Six Degrees of Separation Caston & Brumfield Families Part 1

While searching for genealogy information, I had an opportunity to meet a cousin online.  I later attended a family reunion and found a connection between the Brumfield and the Caston families.  Liddie (last name unknown) was the mother of the Brumfield and Caston children.   Louis Brumfield was Liddie's first husband.  I have been unable to locate Louis in census records or verify when he died. According to her death certificate, she was born in Mississippi and her parents are unknown. Her approximate date of birth is December 1825 from the Federal 1900 census. She is thought to have been 93 years upon her death on July 5, 1916. Calvin Caston was born in Mississippi approximately April 1832 and was married to Liddie in 1872 from the Federal 1900 census. I have been unable to verify when he died at this time.

  Liddie and Louis Brumfield's children           
1)      Richard Brumfield
2)     Frank Brumfield
3)     Irving Brumfield
4)     Tom Brumfield
5)     Elvira Brumfield
6)     Rosann Brumfield
7)     Isham Brumfield

Liddie and Calvin Caston

1)      Green Caston
2)     Silas Caston
3)     Jesse Caston
4)     Adline Caston
5)     Monroe Caston

UPDATE June 21, 2022

Since the original blog post on February 21, 2014, I have found additional information. Calvin Caston died on July 19, 1912. This information was obtained from his will. The children of Liddie (Lydia) Brumfield Caston.

The children of Liddie (Lydia) and Louis Brumfield are the following: 

1)    Richard Brumfield
2)   Frank Brumfield
3)   Irving Brumfield
4)   Tom Brumfield

The children of Liddie (Lydia) and Calvin Caston are the following:

1)     Elvira Brumfield
2)     Rosann Brumfield
3)     Isham Brumfield

4)     Green Caston
5)     Silas Caston
6)     Jesse Caston
7)     Adline Caston
8)    Monroe Caston

 The research continues.

----- The Tree Gardener

Tombstone Tuesday Fannie McGowen Brumfield

 

Inscription

MOTHER

Fannie Brumfield

1884-1945

 

 Fannie McGowen  Brumfield was the wife of Isom Brumfield Sr. They were married in 1917 according to the Federal 1910. She was born in Mississippi.

 



Tombstone Tuesday Isom Brumfield Sr

Isom Brumfield Sr. Pike County Mississippi

 

 inscription 

Isom Brumfield

 1883 - 1961

A Loving Husband & Father

 

 

Isom Brumfield Sr. was a farmer and the son of Irvin Brumfield and Lue (Louisa) Ellzey (McEwen) .   His death certificate states date of birth December 27, 1883 and date of death September 3, 1961. On his World War I registration record  the date of birth is December 27, 1880 he lived 80 years 8 months and 8 days from this date.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Six Degrees of separation The Edmund (Edmun) Downs Family Part 3

I was able to locate the Edmund Downs children in the 1885 Pike County in Holmesville School census. The children Milford, Jeremiah and W Buckhalter with Edmund Downs designated as "Gdn" guardian are located in the census separately from the Downs children.  These records show that Edmond Downs was responsible for Caroline his wife's children.  The following is the transcribed information.

"Mississippi Enumeration of Educable Children, 1850-1892; 1908-1957," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:939F-PV9F-WD?cc=1856425&wc=M6NC-7P8%3A167436801%2C167437202 : 18 September 2015), Pike > 1885 > image 6 of 178; Government Records, Jackson.  EDMUND DOWNS Gdn

"Mississippi Enumeration of Educable Children, 1850-1892; 1908-1957," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:939F-PV9F-7F?cc=1856425&wc=M6NC-7P8%3A167436801%2C167437202 : 18 September 2015), Pike > 1885 > image 8 of 178; Government Records, Jackson. EDMOND DOWNS

CHILDREN	AGE	SEX	PARENT/ GUARDIAN Edmund Downs
Richard	19	M
Ann	17	F
Thomas	15	M
Mary	11	F
Edmund	5	M
Buckhaltter  Milford	16	M
Buckhalter  Jeremiah (Jerry)	12	M
Buckhalter  W	8	M

The homestead of Edmun Downs was also identified in the 1880 Federal Agriculture Census located on line 6 and Frank Brumfield on line 9. 

From the labor contract, population and agriculture census and school records, I have been able to identify the Edmond Downs family and break down the 1870 brick wall.

--- The Tree Gardener

Updated October 4, 2022

Going to School

It was through school records that I looked for genealogy information.  In previous posts, I made some connections in the Brumfield tree. In the segregated post-Civil War south, racial designations of colored and white are present in many records. School records were not an exception. The geographic locality of many families can often be found by race in the school records. I have started my research with Pike County, Mississippi school reports.

This division of races has helped me find information. The Bureau of Refugees, Freedmen and Abandon Lands established from March, 1865 to April, 1872   was established to help impecunious survivors of the Civil War.  The Freedman’s Bureau helped launch early schools. Pre-Civil War laws precluded slave education which increased dependency on the slaveholder.  Literacy allows autonomy that is beyond the physical ties of slavery. 

1870 CENSUS

County	COLORED POPULATION		COLORED MALES 10-14 WHO CANNOT WRITE	COLORED FEMALES 10-14 WHO CANNOT WRITE	COLORED MALES 15-20 WHO CANNOT WRITE	COLORED FEMALES 15-20 WHO CANNOT WRITE	COLORED MALES 21 AND OVER WHO CANNOT WRITE	COLORED FEMALES 21 AND OVER WHO CANNOT WRITE
PIKE	5,312	363		340	292	336	872	945

 Many families including their children had signed labor contracts and initially did not attend school.  The necessities of life food, clothing, and shelter were the priorities at that time. I, however, was able to find family trees and branches in later school records.    

1870 CENSUS

County	COLORED POPULATION	COLORED MALES ATTENDING SCHOOL	COLORED FEMALES ATTENDING SCHOOL
Pike	5,312	33	45