There are two land transactions in 1832 Rutherford County NC in which Charles Love gave land to “my son” Osborn Love and “my son” James Love. The deeds were not recorded until 1836. These gift deeds were recorded near or just after the death of their father Charles Love. Also in 1832, Charles Love gave land (42-490, Rutherford NC) to “the children and bodily heirs of John Love.” Being 200 acres on the waters of Hickory Creek in Lincoln County, the gift land adjoined that belonging to Charles’s son Osborne Love and “Watson.” The tract of land also included “Improvements where said John Love lives.” The witnesses were M. R. Alexander and Alexander Beaty. Though Charles gave the land “in consideration for natural love and affection,” he did not name John as “my son.” Normally the use of the term “bodily heirs” indicates a person was dead or gone and the property is meant for the benefit of the surviving children or descendants. With this in mind, we initially questioned whether John was a son or even living at the time of the transaction.

Found in his father’s loose estate papers, an unrecorded deed dated 9 Dec 1836 indicates John Love was still alive and living in North Carolina at that time. “John Love of Lincoln County” assigned to his brother-in-law Thomas Wilson “his right and title to all the land estate of his father Charles Love deceased.” Signed John (x) Love, the conveyance was witnessed by Wm. Lackers and James F. Elliott. And other deeds within the estate papers record John’s siblings and mother assigning rights over to their brother James Love. Note that Cleveland County grew from portions of Lincoln and Rutherford Counties NC. John’s brother James later gave land for the town of Shelby, the governmental seat of Cleveland County.

John Love and family removed to Georgia prior to 1850. The family settled in a portion of Cass County that became Gordon County in 1850. From the census record below, note that John’s mother Phereby made the journey too. And that John is enumerated beside Elias Covington. Elias is the son of William Covington. A January 1826 entry in the Rutherford County guardian accounts book records John Hardin as guardian of Elias Covington, son of William. William is the son of Josiah Covington who willed land to Charles Love and appointed him executor of his 1818 last will and testament probated in Rutherford County NC. As with the Love family, the Covington’s moved down from Virginia through Surry County NC. The 1850 Gordon County census reads as follows:

676/679 Gordon County 1850 28 Elias Covington NC 25 Mary 8 William NC 6 Rebecca NC 4 E. B. NC 1 Nancy NC 677/680 Gordon County 1850 58 John Love NC 58 Rebecca NC 27 Urias NC 19 Sarah NC 14 John NC 81 Farebe Love NC

John and Rebecca Hardin Love lived out their lives in Gordon County GA. Seeking to distinguish the life record of yet another John Love who lived in Gordon County, family researcher Beverly Shuck has collected documentation related to this family. The deeds and agreements in the following were graciously provided for use by Beverly Shuck. And since this is all remote research for me here in North Carolina, I hope that anyone with photos, documents, or other helpful information will help to make this a more complete story.

The children of John and Rebecca Hardin Love are:

A. Selenia Jane Love
Born 15 Jan 1821 in Rutherford County NC, Selenia Jane Love married 26 Sep 1839 in Cass County GA. Born 27 May 1817, a civil war battle was fought on his Sugar Valley farm in May of 1862. Selenia died 4 Feb 1894 and Elisha died on 2 Oct 1899. Both are buried at Rocky Face Cemetery, Whitfield County Ga. The children of Elisha and Selenia Love Lowery are:

A. James M. Lowery Born 28 Sep 1840, James died 30 Oct 1861 of Typhoid Fever while in service during the Civil War.
B. Bernettie Ann Lowery Born 13 Jan 1842, she married 16 Jan 1868 John E. Fallin. The son of Jackson Fallin, John was born ca. 1847. Bernettie died ca. 1896 and is buried at Rocky Face cemetery.
C. Mary Adeline Lowery Born 1 Sep 1844, Mary died 11 Aug 1847in Mississippi while on a trip with her parents.
D. William A. Lowery Born 6 Mar 1846, William married Jennie Fritz.
E. John P. Mosley Lowery Born 8 Apr 1848
F. Erlington Lowery Born ca.
G. Adolphus E. Lowery Born 1 Aug 1850, he married Nancy E. …. Their children are: a.) Leander Lowery b. 1873; b.) Charles L. Lowery b. 1874; c.) Donnie B. Lowery b. 1876; and Atisha Lowery b. 1878
H. Elizabeth A. Lowery Born 12 Dec 1853, she married 11 May 1871 Gary B. Phillips. Born 1838 in Ireland, he died 28 Jan 1881 in Dalton GA.

B. Uriah Love
Born ca. 1823 in Rutherford County NC, as a young child, Uriah moved with his parents to a section of Cass county that later became Gordon county GA. Dated 21 Feb 1848, John (x) Love sold to (son) Uriah all his land situated on the west side of Salacoa Creek in then Cass County. John sold “all the cleared land on said premises with the exceptions of ten acres of the upper end of the plantation to my use during mine and my wife’s natural life.” James R. Brock and Daniel D. Roney witnessed the transaction.

Uriah appears in the 1850 census living in his parents home. Dated 12 Jan 1851, he married Elizabeth Caroline Roney in Gordon County. On 5 Oct 1868, Uriah appointed brother-in-law Elisha Lowry Power of Attorney. Recorded in Deed and Mortgage book F, page 160; he stated “I, Uriah Love of the said County for divers good causes and considerations are hereunto moving . . .” Preparing to move west, he appointed Elisha to recover money from Wm. M. Dumman, Principal and J. Willingham, Wm. Willingham, Secrys. E. J. Kiker and D. W. Neel, Ordinary witnessed this agreement. And then dated 26 Aug 1871, “Uriah Love of the State of Arkansas” sold 80 acres in Gordon County to W. B. Harris. The land was located “on the west side of Salaquay Creek and north of the Calhoun Road leading to Love’s Bridge. As per the signature, this land was conveyed by Elisha Lowry, agent.

Uriah Love and family removed to Crawford County, Arkansas where they appear in the 1870 census. In 1880, they are living with sons George and James. The children of Uriah and Elizabeth Caroline Roney Love are:

A. John Calvin Love Born 26 Jun 1853, John married Josephine Eugenia Whitlock. John C. died 13 Jun 1919 . Their children are: a.) W. Cathey Love b. 1878; b.) Walter Love b. 1879.
B. James Edward Love Born 23 Jul 1855, James married first 9 Sep 1880 Emma Cheek. He married 9 Nov 1884 America M. Coward. James died 23 Jan 1900.
C. David C. Love As per the 1860 Gordon County census, David was born ca. 1858. He died prior to 1870.
D. George W. Love Born ca. 1861.
E. Nancy Selina Love Born ca. 1862, Selina married 11 May 1879 Lafayette Savage in Crawford County AR.
F. M. N. Love Born ca. 1865 in Georgia, M. N. Love appears in the 1870 census.

C. Fereby Love
Born ca.1825 in North Carolina, Fereby is named for her grandmother Love. Removing with family to Georgia, she married Hugh C. McBrayer. Born 1826, he is the son of Martin and Mary Nancy Quinn McBrayer. Feraby’s sister Elizabeth married Hugh’s brother. As proven in legal documentation, the families were friends and neighbors earlier in Rutherford County NC. Supreme Court records in North Carolina carry the McBrayer family back to 1760’s VA. “Feroby” died in 1884 and is at rest at Corinth Cemetery in Gordon County. Hugh followed in 1896.

The children of Hugh and Fereby Love McBrayer are:

A. William McBrayer Born 3 Aug 1857, William married Jeanie Martin. He died Feb. 12, 1931 and is buried at Corinth in Gordon County.
B. Rev. John Martin McBrayer Born ca. 1849, John married Queen Victoria Greeson. John died 1933 and is buried at Corinth. Victoria died in 1937.
C. Andrew McBrayer Born 1850, he married Lucy Sanders. Andrew died 1919.
D. Clarinda McBrayer Born 1852, Clarinda died 1900. She never married
E. Amanda J. McBrayer Born 1855. Amanda married David T. Defoor. She died 1901 in Gordon County.
F. Laura Rebecca McBrayer Born 1859, Laura married M. A. Prichett. She died 1933 and is buried in Gordon County.
G. Lorenza D. McBrayer Born 1861, Lorenza died 1906 and is buried at Corinth Cemetery in Gordon County.
H. Hugh McBrayer Born 1865 in Gordon County GA.
I. Mary Cornelia McBrayer Born 1868.

D. Ulis Elizabeth Love
Born 7 May 1828 in North Carolina, Elizabeth married William O. McBrayer in Cass County GA. Born 29 Dec 1823 in Rutherford County NC, William is the son of Martin and Mary Nancy Quinn McBrayer. William died 6 May 1874 in Gordon County. He is buried in a family cemetery.

The children of William and Elizabeth Love McBrayer are:

A. Rev. Nonimous Erwin McBrayer Born ca. 1849, Nonimous married Roxie Holden. Note that the name Nonimous was used in numerous families of Rutherford/Cleveland Counties NC.
B. David Napolean McBrayer Born ca. 1851, he died in 1927 Catoosa County GA. C. Sarah Frances McBrayer Born ca. 1853.
D. George Ensley McBrayer Born ca. 1854.
E. J. Henry McBrayer Born ca. 1857.
F. Aaron Uri McBrayer Born 3 Apr 1860.
G. James William McBrayer Born ca. 1866.
H. Mary Elizabeth McBrayer Born ca. 1868

E. Sarah Caroline Love
Born 14 Jan 1830, Sarah married ca. 1852 Johnson Moss. Born 12 Jan 1828 in York County SC, he is the son of Nicholas and Passy Moss. Johnson died 1862 and is buried at Bethesda Cemetery in Red Bud, Gordon County. Sarah died 17 Jan 1928. The children of Johnson and Sarah are:

A. Joseph Abraham Moss Born 23 Jan 1853.
B. Elizabeth Moss Born ca. 1854.
C. Monroe J. moss Born ca. 1858

F. John Osborn Love
Born 10 Feb 1833, John appears in 1850 living with his family in Gordon County GA. Dated Dated 27 Jan 1851, John Osborne Love purchased 80 acres from his father John Love. Hugh McBrayer and D. C. L. Shaw witnessed the transaction. And in 1852 John Love an agreement that reads in part:

“. . .having heretofore executed to his son UriahLove a deed for that part of a lot of land No. one hundred and seventy in the Seventh district of the Third section originally Cherokee, but now Gordon County that lies on the west side of Salacoa Creek and that sad John Love also gave his note to said Uriah to the John Love, but which money was intended and of right should have been paid to said John Love purposes to give to his other children. And it also being recited that upon the twenty first day of February, eighteen hundred and forty eight, the said Uriah Love gave his note due nine years afte date to John O. Love about which there is a misapprehension his father John and brother Uriah being the only parties to the transaction. And it being recited also that the whole was for the purpose of the said John Love providing a portion for his son Uriah and the said deed to Uriah being an honest legitimate and fair deed. And it being recited also that afterwards bad feelings having been created in the family which were encouraged by reports carried from one to another, and the said Uriah still holding the aforesaid notes against the said John. The said John for the purpose of protecting himself as he supposed against said notes was induced to, and did on the 27th day of January 1851 execute a deed to his son John O. Love for the same property previously conveyed to said Uriah, and procured the same to be recorded. And it being further recited that the said John O. Love was and is under age. And also that there is probably a mistake in both deeds in not excepting about seven acres previously sold to Daniel Roney. And it being lastly recited that the said parties having agreed upon terms to correct all mistakes, and to avoid all future and unpleasant litigation and strife.”

Life moved on. John O. Love married in the mid-1850’ Samantha Caroline Adams. Born 2. Dec 1842, she is the daughter of Andrew and Elizabeth C. Howell Adams. The 1860 census enumerates the family living near that of John Love and John S. Howell. After 1880 John Osborne Love and family removed to Crawford County where his brother Uriah lived. Samantha died 16 Mar 1905 and is buried in Alma, Crawford County AR. John O. Love died 14 Feb 1914. The children of John O. and Samantha Adams Love are:

A. Francis Bartlow Love Born ca. 1861.
B. Sallie Love
C. John C. Love Born ca. 1863
D. Tom U. Love Born ca. 1866
E. Nancy C. Love Born ca. 1870
F. Ulema Love Born ca. 1871
G. Ana May Love Born ca. 1882
H. Mollie W. Love Born ca. 1883
I. Elex Mayfield Love
J. Frank Love Born ca. 1886
K. Ora H. Love