Rebecca King Jones/N.C.

Subject: RE: Rebecca King Jones/N.C.
From: GUEST
Date: 06 Nov 18 - 09:18 AM

I am Jeff Warner, son of Anne and Frank Warner. I'm working on a show that will include the songs of Rebecca King Jones ("Mammy" Jones, "Becky" Jones). I'd like to correspond with any family member who might have photos of her. I can be reached at [e-mail].

Subject: RE: Rebecca King Jones/N.C.
From: GUEST,Guest: John Blake
Date: 18 Oct 11 - 09:05 PM

Tim,
Do you have more info on the King Family history?
My Great -grand mother was Lola King.
I think Al was her father.
[e-mail]

Subject: RE: Rebecca King Jones/N.C.
From: GUEST,Tim Dillard
Date: 22 Jul 11 - 01:29 PM

Rebecca King Jones was the daughter of William Allison King and Melissa Warren. She was born 16 Apr 1865 in Wake County, and died 27 August 1951. She was the sister of my 2nd Great Grandfather, Wiley Rufus King.

If you see the book, Stories in Stone by Tom Weber, her father is the man with the white beard on the front cover.

Subject: RE: Rebecca King Jones/N.C.
From: Bobert
Date: 02 Jul 11 - 10:47 PM

Well, I'm kinda estranged from Tweed these days (long story) but I know him well enough to know that he would be extremely happy to hear that Mr. King has stopped in... Back 'round '05 Tweed had some interests in musicians from the Raleigh/Durham area, the main one being a young blues player that went by the name of Reverend Slick (Daniel Ballinger)... Not sure what the connection was between Daniel and Rebecca King but Daniel was eat up with old music... I spent two days riding around with him in Mississippi in his beat up old whatever with him slammin' CDs 'er cassettes into his dash board and yellin', "Bobert, this the real stuff"...

Boy preachin' to the choir...

But now I am curious about Ms. Rebecca... What style of music did she play???

B~

Subject: RE: Rebecca King Jones/N.C.
From: GUEST,Guest
Date: 02 Jul 11 - 09:49 PM

If anyone is interested, the book "Stories in Stone" by Tom Weber has been published and is available at Umstead Park. Unfortunately, Tom (my husband) died a year ago, but finally the book is available (he'd worked on it for over 15 years!).

Subject: RE: Rebecca King Jones/N.C.
From: Janie
Date: 13 May 11 - 12:18 AM

Not sure tweed checks into Mudcat very often anymore, but it is a pretty good bet you could smoke him out at http://tweedsblues.net/.

Subject: RE: Rebecca King Jones/N.C.
From: GUEST
Date: 12 May 11 - 10:26 PM

I would love to hear from tweed to find out the family connection. My Grandfather was the only child the Rebecca king Jones had that lived. His name was Earnest Aurther King. He was born out of wedlock,and given her maiden name. His real fathers last name was House. Rebecca was known as Mamie to all of my aunts and uncles 9 in all born to Earnest and Betty Viola Baker King. I have a photo of her at her home sitting in a rocking chair in what is now Umstead State Park.I also have a copy of the 1923 family reunion that was held in the park and she is in this as well. These folks had a hard life. I guess the musical talent rubbed off as my father played the fiddle and mandolin. Not a one were profesionaly trained.

Subject: RE: Rebecca King Jones/N.C.
From: maeve
Date: 10 May 11 - 10:16 PM

I just sent Tweed a PM.

Subject: RE: Rebecca King Jones/N.C.
From: Janie
Date: 10 May 11 - 10:14 PM

Thanks so much for posting Reginald.

Hope Tweed sees this.

Subject: RE: Rebecca King Jones/N.C.
From: GUEST,Reginald H King
Date: 10 May 11 - 10:10 PM

Hi: My name is Reginald King and Rebecca King Jones was my great Grandmother. I have lots of information about her. Yes she did sing folk songs and actually performed at the Memorial Auditorium in Raleigh. She died in 1952 and is buried iin the Ebanizer Church Cemetary. Her recordings are in the Smithsonian. Her only child was my granfather she did have a child with Mr. Jones but it died.

Subject: RE: Rebecca King Jones/N.C.
From: Tweed
Date: 11 May 05 - 10:01 PM

Thanks people!   Actually she had contacted Jeff Warner a few years ago and got a little further in the search via his info. Evidently the whole family up there was fairly musical. We visited the park a while back and she showed me the cabin where her mom and aunts would sing on the front porch with banjos, fiddles and guitars being played by various family members. It's a beautiful area up there, hills, streams, a couple small lakes and forested.

Mr.Greenhaus, are there any other recordings from that area of North Carolina that came earlier than the Warner's that you know of? She thinks there were some made in the late twenties or early thirties, possibly by a great-grandfather with either the last name of King or Allen.

Subject: RE: Rebecca King Jones/N.C.
From: Peace
Date: 11 May 05 - 12:01 AM

Link to Jeff Warner site per info posted by Dave Ruch.

http://home.earthlink.net/~jeffwarnertradmusic/

Subject: RE: Rebecca King Jones/N.C.
From: dick greenhaus
Date: 10 May 05 - 09:56 PM

If you'd like to hear Ms. Jones, Folktrax 929 has the following tracklist:

LEE MONROE PRESNELL
17. George Collins
18. The Red Rosy Bush (Rejected Lover)
19. Two Sisters That Loved One Man
20. Farewell To Old Bedford
21. My Grandmother's Old Armchair
22. In Dublin City
23. Sometimes I'm In the Country
24. Awake, Awake My Own True lover (Drowsy Sleeper)
25. The Drunkard's Dream
26. John Adkins (The Drunkard's Warning)
27. My Sweet Soldier Boy (Sweet William)
28. Old Virginny
29. Johnny, Oh Johnny, You Are My Darling
30. I Went To See My Molly


Available from CAMSCO Music, of course

Subject: RE: Rebecca King Jones/N.C.
From: Dave Ruch
Date: 10 May 05 - 03:13 PM

Why not try Jeff Warner? His parents recorded her, and it is those recordings that appeared on the Appleseeds release you mentioned above. Jeff can be reached through his website - I don't know how to create a blue clicky thing to take you to it, but the address is www.jeffwarner.com

Subject: RE: Rebecca King Jones/N.C.
From: Dani
Date: 10 May 05 - 08:07 AM

Here's an article I found on the community. It was a couple of years ago, but might give you some clues: seems like the park ranger involved could help. Or I bet you might could interest Clyde Edgerton!

Good luck.

Dani


____________________________________________________
The Umstead News - Grand opening unveils exhibit on pre-park history and natural resources
by Jean Spooner

Park supporters and officials on July 20 cut the ribbon to open the William B. Umstead State Park Visitor Center's new permanent exhibit hall.


The exhibit hall features a tribute to the people who lived in the Park area prior to the Park's establishment in 1934. It highlights their stories about the Park's cultural history and provides an overview of the natural resources in the Park.
The exhibit illustrates how the Park came into being through the reclamation of exhausted farmland. By the 1930's the soils were so eroded that they could not even support subsistence farming. The area became the Crabtree Creek Recreational and Demonstration Area, and was sold to the State of North Carolina in 1945 for the price of $1. Eventually, the barren soil was transformed into the dynamic forest that we enjoy today.


The dedication ceremony featured several speakers, as well as former Park residents and their descendants.
"This exhibit is a celebration of the past, enjoyment of the present, and the need to protect the future because there are many more stories to be told," said Park Superintendent Martha Woods.


Superintendent of State Parks Lewis Ledford pointed out the value of preserving the Park's past.
"Cultural history is important to be told and shared with current and future generations," he said. Lewis also mentioned the 'legendary moonshine stills' that were once common in the area. One of the two cakes made by Ranger Keith Nealson highlighted a replica moonshine still, the other a Park map with trails and water resources.


Many former Park area residents and their descendents attended the dedication, including: Truma Warren Edgerton and son (& famous author) Clyde Edgerton, Jean Stanfield (Haley family member), Agatha King Johnson, Betty Ann Coble (Warren family), and Margaret King. There were also three generations of the Grissom family present: Joseph Grissom; his wife, Martha; his son Steve Grissom and daughter-in-law Vicky with granddaughter, Elisabeth. Joseph lived in the Park as a boy. Joseph Grissom's father and grandfather ran the Company Mill. Arturo Steely came from Minnesota to celebrate his mother's (Mercedes Steely) 1936 MS thesis (from UNC-Chapel Hill) which illustrated folk songs and lifestyles of the Ebenezer Community. Said Steve Grissom: "The families were very impressed and moved at the professional quality and personal nature of the exhibit."


Research for the exhibit contents was largely done by Ranger Erik Nygard, and Umstead Coalition members Tom Weber and Garth Hamilton. The interviews and research that Weber compiled for his book "Stories In Stone" provided a basis for the cultural history portion of the exhibit from the late 1890's and early 1900's. The history of the Park prior to the mid-1800's was researched by Garth Hamilton (note: Garth will be our guest speaker and hike leader for the Umstead Coalition's September 22 picnic). A large note of gratitude goes to the families and descendents of Park area residents that shared their many stories to make this exhibit possible

Subject: Rebecca King Jones/N.C.Songstress
From: Tweed
Date: 09 May 05 - 09:16 PM

Anybody know or heard of Rebecca King Jones? She lived in a small settlement called the Ebeneezer Community in the Raleigh/Durham area and died in the early fifties (possibly 1951). She and her extensive family were the subject of a thesis on the musicians of that locale. My girlfriend is related to the King/Jones clan and is hunting info and any recordings that may still be archived. By all accounts,the woman was a terrific singer of the old songs.

There is mention of her here:
The Warner Collection Vol 2 / appleseed records

Can anyone give us a hand here? We found the thesis somehow, in the enormous UNC library at Chapel Hill a while back, but would be grateful for more if anyone knows anything about Mz.Rebecca.

Thanks for any help,
Tweed