Calvin Caston Homestead Part 1

A Place To Live

Calvin Caston is enumerated in the Pike County Federal August 12, 1870 census.  In the 1870 census, familial relationships are not identified but the individuals listed with him all have the same surname.  I have listed the family members in a previous blogs. Interestingly, post-Civil War most black people with the Caston surname lived in nearby Amite County.  I have not been able to connect Calvin Caston to that county. The Bureau of Land Management is a source of information concerning land patents and homesteads in the United States.   Calvin a farmer applied for a homestead in Pike County, Mississippi on August 15, 1870.  His application was for 80 acres. 

The homestead process to obtain land consisted of filing an application, improving the land, and filing a deed of title.  The homesteader had to live on the land for 5 years, improve the land by planting crops and build a dwelling 12 by 14 size. Proof of residency had to be established before the deed was issued. Calvin's homestead records give an insight into his life and family.  He had life circumstances that cause a long delay in receiving title to the land. He did not receive a title deed for 21 years until  August 19, 1891. More to be discussed.

------ The Tree Gardener

Irvin Brumfield son of Liddie

It has been my attempt in research to try to find evidence that identifies the Brumfield children of Liddie Brumfield Caston.  Prior to November, 1912 in Mississippi, there were no death or birth certificates registered with the state.  Many of the ancestors also could not read or write.  I have not been able to locate a family bible which may have vital records.  I suspect that a bible of this type may not exist.  Some of Liddie's children had the good fortune of long lives such as Tom and Richard Brumfield and death certificates have been located. 
I have been unable to establish a  maternal relationship between Liddie and Ervin (Irvin) Brumfield.  I however been able authenticate that Ervin (Irvin) Brumfield definitely knew Calvin Caston. In my blog post "Ervin, Irvine, Irving, Irvin Part Two" published in November 21, 2012, I mentioned that Calvin Caston signed the homestead affidavit for Irvine Brumfield

Affidavit  of residence for the homestead of Ervin Brumfield 

Henry Conerly and Calvin Caston stated that they knew Ervin Brumfield for 7 years past which would have been 1870. His settlement was established September 1, 1870. Ervin had a wife and four children in 1877. Ervin is thought to have been born in 1846 according to the 1900 Federal Census. In 1870, Ervin would have been 24 years old.

------The Tree Gardner

Six Degree of Separation: Caston & Brumfield Families Part 12

Thomas Brumfield

Thomas Brumfield had a land homestead in Pike County, Mississippi. From research, he is known to have a wife Celia (Selia) her last name unknown and had one child a daughter Mary. Mary attended school  in Pike County.  Mary Brumfield and Willis Bowens at the age of approximately 17 and 27  years old married. Tom enumerated as the head of the household in the 1910 census with Mary and Willis Bowens having had nine children listed with six surviving Isaac 12, Thomas 10, Mattie 8, Willis Jr. 6, Rosabel (Roosevelt) 1 10/12 and Nehemiah 4.    Courtny a 4 year old child in the 1900 census is no longer listed and presumably dead.

Tom as a farmer, provided economic support for his family and extended family. I was unable to uncover any additional information related to Mary and Willis Bowens after the 1910 census. Tom employed his grandchildren on the farm.

In the World War I registrations, Issac and Tommy Bowens are farmers and list Tom Brumfield Sr. as their employer in September 12,1918 and October 28, 1918 respectively.

Isaac Bowens WWI Registration

Tommy Bowens WWI Registration

During my genealogy trip to the Allen County library, I found additional school census for Pike County, Mississippi. Tom Brumfield also was listed as the guardian for his grandchildren Nehemiah and Roosevelt Bowens 17 and 14 years old respectively at the Pike County  Yale School in 1923.

1923 Pike County, Ms. School Records Tom Brumfield guardian Roosevelt Bowens & Nehemiah Bowens children
The children of Silas Caston, John Gatlin  & Squire Gatlin are also listed in this record

In 1926, Tom Brumfield had apoplexy which is defined as a stroke and died 2 weeks later. On his death certificate, Lidia Caston is his mother and Celia Brumfield was the informant. This death certificate and the Federal 1870 census which I posted in part 2 of this series are the two items that establish Thomas Brumfield as a child of Liddie Caston.

----The Tree Gardener

Six degrees of Separation: Caston & Brumfield Families Part 11

Thomas Brumfield in the 20^th  Century 

Thomas Brumfield May, 1853  age 47 years old  and Selia Brumfield July, 1850 49 years old

Tom, Celia and Mary Brumfield are enumerated in the Pike County, Mississippi 1900 Federal Census.  Mary  who is Tom Brumfield daughter is now been married to Willis Bowens for 6 years and has 3 children Courtny  4 years, Isaac 2 years and Thomas 4 months.

Willis Bowen Oct.1861 32 years old,  Mary Bowen Dec. 1877 23 years old, Courtny Dec. 1895 4 years old, Issac Mar. 1897 2 years old, and Thomas Jan. 1899 1 year old 1900 Census

Six degrees of Separation: Caston & Brumfield Families Part 10

Parent Guardian	Name of Children	Age	Male	Female
Bob Brumfield	Harriett Brumfield	16		x
	Sena	14		x
	James	12	x
	John	9	x
	Jesse K.	7	x
Thomas Brumfield	Mary Brumfield	13		x

The year 1890 is important to anyone interested in genealogy research,  This is the year that the majority of the United States federal census  was destroyed in a fire. The school records provided some of  information that would have been available in the census enumeration. Thomas Brumfield  and his daughter Mary 13 years old are listed in the 1890 Pike County, Mississippi school records at the bottom of the image. Thomas whose birth year of 1853 derived from the 1870 census would have been 37 years old. I have included the children  of Bob (Robert) Brumfield who will be in future blog posts.


The Tree Gardener