Example:
My father was Henry Zedick Laughter⁸ but one of his brothers, my uncle, was General Dewitt Lawter⁸. Go figure!
. . . For consistency, I used "Laughter" throughout the Laughter - Lawter Family Tree except when the alternative was clear or descendants asked for another spelling. . . Frank Laughter

James³ [son of Henry²], his brother Benjamin, and their nephew William, either migrated or had descendants who migrated to Rutherford County, NC. Searches for those lines must include most of Southwestern NC because, originally, Rutherford County was a very large area and records could be in almost any county seat West of Charlotte.

See: Evolvement of North Carolina Counties

DEED BOOK 5 - PAGE 53 - EDGECOMBE CO., NC

Thomas Ellebee of South Carolina to Henry Later[sic] of Brunswick Co. Virginia, 20 March 1741/3, 9 pounds 10 shillings current money of Virginia, 100 Acres more or less on the North Side of Fishing Creek and lies below Ellebee's branch. Part of a grant to John Pratt 8 Mar. 1736.
Wit. John Bergeron, Edward Jones
Reg. Edgecombe Co., May Ct. 1742, R. Forstr, C.Ct.
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FROM: "WARREN COUNTY NORTH CAROLINA RECORDS, VOLUME II SUPPLEMENT - ABSTRACTS OF BUTE COUNTY, NC: DEEDS REGISTERED IN WARREN COUNTY DEED BOOKS 1-7, 1766-1779,"
BY MARY HINTON KERR AND JESSE EUBANKS HARRIS.

page 56 Deed Book I - Page 27, 30 October 1765, Henry Larter[sic] to James Larter[sic], both of Bute Co. 4 Pds VA. money for 100 A. in Bute Co., on Hawtree Creek.
Wit. Hardige Walker, Benja. Ellis. --
Proved by Hardige Walker, Bute County Court 1766.
Ben McCulloch C.C., Reg. 23 October 1766, Willm. Johnson, P.R.
[Marginal notation:]   Deld. to Jas. Laughter Feb. 1771
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FROM: "WARREN COUNTY RECORDS, VOLUME I - ABSTRACTED RECORDS OF COLONIAL BUTE COUNTY, NC, AND BUTE COUNTY MARRIAGES"

page 29, article #177 - will of Henry Lawter, dated Oct. 9, 1770 son of John Lawter, land adjoining William Walker, where he now lives, wife Mary Lawter, land where I now live, adjoining John Lawter, for life and then to son William Lawter. At wife's death, estate to be divided between Benjamin Lawter, Chloe Lawter, Mary Lawter, Sarah Lawter, Elizabeth Lawter, after paying James Lawter 5 shillings [See Note # 1 for James³]. Remainder of land to Benjamin Lawter and William Lawter.
Exc. wife, Mary Lawter and son John Lawter.
wit. James Hardwick, Thos. Harman
page 30, article #187 - Inventory of est. of Henry Lawer[sic] recd August Court 1771 mentions a "few hatter tools."
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The original will of Henry Lawter (Laughter) is preserved in the original documents of Bute County, NC and is located at the Archives of the State Department of Archives and History, Raleigh, NC.

The Laughters settled in early Bute, later Granville/Warren County, NC and lived close to the Virginia border on Hawtree Creek. Henry's son, John Laughter was a hatter during the American Revolution and made hats for the Revolutionary Army as well as participated in the Battle of Guilford Courthouse.

See: Evolvement of North Carolina Counties

==================================

James Laughter received a bequest of only five Shillings Silver [Note # 2] from his father's will because a legacy of land had been granted earlier [Note # 1].

NC Warren DB-4, page 242. 6 May 1773. "JAMES LAUGHTER, Hatter, to JOHN ELLIS, SR., Planter, both of Bute Co. 35 Pds. Va. money for 300 A. in Bute Co. where sd. ELLIS now lives, on Johnstons Branch & adj. DARNAL & LAUGHTER, on NS the Country Road, an EARL GRANVILLE grant 6 May 1773 (sic). Wit. JOHN ELMS, WILLIAM HAGOOD. Proved by WILLIAM HAGWOOD, Bute May Court 1774, BEN McCULLOCH, C.C. Reg. 29 April 1775, by JAS. JOHNSON, P.R."

NOTE 2: Polk County, NC was formed in 1855 from parts of Rutherford and Henderson Counties.
See: Evolvement of North Carolina Counties

[NOTE 2: Considering Benjamin's age and war service its possible that his children were born in Brunswick County, VA, or Anson Co., NC, but if he followed his brother James to the NC mountains the children may have been born in Rutherford Co., NC. We have no information to support either location. However, at the time of the Revolutionary War it was customary to join a local military unit, i.e., militia. This gives a slight edge to Rutherford Co.
Of course, if he married late, the children could have been born in Wilkes County, GA.]

John Laughter was a hatter and served in Revolutionary War under General Sumner at Guilford Court House, 15 March 1781, and at Eutaw Springs, 8 September 1781. He was a great friend of Nathaniel Macon and they entered the war at the same time. John was released from military service and given a contract to make hats for the Revolutionary Army.

Wiley Laughter:
Both Wiley and Ann Shelton are buried in Cooper's Gap Church Cemetery, Polk Co., NC. His probate records and deeds leaving property to his heirs show that he did not have a will when he died in 1846 in what is now Polk Co., NC. -- Polk County, NC was created in 1855 from portions of Rutherford and Henderson Counties.

Note 1: Valentine Mayfield and Amey Hunt were married 08 Apr 1816 in Granville Co., NC. After 1830 they moved their family to Gibson Co., TN. Census records for 1840 list John S. Mayfield in Fayette Co., TN. William B. Laughter died in 1837 and it is believed that Frances, at some point may have lived in the household of John, Martha, and their children.

Note 2: In the probate records for Frances Hunt Laughter, Book 7, Pg. 675-676 dated Oct. 23, 1861, DeSoto Co., Miss., three minor Mayfield children are named: William Mayfield, Thomas Mayfield, and Columbus Mayfield. It is believed that there were two other Mayfield children, E. F. and C.

Notes for John Langford Laughter and Ann Mary Hunt:
A well known teacher and surveyor, John Langford Laughter lived for many years at Hawtree Plantation, an inheritance from his father, John Laughter (son of Henry Laughter and Mary Logan.) He entered the War of 1812 as a Captain but was soon promoted to Colonel of the 2nd North Carolina Dragoons. His unit was stationed at Norfolk, Virginia, under Regimental Commander Col. Duncan McDonald. After the War he returned to Hawtree Plantation in Warren County, NC, and was named General of the Militia but he preferred the title of Colonel which he had earned in service to his country. In later years he encountered financial problems and lost his house and land.

Marriage notes for John Langford Laughter and Ann Mary Hunt:
Bm: Michael Hunt --- Wit: W. M. Sneed

NOTE for Groves Hunt, the son of Samuel Hunt and Sarah Howard, was born Nov 1786 in Granville Co., NC. He died Sep 1857 in Russellville, Logan Co., KY. He owned and lived on a farm near Oxford, NC and made large crops of tobacco for sale in Petersburg, VA. He kept the leading tavern in Oxford for a number of years. In 1843 he moved with his wife and eight children to McLean Co., KY where he bought land, farmed, and raised stock. He went to Russellville, Logan Co., KY to visit his daughter, Susan Hutcheson, and died there during the visit. He is buried with his wife, Susan, in the Mt. Zion Methodist Cemetery, McLean Co., KY. An inscription on his gravestone reads: "Mayor of Logan Co., KY."

Note for Joseph William Laughter:
He was listed among the first jurors for Polk County, NC when it was formed from Rutherford and Henderson Cos., in 1855. His will in Polk Co., was dated 01 Jul 1857 but was not recorded until 1867, so he must have died abt 1867.

Byrd Anderson and Rhoda Kathern Lyda Laughter lived in Henderson Co., North Carolina, till Byrd's death at unknown date before 1907. He is buried at St. Paul's Cemetery at Edneyville, NC. Kathern Lyda then moved to Newton County, Arkansas with two sons, their families and a nephew, Milner Laughter. Other families may have moved with them, including Louisa Laughter Brown & her husband James Brown.

NOTE 1 for Robert William Laughter:
Served Civil War: North Carolina Infantry, 12th Regiment, Company K. His DOD is 11 days after the battle of Chancellorsville, fought May 1-4, 1863, near Fredericksburg, VA. The NC 12th was in that battle.
[HISTORICAL ASIDE: Stonewall Jackson died 10 May from wounds received there.]

NOTE 2 for Peter and John Evans Laughter:
Peter and John Evans began Civil War service in the NC 1st Infantry Regiment, Co. I. John Evans later became 1st Sgt in the NC 43rd Inf. Regiment, Co. D. The NC 1st Inf., known as the Bethel Regiment, was organized at Raleigh, NC, in May, 1861, and immediately moved to Virginia. Its members were from Edgecombe, Mecklenburg, Orange, Buncombe, Cumberland, Burke, Guilford, and Lincoln counties. The unit fought at Big Bethel with about 800 men, then served in the Army of the Peninsula near Yorktown, VA. Two companies from Bertie and Chowan counties NC joined the regiment which increased its strength to more than 1,200. On Nov 12, 1861, the unit returned to NC and disbanded. Many of the men transferred to the 11th NC Regiment. The NC 1st was in VA during the 1st Battle of Manassas (Bull Run) but it is not known whether the 1st saw action there, and the circumstances of Peter Laughter's death are not known.

Note for Maria Louise Laughter:
Maria Louise Lampkin was Postmistress at Warren Plains, NC
31 August 1865 to 04 January 1866 and 22 January 1872 to 01 August 1872.

Note for James E. Lampkin:
Killed in Battle of Petersburg in 1861. Crater at Petersburg during War.
Has tombstone at Rose Cemetery, Norlina, Warren Co., NC.

Note for JAMES RILEY HICKS LAWTER:
e-mail for NC Archives: archives@ncsl.dcr.state.nc.us --
"Known as James Riley Lawter, or W. Wiley Lawter
Death records for James gives daughter-in-law Elizabeth Bradley as an informant at his death. Age of 77½ years of age at death."

Note: The marriage date for Mary Gibbs, the missing marriage date for Mary Hill, and the birth date for Marcus Lathey indicates an error in the listings. Two of our sources show Marcus Lathey as the child of Mary Hill but a descendant has him as the son of Mary Ann Gibbs.

Note 1: Mary Jackson is buried at Friendship Baptist Church near Saluda, NC.
It is believed that William Milan "Buck" Laughter is buried in Tennessee. *

Note for William Milan: Fought in Civil War.
Mary Jackson chain-smoked a corn-cob pipe.
Clara Elizabeth Reade is sometimes referred to as Clara Elizabeth Laughter. She was born 1835, and was abt the same age as Mary Jackson but looked younger. She shared the same household and traveled from Tenn to NC for family visits. Buck introduced her as his daughter.

* NOTE: Except as indicated with "*", grave sites for the others in this group have been located at: Friendship Baptist Church near Saluda, NC. However, less than half of the graves at the Cemetery have been reviewed.

Another source list the following children of David Martin Laughter:
- Viola May Lawter, Born: 1892, Ladoga, IN. -- Died: 1933, Seattle, WA.
- Paul Lawter, Born: 1894, Ladoga, IN. -- Died: 1954, Spokane, WA.
- McKinley (Mac) William (Arville) Lawter, Born: 09 Feb 1896, Carthage, MO.
  Died: 03 Dec 1955.
  Married: Ella Katherine Jones.

Note for Eliza Hudson: Father; Jim Hudson married Becky Bradley.
Children: Terrel, Ted, Earl, Lizzy, Guivy, Mattie (married Jacob "Jake" Laughter), and Eliza.

NOTE: In 1946 Edith Baumberger Pace had possession of the family Bible of
William Milan Laughter Sr. and Mary Jackson.
The Bible contains a listing of the family births and dates.

Note: Samuel Simpson Laughter family used spelling of "Lawter." Mattie Florie Lawter and Pearlie Mae Lawter were adopted and maybe some of the others were also. Needs research. Samuel Simpson and Minnie Ray had several children die in infancy.

NOTE: Lowena June Daughtery is buried at East Antioch Baptist Church in Greenville, Alabama along with her grandmother Mary Jane Driskill Frymire, her mother Ivy Frymire, her brother Lewis Daughtery Jr. and many of Mary Jane Driskill Frymire's daughters.

Mary Roxana Foster Married Henry Zedick Laughter

Born 03 May 1902 in Lynn, Polk County, NC.
Died ? Mecklenburg County, NC.
Buried in Hillcrest Gardens Cemetery in Gaston County, NC.

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Parents of Mary Roxana Foster:
Edmon Foster and Maladia Newman Foster

Children of Edmon Foster and Maladia Newman were:

• John Foster
• Ben Foster
• Edgar Foster
• Felix foster
• Bentley Foster
• Sophronia Foster
• Mettie Foster
• Waveline Foster
• Maude Foster
• Gladys Foster
• Mary Roxana Foster

Maladia Newman's father was David Newman
Maladia Newman's mother was Sophronia Jackson
Maladia Newman's siblings were Jack, David, Sue, Jane, and Nannie.