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Here is an essay that Pete Underdown wrote for the book Caldwell County Heritage in 1983 about Underdowns from England that eventually came to North Carolina. Enjoy.
David Underdown
CHARLES CORNELIUS UNDERDOWN AND FAMILY
From Caldwell County Heritage, 1983, record #566 in the UNC library
Near London, England and extending east and south are numerous hills with rounded tops covered with grass known as downs. As surnames began to become popular, people living in the small valleys at the foot of the downs were given the surname Under-the-Downs which later was shortened to Underdown. The earliest confirmed ancestor of Charles Cornelius Underdown was Stephen Underdown born in 1768 Under-the-Downs near London. Stephen, along with his six older brothers, departed England in 1783, disembarking at Jamestown, Virginia and moving inland to Harper's Ferry, Virginia (now West Virginia) that same year.
In 1786, Stephen Underdown, along with four of his brothers, James, Author, Joseph, and Josiah, migrated to Burke County (that part now Caldwell County), North Carolina. Stephen and Author became permanent residents of Burke County (Caldwell) with James moving to Watauga County, and Joseph and Josiah moving to Sieverville, Tennessee. Stephen married Mary Elizabeth Jelse of Burke County sometime in 1795 or early 1796. Of this union two sons were born: Jelse Underdown, January 22, 1797, and Steve Underdown, February 28, 1800.
Jelse Underdown (1797-1853) married Sarah Lutz (1795-1821) of Burke County on March 6, 1817. The only issue of this union was Ely Jackson Underdown, born December 30, 1820. Sarah Lutz Underdown died in January 1821 from childbirth complications. Jelse Underdown was a farmer with extensive land holdings in the area between Lower Creek and the Connelly Springs Road, including much of the land in the southwest quadrant of the current city limits of Lenoir The farming operation included orchards, food production, pigs, poultry, dairy animals, wheat, corn, and some cotton. The farm work was carried on by slaves and a number of sharecroppers.
Ely Jackson Underdown (1820-3-6-1884) married Elizabeth Ann Hass (5-25-1819 5-25-1904) of Burke County (July 3, 1841. Their grave marker located in the Old Colliers Church Cemetery shows Ely Jackson as being born on March 6, 1817 and dying on his birthday March 6, 1884 and Elizabeth Hass Underdown as being born May 25, 1819 and dying on her birthday May 25, 1 904. The information pertaining to Elizabeth is true according to family records. Family records in Jackson’s case indicate that he was born December 30, 1820-, with his mother's death in early January 1821. In September 1927, it was found that vandals had destroyed the two separate marble slabs that marked their graves with part of the marble missing. Shortly thereafter, Reins Brothers Company was commissioned to place a common monument at their grave site. It is believed that a mistake was made at the time the new monument was lettered.
Ely Jackson "Jack" Underdown continued his father's farming operation with some changes. My grandfather, C.C. Underdown, said that due to the size of his father's family, many of the sharecroppers were gone and that all slaves had either been freed or sold long before the Civil War. The house slaves were freed and having no surname adopted the name Underdown. This family's descendants were located near Gastonia, North Carolina as late as 1970.
Ely Jackson and Elizabeth Hass Underdown were blessed with four sons and four daughters. They were: John Wesely, December 27, 1842-1862 (died Civil War); William Josiah, May 16, 1845 - 1863 (died Civil War); Mary Caroline, July 1 0, 1848; Harriet Elizabeth, February 25, 1850; James Alexander, May 27, 1853 - February 27, 1901; Sarah Luelen, April 4, 1856; Charles Cornelius, June 17, 1859 - May 18, 1 936; Margaret Genely, June 17, 1859.
Charles Cornelius and Emma Bush Underdown.
Charles Cornelius Underdown was born in Caldwell County, North Carolina on June 17, 1859 and died in Lenoir, North Carolina May 18, 1936. Charles Cornelius and Frances Emma Bush (May l0, 1869-April 11, 1950), daughter of Milton Mathias and Elizabeth Lutz Bush, were married in Caldwell County March 28, 1866. Their first home was a farm house located near Underdown Crossing as the point where the present day Fairview Drive crosses the C&NW Railway track near Whitnel was known then.
Charlie soon tired of farming and in 1889 established South Lenoir General Store on the site of the present day Lenoir Pad and Paper Company. While Emma looked after the farm and the children, Charlie commuted each day by horseback from Underdown Crossing to his store. In 1900, Charlie decided that he would build a new home nearer his business. The house was started in the spring of 1900 with the family moving in before it was completed. Between the time the new house was occupied and the date it was to be completed, the mill cutting the ceiling for the interior walls and ceilings broke down, leaving the house unfinished when winter set in. One of Emma's favorite stories was telling what a miserable winter they had that year with snow blowing through the walls of their bedroom. Even when the mill was back in operation, they could not get delivery of the materials as the road to the mill was covered with a thick sheet of ice making it impossible for the horses to pull the loaded wagons up the long hill. They finally finished the house during the spring of 1901 and lived there for the remainder of their lives.
Shortly after World War 1, 1919 or 1920, Grandfather Charlie and two young ex servicemen, Cleve Childers and Lib Melton, developed a method and the machinery to manufacture excelsior packing pads used in the furniture industry. In 1906, for some reason, the General Store building was moved from its original location to a site across the street, with a new building being added on to the southwest side at that time. Grandfather and his two partners established Lenoir Pad Company, a forerunner of the present Lenoir Pad & Paper Company, in this building. After a few months of operation, Cleve and Lib sold out to Grandfather who operated the business by himself until 1923 when he was joined by his son-in-law, Victor Kenneth Hoskins, as a partner. Grandfather Charlie continued active in the business until his death in 1936.
The following are the children of Charles Cornelius and Frances Emma Bush Underdown: Ida Anna (1-11-1887 - 5-25-1962) married John Bean November 1, 1905 and they had one child; Milton Alexander (12-8-1889 - 6-5-1975) married Vernie Mae Setzer April 16, 1921 and they had three children; Julius Victor (1-2-1892 - 9-19-1927) married Rose Belle Griffin April 22, 1911 and they had five children; Johnsie Elizabeth (5-16-1895 - 9-26-1971) married Victor Kenneth Hoskins August 2, 1915 and they had four children; Scottie Edna (1-10-1897 - 7-21-1975) married Hugh Thomas Simmons January 24, 1913 and they had ten children; Charles Ambrose (10-21-1899 - living) married Dove Elizabeth Preslar April 24, 1929 and they had two children; Parks Cornelius (6-5-1902 - 5-3-1981) married Hazel Ernestine Teague January 8, 1929 and they had two children.
Sources: Family Bibles, personal knowledge, conversations with C.C. Underdown, Emma Underdown, Johnsie Underdown Hoskins, Ida Underdown, Milton A. Underdown and Parks C. Underdown before their deaths and C.A. Underdown, family records, old deeds in the possession of family members, research of courthouse records in Burke and Caldwell Counties and Harper's Ferry, West Virginia, tombstones in four cemeteries, and professional research in London, England.
Sidney L. (Pete) Underdown
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