Gilbert Felton, Company A

The widow and her husband were enslaved by a father and his son, respectively. During that period they lived on neighboring plantations. Together they had eight children. He left her a parcel of land at his passing.

Invalid — 775, 753 / 563,983
Widow — 825,024 / 605,300

Physician’s Statement, Dr. J.H. McMullin, 17 December 1890
citizen of Hertford, Perquimans Co., NC
“a regular practicing physician of 14 years … I did not know the said Gilbert Felton prior to the late war, first knew him about 12 years ago when he applied to me for treatment … He is a man of good reputation & standing”

General Affidavit, Samuel Barlette [?] and Samuel Burke, 17 December 1890
[Bartlett] 52 years old; residence, Hertford, Bertie Co., NC; post-office address, Hertford, NC
[Burke] 45 yers old; residence, Hertford, Bertie Co., NC; post-office address, Hertford, NC
“They have known the said Gilbert Felton ever since his return from the late war between the states … he is to their knowledge unable to perform manual labor a great part of the time”

Letter to Commissioner of Pensions from Gilbert Felton, 6 April 1903
“I am 68 years old … I am here among my children & I don’t want to leave them — I am very feeble — I have been swelled badly & very feeble last fall. I went to the doctor & he got the water out of me — I got better — I was not able to pay the Doctor & live so I had to quit taking medicine — now my feet are swelled so bad I caannot hardly wear any shoes — my legs are swelled so bad I cannot rest & they fill my pants leg full. I am swelled in my body so I can’t fasten my pants & have shortness of breath & generally speaking I am bad off — and I am not able to pay a doctor to work on me”

Claimant’s Affidavit, Edith Felton, June 1903
[illegible] years old; post-office address, Elizabeth City, NC
“That she owns no property, either real or personal, that the 20 acres referred to was deed to Wm & Chas Felton on the ___ [sic] day of June 1903 by Gilbert Felton & his wife the said Edith Felton upon their paying a reasonable annual rent to the parties of the first part during the times of their natural lives. The rental value was used by said Gilbert Felton as long as he lived and amounted to about $20 last year, some years it did not amount to that much. Whatever rents this year will be paid to me probably $5.00 this year, This is all that I will receive as an income except what I make by washing & what was given me by children & friends.”
[Note: The witnesses are Charlie Felton and William Felton — Leslie]

General Affidavit, Mrs. Cornelia F. White and Jethro T. White, 5 April 1905
[Cornelia F. White] 55 years old; post-office address, Elizabeth City, NC
[Jethro T. White] 61 years old; post-office address, Elizabeth City, NC
“That they have known Gilbert Felton for more than fifty years … Gilbert Felton died on or about Feb 22, 1905”

General Affidavit, Jethro T. White and Mrs. C.F. White, 29 April 1905
[Jethro] 61 years old; residence, Elizabeth City, Pasquotank Co., NC; post-office address, Elizabeth City, NC
[Mrs. C.F.] 55 years old; residence, Elizabeth City, Pasquotank Co., NC; post-office address, Elizabeth City, NC
“That we were personally and intimately acquainted with Edith Smith and with Gilbert Felton prior to their marriage to each other … neither has ever been previously married”

Deposition, Edith Felton, 10 February 1906
“I do not know correct age but I was the mother of eight children when the Civil War commenced”; occupation, housekeeping; residence, 320 West Cypress St., Elizabeth City, NC
“I was raised in the co. I belonged to Joshua White but both Joshua White and his wife are dead. He has a son Judge White who lives near the co. poorhouse. Jethro White a nd Mrs. C.F. White both knew me well before the war and ever since.
“My husband was owned by my owner’s son. He lived on a plantation two miles away from where I did, but he visited me as his wife at least once a week from our marriage till war was over and from that time we lived as husband and wife till he died. We had no marriage ceremony but secured the consent of our owners to be husband and wife. We went together when I was fourteen years old and when the War came on I was the mother of eight children all by Gilbert Felton. He was the first, last, and only man I ever had. I was the only wife he ever had. … We were members of the Bay Branch church. He left me a small piece of land. It cost three hundred dollars … I have no money in bank, no bank stock, bonds or mortgage. My husband died Feb 22, 1905.

Deposition, Lucy Gallop, 10 February 1906
61 years old; occupation, housekeeping; residence, York St., Elizabeth City, NC
“Edith Felton is my sister. She is my oldest sister. WHen I could first remember my sister was married to Gilbert Felton … as he as he got discharged he took my sister who was then in Norfolk as his wife. … [They lived] in Norfolk for three years. I lived in the house with them and then they moved to Perquimans Co where they lived for about 15 years ago when they moved here. I did not live with them in Perquimans Co but visited them from time to time. … and then they moved here… My sister had several children by Gilbert Felton before he went in the army and she had more children by him after he came out. My sister now has six living children. … My sister and Gilbert Felton lived for several years before Mr. Fenton with their daughter Ida Wilson and she still gives my sister a home.”

Deposition, Charles Gallop, 10 February 1906
“I am going in my 74: nothing but clerk a little and I live on York St. No 224, Elizabeth City, NC”
“I married claimant’s sister. I was raised in five miles of Gilbert Felton and I knew him from the time we were boys. … No I was not with him in the army and did not see him while he lived in Norfolk … no I did not belong to the church that they did”

Deposition, Jethro T. White, 10 February 1906
“I was 62 last Oct. Framing is my occupation and I live near Elizabeth City, NC”
“Gilbert Felton belonged to my uncle in slave days and Edith Felton belonged to my uncle’s father.
“I knew Gilbert and Edith before they were ever married. … He died not a great way from me.”
“I have lived here for 10 years. Before that I lvied in Perquimans Co., and it so happened that Gilbert lived near me most of the time since the war .”

Deposition, Ida Wilson, 10 February 1906
“37 yearsold; ocupation, cook; residence Elizabeth City, NC
“Edith Felton is my mother … On account of his poverty and ill health I gave him a home but mother also moved in my home with him. They lived that way for four years before father died and he died in my house and he was nursed during his last illness by my mother. I have one living sister. She is some seven or eight years older than I am. Her name is Louisa Roberson and lives in Washington, DC at 412 Ridge St. I also have a brother in that city. His name is George Felton and he lives at 919 – 6th St NW”

Deposition, Judson J. White, 11 February 1906
46 years old; “I run a dairy and I live near Elizabeth City, NC
“Edith Felton was raised in my old neighborhood in Perquimans Co.. Her husband Gilbert belonged to my father.”

Deposition, Samuel Pogs, 12 February 1906
71 years old; occupation, laborer; residence, Elizabeth City, NC
“I have known [Edith Felton] for the past 20 years … I knew them intimately … I helped to take care of Gilbert Felton during his last illness and I also helped bury him….She was so faithful to him we could hardly get her to lie down to rest herself. [They] raised quite a family of children and they werre well known and well respected. … When I first knew [them] they were living in Perquimans Co but later moved here but I have not lived over two blocks from them since they moved here.”
“It was storming hard and I found difficulty in securing even one attesting witness.”

Sworn Statement, Dr. James Thomas Potter, 1113 Lombard Street, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 5 August 1911
This certifies that I attended Mrs. Edith Felton, 1822 Ludlow St., Phila. Pa. from May 2nd 1911 to July 3, 1911″
[Note: The The statement is written on Dr. Potter’s letterhead — Leslie]

Application for Reimbursement, Minnie Jones, 28 August 1911
27 years old; residence, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; post-office address, 1822 Ludlow St., Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Requested re-imbursement for the last illness and burial expenses of Edith Felton. There are no children under 16 years of age. There was a life insurance benefit from Metropolitan Life Insurance Co. for the amount of $55.00; the benefit was paid to Minnie Jones who was the pensioner’s daughter. The pensioner didn’t leave a will. There wasn’t any real estate or personal property. The daughter was married. The physician, Dr. James T. Potter, 1113 Lombard St., Philadelphia treated Edith Felton for nephritis from August 1910 until death on July 3, 1911.

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