What Became of Them?

My family tree includes Ambrose Morgan and Elsie Gibson.  I knew that Ambrose’s father was Jim or James Morgan and that Elsie’s father was Bob or Robert Gibson.  I knew that Bob had another daughter named Fanny, who had married William Marshall.  I knew that the Morgan, Gibson and Marshall families lived in St Mary Parish, because I’d found them on the 1870 and 1880 census pages.  Both Jim and Bob were born in Virginia in 1810 and 1800 respectively.  I wondered when and how they came to Louisiana.

And so, I looked among Freedmen Bureau records for Ambrose Morgan and William Marshall or their fathers.  I found men named Edmond, Jacob and Henry on a labor contract with William T Palfrey in 1867.  Also included was Jane, widow of Jerry.  All had the surname of Marshall.  Another work contract listed the names Ambrose Morgan and Billy Marshall.  That contract was with Joshua Baker.

My next search was for records on William Palfrey and family.  I found an 1843 St Martin Parish probate for John Palfrey.  William T Palfrey was listed among his descendants.  In the inventory portion of the probate, I found names of people from whom I descended: Jim and Ambrose.  

The probate seemed to be organized in a hierarchical manner.  The first names on the list were Amos 61, Clara 55 and her 9-year old son, ‘Little Amos’.  Following them were Billy 29, Edmond 27, Jerry 26, Patsey 23, Jacob 20, Henry 18, Newman 13, Richard 12, Polly 30, Perry 8, Clara 6, Edward 4 and Ben Smith 2 and Polly 10.  The list also included the names Jim 36 and Sally 37, who was listed as the mother of Minny 6, Haley 3 and Phoebe 1.  Following those names were Jack 16, George 13 and Ambrose 11 as well as Betsy 31 and child Ralph 5, Franky 11, Maria 22 and child Emily 2, Margery 20 and an infant child.  Jim, Sally, Minny (Mima) and Ambrose are my Morgan ancestors.

Based on the Freedmen Bureau labor contracts and the organization of the probate, I theorized that most of the names on the probate were one family—the Marshalls.

Listed on the 1870 and 1880 St Mary census pages were Jacob, Henry, Richard and Edmond Marshall.  Ambrose Morgan were listed in the same enumeration district in 1870 as William Marshall. Also listed was Minny “Mima”, wife of Jesse Hurst.  She was the daughter of James ‘Jim’ Morgan.  So, these people were a significant portion of those included on John Palfrey’s 1843 probate.

So, what had become of Amos, Clara and ‘Little Amos’ since 1845?  They could have been sold away from the other family or they could have died.  But, as I researched more into John Palfrey’s family, I learned that he had another son who lived in Boston.  This son, John Gorham Palfrey was reported to have freed the 20 slaves provided to him through the succession.  These slaves were reported to have been sent out of the state of Louisiana to Boston.  Were Amos, Clara and ‘Little Amos’ among those slaves freed?

After searching Ancestry.com, I found Amos and Clara Marshall on the 1850 US census living as free people in St. Martinville.  So, if Amos and Clara were freed, was ‘Little Amos’ also freed?  And had other people in the allotment to John Gorham Palfrey also been freed?  Could they be found in 1850 and after living in Boston?

An eleven-year old Amos was shipped from New Orleans to Boston on September 10, 1844 aboard the Bark Bashaw. The shipper was HW Palfrey. No other slaves were listed on the manifest with him. There was not a record of Amos Marshall, born in Louisiana, on the 1850 federal census in Massachusetts. But, there was twenty-five year old Amos Marshall living in Brooklyn, in 1860 in Kings County, New York. Amos’ birthplace was listed as Louisiana. His occupation was listed as a coachman. In his household was Sarah 22, who was born in Connecticut and children Albertina 2 and Annabella 1.

Amos, wife Sarah and daughters Albertina and Annabella were found on the 1865 and 1875 New York state census as well as the federal 1870 and 1880 census, living in Brooklyn. The 1870 census listed Amos’ occupation as a porter. He had personal property valued at $1000. The 1880 census was the first to include information on the birthplace of parents. Amos and his parents were recorded as all being born in Louisiana. Amos died in Feb 21, 1895. His estate was probated that year and listed his wife and daughters: Albertina B Marshall and Annabella Hunter.

So, now when I see DNA matches for people who live in distant states and whose tree’s never seem to intersect with Louisiana, I wonder if these people are of descendants of those who were freed before the Civil War and whose stories had been lost to us.  Or, if we are their descendants who were sold away.

So, what became of them is a question that I ask, but I imagine there are other people wondering the same about my branch on their DNA tree.

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Slaves Inherited by John Gorham Palfrey

I found a listing of the 20 slaves that were reported to have been inherited and then freed by John Gorham Palfrey who lived in Massachusetts. The list of slaves that he inherited are below. The highlighted names are of those that I have found living free in 1850 or beyond.

Anna 43 & her four children Mana (Moses) 9; Charles, 6; Caroline, 4; William, 2
Sarah, 11
Betsy, 31 and her child Ralph 5
Frankey, 11
Maria 22 and her child Emily, 2
Margery 20 and her infant child (Louisa)
Little Sam
Amos 61
Clara 55 and her child Amos, 9
Old Sam 65
Jose ‘Joe’ 40
Rose 12

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Other Freed Palfrey Slaves

Searches for other freed Palfrey slaves revealed possible matches for them in 1850. Four Black females, all born in Louisiana were listed on the 1850 East Boston, Ward 4, Suffolk County census living together. The household included Maria Marshall 28 and Emiley (sp) 8 and Margaret Jones 21 and Louisa 6. In their household was a 1-year-old Black male named Phillip. He was born in Massachusetts. Margaret and Louisa Jones could be the twenty-year-old Margery and infant. And Maria and Emiley (sp) are very likely the same listed in the probate.

Mariah Marshall died August 22, 1851 at the age of 30. Her place of birth was listed as Louisiana. The informant on her death certificate was Dr. Phineas M Crane. Her daughter Emily Marshall would have been 9 years old in 1851. I have not yet found her in Boston after the 1850 census.

Margaret Jones, Louisa Jones, 13; and Phillip Jones, 7; were again listed on the 1855 Massachusetts census. Included in their household was forty-year-old Elizabeth Smith who was born in Louisiana. Was this the thirty-one-year-old Betsy listed on the Palfrey probate? If so, where was her son Ralph, who would have been fifteen? Louisa’s mother Margaret and brother Phillip were not found in census records after 1855.

Mary Louisa Jones married Robert Bell on September 13, 1865. Her marriage certificate recorded her parents as John and Margaret Jones and his parents as James and Angelina Bell. Louisa’s birthplace was listed as New Orleans and Robert’s as Richmond, Virginia.

Louisa and Robert Bell and five-year old Francis were recorded on the 1865 Massachusetts census. Robert was a porter and Louisa took in washing. In the previous household was Lewis Garnett 63, a seaman and Elizh Garnett (sp) 52, born in Louisiana.

Louisa, Robert and Frank Jones were listed on the 1870 and 1880 federal census. The 1880 census listing for the household included: Louisa Bell, 37; Robert Jones, 30; Frank Jones, 20; and E. Garnet. E Garnet was listed as a sixty-four-year widowed old aunt, who worked as a nurse and was born in Louisiana. Is this E. Garnett the same as Elizabeth Smith on the 1855 census and the Elizh Garnett on the 1865 census. Was E Garnett the 31-year-old Betsy listed the 1843 probate? Louisa and family lived at #3 Strong Place near Cambridge Street, the current-day Beacon Hill neighborhood of Boston.

There is a death record for Elizabeth Garnett. She died in 1888 and was listed as a seventy-eight-year-old widow who was born in New Orleans and worked as a cook. Elizabeth died in the Aged Colored Women’s Home in Boston. Her parents’ names were recorded as Samuel and Almira. Wouldn’t it be something if Samuel and Almira were indeed Sam Riggs & Mima!!

Frank Bell was not located on census records after 1880 or in death records. Robert, Louisa and daughter Lillie M Bell were counted on the 1900 Boston, Massachusetts census. Mary L Bell and daughter Lillie M were listed on the 1910 Census. Mary was widowed and worked as a domestic. Mary L Bell, nee Jones died 1918.

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The last possible match that I’ve found is a seventy-year-old Black man named Sam Riggs. He was listed on the 1850 Fausse Point, St Martin Parish census in the household of Henry Dorsey. Sam Riggs matches the sixty-five-year-old Sam from John Palfrey’s 1843 probate. Henry’s parents were Catherine Riggs and John Dorsey. Catherine was born about 1805 to Abraham Riggs of Accomack, VA and Elizabeth Byrd. I haven’t been able to determine if Sam had a connection to the Riggs/Dorsey family before he was freed in 1843 or how he came to live with Henry Dorsey. Sam’s death was recorded in William T Palfrey Plantation Diary, “April 8, 1862, Negro man Sam (free) died.”

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I hope to continue the search to see what became of other slaves freed and their families.

Read About the Morgan, Riggs and Gibson Women on My Family Tree

Best,