Updated August 8, 2010.
August 8, 2010. Jim Waterfield interviewed by Melinda Lukei. July 21 1996.
The Solomon White House (now the Brumley house) was at Bunker Hill and was moved to the current location by rolling it on logs with horses pulling it. Dr. E. W. Jones lived in it at one time. His gravestone is across the street in what was a good size cemetery. I think all those stones have now vanished.
Jim said the old store was started in 1855. Mr Andrew Jackson Spratt was 70 years old when he sold it to John Malachi Jones. John was already helping him in the store at the time.
Jackson Spratt was the postmaster for Woodleigh during the time of the Civil War. During the war the mail was still brought by the federal government.
Jim told me that the union sailors came to the store from over on the beach and cleaned out the whole store. When they got ready to leave the Captain gave Jackson Spratt some gold coins to pay for what they took and after the war was over he was the only one on the island that had money.
Jim said Ray Etheridge an attorney in Elizabeth City said the Spratt heirs still own the cemetery on Knotts Island. Andrew Jackson Spratt went to Norfolk and saw that they had commercial cemeteries so he decided to invest in the cemetery for his retirement. He lived in the little house on the east side of Lendall Waterman and sold cemetery lots. Emily L. Spratt was the first to be buried there. She was his granddaughter, the daughter of Jessie James Spratt and Frances Ann Williams. He said Emily was born 29 May 1873 and died of yellow fever 29 Dec 1892. Emily’s sister Anne Virginia Spratt married William Henry Bonney White, parents of Pauline Munden. William was named after William Henry Bonney who lived with the family at the time of his birth. Her mother Frances Williams was born in 1855 and died in 1877. She was the daughter of Gideon Williams and Mary Margaret Shepherd. Gideon Williams was the son of Charles Williams and Mary McClanan.
Pauline Munden told me Emily died of Stomach Tumors and I haven’t found a death record so I’m not sure which is right. I’m sure they didn’t want anyone to know if it was yellow fever.
When Emily was real bad off Jackson Spratt sent after Pauline’s mother to take care of her. Emily’s mother died when she was four years old and Jessie James Spratt married Lucy V. Whitehurst Eaton.
Annie Spratt, daughter of Jessie James Spratt was sitting on the counter at the store eating soda crackers when an earth quake came and all the groceries in the store fell from the shelves and even the stove pipe fell down. This happened about 1885 1886.
Some of my notes on the Spratt family: Andrew Jackson (called Jackson) Spratt was born 17 May 1837 and died 3 Jan 1913 His wife Arseneth White was born 13 Feb 1838 and died on Knotts Island 15 Sept 1870. She was the daughter of Jesse White and his 1st wife Mary Waterfield. He is buried at Charity Cemetery where he was living with his son Jesse. Jesse James Spratt was operating the store at Pleasant Ridge until around 1935 when he sold it to Mr. Ryland Murden. Jesse lived in the old house at the corner of Pleasant Ridge Road and Princess Anne Road across from the store. Emily Capps raised her family there in recent years. Andrew Jackson Spratts’ father James Jackson Spratt was born in 1784 and died in 10 Nov 1850. He married in 1825 Julie Waterfield. She was born in 1796 and was the daughter of Abraham Waterfield and his second wife Amy. James Jackson Spratt’s wife Julie Waterfield married after his death James N. Simmons in 1852.
Andrew Jackson Spratt’s sister was Sally Ann who married John Garrison and lived in the house that was suppose to be the witches house on Muddy Creek Road in now Virginia Beach. Two of his brothers Caleb and James J were killed in the civil war. Another sister, Mary married James D. Moseley. After James’ death Mary married Malachi James Waterfield. They were the great grandparents of Jimmy and Delores Waterfield Fentress.
James Jackson Spratt was the son of James Spratt and Mary Jackson. James Jackson (called Jackson) was born in 1748 and died around 1799. Mary Jackson was born in 1752. She was the daughter of James Jackson, whose will was dated June 1774, and Elizabeth. His will was probated in 1789 and gives his daughter Mary Spratt one side saddle. The rest of the estate was sold and divided among all Mary Spratt’s children when they became 21 years old. The children were James Jackson, Thomas, Caleb, Solomon, John, Lovey, Elizabeth, Julia and Nancy. James Spratt’s parents were Capt Thomas Spratt and Elizabeth Williamson who were living on Knotts Island in 1720. Thomas Spratt’s father was Henry. Henry settled in Norfolk County before 1686 when his will is written.