This page contains information for the descendants of George Vance Reynolds and Annie Dee Hauser.
Click here to see a key of the lineage and for reference.
POSTELL
GREAT detailed summary of the Postells in France and SC can be found here.
Hastee Plantation (Belle Reve); home to Jehu, site of John Postell’s capture during the American Revolution, built by John Postell:
*this site also include rev war information as well as transcripts of correspondence.
Jean Postell B. 1660; came to SC after the revocation of the edict of Nantes, born Dieppe France… more here.
John Postell B. 1717; hero of the French/Indian war, recruited Frances Marion during that conflict (the swamp fox of the American Revolution), involved in conflict, and held hostage during the Am. Rev. during an incident of significant note (worth the read!).
Jehu Postell b. 1749; son of John Postell, served under Frances Marion during the revolutionary war; under family lore snuck away from home and served against his mother’s will, according to record advanced from Corporal, to Lieutenant and then as a captain during the war, and was present at the battle of Cowpens, SC. Married Hanna Coachman.
James Harvey Postell: B. c. 1817: Grandson of [Jehu Postell (Sr.) b.1749], son of [Jehu Postell (Jr.) b. 1793] (Born and raised in the lowlands of SC, traveled into western NC ~1852 to teach and eventually became a strong Methodist Minister. By multiple counts was a tireless worker and rode the circuit of many churches at different points in his life. Non of the churches established last to this day but there is still a Methodist presence in the areas where he planted the seeds.
Another Account of his work by the missionary society here. This account is more descriptive of his work and ethic.
From the autobiography of Brantley York p.59:
“The spring session of ’52 opened with about 100 students, and the numbers continued to increase till they reached the number of 146. After I had wound up my circuit schools, no more were formed in that way, though I continued teaching classes both in this State and South Carolina in connection with my work as agent. In the summer of ’52, Rev. James Pastell came from South Carolina with the express purpose of getting me to go to that state to teach grammar classes. I went with him and a large one was formed at Armenia Church, Chester County. This was the first class taught in this state. The result of the teaching made a strong impression, and I was solicited to return by several gentlemen in Yorkville, and in the autumn of the same year I visited Yorkville, and formed classes both for the day and night, and continued a large portion of the winter of ’52 and ’53 in the same place. I did my teaching without a book, using the blackboard and slates, for I could find no book that would suit my method of teaching, and while in Yorkville I commenced writing, with a view to publishing a book on English Grammar, and wrote about fifty pages of foolscap, which was all I ever wrote with my own hand. In every place where I taught scholars went to New Institute, and there were some thirty boarders from South Carolina in the spring session of ’53.”
Some records including notes and transcribed reports from James H Pastell can be found here on page 107
Here, by 1861 James H Postell is listed as a local ordained elder in western NC by 1861
Mary H Pastell B. 1850: Mary was born to James Pastell just before he left to NC for the first time; she grew up in a Methodist tradition, and attended the now defunct Rutherford College in the town now bearing that schools name in NC. According to tradition, she had an amazing voice and sang in the choir in church, and fell in love with Jeremiah J. E. Jerome Edwards.
EDWARDS
They were fervent pastors and missionaries for generations in Pigeon Fork NC, opposite the mountains of Pigeon Forge TN. They were members of the same community as the Inman family of the book Cold Mountain, who’s family cemetery they share. The Methodist community they lead for generations continues to this day in Haywood County, NC.
Ellis Edwards b 1779: born in Fauquier, VA; it is said that his parents were missionaries and preached to the Native Americans in the mountains of far south west Virginia.
His gravestone is still visible
Jeremiah E Jerome Edwards B. 1853: born to Benjamin Martin Edwards, married Mary H Pastell; they moved to Guilford/High Point, NC later in life. He also had a love of music, and it is said that he met Mary playing for the church as the two Methodist families began to intertwine.
FIELDS
Joseph Fields B. 1738: He and his brothers were successful farmers and influential members of western NC society around Guilford when tensions rose before the revolution. They were key members of what is now called the Regulator War in NC, were captured at the battle of Moores Creek Bridge, imprisoned in MD, and then fought at the battle of Kings Mountain. Joseph Fields died at Kings Mountain, fighting for the crown as a result of a loyalty pledge he and his brothers signed in exchange for a pardon for their rolls in the Regulator War. His wife moved east with their children after the war and remarried.
A great summary of the fields family through the Revolution can be found here.
A summary of the Battle of Moores Creek Bridge
Peter Lyndsey Fields B 1844:
According to family tradition, he was captured during the Civil War, contracted smallpox, and was left to die in a Yankee prison, but survived. This has become one of the best documented ancestors I have ever come across, largely due to his service in the Civil War- and all the documentation supports the family tradition, which is always fantastic to find!
Peter Fields served under Steuart’s brigade, which witnessed only two major actions during the war: they caused a friendly fire incident during the battle of Gettysburg, and they were captured at the bloody angle at the battle of Spotsylvania Courthouse. PLF was transferred with the other soldiers captured at the battle by way of Belle Plains in Stafford county, then to an over crowded prison in MD, then to the Elmira prison New York, famed for its inhumane treatment and the highest death rate of any prison, including Andersonville, during the war. According to official diagrams and maps made by prisoners, the hospital was in fact created at the site of former pig pens and was located next to the river adjacent to the camp. If you look at this location via satellite, there is still a barren spot on the ground at the exact location.
Fields lived until 1922.
Photos, a map of the prison, and PLF’s pension request with signature can be seen here
HAUSER
It has been difficult to find much documented family history on the Hausers. Multiple sourced published family lines however have traced the lineage of the name of our line to a man who was a bricklayer in Switzerland in the 1300’s. In the 1500’s they spent a few generations in Colmar, now Alsace France and then lived in a few other places in France, and came to the colonies in the 1700’s. It appears as though they were in Yadkin County for a few hundred years.
The easiest lineage to follow I’ve found can be seen here.
Some good info about early ancestors, Martin Hauser b. 1696 and before can be found here.
REYNOLDS
It has also been difficult to find much history about the Reynolds family, before Numa Madison Reynolds. Different lineages argue different dates and times that they came to NC, but it seems they were there from at least the mid 1700’s on.
Numa Madison Reynolds- He had quite a large house hold, was an engineer in the late industrial age as the railroad began to grow in NC. Family lore declares that he rode the first train into Greensboro, and that he would use the line to deliver seeds and crops to the poor sharecropper families that lived along the lines. He also participated There are newspaper articles that reflect his status and civil leadership in the region (he had a large pig with all of his family, he worked at the firehouse, one of his daughter’s births was announce etc.).
He is documented as an early conductor on the Cape Fear and Yadkin Valley railroad, and the Atlantic and Yadkin after a merger, which was the earliest railroad in the region. Photographs of all the stops of the CF &YV rail line at the time can be found here (amazing!).