The “52 Cousins” 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 Charlotte "Lottie" Raley Hinson (1806-1885) was compiled with the assistance of Claude Sonnett 4 and is entitled:
Charlotte "Lottie" Raley Hinson (1806-1885): A Life in the Carolina Piedmont
Early Life and Family Background
Charlotte "Lottie" Raley was born around 1815 in Lancaster, South Carolina, during the early years of the American republic. She was the daughter of James Raley and Ester Eddins (born 1781). Growing up in the Lancaster District of South Carolina, Charlotte came of age during a time when the region was still developing its agricultural economy and establishing its communities in the post-Revolutionary War era.
Marriage and Family Life
Around 1835, Charlotte married John Calvin Hinson, who was born in 1813 in South Carolina. Their union would span five decades and produce a remarkably large family of fourteen children. Charlotte took on the demanding role of mother and homemaker during an era when raising such a large family required tremendous physical labor and resilience.
Their Children
Charlotte and John Calvin raised the following children:
Harriet Hinson (b. abt 1836, Flat Creek, Lancaster, SC – d. before Oct 30, 1897, Colorado City, CO)
John Marion Hinson (b. abt 1840, Flat Creek, Lancaster, SC – d. July 13, 1863, Gettysburg, PA)
Andrew Newton Hinson (b. Sept 22, 1841, Lancaster, SC – d. Nov 23, 1898, Croft, Mecklenburg, NC)
William Jasper Hinson (b. Sept 7, 1842, Flat Creek, Lancaster, SC – d. Jan 25, 1916, Paw Creek, Mecklenburg County, NC) - married Nancy Martha Scott
Calvin Rayley Hinson (b. 1846, Lancaster County, SC – d. 1870, Boone, Watauga, NC)
Martha Nancy Hinson (b. May 4, 1848, Chesterfield, SC – d. Dec 13, 1933, Rock Hill, York, SC)
Sarah J. Hinson (b. 1850, Lancaster, SC – d. Jan 27, 1915, Church, Wetzel, WV)
Rev. John Hinson (b. Oct 1851, Lancaster County, SC – d. Apr 10, 1921, Cleveland County, NC) - married Jane Williams
Elizabeth A. "Sallie" Hinson (b. 1857, Flat Creek, Lancaster, SC)
Queen Elizabeth Hinson (b. 1857, Lancaster County, SC – d. July 27, 1891)
Dr. Francis Columbus Hinson (b. Feb 13, 1859, Lancaster County, SC – d. Mar 20, 1919, Pleasant Hill, Lancaster, SC)
Calvin Columbus Hinson (b. June 15, 1860, Lancaster County, SC – d. July 20, 1937, Waxhaw, Union, NC)
Franklin Hinson (b. abt 1863, Lancaster County, SC) - married Mary E. Dellinger
Samuel L. Hinson (b. 1864, Lancaster County, SC) - married Alice Eugene Starr
Life in South Carolina and the Move to North Carolina
For the first fifteen years of their marriage, Charlotte and John Calvin established their home in the Flat Creek area of Lancaster, South Carolina. The 1850 census captured the family as farmers, with Charlotte managing a household that included eight children at that time, ranging from fourteen-year-old Harriet down to one-year-old Sarah.
By 1860, the family was still in Lancaster, though the census now listed them in Lancaster, North Carolina (likely a census enumeration designation). The household had grown even larger, with eleven children present. Charlotte, then around 54 years old, was listed as a farmer alongside her husband, reflecting the reality that pioneer women were full partners in the agricultural enterprise.
The Civil War Years
The outbreak of the Civil War in 1861 brought tragedy to the Hinson family. Their son John Marion Hinson died at the Battle of Gettysburg on July 13, 1863, one of the most significant and deadly battles of the war. This loss must have been devastating for Charlotte, who would have anxiously awaited news from the front lines while managing her large household during wartime shortages and uncertainty.
Later Years in North Carolina
By 1870, Charlotte and John Calvin had relocated to Catawba Springs in Lincoln County, North Carolina. Interestingly, the census listed John Calvin as a physician, suggesting he had taken up medical practice. The household had changed considerably – only three of their younger sons remained at home: Calvin C., Franklin, and Samuel. A housekeeper named Julia Perkins and her daughter Nancy also lived with them, perhaps indicating that Charlotte's health or circumstances required additional help.
The 1880 census found the family in Caldwells, Catawba County, North Carolina. At 65 years old, Charlotte was still keeping house with John Calvin, now 69. Their daughter Sallie and son Sammie remained at home, along with two grandchildren – Mary J. and Charley Hinson. After decades of raising her own children, Charlotte had taken on the care of her grandchildren as well.
Property and Final Days
In February 1883, Charlotte and John Calvin transferred property to their son Calvin C. Hinson – a 23-acre tract on the waters of Ball Creek in Catawba County. Charlotte signed the deed with her mark (an "X"), which was common for women of her generation who may not have had formal education but managed complex household operations nonetheless.
Charlotte "Lottie" Raley Hinson passed away on February 4, 1885, in Catawba, North Carolina, at the age of approximately 70 years. Heartbreakingly, she died just four days after her husband John Calvin, who had passed on January 31, 1885. Their joint death notice appeared in the Charlotte Democrat on February 20, 1885, marking the end of a marriage that had lasted nearly fifty years.
Historical Context
Charlotte lived through some of the most transformative years in American history. Born during Thomas Jefferson's presidency, she witnessed the War of 1812, westward expansion, the rise of the cotton economy in the South, the devastating Civil War, and the challenging Reconstruction era. As a mother who raised her family through these turbulent times – moving from South Carolina to North Carolina, losing a son at Gettysburg, and helping to establish her children throughout the region – Charlotte embodied the strength and perseverance of pioneer women in the 19th-century South.
Her legacy lived on through her many descendants, including a reverend, a doctor, and generations of farmers and citizens who continued to build communities throughout North and South Carolina.
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