My brick wall is with my ggggggrandfather Cullen Ezzell.  He was born  abt. 1809, 
location of birth unknown. What I do know about him is he married Atha (Ellen?) 
Merritt(Meritt) on 3/20/1827. 
They had eleven children as follows:

Lovett (Love) J (my gggggrandfather)
William Wright
Nancy
Susan
Holly J
Tabitha
Mary S or Margaret
Zachariah
Atha
Silas Monroe
Joseph Cullen

Cullen shows up as head of household in the Duplin Co census records in 1830, 
at the same time as Fleet, Stephen & Hansel Ezzell. (Hansel spelled several 
different ways throughout census records.) Where they were before that is a 
mystery to me! He remains, consistently in census records until he disappears 
by 1880. That would have made him about 80 yrs old so, we might assume the 
passed.  

It is speculated, by some, that Hansil could be the father of Cullen, Stephen and 
Fleet Ezzell. The age difference certainly supports that. However, one of Stephen’s 
daughters married one of Cullen’s sons. Now I know cousins have married cousins 
but, those tree branches are a little too close, if you ask me!

Fleet disappears after 1840 and reappears in 1870 as 70 years old in the household 
of Stephen and Clarkey.

1880 census shows Sarah Ezzell as sister living in Stephen’s household.

 Does this all mean that Hansel is father to siblings named Cullen, Fleet, Stephen & 
Sarah? Of course it doesn’t. It’s just a theory.

So where did Cullen migrate from? Who were his parents? Perhaps “Cullen” is a 
surname from his maternal side? Who were his siblings?

Perhaps one of you out there in genealogy cyberspace has more info or……….a 
better theory?





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