1860 – 1955

by Charles Hall Ashford, Jr., MD, Christ Episcopal Church, New Bern, NC, 2016

Caroline Ann Winder Hughes was born in Raleigh in 1860, the daughter of Maj. John Cox Winder and Octavia Maria Bryan. Her father was a civil engineer and Vice President of the Seaboard Air Line Railroad. Her mother was born in the James Bryan house on Pollock Street in New Bern.

Caroline’s grandfather Bryan purchased pew No. 26 in Christ Church New Bern for $250 in 1825 to help fund the building of the “new Episcopal Church.” He practiced law and was a trustee of the University for 45 years. In 1838 he moved his family to Raleigh to have better access to education for his twelve children. Her other grandfather, Gen. John Henry Winder, was a graduate of West Point and his father was Gen. William Henry Winder who became a prominent lawyer in Baltimore.

Caroline married Francis Wade Hughes, MD in Christ Church, Raleigh, in 1883 and moved to New Bern. He graduated from Princeton University and the University of Pennsylvania School Of Medicine. His father, Isaac Wayne Hughes, MD (1804-1881), graduated from the Medical Department of the University of Pennsylvania and moved from Pennsylvania to New Bern in 1825. After his father’s death, Hughes joined his uncle (James Bettner Hughes, MD) in their medical practice in New Bern.

Caroline Hughes was a faithful member of Christ Church. Her home was the Judge Donnell house (1819) on Craven Street from which she could walk her children and grandchildren to church. She sat on the left side of the center aisle a few pews from the front. Her pew had individual kneelers and a wired earphone to aid the hard of hearing. She also taught Sunday school to the children of the Long Wharf section of New Bern in All Saints Chapel on Pollock Street and was responsible for many baptisms.

The Hugheses greatly enlarged the Donnell house to the rear adding a large dining room, kitchen, pantry and laundry room. Also added were commodious bedrooms and porches on the first level and several large apartments on the second. At any one time, multiple children with family would be accommodated for extended periods and all join for midday dinner. (The dining table had five leaves!) Caroline was the true matriarch, especially during the Depression years.

When Caroline Hughes died in 1955 she was 95 years old and her mind was clear to the end. She was buried in Cedar Grove Cemetery. As members of Christ Church the Hugheses were buried in Cedar Grove, which had been opened by Christ Church in 1800 when the churchyard had been overfilled with graves.

Caroline was a bright, involved, happy and fun great grandmother and was known to her family and friends as Carrie.