I am looking for information about my gg-grandfather Gray Belt or Belk. He was born around 1811. The 1840, 1850 and 1860 US Census list him as Gray BELT. The 1880 US Census list him as Gray BELK. The BELK surname is the one carried forward. There is a marriage license in 1843 to Martha BAXTER and Gray BELT. All of these milestones occurred in Rowan County, North Carolina. Any help would be appreciated. Regards, Fred Brinkmann

The Heritage of Rowan Co NC, Vol. 1, 1991 Published by The Genealogical Society of Rowan Co NC. item 252 Gray Belk submitted by Sadie Strange Belk Gray Belk was born in Rowan Co NC 28 June 1810 and died 18 Dec, 1891, buried at Centenary Church Cemetery. He married 1st Rebecca Baxter and they had 3 children; 1. George S. Belk was born 19 Apr 1838 and died 6 Oct 1865. He enlisted in Civil War at the age of 23 on 12 June, 1861 and was a private. He was wounded in the right leg and captured at Winchester, Virginia 19 Sept 1865, hospitalized at Winchester and Baltimore; transferred to Venus Point, Savannah River, Georgia 15 Nov 1864 for exchange. He rejoined the company prior to 6 Apr 1865 and was again captured at Farmville, Virginia. He was released 30 June 1865 after taking the Oath of Allegiance. 1. Ruth C. Belk was born 13 May 1859 and died in 1908. She is buried at Centenary Cemetery. 2. Amos H. Belk was born 10 Mar 1842 and died in 1849. He is also buried at Centenary Cem. When Gray's 1st wife died, he married her sister, Martha Ann Baxter [ registered 6 Feb 1843]. This marriage was recorded in Rowan Co NC in 1843. Rebecca and Martha Ann Baxter were daus of James Baxter [d 4 Feb 1820] and Elizabeth Wallis [ d 24 June 1846. Rebecca is buried at Back Creek Church Cemetery, and Gray and Martha are buried at Centenary Methodist Church Cemetery. The children of Gray Belk and Martha Ann Baxter are as follows; 3. Mary Jane Belk b 23 Oct 1844, d 1920 is buried at Centenary Cem. She was married to Doc. Lorrance. 4. William Rankin [Billy] Belk, b 18 July 1846, d 20 Nov 1935, buried at Back Creek Cemetery. He was married 13 Mar 1874 to Louisa McCorkle McNeely. He was a private in the Civil War, enlisted at Camp Holmes 3 Sept 1864. He was captured near Petersburg, Virginia 2 Apr 1865 and confined at Point Look Out, Maryland and released 24 June 1865. 5. James M. Belk b 5 Sept 1848, d 6 Nov 1871 and is buried at Back Creek Cemetery. 6. Hugh W. Belk b 22 Sept 1850, d 1916 and is buried at Centenary Cem. 7. Stephen A. Belk b 24 July 1853, d 11 Apr 1939, married Julia Ann Kerr and is buried at Centenary Cem. 8. Joseph A. Belk b 24 Oct 1855, d 18 July 1856 and is buried at Centenary Cem. 9. Martha Ann Belk b 2 Feb 1858, died 15 Jan 1936 and is buried at Back Creek Cem. She was md to James W. McNeely. 10. Cowan Leander [Lee] Belk b 23 Nov 1859, d 18 Apr 1948, and is buried at Back Creek Cem. On 29 Oct 1885, he married Mary Catherine [Molly] Howard, the dau of E. J.W. and Sarah E. Howard of Iredel Co. NC. They were married at St. Luke's Lutheran Church in Rowan Co NC by the Rev. J.D. Shirey. Both were age 24. 11.Nancy Lou Belk was born 5 Oct 1861, d 1863, and is buried at Back Creek Cem. Gray Belk is listed in the 1860 Rowan Co NC census as 50 years old with real estate valued at $2000 and personal property at $390. According to Flake Nile Belk, son of James Gray Belk and Julia Solomon, as told to him by his grandfather, William Rankin Belk, the Belk family came from England and settled in Buncombe County, NC. Sources; Mrs. Wm. I. Roland Jr, {Christine Rankin], NC Archives, Back Creek and Centenary Cemetery records and Myrtle Belk Dickson, granddaughter. ************ I am not related. Just helping out. Ginny