In 2021 I stumbled on the Palfrey Papers that were housed in the Fondren Library at Rice University in Houston, TX. Among the many documents I found were William T Palfrey’s 1842-1859 Plantation Diary as well as letters between John Palfrey and sons William, Henry and John Gorham. I found information on my paternal 3rd great grandfathers Robert ‘Bob’ Gibson and James ‘Jim’ Morgan. Both were young children listed among the slaves sold by Relf & Chew to John Palfrey March 9, 1811. Bob was listed with his mother Aime and siblings: Joe, Tom, Ben and Fannie. James was not listed in any family group. Also listed were Sam and wife Mima and daughters Sally and Anna.
I was able to easily determine that James Morgan’s wife was Sally Riggs and that their children were George, Ambrose, Mima, Mahaley, Phoebe and Hortense ‘Fortune’ Morgan. Fortune’s death certificate listed her mother as Sally who was born in North Carolina. Additionally, Sally, Jim and children were listed on John Palfrey’s 1843 probate.
Bob or Robert Gibson was not included in John Palfrey’s 1843 probate as he and James ‘Jim’ had been swapped by John and William Palfrey in 1835. So, there was no document laying out Bob’s family. I found death certificates for Fanny Marshall and Elsie Morgan that listed their father as Robert Gibson. Neither death certificate provided a name for their mother. My family descended through Elsie Gibson, and I found many DNA matches from Elsie’s descendants and also from Fanny Gibson & William Marshall. So, I now knew Robert had at least 2 children: Fanny and Elsie.
When I read William T Palfrey’s diary I saw references to Nancy, daughter of Bob and also of Caroline, wife of Bob giving birth to Letty in 1854 and Lewis in 1864. hen knew that Bob had another daughter Nancy. I’d already found Bob with Caroline, Letty and Lewis on the 1870 census. I found additional information in the plantation diary of another daughter of Bob’s–Charity. Palfrey wrote of Bob transporting a Charity and her daughter Sidney from Franklin to Cypremort in the midst of the Civil War taking place all around them. In 2026, I found a DNA descendant of Charity in Ancestry to further substantiate that Charity was Bob’s daughter. But I still had no name for the mother of Fanny, Elsie and now Charity. Charity’s daughter Ellen Green Betts was interviewed by the WPA in the Texas Slave Narratives. She told of her life in St Mary Parish and mentioned several names https://www.ancestry.com/imageviewer/collections/1944/images/BYU325-01462?pId=6819.
On a visit in 2024 to the St Mary Parish courthouse, I found an April 27, 1838 deed, Folio 178, Entry 4400. Included was a list of slaves: Bob 35, Peter 34, Anderson 36 as well as Sarah 35 and children: Dave 12, Aimy 16, Nancy 9, Kizzy 30 and Eliza 7 and Cyrus 4.
When I got back home, I went through all of the Palfrey journals and letters again and found a 5 page account book for 1832 for William Palfrey. On one page were the names of young Palfrey slaves:
Aimy born Oct. 3, 1821,
Charity born 8/2/1824,
David born 9/16/1826,
Nancy born Oct 10, 1827
Elisa born Nov 23, 1830
Anthony born Sep 6, 1831
Cyrus born May 11, 1833
Fanny no birth date listed
On the following page was a list of slaves on his plantation in 1832. That list included John, Jim, Peter, Anderson, Sarah, Roy, Amy, Charity, David, Nancy, Kizzy & her child Elisa, Sinah, Manuel, Jesse, Harriet & her child Anthony.
The names in the 1832 account book almost totally mirrored the names in the 1838 deed record. Names of interest that were missing from the 1838 deed record were the names Charity, Fanny and Sinah. And missing from the 1832 account book records was Bob. Bob was still among the slaves of William’s father John Palfrey. William and John Palfrey formally swapped the men in 1835. Sarah’s name precedes the names of Aimy, Charity, Dave and Nancy in both the 1832 account book and the 1838 deed record. Sinah’s name is listed in the 1932 account book, but the order of the names in the list suggests that she is not the mother of Bob’s children who are listed above her.
So, who was this Sarah?
I scoured William Palfrey’s 1842-1859 diary again, this time looking for references to Sarah. I found 2. Palfrey wrote that Sarah Weeks ran away for a few days and returned May 12, 1848 of her own accord. He wrote that Sarah died Dec 11, 1851 at the age of 55.
Palfrey referred to Sarah as Sarah ^ Weeks. Had she been a slave of Palfrey’s earlier partner Davids Weeks? How did she come to live on William Palfrey’s plantation? Were her mother, father or siblings also on Palfrey’s plantation or a Weeks family member plantation? Was she the mother of all of Bob’s children Aimy through Elsie?
Was she David Gibson’s mother? My mother, my sisters and several close cousins are relatively close DNA cousins to many of David Gibson’s descendants. All of David Gibson’s descendants are DNA cousins on my mother’s maternal side while all of her matches through Charity, Nancy, Fanny and Elsie are on her paternal side. How can this be?
I need to do more research to make this make sense. Until then…
I often bounce around, alternatively using between Ancestry.com, Gedmatch, FamilySearch.org and 23AndMe.com as I go down various rabbit holes in search of my familial roots. I’d been focusing on 23AndMe for a month or so. Two weeks ago, I logged into Ancestry to see if the new profiles I’d seen in 23AndMe also existed in Ancestry. I saw a several new profiles and clicked on the Shared Match button. And was I surprised! The Shared Match button previously showed how closely you matched a particular person and the profiles of other people that you and the shared profile both matched. Also displayed was the amount of shared DNA and the kinship relationship for you and the various profiles. But you could not see how closely each of the shared match profiles matched each other.
That was how the Ancestry, Shared Match tool used to work!
Ancestry has updated the tool so that it is similar to the 23AndMe tool which allows you to see the match between you and match A and match A and match C, D, etc . This is a total game changer. Right off the bat I was able to figure out how 2 close DNA matches were connected to my family and to each other. Before the tool was updated, I could only speculate on the connection, but as they say, “DNA does not lie.”
I next began using the shared match tool to focus on the connection between my known Calvert County, MD family to a large number of DNA matches in Drew County, Arkansas and Monroe County, Alabama. These connections are still too complex to figure out and still seem to point to cross matches between my mother’s parent#1 and parent#2.
The tool has also helped me focus on several DNA profiles that include branches that include the surnames of Banks, Donelson and Lambert. These branches lived in Washington, DC and Virginia. Hopefully, I can use the tool to connect these closely related people to my Gibson, Hill and Morgan family members who came to Louisiana from Virginia.
I think I am close to nailing down the ancestral roots of another branch on my family tree. I just need to stay focused and work one branch at a time!
I began researching my family genealogy in minor ways in 2000 and did not take the deep dive until 2015 when I sent off my mother’s DNA to Ancestry. Through these blog posts I’ve been detailing the journey of my successes and setbacks. My greatest research challenge is that both my maternal and paternal family were enslaved in the same parishes in Louisiana. My maternal lineage has roots in Maryland, Virginia and the Carolinas. Through DNA I have found significant information. I have not been able to break through any walls in researching my paternal lineage. Some of my greatest finds on my maternal branches have been uncovered quite accidentally while instead researching my paternal family tree. I have not been able to unearth any information on my paternal ancestors that connects or points to anywhere before their lives in Louisiana. I will continue to search.
I recently obtained William P Woodlin’s Civil War pension application with the hope of learning more about the family that he left behind in St Martin and St Mary Parish, Louisiana. William’s mother’s name was Anna. Anna was born about 1807, most likely in North Carolina. She and parents, Sam and Mima Riggs, along with her sister Sally were sold as slaves by Beverly Chew and Richard Relf to John Palfrey in New Orleans on March 13, 1811. William and siblings: Sarah, Moses, Charles and Caroline along with Anna were freed in 1843 by John Gorham Palfrey upon the death of his father John Palfrey. William and nineteen other slaves were freed at that time. His grandfather Sam Riggs chose to remain in Louisiana as did at least 3 other elderly freed persons. William, Sarah, Moses, Charles and Caroline all lived in or near Ontario and Monroe Counties in northern New York state 1850-1860s.
William joined the Union troops, August 20, 163 in Syracuse, NY. He served in Company G, Regiment 8 of the USC Infantry for a term through August 31, 1865. His commanding officer was Captain James S. Thompson. William’s pension file revealed that he mustered out of the Army as a corporal on November 1, 1865 in Brownsville, Texas.
He applied for a military pension with the Adjutant General’s Office on July 23, 1888, under an invalid disability when he lived in Calhoun County, Michigan. His disability application, N0.666.293, detailed how he and his company were deployed to the Rio Grande river on July 12, 1865. While “marching on dusty roads and through clouds of dust” to Brownsville, William and many others suffered from sunstroke because of the extreme heat. This sunstroke event left him with dizziness, nervousness and brain trouble. He was reportedly not treated in any hospital at the time. His application indicated that he never fully “recovered from the effects of the disease then incurred…” William was described as a forty-six-year-old, partially disabled man, 5′ 10″ with black hair and eyes and a black complexion. His occupation was listed as farmer and book agent.
Two friends: William D. Rogers and Pery Sanford filed affidavits that they’d known William P. Woodlin for fifteen and eighteen years, respectively. They attested that he was only able to do ‘light work’ on ‘easy jobs.’ He also was reported to have been often confined to bed for periods of time. Dr. George McNiell was reported to have treated William with ‘patent medicines’ for his ‘home treatment’ for a number of years. William was later examined by Dr. SS French of Battle Creek and a member of the Board of Medical Examiners.
William wrote in his own 1888 affidavit that he’d moved to Barry County, Michigan after discharge from the Army in 1865 and lived there until 1871. He then moved to Omaha County, Kansas where he lived for 2 years before moving to Battle Creek Michigan, spring of 1874…where I have since made my home, 41 East Hall Street, Battle Creek, Mich, being my Post Office address. My occupation during all that time has been that of a Farmer, Laborer, Teacher & Book Agent.
William also wrote that his, “first attack of the disease was on the march from Brazos De Santiago to Brownsville, Texas, July 12th 1865. The intense heat, dusty roads and muddy water caused a great many to fall out by the way & some to die as reported at the time…In the harvest of 1867, I was again prostrated with the sun, lost about 2 days of the harvest of 1877. I think I had more severe attacks, laid off some days, and for nearly two years last past I have done no manual labor. And during all the years have passed since my discharge to present time, I have not been one fourth the man physically that I was before I was sunstroke as above related. Dr. Simeon S French has been my principal doctor & Dr. George McNeill both of whom reside in this city. All of which is respectfully submitted by Wm. P. Woodlin”
“…and have 5 children now living… my oldest boy is a Michigan School graduate of last year. I must close with kind regards. I am respectfully yours, Wm. P. Woodlin:
letter written by Wm. O. Woodlin to Mr. J. C. Black, Commissioner of Pensions
Per William’s Oct. 1889 physical examination, his vital stats were: pulse rate: 70; respiration: 19; height; 5′ 10″; weight: 159lbs, age: 49; temperature: 98.4. Other conditions reported: “muscles of whole upper extremities jerking and twitching all the time during this examination, no patella reflex, very difficult to walk with eyes closed…”
William wrote to the Examining Board on October 30, 1889 to say that he’d located 2 other men who could confirm his service and illness. He named William H Randalls of Columbia Co. Pennsylvania who was in the ‘band’. He located another man, Elijah Reynolds of Pittsburgh, who was in the ‘Band & belonged to the S Eng Company and played the Bass horn…” He wrote that he was unable to get either to reply to his letters and that he was “unable to go to see these parties by reason of my poverty. I have found them since your letter of last month.“
J.B. Jones of Pottsville, PA wrote to the Examining Board on August 16, 1889 on William’s behalf. Jones’ testified that,
‘on or about the 12th of July 1865 Wm P Woodlin while on duty as member of the Band of the 8th Regt USCI of which I was leader at the time; was by sunstroke effected that he fell; and was relieved from duty at the time, and it so effected his head he always after complained of pain in head; and his sight seemed to fail him while in service, was discharged on about Dec. 9th at Philadelphia, PA, the above happened at Ringgold Barracks, Texas. I have not seen nor heard from him since, until he wrote me concerning his claim…”
William was awarded a pension at the rate of $24/month to commence on May 27, 1891. His disabilty was identified as ‘disease of nervous system, result of sunstroke’. His next communication the Dept of the Interior was June 4, 1898 when he was living in Bowling Green, Kentucky. He supplied answers to a questionnaire to obtain his next quarterly pension payment. He answered that he had been a widower for 9 years and had been married in Syracuse, NY by Samuel J May. He attested to being married only once and that his living children were: Alice M, born Feb, 12, 1867, Wm. J, born Nov. 3, 1868 and John P, born Dec. 21, 1870.
At the time of the 1900 census, William was 58 years old, widowed and living in Bowling Green, Warren County, Kentucky where his occupation was recorded as a missionary. He could read and write. He was enumerated in the home of a Black physician, Dr. Leonides Webb. William died July 22, 1901, while living in Kentucky. His son William Jeremiah Woodlin, MD and Alice May Woodlin lived at 417 Winchester Ave. in Ashland, Boyd County, Kentucky.
Unfortunately, William’s pension application did not mention his parents, his siblings or his life in Louisiana. I still am happy that I sent off for the records and content with the information uncovered. While in Brownsville, Texas, he was closer than ever to his St Mary Parish, Louisiana roots. I wonder if he was able to get word to his living Louisiana relatives. I wonder how he traveled to and from Texas while in the Infantry. I wonder how and why he was stationed in Texas. So many questions are swirling in my mind, I just need to determine my next research move!
My mother’s initial 2015 DNA matches in Ancestry.com included high matches among people whose ancestors lived in Monroe County, Alabama immediately following the end of slavery. She also had 4 or more matching profiles whose enslaved ancestors lived in Drew County, Arkansas. These profiles also matched those Monroe County, Alabama profiles. These Alabama and Arkansas profiles in turn matched her Calvert County, Maryland and Iberia Parish profiles. This led me to prematurely jump to the conclusion that the Maryland women at the top of the family trees of both the Alabama and Arkansas profiels were the connection among all of these people. Those women were Flora Matilda Tucker Stallworth born about 1846 in Maryland, who lived in Monroe County, Alabama and Rosetta Fleming Goodwin born about 1830 in Maryland who lived in Drew County, Arkansas.
I have since discovered that while Flora Matilda Tucker may indeed be a connection to our Calvert County ancestors, she is but part of the explanation for the connection. In 2022 and 2023, I found an additional 6 profiles with Monroe County, Alabama ancestors and 8 more profiles with Drew County, Arkansas ancestors that match my Calvert County, Maryland direct lineage. Among these new Monroe County profiles, 3 or more profiles have no currently known descendancy from Flora Matilda. These 3 profiles have Jeff Malden and his wife Ella Salter as direct ancestors. Jeff Malden’s mother was Mary Tucker who was born about 1825 in Alabama. These DNA profiles: Longmire, Carpenter and Gant, also match the Drew County, Arkansas and Calvert County, Maryland DNA profiles as well as my mother’s.
Flora Matilda’s maiden name was noted to have been ‘Tucker’ by several people who include her on their family tree. I have not been able to find any definitive document to validate this as her maiden name. I have been told that she was shipped out of Maryland and initially lived in New Orleans before she was sold and brought to Alabama. Her descendants recount how Anderson Stallworth met Flora Matilda, who had lived on a different plantation, once they both were freed. The exact name of the plantation on which she lived does not seem to have been passed down in the telling of her story.
So, I am taking a deeper dive into Monroe County, Alabama to unravel what seems to be a more complicated DNA connection. A connection that may include a Maryland component as well as a South Carolina and maybe Kentucky component. Salter, Longmire, Malden and Tucker are names on which I will be focusing.
According to TwentyThreeAndMe, haplogroups allow you to trace your maternal or paternal ancestors back in time “to a mutation in a particular place and time” and to follow the migration of people to different regions and track the mutations to their DNA. Haplogroups are a combination of letters and numbers. Haplogroups do not necessarily provide you with the genetic mutation of your most distant maternal or paternal ancestors. Every person inherits mitochondrial DNA, but Y DNA is only inherited by men from their fathers. Accordingly, the mitochondrial haplogroup that men belong is only inherited from their mother, who inherited it from her mother and so on.
The mitochondrial DNA of North American natives was one of the first DNA groups to be studied intensively. And as such, the first maternal haplogroups begin with the letters A, B, C and D to include North American natives and their more distant ancestors. African mitochondrial DNA was studied much later and by that time haplogroups naming nomenclature was at the letter L. Most Africans and African Americans belong to the maternal haplogroup L. My mother’s haplogroup is L2a1f. H is largest maternal haplogroup for people with European ancestry.
Y haplogroups were created after mitochondrial DNA was studied and began in African where human life began. Y haplogroups therefore begin with the letter A and reference people with African Ancestry. E-P252 is the haplogroup of most of my cousins with predominantly African ancestry. Somewhere along the line, European male ancestry was introduced into my family tree. The haplogroup of most of those current male DNA cousins begins with R and more specifically R-CTS??
How important are haplogroups? I am still looking for answers to that.
Palfrey Slaves Identified
I stumbled across a treasure trove of information while searching for information on my paternal 2nd great greatgrandfather. What I found was information on my maternal family tree that was contained in Palfrey family letters, journals and probate records. I have been working to unpack that treasure trove and am including what I’ve been able to piece together, so far by comparing the names on the probate, to slave births records and marriage records for St. Mary Parish and census records. I am including that information below arranged by family groups. Included below are snippets from letters, diaries, journals and a purchase of slaves in 1811. I hope that you find someone from your family tree listed below.
I stumbled across a treasure trove of information while searching for information on my paternal 2nd great great-grandfather. What I found was information on my maternal family tree that was contained in Palfrey family letters, journals and probate records. I have been working to unpack that treasure trove and am including what I’ve been able to piece together, so far by comparing the names on the probate, to slave births records and marriage records for St. Mary Parish and census records. I am including that information below arranged by family groups. Included below are snippets from letters, diaries, journals and a purchase of slaves in 1811. In some instances the information will be repeated as in the case of my Gibson female members who married, Morgan, Pratt and Green men. I hope that you find someone from your family tree listed below. TOP
3/9/1811 Relf & Chew New Orleans Slave Purchase Amos 25 Clara 20
John Palfrey’s 1843 St Martin Parish Probate Amos 61 Clara 55 and child Amos 9 “Billy” William 29 b1814 Edmond 27 b1816 Jerry 26 b1817 Patsy b23 1820 Jacob 20 b1823 Henry 18 b1825 Neuman 13 b1830 Richard 12 b1831
Polly 30 and 5 children Perry 8 Clara 6 Edward Ben Smith 2
Pamela a mulatto girl
Sept 10, 1844 Barque Bashaw – Departure New Orleans, Destination Boston Amos 11
1850 St Martinville, St Martin Census Page 192A Amos Marshal 60 Clara Marshal 50
William T Palfrey’s Plantation Diary 1842-1859 1/6/1853, Negress Clara (free) died also
John Palfrey’s 1843 St Martin Probate Polly 30 and 5 children Perry 8 Clara 6 Edward Ben Smith 2
Pamela a mulatto girl
April 16, 1833 John Palfrey letter “Polly & Mary are now well but rather too weak to work as yet, so that the hoe lands are much reduced in number – 4 women &Edmond who is ploughing in the plant cane, which will be finished tomorrow or the next day early;”
Aug 6, 1834 John Palfrey letter to son William Polly was delivered of a girl the 25th. I have not yet seen it.
Sept 4, 1837 John Palfrey letter to son William I had an addition to black family on the evening of the day your child was born, Polly being delivered of a son.
William T Palfrey’s Plantation Journal #2 3/8/1863, Negress Polly Marshall died at Cypremort
1870 St Mary Parish Ward 2 Page 475A Perry Smith 25 BM, Laura 22 Smith BF, Rhoda Smith (Marshall) 20 BF, Timothy Gates 22, John Smith 4, Polly 2, Heartless Jenkins (son of Rhoda and Dan Jenkins)
1870 St Mary Parish Ward 2 Page 477A Edward Smith 37 BM, Susan 32, Thomas 14, Edward 5/12, Jerry Gains 22
1870 St Mary Ward 3 Page 502A Ben Smith 40, Julia Smith 26, Ben Smith 25, Nancy Smith 15, Mary Smith 6
10/15/1851 Pamela 9/20/1853 Peggy or Amelia 11/17/1857 Phoebe 10/8/1858 Frederick 6/14/1859 Polly 9/27/1861 William 6/12/1864 Edmond
Fanny Fanny Fanny Fanny Fanny Fanny Fanny
1870 St Mary Parish, Ward 4 Census page 579A William Marshall 50 BM born LA, Fanny 40 BF born LA, Hety 25, Peggy 15, Frederick 14, Polly 10, William 6, Edmond 4, Louisa 2, Jake 1
Samuel Ellis 25 BM, Amelia 18 BF, 1 BM
Permilla Green married Armstead Johnson 4/28/1866 St Mary Parish
1870 St Mary Parish, Ward 2 Armstead Johnson 26 BM, Parmilla 26 BF, Dick Johnson 3
7/12/1848 Anderson 4/25/1850 Charlotte 7/8/1852 Lucretia died 10/11/1853 Rhody 10/10/1856 General died 10/15/1856 Patsy 6/6/1858 Newman 7/17/1859 Isiah died
Ruth Ruth Ruth Ruth Ruth Ruth Ruth Ruth
April 16, 1833 John Palfrey letter “Polly & Mary are now well but rather too weak to work as yet, so that the hoe hands are much reduced in number – 4 women & Edmond who is ploughing in the plant cane, which will be finished tomorrow or the next day early;”
1870 St Mary Parish, Ward 2 Page 474A Louisa Sigur 38 WF, Joseph Sigur 16 WM Edmond Marshall 59 BM overseeing, Ruth 40 BF born MD, Patsy 13, Joseph 8, Alfred Nelson 17 MuM
Edmond Wiggleton 59 MuM Blacksmith, Patsy 39 BF
Jacob Marshall FamilY
DOB Child’s Name
Mother
5/18/1852 Jacob 8/15/1856 Richard 4/21/1858 John
Jane #1 Jane #1 Jane #1
William T Palfrey’s Plantation Diary 1842-1859 2/14/1846, Negro man Jacob (Jacob Marshall) was caught in the cane carrier of the mill…as far his shoulder and escaped with no other injury than having his upper collar bone dislocated with some bruising about the head
12/11/1855, My Negro man Richard had his left hand lacerated by the engine on the 5thinst, he lost his forefinger
1870 St Mary Parish, Ward 2 Page 476A Jacob Marshall 39 BM born LA, Jane 30 BF born LA, Jacob 17, Richard 13, John 12
9/8/1852 Amos 3/21/1854 Moses 9/5/1855 Clara 1/20/1857 Isaac 9/9/1858 Sarah died 3/27/1863 Addison died 11/22/1864 Ellen
Jane #2 Jane #2 Jane #2 Jane #2 Jane #2 Jane #2 Jerry’s wife Mulatress Jane (Jerry’s wife)
William T Palfrey’s Plantation Diary #2 2/13/1863, Four carts came from Cypremort-drivers- Jerry,Ambrose, Perry & Willis
1866 Freedmen’s Contract with W. T. Palfrey Done at Cypremort in said Parish on this 20th day of May, 1867, in presence of Paul Corner & Gustave Callery, witnesses. Henry x his mark Marshall Elsie, widow of Abram Guy Edmond x his mark Marshall Dave his mark Gibson Dan X his mark Jefferson Elisa x her mark Jenkins Melinda x her mark Franky x her mark Marshall Martha (Henry’s wife) by Henry x his mark Marshall her husband
1870 St Mary Parish, Ward 2 Page 479B Thomas Gibson 34 BM, Jane Gibson 40 MuF, John Blackman, Amos Marshall 19, Moses 17, Clay 15, Isaac 12, Aaron 8, Elen 6, Jerry 4 Polly 3
3/9/1811 Relf & Chew New Orleans Slave Purchase<top> Jim
John Palfrey’s 1843 St Martin Probate Jim 36 male, b1807 Sally 37, b1806 and 3 children Mimy 6, b1837 Haley 3, b1840 Phoebe 1, b1842
Jake 13, b 1828 George 13, b1831 Ambrose 11, b1833
William T Palfrey’s Plantation Diary 1842-1859 8/17/1850, Negro man George died 9/21/1850, Negress Sally absconded 9/22/1850, Negress Sally returned of her own accord 4/2/1864 Negress Sally died last night at Cypremort 4/17/1864, Negress Mahaley daughter of Sally died at Franklin 5/27/1864, Negress Phoebe died at Cypremort
William T Palfrey’s Plantation Diary #2 11/9/1863, A squad of federal soldiers this day rushed suddenly into my cane field at Cypremort where the hands were gathering corn & forced off without the opportunity of taking leave of their families, thirteen of the Negro men, vis: Wright, Jacob, Bill Green, Paul, Charley, George, Sam, Richard, Perry, Henry Harner, Ambrose, Tom Granvil?, Tom Gibson & Newman. They afterwards released the three first name as too old for conscription.
William T Palfrey’s Plantation Diary #2 2/10/1868, I have engaged sundry freedmen on I have to work in the crop of my Home Plantation for the year 1868…namely: Jesse Hurst Jan 2, Willis Pratt Jan 1, Harry Bonham Jan. 1, Charley Bonham Jan 1, Jim Morgan Jan. 24…
Ambrose Morgan family
DOB Child’s Name
Mother
1/21/1855 Charity died 3/24/1857 Carey 5/14/1859 Eveline died 12/6/1860 Sally
3/9/1811 Relf & Chew New Orleans Slave Purchase Aime 35 and 5 children Tom Bob Joe Ben Fanny
William T & GD Palfrey Account books 13 vols Vol. 1 (1832-1837)
Parish of St Martin 1832
Inventory of my slaves John $600 Jim $850 Peter $850 Anderson $850 Sarah $600 Roy $500 Amy $300 Charity $300 David $300 Nancy $250 Kizzy & her child Elisa $650 Sinah $500 Jesse $500 Harriet (maybe Joe’s wife) & her child Anthony $650
Ages of William T Palfrey’s young Negroes Amy born Oct 3, 1821 Charity born August 2, 1824 David born Sept 16, 1826 Nancy born Oct 10, 1827 Elisa born Nov 23, 1830 Anthony born Sep 6, 1831 Cyrus born May 11, 1833 Fanny
4/26/1833 June 4, 1833 Letter from John Palfrey “Bob desires me to inform you that Joe has sent no money to Harriet since she was here”
June 4, 1833 Letter from John Palfrey to son, William T Palfrey “Fanny died on a Sunday, “a little before noon, …about twelve hours from her first attack.” “Aimy is the picture of woe & a damp appears to be come on the spirits of all.””
April 27, 1838 Folio 178, Entry 4400 WT Palfrey & Wife Land & Slaves Be it remembered that on this twenty-eight day of April, the year of eight hundred thirty-eight. Before one John Moore, parish judge and ex-officio Notary Public ?? for parish of St Mary. Personally appeared William T Palfrey for the said Parish of St Mary. Sidney A Conrad wife of the said William T Palfrey being of age of majority by this duly attained … release their solicitor and write their obligation in favor of the President’s Directors Corporation of the New Orleans Gas and Light Banking Co for the sum of five thousand five hundred dollars payable on the eight twenty of April 1839 being for a loan of money granted by said Corporation to those appraisers which sum they did acknowledged to have received and by which obligation is identified by these present.
The undivided half of sugar plantation and tract of land situated in the west side of the Bayou Teche having twenty-five arpents…said William T Palfrey and the other with all the buildings and improvements therein also the following named and described slaves belonging to the said appraisers to wit: Bob age 35, Peter aged 30, Anderson age 26, Isaac age 26, Squire age 22, Henry 15, Roy age 18, Jesse age 18, Sarah age 35, Dave age 12, Aimy age 16, Nancy age 9, Big Ann 22 with her daughter Caroline age 2, Malinda age 22, Kizzy age 30, Eliza age 7 and Cyrus age 4.
April, 4, 1839 Letter from John Palfrey “Poor good old Aimy died on the 5th inst (March 5)…”
John Palfrey’s 1843 St Martin Probate Joe 40 Ben 38 Tom 14 Rose Elsey 19 and 2 children: Joseph 2, Fanny 6 months
William T Palfrey’s Plantation Diary 1842-1859 5/12/1848 Negress Sarah ^ Weeks having run away a few days ago, returned on her own accord
10/30/1848 Nancy (Bob’s daughter) delivered a boy
12/11/1851 Negress Sarah died – age about 55 years
3/24/1861 Negress Caroline (Bob’s wife) delivered a girl
6/12/1859 Negro Man Ben died–a good fellow
William T Palfrey’s Plantation Journal #2 10/10/1861 Negress Sinah died, aged about 87-88 years- bought by me in 1818, blind & bed ridden for a long time
4/6/1863, Sent Negress Charity & daughter Sidney to Cypremort in a cart driven by Bob
5/1/1864 Caroline (Bob’s wife) delivered a boy at Cypremort
Robert ‘Bob’ Gibson Family
William T Palfrey Slave Birth Registry 1843-1865
DOB Child’s Name
Mother
10/5/1853 infant died 6/27/1855 Letty 1/18/1858 male infant 2/10/1860 female died 3/24/1861 Anna died 5/1/1864 Lewis
2/25/1844 Sarah 10/25/1845 Sidney a girl 9/17/1849 Washington 8/29/1851 Alice 10/8/1853 Elizabeth 7/26/1855 infant died 12/30/1856 Mary 2/2/1861 Elliott 8/26/1863 Netty Ann 4/7/1863 Harriet Sarah 4/26/1863 Major Sidney
William T Palfrey’s Plantation Diary 1842-1859 12/1/1849, Negro man Bill Green absconded yesterday 12/4/1849 Negro man Bill Green returned of his own accord 12/2/1853, William Green sent with cooper Henry Lloyd to make sugar
William T Palfrey’s Plantation Journal #2 4/6/1863, Sent Negress Charity & daughter Sidney to Cypremort in a cart driven by Bob
11/9/1863, A squad of federal soldiers this day rushed suddenly into my cane field at Cypremort where the hands were gathering corn & forced off without the opportunity of taking leave of their families, thirteen of the Negro men, vis: Wright, Jacob, Bill Green, Paul, Charley, George, Sam, Richard, Perry, Henry Harner, Ambrose, Tom Granvil?, Tom Gibson & Newman. They afterwards released the three first name as too old for conscription
1870 St Mary Parish, Ward 4 Census page 580A William Green 60 BM born SC, Charity Green 50 BM born SC, Sarah 30, Sidney 28 BM, Ellen 24, Washington 25, Alice 23, Mary 15, Cornelius 12, Elliot 11, Netty A 9, Henry 3, Emma Schisel 3 BM, Sidney Green 10 BM
1870 St Mary Parish, Ward 3, Page 527A Abraham Kinchen 35 BM, Sarah 24 BF, Henrietta, Washington 12, Stanton 8, Hamilton 5/12 Walter Kinchen 23, Alice 22
7/10/1844 Bob 7/2/1846 Fairfax 10/20/1848 Alfred, died 12/20/1850 Lewis 1/9/1853 Ellen 1/5/1855 infant died 2/10/1856 Maria 7.27/1860 Givvin 1/9/1858 Missouri 7/8/1862 Willis
William T Palfrey’s Plantation Diary 1842-1859 10/30/1848, Nancy (Bob’s daughter) was delivered of a boy
William T Palfrey’s Plantation Diary #2 2/13/1863, Four carts came from Cypremort-drivers- Jerry, Ambrose, Perry & Willis
1870 St Mary Parish, Ward 4 Census page 565A Willis Pratt 55 BM born DC, Nancy 50 BF born LA, Ellen 18, Maria 15, Missiouri 13, GIvins 10, Willis 9, Ben Smith 6, Buel Pratt 3, Kitty Strawdy, Charles Pratt 1, Margaret 9/12
Lewis Pratt 21, Lizzie 1
Ellen Pratt married John Lovely Maria Pratt married Joseph Strawder
William Marshall Family
William T Palfrey Slave Birth Registry 1843-1865
DOB Child’s Name
Mother
10/15/1851 Pamela 9/20/1853 Peggy or Amelia 11/17/1857 Phoebe 10/8/1858 Frederick 6/14/1859 Polly 9/27/1861 William 6/12/1864 Edmond
William T & GD Palfrey Account books 13 vols Vol. 1 (1832-1837)
Parish of St Martin 1832
Inventory of my slaves Manuel about 2 years old when he came here Jesse, born August 19, 1819
MANUEL HURST FAMILY
William T Palfrey Slave Birth Registry 1843-1865
DOB Name
Mother
1/27/1855 George 1859-Zachary 1861 Elsy 12/26/1864 Sinah 12/2/1856 Peter & Nicy twins 1862 Jesse 1867 Marie 1865 Amanda
Maria #2 aka Maria Phillips Maria #2 aka Maria Phillips Maria #2 aka Maria Phillips Maria #2 aka Maria Phillips Maria #2 aka Maria Phillips Maria #2 aka MariaPhillips Maria #2 aka MariaPhillips Maria #2 aka MariaPhillips
April 16, 1833 John Palfrey letter to William T Palfrey “I shall leave Robert (John’s nephew, Robert Palfrey) behind to take care of the house & shall take Jesse with me; if you can make it convenient to let me have Manuel instead of Jesse for the trip you will much oblige me as he would be much more useful & for less trouble that Jesse.”
1870 St Mary Parish, Ward 4 Census page 580A Manuel Hurse (Hurst_ 49 BM born VA, Maria 36 born VA, George 14, Niecy 13, Zack 11, Elsy 9, Jessy 7, Syner 5, Amanda 1
Jesse Hurst Family
William T Palfrey Slave Birth Registry 1843-1865
DOB Name
Mother
8/18/1855 Infant died 4/25/1856 Leah
Mimy (Mima Morgan) Mimy (Mina Morgan)
April 16, 1833 John Palfrey letter to William T Palfrey “I shall leave Robert (John’s nephew, Robert Palfrey) behind to take care of the house & shall take Jesse with me; if you can make it convenient to let me have Manuel instead of Jesse for the trip you will much oblige me as he would be much more useful & for less trouble that Jesse.”
1870 St Mary Parish, Ward 4 Page 481B Jessy Hurse 49 BM born LA, Mima 31 BF, Leah 13, Mary 1
3/9/1811 Relf & Chew New Orleans Slave Purchase Sam, 31 and wife Mima 25 and children Anna Sally
John Palfrey’s 1843 St Martin Parish Probate Sam 65 Little Sam 27 Sally 37 and 3 children: Mimy 6, Haley 3 and Phoebe 1
Anna 36 and 4 children: Moses 9, Charly 6, Caroline 4 and William 2
Sarah 11 Betsy 31 and child Ralph5 Franky 11
Mary 24 with 2 children: Martha 3, Simon 1
Maria 22 and child Emily 2
Margery 20 and child
1850 Fausse Point, St Martin Parish Census Sam Riggs 70 BM
1850 Farmington, Ontario, NY Margaret Hathaway 90 Isaac Hathaway 65 Lorenzo Hathaway 41 Phebe Hathaway 30 Caroline McOmber 28 James Brooks 23 John Durkin 22 Moses Woodlin 15 BM born LA
1850 Ridgeway, Orleans County, NY E Hedley 34 WM Lumber man Hannah Hedley 29 WF David Hedley 3 WM James Hedley 0 WM Caroline Woodland10 BF born LA
1855 Mendon, Monroe, New York, USA Daniel Sherwood 25 bprn Ulster Harriet Ann Sherwood25 Charles P Woodline 18 BM born LA hired Man Willifred Mulligan 17 WM Ireland hired
1865 Union Springs, Cayuga, New York, USA Ednah D Thomas 71 WF born MASS Charlotte Poulton 34 WF born England adopted Wm P Woodlin29 BM born LA adopted son Catharine Fedijun WF born Ireland servant
William T Palfrey’s Plantation Journal #2 4/8/1862, Negro man Sam (free) died 4/2/1864, Negress Sally died last night at Cypremort 4/17/1864, Negress Mahaley daughter of Sally died at Franklin
William T Palfrey Slave Birth Registry 1843-1865<top>
DOB Child’s Name
Mother
9/1/1845 Rose 10/28/1849 Elizabeth 1/30/1852 Amanda died 4/17/1853 Rebecca 8/27/1854 Abram 2/10/1856 Minerva 7/11/1858 Melisa 7/31/1860 Ben 5/29/1863 John
Henry Wilson married Elsy Guy Aug. 14, 1867, St Mary Parish
1870 St Mary Parish Ward 2 Page 475A John Jenkins 23 BM Henry Wilson 42 BM, Elsey 44 MuF, Abram 15, Manerva 13, Ben 8, Mayer Green Wilson 12, Christiana Wilson 11, Arena 4 , Kearner 1
1880 St Mary Parish ED 166 Page 210 Abram Guy 26 MuM Francis 22 Wife Ben Guy 19 MuM Brother John Guy 17 MuM Brother
1880 St Mary ED 166 Page 210 Abram Guy 26 MuM Francis 22 Wife BF Ben Guy 19 Brother MuM John Guy 17 Brother MuM
1880 St Mary ED 164 Page 177A Irena Wilson 17 BF Christina Wilson sister 20 BF
1880 St Mary ED 164 Page 177B Henry Wilson 53 BM Elsey 51 wife BF Arnold 8 BM son
Braxton Bowlin (Bolden) 28 BM minister Minerva wife 21 BF, Braxton son 5 BM
John Palfrey’s 1843 St Martin Probate Polly 30 and 5 children Perry 8 Clara 6 Edward Ben Smith 2
William T Palfrey’s Plantation Journal #2 2/13/1863, Four carts came from Cypremort-drivers- Jerry,Ambrose, Perry & Willis
3/8/1863, Negress Polly Marshall died at Cypremort
1870 St Mary Parish Ward 2 Page 475A Perry Smith 25 BM, Laura 22 Smith BF, Rhoda Smith (Marshall) 20 BF, Timothy Gates 22, John Smith 4, Polly 2, Heartless Jenkins (son of Rhoda and Dan Jenkins)
1870 St Mary Parish Ward 2 Page 477A Edward Smith 37 BM, Susan 32, Thomas 14, Edward 5/12, Jerry Gains 22
1870 St Mary Ward 3 Page 502A Ben Smith 40, Julia Smith 26, Ben Smith 25, Nancy Smith 15, Mary Smith 6
1/14/1854 Alfred 12/15/1855 John 3/19/1857 Wilson died 10/17/1858 H Clay 7/7/1861 Elizabeth 11/22/1862 Mary 12/23/1864 Charles
Maria #1 Maria #1 Maria #1 Maria #1 Maria #1 Maria #1 Maria #1
William T Palfrey’s Plantation Diary 1842-1859 1/20/1854, Negro men; John Taylor, Henry Cole, Grandison Lewis, Henry Mahany?? & a boy Tom, new purchases arrived per Steamer Delta from New Orleans
3/29/1857, Negro men Henry Cole, Grandison and boy Tom Gibson absconded yesterday
5/18/1857, WLP returned, brought home runaway Negro man Grandison, taken from the jail of Parish of St Charles
5/19/1857, Negro man Grandison absconded again last night
4/12/1859, Negro man Grandison ran away
William T Palfrey’s Plantation Diary #2 11/9/1863, A squad of federal soldiers this day rushed suddenly into my cane field at Cypremort where the hands were gathering corn & forced off without the opportunity of taking leave of their families, thirteen of the Negro men, vis: Wright, Jacob, Bill Green, Paul, Charley, George, Sam, Richard, Perry, Henry Harner, Ambrose, Tom Granvil?, Tom Gibson & Newman. They afterwards released the three first name as too old for conscription
11/11/1863, Another squad came today & took away in the same manner three more vis: Grandison, Little Edward & Ben. The first name is said to have his escape. (Perhaps Grandison ray away from the Army he was taken away without being able to see to his family and because his wife, Maria, was due very soon? He did in fact join the enlist, serve and applied for his military pension.)
12/3/1863, Maria No 1 delivered a girl
3/22/1864, A very great number of Negroes not connected with the army went with them from this town & the surrounding county. My man Grandison & three men belonging to Capt Gates among the number.
1870 St Mary Parish Page 524A-542B Elize Morgan 40 born SC, Eliza Morgan 10, Chas Morgan 5 Grandison Sims 35 born MD, Maria Sims 45 born VA, Betty Sims 13, Charley Sims 8, Becky Sims 4
William T Palfrey’s Plantation Journal#2 5/25/1867 Freed boy Alfred Smith, son of Maria, having been extremely indolent to my little sons, I sent him off to …
1870 St Mary Parish Ward 2 Page 475A Edward Wiggleton 59 , Patsy 39, Caroline Payton 40, Hanson Payton 17, Matilda 12, Victoria 6
William T & GD Palfrey Account books 13 vols Vol. 1 (1832-1837)
Ages of Wm T Palfrey’s young Negroes
Manuel about 2 years old when he came here LeRoy about 3 months Jesse, born August 19, 1819 Emily born October 3, 1821 Charity born August 2, 1824 David born Sept 16, 1826 Elsie born November 23, 1830 Anthony born September 6, 1831 Cyrus born May 11, 1833 Fanny
Parish of St Martin 1832
Inventory of my Property vis Slaves:
John $600 Jim $850 Peter $850 Anderson $850 Sarah $600 Roy $500 Amy $300 Charity $300 David $300 Nancy $250 Kizzy & her child Elisa $650 Manuel $500 Harriet & her child Anthony $65
Robert ‘Bob’ Gibson was my 3rd great grandfather. His name appeared often in the letters and journal entries of John and his son William Taylor Palfrey. Below are some of the things written about him.
John Palfrey wrote to his son on Jan 23, 1833 about problems he was experiencing with overseers for his Forlorn Hope Plantation. He wrote, “Mr Deroin has not yet made his appearance I suppose he must have engaged himself somewhere else. Mr Rdeman is gone & I am let alone, perhaps we shall be able to make out with Sam & Bob until a good overseer can be procured. I believe they are as good as the most of them.” The Sam mentioned was Sam Riggs, my 4th great grandfather.
John next mentioned Bob in his April 13, 1833 letter to his son William. Palfrey wrote, “Bob desires me to inform you that Joe has sent no money to Harriet since she was here.” Bob’s brothers Tom, Joe and Ben lived on William’s plantation. It appears that Bob was both telling his brother Joe that he needed to send money to Harriet and alerting William Palfrey that perhaps he should see to it that Joe complied with the request. I guess that Harriet was Joe’s wife.
Bob was not explicitly mentioned in Palfrey June 4, 1833 letter that mentioned the death of Fanny to cholera. Fanny was Bob’s sister and Aimy’s only daughter. But I get a sense that Bob’s grief was included in Palfrey’s statement regarding Aimy’s reaction to Fanny’s death. He wrote, “Poor old Aimy is the picture of woe & a damp appears to be come on the spirits of all.” Four days later Palfrey wrote that though his slaves were experiencing moderately good health, they were gloomy and moving about more despondently. He said that Bob complained of being sick and that he “adopted the cholera process with him, he is now wake but weak. “I believe his was his old complaint, – these however as they are deemed by the Negroes have tended is some degree to alleviate their depression & spirits.”
Bob is next mentioned in Palfrey’s Oct. 12, 1833 letter in which he wrote about not being able to plant his crops for another 9 days because, “Amos & Bob have been employed with the cooper & carpenter has prevented them doing a number of small jobs, which none of the rest could or will do.” He then added, “Mr. Connally left here on Thursday so that I now have Bob.” He continued in the letter to speak about another slave who lost his horses and then got lost himself. Palfrey seemed to have found Bob quite indispensable.
Palfrey’s wrote in his Jan 18, 1834 letter about the severely cold weather and its affect on him and slaves, Sam, Mima and Bob. He summed Sam and Mima’s symptoms to be rheumatic and added that “Bob appears to be of such a lingering nature that I am as a loss what to do for him.”
Bob was mentioned in 1837 in the sale or swap of Bob for Jim between father and son. Both of my 3rd great grandfathers, Bob Gibson and Jim Morgan, were slaves on Palfrey plantations. Palfrey was in fact swapping one of my 3rd grandfathers for the other. See the sale below:
April 25, 1837 – Page 80 of 126 State of Louisiana Parish of St Martin Be it remembered that on this twenty fifth day of April anno domini one thousand eight hundred and thirty seven, John Palfrey, of the Parish of St Martin, of the one part, and William T Palfrey of the Parish of St Mary, of the other Part, have covenanted and agreed as follows: the said John Palfrey hereby sells, assigns, transfers and sets over to the said William T Palfrey, who accepts the same, a certain Negro man slave named Bob, now in the possession of the said Vendee, to the said William T Palfrey sole use and behoof, with full guarantee against the claim or claims of any person whatsoever, for the following consideration: to wit: the said William T Palfrey in consideration of the promises hereby sells, assigns, transfers and sets over to the said John Palfrey, who accepts the same in full right of property a Negro man slave named Jim, now in the possession the said John Palfrey, to this the said John Palfrey’s sole use and behoof, with a full guarantee against the claim or claims of any person whatsoever;
John Palfrey died in 1843 and both Jim and Bob were slaves on his son William’s plantation. William Palfrey kept a detailed plantation journal, including the birth of every slave. In almost every instance, he wrote the date of birth, the mother’s name and the name of the child. When there were several women with the same name, he wrote #1 0r #2 or ‘Big’ or ‘Little’ next to the first name. In a few instances, he wrote the mother’s first and last name: Caroline Honest and Maria Phillips. He always uniquely identified Bob as the father when his wife Caroline gave birth. I first thought that he named Bob as the father because Bob did not live on his plantation. I am not sure of the true reason as I believe that Bob did live on one of Palfrey’s plantations.
Bob was written about in a footnote to Palfrey plantation journal that spanned 1843-1859. The note listed slave couples that mosquito netting had been given to for their cabins. Bob was grouped with Sinah. Bob had 5 children before Palfrey began keeping his journal. Those children were: Charity, born 1824; David, born 1825; Nancy, born 1826; Fannie, born 1835; and Elsie (my 2nd great grandmother), born 1840. Does the grouping of Bob & Sinah make her the mother of Bob’s 5 children and my 3rd great grandmother? Sinah was mentioned in John Palfrey’s letter dated April 16, 1832. She’d cut her foot and was unable to work. The next mention of Sinah was the footnote in the journal and she is last mentioned on Oct. 10, 1861 when she died. William Palfrey wrote, “Negress Sinah died, aged about 87-88 years- bought by me in 1818, blind & bed ridden for a long time.”
I have not found a single record of any kind that provided the mother’s name to any of the children Bob had before 1843. But in 2024 I found a St Mary Parish deed record dated April 27, 1838 for WT Palfry & Wife, Folio 178, Entry 4400 in which Bob, age 35 is listed with a number of slaves including Sarah 35 and children: Dave 12, Aimy 16, Nancy 9.
I also found William T Palfrey’s 1832, 5 page account book. One page was entitled Ages of Wm T Palfrey’s Young Negroes. In that list were the names Jim, Aimy, Charity, David, Nancy and Fanny. The following page included a list of slaves on the plantation. Among those names were Sarah, Roy, Amy, Charity, David, Nancy, Kizzy & her child Elisa, Sinah, Manuel, Jessee, Harriet and her child Anthony.
The similarities between the 1832 account book list of slaves and the 1838 deed list of slaves suggests to me that Sarah is perhaps the mother of Bob’s children Charity, Amy, Dave and Nancy. Bob was not listed on William T Palfrey’s 1832 account book because at that time, Bob was still enslaved on William’s father John Palfrey’s plantation. Jim (James Morgan) and Bob would be exchanged by William and his father in 1835. Bob’s daughters Charity and Nancy were missing from the 1838 deed. I don’t know the significance of the omission of their names. Bob’s daughter Elsie Gibson, my 3rd great grandmother was not born until 1839 or later and so her name would not have been listed on either document.
I found a St Mary Parish marriage record for Robert Gibson and Caroline Watson dated March 21, 1868. The children listed in Palfrey’s journal that were born to Caroline were: Letty born Nov. 27. 1854 and Lewis born May 1, 1864. According to Palfrey’s journal, Caroline gave birth to 2 stillborn children and lost 1 infant child.
Bob was last written about in the journal after Civil War skirmishes began in St Mary Parish. Bob and other men were used to carry items as well as people to and from Palfrey’s various plantations to the Cypremort plantation.
Robert ‘Bob’ Gibson & Caroline Watson Descendants
Bob and Caroline were recorded on the 1870 St. Mary Parish census. Bob was listed as eighty years old and Caroline as thirty-five. They both worked as field hands. In their household were Lettie, 16; Louis, 5; and Bob, 4. The birthplace for everyone was Louisiana. No one in the household could read or write.
Bob was listed as Robert, a seventy-year-0ld widower on the 1880 St Mary Parish census. I think Bob’s was most likely born about 1803 because he had 3 siblings younger than him when his family was purchased by John Palfrey in 1811. Bob and his sons: Louis, 16 and Bob, 12 were all listed as laborers. Bob’s recorded birthplace was Virginia as was the birthplace for his parents.
Bob was last listed on the 1880 census. His daughter Lettie was listed on the 1880 census with husband Alfred Watson and their 2 children, Libby or Likie, 4 and Henry, 2. Lettie died in 1896.
I found a death record for Rosa Miller. Rosa’s parents were listed as Lethe Gibson and Alfred Watson. Rosa was born 1896 in Calumet, St Mary Parish and died at the age of 33 on Dec. 19, 1929. Her husband was Isaiah Miller. Rosa, husband Isaiah and Harry were last listed together of the 1920 St Mary Parish census living in Patterson. Rosa’s son Harry was born June 15, 1909 and died Nov. 30, 2004
I found Lettie’s son Henry on the 1900 St Mary Parish census as a single man boarding with George Davis and family. I have not been able to find Henry on the 1910 census. For the 1920 census, Henry was thirty-seven years and lived in Patterson on Cherry Street with his wife Eva (nee Lewis), 25 and sons, Herbert, 17 and Joseph, 3. It is obvious that Eva at 25 could not be Herbert’s mother. I found information that Henry’s first wife and mother of Herbert was Lottie Green but I have not been able to trace her.
Henry was listed on the 1930 census with wife Eva and son Joseph still living in the town of Patterson. Their next-door neighbor was his widowed brother-in-law Isiah Miller and nephew Harry. Henry and Isiah both worked at a sawmill. Henry died Feb. 6, 1938. His son Willie J Watson died Sept. 14, 1938.
I found Henry’s son Herbert and wife Esther May last on the 1940 Calcasieu Parish census living in Lake Charles.
Bob’s son Louis Gibson was born May 1, 1864. He was a single man on the 1900 census. For the 1910 census, he was living in Patterson with his twenty-two-year-old wife Dollie (nee Rylander), daughter Caroline, 18; and sons Lewis (Louis),5; and Harris, 3. I found his daughter Caroline on the 1900 census in her grandmother Betty Railey.
Louis was a widower in 1920 and was listed on the census with his children: Louis, 15; Victoria 9; George, 4; and Bobbie 3. Louis Sr. worked as a cane and corn farmer laborer. He could read, but not write. Louis died Jan. 10, 1925.
Descendants of Robert ‘Bob’ Gibson & Sarah Weeks (updated , previously named as Sinah
David Gibson & Louise Shelton ->Josephine born 1859 ->Charley born 1860 ->O.B born 1865 ->Aime born 1868 ->Harriet born 1870 ->James born 1873 ->John born 1880
Nancy Gibson & Willis Pratt ->Bob Pratt born 1843 ->Fairfax Pratt born 1846 ->Louis Pratt 1850-1925 & Lizzie Brown ->Maria Pratt 1855-1917 & George Strawder ->Ellen Pratt born 1856 & John Lovely ->Missouri Pratt born 1857 & Reuben Smith ->Givins 1859-1936 & Fannie Braden ->Willis Pratt 1862-1929 & Melinda ->Buel Pratt 1864-1933 & Ella ->Charles Pratt born 1868 & Matilda
Fannie Gibson & William Marshall ->Amelia Marshall born 1853 & Samuel Ellis ->Frederick Marshall born 1855 ->Polly Marshall 1859-1926 & John Johnson 1860-1904 ->William Marshall born 1861 & Virginia Burrell ->Edmond Marshall born 1864 & Odile George ->Louisa Marshall born 1867 ->Jacob Marshall born 1869 ->Alice Marshall 1878-1925 ->Sheppard Marshall
Elsie Gibson & Ambrose Morgan (my ancestors) ->Cary Morgan & Ceasar Harris ->Sally Morgan born 1858 & Jules Ben ->Phoebe Morgan 1864-1952 & John Diggs ->Charles Morgan 1874-1950 & ->Josephine Mahaly Morgan 1875-1969 & James Breaux & Jim Crowder ->Abrahan Morgan 1877-1938 & Ida ->Martha Morgan 1878-1971 & Henry Hill 1872-1939 (my ancestors) ->David Morgan born 1892
James ‘Jim’ Morgan was my 3rd great grandfather. I found a 1811 purchase of a single boy named Jim by John Palfrey. The purchase was recorded in the Afro Louisiana Genealogy & History database (search on Relf and look for Jim). The database information suggested that Jim was sold along with his thirty-five-year-old mother. But the Palfrey 1811 slave purchase included in the family papers did not include a child named Jim. The 1811 purchase of slaves from Relf & Chew included my Gibson family: Aimy and her children: Tom, Bob, Joe, Ben & Fanny as well as Amos and Clara Marshall and Sam and Mima Riggs and their daughters: Anna and Sally.
Jim originally lived on John Palfrey’s Forlorn Hope Plantation but was swapped for Robert ‘Bob’ Gibson by John and William Palfrey in 1837. James’ wife was Sally Riggs. James and Sally’s children were:
Jack Morgan born 1828
Mima Morgan born 1839 & Jesse Hurst
Haley Morgan 1840-1864
Ambrose Morgan born 1840 & Elsie Gibson
Phoebe Morgan 1834-1864
Hortense Mary Fortune Morgan 1847-1927 & Cato King & Nelson Dangerfield
James Morgan was listed on the 1870 census in the household with his son Ambrose, 30 and his wife Elsie, 28 and their children: Carey, 13; Sally, 12; Phoebe, 6. James’ daughter Fortune was also in the household.
James was living with his daughter Mima and her husband Jesse Hurst for the 1880 St Mary Parish census. In their household were Mary, 12; Jimmy, 8; and Manuel 8.
I was able to determine the name of James Morgan’s wife because it was included on the death certificate of his daughter, Fortune Morgan. Mary Hortense Fortune Dangerfield died Nov. 30, 1927 in Calumet, St Mary Parish, LA. Her death certificate was the only one that I’ve found that had a name for James’ wife. In addition to the name Sally, was another clue. Sally was supposedly born in North Carolina!!
And so I am off on another genealogy ramble to see if I can find Sam, Mima, Anna, Sally and niece Maria arriving in New Orleans from the Carolinas or if there is a probate listing those names!!
Best,
P.S. The definition for ‘ramble‘ is: a walk for pleasure, typically without a definite route.
Mima or Mimy was the mother of Sally Riggs, my fourth great grandmother; the grandmother of Ambrose Morgan, my third great grandfather; the great grandmother of Martha Morgan, my second great grandmother; and my mother’s great great-grandmother.
Mima or Mimy as she was most often called was born about 1796. She was recorded on the March 9, 1811 slave purchase by John Palfrey with husband Sam and daughters Anna and Sally. A young girl named Maria was included in that sale and identified as Mima’s niece. Maria was most likely among the slaves returned to Relf & Chew in 1816 when Palfrey experienced financial problems. I have often wondered how Maria came to be separated from her parents. I sometimes think about how she and Mima may have felt when they are sold away but purchased together in 1811. Maria was then separated again in 1816 from what family she had and sold again. I have not been able to trace Maria in her next journey to Isaac Baldwin’s plantation.
I wonder what thoughts filled Mima’s mind about the family she may have left behind and of Maria? Mima apparently did not have long to think on these things because she was mentioned in John Palfrey’s Nov. 4, 1812 letter to his son Henry. Palfrey wrote that “Attakapas has been uncommonly sickly … my people have generally good health… Mimy had a child three weeks since, a girl.”
Mima’s birth of a daughter was mentioned in Pafrey’s letter. Although he does not provide the child’s name in the letter, there was only one female born in 1812 that was listed on Palfrey’s 1843 probate. A thirty-one-year-old Betsy was listed along with her five-year-old son, Ralph. Betsy and Ralph were among the slaves in the allotment given to Palfrey’s son John Gorham who lived in Boston. Betsy and Ralph were supposedly freed and shipped to Boston. I have found other slaves that were also freed by John Gorham Palfrey living in Boston and in New York in 1850, 1860 and beyond, but I can not say definitively that I’ve found Betsy and Ralph yet.
Mima or Mimy was next mentioned in his letter of June 12, 1833. He wrote that she was “taken unwell about day light, she at that time had considerable fever with pain about her back, shoulders & stomach. Dr. Thomas is with her & thinks it to be a case of rheumatic fever & does not consider her dangerous, the last alarm now affects me very much.”
Mima’s condition does not seemed to have improved much at the time of Palfrey’s June 19, 1833 letter. By January 18, 1834, Sam and Mima both were on the sick list. Palfrey mentioned that the severe cold weather may been the cause for what he suspected were rheumatic symptoms.
Mima was again on the sick list at the time of Aimy’s death on April 14, 1839, but she was reportedly doing better.
Palfrey’s will is probated Nov. 1, 1843 and Mima’s name was not included. But her 65-year-old husband Sam, 27-year-old son Sam, daughters; 37-year-old daughter Sally, 36-year-old Anna and 31-year-old Betsy were listed on the probate.
Mima’s daughter Anna and grandchildren: Moses, 9; Charley, 6; Caroline, 4; and William, 2 were among those slaves that were emancipated by John Gorham Palfrey. Anna was reported to have been in bad health at the time. I have been able to find her children living in Rochester, New York and Ontario County, NY in the 1850s-1860s and later living in Michigan with the last name of Woodlin. I have not been able to determine if Anna was also shipped East or if she stayed in Louisiana.
Sally Riggs was my fourth great grandmother; the grandmother of Ambrose Morgan, my third great grandfather; the great grandmother of Martha Morgan, my second great grandmother; and my mother’s great great-grandmother.
She was named on the March 11, 1811 Relf & Chew sale of slaves, but her age was not given. Sally was the daughter of Sam and Mima (Mimy) and the sister of Anna.
Our next glimpse at Sally was Palfrey’s 1843 probate. She was recorded as being 37 years old, with three children Mimy, 6 years old; Haley, 3 years old; and Phoebe, 1 years old. Sally’s oldest daughter was named for her mother. The probate seems to be arranged in a sequential, family group order. The person listed immediately before Sally and children was Jim, age 36. And the names following Sally were Jack, age 16; George, age 13; and Ambrose, age 11. Ambrose Morgan appeared in the household with his father, Jim Morgan, on the 1880 census. So, I theorized that Jack and George were also children of Jim and Sally. I have not found Jack or George since seeing their names of the 1843 probate.
Sally was next mentioned in Palfrey’s son’s plantation journal. She gave birth to a daughter on July 24, 1849. That child died. According to the plantation journal, Sally ran away on Sept. 21, 1850 and returned the following day.
The journal also recorded that a slave named Anna died on Sept. 5, 1850. I have not been able to find out if this was Sally’s sister Anna, who was reportedly freed by John Gorham Palfrey in 1843. I wondered if perhaps this Anna was Sally’s sister and if her death was the catalyst or the last straw in Sally’s decision to run. I have not found mentions of previous attempts of Sally to run away. But something shifted and Sally ran in 1850.
Sally’s father was freed in 1843 by John Gorham Palfrey. I found him on the 1850 St. Martin census listed as Sam Riggs, 70, in the household of Henry Dorsey. Sam’s death was also recorded in Palfrey’s journal. He wrote, “Negro man Sam (free) died.” April 8, 1862.
Several Civil War skirmishes occurred around Palfrey’s Cypremort plantation. His journal detailed gunner boats traveling up the Teche and cannon balls landing in his cane fields. On Nov. 8, 1863, Palfrey wrote that Union soldiers appeared in his fields and took away 13 men including George and Ambrose, both sons of Sally. He also recorded that troops camped on his plantation, “plundering me & my Negro cabins.” On March 22, 1864, Palfrey wrote that a very large number of Negroes ‘absconded’ from neighboring plantations and followed the Union army. He wrote repeatedly about carts being loaded with foodstuff and driven by Bob, Ambrose, Perry, Willis, Grandison and Jacob to his Cypremort plantation.
Palfrey wrote January 10, 1863 that “the measles had broken out badly among my Negroes in Cypremort.” Sally died April 2, 1864 at the age of fifty-eight. Fifteen days later her 24-year-old daughter Mahaley died in Franklin, LA. Sally’s 21-year-old daughter Phoebe died on the Cypremort plantation on May 27, 1864. Undoubtedly, Sally and others undoubtedly experienced many emotions as they found themselves on the brink of great change while at the same time standing in the midst of chaos, fear and upheaval.
Sam and Mima were named in the March 9, 1811 purchase of slaves from Richard Relf and Beverly Chew by John Palfrey that included my Gibson family (Aime, Tom, Bob, Joe, Ben & Caroline) . An image of that sale is included below:
The transcribed text pertaining to Sam and Mima reads thus: one other male Negro slave named Sam aged about thirty years together with one other female slave named Mima aged abut twenty-five years and two slave children of the said Sam and Mima towit: Sally and Anna and slave Maria niece of Mima.
Sally was my 3rd great-grandmother. She and James Morgan were the parents of Ambrose Morgan, my 2nd great-grandfather. This means that Anna was my great-great aunt, making her children: Moses, Charles, William and Caroline and their descendants my distant cousins!!! I traced the Woodlins out of curiosity without knowing that they were DNA kin. And now I’ve found an Ancestry DNA match that includes those names!
My Maryland-Louisiana Roots 