David Rufus Stroup Bio

ORIGIN
“David” Rufus Stroup (c1815 +1870) was the son of Joseph and Catherine Martha (Creasman) Stroup. He was born and raised on his father’s large wheat farm on Bull Creek a few miles west of Riceville in Swannanoa Township, Buncombe Co., western N.C. He and his siblings attended the little one room schoolhouse that was built on Riceville Road within sight of their home, near Stroup’s Chapel, the little log Dunker church built by Joseph Stroup, where the Stroup and Creasman families worshiped in German until the 1850’s.

A FARMER, NOT A MILLER
David’s father gave partnership in his flourmill to his son-in-law Jesse Clark (wife Nancy Jane Stroup), and David took up farming on a tract of land on Shope’s Creek that he either inherited or bought with money from his father.

INHERITANCE
On August 14, 1851 David’s father died, and his large farm was divided between his children with Jesse and Nancy Jane (Stroup) Clark receiving the part that included the old Stroup mill at the head of Parker Lane where it joins Riceville road near the Bull Creek Bridge. His younger brother Silas (b 1816) inherited the part of his father’s farm that included his parent’s small house on Parker Lane, downhill from Jesse Clark’s house and mill.

TWO WIVES NAMED MARY
David Stroup, b c1815 married 1st c1832 Mary Porter, born c1811 in North Carolina, by whom he had at least seven children, but she died before the 1840 census. His second wife was also named Mary ---, and she was called “Polly”. From the census records, she was born c1820 in Virginia.

Addition by Inga: At this point, I am not sure if David had one or two wives. Perhaps his first wife was named Mary (maiden name unknown, but possibly Burnett as the death certificate for David's daughter Mary indicates that her mother's maiden name was Burnett. Mary was born in 1835 and is the second known child of David Stroupe). David's second wife was also named Mary. I believe her maiden name was either Porter, Partun, or Parteen. I deduced this because the death certificate for David's youngest child, Solomon Rufus Stroupe, shows his mother as being Mary Porter (possibly Partun or Parteen - the handwriting is difficult to read). But then again, perhaps David had only one wife named Mary and the people who gave the information on the death certificate for Mary and Solomon were mistaken in the info they passed on.
At this point, the only child I feel comfortable answering for is his youngest child - Solomon Rufus Stroup (my great, great grandfather). I have his death certificate which lists his parents as David Stroupe and Mary Partun (possibly Parteen or Porter - the handwriting is difficult to ascertain). I think I found Solomon's sisters, Nancy and Martha in the US Census records. If I am right, then they were often living together. I don't think either one of them ever married. I did find that one of David's daughters, Mary (Stroup) Reed's death certificate, which lists her mother's maiden name as Burnett. Perhaps David had married twice? I can't find a marriage certificate for him yet.

I am trying to find information on all of David's children in the hopes of finding out who their mother was. It is slow going, and there are so many people living in North Carolina with the same name, it is hard for me to distinguish, which is in the line.

MIDDLE YEARS
As recalled by Silas Stroup’s children, “Uncle David lived near his sister, Aunt Nancy Clark., Uncle Dave and his brother, Uncle Henry, lived close to the old mill, and Uncle David Stroup lived at the head of Shope's Creek.”
The 1840 census showed David Stroup as head of a household, but he had no wife in his home. His children were: one male aged 10-15 (Joseph); 1 male 5-10 (unidentified); 1 m. under 5 (George); 1 female 5-10 (Mary); 3 females -5 (Cecilia & Eliza M. Stroup.)

THE CLARKS
In the 1870’s Jesse Clark built a large, two-story home in front of Stroup’s millpond. For many years operated the old mill that had been built and operated from about 1810 to 1850 by Joseph Stroup.
By 1900 it was called “the old Clark mill,” and Clark was appointed Riceville’s Postmaster, operating the post office from a bedroom window that opened onto his front porch.

1850-1920 CENSUS RECORDS
1850: Family lore is that the following families lived on farms near each other, and this seems accurate from their listing in the 1850 Federal Census for Buncombe:
Farm #1710. Jos. & Cate Stroup.
Farm #1711: Jesse & Nancy (Stroup) Clark.
Farm #1714: Peter & Mary (Stroup) Harper.
Farm #1717. D. Stroupe, Jr., 41 c1809, wf Mary 36 c1814, and 10 children. ("Jr" here means "the younger", his Uncle David Stroup being on Rock House Creek.)
The 1850 US Census for Buncombe County, North Carolina, enumerated the 11 November 1850, yields the following information:* D. Stroupe Jr., aged 41* Mary, aged 36* Jos., a male, aged 20* Mary, a female, aged 15* Coelia, aged 13, a female* Minerva, a female, aged 11* Geo., a male, aged 9* Nancy, a female, aged 8* Sarah J., a female, aged 6* John, a male, aged 5* Silas, a male, aged 3* Daniel J. (or David O.?), a male, aged 2

1860 US Census for Jackson, North Carolina, enumerated the 21 of July 1860, yields the following information:* D. Stroup, a farmer, aged 53* M. Stroup, female, aged 53* N.E. Stroup, a female, aged 18* S. J., a female, aged 16* J. I., a male, aged 14* S., a male, aged 12* R. T., a male, aged 6* T., a male, aged 9* M., a female, aged 8

1870 US Census for Swannanoa, Buncombe County, North Carolina, enumerated the 25 Aug 1870, yields the following information:* David Stroup, a farmer, aged 60, born in North Carolina* Mary, keeping house, aged 59, born in North Carolina* Nancy E., aged 29 born in North Carolina* Sarah J., aged 24, born in North Carolina* Samuel D., aged 21, a laborer, born in North Carolina* Martha L., aged 19, born in North Carolina* Solomon R., aged 15, born in North Carolina

1880 US Census for Avery Creek, Buncombe, North Carolina, enumerated the 8th of June, 1880, yields the following information:* Mary Stroup, aged 50, keeping house, born in North Carolina as were both her parents* Nancy, aged 35, her daughter, born in North Carolina* Martha, aged 28, her daughter, born in North Carolina[Note: Mary's husband, David, had passed away in February of 1880].

1900 US Census for Inanda, Buncombe County, North Carolina, enumerated the 15th of June, 1900, yields the following information:* Mattie Stroup, a nurse, aged 49, born in August of 1850 in North Carolina* Nancie, her sister, aged 48, born in April of 1852 in North Carolina. She is working as a washwoman.

1910 US Census for Avery's Creek, Buncombe County, yields the following information:* Nancy E. Stroup, head, aged 69, born in North Carolina, working as a spinner* Martha, her sister, aged 57, also born in North Carolina and working as a spinner[Note the difference in ages in the 1900 and 1910 census records]

1920 US Census for Avery's Creek, Buncombe County, North Carolina, enumerated the 6th of January, yields the following information:* Cynthia Creasman, head, aged 64, born in North Carolina, is a farm manager of the home farm* Martha Stroup, servant, aged 65, born in North Carolina[Note: Cynthia Creasman appears as the informant on Marth's death certificate]

DAVID R. STROUP’S CHILDREN BY FIRST WIFE
1. Joseph Stroup, b c1830; 1850 census, age 20. (age 10-15 in 1840 census).
2. Mary Stroup (b 21 Mar 18350-27 Jun 1914) m. Dec 10, 1856 William R. Reed (1833-1869).
3. Unidentified son --- Stroup, age 5 - 10 in 1840 census.
4. Cecilia S. Stroup (b 26 Nov 1836-27 Mar 1939), m. Mr. --- Munday; to Texas. (1840 census -5)
5. Eliza Minerva Stroup, b c1838, m. William “Henry” Clark c1858. Under 5 1840 (Under 5 in 1840)
6. George Stroup, b c1839; 1850, Swannanoa Twp, age 9 home of D. Stroup & wife Mary b 1814. Under 5 in 1840 m 1840
7. Nancy E. Stroup, b c1841/2.
8. Sarah J. “Sally” Stroup, c1844/6; 1880, unm, age 24.
9. John E. Stroup, b c1846, m. Elvina “Lina” Britton Rice c1868 and had two children born Buncombe. By 1870 John E. and Elvina lived in Precinct #8, Burnett County, Texas where four more children born. John and Elvina died Texas of yellow fever after 1882. Five of their six known children were sent back to Buncombe and were raised by their maternal grandparents William and Rosella Melinda (West) Rice of Riceville.
10. Silas Martin Stroup (27 Feb 1846 - 24 Nov 1920); C.S.A., Pvt., Oct 1864. Married 1st c1867 Sarah Creasman, 2nd Mrs. Clarissa Ann “Clara” (Hughey) Jones (widow of Albert Jones).
Federal Census, Buncombe County, 26 Aug 1870:
Silas Stroup, 24, wife Clarissa 26, Louisa 2, female infant 3/12, William Jones 15, Roxanna Jones 13, Sarah Shope, 30, Edward Shope. Lived Bent Cr., Swannanoa Twp. Silas Martin Stroup’s children by 1st wife Sarah Creasman: (1) Louisa S. Stroup.
By 2nd wife Clara Hughey:
(2) Laura Jo Stroup.
(3) Florence Lillian Stroup.
(4) Samuel Christopher Stroup.
(5) Alice Rebecca Stroup.
11. Samuel Taylor Stroup, b 1849/50, s/o David and 2nd wife Polly. M. Frances Elizabeth “Lizzy” Creasman The 1870 Buncombe County Census, Swannanoa Twp., showed: David Stroup, age 60, wife Mary, age 39 (born c1831), son Samuel, age 21 (born c1849.)
Tombstone: “Lizzie Stroup, wife of Samuel Taylor Stroup, J.P., born 14 Jan. 14, 1855, died Dec. 24, 1899” Riceville Presbyterian Church cemetery, Riceville Road.
12. Martha C. “Mattie” Stroup, b Aug 1850- 9 Apr 1920; 1850 Buncombe Co. Census, age 19, in the home of David & Mary Stroup, Swannanoa Township. The 1900 census showed Mattie C. Stroup, born -- Aug 1850, age 49, Lower Hominy Twp. When the 1900 census was made, Martha “Mattie” Stroup was in the home of her sister Nancy Stroup, born in Apr 1852.
13. Solomon Rufus Stroup, born 1 Jan 1853-14 Oct 1922 m. Margaret Brevard m2 Harriet Amanda Redmon

RICEVILLE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH
Several of the Stroups joined Northern Presbyterian Church when a minister was sent to the area, but other Stroups remained Baptists. David’s wife Polly joined Berea Baptist, formed partly from the congregation of old Stroup’s chapel.
In the spring of 1876, College Hill Presbyterian Church was formed at Riceville with 19 charter members including Silas and Clarissa Stroup. This new church met for a time in the home of James Hughey on Bull Creek. Their first meetinghouse was built on land donated by part of the heirs of Joseph Stroup.
This donation included the little cemetery for old Stroup’s Chapel that stood on the Riceville road, the last resting place for Joseph b 1776 and Catherine b 1777 Creasman. Her mother Jane (Reed) Creasman is buried here along with other Stroups and Creasmans. The Presbyterians promised to tend the old graves, and were permitted to add new graves to it.
Family members came out from Asheville twice a year to tend the ancient graves from time to time. The Stroup plot had an unusually lovely pink and rose peony, beneath which bloomed white narcissus that David’s siblings had transplanted up from his parent’s home place, plants descended from cuttings and bulbs that Joseph’s mother, Jane Reed, brought by wagon from West Virginia in 1787.
Unfortunately, the modern Presbyterians forgot how they acquired this cemetery and ripped out all its tombstones and flowers “to make it easier to cut the grass”, and threw the 1776 and 1777 stones into a ditch. These two stones were rescued by horrified family members and have been restored, but the farmer who now owns Joseph’s old home place used all the rest to build a rock wall.

Special thanks to Inga who helped me compile all this information. She has done extensive research on this family.