Six Degrees of Separation

There is a theory that everyone is  separated  from each other  by only  six connections  or less. The connections of people are possibly of affiliation or kin.   This is known as six degrees of separation.  I became more cognizant of personal connections   every time I have logged onto Facebook or Linkedin.  I know someone who knows some else, who knows someone else ---who now I know.   In the process of my ancestral search, I have tried to use similar associations and links.  I have followed many family trees because of these links to my ancestral family tree. 

In the southern counties of Mississippi and adjacent northern parishes of Louisiana, clusters of the same surnames have appeared in my research.  I have made the hypothesis that 1) most of the members of the trees were slaves 2)they were connected by geography  3) lived  during the same time  4) they might know each other or the  slave holder 5) did not relocate after the Civil War  6) they did not die prematurely prior to 1870 census.   I know my hypothesis has many gaps.

In 1860 Federal census southern counties in Mississippi there were Pike, Marion, Amite, Wilkinson and Hancock. T he northern border of Louisiana in Washington Parish, St Helene, Tangipahoa, East Feliciana and West Feliciana. 

Genealogist Michael Hait  research  “Mississippi had the highest number of slaveholders relative to its total population, but the number of slaveholders even in Mississippi was only 3.91% of the total population of that state. Over 55% of the total population of that state were slaves.”

MISSISSIPPI   NUMBER OF SLAVES IN 1860*

County	Slaves	Male	Female
Pike	4,935	2441	2494
Amite	7,900	3972	3928
Wilkinson	13,132	6541	6591
Marion	2,185	1104	1081
Hancock	19,241	9924	9317

 LOUISIANA   NUMBER OF SLAVES IN 1860*

Parish	Slaves	Male	Female
Washington	1,690	845	845
St Helene	3,711	1,906	1805
Tangipahoa	0	0	0
East Feliciana	10593	5162	5431
West Feliciana	9,571	4,852	4719
St Tammany	1,841	989	845

*Source University of Virginia Library Census Browser

I am seaching through these counties for connections.      The Tree Gardener

                                                                             

Life

I have not made a recent post. I have been dealing the with problems that can occur in the garden of life.  Life's complications can prevent the tending of genealogy trees.   I have spent years in research of the roots of these trees.  It is now time for me to continue to share  information. 

Ervin, Irvine, Irving, Irvin Part Three

In July, 2010 I had the opportunity to attend the Caston-Brumfield family reunion in Atlanta, Georgia.   Some of the descendants of  Louis Brumfield, Calvin Caston and Liddie were present.  Calvin and Liddie Caston children  descendants’  Eliza, Rosann, Isham, Jessie and Monroe Caston were not  located at that time.  I was present at the reunion as a descendant of Irvin Brumfield.

  After the reunion, I   had the opportunity to do additional research.  There is another Irvin Brumfield!  At the Mississippi Department of Archives & History Library, the enumeration of Pike County  Educable children records are available. These records can also be found on FamilySearch.com.   The records are divided into white and black children. These records have great information because they give a record of relationships during non-federal census years. The 1878 school lists include the name of the child, age, sex, race, and election district or ward. In the 1878 school records, I found black Irvin Brumfield 7 years old( born about 1871 ) and Tom Brumfield 9 years old( born about 1869) in Pike County the Holmesville Precinct. Another black Irvin Brumfield is 5 years old (born about 1873) in Pike County the Holmesville Precinct.    In the Review of  MDAH Mf# 14646 for 1900  the following are listed for 1916

Black race  Township 2 Range 9 Pink Hill  Parent or Guardian  Irvin Brumfield  Name of Children : Jessie 18 , Beulah 17, Rosa 15, Alexander 13 , Albert 10, Little 7 , Emma 5

This Irvin Brumfield could possibly be related to Louis Brumfield and Liddie.  Irvin Brumfield who is 5 years old is probably the descendant of my ancestor Irvin Brumfield Sr. Irvin Brumfield Sr. (my ancestor)  a neighbor and counterpart of Calvin Caston.   
                                                                                                    

                                                                                   ------The Tree Gardener

Ervin, Irvine, Irving, Irvin Part Two

In July, 2010 I had the opportunity to attend the Caston-Brumfield family reunion in Atlanta, Georgia. At that reunion, another branch and connection was identified to me.  I had an opportunity to meet fellow genealogist and family historians  Roger Wilson and  Belinda “Gail” Howard.   They have been doing reseach on the Caston and Brumfield families.  

From the information presented by Roger,  Louis Brumfield and Liddie were married and had the following children : Richard Brumfield, Frank Brumfield, Irving Brumfield, Tom Brumfield, Eliza Brumfield, Rosann Brumfield and Isham Brumfield. It is not known what happen to Louis Brumfield. 

Liddie latter married Calvin Caston. In the 1900 Federal census they are  listed as married for 28 years with a calculated marriage date of 1872. They had a second set of children: Green Caston, Silas Caston , Jesse Caston, Adline Caston and Monroe Caston.

It is documented that Irvin Brumfield Sr. knew Calvin Caston because he verified residence of   Irvin (Ervine) Brumfield’s homestead application. According to the 1900 Federal census, the birth date of Irvin Brumfield Sr. is 1854 and for Liddie Brumfield is December, 1825 . It is possible that she could be his mother. 

                                                                                                                ------The Tree Gardener

Ervine, Irvine, Irving, Irvin Part 1

It is sometimes difficult to find individuals within a family and their friends. The clues that have been helpful to me have been time period, location and family member names.  Freedmen may have the first name of a parent, grandparent a person they admire or of the former slaveholder. Most freedmen could not read or write and the spelling of their names may have not been consistent.

  

The time period I began the research started in 1817 which is the year the Mississippi became a state in the United States.  The locations I focused on were Pike County, Mississippi and Washington Parish, Louisiana which where the Caucasian Brumfield family and descendants settled from South Carolina recorded in Brumfield Histories by Albert R. Brumfield and Alma Dell Clawson.    Family member names were identified from family stories, vital records, census, and school records.  It is not always clear from records the race of the individuals. The first ancestor I began my initial research was Irvin (Ervine) Brumfield. There are however more than one Irvin.

Irvin Brumfield Sr.  born abt. August, 1846 and died abt 1900 in Mississippi. He married Louisa McEwen (possibly Ellzey) born abt. 1849 died July 20, 1935

 They had the following children: 

           Martha Ann   14 December 1872 - 2 February 1954

    Sherman 24 February 1873 - unknown     

                            Irvin May 1874 -unknown

                       William 02 January 1875 -22 Feb 1959

                               Louis  28 May 1878 - 1965

                        Isom  27 December 1880 -3 September 1963

                          George January 1882-21 February 1959

                          Mamie 23 August 1885-15 April 1972

                            Daisy 1889- December 1964

                            Mattie  06 Sep 1894- 30 January 1959

Two  Irvin Brumfields here father and son