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Updated August 27, 2010.

Newspaper articles from the Currituck Historical site pertaining to Knotts Island in the 1900 - 1920's.

Elizabeth City The Tarheel

Friday, February 26, 1909; pg. 5 KNOTT'S ISLAND NOTES - Arthur WATERMAN and Miss Mamie CAPPS, the beautiful daughter of C.S. CAPPS of our island, were married at her home the 3rd day of February. May this young couple have a long and happy life in store for them.

Tuesday, February 18, 1902; pg. 1 KNOTT'S ISLAND - Mrs. Lydia BEASLEY, the wife of Wm. Johnson BEASLEY, was buried Sunday. She was a good woman and died in the full triumphs of the Christian faith. In the death of this good sister, the husband lost a loving companion and the only child, a son, lost a darling mother.

Friday, Febuary 6, 1903; pg. 5 KNOTS [sic] ISLAND - Last Friday while Leonard ATKERSON was in the act of making sail on his gunning boat, his gun fired, the load taking effect in his back and making a dreadful wound. Dr. MASON was called to see him and dressed the wound.
Mrs. J. Upton WATERFIELD is very ill at her home on Bay Avenue Mr. Wm. J. BEASLEY met with a sad accident last Monday, having cut one of his thumbs off.
Last Friday seemed to be a day of accidents. Mr. Griffin WATERFIELD and Mr. S.P. COOPER came very near being drowned by their boat being capsized. Help came in time to save the drowning men.

Friday, Febuary 13, 1903; pg. 4 KNOTS [sic] ISLAND - On the 7th inst. J.E. ANSELL was married to Miss Maggie, the accomplished daughter of Mrs. Carolina WATTERMAN.

Friday, June 26, 1903; pg. 6 KNOTTS ISLAND - Thursday evening at the home of the bride, Miss Annie SIMPSON and Mr. Walter CAPPS were made one by Justice BOWDEN. Miss Mabel BOWDEN and Mr. SAUNDERS were made man and wife by Judge BOWDEN Sunday night. They left immediately for their future home in Princess Anne County, Va.

Friday, December 4, 1903; pg. 1 Knott's Island Correspondence - MARRIAGE AT KNOTT'S ISLAND - Mr. Walter F. ANSELL of the firm of W.E. Bonney & Co., and Miss Agnes C. BONNEY, the beautiful and accomplished daughter of Mr. Ferdinand BONNEY, JR., of the firm of Bonney & Ansell, were recently married at the county seat by Justice E.R. JOHNSON.
Mr. Bailey O'NEAL and family, of Elizabeth City, have move in our town. We welcome them to our midst.

The Landmark (Statesville, NC) - Tuesday, January 12, 1897; pg. 1 THE DUCK INDUSTRY IN CURRITUCK - Raleigh News and Observer, 6th -- Mr. W.H. GALLUP, Democratic member of the House from Currituck County, who arrived yesterday, says that there are more ducks in Currituck sound than have been known in twenty years. There are about fifty batteries on the sound, and already this season it is estimated that about 75,000 ducks have been killed, and they have netted the people of Currituck county in the neighborhood of $50,000. A party form the North have been shooting at the club houses they own. There are six club houses built by Northern companies in Currituck, and the owners have been having much sport, although gunning in the marshes has not been very good. If the season continues, good citizens of Currituck will make $100,000 on ducks this season. The ducks are mainly shipped North, and at the market in Currituck they sell for from 50 cents to $1 each. They are generally sold by the pair. "I hated very much to leave such fine sport to come to the Legislature," said Mr. GALLUP.

The Washington Post (Washington, DC) - March 20, 1920; pg. 3 LIEUT. COL. ANSELL'S FATHER DEAD - Elizabeth City, N.C., March 19 - Henry B. ANSELL, father of Lieut. Col. Samuel T. ANSELL, died at his home at Barco, Currituck County, last night. Funeral arrangements have not been made awaiting the arrival of Col. ANSELL from Washington.

The Washington Post (Washington, DC) - July 16, 1926; pg. 2 MAN ADRIFT IN BOAT IS SOUGHT AS SLAYER - Norfolk, Va., July 15 - Adrift somewhere in Back Bay or Currituck Sound in a skiff, George WATERFIELD, sought as the slayer of pretty Bertha ANSELL, 17, belle of Knotts Island, is eluding a posse and half a dozen bloodhounds bent on capturing him. WATERFIELD, it is alleged, killed Miss ANSELL and seriously wounded William M. TATEM, her escort, on a lonely road near Knotts Island Tuesday night and then escaped. He is armed with a shotgun and a pistol and has plenty of ammunition. Most of the inhabitants of Knotts Island have not been asleep since the shooting, many believing WATERFIELD might return and slay others. Fred WILKINS, a resident of the island, says WATERFIELD told him there were at least two other he wanted to kill before he is taken prisoner. The island shores are being patrolled by armed men, while others are in motor boats and skiffs seeking the fugitive. It is charged that WATERFIELD killed the girl because of a grudge he had against her father. The men had a quarrel and WATERFIELD is alleged to have sworn he would "get even" with ANSELL.

Friday - September 19, 1919; pg. 2 CURRITUCK NOTES - Cupid is getting gay in these parts. Mr. Jessie SIMPSON of Knotts Island and Mrs. Annie SMITH of Currituck were married here Sunday. Mr. Wm. W. WARD and Miss Lorina HADGES of Norfolk were married Saturday by Rev. T.J. FOLGER at Moyock. Mr. Edward JOYNER of Dendron, Va. and Miss Pocahontas L. LANE of Wakefield, Va. were also united in wedlock by Mr. FOLGER.

Friday - November 14, 1919; pg. 3 KNOTT'S ISLAND NOTES - Walter T. CAPPS, formerly of Knott's Island, died of tuberculosis Monday, November 3 at his home in Norfolk. A widow and two children survive him. He had been ill for several months and his death came not unexpectedly.

Friday - March 26, 1920; pg. 16 HENRY B. ANSELL DEAD - Currituck County lost one of its oldest and best known citizens last week in the death of Henry B. ANSELL, age 88 years, at his home at Barco. His death followed an attack of influenza. Mr. ANSELL was a native of Currituck County, born on Knotts Island, and had lived in Currituck all his life. In his earlier days he was a prominent, influential and active figure in the county's affairs and served as Clerk of Superior Court on his county for several years. He is survived by his wife and several children including the distinguished Lt. Colonel Samuel T. ANSELL of Washington, D.C.

Friday - March 31, 1922; pg. 5 KNOTTS ISLAND NEWS - The home of Mr. and Mrs. Calvin WILLIAMS at Knotts Island was the scene of a quiet but pretty wedding Wednesday afternoon when their daughter, Ruby Christian WILLIAMS, and Amos WATERFIELD, son of J. Upton WATERFIELD of Woodleigh, were married.


KNOTTS ISLAND BOY RUNS AWAY; SOUGHT BY MOTHER - Mrs. A.C. AMBROSE of Knotts Island, Currituck County, is seeking information as to the whereabouts of her 16-year old son, Eddie Holland AMBROSE, who ran away from home a few days ago because he didn't want to go to school. The boy is small for his age and has a dark complexion with dark brown eyes and brown hair.

Friday - November 21, 1924; pg. 1 [lengthy article not here in it's entirety--parts were too dim to read]
MYSTERY DEEPENS IN KNOTTS ISLAND TRAGEDY - The mystery surrounding the death of Herman FENTRESS, young Knotts Island farmer who was found dead shortly after an altercation with a drinking party at his home the night of Sunday, Nov. 9, was not cleared up by a preliminary hearing at Currituck C.H. Monday of this week. The mystery deepens. Following the hearing Monday, Earl BALLANCE and Claude TYNDALL [listed as TINDER in above article] were bound over to the spring term of Currituck Superior Court with bonds of $2000 each and Lester DAVIS and Tom PALLETTE were bound over to the same court under bond of $1000 each, the County judge finding probable cause to hold them for the murder of FENTRESS. The young men are residents of Princess Anne County, Va. The evidence connecting them with the murder of FENTRESS is of a purely circumstantial nature. The evidence is that they went to the home of FENTRESS on Sunday night, Nov. 9, all under the influence of liquor. They were in a Ford automobile. BALLANCE and TYNDELL entered the FENTRESS home and were being obnoxious. FENTRESS ordered them to leave. They refused to leave and FENTRESS threatened to put them out. Riddy CAPPS, a visitor at the FENTRESS home then took a hand and got the two boys out of the home but they did not immediately leave the premises. FENTRESS thereupon left his home by a back door, saying he was going over to his father's for help. His father, Zachariah FENTRESS, lived about 400 yards away in his own home. FENTRESS did not return to his home and when a search was made about 11 o'clock that night his body was found cold in death at the door of his barn, about 300 yards from his own home and directly on the way to his father's home. FENTRESS was a man of thirty odd years and there is a theory that he might have succumbed to a heart attack on the way to his father's home, But the four young men with whom he quarreled were under the influence of corn liquor and liquor always puts a black face on any situation.

The Daily Economist (Elizabeth City, NC) –Saturday, April 14, 1906 Jesse R. WATERFIELD died at Knotts Island on February 28, 1906, age 47.