(1846-1899)
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Rebecca Ruffin and her mother Mary Jones Ruffin both attended the Burwell School although the specific dates of their attendance is unclear. According to Engstrom, Mary Jones Ruffin attended in 1839 or 40. Given her birth date, Rebecca probably attended just before the Burwells left for Charlotte in 1857.
Rebecca Edwards Ruffin was born on Sept.15, 1846, in Hillsborough, NC. Her parents were Mary Rebecca Jones Ruffin, the daughter of Cadwallader Jones, Sr., and Peter Browne Ruffin. They married on Nov. 14, 1843. She grew up in her parents’ home at 320 W. King St. with her eleven brothers and sisters. Her father, Peter, was the seventh child and fourth son of Chief Justice Thomas Ruffin and his wife Anne M. Kirkland Ruffin. A merchant, financier, and civic leader, Peter owned a tannery and operated a general store to the east of the Court House in Hillsborough. In 1850 he was listed as owning $3500 in real estate and four slaves. The Treasurer of the NC Railroad in 1860, he owned $3500 in real estate and $11,750 in personal property including ten slaves. In the 1870 census, he is listed as a book keeper and his wife is listed as owning the family’s property which amounted to $2500 in real estate and $500 in personal property.
Rebecca married James Webb, Jr., on May 19, 1872 in Orange County. He was one of nine surviving children of Annie Alves Huske Webb and Dr. James Webb, a Hillsborough doctor, who encouraged Anna Burwell to open the Burwell School in 1837. During the first years of their marriage they lived with her in-laws. Rebecca and her husband had four children, James, (b. 1878), John Cox (Feb. 15, 1883-Sept. 25, 1965), Mary Jones, and Browne Ruffin (June 21, 1881-June 15, 1935). Her husband was a merchant like his father.
Rebecca died in 1899 and is buried in St. Matthew’s Episcopal Church Cemetery in Hillsborough [1] [2] [3] [4] [4].
Rebecca was called Beck.
Rebecca Edwards Ruffin was born on September 15, 1846, in Hillsborough, NC. She died 1899, and was buried in St. Matthew's Episcopal Church in Hillsborough, NC [5].
[6]. and Susan Mary Ruffin (1827-1851) ., Mary Cameron Jones (1843-1924) and Frances Iredell Jones (b. 1837) . (sister-in-law, b. 1823), Anne Webb (sister-in-law, 1814-1850), Dr. Henry Webb (brother-in-law, 1808-1878), Thomas Webb (brother-in-law), Frances Helen Webb (sister-in-law, 1810-1888), Dr. James Webb (father-in-law) and Annie Alves Huske (mother-in-law).