Rufus L. Traywick

Notes:

Rufus was born during an auspicious month. On November 13, 1833, between midnight and dawn, thousands of meteors showered the sky over North America. To the native peoples of the land, it appeared that the stars were falling out of the heavens. Some thought it was the judgment day. Others called it "The Night the Stars Fell".

A young girl who was a slave at the time of the event said "Somebody in the quarters started yellin' in the middle of the night to come out and to look up at the sky. We went outside and there they was a fallin' everywhere! Big stars coming down real close to the groun' and just before they hit the ground they would burn up! We was all scared. Some O'the folks was screamin' and some was prayin' we all made so much noise, the white folk came out to see what was happenin'. They looked up and then they got scared too."

The celestial phenomenon called "the most impressive and awesome display ever recorded" was, in fact, the Leonids meteor shower seen in one of its most impressive years. Viewers witnessed 50,000 to 150,000 meteors per hour, only equaled by the November 17, 1966 display, when the Leonid shower brought 150,000 meteors per hour. Debris from the comet Temple-Tuttle that orbits the sun every 33 years causes the shower.

He spent his childhood in Tennessee, and didn't go to Arkansas in 1860 with his brothers and sisters. He moved there after his second marriage, to a Nancy, sometime after 1880. Family stories say that he served in the CSA, but the records have not been found to substantiate this. He supposedly lost a finger during the war. Rufus must have been either a minister or a Justice of the Peace, as he was able to perform marriage ceremonies. (Source: Betty Curry of Muskogee, OK; Courtesy of Lynell Cordell)

About 1904, Rufus's wife Nancy was in the kitchen of their home near Gravesville, Arkansas. Having just churned, she ladled the butter onto a dish and was working the remaining milk out of the butter with a large spoon. At that moment, a tornado ripped off the roof of the house, leaving only the walls standing. The entire interior of the ruined, roofless home was littered with debris from the storm, then drenched with rain. Nancy surveyed the damage and commented "I'll swan. My butter's ruined!" (Source: K.L. Trawick)

Rufus married Sarah J. "Sallie" Huey on 2 Jun 1858 in Carroll County, Tennessee. Sarah was born before 1840; died before 1872. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Married:
Second wife was Nancy C. ???>

Notes:

John and his brother Gibson migrated to Tennessee from North Carolina in the late 1820's.

1830 Census, Carroll County, Tennessee pg 75 John Traywick, 1 male 30-40; 1 female 20-30

1840 Census, Carroll County, Tennessee pg 43 John Trawig 2 males 0-5, 2 males 5-10, 1 male 30-40 (females missing from this extraction??)

(Extract by Beverly Hudock, courtesy of Lynell Cordell)

John married Diana Cook in 1832. Diana was born about 1803 in North Carolina; and died. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Biography of her son, Andrew Marcus Trawick gives her maiden name, and also states she was born 1803 and died 1860. As she was not located on the 1860 census, it is possible she died before that, or in any case prior to the census.

Notes:

Married:
Beverly Hudock says that from census information and from the History of Carroll County, TN she was able to conclude that John Traywick married Diana Cook (shown as Diannah on the 1850 census)

John married Milberry Earpe in 1780 in Wake County, North Carolina. Milberry was born before 1764; and died. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Robert Traywick died intestate about September 1800. On 12 Sept 1800 inventory was made of the estate and in May term of Wake County Court 1801, his land was divided: His widow, Moore Traywick, Edward Hocut and wife (daughter of Robert), daughter Aschur Traywick, heirs of John Traywick, dec'd Robert, Otneil, Whitmel (Whitman) Eason and wife, (daughter of Robert), Lunsford, son, Senuel, son, Berimom (Berryman) son. Returned and ordered to be recorded May term 1801. (Wills and Inventory Book F, pg 260) (Courtesy of Lynell Cordell)

Robert married Moore Berryman in 1754 in Johnston County, North Carolina. Moore was born in 1735 in Stafford County, Virginia; and died. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

The son of William Berryman and Alice Moore.