The Deals of North Carolina
Deal Coat-of-Arms
The German family of Diehl (Deal) of which the Diehl family of Philadelphia and North Carolina is a branch of record on the heraldic tables at Vienna among the nobility of Augsburg in which locality they had their residence for many generations. The rank of the family as nobility is very ancient; the first known ancestor being one Julius Deal, who about 500 A.D. offered his services to Hladwig or Clovis, King of the Franks, and attained much distinction in that monarch’s wars against the remnant of Roman power, as well as against other Teutonic peoples who at that time divided Gaul. He received for his valor and success several badges of honor, one being a blue wing on the helmet. King Clovis made him governor of Augsburg and granted him large domains near that city, the principle one being called Diel (Deal.) His descendents two hundred years later were known as the nobles von Diehl, from this domain over which they were feudal lords. They continued to bear the badges of their ancestor Julius, the blue wing on the helmet and three roses on the shield. At a later period some of them served under Charlemange, afterwards emperor, when he subdued Bavaria, for which he granted them further honors and emoluments. As the science of heraldry now gradually evolved out of the personal and family badges and marks of honor used by the former semi-barbarian chieftains, those of Julius of Diel (Deal) and his descendants, the noble von Deals, became the family coat-of-arms.
In 934 A.D. Henry the Fowler, Duke of Saxony, being then Holy Roman Emperor, secured those by patent to the noble Wolfgang von Diehl, who distinguished himself at many warlike tournaments as well as in many of the wars of his time with the wild Hungarians.
In the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries the family had a number of branches in the part of the Holy Roman Empire, now known as Germany. Some who came to Prussia with the Teutonic knights are said to have fought at the Battle of Tannesburg. Daring, a district of Aestorode, and Zondersdorf, district of Lahain, were holdings of the Diehls in 1500. The Daring branch, which was one of the most illustrious and most mighty families in the district of Aestorodo and reckoned as one belonging to the oldest native nobility, abode at the present manor of Dohringon.
Although the continuity of this family is established a total change of the armorial has taken place, Gunther Diehl, a principle member of the Prussian League, 1440, as well as his near relations, bore three cut down stems of trees with two branches diagonal lying toward left, helmet crowned, upon a peacock’s tail, two of the tree stems crossed; pavilion red and white.
A seal of this period also shows three swords instead of the stems of trees. The Zandersdorf branch bore; in a blue field a white deer with a gold necklace, issuing from a gold crown; helmet crowned with door issuant; pavilion blue and white.
At the time of the Thirty Years War descendants of the noble Wolfgang Diehl were among the nobility of Bavaria, the Rhine states and northern Germany. The Philadelphia branch sprang from one of these. A family of Wilhelm Diehls settled in the city was still represented in Frankfort by Philip Earl Deal, Doctor of Germany Law and member of the Senate about 1817, and Carl Diehl a senator in 1837 and after. Illustrating the above remarks on a change of the armorial bearings of the Diehl family, it may be mentioned that the government almanac of 1817 gives the arms of Philip Karl Deal as: on a blue escutcheon a silver cross beam, with one gold star above and two below; helmet crowned with two wings and a star between.
The Philadelphia family has always used the arms and crest nearly as granted to the noble Wolfgang Diehl, which it is claimed that Captain Nicholas Diehl, the founder, brought with him to America with proper authority, as his authentic arms; Azure on a band argent three artificial (conventional) roses; crest, a blue wing surcharged with the silver band and roses.
The Coat-of-Arms Belonging to the Diehl family according to Burke’s General Armory is as follows:
Azure out of coronet or a stag erased rampant argent, Collard Or.
Explanation of the above coat:
Azure or blue, signifies loyalty and truth. It was the color devoted to the Virgin by the Roman Church.
Stag-According to Guillim, is symbolical either of one skillful in music and a lover of harmony, or of one who is politic and well foresees his time and opportunities, or again of one who is unwilling to assail the enemy rashly, but rather desirous to stand on his own ground honestly than to annoy another wrongfully.
Argent – White or silver signifies peace and sincerity.
Or – Yellow or gold, denotes generosity and elevation of mind.
THE COAT-OF-ARMS BELONGING TO THE DEAL FAMILY IS AS FOLLOWS:
AZURE A CHEVRON OR.
Azure – as above.
Chevron – Signifies protection and has often been granted in arms as a
Reward to one who has achieved some notable enterprise. It is supposed to
Represent the roof-tree of a house and has sometimes been given to those
who have built churches or fortresses, or who have accomplished some work
of faithful service.
Or: As above.
Deal
William Deal, born in Germany, came to Pennsylvania and then to North Carolina sometime prior to February 7, 1768 settling in old Tryon County. In Mecklenburg County Courthouse, Charlotte, N.C., Book 4, Page 491, is recorded 400 acres of land of a branch of Clark’s Creek and is now in Catawba County, first Anson, Rowan, Tryon, Mecklenburg, Lincoln, Burke, now Catawba.
In the Secretary of State’s office, Raleigh, N.C., is recorded in Land Grant Book No. 44, page 243, 400 acres on Clark’s Creek, Burke County, dated October 8, 1782.
In the Secretary of State’s office, Raleigh, N.C., in Land Grant Book No. 22, page 324 is recorded a Land Grant to William Deal, 250 acres in Tryon County on the head of Sheeglee Creek, dated July 21, 1774.
Recorded in Land Grant Book No. 1 Lincoln County Courthouse, 180 acres of land to William Deal in Burke County on Branch of Macklens Creek, dated “in the 7th year of our Independency, 1787” Kingston, N.C.
The graves of William Deal and his wife, Anna, are at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church, Catawba County, N.C. Both the stones are written in German and very little of each inscription is legible. On William Deal’s is the date 1807 and on Anna’s 1790, the dates of their deaths. Their marriage bonds have not been found but there is record of birth of their first child, Marie Magdeline Deal, born in Northampton County, Pennsylvania, August 15, 1756. She married Casper Bolick in North Carolina, December 28, 1779, Tryon County. Marie was the only child born in Pennsylvania.
The Old White Church of Old Tryon County records show that William Deal, son of William Deal, was born in Tryon County, November 8, 1774.
There are records of the following children born to William Deal and Anna:
1. Mary Magdeline Deal, b. Aug. 15, 1756, d. Oct. 25, 1838, married Casper Bolick December 28, 1779
2. John Deal, b. 1758
3. George Deal, b. 1760, married Elizabeth
4. Jacob Deal, b. Oct. 31, 1762, married Susannah Marie
5. Peter Deal, b. 1765
6. Katherine Deal, b. 1768
7. Fannie Deal, b. 1770
8. Jonas Deal, b. 1772
9. William Deal b. Nov. 8, 1774, d. Nov. 8, 1824, married Mary Herman May 6, 1799.
10.Alexander Deal, b. 1777
Rom C. Deal in Deal-Stafford history also records children, Henry, Elizabeth, Susan and Peggie.
William Deal was a patriot during the revolutionary War, serving in the North Carolina Militia.
William Deal, son of William and Anna Deal, was born Nov. 8, 1774, died Nov. 8, 1824. He is buried at St. John’s Lutheran Church near Conover, Catawba County, N.C. He married Mary Herman, daughter of William and Catherine Herman, born Feb. 5, 1780, and died Aug. 13, 1845. She is buried at St. John’s Church, Catawba County.
William and Mary Herman Deal were married July 6, 1797 (recorded in family Bible in possession of Fred M. Deal, Lenoir, N.C. This William Deal lived in old Burke County, N.C. Both Burke and Lincoln Counties have land recorded to this William Deal. This William Deal was a farmer and blacksmith by trade. The old St. John’s Lutheran Church records located near Conover show that he was a trustee there for many years. He died of typhoid fever on his fiftieth birthday.
William Deal and Mary Herman were the parents of:
1. William Deal, b. Aug. 4, 1798, d. Sept. 28, 1870, married Katherine Smyre. License issued Aug. 10, 1824.
2. George Deal, b. 1800, d. June 30, 1863, married Sara Radar, b. 1806. License issued June 23, 1828.
3. Katherine Deal, b. March 29, 1804, d. 1871, married John Stine, b. March 17, 1798. License issued July 1, 1824
4. Mary Deal, b. Nov. 11, 1807, d. Oct. 4, 1824
5. Delilah Deal, b. 1809, d. 1840, married Jacob Setzer. License issued March 18, 1829.
6. Eli E. Deal, B. Aug. 17, 1811, d. Nov. 8, 1863, married Eliza Rudisill. License issued Oct. 24, 1838
7. Lydia Deal, b. 1814, d. 1861, married Martin Earney. License issued Oct. 6, 1935.
8. Noah Deal, b. 1819, d. at age 22 in Georgia
9. Linnie Mahala Deal, b. Sept. 1, 1823, d. May 28, 1897, married F. Barger Reese.
Deal Family Bible
Owned by Frederick Marcus Deal
Lenoir, N.C.
Printed by John E. Patter and Co., Philadelphia, 1865
MARRIAGE CERTIFICATE: Marcus Deal and M.A. Bisanar were married at Simon
Bisanar’s 11th day of March, 1868
Births:
1. Lula Gertrude Deal was born June 6, 1869
2. Fannie Deal was born Nov. 17, 1870
3. Mary Virginia Deal was born November 20, 1871
4. Rachel Cathrine Deal was born August 8, 1874
5. Thomas Edgar Lee Deal was born August 9, 1876
6. Rufus Abel Deal was born September 28, 1878
7. Mattie Amanda Deal was born December 23, 1880
8. Twin babies were born May 20, 1883
9. Frederick Marcus Deal was born July 20, 1884
10.William Lester Deal was born Nov. 2, 1886
Deaths:
1. Fannie Deal died December 18, 1870
2. Thomas Edgar Lee Deal, died October 12,1878
3. Twin babies died May 20, 1883
4. Mattie Amanda Deal died October 5, 1883
5. Mary Addie Bisanar Deal died February 7, 1912
6. Marcus Deal died April 26, 1924
William Deal married Katherine Smyre, Aug. 10, 1824. They moved to Caldwell Co., N.C. The Little River Section- in 1829. There they built their home in 1831.
William Deal was a successful farmer and man of affairs. He owned 466 acres of land in the home place tract and a large farm in Watauga County. He owned and operated a mill on Little River. This mill was said to have been among the first mills in the county and was owned and operated in the family for three generations. He also owned a general store.
A Deal’s Mill Post Office was established in the Deal Store building on May 8, 1839. William Deal was the first postmaster, being appointed at that time and serving continuously until September 11, 1849.
William was too old for service during the War Between the States but nevertheless he served the Confederate cause in the home guards doing active duty and receiving the commission of 1st Lt. The old muster ground was located one mile from the Deal home. Just before the close of the war he was commissioned a Captain in the home guards by General of North Carolina. Both commissions have been preserved.
William Deal owned a number of slaves. Flax and wool were raised on his plantation which were carded and woven into clothes for his family in a large loom house just to the left of his dwelling. The lovely old home was destroyed by fire, along with the loom house and other buildings on Sept. 4, 1919.
William Deal and Katherine Smyre Deal reared 12 children. They were all educated in the schools of that day. Some went to Rutherford College and others to Davenport in Lenoir, N.C. He contributed liberally to school and church. From an old Davenport annual mention is made of his donating 100 desks to the school. He was a Methodist by faith. He helped to organize the first Sunday School and church in the old blare school building, located on the present site of the present Cedar Valley Church, in 1839.
The children born to William Deal and Katherine Smyre Deal were:
1. William Franklin, b. March 22, 1825 d. Jan. 26, 1901, Married Caroline Thompson and Frances Blair.
2. Sydney, born Sept. 26, 1826, d. Nov. 23, 1896, m. Eveline Suddreth.
3. Mary Matilda, b. July 1, 1828, d. June 24, 1904, married Rev. James Healan.
4. Dovie Malinda, b. Feb 6, 1830, d. Feb. 14, 1858, unmarried.
5. Melissa Emily, b. Dec. 10, 1831, d. April 14, 1926, m. Franklin F. Brown.
6. Harriet Catherine, b. March 28, 1834, d. Jan. 14, 1894, unmarried
7. Pinkney, b. Dec. 29, 1835, d. Nov. 6, 1901, m. Sue Sherrill, Dec. 10, 1865.
8. Marcus, b. Sept. 5, 1837, d. Apr. 26, 1924, m. Adelaide Bisanar Mar. 11, 1868.
9. Rufus, b. Oct. 25, 1839, d. June 2, 1864, Battle of Cold Harbor, VA
10.Lydia Louise, b. Sept. 6, 1841, d. Oct. 5, 1860. Unmarried.
11.Sarah Genelia, b. Aug. 9, 1848, married Alonzo Rowe, Oct. 11, 1868.
12.Avery Gerome, b. Aug. 18, 1844, d. Apr. 2, 1932, m. Martha Rebecca Moore.
Oct. 11, 1870
Sydney, Pinkney, Rufus, Marcus and Avery all served in the Confederate Army. All survived the war except Rufus who was killed at the Battle of Cold Harber, Virginia.
William Deal, son of William Deal and Mary Herman Deal, was born Aug. 14, 1789 in Lincoln Co., N.C., died Sept. 28, 1870. He is buried in Cedar Valley Methodist Church Cemetery, Caldwell Co., N.C. He married on or about Aug. 10, 1824 in Lincoln County.
Katherine Smyre, daughter of John Smyre and Othello Bost Smyre, b. Aug. 30, 1802 in Lincoln Co., N.C., d. Oct. 25, 1865. She is buried in the Cedar Valley Cemetery.
William and Katherine Deal moved to Caldwell County in 1826l, living in Little River Section until their deaths.
Last Will and Testament of William Deal
I, William Deal of the County of Caldwell and State of North Carolina, being sound in body and mind, and of disposing memory, but considering the uncertainty of life, do make and publish this last will and testament in manner and form following to wit:
Item 1st – It is my wish and desire that my executor hereinafter to be appointed shall provide for my body and appropriate burial suitable to my position in life: the expenses of the same to be paid by him out of any money or property which may come into his hands as part of my estate.
Item 2nd – I will and bequeath to my beloved wife, Margaret and her hears of her body whether they be my own children or the children born before my marriage with the said Margaret or those which may be born of her after my death all that tract of land which I have already bought of burrel __________ containing two hundred and some acres more or less, provided however, that if she and all her children die without _____________ then said tract shall revert to my estate and shall be sold by my executor either for cash or on credit as he may think best and the proceeds of said sale shall be divided share and share alike with and between the children of my first wife, Catherine.
Item 3rd – I will and bequeath that my executor shall take possession of all the personal property, money and effects which I may own at my death, subject to the disposition hereinafter named out of which he is to pay all my just debts as soon as practicable.
Item 4th – I will and bequeath to my beloved wife Margaret the following property, to wit, to be disposed of and used by her as she may think proper, all the grain, bacon, meats, meal, flour and other provisions and family supplies, I may have on hand at the time of my death, also any and all growing crops on hand at that time-also I give to my wife Margaret to be chosen by herself of the best two mules, two plows and gearing, two cows and calves, one yearling, six head of hogs, six head of sheep, two bee gums, all to be chosen by her of the best I may possess, all the poultry on hand, our good one horse wagon, all necessary farming tools, also the following articles of household and kitchen furniture, all my beds, bed stands and bed clothing except of course that which I gave my daughter Harriet in a gift heretofore-I also give to Margaret, my beloved wife, our clock, two tables, one bureau at her choice, looking glass, six chairs and other small and necessary articles of kitchen furniture,, to wit, one cupboard and wash pot, all the tableware, also a reasonable and necessary quantity of cooking utensils and vessels to be set apart at the discretion of my executor. I also give her all the money on hand at the time of my death, also one loom and gear, one spinning wheel, one rifle and one _________. I have heretofore advanced to the children of my first wife Catherine, to wit, William F. Deal, Sidney Deal, Marcus Deal, Pinkney Deal, Avery J. Deal, Matilda Healan, Emily Brown, Harriet Deal and Genelia Deal, all of the property which I own except that which I have disposed of and do dispose of in this last will and testament and this last will and testament is made for the benefit of my beloved wife Margaret.
Item 5th – I will and bequeath that my executor shall sell as he may think best my cotton gin and any and all other property not specifically bequeathed in this will to my wife Margaret and shall divide the proceeds of such sale between the children of my first wife, Catherine, heretofore named and my present wife, Margaret, she having one child’s part, share and share alike.
Item 6th – I will that my executor shall collect all my debts as soon as practicable and dispose of same as directed in Item 5th of this will.
Item 7th – I do hereby nominate and appoint my beloved son, William Franklin Deal, my executor of this my last will and testament and hereby revoke and declare null and void all other testaments heretofore made by me. In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal this the 31st day of May, 1869.
William Deal (Seal)
Signed, sealed, published and declared by William Deal to be his last will and testament in the presence of the undersigned who to the presence of each other and in the presence and at his request signed the name as witnesses.
J.S. Montgomery
J.R. Wilson
The preceding information pertaining to the Deal family was prepared by Rebekah Deal Oliver, a retired school teacher from Denver, Colorado. She spent a considerable amount of time in Germany doing research on the Deal Family, being specifically interested in William Deal.
It should be a rather simple matter for anyone interested in the Deal family to trace their present generation back to where it will tie in with an earlier history of the family.
The following is information taken from the family Bible of Nathan Silvanus Deal, father of Poly Lawrence Deal:
Nathan Silvanus Deal was born February 1, 1834 and married to Martha Jane Green Deal February 15th 1855 in Catawba County. (This is a key factor in completing the chain of Deals of Nathan Silvanus. Probably in the courthouse of Catawba County in Newton, there is a record of Nathan Silvanus Deal’s father. That name should tie in with one in the preceding history and make it complete.)
Recorded in the Nathan Silvanus Deal family Bible:
Nathan Silvanus Deal born February 1, 1834, died August 26th 1888
Martha Ann Deal born July 15, 1836
Laura Deal born November 30, 1955, died September 16th, 1925
Franklin Deal born September 2, 1857, died December 1858
David Deal born November 29, 1859, died August 188?
Ida Deal born February, 1860
Nathan Deal born August 30, 1862
G.L.A.M. ? Deal born April 12, 1865
Elmore Lee Deal born June 27, 1866
Lande S. Deal born November 2, 1867, died 1869
Belle Deal born April 26, 1869, died December 19th, 1896
Mary Deal born July 20, 1877
Mina Deal born March 8, 1873
Poly Deal born September 24, 1878, died February 13, 1965
Addy Deal, died March 26, 1965
(Emma Bertha Sigmon Deal, wife of Poly, born July 8, 1884, died June 30, 1963.
