A Brick In The Wall Has Fallen Part 4 Eli Brumfield

Eli Brumfield

 

This is Part 4 of a series identifying the individuals in the above photograph. This photograph is significate because it is one of the few known pictures of my Black ancestors. It also shows a picture of the individual who subjugated them to slavery.   Eli Brumfield is identified in the above picture as the black man standing on the right side in the picture. Eli lived most of his life in the Pike County, Mississippi area.  I was first able to identify Eli Brumfield 14 years old in the Pike County, Mississippi 1870 census.  In this census, he is enumerated with his presumptive father Isham "Bromfield" Brumfield 49 and his siblings Hester 13  and Henrietta 10 years old.

Year: 1870; Census Place: Township 2 Range 9 East, Pike, Mississippi; Roll: M593_745; Page: 131B; Family History Library Film: 552244

Year: 1870; Census Place: Township 2 Range 9 East, Pike, Mississippi; Roll: M593_745; Page: 131B; Family History Library Film: 552244  Transcribed  Isham Bromfield

Eli Brumfield 24 years old is enumerated in the 1880 Pike County, Mississippi Federal Census with a wife Sarah 17 years old and a daughter  Keziah 1 year old. Please note Isham and Henrietta Brumfield his daughter are enumerated in the household above them on the census page. Isham Brumfield's health is recorded as blind at home and not a farmer. It is reasonable to infer that Eli is the son of Isham Brumfield because they were enumerated in the 1870 census and lived near each other in the 1880 census

Source Citation Year: 1880; Census Place: Pike, Mississippi; Roll: 662; Page: 353C; Enumeration District: 037

  

 

Source Citation Year: 1880; Census Place: Pike, Mississippi; Roll: 662; Page: 353C; Enumeration District: 037 Transcribed Isham Brumfield and Eli Brumfield

Eli and Sally and their children are enumerated in the 1900 Pike County, Mississippi Federal Census. This census is informative because month and year of birth information are given. There are some discrepancies noted from the prior census records. In the 1880 census, Eli's wife's name is Sarah and she and her parents were born in Louisiana. In the 1900 census, Eli's wife Sally and parents were born in Mississippi.  Sally is a nickname for Sarah and she is probably the same individual in both census records.  There are also name spelling discrepancies. Eli and Sarah couldn't read or write so the enumerator was responsible for the name spelling. Eli's occupation was a farmer and he rented the land which is designated on the census form. An individual who farmed rented land was considered a sharecropper. A sharecropper has a legal arraignment with a landowner which allowed him to use the land for a share of the crops which was grown on the land. 

Year: 1900; Census Place: Beat 1, Pike, Mississippi; Page: 11; Enumeration District: 0105; FHL microfilm: 1240825

Year: 1900; Census Place: Beat 1, Pike, Mississippi; Page: 11; Enumeration District: 0105; FHL microfilm: 1240825 Transcribed Eli Brumfield and family

There are major discrepancies in the information correlated with family in the family of Eli and Sarah (Sally) Brumfield. In the 1900 census, Sally is listed as having 5 children and 5 living. There are however  7 children listed as her children. 

More information to come.

-----The Tree Gardener

Brumfield Settlement Part 3

Isham Brumfield

Irvin and Robert Brumfield homesteaded 80 and 160 acres respectively in Pike County Mississippi. My mother Irvin Brumfield’s granddaughter stated that Isham or possibly Isom Brumfield was Irvin’s father.  I have yet been unable to verify this information. Subsequent research suggests that this information is incorrect.  Isham Brumfield (Broomfield/ Bromfield) however homestead 160.26 acres of land in Walkers Bridge, Pike County, Mississippi beginning in December 1870. At the time of his homestead, his family consisted of 3 children.  The 1870 Federal Pike County census lists Isham Brumfield as 49 years old with 3 children Eli 14, Henrietta 18, and Hester 10.  His initial application was filed on March 6, 1873. 

  He almost missed the opportunity to own the land because of a missed proof filing date. He missed the filling date after five weekly notices dated from March 12^th to April 9 1880 in the newspaper Magnolia Gazette.   He requested that his homestead application be reinstated which was canceled on January 14, 1881.   The reason for the missed filing in the request for reinstatement was secondary to “severe disease of both of his eyes from which he became totally blind.” and ignorance of the law.  In the testimony of the claimant dated October 21, 1881, he stated he was 63 years old with three children.  He had a dwelling house, and stables valued at $200.00 and cultivated 20 acres, and raised 5 crops. His witnesses Solomon Singleton and Jacob Ellzey also verified his homestead from December, 1870 to October 12, 1881.    Isham Brumfield displayed fortitude of character because with sightlessness his homestead was reinstated and he received title to the land on December 13, 1884.