Histories

William Augustis (Arthur) CULPS was born about 1821 in Elkmont Springs, Giles Co., TN, (Virginia?). He died about 1860. The Federal Census of 1850 lists Wm Culp (note spelling) as age 29; Ann E as 25 years old; Robt L., 6; Geo. W., 5; Nancy E., 3 and Wm A. as 1. This record shows Wm. was born in Tenn. and Ann E. was born in N. Carolina.

The 1860 Census shows the name to be spelled with the 's'. Two more children are listed; Sara J., 8 and Henry B., 6. (Wm is missing and not listed...dead?)

The 1870 Census lists Elizabeth Culps at household 26 and 6 children. Elizabeth (Anna Elizabeth) is listed as born in Virginia (not N. Carolina), contradicting the 1850 and 1860 Census records.

Rosa Wright visited with Early Culps in June of 1984 and he said that, as a single young man, stayed at night to care for his grandparents in their last years. William disappeared during the Civil War and was not heard from again. The family was afraid the "bush-whackers" had killed him.

Another story is that William was killed about a month before Henry was born (1856)...riding a horse. This was the story that Rosa's mother remembered. (The last child, Francis was born about 1857).

Information garnered by Julia Culps Smith indicates that his name was George Washington Culps and that he came from N. Carolina in the 1840's and settled near Ardmore. Oleta Culps Bailey says that his name was William Augustis Culps. A family chart from the Aaron Flenoy Culps family lists his name as Augusta.

A letter from Rosa Wright, great-grandaughter of Henry Burrell Culps, states that her family knew Henry's father to be William 'Arthur'. She said that on Henry's death certificate, his father is listed as 'Arthur'. This information was supplied by Henry's son, Sterling.

The original spelling of the family name seems to have been 'Culp'. According to the New World Registry, there are an estimated 49 total Culps households with 142 people, scattered in 11 states, mostly Texas. There are no Culps families in Canada or Australia. In Australia there are 4 million households representing 15 million people. In Canada there are 6 million households representing 24 million people and in the United states there are 80 million households with 230 million people. Halberts coat of arms illustrator says, In comparison, some family names represent over 400,000 households in the U.S.A., so it would seem that the name 'Culps' is a relatively new name.

Scotland lays claim to the majority of Culps in the United States and can trace members back to the locale of Colp near Turiff in Aberdeenshire. Germanic Culps can trace their name to Kulp and Kolp, considered pet forms of names with "Kol" as the root. This was the term for "helmet" and formed names such as Kolbert, Kolben, Kolb and Kulb. This, according to Charles Guarino and Albert Seddon in an article titled "Your Name".

The article further states, Julia Culp was a distinguished Dutch conceret singer, a titled family in Hesse, Germany. American history remembers this area for the Hessian soldiers who fought in the Revolution and is doubtless, the source of several Culp families in this county.

Rosa said that on her grandmother's (America Culps) wedding certificate it is spelled 'Culp' in 1896. Twenty years earlier it was Culps for Henry B. and Mary Clements on their certificate.

He was probably born at Elkmont Springs, near Ardmore, TN. (Ardmore was born in 1913 when the railroad came through).

The only building at Elkmont Springs was a pavillion, which travelers used as a landmark to identify the community. It was located on a high hill on the outskirts of present day Ardmore where were located several active springs. (This is according to Oleta Bailey).

The 1910 Census on the Robert L. Culps household, showed his age as 68; wife, Mary J. as 70; son, Lewis R. 34 and dtr. Martha A. 31. Apparently these two children remained at home. This record shows the birthplace of both his parents to be in Virginia. This, of course, is in contradiction of the 1950 Census report of Wm A and Ann E.

This was my great, great-grandfather.

Article taken from Wallace Culps website: Decendants of William Anthony Culps.