Felix Grimes and Rebecca --- of Buncombe Co., NC

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The author (Marty Grant) is not related to Felix Grimes as far as is known. However, if it is true that he is an illegitimate son of Jeffrey Graham, then he is my 4th Great Grand Uncle.

Throughout this page I'll mention one document frequently: 1905 court case Gilliland vs. Board of Education. This case was about the ethnic origin of Jeffrey Graham and his descendants. Felix is mentioned several times.

Felix Grimes was born ca 1808/09 [per 1870 census] or ca 1809/10 [per 1880 census]. Those two are pretty close. He was born in North Carolina per the same sources, presumably in Buncombe County.

Felix Grimes is a son of Jane Patton [per Gilliland vs. Board of Education] who was a slave of the Patton family in Buncombe County. I don't know to which Patton family she was attached, for there were several.

Felix's father is unproven, but testimony in the case of Gilliland vs. Board of Education makes the claim that he was a son of Jeffrey Grimes/Graham. Several testified to this effect, though Theodore Graham (who would have been Felix's half brother) said they were not related. Consider the testimony:

On 25 Jan 1906 Harriet Burton, aged 70-80 "a colored woman" gave a statement for Gilliland vs. Board of Education:

...that her maiden name is Harriet Grimes and that she is a daughter of Felix Grimes, a colored man (negro), now dead. that the said Felix Grimes was the son of Jeffrey Grimes, and that his mother was Jennie Patton, the first wife of said Jeffrey Grimes and a slave at the time of her marriage to him; that both Jeffrey and Jennie Grimes were colored persons (negroes) ... after living with Jennie, his first wife, for several years, the said Jeffrey Grimes ... left his said wife and at some later date ... was married to a woman named Estridge, her first name and her color being unknown to the deponent. ... that the said Jeffrey Grimes recognized the deponent as his grandchild and treated her as such, holding her on his knees and playing with her many times.

Theodore Graham testified that he didn't even know Harriet Burton. (See his testimony below.)

On 27 Jan 1906 William Greenlee, aged 75 "a colored man" gave a statement for the case:

... that he knew Jeffrey Grimes and Louis Grimes well. That Jeffrey Grimes was very dark, darker than Jane Patton, who he was reputed to have married, who was also the mother of Felix Grimes colored (a negro); knew Felix Grimes and his mother well; also knew that they claimed to be related to Jeffrey Grimes. That the said Felix called the son of Jeffrey and Jane Patton, Jeffrey's reputed wife. That the said Jeffrey and Louis are brothers.

On 7 May 1906 Maria Grimes, age not given,  gave a statement for Gilliland vs. Board of Education. Her testimony gives a different story regarding Felix Grimes, though claiming the same father:

...She is the daughter of Felix Grimes; that her father was an illegitimate child; and that Jeffrey Graham was his reputed father. The deponent further says that she has heard her father say repeatedly that he was an illegitimate child, and the son of Jeffrey Graham. Deponent further says that her mother, Rebecca Grimes, has always told her that her father, Felix Graham, was an illegitimate child; ... her grandmother, the mother of Felix Graham, was a colored woman, and that her reputed grandfather, Jeffrey Graham, the father of Felix Graham was a white man.

By Maria's testimony it appears that Jeffrey fathered Felix out of wedlock.

Theodore Graham testified in the case (no date):

I have never heard until it was alleged in the above mentioned affidavits that my father was ever married but once, and I do not believe the statement in said affidavit that his first wife was a colored woman; such statement is absolutely false to the best of my knowledge and belief. No such statement was ever made so far as I know prior to the filing of this affidavit, and no such tradition has ever existed in our family.

The statement in the affidavit of the Negrow woman Harriet Burton to the effect that she has visited my home is absolutely false. I do not know Harriet Burton nor has she ever visited my house; nor have I ever recognized her as any relation of mine.

So therefore who is Felix Grimes father? Is it Jeffrey as his daughters and others claimed? Could be, though obviously Jeffrey's son Theodore didn't think so. Of course he might not have known the truth. The fact that Felix took the Grimes surname must be proof that his father was a Grimes, though not necessarily Jeffrey Grimes/Graham. DNA testing may help sort this out, though the test participant would have to be a male Grimes/Graham who is a direct descendant of Felix Grimes.

Since Felix Grimes lived his first 60 or so years in slavery, there are no records on him until the 1870 census.

I've attempted to do some census analysis to find him 1810-1860, but this is a very difficult process. Assuming that he lived with his mother (same owners), I'm guessing he was with a Patton family for a time. There were a lot of Pattons in Buncombe County, many of whom owned slaves.

On the 1810 census, slaves were enumerated in just one combined column that included both sexes and all ages. Therefore there is no way to analyze the slave listings to see where Felix may have been. However, these Pattons had slaves: Aaron (1), Robert (11), George (3), Col. John (22), Matthew (5), and James Patton (12). That doesn't really help to narrow down which household Felix Grimes was in.

For the 1820 census, Felix would have been about 10 or 11 years old. If listed he would have been enumerated in the under 14 age group. There were 14 Patton households in Buncombe County, but only a few had a male slave in that age grouping: George Patton (1 male slave under 14 years of age), Robert (5), Robert H. (2), James Sr (10), and Joseph Patton (1). Robert H Patton and James Patton Sr were listed on the same page with Jeffrey and Felix Grimes.

For the 1830 census, Felix would have been around 20 or 21 years old. Therefore he should be enumerated in the 10-23 age grouping. George Patton had two that age, Magdelen (1), John (2), and James Sr (7).

Felix Grimes married Rebecca --- sometime before ca 1832, presumably in Buncombe County. She was born ca 1814/15 in North Carolina. I don't know her maiden name.

* I skipped an analysis of the 1840 census for which Felix would be about 30 or 31 years old. 

I looked at the 1850 census slave schedule for Buncombe County to see if any Pattons had slaves about the same age as Felix and Rebecca and their children. I'm making a big assumption in that they were still with a Patton family. There were 145 Patton slaves in Buncombe at this time. Using the 1870 and 1880 census ages, Felix would be about 40 or 41, while his wife Rebecca would be about 35 to 38. They would have at least one daughter around 18. I found three possible matches: Mont Patton, J. E. Patton, and J. W. Patton. Each of these had a male around 40 and a female in her mid to late 30's. No guarantee any of these are Felix and family though.

Using the same sort of analysis for the 1860 census, I found two possible matches: Thomas T. Patton and James W. Patton.

Felix and family were listed on the 1870 census in Buncombe County in Asheville.

1870 census abstract: (Explanation of this census)
(Note: The dates at the end of each line are not part of the original census, but are approximate birth years based on age)
1870 BUNCOMBE CO, NC Page 127B  House/Family #  128/ 132--ASHEVILLE Twp ASHEVILLE P.O.

GRIMES FELIX          61 M M CARPENTER                    150 NC              1808/1809
GRIMES REBECCA        55 F B KEEPING HOUSE                    NC              1814/1815
GRIMES MARIAH         17 F M NURSE                            NC              1852/1853
GRIMES WILLIAM         9 M M AT HOME                          NC              1860/1861
GRIMES ELLEN           0 M M 2/12 APR                         NC              1869/1870
HAMPTON LEWIS         17 M B LABOR                            NC              1852/1853
JOHNSTON LEWIS        60 M B LABOR                            NC              1809/1810

Felix and family were still in Asheville for the 1880 census.

1880 census abstract: (Explanation of this census)
(Note: The dates at the end of each line are not part of the original census, but are approximate birth years based on age)
1880 BUNCOMBE CO., NC Page 118B  House/Family #    90/ 170 -- TOWN OF ASHEVILLE Twp

GRIMES FELIX                   M M  70    M CARPENTER            NC  NC  NC  1809/1810
GRIMES REBECCA                 B F  68 WF M KEEPING HOUSE        NC  NC  NC  1811/1812
GRIMES MARIAH R                M F  24 D  S                      NC  NC  NC  1855/1856
GRIMES WILLIAM A               M M  18 S  S                      NC  NC  NC  1861/1862
GRIMES LORANZO                 M M  10 GS S                      NC  NC  NC  1869/1870
FULLENDER WADE H               B M  10 NE S                      NC  NC  NC  1869/1870
FULLENDER MINTA                B F  12 NI S                      NC  NC  NC  1867/1868

I could not find them on the 1900 census. Hannah

Children of Felix and Rebecca (---) Graham. They had several children as proven by the 1870 and 1880 census and also by the 1905 court case. I'm sure there are others yet unidentified.

Researcher List

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Register Report

1. Felix1 Grimes , born 1808/09 in Buncombe Co, NC; died aft 1880 in Buncombe Co, NC, son of (---) Grimes  and Jane Patton .  He married bef 1831 in Buncombe Co, NC Rebecca (---) , born 1814/15 in NC; died aft 1880 in Buncombe Co, NC.

 

      Children of Felix Grimes and Rebecca (---) were as follows:

      2          i      Harriet2 Grimes , born Aug 1832 in Buncombe Co, NC; died aft 1910 in Buncombe Co, NC.  She married bef 1880 in Buncombe Co, NC Solomon Burton , born 1827/28 in NC; died 1880/1900 in Buncombe Co, NC.

+    3          ii      Mariah R2 Grimes , born Apr 1857 in Buncombe Co, NC; died aft 1906 in Buncombe Co, NC.  She married unknown.

      4          iii      William A2 Grimes , born 1860/61 in Buncombe Co, NC; died aft 1880 in Buncombe Co, NC.

      5          iv      Ellen2 Grimes , born Apr 1870 in Buncombe Co, NC; died aft 1870 in Buncombe Co, NC.

 

Generation 2

 

3. Mariah R2 Grimes  (Felix1), born Apr 1857 in Buncombe Co, NC; died aft 1906 in Buncombe Co, NC.  She married unknown.

 

      Children of Mariah R Grimes were as follows:

      6          i      Frances3 Grimes , born Nov 1881 in Buncombe Co, NC.

      7          ii      Felix3 Grimes , born Oct 1887 in Buncombe Co, NC.

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