Gail (Gayle) Brumfield

 

I  first identified Gale Brumfield with his children  in the 1885 Pike County, School census. He is listed with  Edmund Downs, Frank Brumfield, Eli Brumfield, Robert Brumfield, Irvine (Irvin) Brumfield, Tom Brumfield and Calvin Caston. It is from this school record I am convinced he knew these men and their families. I decided to search for more information about Gale Brumfield.  

I was able to locate Gail (Gayle) Brumfield in the 1870 Federal Census in  Washington Parish, Louisiana. It is important to note that everyone was born in Mississippi except William 2 years old born in Louisiana. It is inferred that  Theonise Brumfield is his wife. She however was not his wife from other information to follow. The children's names which are enumerated with Gayle Brumfield correspond to the names in the 1885 Pike County, Mississippi school census. 

Year: 1870; Census Place: Ward 2, Washington, Louisiana; Roll: M593_535; Page: 224A; Family History Library Film: 552034

Household Members	Age
Gayle Brumfield	45
Theonise Brumfield	28
George Brumfield	14
Louisa Brumfield	12
Sylvia Brumfield	10
Rosellia Brumfield	8
Martha Brumfield	6
Jeannette Brumfield	4
William Brumfield	2

Gale Brumfield is enumerated in the 1880 Federal census in Edward Dykes, Washington Parish, Louisiana. In this census record his wife is identified as Harriet. Also, Willie 10 and Sylvia 21 are identified as Gale Brumfield's nephew and niece. Theonise Brumfield who is no longer enumerated was possibly Gale Brumfield's sister.

Source Citation Year: 1880; Census Place: Edward Dykes, Washington, Louisiana; Roll: 473; Page: 167D; Enumeration District: 194

Household Members	Age	Relationship
Gale Brumfield	60	Self (Head)
Harriet Brumfield	48	Wife
George W. Brumfield	25	Son
Sylvia Brumfield	21	Daughter
Rosellia Brumfield	19	Daughter
Martha A. Brumfield	17	Daughter
Jennetta Brumfield	14	Daughter
Grant Brumfield	11	Son
Wesley Brumfield	9	Son
Oliver Brumfield	7	Son
Oscar Brumfield	5	Son
Joseph Brumfield	1	Son
Willie Brumfield	15	Nephew
Sylvia Brumfield	21	Niece

From labor contracts from Washington Parish, Louisiana (seen in previous blog), I was able to identify the wife Sarah (Sally) and two children Keziah (Kizzie) and Charlotte (Lottie) of Eli Brumfield. Eli Brumfield was enumerated with them in the Federal Census of Pike County, Mississippi.  Gale Brumfield’s wife Harriet was identified in the labor contract and the 1880 Federal census for Washington Parish, Louisiana.  I do not know at this time if Gale and Harriet Brumfield are related to Eli, Isham, or Charlotte. Their lives and children however are intertwined with each other.    

----- The Tree Gardener

Six Degrees of separation The Edmund (Edmun) Downs Family Part 2

Several of the ways I analyze genealogical data are by geographic location and clustered groups of names. I am still trying to break the 1870 brick wall. Edmund signed the labor contract in May 1865. The next area I investigated was the census records. 

In the 1870 Federal Census for Pike County, Mississippi a Edward Downs is enumerated with Courtney Downs and children. Edward and Edmund are the same individuals.   An important fact to remember is that in the 1870 census, individuals' relationship to each other is not identified.

1870 Federal Census Pike County, Mississippi Township 2 Range 8 Dwelling 193 family 194

Name	Age	Sex	Race	Occupation	Place of birth
Edward	24	male	black	Farm hand	Louisiana
Courtney	26	female	black	Keeping house	Mississippi
Richard	4	male	black		“
Ann	3	female	black		“
Thomas	10/12	male	black		“
Jesse	15	male	black		“

1870 Federal Census Pike County, Mississippi Township 2 Range 8 Dwelling/family 193/194870 F

The children listed were not born in 1865 except Jesse who would have been 10 years old.  In the labor contract, 7 male and 8 female children without names are listed. These children may have been related to Edmund Downs.

In the 1880 Federal Census for Pike County Mississippi, Edmun Downs is listed with Caroline Downs as wife and additional children.  Courtney Downs who was enumerated in 1870 with children Jessie, Richard, Ann and Thomas (Tom) probably died.  Jessie in 1880 would have been 25 years old and possibly living elsewhere or dead.  Edmund has three children enumerated as step-children. Caroline was probably married to Mr. Buckhalter.  Mary Downs and Jerry Buckhalter are both 6 years old and Willis Buckhalter is 3 years old. The age of these three children suggests that Courtney Downs and Mr. Buckhalter died 3 years previously approximately 1877.

1880 United States Federal census Pike County, Mississippi SD 3, ED 37 page 29 dwelling 40 family 41  



Name	Age	Sex	Race	Relationship	Occupation	Place of birth
Edmun Downs	36	male	black		Farming	Louisiana
Caroline Downs	27	female	black	wife	Keeps house	Louisiana
Francis Downs	18	male	black	son	Field hand	Mississippi
Richard Downs	14	male	black	son	Field hand	“
Annie V. Downs	12	female	black	daughter	At home	“
Tom H. Downs	11	male	black	son	“	“
Mary Downs	6	female	black	daughter	“	“
Edmun Downs Jr.	1/12	male	black	son	“	“
Melford Buckhalter	11	male	black	step-son	“	“
Jerry Buckhalter	6	male	black	step-son	“	“
Willis Buckhalter	3	male	black	step-son	“	“




More information on Edmund Downs will be in Part 3

----The Tree Gardener  

Post updated February 9, 2022