I recently went to Ft. Wayne to the library and this article appeared in the Journal of
Surry Co. Genealogical Assoc., vol. 19, Book 1, Spring 1999. I had found it with a PERSI
search using the surname Senter. The article was contributed by Mary Felts Columbine.
John Senter...One of Those "Quality" Folks
There was a financial panic in 1819 all across the US. Part of the cause was the heavy
importation of European goods that hurt American manufacturing. Tea cups such as Major
Oglesby's wife served milk in to William Golding and Frost Snow is an example.
Luxuries from Europe, such as a separate dish for dessert, imported shoes, calico cloth
and forks all helped bring on the panic. All of the money was going to Europe. (History
of Economic Progress in the U.S. by Jennings).
JOHN SENTER refused to get caught up in luxury living and he made his own shoes and he
made his own straw hats. Times were so hard that Hollin, his wife, made dumplins out of
rye flour and he used the rye straw for hats. John kept a supply of whang leather and he
could fix about anything with it. He used it for galluses and laces for his shoes. He
used it for halters to lead in the cow for milking, and he whipped his boys with it when
they got out of order. He couldn't live without whang leather.
John developed the philosophy that if he couldn't catch it, grow it, or make it, he
would do without it. His father was the pioneer ZACHARIAH SENTER. Zack bought 150 acres
of land in Surry county, North Carolina on Little Fisher River in August 1786. In 1789 he
was taxed with 200 acres. In November 1791 he bought 250 acres and on August 23, 1793 he
sold the 250 acres on both sides of Beaver Dam Creek. Then he bought 100 acres from
William Norman on both sides of Little Fisher River in October 1793. At this time he had
300 acres plus the benefit of the crops he had raised for two years on the 250 acre farm.
His 300 acres were on Little Fisher River adjoining the Normans.
Zachariah and John Senter with Davis Holder, were ordered to begin at the ford on Little
Fisher river, between the two plantations of Silvaner Rabon, and view and mark the nearest
and best way to Rockford. The date was February 10, 1802. They were to report back to
the court at the next term.
I suspect that this is now the road that is called Prison Camp Road. It goes to Dobson
where the name changes to Rockford Road. It wasn't called Prison Camp Road until
modern times.This John Senter must have been a brother to Zach for he is
too old to be the famous John Senter of the Fisher River Scenes. With the Senter families
frugal ways the court knew that they would find the least burdensome way to the courthouse
at Rockford.
A Fisher River scene shows John Senter's back door being about 4 1/2 feet tall.
"Skitt" came to visit and, Hollin, the wife of John told Skitt, "Stoop low,
and you'll come in."
John was described as being thin visaged, eyes small and scowling, his features hard and
rigid, indication of spleen and general suspicion.
There was a reason for John Senter's short back door. No man could enter his home
unless they bowed low before John and Hollin. It was an act of deference to
"Quality". When Hollin told Skitt to stoop low it is said he obeyed, went in,
and was disappointed that he didn't see John. He had hoped to bow low before
"Quality".
Skitt wrote that John Senter had a fondness for law, fondness for litagation. Other
scenes describe eye gouging fights at Shipps Muster Ground. John Senter was a law and
order man. He was "Quality" and let the law do his fighting for him. He bided
his time until the circuit riding judge came to Shipps Muster Ground.
John was described as "none of your quality men" and hated quality ideas; he
opposed them.. The complaint was that John only allowed Hollin to serve guests a one dish
meal. Serving a sumptous meal to a guest was an act of deference to honor the guest.
John deferred to no one but did allow Squire Freeman to take the first sip of brandy from
the cup. In ancient times it was common for a servant to take the first sip of the cup to
prove that he had not poisoned it. Being "Quality", John put the Squire in the
position of a servant, the wine taster.
We are given enough detail to know that crops were still being hoed and plowed. Maid
Holder was plowing in his shirt tail and the weather was "dingnation hot."
This was a summer when John Senter's potato crop growed plumb up to the front door.
To come in the house Squire Freeman had to "bow low; and come in the back door."
John "hardly axed them to sit down".
In his preface Skitt Taliaferro wrote in 1857 that he was presenting (his Fisher River
scenes) and the reader, as one of the sovereigns of the mental world, could decide upon
the merits. Skitt wrote the truth about John Senter, he was "Quality".
Mary Felts Columbine