Putting this out there in hopes someone can help during the Thon:
I have descended down a rabbit hole while attempting to connect Thelonius Monk to the Public Tree last week, and have no idea if my thoughts are making any sense, or how I could hope to confirm the wild theory I seem to have come up with. Hinton is Thelonius' grandfather, and if a link were to be made to Dr. John Carr Monk, then he would be successfully connected to the public tree.
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In 1880 Hinton Monk was possibly enumerated as "Hinton Cole". In 1870 Hinton Cole, age 17 (same age as the man we know as Hinton Monk) was enumerated in Westbrook with his parents, Leven and Harriet Cole, and several siblings. Are they the same person and why the switch to Monk?
- arguments for "same person"
- There are no records for Hinton Monk in the 1870 federal census
- There is only one record for Hinton Monk in the 1880 federal census, a white male married to Rebecca with children George/Harvey/Paul/etc. (not same person)
- burial on Hinton Monk's death certificate says it is at the "Cole Place", showing a link to that surname. undertaker Langston Eason.
- searching the "Leven Cole Cemetery" on FindAGrave, there are hints to records for Leven Cole (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/122365698/leven-cole), need to flesh out and see if there is a connection
- On familysearch there is a connection to Leven's father "John (Jack) Monk"(https://www.familysearch.org/tree/person/details/GSVG-91Q) shows that he married Jennie Cole on 06 Jan 1877, well after the children were born (1836-1848). No sources for John Monk, or Jennie.
- Possible unwed mother, so not the same surname?
- Or adoption?
- Or other scenario, perhaps Jennie was a slave to his family
- (only white men were named John Monk in North Carolina in 1870,
- the only Jack Monk was in Georgia,
- and the John Carr Monk (1827-1877) in Sampson, NC's family owned unnamed slaves on the 1850 schedule, including a 24 year old female[7].
- Additionally, John Carr Monk's wife's name was Euphemia Eason, which is the same surname as the undertaker for Hinton
- The family of Levin Cole is living next door to Dr. John Carr Monk's family in the 1870 census
- And Leven Cole's family's race is listed as "Mulatto" for the entire family
- arguments against "same person"
- last name change for unknown reasons
