James Hunter Horner (1822 - 1892)

Born 3 Apr 1822 in Orange, North Carolina, United States

Husband of Sophronia (Moore) Horner — married 17 Sep 1850 in Person County, North Carolina, USA

Descendants

Died 13 Jun 1892 at age 70 in Oxford, Granville, North Carolina, United States

Biography

James Hunter Horner was born on 3 April 1822 near Flat River at Red Mountain, Orange County, North Carolina (now Rougemont, Durham County).

He graduated from the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill in 1844.

He married Sophronia Moore on 17 September 1850 in Person County. They lived in Oxford, Granville County, North Carolina, where James founded the Horner School in 1851.

They had ten children:

1. James Pulliam Horner (1852-1856)
2. Jerome Channing Horner (1853-1951)
3. Lucy Anna Horner (1855-1935)
4. Mary Ellen Horner (1857-1922)
5. Junius Moore Horner (1859-1933)
6. Sophronia Moore Horner (1861-1913)
7. Bettie Gertrude Horner (1863-1881)
8. Julia Horner (1866-1944)
9. Nina Horner (1868-1955)
10. Daisy Louise Horner (1871-1937)

James was in the Confederate Army during the Civil War. He enlisted on 5 June 1861 as a captain in Company E, 23rd Regiment, North Carolina Infantry, and served for a year before returning to teaching in April 1862.

In 1873 he partnered with a fellow teacher, Ralph H Graves, and moved the Horner school to Hillsborough. In 1875 the partnership dissolved and James spent time in the Insane Asylum of North Carolina after attempting suicide in 1876. His brother Rev. Thomas Jefferson Horner reopened the Horner School in Oxford. James recovered and returned to teaching until his death.

He served as a trustee of the University of North Carolina from 1885 to 1892, and was an active member of St Stephen's Episcopal Church in Oxford.

James Hunter Horner passed away on 13 June 1892 and was buried at Elmwood Cemetery in Oxford, North Carolina.

Slaves

• In the 1860 census, James was enslaving eight unnamed people in Granville County.

Research Notes

• His biography and obituary say he was the son of Colonel William Horner, a Pennsylvania native who came to Orange County, North Carolina, in the early 1800s.

Sources

• Horner, James Hunter - "Horner, James Hunter," by William S Powell, 1988. Dictionary of North Carolina Biography. Link to Article.
• Horner School - "Horner School," by Jean B Anderson, 2006. Encylopedia of North Carolina, University of North Carolina Press. Link to Article.
• Marriage - "North Carolina, County Marriages, 1762-1979 ", , FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:Q21R-BQGT : Sun Mar 10 15:50:42 UTC 2024), Entry for James H Horner and Sophronia Moore, 17 Sep 1850.
• 1858 Newspaper Article - "Our Schools," The Weekly Standard (Raleigh, North Carolina) Wed, Jul 14, 1858, page 2. Newspapers Clip: 145180039 (accessed 11 April 2024).
• 1860 Census - "United States Census, 1860", , FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MD66-77T : Sun Mar 10 21:30:47 UTC 2024), Entry for Janes H Horar and Sophronia Horar, 1860.
• 1860 Census - Slave Schedule - "United States Census (Slave Schedule), 1860", , FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:WK5K-WS6Z : Sat Mar 09 06:16:17 UTC 2024), Entry for James H Horner and , 1860. Enslaving 8 people.
• Civil War Service Record - Fold3.com. James H Horner. Fold3 Sharing Link
• 1870 Census - "United States Census, 1870", , FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MWZ1-TJM : Tue Mar 05 08:22:14 UTC 2024), Entry for J H Horner and Sophronia Horner, 1870.
• 1876 Newspaper Article - "A Sad Calamity: Insanity of Professor James H. Horner," The Raleigh Sentinel (Raleigh, North Carolina) Tue, Nov 14, 1876, page 3. Newspapers Clip: 145180384 (accessed 11 April 2024).
• 1880 Census - "United States Census, 1880", , FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MC6Y-G4D : Sun Mar 10 05:40:22 UTC 2024), Entry for James H. Horner and Sophronia Horner, 1880.
• 1882 Newspaper Article - "The Horner School," The Wilmington Morning Star (Wilmington, North Carolina) Sun, Jan 8, 1882, page 1. Newspapers Clip: 145180660 (accessed 11 April 2024).
• Find a Grave - database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/28360559/james_hunter-horner: accessed April 11, 2024), memorial page for James Hunter Horner (3 Apr 1822–13 Jun 1892), Find a Grave Memorial ID 28360559, citing Elmwood Cemetery, Oxford, Granville County, North Carolina, USA; Maintained by Becky and Ken Dalton (contributor 48067227).
• Obituary - "J. H. Horner, LL. D., Dead," Oxford Public Ledger (Oxford, North Carolina) Fri, Jun 17, 1892, page 8. Newspapers Clip: 145181108 (accessed 11 April 2024).

From behind the ancestry.com subscription wall:

• North Carolina Marriage Index, 1850
• US Census, 1860
• US Civil War Soldier Records & Profiles
• US Census, 1870
• US Census, 1880