Edward Jester 'Eddie' Railey

Eddie and Lizzie of Como

Edward Jester Railey, known as Eddie, was born at Como, Hertford County, North Carolina, on 7 March 1876, the fourth of seven children of John Wesley Railey and Martha Ann Brett. Elizabeth Maud Brett, known as Lizzie, was born in the same county on 29 September 1877, one of nine children of William Douglas Brett and Amanda Mary Whitley. Her mother died in May 1880, when Lizzie was two.

The tree records their marriage in Hertford County in January 1899. Five children followed: Otis in 1900, Edward William in 1904, Granville in 1907, Margaret Amanda in 1909 and Janie Virginia in 1912.

Both families carried the Brett name, which older records often spell Britt. We have not found a record showing that the two Brett families were related.

Eddie died on 19 September 1957, aged 81. The Herald of Ahoskie reported his death at the Hertford Rest Home and named his parents as John W. and Martha Railey. He is buried at Como. Lizzie died on 10 June 1961 at Ahoskie, aged 83. Her obituary calls her a lifelong resident of Como and a member of New Hope Methodist Church, with her funeral at Como Methodist Church.

How we know

• The Herald, Ahoskie, 24 September 1957 and 13 June 1961
• Census records from 1880 to 1950
• Photographs of their gravestones, with names and dates checked against the tree

Timeline

1. 1876Born in Como, Hertford, North Carolina
2. 1880Lived in Manneys Neck, Hertford, North Carolina
3. 1900Lived in Newsom, Southampton, Virginia
4. 1910Lived in Manneys Neck, Hertford, North Carolina
5. 1918Lived in Hertford, North Carolina
6. 1920Lived in Maneys Neck, Hertford, North Carolina
7. 1930Lived in Maneys Neck, Hertford, North Carolina
8. 1935Lived in Maneys Neck, Hertford, North Carolina
9. 1940Lived in Maneys Neck, Hertford, North Carolina
10. 1950Lived in Maneys Neck, Hertford, North Carolina
11. 1957Died in Winfall, Perquimans, North Carolina
12. UndatedLived in Ahoskie, Hertford, North Carolina
13. UndatedBuried in Como, Hertford County, North Carolina