Fragmented Families
Thomas Brumfield Guardian
I have taken a long sabbatical from blogging but
not from my search of tree family history. I will continue to continue to
blog and hopefully more family members will follow the blog.
One of my primary interests in my family trees is
to go beyond the brick wall of 1870. The year 1870 is the first time that
black Africans previously enslaved in the United States were identified in the
United State census. I realize that my ancestors may have been
sold, freed before the Emancipation Proclamation, escaped from enslavement,
transported to other continents during the diaspora and died unidentified.
Identification of different families father,
mother and children have been the nucleus of my research. Many
of the families however have been fragmented. It is my attempt to
identify descendants of fragmented families which include widows and orphans. I
would like to start a series of blogs that I call The Guardians. This series
is based on information I have found related to my family trees.
The 1865 Mississippi Black Codes further
restricted and regulated the lives of freed black people. The
Apprentice laws stated that any child under 18 years old who was an orphan
or family unable to provide support for the child could be assigned to the
former owner. Black men with limited rights were the guardians of the
family, widows, and orphans after slavery. I have chosen the term
"Guardians" because all women had minimal social and no voting
rights. Black orphans had no rights.
This research project is constantly
evolving because I am looking for new information. In reviewing some of
my research, I found the names of children who had guardians of my trees in
Pike County, Mississippi.
Thomas Brumfield (1852-1926) was a child of Liddie and Louis (?) Brumfield. He was a farmer and homesteaded land in Pike County, Mississippi. Thomas and Celia
(1850-unknown) had a daughter Mary. Mary Brumfield married Willis (Parker) Bowens on January
11, 1894 in Pike County, Mississippi File # 0043983 Book "D" page 322. Mary
and Willis Bowens are enumerated with their children in the Pike County,
Mississippi 1900 Federal census.
 |
Source Citation
Year: 1900; Census Place: Beat 1, Pike, Mississippi; Page: 5; Enumeration District: 0105; FHL microfilm: 1240825
|
Bowens Willis Head B Oct 1861 32
Mary Wife B Dec 1877 23
Courtney Daughter B Dec 1895 4
Isaac Son B Mar 1897 2
Thomas Son B Jan 1900 4/12
By 1910 Mary and Willis with their children were living in the household of Tom and Celia Brumfield Mary's parents. Courtney is not listed with the family.
 |
Source Citation
Year: 1910; Census Place: Beat 1, Pike, Mississippi; Roll: T624_756; Page: 1A; Enumeration District: 0094; FHL microfilm: 1374769
|
Brumfield Thomas Head M 58
Celia wife F 49
Bowens Mary daughter F 33
Isaac grandson M 12
Thomas grandson M 10
Mattie granddaughter F 8
Willis Jr. grandson M 6
Nehemiah grandson M 4
Rosebel grandson M 1 10/12
(Roosevelt)
Mary Bowens died sometime in 1914 at the age of 33 years old. I do not know the cause of death and have not located a death certificate. His father Thomas Brumfield became the guardian of her children. I have not located any additional information concerning Willis Bowens.
In this document dated December 17, 1914, Thomas Brumfield Sr. takes responsibility for his daughter Mary Bowens' estate and agrees to take inventory of her goods, and chattels (personal possessions) and pay her debts.
In my blog post Six Degrees of Separation Caston & Brumfield families Part 12 date 2/24/2015, I discuss Tom Brumfield and some of Mary's children.
In my blog post Six Degrees of Separation Caston & Brumfield families Part 12 date 2/24/2015, I discuss Tom Brumfield and some of Mary's children.
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