Hi Preston,
I know this is a few years late but I have been researching my Matthis/Mathews/Mathis who lives in Duplin County, Rose Hill, NC. My gg grandpa Essex Mathews was a slave of Timothy Newkirk per a Will dated 1859 in Duplin County, NC. There were some white Stallings, Nancy, John, Elizabth, Josiah and Keda Stalling. Timothy Newkirk bequeath to Josiah Stalling the following Negro slaves: Abram, Edmund and Sam to his heir and his heirs absolutely.
My great great grandmother, Essex a negro boy (son of Insane Jane) bequeath to Boney Sutherlin.
Now Timothy Newkirk also Willed to his friend John D. Power his plantation known as the Wells Place. My Matthis/Mathews/Mathis relatives grew up on The Wells Place. They raised strawberries. these are other surnames mentioned in the Will:
Boney, Brice, Bonham, Fennell, Gillespie, Ivey, Matthis, Maws, Newkirk, Murphy, Hall, Power, Seavy, Stoake, Stoke, Southerlin, Stallings, Sloan, Taylor, Wells, Whitehead, Williams, Wilson and a complete list of Negros with last names.

Have you heard of this place or any of these surnames above?

Alice