children of Owen Grimsley and Telitha Martin.¹³ The recording of Florida death records began in 1899 and came in to general compliance by 1920.¹⁴ Their youngest child, Julius C. Grimsley, is their only child to die after 1899. The informant was his wife, listed as Mrs. J. C. Grimsley. She gives Talitha Martin as the mother.¹⁵ Julius’s wife would not have personally known Telitha Martin as they married¹⁶ well after Telitha’s probable death between 1881¹⁷ and 1885.¹⁸ Julius’s wife probably learned this information from Julius or other family members.

Additional evidence shows an Owen Grimsley purchased land in Wayne County, North Carolina in 1844¹⁹ and subsequently sold that same land to Wright Woodard in 1847.²⁰ This is significant as it shows a relationship between the family of Telitha Martin and Owen Grimsley. Telitha’s sister, Clarky²¹, was married to Jacob Woodard about 1850.²² Jacob Woodard was the son of Wright Woodard, who purchased the land.²³

Conclusion

Based on the descriptions listed in the reward advertisement and the Civil War discharge papers, coupled with the census records and other supporting evidence, it is very clear, Owen Moore Grimsley of Florida is the man who was wanted for murder in Mississippi. This conclusion is supported by the following facts:

• Owen Grimsley purchased and sold property in Wayne County, North Carolina to known associates of Telitha Martin’s family.
• Telitha Grimsley’s maiden name was Martin.
• A syndicated newspaper article is published about a Grimsley man wanted for murder and a Martin woman, who were engaged, in Wayne County, North Carolina.
• A newspaper advertisement offering a reward for Owen Grimsley, born about 1818 who was a shoemaker with a description of dark hair, dark eyes.
• Civil War discharge papers indicating Owen Grimsley was born about 1818 in North Carolina and has a physical description of dark hair, dark eyes and is a shoemaker.
• Census records indicate Owen Grimsley is living with a Telitha Grimsley, both are from North Carolina. Owen’s year of birth is between 1818 to 1819 and his occupation is a shoemaker. 

1. Compiled service record, Owen M. Grimsley, Pvt., Co. B, 2nd Florida Infantry Battalion (Confederate); “Compiled Service Records of Confederate Soldiers Who Served in Organizations from the State of Florida,” database with images, Fold3 (https://www.fold3.com/image/109364461 : accessed 10 Mar 2019); citing Carded Records Showing Military Service of Soldiers Who Fought in Confederate Organizations , compiled 1903 – 1927, documenting the period 1861 – 1865, Record Group 360, The National Archives.
2. 1850 U.S. Census, New Hanover County, North Carolina, population schedule, Wilmington, p. 396 (stamped), dwelling no. 6, Owen M. Grimsley household; digital image, Ancestry (https://ancestry.com : accessed 5 Mar 2019); citing NARA microfilm publication M432, roll 638.
3. 1860 U.S. Census, Putnam County, Florida, population schedule, 20th Division, Town of Palatka p. 10 (penned), dwelling 86, family 86, O.M. Grimsley household; digital image, Ancestry (https://www.ancestry.com : accessed 7 Mar 2019); citing NARA microfilm publication M653, roll 109.
4. Compiled service record, Owen M. Grimsley, Pvt., Co. B, 2nd Florida Infantry Battalion (Confederate); “Compiled Service Records of Confederate Soldiers Who Served in Organizations from the State of Florida,” database with images, Fold3 (https://www.fold3.com/image/109364461 : accessed 10 Mar 2019); citing Carded Records Showing Military Service of Soldiers Who Fought in Confederate Organizations , compiled 1903 – 1927, documenting the period 1861 – 1865, Record Group 360, The National Archives.
5. The Weekly Mississippian (Mississippi), 18 Jun 1841, p. 4, col. 4, “$1,000 Reward”, image, Newspapers.com (https://newspapers.com : accessed 1 Feb 2020).
6. A negative search of the 1840 census for Mississippi and tax records.
7. 1841 Mississippi State and Territorial Census, Marion County, Mississippi, line 97, roll v229_2, image 3, John Grimsley with 2 males and 2 females; digital image, Ancestry (https://www.ancestry.com : accessed 7 Mar 2020).
8. The Raleigh Microcosm (North Carolina), 24 Dec 1842, p. 1, col. 4, “Singular Affair”, image, Newspapers(https://newspapers.com : accessed 1 Feb 2020).
9. “Kemper County, Mississippi Genealogy,” FamilySearch Wiki (https://www.familysearch.org/wiki/en/Kemper_County,_Mississippi_Genealogy : 3 Apr 2020).
10. Wayne County, North Carolina, North Carolina. County Court of Pleas and Quarter Sessions, Negative search for Owen Grimsley, 1841-1842, “Minutes, 1823-1868,” FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org : accessed 10 Mar 2020); citing FHL microfilm 508501.
11. Holland, Mary Ketus Deen. Unto This Land: A History of the St. Johns Park Area of Flagler County, Florida and the Pioneer Settlers and Their Descendants. (Self-published, 1994), 246.
12. North Carolina, County Marriages, 1762-1979, Negative search for a Grimsley/Martin combination. Database with images. FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org : accessed 9 Mar 2020); citing North Carolina State Archives Division of Archives and History.
13. “Florida Marriages, 1830-1993,” Negative search results for Owen Grimsley and Telitha Martin listed on a child’s marriage certificate, database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org : accessed 9 Mar 2020); citing multiple County Clerks of Court, Florida.
14. “Putnam County Florida Genealogy,” FamilySearch Wiki (https://www.familysearch.org/wiki/en/Putnam_County,_Florida_Genealogy : 3 Apr 2020).
15. “Florida Death Certificates, 1877-1939,” Death certificates, v. 278-283, (cert.no. 1-3000), image 1682; Julius C. Grimsley, Florida State Board of Health Bureau of Vital Statistics, State File No. 1662, Putnam County, Crescent City; database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org : accessed 3 Apr 2020).
16. Randolph County, Georgia, Marriages Licenses 1888-1894, p. 201, J.C. Grimsley and Lillie V. Brown 24 Jun 1891, digital image 428, “Marriages, 1879-1894,” FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org : accessed 3 Apr 2020).
17. St Johns County, Florida, St Johns County Circuit Court, Box 98, Folder 9, Bill of Complaint, Charles M Clinton vs. Telitha Grimsley, 1881, St Augustine Historical Society (https://sahs.pastperfectonline.com : 3 Apr 2020), dispute over division of land of deceased Owen Grimsley.
18. 1885 Florida State Census, St Johns County, Florida, population schedule, Precinct 7, p. 33 (penned), Negative search result for Telitha Grimsley; digital image, Ancestry (https://www.ancestry.com : accessed 7 Mar 2019); citing NARA microfilm publication M845, roll 11.
19. Wayne County, North Carolina, Deed Book, book 19, p. 313, Sherrod Grimsley to Owen Grimsley, 1844, digital image 162, “Deeds, v. 19-20 1841-1848,” FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org : accessed 10 Mar 2020); citing FHL microfilm 20,108.
20. Wayne County, North Carolina, Deed Book, book 20, p. 335-336, Owen Grimsley to Wright Woodard, 1847, digital image 467-468, “Deeds, v. 19-20 1841-1848,” FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org : accessed 10 Mar 2020); citing FHL microfilm 20,108.
21. North Carolina, Wayne County, North Carolina, Wills and Probate Records, 1665-1998; digitized microfilm, Ancestry(https://www.ancestry.com : 10 Mar 2020), folder for Will of James Martin, 25 Apr 1835; images 69-73.
22. 1850 U.S. Census, Wayne County, North Carolina, population schedule, Neuse (North Side), p. 393 (handwritten), p. 197 (stamped), dwelling no. 36, family no. 776, Jacob Woodard household; digital image, Ancestry (https://ancestry.com : accessed 5 Mar 2019); citing NARA microfilm publication M432, roll 1009.
23. “Jacob Woodard,” id. KJZG-3SZ, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/tree/person/details/KJZG-3SZ : accessed 3 Apr 2020).