Bare and Jernberg Tree

These brothers were born in 1867 and 1870 to Sabra SHEETS BARE the Civil War widow of Alford BARE. Based on stories told to me by my uncle, Ira Stanley HAMPTON and my aunt, Hope Jean HAMPTON WATTS, I am assuming their father was either Noah BLACK or his son William BLACK. According to my Uncle Ira, as a teenager, he traveled through the Peake Creek area of Ashe County, NC. He knew that this was where his grandfather, James Franklin BARE was from, but didn't know much about James' family. James had left the area in a hurry either running from the law or a very irate wife. As Uncle Ira was traveling, he passed the home of an elderly man who called him over to talk. The man wanted to know who he was and if he had family in the area. When Uncle Ira told him about James, the old man replied, "Yes, I knew him, but he wasn't a BARE, his mother was a SHEETS, and his father was ?????." Uncle Ira couldn't remember what the father's name was for sure, just that it was the name of a color, either WHITE or BLACK. Later, based on census, marriage records and family names, I found that James Franklin and Jesse were the sons of Sabra SHEETS BARE, who was the daughter of John SHEETS and his wife Molly WYATT. On the 1870 Ashe County Census, Sabry BARE is head-of-house, living with her children, including James Franklin, and her father, John SHEETS. Living next door to her is the household of Noah BLACK, a 50ish year-old man, with his wife and a teenage son, William. I searched the records to see if there were any families with the surname WHITE living close to Sabra BARE, but didn't find any. </line><line /><line>Later, when I told my Aunt Hope, Uncle Ira's story, she recalled that James Franklin's younger brother was Jesse BARE. She said that she could recall visits she and her mother, Sabra BARE HAMPTON made to Uncle Jesse when she was young. She also recalled that her Uncle Jesse would sometimes use the surname BLACK as well as BARE. Since Sabra SHEETS BARE was in her 30s when her two youngest sons were born, either Noah or his son William could have been the father of her sons, so I plan to trace Noah's line as it would be the same as William's. I realize that this is based on family oral history, and not original source materials; but feel that there is a high probability that my assumptions are correct. </line><line /><line>I also want to mention some other oral history that was passed down about James Franklin and Jesse. First, according to my grandmother, Sabra BARE HAMPTON, she and her siblings were named after their grandparents, and their aunts and uncles. Since there were so many of these, she and her siblings especially the girls were given several given names. I believe at as the eldest daughter, she was named after both of her grandmothers. Her name was Sabra Remelda Tempy Elizabeth. Sabra SHEETS BARE had a daughter named "Melda" which may have been a nick name for Remelda. My grandmother, Sabra BARE HAMPTON's mother was according to our oral family histories Molly PRESNELL. Molly's mother was Elizabeth HICKS, who was married to William VANCE, so Molly was also known by the name of Molly VANCE. Due to the lack of records, I have not been able to definitely establish Elizabeth HICKS' parents. However, interestingly, the name "Tempy, or Temperence," is very common in the HICKS families of western NC.</line><line /><line>Another oral family story about James Franklin BARE is that he left Ashe County, NC because his first wife, who was Mira CHURCH, had caught him cheating on her. One version of the story says she shot him in the back with buck-shot. Another version tells of him escaping in the back of a wagon full of hay. Based on stories told to me by my older siblings and cousins, as well as grandparents and aunts and uncles, James Franklin BARE, or Frank BARE was quiet a character, who liked women, booze and gambling. He also was know for his tall tales and for stretching the truth. He died when he was in his early 90s, but according to him he was100+ years old. He also told tales of his Civil War service, but he wasn't born until 1867. While his legends were entertaining, they have made researching his family history complicated.