Brumfield Genealogy and other Branches and Trees: A Brick In The Wall Has Fallen Part 2 Richard Brumfield

Richard "Dick" Brumfield

In the research of my family tree, one of the biggest challenges is to find information before 1870 in the United States concerning black African Americans. My family’s roots were planted in the southern portion of the United States. Prior to 1865, most black African Americans were someone’s property as slaves. Formerly enslaved individuals were not enumerated in the United States Federal census until 1870. In prior blogs, I have focused on the descendants of Liddie Brumfield Caston an enslaved woman who had two husbands with two sets of children in Mississippi. Louis Brumfield her first husband thought to be an enslaved man was sold or died. Calvin Caston was Liddie’s second husband whom she helped established a homestead. In my blog post "Six Degrees of Separation Caston & Brumfield Families Part 4" information about Richard Brumfield was also given.

Richard Brumfield was one of Liddie and Louis Brumfield's children. Richard Brumfield is identified in the above picture as the black man on the left with his left hand on the shoulder of the seated Caucasian male. He was probably enslaved based on approximate birth years from federal census records, his death certificate and family oral history. Mississippi by law did not require birth or death certificates until November 1, 1912.

I was able to identify a Richard Brumfield in the Pike County, Mississippi 1870 census. It is documented he was 27 years old and enumerated on the third line.

Year: 1870; Census Place: Township 2 Range 9 East, Pike, Mississippi; Roll: M593_745; Page: 126B; Family History Library Film: 552244

1870 Federal Census Pike County Mississippi transcribed copy of entry for Richard Brumfield

Richard (Richard Bromfield) married Catherine Love August 19, 1875 in Hinds county, Mississippi. The marriage was officiated by minister Robert Jones. The official marriage document was recorded August 26, 1875.

Richard and Catherine are found in the 1880 Hinds County, Mississippi Federal Census in the geographic area of Byram and Terry which is located near the city of Jackson, Mississippi. Richard and his parents were born in Mississippi. His occupation was farm labor. Catherine was born in Louisiana and her parents were from " S C" which is the probable designation for South Carolina. They are enumerated in the last family entry on the page. In later Federal census records, Catherine's enumeration states that she and her parents were born in Mississippi.

Year: 1880; Census Place: Byram and Terry, Hinds, Mississippi; Roll: 649; Page: 422D; Enumeration District: 014

1880 Federal Census Pike County Mississippi transcribed copy of entry for Richard Brumfield

School attendance was important to black African Americans following the Civil War. Prior to the war both enslaved and free black African Americans were prohibited by state law from receiving an education. Richard Brumfield was not an exception to the law. In the 1870 Pike County census it is documented that he could not read or write. School census records have been an important source of information for me to document a family location. The schools were segregated into Black "colored" and Caucasian "white" at that time. The school census records reflect this segregation in the documented records. Several sources were available which enabled me to locate the information that is presented. The Mississippi Department of Archives and History in Jackson, Mississippi, Allen County Library in Fort Wayne, Indiana, and the website www.FamilySearch.org.

Richard and his family returned to Pike County, Mississippi by 1885 which is inferred by the school census. Richard and his children are identified and documented in the Tylertown Pike County 1885 school census. Edna age 9, Percy age 7, and Pearlie age 5 are listed. Tylertown was part of Pike County until 1912 when Walthall County was formed.

"Mississippi Enumeration of Educable Children, 1850-1892; 1908-1957," database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QK6W-568F: 17 December 2020), Richard Brumfield in entry for Percy, 1885; citing School enrollment, , Pike, Mississippi, United States, Mississippi Department of Archives & History, Jackson.

Richard "Dick" Brumfield was identified and documented in the Tylertown Pike County 1890 school census. Edna age 17, Percy age 15, Fred 12 Pearlie 10 and Lizzie age 7 are listed.

Allen County Library Fort Wayne, Indiana Pike County, Mississippi Records and Correspondence Black families1890 author Serena Abbess Haymon collation

Richard Brumfield was identified and documented in the Tylertown Pike County 1896 school census. Percy , Fred 14 Pearlie 15 and Lizzie age 12, Dudley 9 and Jesse 7 are listed. I have enlarged the image.

Allen County Library Fort Wayne, Indiana Pike County, Mississippi Records and Correspondence Black families1896 author Serena Abbess Haymon collation

Allen County Library Fort Wayne, Indiana Pike County, Mississippi Records and Correspondence Black families1896 author Serena Abbess Haymon collation Richard Brumfield

Richard Brumfield had an identified second family with Ellen Walker and their children in Pike County, Mississippi. I was able to identify Ellen Walker in the 1880 Pike County, Mississippi Federal census. with children Thomas 11, Irvin 10, Lucius 6, Richard 3 and Charley 1 years of age. She is the fourth household enumerated on the census page.

Year: 1880; Census Place: Pike, Mississippi; Roll: 662; Page: 374D; Enumeration District: 038

Year: 1880; Census Place: Pike, Mississippi; Roll: 662; Page: 374D; Enumeration District: 038 Ellen Walker transcribed

Ellen Walker and her children are identified and documented in the Tylertown Pike County 1885 school census. The children are Tom 18, Irvin 15, Lucius 12, Guy 10 and Caroline 8 years old.

"Mississippi Enumeration of Educable Children, 1850-1892; 1908-1957," database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QK6W-58B9 : 17 December 2020), Ellen Walker in entry for Lucius, 1885; citing School enrollment, , Pike, Mississippi, United States, Mississippi Department of Archives & History, Jackson

Ellen Walker married George Lundy on July 15, 1886 in Pike County, Mississippi. This information was obtained from the Pike County, Mississippi marriage link website file number 0042260 book/page B/95 and Hunting For Bears, comp.. Mississippi Marriages, 1776-1935. Mississippi marriage information taken from county courthouse records. Many of these records were extracted from copies of the original records in microfilm, microfiche, or book format, located at the Family History Library.

In the Pike County, Mississippi school census, Ellen Walker children are established with the surname Brumfield. In the census, Tom Brumfield 20, Ervin (Irvin) Brumfield 19, Lucius 15 Brumfield and the probable children of her husband George Lundy; George Lunda (Lundy) George Lunda (Lundy) 13, Charlie Lunda (Lundy) 12, Howell Lunda (Lundy) 9, Mary Lunda (Lundy) 8 and Martha Lunda (Lundy) 7 are identified.