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. Today's Biography of Alice "Alley" (Eddins) Adams (c. 1781–bef 1870) was compiled with the assistance of Claude Sonnett 4 and is entitled:
"A Carolina Girl's Journey: The Story of Alice Eddins Adams"
Early Life and Family Background
Alice "Alley" Eddins was born around 1781 in Chesterfield, South Carolina, during the final years of the American Revolution. She was the daughter of William Eddins (1757–1822) and Nancy (died 1816). Growing up in South Carolina in the decades following independence, Alice came of age during a time of tremendous growth and westward expansion in the young nation.
Marriage and Family
Around 1810, Alice married Emanuel A. Adams in Anson County, North Carolina. Emanuel, who was born in 1773 in Pitt County, North Carolina, was the son of John Adams. The couple appears together in the 1810 Anson County Census as newlyweds without any children, suggesting their marriage was quite recent.
Together, Alice and Emanuel had at least three known children, though census records suggest there were more that have not been idntified:
- Riley Adams (1811–May 12, 1877) – Born in Chesterfield, South Carolina, Riley later married Matilda May Collins on July 3, 1864, in Monroe County, Alabama. He served in the Creek War in 1853 and later in the Home Guard in September 1864 during the Civil War.
- James Irvin Adams (c. 1813–before 1870) – Born in Anson County, North Carolina, James married Nancy Helen Eddins on January 6, 1839, in Pike County, Alabama. He later moved to Colorado, Texas, where he died before 1870.
- Louisa Ann Adams (May 6, 1821–July 16, 1901) – Born in Anson County, North Carolina, Louisa married Reverend Simeon Williams (1797–1870) and died in Pike County, Alabama.
The 1830 census reveals an important detail: Emanuel and Alice's household included five unnamed children who have not yet been identified by researchers, reminding us that there were more branches of this family tree waiting to be discovered.
Life in North Carolina (1810–1827)
Alice and Emanuel began their married life in Anson County, North Carolina, where they were farming and raising their young family. The 1810 census shows them with one young male child—likely their firstborn, Riley. By 1820, their household had grown considerably, with the census recording one male aged 10-15, three males under 10, and two females under 10, totaling eight free white persons. The family also owned one enslaved person.
Life in Anson County wasn't without its challenges. In 1827, Emanuel lost 149 acres of land in a tax sale when the sheriff couldn't find any goods or chattels to cover the unpaid taxes from 1824. The property on Thompson's Creek was sold to John McRae for just $2.87—the amount of back taxes and costs. This financial setback may have influenced the family's decision to seek new opportunities elsewhere.
The Move to Alabama (1827–1830)
Like many families in the 1820s and 1830s, Alice and Emanuel looked westward for better opportunities. Between 1827 and 1830, they joined the great migration to Alabama, settling in Pike County. This move was part of a larger pattern—thousands of families from the Carolinas and Georgia were drawn to Alabama's fertile cotton lands following the removal of Native American tribes.
The 1830 Pike County census provides a snapshot of their household: Emanuel (age 50-59), Alice (age 30-39), and their children—including males aged 10-14, two aged 15-19 (Riley and James Irvin), one aged 20-29, and three females aged 10-14. The family now owned two enslaved people and had nine free white persons in the household.
Establishing Roots in Alabama (1830s–1840s)
Emanuel worked to establish the family's future in Alabama, acquiring land through federal grants. In August 1837, he purchased 83.1 acres in Pike County, and in July 1841, he added another 159.8 acres. These land acquisitions show the family was building prosperity in their new home.
The 1840 census shows some changes—the household had decreased to five free white persons, though they now owned five enslaved individuals. By this time, some of their older children were likely establishing households of their own.
In 1846, Emanuel served as security for William R. Eddins (the brother of his wife Alice) who was appointed guardian for Christian Joliff, a minor heir. This role suggests Emanuel was respected in the community and had accumulated enough property to stand as surety for a $1,500 bond.
Later Years in Monroe County (1850–1860)
At some point between 1840 and 1850, the family moved from Pike County to Monroe County, Alabama. The 1850 census found 76-year-old Emanuel, 69-year-old "Aley" (Alice), and their 39-year-old son Riley living together. The agricultural census shows Emanuel still actively farming, and the state census records they owned six enslaved people.
These were comfortable years for the couple. In 1858, Emanuel acquired an additional 40 acres in Monroe County, continuing to invest in land well into his eighties. The 1860 census records Emanuel at age 88, Alice at 75, and Riley at 46 still living together—a multigenerational household that was common on the frontier.
Historical Context
Alice and Emanuel's lives spanned an extraordinary period in American history. Alice was born just as the Revolutionary War was ending, when the United States was barely formed. By the time of her death, the nation had expanded across the continent, fought a second war with Britain, experienced massive westward migration, and survived the devastating Civil War.
The couple's move to Alabama was part of the "Alabama Fever" of the 1820s–1830s, when cotton became "king" and Alabama's population exploded from about 128,000 in 1820 to over 590,000 by 1840. They witnessed the forced removal of Creek Indians from Alabama lands, the rise of the plantation economy, and the growing tensions over slavery that would tear the nation apart.
Living through the Civil War years in their seventies and eighties, Alice and Emanuel saw their world transformed. The 1861 probate records from Emanuel's estate include the painful notation of enslaved people being sold—a woman named Tamer sold to "Ailey Adams" (likely Alice herself) for $223, and a woman named Sarah sold for $1,000.
Final Years
Emanuel died before December 3, 1860, when his estate administration began. The probate records show he owned eight head of cattle and a wagon at his death. His land and remaining assets were sold in April 1861, just as the Civil War was beginning.
Alice survived her husband and continued to live in Monroe County. She died sometime before 1870, as she doesn't appear in that year's census. She was likely in her late eighties at the time of her death.
Alice and Emanuel's story is one of resilience, migration, and family—a narrative shared by countless American families who moved westward seeking opportunity in the nineteenth century. While we don't know all their children or every detail of their lives, the records that survive paint a picture of a couple who built a life together across nearly sixty years of marriage, raised a family through tremendous national upheaval, and left descendants who continued their legacy in Alabama and beyond.
Note: Research continues to identify the unnamed children referenced in census records. Family members with additional information are encouraged to contribute to this ongoing genealogical research.
Alice "Alley" (Eddins) Adams is my 3rd Great Grand Aunt
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1. 1810 U S Census, Anson County, North Carolina, population schedule, Anson County, North Carolina, Page#NL, Line#12, Household of Emanual ADAMS; digital images, Ancestry (www.ancestry.com : viewed 1 October 2022); citing National Archives Microfilm.
2. 1820 U S Census, Anson County, North Carolina, population schedule, Ratcliff, Anson, North Carolina, Page#NL, Line #12, Household of Emanual ADAMS; digital images, Ancestry (www.ancestry.com : viewed 1 October 2022); citing National Archives Microfilm M33, Roll 80.
3. 1830 U. S. Census, Pike County, Alabama, population schedule, Pike County, Alabama, Page#32, Line #Last Entry, Household of Emanual ADAMS; digital images, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : viewed 1 October 2022); citing National Archives Microfilm.
4. 1840 U. S. Census, Pike County, Alabama, population schedule, Pike County, Alabama, Page#366, Line #22, Household of Emanual ADAMS; digital images, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : viewed 1 October 2022); citing National Archives Microfilm M704 Roll 12.
5. 1850 Alabama State Census, Pike County, Alabama, population schedule, Monroe, Alabama, Emanuel Adams; digital images, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : viewed 1 October 2022).
8. North Carolina, Deed Book: Deed Book "E", page 123, the property of Emanuel Adams; Register of Deeds, Wadesboro, Anson County, North Carolina.
9. Lebanon, Alabama, Alabama, Homestead and Cash Entry Patents, Pre-1908, Document Number: 2734; Emanuel Adams, 15 August 1837; Ancestry.com, http://www.ancestry.com.
10. Lebanon, Alabama, Alabama, Homestead and Cash Entry Patents, Pre-1908, Document Number: 6111, Emanuel Adams, 1841.
11. Wilcox County, Alabama, Probate Files & Loose papers, Guardian of Christian Joliff; "Wilcox County Court Minutes," digital images, Ancestry, Ancestry.com (https://www.ancestry.com/discoveryui-content/view/2994809:8799: online July 2025); Estate of Davis Joliff.
12. Lebanon, Alabama, Alabama, Homestead and Cash Entry Patents, Pre-1908, Document Number: 44338, Emanuel Adams, 1858.
13. Wilcox County, Alabama, Probate Files & Loose papers, Emanuel Adams; "Monroe County Court Minutes," digital images, Ancestry, Ancestry.com (https://www.ancestry.com/discoveryui-content/view/2994809:8799: online July 2025); Estate of Emanuel Adams.
14. Wilcox County, Alabama, Estate Appraisement, Estate of Emanuel Adams.
15. Wilcox County, Alabama, Sale of Slaves, Estate of Emanuel Adams.
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