My sister Pearl interviewed me in 2010 about my interest and findings in family history research. I talked about some of the stories I’ve blogged about – Dock Allen’s Escape, finding Eliza in the 1860 census and slave documents. I have found more information since the time of this interview – court records about the land case between the Turners, newspaper articles, and several Wills from slave holders who owned my Cleages and Turners.
It gives you a chance to hear my voice and my thoughts about how to start your research. I highly recommend being interviewed. I am enjoying listening to myself talk, for one thing. If you can’t find anyone to interview you, interview yourself! I think it makes a great addition to the legacy we are leaving for those following us.
2010 Story Corps interview with my sister Pearl asking me about my research and findings.
Me and Pearl walking through a field on cousin Ernest’s land – South Carolina, 2013.
Wiley Turner died in 1851 in Lowndes County Alabama. The first inventory of his personal property, including those enslaved on his plantation, took place in 1852. You can see a list of names, ages and “values” in this post – Joe Turner in the 1852 Estate File of Wiley Turner. The second inventory was taken in 1856 when the oldest child came of age – Second Inventory of Wiley Turner’s Estate – 1856.
The third inventory was taken when the second child, James Mosely Turner, reached the age of 21 and wanted his share of the estate. #63. Yellow Joe, was my great great grandfather. Click on any image to enlarge.
The State of Alabama}
Lowndes County}
To the Honorable E.H. Cook, Judge of Probate for said county The undersigned commissioners under and by virtue of the accompanying and foregoing commission by your Honor made and directed to them to divide the personal Estate of Wiley Turner deceased so as to set off one fifth thereof to James Turner one of the Heirs and distributees of said deceased shows that in conformity with said order after first having taken an oath before a Justice of the Peace to make such distribution fairly and impartially if the same can be made the proceeded on the 21st of December 1857 and continued and continuous until the 8th of January 1858 to divide and value the personal property of deceased as follows ______
Valuation of entire slave property of deceased – names of
An article about valuation of the enslaved. It includes several charts about valuation at various ages and in various years, showing that (as I saw in these lists) values soared from 1852 to 1861 – Measuring Worth
Wiley Turner died in 1851 in Lowndes County Alabama. The first inventory of his personal property, including those enslaved on his plantation, took place in 1852. You can see a list of names, ages and “value” in this post – Joe Turner in the 1852 Estate File of Wiley Turner.
The second inventory was taken in 1856 when Wiley Turner’s oldest daughter Mary J Hunter had reached the age of 21. She picked lot #6, which is highlighted in red below. Click the images of the inventory on the right to enlarge for reading.
“Land of Cotton” By Edward Warren Day, 1900 Library of Congress [LC-USZC4-11947]
The State of Alabama Lowndes County To the Hone. E.H. Cook Judge of Probate for said County.
“The undersigned commissioners appointed by your honor to divide the real and personal Estate of the late Wiley Turner deceased under an order of the 20 January 1856 so that Mary J. a daughter and heir at law of said deceased now the wife of Clinton Hunter could get her part set off to her under said order. Beg leave to report that they met at the plantation of said deceased. and after first being duly sworn accepted to said ? and valued said slaves separately and then placed them with same other property in six lots of as nearly equal value as possible as follows,”
Lot #1
Austin – a man
Bill Tyus – a man
Henry Turner – a man
Ben a man
Adam – a man
Henry – a man
Martha – a woman
Mary – a woman
Peter – a child
Mary Ellen – a woman
Edmond – a boy
Washington – a child
Betsy woman – a woman
Peggy – a girl
Caroline – a girl
Adaline – a child
Phillis – a woman
Lot #2
Henry May – a man
Jim Swipes – a man
Robin – a man
Joe – a man
Big Jess – a man
Robin – a man
Rachel Clary – a woman
Cherry – a woman
Prince – a boy
Louisa – a girl
Eliza – a girl
Minerva – a woman
Emeline – a woman
Ellen Bullock – a woman
Jack – a man
Old Rachel – a woman
Lot #3
Jess – a man
Wilson – a man
Washington – a man
Cary – a man
Fed – a man
Carter – a boy
Clary – a girl
Freeman – a boy
Harrison – a boy
Julia – a girl
Albert – a boy
Fanny – a girl
Lucy – a woman
George – a boy
Alice – a girl
Lot #4
Mat – a man
John – a man
Tony – a man
George Mims – a man
Sam – a man
Isaac – a man
Mariah – a woman
Ellen – a woman
Mose – a boy
Siller – a girl
Old Hannah – a woman
Eliza – a girl
Abigail – a girl
Emma – a girl
Hagar – a girl
Frank – a boy
Lot #5
Andrew – a man
Nelson – a man
Lloyd – a man
Lewis – a man
Bill Camel – man
Charles – a boy
Fanny – a woman
Thomas – a child
Margaret – a woman
Amy – a woman
Rachel – a woman
Sylvia – a woman
Milly – a girl
Hardy – an old man
A B Turner
Lot #6
Abram – a man
Lewis Tyus – a man
Charles – a man
Jim Pot – a man
Alfred – a man
William – a boy
Mariah Hopkins – a woman
Louisa – a girl
Deller – a girl
Ransome – a boy
Henrietta – a child
Lucy Patten – a woman
Liddy – old woman
Leah – a woman
Sarah Ann – a child
Nelly – a woman
Jane – a girl
_________________________
The pages from Wiley Turner’s file included here came from Ancestry.com.
Daniel Freeman, the father of Joseph Turner’s second wife, Luella Freeman, was a man of mystery. I can find him in only one census, luckily he appears in other records. I found myself disappearing down his family lines (which are not even my blood lines) as I tried to get a feel for his life.
According to his death record, Daniel Freeman was born to Ella Freeman in Florida in 1861. I do not have the death certificate. He first appears in 1880 in Mildred Brewer Russell’s book Lowndes Court House, a nostalgic look back at Hayneville from it’s founding in 1820 to 1900.“On the corner of this block, Tuskeena and Washington streets, was the new store of Dan Freeman, colored.” He is mentioned as one of the two Negro merchants in Hayneville during those days.
I found him in the 1910 Census where he was listed as 65 years old, owned his own house and was a painter. Throughout the years a Daniel Freeman appears in the Montgomery City Directory as a laborer and drayman in the early years and then a painter and a carpenter. At the same time he was buying property. I had the feeling that he was always taking care of business.
Here are several of Dan Freeman’s land transactions from the Montgomery Advertiser.
In his Will, written in 1922, Daniel Freeman left property to several of Luella’s young children, his grandchildren. Their father Joe Turner had died and Luella and her family had left the farm in Lowndes County and moved to Montgomery.
Below is a copy of the will. Click on it to enlarge for ease in reading.
The information concerning the Turner’s is in part four: “To Mary Jones I give the house and lot known as No. 230 Sutter Street in the City of Montgomery; to Annie Freeman McQueen I give the house and lot known as No. 165-B Day Street, To Salena Turner I give the house and lot No. 165 Day Street and to Annie May Turner house and lot No. 228 Sutter Street.“
Geneva Freeman and Annie Freeman McQueen were Luella Freeman Turner’s sisters. Ella McGhee was the daughter of Geneva Freeman. Salena (Selena) and Annie May Turner were Luella’s daughters.
According to Kyle Chapman, a descendant of Geneva Freeman and Ella McGhee, most of the land was eventually taken by the the state for a highway and the rest was sold or donated to a nearby church. Also a thank you to him for sharing the photo of Daniel Freeman with me.
Witherspoon Presbyterian Church – 1909 Indianapolis, Indiana. Click to enlarge.
This is a photograph of the congregation of Witherspoon United Presbyterian Church in Indianapolis, IN in 1909, two years after they organized. This photograph is from the personal collection of my cousin Vivian Vaughn McDonald. My grandmother Pearl Reed Cleage is the third person on the top right. My grandfather, Albert Cleage is next to her. They wouldn’t be married for two more years. Next to Albert is his brother Jacob and next to him is their brother Henry. Directly in front of my grandfather Albert is Jacob’s wife, Gertrude.
I was told that my grandfather’s sister Josephine, also a church member, was not there for the photograph, but was home pregnant with Hattie Ruth, the youngest of her five children. Her husband, James Cleage stands four people to the left of Henry. James Cleage was from a different branch of Cleages. In the second row, second from the right, is Henrietta Cleage, oldest daughter of James and Josephine.
In the 1909 Indianapolis City Directory Witherspoon United Presbyterian Church is listed as located in Realty Hall with Rev. David White as Pastor. I wonder if he is in this photograph and if so, which one he is?
The history below was from the Witherspoon web page, however they have taken the history section down. My grandparents, Albert Cleage and Pearl Reed, are both listed as founders.
On April 30, 1907 the Presbytery of Indiana of the United Presbyterian Church held a called meeting at Realty Hall in response to a petition signed by 31 persons asking to be organized into a United Presbyterian congregation.
Begins With 31 Members
Prof. David Graham of Rushville was moderator and Rev. W. W. McCall of Greensburg was secretary. Other members present were Rev. Fred W. Schmuch of Milroy, Rev. N. B. McClung of Vevay, Rev. Mr. McDill of Madison, and Dr. Cowan of Indianapolis.
The petition was discussed at some length. By unanimous vote an organization was decided upon. The 31 members who signed the petition were as follows: Henry W. Cleage, Mrs. Carrie Perkins, Mrs. Emma Moore, A. T. Roney, Mrs. Cora Donann, Mrs. Cathern Crenshaw, Mrs. Daisy L. Brabham, Albert Cleage, Mrs. Gertrude Cleage, James Myers, Mrs. A. L. McElrath, O. F. Dennis, Mrs. Hattie Mitchell, H. M. Mitchell, Mrs. Theresa Finley, Othello Finley, Miss Edith Finley, Miss Luell E. Hibbett, Mrs. Mary Peterson, Mrs. Anna Bowman, John T. Fox, Miss Pearl Reed, Thomas H. Bransford, Mrs. O. F. Dennis, Miss Alice Mathews, Miss Hilda Reeder, W. J. Perkins, Henry Moore and H. L. Hummons.
On my first trip to the local Family Search Center several weeks ago, the microfilm machine broke as the second roll of film was being loaded. I was afraid the ancient machine would never be fixed so that I could continue my research. Earlier this week the volunteer at the center called to let me know that the machine had been repaired. I made an appointment to look at more film of my 2X great grandfather, Joe Turner’s land transactions.
It was hot and there was no air conditioning, although I heard what sounded like an air conditioner. Watching the microfilm scroll by made me feel queasy again. Deed book “I”, the first roll I looked through, yielded no information about Joe Turner.
Index Click to enlarge
I had been at the Center almost two and a half hours and decided to go through one more roll before I left. Chewing a new piece of gum to combat the nausea, I began to go through roll “F”, which contained the earliest dated land deal for Joe Turner. It covered from 1860 to 1871. I was not very hopeful, but scrolled slowly through the index and found that Joe Turner’s transaction was on pages 438 and 439. Slowly scrolling through the microfilm, I learned that a complete rotation of the scrolling handle, took me through 30 pages.
Finally, I arrived at the pages I wanted. As I began to read, the volunteer came in and asked if I realized how long I had been there. I did, about two and a half hours. She had an appointment elsewhere and I had to stop. I quickly took multiple photos of the two pages, hoping they would come out to be readable. It is difficult for me to take good photographs because of the setup of the microfilm machine.
When I got home, I uploaded the photos to see if there was anything readable. Page 439 was pretty good, but the several shots of page 438, the most important page, were blurred, or my hand with the phone blocked half of the words. Looking carefully, I was able to transcribe the page, although the bottom left corner was indecipherable.
This morning I got up and opened a couple of the photos in Photoshop to see if I could fill in some blanks in my transcription. I did not see it but, a very readable image of page 438 came up. The Ancestors at work? Below are those pages and the transcriptions.
State of Alabama}
Lowndes County }
Know all men by these presence in pursuance of the direction after and of the Probate Court of said County to me this day granted and in consideration of the sum of ninety dollars paid by Joe Turner to Sarah S Givens formerly administrator of the Estate of George Givens deceased – proof which payment has been made I Thomas S Herbert administrator de bonis mon of the estate of said George Givens deceased – have bargained sold and conveyed and do by these presents bargain sell and convey to the said Joe Turner the following described lot or parcel of land to wit: All that portion of land lying west of the lot formerly owned by D C Whipley now owned by me Thomas S Herbert, – and street running North and South by John P Streety’s residence and all of the portion of land lying South of said lot (formerly Whipley now mine) and South of Mrs. Hunters lot – in the town of Hayneville County and State aforesaid, to have and to hold the aforesaid granted premises above (Can’t read) the said Joe Turner and his heirs and assigns forever. Witness my hand and seal this 11th day of August 1868 Thomas S Herbert {seal}
The State of Alabama}
Lowndes County}
I J.V. McDuffie Probate Judge of said County certify that Thomas S. Herbert whose name signed to the foregoing conveyance and who is known to me acknowledged before me on this day that being informed of the contents of the conveyance he executed the same voluntary on the day the same bears date. Given under my hand this 11 day of August 1868 J V McDuffie J.P.L.C. The foregoing is a true copy of the original Instrument recorded for record and recorded this 13th day of August 1868. JV McDuffie
Judge of Probate
________________________________
Unfortunately there was no drawing of this property, but from the description, I wonder if this is the same piece of land that he sold in 1872 described here Joe Turner & Wife Emma Turner Convey Land 1872.
Next week I go back and hope to successfully view the last two rolls of film. Maybe I will have time to look at Deed Book “I” again.
Recently I went to the nearby Family Search Center to look at some Lowndes County Alabama property records from the 1870s on microfilm. I hoped to find more details about Joe and Emma Turner, my 2X great grandparents. I also planned to look at records for other formerly enslaved Turners mentioned in Wiley Turner’s probate record.
There were five rolls of microfilm waiting for me. It was by no means a large research center. It is actually a few rooms in the educational part of the Church of Latter Day Saints. In a small room there were three computers. Next to it was another small room with a microfilm machine. A local Family Search volunteer opened the building for me and got me started. She loaded the roll into the reader, showed me how it worked and advised me to put a phone book under a piece of paper if the document was hard to read. Then she went to the next room to work on her family history.
After scrolling through to page 238, which I thought was the page I was looking for in Book H, I discovered that there was nothing about the Turners on that page, nor on the pages before or after. I scrolled back to the index. At this point the scrolling was making me feel slightly motion sick but I chewed some gum and kept going. Looking at the index, I found the Turners listed with the “Ts” under a letter “O” on page 97. Very confusing. However, that was actually the page I was looking for and it was full of information about the land deal. There was even a drawing of the property that changed hands. I took photos of the various pages, not very good ones it turned out.
Index with page number for the record I wanted.
As the next roll of film was being loaded, a thin belt separated from wherever it was supposed to be. The microfilm machine was broken. It was the only machine there and it was ancient. The volunteer said she will try to get it repaired and call me when it is. She also said I can keep the rolls of film there as long as I need them. That is only good if I have a machine to view it through.
Family Search plans to digitize all of their records during the next two years. They also plan to discontinue sharing microfilm in August of this year. I do not hold out much hope for the repair of the machine, unless a local volunteer can do it. Below is what I found.
Know all men by these presents that we, Joe Turner and Emma Turner his wife of said state and county for and in consideration of the sum of one hundred dollars to us paid this day by Edward H. Herbert and Louisa Herbert his wife do hereby bargain, sell and convey to the said Herbert and his wife Louisa the following described lots or parcels of land lying and being within corporate limits of the town of Hayneville in said county to wit a lot of about one acre lying west and broadside of the lot now owned and occupied by the said Herbert extending west to a street running north and south by the residence of John P Streety, a lot a strip of land about twenty yards wide south of the above described lot and the said lot owned and occupied by the said Herbert containing one half acre more or less; also a lot known as the Stewart lot commencing at the south west corner of the lot on which H a Rinadi’s house stands, running east thirty five yards, thence south to a street running east and west from the residence of John P Streety by the County jail and up by the Methodist Church, thence west thirty five yards thence north to the beginning containing one acre more or less, also a lot of three fourths of an acre mor or less bounded east by the said Stewart lot south of the street running east and west from the residence of John P Streety up by the jail and Methodist Church, west by a vacant lot owned by the said Streety and north of the east half of the strip of land above described; all of said lots containing three and a half acres more or less to have and to hold to them and their heirs and assigns forever.
Witness our hands and seals this 9th day of January AD 1872.
Signed and delineated in presence of W.H. Taigler R.McQueen
In 2003 I purchased a copy of the book “Lowndes Court House – A Chronicle of Hayneville, an Alabama Black Belt Village 1820 – 1900”, a book of reminiscences by Mildred Brewer Russell. In the chapter “Reconstruction And After, 1865 – 1900 I found my great great grandfather, Joe Turner, mentioned as one of the Negro (sic) politicians. After that I tried to find what sort of politician he was, what office he held. I could not find anything.
From “LowndesCourt House – A chronicle of Hayneville – an Alabama Black Belt Village 1820- 1900” Page 127 By Mildred Brewer Russell
Last week on Ancestry.com, I found the following information. Joe Turner was elected as constable on November 7, 1871.
Google defined a constable as “…a peace officer with limited policing authority, typically in a small town.”
In 1874 Reconstruction ended in Alabama, resulting in loss of voting rights and the ability to hold elected office for black people.
Here is an interesting timeline that traces how the right to vote and hold public office was taken away from black men in Lowndes and neighboring counties. “The More You Know: A History …” It wasn’t until 1970, 99 years from 1871, that African American John Hulett was elected sheriff in Lowndes County.
You can read more about Joe Turner in these posts:
Betsy was about 26 years old when she was listed with her daughter Caroline in the inventory of the estate of Wiley Turner. It was February 2, 1852. Betsy and Caroline were valued at $800.00. On the list below them were eight year old Phillis ($375) and three year old Peggy ($225). They seem to be a family group.
Further down the page Austin is listed. He was 16 years old and valued at $800.
Two pages from the 4 page list of the enslaved on the Wiley Turner plantation. Joe, age 15 was my 2X great grandfather.
On January 26 and 27 of 1859, Betsy was visited by Doctor Pritchett. The cost of the visits was $2.50. On February 6 and 7, Doctor Pritchett visited Austin.
On January 29, 1859 a coffin was purchased for Betsy. She was 29. On February 8, 1859 A coffin was purchased for Austin. He was 22. Each coffin cost $5. I do not know what they died of.
I found the two coffins listed in the estate file among a list of payments given out from the estate in early 1859. If I had not gone page by page through the file, I would have missed these, as I did when I looked through it last year and only looked for lists of the enslaved.
I found all of these documents in the Estate file of Wiley Turner, deceased, on Ancestry.com. My 2 X great grandfather, Joe Turner came off of this plantation. Click on the documents to enlarge.
For the past week I have been immersed in the Turners who came off of Wiley Turner’s plantation in Lowndes County Alabama. My 2X great grandfather, Joe Turner, came off of that plantation. Wiley Turner died in 1851 without a Will and so his estate was probated. The case dragged on for twenty years. There are multiple lists of the enslaved, the first in 1852. I wrote about the one from 1853 here. The others were from 1856, 1857 and 1865. There were also the 1850 and 1860 slave censuses, which give no names but age, sex and color (“mulatto” or “black”)
There are also records of doctors visits, some patients named and some not. There are records of how much and what was sold from the plantation during this time. There were several changes of administrators due to deaths and some disputes among members of the family about what was due them.
After the Civil War was over and Freedom came, there were new records for the formerly enslaved and now free, the 1866 census for the first time named the formerly unnamed heads of households. In the 1870 census, the whole household was named. In 1880, relationships to the head of the household were given. There were also marriage and land records.
By investigating the community and households, I want to see what happened to the people and families, both before and after slavery. Right now I am going through the material and figuring out how to present it. At first, when going through the probate record, I just looked for the names of the enslaved. Going over it again, I realized that I could not give a picture without knowing more about what was going on around them, what crops were grown, what was sold, what was bought and the rest of the turmoil swirling around them during that time period. Maybe I need to start by printing out the whole file.
I have never done a project like this outside of a time crushing challenge, so we shall see how it goes.
