Help! Two different Richard Averas married two different Civil Ann’s in Cumberland Co NC. This first was the Richard Avera who married Civil Ann Godwin in 1814 with John Deu [Dew] as bondsman. [Marriage Bond in NC Archives.] The second was the Richard Avera who married Civil Ann Gully in 1840. [Will and Estate Records of Jesse Gully, NC Archives.] Can someone help me sort out this puzzle? I have a accumulated a pile of material on Richard Avera #1 and Richard Avera #2, Richard Ryals, and Jesse Gully of Cumberland Co NC during the 1st half of the 1800’s. However, I have no proof of who the parents of these men are. Can you help? Below is only a sample of what I have. Hopefully it will be useful to some researcher, but I am sending it in an attempt to learn more about the descendants and ancestors of these three men. Franklin Ingram, Raleigh, NC Descendants of Richard Avera, Richard Ryals, and Jesse Gully, Cumberland Co NC, 1800-1844 Generation No. 1 1. RICHARD1 AVERA was born 01 Feb 1778, and died 15 Mar 1844 in Cumberland Co NC. He married (1) MARY RYALS, daughter of RICHARD RYALS and MILBRA BAGGETT. She was born 1779, and died 26 Sep 1819 in Cumberland Co NC. He married (2) CHARLOTTE STEPHENSON 01 Dec 1822 in Cumberland Co NC, daughter of JOHN STEPHENSON. She died Bet. 1828 & 1839. He married (3) CIVIL ANN GULLY 11 Mar 1840 in Cumberland Co NC, daughter of JESSE GULLY and SALLY. She died Bef. 1871. Notes for RICHARD AVERA: Richard Avery Bible Record is reported to name the three wives of Richard Avera with dates of the marriages. This Bible Record is also reported to give his date of death as 15 Mar 1844. However, Civil Ann "Civie" Avera testified in her Dower Petition in 1844 to the September Term of the Cumberland Co NC Court that Richard Avera had died "about 1 Mar 1844." Note that the spelling of this Bible Record is Avery and not Avera. See "Old Southern Bible Records," Compiled by Memory Aldridge Lester, Genealongical Publishing Co, Inc. Baltimore, 1974, pages 11 and 12. The source and whereabouts of this "Richard Avery" Bible Record is not cited by Lester. I have verified the names of the children of Richard Avera, died Mar 1844, in his Cumberland Co NC Estate Papers, NC Archives, but the dates of all births are from the Bible Record. Spelling the name Avery indicates that Richard Avera himself was not the author of any of the Bible Record material or whoever transcribed it changed the spelling. Richard Avera was quite wealthy and literate, with an extensive library. The signatures that I have seen in his own hand always spelled the name Avera. Notes for MARY RYALS: Richard Avery Bible Record is reported to state that Mary Ryalls died 26 Sep 1819 in the 40th year of her life. Note that the spelling is Ryalls and not Ryals. See "Old Southern Bible Records," Compiled by Memory Aldridge Lester, Genealongical Publishing Co, Inc. Baltimore, 1974, page 11. Notes for CHARLOTTE STEPHENSON: The "Old Southern Bible Records," page 11, housed in the Johnston Co Genealogical Library, has handwritten marginal notes added by someone that Charlotte Avera was the daughter of John Stephenson and the granddaughter of Solomon Stephenson. It also stated that Charlotte Stephenson had first married Willie Jones, 13 May 1811, Johnston Co NC. There is in fact a Cumberland Co NC Marriage Bond in the NC Archives for a Richard Avera to marry a Charlotte Jones, dated 28 Nov 1822. The Bible Record states that the marriage date was 1 Dec 1822. See "Old Southern Bible Records," Compiled by Memory Aldridge Lester, Genealongical Publishing Co, Inc. Baltimore, 1974, pages 11, Johnston Co Genealogical Library. The source and whereabouts of this "Richard Avery" Bible Record is not cited by Lester, and the author of the marginal notes is also unknown. Notes for CIVIL ANN GULLY: The 1841 Will of Jesse Gully left certain lands to his wife Sally that were to go to his daughter Civil Avera at the death of Sally if she had no heirs of her body. A Fall 1871 Petition to the Cumberland Co Court asked that this land that had come to Civil Ann Gully Avera Pearson be sold and the proceeds divided between the surviving children and grandchildren of Jesse Gully, father of Civil Ann Gully. This 1871 Petition stated that Civil Pearson, mentioned in Jesse Gully's Will as "Civil Avera," had been dead "many years" and had died without heirs of her body. See both the Will and the Estate Papers of Jesse Gully housed in the NC Archives. The 7 Mar 1841 Will names all of Jesse Gully's children and the 1871 Estate Papers names all of his children living and dead and all of his known grandchildren. It is also names spouses and where each heir was living in 1871. Richard Avera was one of the Executors of Jesse Gully's Will in 1841 and the Administrator of Sally Gully's Estate in 1842. John MacKay and Henry Avera signed the the Bond for Sally Gully's Estate Administration. Children of RICHARD AVERA and MARY RYALS are: i. ALLEN AVERA, b. 04 Oct 1800. ii. BRYANT AVERA, b. 29 Dec 1802. iii. CALVIN AVERA, b. 19 Mar 1805. iv. ELIZABETH AVERA, b. 17 Oct 1810; m. JAMES ADAMS, 03 Apr 1828; b. 23 Jan 1805. v. WINIFRED AVERA, b. 09 Apr 1810. vi. DAVID AVERA, b. 04 Jun 1813. vii. MARY AVERA, b. 14 Aug 1817. Children of RICHARD AVERA and CHARLOTTE STEPHENSON are: viii. CHARLOTTE2 AVERA, b. 28 Oct 1824. ix. RICHARD AVERA, b. 10 Aug 1828.<br clear=all><hr>Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at <a href="http://explorer.msn.com">http://explorer.msn.com</a><br></p>