LABAN AND NANCY (Broadway) HEARTLEY

Wednesday, the 16 December 1811, a pervasive uneasiness engulfed mid‑America. The worst quake in American history rocked the ' Ohio and Mississippi Valley. Tremors surged through 300,000 miles. Meanwhile 6 miles southwest of Lexington, NC, Nancy Broadway Heartley felt tremors. She was in labor. The next day a babe named Jesse Wilson lay in the arms of the young mother who was awed by the sight of her firstborn as the father Laban, who looked on. Was this a aparent Being born on the heels of an earthquake? Would his life be unusual? Yes, as it turned out.

Earlier that year on the 23rd of Jan., Laban and Nancy had wed; both were approaching 20 years of age. He was a native of this county while she had been born in VA. She is believed to be the dau of Thomas Broadway who married Elizabeth Warinner in Henrico Co., Va in 1788. An Elizabeth Broadway first appears in the 1810 Rowan Co. , NC census. Brothers and sisters of Nancy; William m Mary E. Lockabili, Sally and Elizabeth, both married John Young, Thomas W m Nancy Cornish, Colly m Abraham S Wilson, Samuel D m Anna Wilson, Martha, never married.

Laban and Nancy had 7 sons and 2 daus. Alfred was b c1812 followed at intervals of 2 or 3 years by Benjamin, Jefferson, Matilda "Tildy", Elizabeth "Betsy", Alexander T., Nathan Henderson, John and James Franklin.

The family lived on grandfather Benjamin Heartley's plantation in the Jersey settlement, 2 miles due east of Hyrum Thompson's tavern (Tyro, NC. A mulberry tree stood on a high ridge between the 2 places and once the family watched a cyclone go up that ridge. A spring ran east of the house with an orchard situated between them at the Wilsons.

The parents were very religious but their offspring seemed somewhat liberated for that time with their attitude toward marriage and its conventions. Jesse started a trend when he married a woman 7 years older. Then Henderson made a strance match when he married a widow older than he was. And, in the true spirit of sibling rivalry, Betsy married a Fine man, (that was his name‑‑Tom Fine. If ever there was marriage about to be made in heaven, this was it! At her brother's home she fell dead at the well perhaps starting the adage about "going to the well once too often. "

One of the other sons, John, remembered as a 11nice young man" died at 22, unmarried. Another, a painter by trade, Alex, died shortly after his marriage. His wife, the product of a broken and unhappy home was again left in saddened circumstances with a little girl to support.

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Laban & Nancy Heartley con'd

About 1858 an accident occurred Going with a neighbor, John Wilson, to Salisbury the horse ran away throwing Nancy out. The injury caused her to lose her eyesight. By the time of the Civil War, Laban was down to his last $5 and died not long after. Nancy lived to over 80 years of age.

LABAN HEARTLEY: b c 1791 near Lexington d c 1861 in Davidson

Co m 23 January 1811 in Rowan Co to NANCY BROADWAY b c 1792 in

Va., d c 1873 in Davidson Co. Their children were all born near

Lexington. &/. C

1) Jesse Wilson b 11 Dec 1811, d 31 Jan 1917 Webster Co., Mo. m 20 Oct 1832 in Davidson Co to Rebecca Wommack; 2) Alfred b c 1812 died during the Civil War, married Nancy Doty: 3) Benjamin Jefferson b 14 Dec., 1814 d, 25 Dec 1891 in Davie Co., m 26 Oct 1836 in Davidson Co. to Sarah Wall; 4) Matilda b c 1817 d (?) married James Davis; 5) Elizabeth b c 1820 d. c 1882 m 21 Aug 1859 in Davie Co to John Fine 6) Alexander T. b c 1823 d. 184450 in Salisbury, m 2 July 1844 in Davidson Co. to Martha Eunice Womack. He was a painter by trade. 7) Nathan Henderson b c 1825, d after 1870, m lst 21 Jan, 1843 to Margaret Strange and m 2nd 30 June 1855 to Leah Myers, both in Davidson Co. He worked as a shoemaker 8) John b c 1827 d, before 1850 at age 22, never married; 9) James Franklin b c1831 d after 1880. m 28 Aug 1852 in Davidson Co to Margaret McBride. He worked as a mechanic. Many of these are buried in Piney Baptist Cemetery.