Elisa Riddick, Stallion, Perry

Biblical records reveal that Elisa White formed a bond with Harry Riddick. It seems quite apparent that marriages of a form did occur during the early 1830’s even though slaves were prohibited from forming legal marriages. But in any event Elisa and Harry formed a bond and to that union was born five children.

These children were:

Nixon White, February 9, 1850

Ellen White, April 8, 1851

Charlotte White, August 16, 1856

Willis White, April 13, 1858

Elbert White, February 18, 1860

It is not known whether Harry died, simply left her or was sold away to another plantation. But the Biblical record also indicates that Elisa later formed another bond with Dempsey Stallion and to his union were born two children.

Rebecca White, October 18, 1861

Thomas I. White, January 30, 1864

It is again assumed that a marriage took place. Rebecca was born some twenty months following Elbert’s birthdate.

Ironically, these seven children all retained the last name White which is assumed to have been Elisa’s slave name.

Later Elisa married Luke Perry. Following a two year period between 1864 and 1866, the eighth child was born. Also during this same two year period, President Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation supposedly freeing Negroes from slavery. Elisa marriage to Luke Perry was when their first child bore the father’s last name:

Jeremiah (Jet) Perry, September 28, 1866

Carolina Perry Boone, July 9, 1872

Alexander “Uncle Alex” Perry, April 29, 1874

Since the last three of Elisa’s ten children had their father’s last name, this may denote that for the first time the bond of marriage took on a legal connotation.

Not much else is known about Elisa’s lifestyle except that she was born in slavery and that her third born; Charlotte White, is a daughter that is of great significance to this treatment of a historical legacy, as well as the families of Twines, Godfreys, and Henleys.

Charlotte (White) Twine, Brown, Godfrey

Charlotte White was the one relative who was very special to the Twines, Godfreys and as a sister-in-law to Sam Godfrey, also the Henleys.

Interestingly, Charlotte White’s marriages to three men followed a similar pattern to that of her mother, Elisa. She first married Harry Twine. They had three children:

William E. Twine, December 9, 1881

Alonza Twine, April 8, 1885

Lubridia Twine-Redding

Biblical records show that William Twine was married on September 27, 1904 when he was 23 years old. Alonza Twine was married to Helen for 65 years until his death January 31, 1990. He was 104 years old at the time of his death. He had a son named, Albert Sayles and a grandson, Tyrone Sayles.

Uncle “Benny” William Twine had two sons named; William Jr. and Carlton and daughters named Reletta, Eunice and Shirley, who is now deceased.

Their full sister, Lubrida (Twine) Redding, Murden also had three children named:

Mildred (Redding) Myers

John Redding

Adelbert Redding

Mildred had one child, named Sheila “Bonnie” Buelle. John did not have any children; however, his brother, Adelbert had five.

Charlotte (White) Twine, Brown, Godfrey did not have children during her marriage to Mr. Brown. But when she married Rev. Joe Godfrey, he already had a son named William. Joe also had a brother named Sam who became Charlotte’s brother-in-law and William Godfrey’s uncle.

William H. Godfrey

William H. Godfrey, who was half brother to Will, Lonnie and Lubrida and later Walter Godfrey, was the stepson of Charlotte.

William H. Godfrey was born February 25, 1890 in Elizabeth City, North Carolina. He died May 3, 1975 at age the 85. He was educated in the public schools of Elizabeth City and was a member of Union Chapel Baptist Church.

Moving to Camden, New Jersey, at the age of 23, he married Grace A. White on May 15, 1913. Ten children were born: Wayne; William, Jr.; Kermit; Joseph; Harrison; Theodore; Harold; Rudolph; Vivian; and Eleanor. He outlived four sons and one daughter. When he died in 1975, Wayne, Theodore, Harold and Eleanor Johnson survived him.

On April 17, 1969 he married Elizabeth A. Thompson of Camden, New Jersey. Three stepchildren, Mrs. Delores Moore, Edward Harris, both of Camden, New Jersey and Sylvia Thompkins of Miami, Florida also survived him. As of 1990, there were 10 grandchildren, 18 great grandchildren, 8 great-great grandchildren. William and his family spent most of their adult life in the Camden, New Jersey area.

Joe and Charlotte were parents of Walter Godfrey, who was born 1896 and who died September 1961. He was the youngest of Charlotte’s five children. Walter married Bessie White Godfrey (1902-1977) in 1922. William “Bennie”, Uncle Lonnie, Lubrida, and William were all half brothers and sister to Walter.

Walter and Bessie White

Bessie’s mother, Mary (Price) White had two sisters and three brothers. They were Nancy Price, Course Ann Price, John Price, Sam Price and Charlie Price. Mary Price married Henry White. However, Henry had two children from a previous marriage. They were Martha Jane (White) Lewis (Sam’s wife) and Mills White. But Henry and Mary had four children of their own: Naomi White Simon, Bessie White Godfrey, Marie White Perkins and Mensel White.

Their mother, Mary, died when her baby boy, Mensel was about five years old. Their half sister, Martha Jane, who was married to Sam Lewis, raised these children as their own. Consequently, here sister Martha Jane and “Uncle Sam” were their adopted parents throughout most of their youthful life.

The marriage of Walter and Bessie resulted in 13 children; 7 boys and 6 girls. They were Willie Smith Godfrey (deceased), Melvin Godfrey (deceased), Reuben Godfrey (deceased), Gracie Godfrey Shannon (deceased), Beulah Godfrey Poole (deceased), Walter Neal Godfrey (deceased), Earline Godfrey Bailey (deceased), Marjorie Godfrey Taylor (deceased), Joseph C. Godfrey (deceased), Albert Godfrey (deceased), Martha Godfrey Cain (deceased), Daniel D. Godfrey, Sr (deceased) and a baby girl (deceased). To date the total descendants of Walter and Bessie are: 13 children, 61 grandchildren,  and hundreds of great grandchildren, great-great grandchildren, and great-great-great grandchildren.

Sam Godfrey, Joe’s Brother

Sam Godfrey and Joe Godfrey’s father was named David. It is believed that David was also born about 1830, during slavery. Sam Godfrey married Geneva Perry. They had one son named Thomas Godfrey and three daughters; Mary Ann, Sarah, and Etta. Mary, one of Uncle Sam’s daughters, and her husband Frederick Douglas Johnson, Sr., had three children; Rosie (Godfrey) Henley, Garfield Johnson and Frederick Johnson, Jr..

Thomas Godfrey , also had a daughter named Gertrude. There are now several descendants of Rosie Johnson Henley, who live in the Camden, New Jersey area.