Six Degrees of separation The Edmund (Edmun) Downs Family Part 1

The one major brick wall in black African American genealogy is events before 1870. In my search for my family roots, I have looked for names, locations and relationships with other families. Possibly through this search, I might find more information about my family. I have found families who lived in Mississippi and Louisiana who married or were neighbors of my ancestors.  Following the end of the Civil War in May, 1865 freedmen signed labor contracts to earn a living.  In the reviewing the Mississippi Archives for Pike County, Mississippi, I found the Edmund Downs family.

Name	Age	Planter	Date
Greene	16	Bacut? , Levy	10/12/1865
Edith	18	Bacut?, Levy	10/12/1865
Matilda	24	Bacut?, Levy	10/12/1865
Sarah	28	Bacut?, Levy	10/12/1865
Courtney	15	Bacut?, Levy	10/12/1865
Charles	17	Bacut?, Levy	10/12/1865
Caroline	35	Bacut?, Levy	10/12/1865
Edmund	35	Bacut?, Levy	10/12/1865

Edmund Downs Freedmen labor contract

How do I know this is the Edmund Downs Family? I will show evidence that this is the Downs Family in Part 2

Six Degrees of Separation

There is a theory that everyone is  separated  from each other  by only  six connections  or less. The connections of people are possibly of affiliation or kin.   This is known as six degrees of separation.  I became more cognizant of personal connections   every time I have logged onto Facebook or Linkedin.  I know someone who knows some else, who knows someone else ---who now I know.   In the process of my ancestral search, I have tried to use similar associations and links.  I have followed many family trees because of these links to my ancestral family tree. 

In the southern counties of Mississippi and adjacent northern parishes of Louisiana, clusters of the same surnames have appeared in my research.  I have made the hypothesis that 1) most of the members of the trees were slaves 2)they were connected by geography  3) lived  during the same time  4) they might know each other or the  slave holder 5) did not relocate after the Civil War  6) they did not die prematurely prior to 1870 census.   I know my hypothesis has many gaps.

In 1860 Federal census southern counties in Mississippi there were Pike, Marion, Amite, Wilkinson and Hancock. T he northern border of Louisiana in Washington Parish, St Helene, Tangipahoa, East Feliciana and West Feliciana. 

Genealogist Michael Hait  research  “Mississippi had the highest number of slaveholders relative to its total population, but the number of slaveholders even in Mississippi was only 3.91% of the total population of that state. Over 55% of the total population of that state were slaves.”

MISSISSIPPI   NUMBER OF SLAVES IN 1860*

County	Slaves	Male	Female
Pike	4,935	2441	2494
Amite	7,900	3972	3928
Wilkinson	13,132	6541	6591
Marion	2,185	1104	1081
Hancock	19,241	9924	9317

 LOUISIANA   NUMBER OF SLAVES IN 1860*

Parish	Slaves	Male	Female
Washington	1,690	845	845
St Helene	3,711	1,906	1805
Tangipahoa	0	0	0
East Feliciana	10593	5162	5431
West Feliciana	9,571	4,852	4719
St Tammany	1,841	989	845

*Source University of Virginia Library Census Browser

I am seaching through these counties for connections.      The Tree Gardener

                                                                             

Life

I have not made a recent post. I have been dealing the with problems that can occur in the garden of life.  Life's complications can prevent the tending of genealogy trees.   I have spent years in research of the roots of these trees.  It is now time for me to continue to share  information. 

Ervin, Irvine, Irving, Irvin Part Three

In July, 2010 I had the opportunity to attend the Caston-Brumfield family reunion in Atlanta, Georgia.   Some of the descendants of  Louis Brumfield, Calvin Caston and Liddie were present.  Calvin and Liddie Caston children  descendants’  Eliza, Rosann, Isham, Jessie and Monroe Caston were not  located at that time.  I was present at the reunion as a descendant of Irvin Brumfield.

  After the reunion, I   had the opportunity to do additional research.  There is another Irvin Brumfield!  At the Mississippi Department of Archives & History Library, the enumeration of Pike County  Educable children records are available. These records can also be found on FamilySearch.com.   The records are divided into white and black children. These records have great information because they give a record of relationships during non-federal census years. The 1878 school lists include the name of the child, age, sex, race, and election district or ward. In the 1878 school records, I found black Irvin Brumfield 7 years old( born about 1871 ) and Tom Brumfield 9 years old( born about 1869) in Pike County the Holmesville Precinct. Another black Irvin Brumfield is 5 years old (born about 1873) in Pike County the Holmesville Precinct.    In the Review of  MDAH Mf# 14646 for 1900  the following are listed for 1916

Black race  Township 2 Range 9 Pink Hill  Parent or Guardian  Irvin Brumfield  Name of Children : Jessie 18 , Beulah 17, Rosa 15, Alexander 13 , Albert 10, Little 7 , Emma 5

This Irvin Brumfield could possibly be related to Louis Brumfield and Liddie.  Irvin Brumfield who is 5 years old is probably the descendant of my ancestor Irvin Brumfield Sr. Irvin Brumfield Sr. (my ancestor)  a neighbor and counterpart of Calvin Caston.   
                                                                                                    

                                                                                   ------The Tree Gardener