Gale (Gayle) Brumfield Part 3

 

Gale Brumfield established a homestead in Washington Parish, Louisiana filed December 10, 1869 and finalized June 13, 1876. He continued to work as a farmer on the homestead which can be verified at least to October 23, 1879.  Gale Brumfield and Ned Brock served as witnesses for the homestead of Sampson Dyson in Washington, Parish, Louisiana. 

St. Tammany Farmer
Covington, Louisiana
01 Nov 1879, Sat  •  Page 3

In March 22, 1883 in the Magnolia Gazette in a Petition For Retail License Gale Brumfield name is listed along with other residents of Pike County, Mississippi. It is not clear why he left his homestead and moved to Pike County. Gale and his children listed in the Pike County, Mississippi 1885 school census. Image of the school census seen in prior blog. 

 Gale is  later found in the 1900 Federal Census for Yazoo County, Mississippi. Enumeration of his family at the bottom of the page.

Year: 1900; Census Place: Green Hill, Yazoo, Mississippi; Page: 6; Enumeration District: 0123; FHL microfilm: 1240835

 Household Member               Age           Relationship

Gale Brumfield	80	Head
Harriet Brumfield	64	Wife
Joseph Brumfield	20	Son
Jennett Jones	34	Daughter

I have been unable to locate a death certificate for Gale or Harriet Brumfield.  From the Social Security information for their child Joseph (Broomfield) Brumfield, Harriet's maiden name is Sanderson. I have obtained a death certificate of  Grant Brumfield their son and his mother's surname is Washington the informant was Oscar Brumfield  both older brothers of Joseph.

  From research, several of his children continued to reside in Washington Parish, Louisiana as adults. I have not been able to establish a family connection of Liddie Brumfield Caston or Calvin Caston.  From the 1885 Pike County school census , it is clear that Gale Brumfield knew Liddie's children.   Descendants of  Gale Brumfield married into the family descendants of Ned Brock, Washington Jackson and Van Causey.

---- The Tree Gardener
  

A Dream Fulfilled

 

 

Today is Resurrection Easter Sunday April 4, 2021.  It is also the day 53 years ago that Martin Luther King Jr. was fatally shot in Memphis, Tennessee. This year his dream was fulfilled by my family. 

After over 25 years, I was able to break through a brick wall.   I had been stymied and tried many techniques and research to overcome the brick wall in front of me. My success had come from an unlikely source that I had not previously known.  Let me start from my genesis the beginning to tell of my revelation.

Years ago I was inspired by Alex Haley and the television mini-series ROOTS.  In the television presentation, Alex Haley a Black African American  man traced his family tree from the enslavement of his ancestors in America to the kidnapping of his ancestor from Africa.  I believed  that my ancestors had  interesting lives and a story for me to tell.    I became my family’s  self-elected family historian. I attended many family reunions, genealogy conferences, archives and libraries in search of information about my ancestors. I created a blog an online journal of my family’s history in 2012.   During the Covid-19 pandemic, my cousins established a nightly family ZOOM  video conference meeting. Three nights a week we discuss our genealogy, family stories and make additions to the family tree using Ancestry.com and compared DNA analysis.

One of the major challenges in African American genealogy research is obtaining information prior to 1870. This date is particularly important because prior to that time enslaved black people were not included in the United States federal census. Identifying the former slave owner and information prior to 1870  is considered a brick wall.  Through the serendipity of fate a brick in my wall had fallen. My great discovery was a picture posted on Ancestry.com of my great-great-grandmother an enslaved woman born in 1825 with 3 other relatives.   I was ecstatic, thrilled and excited. After years of research, I could now associate a name with an image.

On the photo also was a picture of the male former slave owner.  The picture had been posted on Ancestry.com by a descendant of the former slave owner.  I wanted to learn more so I contacted the slave owner’s descendant a great-great granddaughter. Without hesitation, I asked her to write about her ancestor on my blog and join the family ZOOM for one night. She accepted my invitation.  Maybe she could share more information. Possibly my cousins had questions that I had not considered. My cousins should be excited.  At least I thought. Well, my cousins were suspicious and felt the safe space of the family ZOOM had been disrupted, invaded and violated by my invitation. From their discussion, I felt like my naked body had been dragged over hot coals. It was too late the date and time had been set for the ZOOM meeting. I had no intentions of rescinding the invitation.

The great-great-granddaughter and her daughter logged onto the ZOOM call. These 2 Caucasian women I knew would be facing an encounter with 10 Black people. There were introductions of family members including locations. The conversation was pleasant, informative and copacetic.  There were a few jokes and some laughter.  Our ZOOM guest however mentioned that one of her ancestors fathered a child with a black woman. There was more to the story of our ancestors than the picture. More information for a later day. I hoped to be able to continue our communication and maintain a relationship. I will be forever grateful that she posted what I have dubbed "The Ancestral Picture."   

Martin Luther King Jr. on August 28, 1963 in Washington D.C. said   I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia, the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit together at the table of brotherhood.   Well, 58 years later my family members descendants of former enslaved were able to have an enjoyable ZOOM conversation with descendants of the former slave owners. A dream has been fulfilled.

 

----- The Tree Gardener

     

Gale (Gayle) Brumfield part 2

Gale Brumfield Homestead 

Gale Brumfield was a farmer in Washington Parish, Louisiana.   He obtained his land through the homestead application  #1153 which was initially filed in December 10, 1869. 

According to the 1870 census , Gale Brumfield would have been 44 years old at the time of his application.  In the Final Proof document of the homestead application, he had a wife and eight children and cultivated 40 acres with the improvements of a corn crib, smoke house and stable.

 March 14, 1876  almost 7 years after the initial application  he later satisfied the necessary requirements for the homestead. Gale Brumfield was able to receive final approval June 13, 1876 of 153 acres of land in Washington Parish, Louisiana. 

Gale Brumfield continued to work his homestead. He is enumerated in the 1880 Federal Agriculture census for Washington Parish, Louisiana. His name is the second name listed.

----- The Tree Gardener

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

Washington Parish, Louisiana Labor Contracts

From caucasian Brumfield genealogy, it is known that Brumfield families travelled from the Carolinas and established homes in Pike County, Mississippi as well as Washington Parish, Louisiana  which was formed from a portion of St Tammany Parish in 1819. 

Following the American Civil War, the Bureau of Refugees, Freedmen, and Abandoned Lands also known as the Freedman's Bureau was created in 1865. The former enslaved people without money and  few personal possessions  signed labor agreements.  Labor contracts were established with former enslaved people in order to provide food, clothing and housing.   In a prior post "Climbing the Brick Wall",  records of the Bureau of Refugees   Freedmen and Abandoned Lands, Louisiana 1865-1872 I found the following the following labor contract. The people in this labor contract in agreement with Wiley G. Collins was signed in Washington Parish, Louisiana in September 18, 1865 .  Wiley G. Collins signed other labor contracts.  Some of the individuals listed  are relatives of Eli Brumfield from the census and records presented in previous blog posts.  The labor contract does not mention the surname Brumfield. There are two records of the labor contract agreement. The first is the actual contract which was on a previous blog post. It is listed again because of additional information. 

 

Charlotte 48 years old (infirm) was the probable wife of Isham Brumfield. Charlotte's grandchildren are identified as Keziah (Kizzie) 4, Charlotte (Lottie) 8 and Wade 10 years old.  She is not enumerated in the 1870 census with Isham Brumfield and children because being infirm or sick probably died. 

 Sarah (Sally) 23 years old is named on the labor contract. Sarah (Sally) has been identified as the wife of Eli Brumfield. Sally and Eli had two daughters Charlotte (Lottie) 8 and Keziah (Kizzie) 4 which are enumerated in federal census records  as their children and are the grandchildren of Charlotte from this labor contact.  Harriet 28 years old was the probable wife of Gale(Gayle) Brumfield. I have not given information concerning Gale Brumfield's family at this time but will be featured in future blogs. The most valuable piece of information is the notation at the bottom of the page "the whole of the above are one family". There are major discrepancies in the documentation information  with other records correlated with these families. The ages of the individuals doesn't correspond with subsequent information in later federal census enumerations and school records.  There is also a book ledger Records of the field offices of the state of Louisiana,  Bureau of Refugees, Freedmen, and Abandoned Lands,  1863-1872. 

In the ledger, there are additional pieces of information not present on the labor contract. There are individuals who might be related to a black Brumfield families namely Hester 25, Thomas 25 and Irvin 14. There are children described as orphans Mary 8, Ophelia 4 and Sam 2.  Specific information about Minerva Arg?? 30 portion of  corn agreement with husband $3 pr month to stay as before rations + clothes + came on place Aug 15 having been away for 2 years.
There are other also people I have not identified them with the Brumfield surname. I have included other labor contracts that are associated with names entered in the ledger.  More to come.

-----The Tree Gardener

FOOTNOTES

1 "Louisiana Freedmen's Bureau Field Office Records, 1865-1872," images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-99G2-6SXW?cc=2333781&wc=STRY-SPF%3A1458447902%2C1444396285 : 20 January 2015), Amite City (assistant superintendent and assistant sub assistant commissioner) > Roll 58, Register of contracts, Jun 1865-Oct 1866 > image 4 of 44; citing NARA microfilm publications M1905 and M1483 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.).

2 "Louisiana Freedmen's Bureau Field Office Records, 1865-1872," images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-99G2-6SXW?cc=2333781&wc=STRY-SPF%3A1458447902%2C1444396285 : 20 January 2015), Amite City (assistant superintendent and assistant sub assistant commissioner) > Roll 58, Register of contracts, Jun 1865-Oct 1866 > image 4 of 44; citing NARA microfilm publications M1905 and M1483 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.).

A Brick in the Wall Has Fallen Part 8 Henry Sims Brumfield Sr.

Henry Sims Brumfield Sr.

 

I have asked Laura Brumfield the great-great-granddaughter of Henry Sims  Brumfield Sr. to be my guest blogger. Laura Brumfield is a nurse midwife and retired in 2019 after 40 years of working in public health. She grew up all over the western United States as an Air Force brat. She has been exploring her family’s ancestors for 5 years, mostly her mother's Mexican heritage, until the last couple of years when receiving Brumfield family documents following her father's death in 2017. 

In her own words....

 

Enlargement

A Brick in the Wall Has Fallen Part 7 Henry Sims Brumfield Sr.

 

Henry Sims Brumfield Sr.

This is part 7 of a series identifying the individuals in the above photograph. Henry Sims Brumfield Sr. is identified in the above picture as the seated Caucasian man on the left. He has been identified as the former slave owner of Richard Brumfield in a newspaper article dated February 22, 1935. The ancestors and family of Henry Sims Brumfield Sr. have been chronicled by many of his descendants in detail which dates include the 1700s in the states of Virginia, North and South Carolina. They later also migrated to the future states of Mississippi and Louisiana. 

The Mississippi Territory was a land area that included present-day states of Mississippi and Louisiana. Spain had previously abandoned its' previous claim to this land in 1795. The state of Georgia also relinquished its claim after a major land scandal ( the Yazoo land scandal) perpetrated by the governor of Georgia in 1802.  The Territory of Mississippi was occupied at that time by the Natchez, Choctaw, Chickasaw, Biloxi, Pascagoula, Chocchuma, Tunica, Yazoo and other indigenous groups.  On April 7,1798,  the United States Congress organized the Territory of Mississippi and it was opened for settlement.      

With the patent of the cotton gin in 1794 and fertile farmland in the Mississippi Territory, there was a great migration to this area.  This migration pattern is now known as The Great Mississippi Migration of 1798 to 1819.  This land area offered better agricultural and economic opportunities for those who lived in the Carolinas, Virginia and Georgia.

The ancestors of Henry S. Brumfield were part of this migration. They resided in South Carolina in the late 1700s.  "On November 11, 1811 a passport was issued by the governor of Georgia to John Brumfield (Henry S. grandfather) with his wife 11 children and 3 Negroes from York District South Carolina to travel through to the Indian Nation to the Western Country. " *The John Brumfield family and adult children established settlements in Saint Tammany (later Washington) Parish, Louisiana and Pike County, Mississippi. 

Louisiana became a state on April 30, 1812. The western area of the Mississippi Territory on December 10, 1817 became the state of Mississippi.  The family of Henry Sims Brumfield Sr. was well established in Pike County, Mississippi and Washington Parish, Louisiana.

Ancestors of Henry Sims Brumfield Sr. history are intertwined with some of my former black enslaved ancestors.  The ancestral photograph with my black ancestors Richard Brumfield, Eli Brumfield, Liddie Brumfield Caston and Calvin Caston is the only known photograph of them. Our family is forever grateful to Laura Brumfield the great-great-granddaughter of Henry Sims Brumfield Sr. for making this photograph available. I have asked Laura Brumfield to be my guest blogger.  More to come.

References

*Brumfield Histories by Albert R. Brumfield and Alma Dell Clawson 

Fields of Broom John Brumfield and Margaret Kelly, Their Ancestors & Descendants: with Added Reference Correspondence and Notes Concerning Other Groups.

Source Records From Pike County, Mississippi 1703-1910 by Luke Ward Conerly 

Ancestry.com and Find A Grave 

-------The Tree Gardener

Tombstone Tuesday Bertha Collins Gatlin and Jethro Leander Gatlin

PINK HILL CHURCH CEMETERY

Pink Hill Church cemetery is located 1154 Jewell Dr. McComb, Mississippi 39648  across the street from the church.

Bertha Collins Gatlin and Jethro Leander Gatlin

Bertha Collins Gatlin and Jethro Leander Gatlin attended the Pink Hill church and are buried in this cemetery. They were  married for over fifty years and died on the same day.  Jethro Gatlin was the son of Jack Gatlin.

 

Precious are our memories ...

---The Tree Gardener

A Brick In The Wall has Fallen Part 6 Eli Brumfield

 

Eli Brumfield

This is Part 6 of a series identifying the individuals in the above photograph. Eli Brumfield is identified in the above picture as the black man standing on the right side in the picture. Eli has been identified to have lived his entire adult life in Pike County, Mississippi. He and his family are enumerated in the 1920 and 1930 Pike County, Mississippi Federal Census. In the 1920 census, states Eli and Sally were able to read and write.  He continued to work on the farmland that he owned at age 66. They are enumerated with Eli's female cousin and children with the last name Thomas. Their given names written are probable transcription errors. I have been unable to identify them at this time. 

Source Citation Year: 1920; Census Place: Leggett, Pike, Mississippi; Roll: T625_891; Page: 22B; Enumeration District: 100

Source Citation Year: 1920; Census Place: Leggett, Pike, Mississippi; Roll: T625_891; Page: 22B; Enumeration District: 100 transcribed Eli Brumfield 

In the 1930 census, Eli owned his farm but didn't own a radio. In this census Eli, Sallie and Dudley could not read or write.   

"United States Census, 1930," database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:X9MQ-P8X : accessed 8 February 2021), Eli Brunfield, Beat 1, Pike, Mississippi, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) ED 1, sheet 4B, line 55, family 84, NARA microfilm publication T626 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 2002), roll 1162; FHL microfilm 2,340,897. 

 

"United States Census, 1930," database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:X9MQ-P8X : accessed 8 February 2021), Eli Brunfield, Beat 1, Pike, Mississippi, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) ED 1, sheet 4B, line 55, family 84, NARA microfilm publication T626 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 2002), roll 1162; FHL microfilm 2,340,897. Transcribed Eli Brumfield family

Eli Brumfield died June 2, 1933 in Pike County, Mississippi. A list of births and deaths was reported in the local newspaper under "Colored" deaths. His name is listed near the end of the notice.

Semi-Weekly Journal (McComb, Mississippi) · 27 Jul 1933, Thu · Page 3

 

On Eli Brumfield's death certificate, Sally Brumfield was the informant. They were married for over 50 years.  His parent's names were Isom and Charlotte Brumfield and the etiology of his death was heart disease and "old age".  The interment of his remains is in the Pink Hill Cemetery. 
 

Sallie Brumfield 80 years old was enumerated in the 1940 Pike County census with her son Dudley. I have not located her date of death.  

------ The Tree Gardener