Volume XI
Number 42
March 18
1944
THE STATE
A Weekly Survey of North Carolina
Entered a. (KOid eUu mutter. Jon» J. 1933. »t Uie Postofflee at Rnteicb. North Carolina, ooder the Ael of March 3. 1819.
Wards of North Carolina
It isn't a generally known fsict. but on two
separate occasions, North C arolina official¬
ly sided as guardian for two young children
and provided for their educsition and up¬
keep.
By MARY CALLOI WILEY
WHEN' the Dionne quintuplets
were
1югп,
the Canadian gov-
ernment stepped in and took
charge of the children for several
years, in order to make certain that
they would receive the very best of
care. The children, during that inter¬
im, were known as wards of the
government.
Did you know that on two different
occasions, the State of North Caro¬
lina took a somewhat similar action
and, departing from its customary
rock-bound principles of economy,
voted to adopt two children as wards
of the state?
Both of these incidents occurred
daring the War of 1812.
The fir?t of these adopted children
of the State of North Carolina was a
baby girl bearing the queer name of
Udney Maria.
Ddney Maria’s father was a gallant
North Carolina seuman, Captain John¬
ston Blakely of the U. S. Sloop-of-
War Wasp, and when the child was
born in January 1815, the fate of her
father’s vessel was in doubt.
The First Adoption
When at length the news was con¬
firmed that the gallant Wasp with
the loss of its entire crew had myste¬
riously disappeared at sea. staid old
North Carolina was so stirred with
emotion that through her legislature
she voted to adopt in grateful mem¬
ory of the gallantry of her departed
hero his infnnt daughter, T'dnev
Maria, and. in addition, to raise by
subscription a sum not exceeding five
hundred dollars” for the purchase of
a silver ton set to he presented to
Mrs. Blakely for the infant.
The silver service, consisting of a
coffee pot, a smaller ten pot. a cov¬
ered sugar howl anil sugar tongs, a
milk jug and a slop basin, handsomely
inscribed, was in due time presented
to Udney Maria, and for ten years the
sum of .8000 annually was provided
by the state for her education in the
best schools of Philadelphia.
In providing the means for Udney
Maria’s education, the state clearly
stipulated that great pains were to In-
taken to instill into the child’s mind
correct moral principles, together with
a becoming sense of gratitude to
North Carolina for the lilieral pro¬
vision made for her maintenance.
In 1829 the maintenance for Udney
Maria ceased, for at this time the girl
removed to St. Croix. West Indies, to
make her home with her mother and
her stepfather, a Dr. Abbott of St.
THE COVER PICTURE
An unusually attractive
night view of the east side of
the State Capitol Building in
Raleigh.
The photograph was taken
by Charles Lemmond, of N. C.
State College, Raleigh.
Croix. In 1841 Udney Maria married
a Danish nobleman of St. Croix
Baion Joseph von Brett on — and the
following year at the birth of her
child, she died.
James Forsyth
The other ward of North Carolina,
young James Forsyth, was the only
son of Benjamin Forsyth, the Stokes
County hero of the War of 1812.
James Forsyth was only eight years
old when his father in far-distant
Canada gave his life for his country.
The legislature, ns an expression of
the grateful service it entertained of
the gallantry and good conduct of
Benjamin Forsyth, presented his son
with a sword and at the same time
formally declared the orphan a ward
of the state, appointing the Governor
ex officio as his guardian.
In due time James Forsyth, nt the
expense of the state, entered the Uni¬
versity of North Carolina. In a short
while, however, he left the University
to enlist in the Navy, and in 1S26
he was commissioned a midshipman.
The Legislature of 1825 repealed
the provision for the education of it*
ward, but directed that the sum of
8750 be set aside and invested for the
benefit of the young midshipman. The
interest on the $750 was to he paid
him until his twenty-first birthday
and at that time the principal to hi*
turned over to him.
Young midshipman Forsyth did n<»t
(Continued tin page fourteen)
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