The Unknown Solomon Lineberry

Sometimes, in genealogy, you come across a mystery. Maybe someone recorded or assumed something incorrectly online and that myth was perpetuated over and over again until people believed it to be truth. Then, as a thorough research, you come across the undocumented name, date, place, or relationship, and you realize there was no basis whatsoever for the initial assumption. The rest of your searches all seem to be focused around proving or disproving what that one person said before you.

The biggest mystery in my husband's family revolves around a man named Solomon Lineberry.

Here's what I know about Solomon. He was born sometime between 1805 and 1810. I know he married a Katharine (or Catharine) M. at least before the 1850 census. Together, they had at least the following children:

• Mebane Lineberry, born about 1831
• Lavinia or Levina Lineberry, born between 1834 and 1839
• Delphine or Delphina Lineberry, born about 1839
• Peter Lineberry, born between 1833 and 1835
• Sophronia or Sophia Lineberry, born between 1838 and 1841
• Leonard Lineberry, born between 1840 and 1842
• Angeline Lineberry, born between 1843 and 1844
• Madison Lineberry, born between 1845 and 1849
• Oliver "Adison" Lineberry, born 15 November 1846

Clipping from the 1850 Guilford County, North Carolina Census showing household of Solomon Lineberry

The first time I came across this family, it was recorded that Solomon was the son of Jacob Lineberry, III, the Revolutionary War Patriot, whom I showcased a few months ago. While Jacob did have a son named Solomon, that Solomon was born about 1800 according to the 1850 census, though most believe him to be born in 1787.

Clipping from the 1850 Randolph County, North Carolina Census showing the household of the older Solomon Lineberry. (He is living next door to his son, Jacob, and two doors down from his nephew, Emerson, here.)

While it was not uncommon for a family to reuse a name when another child previously died, the older Solomon never died. He lived at least until the 1850 census and married and had children of his own.

Another family researcher, Frances Harding Casstevens, wrote a book about her ancestor, the mysterious Solomon Lineberry.

Photo of book cover as found at Randolph Room, Asheboro Branch, Randolph County Public Library

This is her description of how she thinks her ancestor fits in with the rest of the Lineberry family.

"From what information we have been able to gather, I and other members of the family believe that our ancestor, Solomon Lineberry, was the son or grandson of Jacob Lineberry of Randolph county who married Mary Catherine Youngblood. It is known that Mary Catherine Youngblood was of German and Indian descent. The Indian blood appears even yet in the descendants. A picture of Eliza Lineberry Bowman shows this quite clearly. It appears elsewhere in the book.

 Jacob Lineberry's will names a son 'Solomon' but as there were two Solomon Lineberrys in Randolph county it is difficult to determine which was Jacob's son and which was the grandson. A book on the Lineberry family by Capt. W. S. Lineberry, written in 1918, gives all of the children and grandchildren of Jacob Lineberry, except those of John who is named in the will but left entirely out of the genealogy written by Capt. W. S. Lineberry who relied mostly on memory in compiling his family history. If our theories are correct, then our Solomon is the son of this John and Solomon's brothers and sisters were Eva (Moss); Macklen; Peter; and possibly others. As the 1820 Randolph County census is lost we may never be able to correctly determine this."

It is my opinion that Frances' Solomon could very well be the child of John, but I have not found solid evidence of that yet. I am fairly certain, however, that her Solomon was simply too young to have been Jacob's son.

If you know anything about this family or if you descend from either of these two Solomons, please send me a message or comment on this post. I would love to share information and attempt to untangle this particular portion of the family tree.

Sources:

• 1850 Northern Division, Randolph County, North Carolina U.S. Federal Census (accessed on Ancestry)
• 1850 Southern Division, Guilford County, North Carolina U.S. Federal Census (accessed on Ancestry)
• 1860 Flint Hill, Yadkin County, North Carolina U.S. Federal Census (accessed on Ancestry)
• Casstevens, Frances Harding "The Descendants of Solomon Lineberry" (accessed at the Randolph Room, Asheboro Branch, Randolph County Library)
• Tombstone, Ad Lineberry (as viewed on Find-A-Grave)