Mystery Monday~When Did Dempsey Honeycutt (176?–aft Sept. 1849) Pass Away

Dempsey Honeycutt has a large double tombstone of which he shares with his wife. Both show death date but the source of these dates are unknow to me. I have searched for many years and the best I can do with proving the death of Dempsey Honeycutt can be found in the text of this blog. I was quite surprised that the local churches, in their minutes, did not record the death dates of their parishioners.

Dempsey Honeycutt was alive on 26 Sept. 1849 but he is not listed in the 1850 Mortality Census nor the regular population Census.

The last Land Deed transaction executed by Dempsey Honeycutt transpired on 13 Apr 1844 in Stanly County, North Carolina (DB 3, pg 358).

But what does period documents tell us about Dempsey’s life and death? 

Dempsy Honeycutt was a God fearing man who regularly attended church. In his early years he was a member of Meadow Creek Baptist Church. He appeared regularly in the minuets of the church as early as August 1816. His wife Rutha Honeycutt appears in minutes as early as May 1811. 

At the June 1825 Meadow Creek Conference Sister Rutha Honeycutt was received by letter from the Bear Creek Church.

At the November 1825 Meadow Creek Conference brother Dempsy Honeycutt was received by letter from the Bear Creek Church.

In the January Conference 1845 – The Church declared an unfellowship with Nathan Green and Demcy Honeycutt for their not hearing [adhering] to the church. 

At March Conference 1847 Demcy Honeycutt [was] restored to fellowship again.

In the Meadow Creek Church Minutes we find the following list of members on 20 August 1849.

There were two Honeycutt’s; one was Dempsey Honeycutt and the other was Sinthy Honeycutt widow of Reuben George Honeycutt.

In the original Bear Creek Minutes images 66 & 67 is the last mention of Dempsey Huneycutt in any church minutes or any other document of any kind.

23 September 1849

Original Bear Creek Primitive Baptist Association Minutes
On page 66 – Commencing on Saturday before the 4th Lord’s Day in [23] September 1849 The Meadow Creek association met with Elder G. Little delivering a sermon from Titus 2nd Chapter 14th verse. On the next page (67) present at this meeting was Hezekiah Hearne, D. Little and Demcy Honeycutt representatives from the Meadow Creek Church. 

Meadow Creek Attendees were Hezekiah Hearne, D. Little and Demcy Honeycutt

There is no mention of Demcy Honeycutt in any church minutes after his attendance at the 23 September 1849 meeting with Elder G. Little of the Bear Creek Primitive Baptist Association.

We have two instances whereby Demsy Honeycutt is alive and well one dated 20 August 1849 and the other dated 23 September 1849.

Demcy Honeycutt died between the meeting (23 Sept. 1849) and the enumeration of the 1850 Census for Stanly County, NC in  mid-1850.

The only mention I have found of the the death of Rutha Honeycutt is also included in the Meadow Creek Church minutes but DO NOT have the precise date shown on her tombstone. As a matter of fact, the page on which she is listed as deceased is not dated.

I think the death of Dempsey Honeycutt and his wife, Rutha, is still yet to be determined.

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[1] Minutes of Meadow Creek –> http://divinityarchive.com/handle/11258/9025

[2] Original Bear Creek Minutes---> http://divinityarchive.com/handle/11258/10512?show=full

Note: Dempsey, Demsy, Demcy, Demsi are all spellings for Dempsey and Honeycutt is also spelled Hunnicutt, Huneycutt, Hunnycutt