--by Judy Fulbright

As an introduction to this information on George Fulbright, I hope to include the information I shared at the reunion and more. Information has been difficult to find on George. I believe it's because he lived a short life compared to his father and brothers. I searched for information on George for a number of years. He's told me a little at a time. I feel the story that I've put together with the facts that have been collected explains why my family still lives in North Carolina. In my heart, I feel I have uncles living on the same land that Grandpa and George owned and farmed.

George was the oldest child of Johann William and Christina Fulbright. He was born February 29, 1746 in Williams Township, North-ampton County, PA. George was probably named after his mother's brother. On March 9, 1746, he was christened Johann George Volbrecht. His christening sponsor was his namesake, his mother's brother, George Shook. It's interesting to know that he was also named for his grandfather Johann George Shook. Grandpa Shook arrived in the New World in 1732 and settled in Williams Township, Northampton County, PA.

Sometime around 1768, the Fulbrights and Shooks started moving south. The earliest deed I've found, shows William Fulbright and wife Christina purchased land on Lyles Creek in 1769. George Shook also bought land then. Early land titles indicate that their lands connected. Grandpa Shook died in July, 1773, in Northampton County, PA. Grandpa William Fulbright sent his son, George, to act as his attorney and collect an inheritance due to him from the passing of Johanns Schook. (Judy uses a second spelling for Shook. We often find variant spellings for surnames. DLF) The power of attorney was issued by the County of Rowan in the province of North Carolina.

I know George returned to PA. This allows me to know something about him. I wonder what a 27 year old young man thought and heard about his new country that was still three years away from the Declaration of Independence. Did he travel back to PA alone? Did he join in the conversations about independence from England? After all, he wasn't English.

After arriving in North Carolina and probably living with Dad for five years, George moved about 30 miles away. On September 22, 1774, George bought 500 acres of land from John Borland for 60 pounds. The land was on the west side of the south fork of the Catawba River on Howards Creek.

George married Margaret. Little is known about her. I don't know her parents and have little information about her life with George. They probably married sometime between 1775-1779. George and Margaret had two children. Peter Fulbright was born August 1, 1780, and Elizabeth was born August 26, 1785. George did not live to rear his children. He probably died around 1787. There are those who believe that George died in a battle during the American Revolution. I've been unable to gather proof to support that story. In Grandpa William's will, Peter and Elizabeth Fulbright and Margaret "Cawwe," wife of John "Cawwe," were left one shilling sterling each.

Margaret may have remarried to John "Cawwe." I've seen his name with several other spellings, Coxey, Covey, Coxley. I have not found the name in the census. I believe Margaret married John Coxley or had a relationship with him. Scraps of paper from the Archives in Raleigh, NC, show that John Coxley paid property taxes on George Fulbright's land for the years of 1787, 1788 and 1789.

I think if Margaret were here, she'd tell us that her's is a sad story. After losing George, she also lost her children. In April, 1790, The State Vs.. Margaret Fulbright was charged with Bastardy. Jacob Fulbright and Issac Lowrance bound fifty pounds for the maintenance of the child. During July 1790, Margaret Fulbright, widow and relict of George Fulbright, Dec., came into open Court and relinquished her rights of Administration of the Estate.

The same day in Court, John (Grandpa William) and Jacob (George's brother) qualified and gave security of 800 pounds to administer the Estate of George Fulbright, Deceased. Furthermore, on the same day in Court, John Coxley was ordered to appear at the next Court to be held on the first Monday in October, and bring with him Peter and Elizabeth Fulbright, the orphan children of George Fulbright, Deceased in order that the court may dispose of the same.

Grandpa William ruled with an iron hand. He controlled the family. There is an interesting story to support my feelings concerning his control that deals with Andreas. But, that is another story for another time. One of my favorite lines in Grandpa's will ends with "and no more."

Peter Fulbright is buried at Trinity Lutheran Church, Vale, NC. He died October 28, 1841. His is the earliest grave known of any member of the Fulbright family. Just above his grave is the grave of his sister, Elizabeth Fulbright Lutz.

I hesitate to tell you about Peter, so soon after you've learned about his mother's hard times. On July 6, 1800, Mary Masters went to the Sheriff of Lincoln County and charged Peter Fulbright with Bastardy. Two days later John Fulbright (Grandpa) and Daniel Lutz paid 500 pounds for the maintenance of the child. Peter took the child to raise and named him George. The normal charge for the maintenance of a child was fifty pounds. The Court certainly gave Peter a heavy fine.

Peter married Barbary. They had three sons, Jacob (my gg grandfather), John and Daniel. John was the father of the four sons killed in the Civil War. Remarkably, all four bodies were brought home. They are buried at Trinity Lutheran Church.

Elizabeth married Daniel Lutz. The information I have indicates that they had seven children. The Lutz family still lives in Catawba County, NC. They have for most part been farmers and own large dairies. Daniel and Elizabeth gave the land for Trinity Lutheran Church in 1821. Little did they know that the first person to be buried in the graveyard would be their daughter Luchina, July 1, 1821. The early loss of George has been a common theme in my immediate family line. Many of the men in my family did not know their fathers. This may be a little difficult to follow, but because of the loss of the fathers in our family, I think the kinship is what has kept my family close to home. While others moved away, we stayed in North Carolina.

In my generation, I have my Dad, Bobby Lee Fulbright. His father was Joseph Lester, who had a brother Grover Cleveland and three sisters. My dad knew his father, but Grover died early and left two small children who never got to know him. Joseph and Grover and sisters lost both of their parents when they were all under 10 years old. Their parents were Henry Lee and Theodocia Saith Fulbright. The brothers and sisters were placed with different family members to be raised. Henry Lee was only 18, when his father, Jacob, died. Jacob knew his father, Peter. But of course, Peter did not know his father, George.

I asked my grandpa, Joseph Lester, before he died, who his father was. He told me he thought his father's name was Thomas Lee. His father's name was Henry Lee. That made me want to know more about my family. It's been a wonderful and rewarding project to get involved with my family's history. It's opened a whole new world to me.

Family research is definitely a project of LOVE from me to my family. We have grown closer as a family. And our world is smaller now that we can grasp the hands of other Fulbright descendants and know that we have a common bond.