Franklin "Pugh" Quinn

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Pugh's father, who spent four years serving in the Gatlin Dragoons, NC 1st Cavalry, Herring Artillery, and 3rd Co. G of the 41st Artillery, was found wounded or dead at Col. Lamb's surrender at Battery Buchanan.

Pugh Quinn was born on 10 June 1873 and passed away in Wallace, Duplin County on 10 March 1939. He is buried in the family cemetery, known today as the Best-Quinn Cemetery on Beautancus Road, which holds significant importance in the Quinn family history.

Thanks to Uncle Eddie for sending me that grain of truth regarding our Duplin County genealogy.

All Uncle Eddie remembered from his father's service was when he was 13. He thought the name he recalled was associated with Rooty Bottom FWB Church or something similar near Mt. Olive. However, it turns out that there is no Rooty Bottom Church for any denomination in the history of Duplin County.

The church he meant to reference is Rooty Branch Free Will Baptist Church, where he and his siblings were raised during their visits to Wolfscrape. The church's address is 190 Beautancus Road, Mount Olive, NC 28365.

Pugh was the last of my line to be buried there on the property of Dr. Phillis Quinn Ostheim.

Thank you so much, cousins Phillis and Sue.

The path is clear when exploring Duplin County genealogy through the United States Census Records for Pugh Quinn and his family, as three counties have always been involved: Duplin, Lenoir, and Forsyth. 

Initially listed as Trent Township in Lenoir County in the 1920 Census, it becomes Albertson in Duplin County on the 1930 US Census, just a few feet away. 

Franklin "Pugh" Quinn was farming land that his Great Grandfather, Caleb Quin, had been granted after the American Revolution. This land remained in the hands of another member of the Quinn family, who needed assistance working the farm where Caleb Quin is buried. 

In 1909, Franklin "Pugh" Quinn married "Minnie" Victoria Davis from Brogden, located just a hop away where Duplin and Wayne County borders are found. 

Great Grandma Minnie V. Davis (1886-1958) and Franklin Pugh Quinn had six children, although Virginia sadly died very young. 

Their children included Mac (1910-1966), Joe (1912-1957), Blanche (1914-1999), Laster (1920-2011), Virginia (1923-1928), and Eddie (1926-2018). 

Virginia was buried at Rooty Branch Church on January 15th, 1928.

So what we know is that Pugh Quinn registered for the draft on September 12, 1918, in Kinston and reported he was living at Seven Springs. Little to nothing is known about Pugh's involvement in WW1, except that he appears to have reached the war, but fortunately for him, the war ended shortly after. He had only registered for the draft on September 12, 1918, and by November 11th, 1918, the war had concluded—less than a month later.

He shows up on two registers of the 7th Provincial Guard, Pontanezen, Brest, France, and that’s the extent of the records.

One thing is certainly true about the Quinn family history: none of his children wanted to pursue farming. They all headed out to Florida; some stayed longer than others, but Florida was always a favorite destination. I have sat in the very spot where Great Grandma Quinn and her sister Novella Davis Matthews are in the photo from the early 40s, at Cypress Gardens in Winterhaven. I visited Cypress Gardens twice as a kid in the 60s and 70s, and we would always see Great Aunt Blanche and her husband, Uncle Walter.

We shared great times with Great Uncles Laster and Eddie Quinn, adding to our cherished Duplin County genealogy.