“Going Down The Rabbit Hole” is a slang term used by genealogy researchers when they find themselves bogged down researching something completely different from their original set goal. I recently purchased a copy of the Moore County Genealogical Society Archived Newsletters on CD and sat down to “skim” through them to find any mention of my Fry family. Somehow, I ended up reading article after article about the Muse family from Carthage, one of the distinguished families of Moore County whose name is still plentiful in our area today. There are numerous interesting articles and stories regarding this family, too many for me to cover in this one article, but if you are a MUSE, GLASCOCK family researcher, there is plenty to send you down a rabbit hole, as well. As a side note, I did find information about the Frys marrying the Muses so it wasn’t totally a wasted excursion. The information in this article is taken from the book The Methodists of Carthage 1837-1987 by Emma Phillips Paschal and Marshall R. Old, along with newspaper articles, and Ancestry details.

James B. Muse, married Elizabeth “Betsy” Glascock, daughter of Dr. George Glascock about 1806 near the Cross Hill section of Moore County where the Muses and Dr. Glascock had moved during colonial times from their homes in Virginia. Dr. George Glascock was a cousin to George Washington. In 1787, Dr. Glascock was killed at his home in the Cross Hill section of Carthage by a servant of Philip Alston – the same servant who, reportedly, killed Alston himself [a separate story worth reading]. James and Betsy Muse died two days apart in 1864 having been married about 60 years.

One of James and Betsy’s seven children was George Glascock Muse, born on the 28th of February 1816, name-sake of his grandfather, Dr. George Glascock. George Glascock Muse was always proud of his kinship to George Washington through his grandfather, and was said to have some resemblance to our first President. George first married Jane Campbell, a native of the Isle of Skye, Scotland, and there were 12 children born to this marriage. Following his first wife’s death, at the age of 78, he secondly married Miss Frances “Fannie” Fry, who was age 34 [I found a Fry].

The death of George Muse at the age of 93 on June 15, 1909, was recorded in the Carthage Blade and the following article from the book The Methodists of Carthage was printed: On the 15th day of June, 1909, there passed from this life one of the most striking characters and one of the most remarkable men of our time, Mr. George Glasscock Muse. His entire life from babyhood to hoary age was spent near Carthage among a quiet, industrious, frugal, farmer people. He inherited from his sturdy ancestors a strong and splendid physique, a sound constitution, and that rare and inestimable gift, good common sense. Outdoor exercise, manual labor, and temperate habits had developed and preserved his physical powers to a wonderful degree. They had never been impaired by an intemperate habit for in his youth he never did apply hot and rebellious liquors in his blood and no vice had ever been able to hold sway over his inflexible character. He had therefore by reason of strength passed the fourscore years and ten. He was a man of strong convictions and decided opinions. He was bold and frank. As a neighbor he was obliging, and as a friend he was loyal and true. He was from an early period in life a devout member of the Carthage Methodist Church. “Weary with the march of life” this venerable man has passed away.

Mr. Muse is buried at the Carthage Methodist Church along with his first wife, the mother of his 12 children, Jane Campbell Muse.