Putting the Pieces Together Part 3

Isham Brumfield Family

 The Federal Agriculture Non Population census I have found to be helpful in filling in the gaps of missing people and family relationships. The 1870 and 1880 Agriculture Non-Population Census helped fine tune geographic locations. For example, Charlotte Brumfield was the wife of Isham Brumfield.    I found Charlotte listed in Labor contract in 1865 for Washington Parish and the Washington Parish, Louisiana Agriculture census in 1870(shown in prior blogs) .    In the 1870 Federal population census for Pike County, Mississippi Isham Brumfield born in Louisiana is listed with Eli, Hester and Harriet born in Mississippi who are probably his children.  The 1880 Agriculture Census for Pike County, Mississippi lists Isham and Eli Brumfield 

Hope Smith, Bob Magee, Isham Brumfield, Eli Brumfield, Jacob Ellezy, George Lundy, Green Smtih, Casander RimeJames McDaniel  Richard McDanie

 In the homesteader records in 1883, Isham property is near Walker’s Bridge and he states he has three children but no mention of a wife.  Charlotte has probably died.   I know that Charlotte was the wife of Isham because I found an two important pieces of information.  In the 1865 Labor Contract, Charlotte is listed and grandchildren Keziah,Wade and Charlotte are also listed. Eli had a child named Keziah.   Eli Brumfield died in June 2, 1933 in Pike County, Mississippi and his parents are listed as Isom Brumfield and Charlotte Brumfield on the death certificate.

----The Tree Gardener

Putting the pieces together Part 2

The information I used prior blogs in research have been from family stories, Bureau of Land Management and  Federal Population Censuses .  I know that my some of my Brumfield ancestors and their friends were farmers.  I have found information in the Nonpopulation Federal Census Schedules.  I began to look in the Agriculture census and found additional information.

 

In the Agriculture Census  for Washington Parish  Post Office Franklinton July 30, 1870

1870 Agriculture Census Washington Parish Louisiana   Line 8 Sherman Brumfield   Line 9 William Brumfield

1870 Agriculture Census Washington Parish Louisiana Line 10 Charlotte Brumfield  Line 18 Gale Brumfield  

Page 5

Line 8   Sherman Brumfield   Line 9 William Brumfield   Line 16 Charlotte Brumfield Line 18 Gale Brumfield are listed

The names Sherman and William are names of two of the children of Irvin Brumfield Sr.  They however these children were born after 1870. Possibly they are related to each other and Irvin Brumfield Sr.

                                                                         

                                                                    The Tree gardener

Putting Pieces Together Part 1

 Homesteader

In the initial process of searching for family connections,   I have used a common surname Brumfield and locations Pike County, Mississippi and Washington Parish, Louisiana as my starting points.  My sources for information have been the Federal Census records and Bureau of Land Management records.  From this information I have date and relationship chart. 

 

Homesteader	Year Start of Homestead		Witnesses	Year final of Homestead	Family
Robert Brumfield 41-42 years old		Sept. 12, 1869	Henry Conerly & Irvin Brumfield	Aug 31, 1876	Ann(wife)  6 children Anna, Jeanette, Robert, Frank, Cina & Jimmie
Isham Broomfield(Brumfield) 63 years old		March 6, 1873/Dec.,1870	Robert Magee, Joseph Conerly & Jacob Ellzey	June 21, 1883	Charlotte (wife) 3 children Eli, Henrietta & Hester
Irvin Brumfield 34-35 years old		September 1, 1870	Henry Conerly & Calvin Caston	June 13, 1881	Louisa (wife) and four children Martha Ann, Sherman,  Irvin & William
Gale Brumfield51-56 years old		Dec 10, 1869	R. S. Wilson & W. W. Wilson	March 14, 1876	Harriet (wife) and 8 children George, Sylvia, Rosetta, Martha, Louisa, Janetta, Grant & Oliver

 In a previous blog post, I listed Thesionie  28 years old as a child of Gale Brumfield because she was listed with him in the Federal 1870 census but I am not sure  she was his child.   In the 1870 census, relationships with the head of the family are not listed.  She is not listed in the 1880 census with Gale Brumfield.

In the 1880 census for Gale Brumfield, Willie age 15 years old is a nephew and Sylvia is a niece.  These children are also listed in the 1870 census.  They are possibly orphans and Gale and Harriet are their uncle and aunt.

The child Jeanette is listed in the 1870 & 1880 census with Robert Brumfield. A child Janetta is listed in the  1870 & 1880 census with Gale Brumfield.  Simliar names maybe the same people.

Climbing The Brick Wall

 Freedmen

In black African American genealogy,  family history prior to 1870 is  hard to find. The lack of family surnames and documentation has been called one of the brick walls.    

Just before the end of the Civil War in 1865,  the Freedmen ’s Bureau (Bureau of Refugees, Freedmen, and Abandoned Lands) was established to aid former slaves and whites in needed assistance for survival.  Attempts were made to provide food, clothing, educate, reunite families, legalize marriages, provide employment, and aid the black military.  This was an ambitious undertaking to provide all these services.  A paper trail however was established which lead the road to finding some of my ancestors.

In the search, I looked for the former slaves with the Brumfield surname in Washington Parish Louisiana, and Pike County Mississippi in Freedman Bureau records. There is voluminous amount of information to review.    I realize that my ancestors may have come from other areas and possibly different surnames.  The homestead records however lead me to believe that these geographic areas must have been considered home.  Home is defined as a place where a person has knowledge, history, and familiarity.  

During my investigation, I looked for names of ancestors in locations where they may have lived.   I looked at Freedman labor contracts.  Labor contracts were established to assist in the employment of former slaves now Freemen.  Terms of employment were established.  In the contract, the name of the former slave was given sometimes with a surname along with the name of the planter.  

 In records of the Bureau of Refugees   Freedmen and Abandoned Lands, Louisiana 1865-1872 I found the following:

 

Charlotte 48(infirm), Harriet 28(good hand), Margaret 16(daughter), Sarah 23, Mary 8 (child of Sarah) Ophelia 4, Sam 2 Grandchildren of Charlotte; Wade 10, Charlotte 8, Keziah 4 signed September 18, 1865 with Wily G. Collins

 

      These are my people!  Charlotte was married to Isham Brumfield and Harriet was married to Gale Brumfield.   Sarah was married to Eli Brumfield (son of Isham).   I have been able locate their  one of their children Keziah granddaughter of Charlotte.

                                                                              -------- The Tree Gardener

Brumfield Settlement Part 4

Gale Brumfield

Gale Brumfield was born in Mississippi on 1825 or 1820   according to the Washington Parish Federal census  in Louisiana   1870  and  1880 respectively .  He was married to Harriett born in 1843 according to the 188o census.  He homesteaded 153 acres of land in Washington Parish, Louisiana beginning in December 10, 1869.  Although his homestead was not in Pike County, Mississippi  relationships  will be identified with other Brumfield families.

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At the beginning of the homestead Gale was the head of a family of wife and eight children.  In the 1870 census, the individuals listed  Thesionie 28,   George 14, Louisa 12, Martha 6, Rosilla 8, Sylvia 10,   Jeanette 4, and William 2  were probably his children based on their ages.  He improved the land by building a corn crib, smoke house and stable. M. M.  Wilson and R. S. Wilson were his witnesses to his homestead.  Gale Brumfield received final title to the land on June 13, 1876.