The “Aunt & Uncle” series of biographical sketches are Artificial Intelligence (AI) compiled narratives of selected individuals from my Genealogical database. The selected AI will used the RootsMagic Individual Summary from my Genealogical Software, Roots Magic. All genealogical data is my research material acquired over the past 46 years of research.
The Life and Times of Dempsey Page (1815-1879)
Early Life and Family Origins
Dempsey Page was born around 1815 in Montgomery County, North Carolina, to Uriah Page and Grace "Gracey" Page. His father Uriah lived a remarkably long life for the era, spanning from 1741 to 1840, while his mother Grace lived from 1761 to 1845. Growing up in the early decades of the 19th century, Dempsey came of age during a time of westward expansion and growing tensions that would eventually lead to the Civil War.
Starting a Family
In 1843, at the age of 28, Dempsey married Melinda Brumly in Cabarrus County, North Carolina. Melinda, born in 1831, was sixteen years younger than her husband. Their marriage bond was dated September 27, 1843, with Joseph W. Roger serving as bondsman and Kiah P. Harris as witness.
The couple was blessed with six children over the course of their marriage:
Jane C. Page (1845-1860) - Tragically died at just 15 years old
Mary Ann Page (1847-1886) - Later married and became Mary Ann May
Simon Peter Page (1849-1860) - Also died young at age 11
Laura Elizabeth Page (1852-1886) - Later became Laura Page May Clampet
Martha Page (1857-1870) - Died at age 13
John Allison Page (1860-1883) - The youngest child, who lived to age 23
Life as a Farmer and Landowner
The census records paint a picture of Dempsey as a hardworking farmer who gradually built up his landholdings. By 1830, when he was about 15, he was already established with his own household. The family moved several times within North Carolina, living in Montgomery County initially, then Rowan County, and briefly in Iredell County.
In 1854, Dempsey made his first major land purchase, buying 76 acres in Rowan County from James M. Carter for fifty dollars. This property came with some complexity, as Carter only owned half the land through inheritance from his wife Mary B. Roberson. Eighteen years later, in 1872, Dempsey expanded his holdings significantly, purchasing nearly 95 acres from L. M. Gillespie and his wife M. H. Gillespie for $450—a substantial investment that showed his growing prosperity.
The Civil War Years
When the Civil War erupted, Dempsey was already in his mid-40s with a large family to support. No record has been found that would show the Dempsey Page, born abt 1815 served in the Civil War. There is a Marion Dempsey Page from Wilson and Cleveland Counties, North Carolina that served but he was born 28 Jun 1846 and died 25 Sep 1936. This Dempsey Page was a son of Johnson Page of Edgecombe County, North Carolina.
Tragedy and Remarriage
The post-war years brought both sorrow and new beginnings for Dempsey. His beloved wife Melinda died sometime before 1867 in her early to mid-thirties, leaving him a widower with young children still at home. Compounding the family's grief, three of their children—Jane, Simon Peter, and Martha—had already died young, a tragic but not uncommon occurrence in that era.
In 1867, the records show Dempsey married Frances Elisabeth Stancill in Rowan County. Frances, born in 1831, was the same age as his first wife. The timing suggests this may have been a practical arrangement to help care for his children and household, as was common during this period.
Historical Context of Dempsey's Lifetime
Dempsey lived through some of the most transformative years in American history. Born in 1815, he grew up during the era of westward expansion and Manifest Destiny. The Monroe Doctrine was established when he was eight years old, and he witnessed the Mexican-American War (1846-1848) as a young father.
His farming years coincided with significant agricultural changes, including the spread of cotton cultivation and the increasing reliance on enslaved labor in the South. The 1860 census shows that the Page household included two African American individuals—Andrew Gillispie, age 20, and Austin John Gillispie, age 9—though their exact status isn't specified in these records.
The railroad boom of the 1850s would have affected Dempsey's ability to transport crops and goods to market, while the growing tensions between North and South over slavery created an increasingly volatile political climate that ultimately erupted into the war that would claim four years of his life.
Final Years and Legacy
After the war, Dempsey settled back into farming life in Mount Ulla, Rowan County. The 1870 census shows him living with his second wife Frances (listed as "E. F."), his surviving children Laura and John, and the two Gillispie individuals mentioned earlier.
Recognizing his mortality, Dempsey prepared carefully for his family's future. On March 18, 1879, he drafted his last will and testament, describing himself as "of sound mind & memory but weak in body." His will reveals a man concerned with fairness and the welfare of his surviving children.
To his son John Allison, he left the family homestead of 94 acres along with farming equipment, mules, and household goods—the foundation for continuing the family's agricultural legacy. His daughters Mary Ann and Laura Elizabeth each received substantial land holdings, with provisions for their lifetimes and their children's inheritance.
Dempsey died before April 4, 1879, at approximately 64 years of age. He was laid to rest at Mount Moriah United Methodist Cemetery in Casar, Cleveland County, North Carolina, where his grave can still be visited today. His friend Milas A. File served as executor of his estate, ensuring that his final wishes were carried out.
Remembering Dempsey Page
Dempsey Page's life story reflects the experience of many Southern farmers of his generation—men who worked the land, built their families, survived a devastating war, and tried to leave something better for the next generation. Despite facing the loss of three children and the challenges of war and Reconstruction, he persevered and managed to accumulate enough property to provide for his surviving family members.
His legacy lives on not only through his descendants but also through the historical record he left behind—census entries, land deeds, military records, and his carefully crafted will—all telling the story of one man's journey through six decades of American history.
Dempsey Page is my 3rd Great Grand Uncle.
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Endnotes
28 August 2025
1. 1830 U S Census, Montgomery County, North Carolina, population schedule, Montgomery, North Carolina, Page:#89B (Stamped), Line:#25 (3rd from bottom); Household of Dempsey Page, NL, Household of Dempsey PAGE; digital images, Ancestry (www.ancestry.com : on line July 2025); citing National Archives Microfilm M19, Roll 123.
2. 1840 U S Census, Montgomery County, North Carolina, population schedule, West Pee Dee River, Montgomery, North Carolina, Page:#220B, Line:#20, NL, Household of Dempsey PAGE; digital images, Ancestry (www.ancestry.com : online July 2025); citing National Archives Microfilm M704, Roll 365.
3. 1850 U. S. Census, Rowan County, North Carolina, population schedule, School District 9, Rowan, North Carolina, Page:#171A (stamped), Line:#12;, Dwelling:#945, Family:#963, Household of Demsy PAGE; online database, Ancestry.com
(http://www.ancestry.com: on-line October 2023); citing National Archives Microfilm Publication M432, Roll 643.
4. Land Deed - James M. Carter to Dempsey Page; 21 October 1854; Deed Book #40; Page(s) 551; Register of Deeds; Salisbury, Rowan County, North Carolina; October 2023.
5. 1860 U. S. Census, Iredell County, North Carolina, population schedule, On South Yadkin River, Iredell, North Carolina, Page:#220A(Stamped); Line#8, Dwelling 583, Family 563, Household of Dempsy PAGE; online database, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : on-line October 2023); citing National Archives Microfilm Publication M653, Roll 902.
6. 1870 U. S. Census, Rowan County, North Carolina, population schedule, Mount Ulla, Rowan, North Carolina, Page:#535B(Stamped); Line#8,, Dwelling 251, Family 251, Household of Dempsey PAGE; online database, Ancestry.com
(http://www.ancestry.com: on-line October 2023); citing National Archives Microfilm Publication M593, Roll 1158.
7. Land Deed - L. M. Gillespie & wife, M. H. Gillespie to Dempsey Page; 8 July 1872; Deed Book # 40; page(s)321 & 322.
8. Rowan County, North Carolina, Estate Files, 1663-1979, Dempsey PAGE; digital images, Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, FamilySearch (http://www.familysearch.org: on-line October 2023); https://www.ancestry.com/discoveryui-content/view/11313:9061.
9. "North Carolina, Marriages Record, 1741-2011," database, Ancestry (http://www.ancestry.com: on-line October 2023), Marriage: Demsy Page & Melinda Brumly, Marriage Date: 27 Sep 1843.
10. "North Carolina, Marriages Record, 1741-2011," database, Ancestry>, Marriage: Demsy Page & E. F. Stancill.
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