Mary Allen McCall back row left, her son James, his wife Margaret. Grandaughters Victoria and Margaret in front. Late 1920’s. Jennie Allen Turner seated left, Mary Vee, Fannie, Doris.Back Mershell holding Howard. Early 1930’s. Detroit, MI
“My mother was the first child of my grandmother who was one of seven children born to Dock Allen, a free man and Eliza, a woman freed from slavery at seventeen. Before being freed this woman, my mother’s grandmother had been trained as a seamstress in the “big house” of the white master, Colonel Edmund Harrison, who was her father. Her mother, Annie, was the slave seamstress in the “big house”. For three generations, in slavery and in freedom, each mother taught her daughters to sew. My grandmother earned her living as a seamstress for white folks in Montgomery, Alabama. But she never taught my mother or her other two daughters to sew.”
My mother wrote me this as part of a piece she was writing about her own mother, Fannie Turner Graham. We grew up hearing it. There was also the part about Colonel Harrison’s wife. She was so angry about her husband having this child, my great great grandmother Eliza, with a slave that she was cruel to both Annie and and Eliza. Col. Harrison, the story went, finally freed both of them and married Eliza to a free man, Dock Allen, who was a carpenter in Montgomery, Alabama.
Because he was always referred to as “Colonel Harrison of Virginia” I pictured him driving Annie and Eliza in a carriage from Virginia to Montgomery, finding a free carpenter and arranging a marriage between his daughter and the carpenter before returning to his plantation in Virginia. I wasn’t really clear on the distance or terrain between Virginia and Montgomery, AL but I wondered why he took her all the way to Alabama. Later I read that freed slaves had to be taken out of the state they had been enslaved in.
In 1980 my mother began writing down her memories and stories of all her great aunts, Eliza’s daughters. She wrote about her mother and about herself growing up too. She made duplicates and sent my sister and myself both copies.
In one she mentioned a strange phone call from her cousin Margaret McCall Ward, who was a librarian and a genealogist and a founder of the Fred Hart Williams Geneological Society in Detroit. The first black genealogical group in Michigan. My mother wrote:
“Note of recent strange happening here: Teen (note: a longtime family friend) is still working on her family tree and sees Margaret who works in that dept. of the library. Margaret kept sending word to me by Teen that she would be happy to help if I wanted to get the family history together….I never called….but finally did one day when Teen insisted….somewhere in the conversation Margaret said of course you know our grandmothers were not really sisters (Aunt Mary and Grandmother Turner whom I had always thought were Dock Allen’s children…had never heard a suggestion of anything else)..I said o really…how…she mumbled…I mentioned Dock…she said you’ve seen the sisters you know how different they looked…I knew she meant some were light like her grandmother and some were dark like mine… they had different mothers? I said..she mumbled again (I have never heard her mumble before …different fathers? I said, really intrigued by this deep family secret now to be uncovered…more mumbles..at any rate, I said, if they weren’t sisters, we aren’t cousins, right?…more mumbles…I let it go, said good-bye and crossed her off the family list….who needs her?…. then a few weeks ago (the other conversation on the phone was months ago) she sends word by Teen that as she was helping someone search records she came across a record pertaining to our family and it proved beyond a shadow of a doubt that our grandmothers were sisters and we are cousins. I told Teen off again on again cousins I do not need and have heard no more…but I’m curious about what she was talking about in the first place and what she found in what records…I mentioned it to MV who had never heard it…she called Aunt Gwen (the only one left in that generation to talk to) who is the gossip of the group who said as far as she knew they were all full sisters and brothers (there were two of these.) I await further developments but not with baited breath…”
In 1982 my mother died of ovarian cancer. I inherited her photographs, scrapbooks and letters which she had inherited from her mother. In 1991 I wrote to my aunt, my mother’s only sister, Mary Vee and asked her to tell me about her parents and grandmother. She told me the little she knew and suggested I write to cousin Margaret asking for help with the family tree. I did. A year later I received a reply filling in blanks in the tree. She wrote that my letter revived her interest in looking at this branch of the family again, and be sure to look her up if I got to Detroit.
You may be wondering when I am going to find Eliza. I decided to post the information in the order that I received it. We’ll get there eventually. Today I am posting another writing by my mother. I also posted the personal parts of the letter she wrote to give you some idea of my mother as a person.
5 Nov 1980 by Doris Graham Cleage Dear Kris, Election Day! Did you ever? Here is a joke that sums it up for me: Man, traveling on horseback down a road toward a certain town, comes to a farmer working in a field. Just ahead was a fork in the road. The man hollered to the farmer, “Does it matter which road I take to _______, ” and he named his destination. “Not to me it don’t, ” said the farmer, who hardly looked up from his work. You don’t get it? That’s OK. It gives us a good laugh every time we tell it.
Grandmother Jennie Virginia Turner -1866 – 1954
Today I’m going to write about Grandmother. Grandmother Turner was born about 1872, (Note: she was actually born in 1866) nine years after the Emancipation Proclamation. Don’t know if she finished high school – but she did go. Her mother taught her to sew and it was a good thing she did because grandmother worked the rest of her life supporting herself and her children at sewing. That is, she worked after husband Howard Turner died. They married when she was about sixteen. Don’t know his age. He looked something like grandmother’s father and also like my father, mother said. He was a farmer’s son from around Hayneville, AL, but he preferred the big city – Montgomery. His father had three sons and planned to give each one a large share of the farm when they married. Howard and Jenny received their farm, but neither one liked the country. One day they were in Montgomery. He was at a Bar-B-Q. She was at her parents with their daughters, Fannie Mae, 4, and Daisy Pearl, 2. someone brought word that the had been shot dead. Apparently no one ever knew who did it, but mother always said grandmother thought his father had it done because he was angry that Howard would not farm and had even been talking about selling his part. The father did not want the land sold, but wanted it to stay in the family forever. (Bless his heart!). He and the son had had some terrible arguments before they left to come to the Bar-B-Q. I often wondered why he was there and grandmother wasn’t. She always seemed to like a good time.
I remember her laughing and singing and dancing around the house on Theodore. She was short, about five feet I guess, with brown eyes, thin dark brown hair that she wore in a knot. She was very energetic, always walking fast. She always wore oxfords, often on the wrong feet, and never had time to change them. We used to love to tell her that her shoes were on the wrong feet. (smart kids!)
This photograph was taken in Montgomery during 1892 while the family was in mourning. Jennie holds two year old Daisy while four year old Fannie stands beside her.
She never did thing with us like read to us or play with us, but she made us little dresses. I remember two in particular she made me that I especially liked. My “candy-striped” dress – a red white and blue small print percale. She put a small pleated ruffle around the collar and a larger one around the bottom. I was about Deignan’s (note: that would have been about 5) size, I guess, and I really thought I was cool! The other favorite was an “ensemble” – thin, pale green material with a small printed blue green and red flower in it – just a straight sleeveless dress with neck and sleeves piped in navy blue – and a three – quarter length coat of the same material – also straight -with long sleeves and lapels – also piped in navy blue. She never used a pattern. Saw something and made it! She taught us some embroidery which she did beautifully but not often. She never fussed at us – never criticized – and I think she rocked me in the upstairs hall on Theodore when I was little and sick. The rocker Daddy made stood in that hall. I remember lots of people rocking in that chair when I was small.
Grandmother went to work when her husband was murdered – sewing for white folks – out all day fitting and sewing – and sewing all night – finishing while mother and Daisy stayed with their Grandfather Allen, who would tell on them when Grandmother came home and she would spank them. Mother said she remembered telling Daisy to holler loudly so Grandmother wouldn’t spank them hard or long and it worked!
Grandmother stayed single until she was about 37 or 38 when she married someone Mother hated – looked Italian, hardly ever worked. Liked a good time. Fathered Alice and left when she was very small. Somehow when mother spoke of him I had the feeling he would have like to have taken advantage of her. She was about 20 and had given up two college scholarships to stay and help Grandmother.
Sometimes after her husband’s death, Grandmother took the deed to the farm to a white lawyer. (was there any other kind?) and told him to sell it for her. He went to see it and check it out – told her to forget it – her title wasn’t clear, but he never gave the deed back and she figured he made a deal with her father-in-law.
A shotgun house. My mother’ description is off. She describes a dog-trot house.
A dog trot house. Hambidge Center, Georgia.
Aunt Abbie said the father-in-law built Grandmother and Howard a “shotgun” house on the farm. She would turn up her nose as she said it. You know that is a house like this – no doors on front or back, you could shoot a gun through hall without damage. Animals (pigs, dogs) would wander into the hall and have to be driven out. Aunt Abbie only stayed there when the plague was raging in Montgomery. Yellow fever (malaria) and/or polio every summer. Many people sick or dying. Huge bonfires in the streets every night to ‘purify’ the air”, and closing the city if it got bad enough – no one in or out. More than once they fled the city in a carriage through back streets and swamps because they were caught by the closing which was done suddenly to keep folks from leaving and spreading the “plague”
In Detroit, when they came in 1923 when Mother and Daddy had bought the house on Theodore and had room for them (room? only 5 adults and 3 children!) Grandmother, Daisy and Alice got good jobs, (they were good – sewing fur coats, clean work and good pay.) at Annis Furs (remember it back of Hudsons?) and soon had money to buy their own house much farther east on a “nice” street in a “better ” neighborhood (no factories) on Harding Ave. While they lived with us I remember violent arguments between Alice and I don’t know who – either Grandmother or Daisy or Mother. Certainly not Daddy because when he spoke it was like who in the Bible who said, “When I say go, they goeth. When I say come, they cometh.” Most of the time I remember him in the basement, the backyard or presiding at table. Daisy and grandmother were what we’d call talkers.
Fannie, GM Turner, Alice. Standing: Daisy
Maybe here a word about Aunt Daisy. Look at her picture, sweet, soft, pretty, taught school awhile in Montgomery (with high school diploma) loved Congregational preacher named Duncan Erby who loved her and waited for her for years. Had the church in Buffalo, NY. Whenever she really considered leaving, Grandmother did the old guilt trick “How can you leave me to take care of Alice all by myself?” and “No man in this world is good enough to touch your little finger. They are all no good except (maybe) Shell.” and Daisy listened and stayed and played numbers, studied dream books and drank a little apricot brandy. I always found their house light, cheerful, full of magazines (McCall’s, Journal, etc.) which I loved to read, full of good things to eat. All three were super cooks and they had always just had a bunch of friends to dinner and to play cards or just about to have.
Daisy took us downtown to the show every summer and to Saunders for ice cream afterward. And I always ended up with a splitting headache. Too much high living I guess. She and Alice would buy us dainty, expensive little dresses from Siegel’s or Himelhoch’s. They all went to church every Sunday, Plymouth Congregational. Daisy always gave us beautiful tins of gorgeous Christmas candy, that white kind filled with gooey black walnut stuff, those gooey raspberry kind and those hard, pink kind with a nut inside, and chocolates, of course! She loved to eat and to cook. Never seemed bitter or regretful about her lost love.
Grandmother got old, hurt her knee, it never healed properly. Daisy worked and supported the house alone. Alice only worked a little while. She had problems getting along with people. Grandmother was eventually senile. Died of a stroke at 83 or so. Alice spent years taking care of her while Daisy worked. Daisy added to their income by being head numbers writer at Annis!! Did I ever show you the picture of the “coloreds” who worked at Annis? Will send if you like. Looks like people from Mr. Polks book, were supposed to be the “best looking colored girls in Detroit” Mr. Annis had a colored mistress, of course.
Seamstresses at Annis Furs, Detroit 1920’s. Grandmother Turner far right, 2nd row. Alice next to her. Skip 1 + it’s Daisy.
15 Nov 1980 Dear Kris and Pearl, Figured I’d make a carbon of the stuff about the family and send you each one…this is a sort of wrap up of Grandmother….but first something the Snoopy cartoon (from Pearl) made me remember….about four blocks around the corner and down the street from Theodore was a vacant lot where for some years they had a small carnival every year…. I don’t remember the carnival at all… I never liked rides anyway… not even the merry-go-round..but I remember it being evening, dark outside…and we were on the way home….I don’t remember who was there except Daddy and I….he was carrying me because I was sleepy so I must have been very small…I remember my head on his shoulder and how it felt…the best pillow in the world…I remember how high up from the sidewalk I seemed to be…I could hardly see the familiar cracks and printings even when the lights from passing cars lighted thigs…which was fairly often because we were on Warren Ave. I remember feeling that that’s the way things were supposed to be. I hadn’t a worry in the world. I was tired, so I was carried. I was sleepy, so I slept. I must have felt like that most o my childhood because it’s still a surprise to me that life is hard. Seems that should be a temporary condition.
Jennie Virginia Turner about 1936.
Now as to Grandmother and her sewing… you know how long and voluminous dresses were either side of 1900… how many stitches there were in one I hate to think… machines were available at that time but whether or not she had one I don’t know… this is what she did… she was a seamstress. Let’s say you could afford to have someone make your clothes and she was your regular person. Every July she came to your house and sewed for you and your children, making everything, including winter coats, suits, dresses, sleepwear, underwear, everything except knitted stuff like socks and hats. She might have made shirts for the man of the house too. She had no patterns. She made a pattern or just cut the material if it wasn’t complicated, basted it together, fitted it, made corrections, got it ready for final sewing. All this she did at your house, all day. When she finally went home about supper time, she took with her the things ready to be sewed and worked on them all night, because the faster she finished things the faster she got paid and the more jobs she could take. She did plain stuff if they wanted it or she could tailor a suit (easy tailoring, she always said, and she didn’t like it. Too exact, she said) Or she could make fancy like smocking, the gathery stuff across the front of little girls dresses or nightgowns or ladies fancy blouses, or embroidery or ruffles or lace trim. She could even make the lace (tat, that is), put fur collars and cuffs on coat or suit, she could do it all and she did it all all the time.
One thing she liked about her work, it was not dirty. She was not a maid of any kind. She could choose her customers to some extent, because she was good, I guess., and there were people for whom she would not work. Usually referred to as “white trash” meaning in this case I guess that they were rude to her since they could not have been poor and had a seamstress. Another thing she liked was that she could talk while she worked and she loved to talk. I remember her talking all the time when she lived with us. And Daisy was a talker too. Grandmother would talk sometimes about the folks she had sewed for. Some were Jewish. I remember only two specifics. One who advised her to cut her long hair because it would “sap her strength” and also not to take hot or long baths for the same reason the other was complaining about life and GM said (with a mouth full of pins all sticking out and her talking through them as I remember) “Well, when we get to Heaven we won’t have to worry about that any more” The lady was horrified and said “Surely, Jennie (her name was Jennie Virginia and I almost named one of you after her) you don’t think you and I will go to the same Heaven”. Grandmother always laughed at that story and said she wouldn’t mind dying so much if she would just remember that she would see that lady in Heaven and enjoy her consternation at seeing Grandmother there too with NO segregation. Mother and Daisy always shook their heads at this and said she shouldn’t talk like that about dying. Grandmother laughed some more. She liked to shock them.
Earlier this year I met a new plantation cousin, Elbert Arwine, through the connect feature on Ancestry.com. We started emailing and sharing information. Elbert is not actually my cousin but he is a cousin of some of my cousins. His people and mine were enslaved on the same Cleage plantation in Athens, TN. His ancestor, Bart Arnwine changed the family name from Cleage to Arnwine after freedom. He is related to James Cleage who married my grandfather’s sister, Josephine Cleage. While visiting in Athens, TN, Elert met a woman who bought the house of the slave owner, David Cleage. She found some papers that dated back to the 1800’s with names and dates on them. Some of those names were our people. She thought he might be interested and of course he was! She let him make copies which he shared with me.
The Agreement I have transcribed and posted here is the oldest document that names names. Named in this document are Bill, Henry, Joe, Frank, Lea, Fannie and Peter. The Frank named here is most likely my great great grandfather and Joe is my plantation cousin’s ancestor. I will write about what happened to Joe and Frank and some of the others after freedom in a later post. I have several bills of sale that I will be posting later also.
There are several words I was unable to make out. I left blank spaces there.
State of Tennessee McMinn county January 17, 1834 Article of Agreement made and entered into between Samuel Cleage and Wilson Owens. Samuel Cleage employs him as an overseer on his farm on Little Mouse Creek and his quarter in Whisteria Valley and Owens is to act as overseer and work with the hands until the work is completed and ordered. ____________got out/ commencing 20th instant to superintend all matters things relating to the working of the farm or farm improvements of every description that said Cleage may direct to keep the hands his Cleage’s negroes (sic) employed and make them work as would be right to correct them when they deserve but not to be cruel or abuse them but make them do their duty and not suffer them to run about from the farm at nights. The hands or negroes are Bill, Henry, Joe, Frank, Lea, Fannie, two little boys and Peter/ Bill is not to be a hand until his master Cleage directs as he is stiller and is to remain in the still house while Cleage carrys on stilling. Cleage is to have a hand to strike in the shop if he wants one by furnishing a plow boy to work in his place as he expects to have a wagon loaned Owens is to take the hands and go to the Westeria also and work that place to clear a piece of land between the fields and fence and work same and reset the old fences makes rails for farm where said Cleage may direct it and the said Owens is to take special care of farm land timber stock of every kind to be very careful of horses that work the crop and suffer no want of grain to feed as much grain as is now need or what Cleage may direct. Owens is to have the ninth part of the crop for his services that is of the wheat now growing the oats corn rye fodder.
Cleage is to let Owens have 40 bushels corn for bread at 33 1/3 yards oats 7 bushels oats which said owens is to pay him for out of his share of the crop when said Cleage may want it. The crop to be undisturbed as respects disposing of same by Owens his share until regularly divided, Owens is to furnish wood for stilling have some cut and hauled in due time and also firewood for the use of Cleage what he wants and for himself. Owens is to have his wheat share ground toll free Owens to help have saw hauled while water is now flush to the saw mill for plank improving any thing Cleage may want.
Should it be a year that the peaches on said farm should hit said Owens is also to attend to preparing same for tilling and Cleage is to pay Owens what would be right for his actions labour of same. What they could agree upon if they could not agree each one to choose and leave it to a good man what it is worth now the 9th gallon of same Owens to turpentine and have corn for stilling shelled in proper time as Cleage now attends to same with his hands.
In compliance of same we bind ourselves in the final sum of five hundred Dollars date above Samuel Cleage witness David Cleage Wilson X Owens his mark
Eliza was my great great grandmother. We grew up hearing a story about her. In this blog I will talk about how I found her using a combination of oral history, records and lots of help from cousins and cousins of cousins.
This first post, though, is just to get my feet wet. Yesterday I heard Luckie Daniels talk about genealogical blogging during our AAHGS Metro Atlanta Chapter meeting. This morning I decided to dive in and set one up. I was pretty surprised to learn that I already had two accounts with Google Blogger. I set one up in 2007 and one in 2009 but never actually set up a blog. In my confusion I used the name I wanted for my blog on one account and set up to follow several blogs on the other account. I cannot find a way to delete one or the other so my plan is to use this blog and this account for everything.
Now, how do I get an interesting view, a couple of columns and some photographs on here…..
These are exciting times Kristin! I am so proud of the AAHGS members who have decided to make the genea-leap!:-)Definitely consider joining the Genealogy community on Twitter.com –> they will be a GREAT pool of info as you get started. I’m also including the URL to a “Blogger Cheat Sheet” created by Thomas at GeneaBloggers.com.http://www.geneabloggers.com/cheat-sheets-blogger-wordpress/Click on the “Blogger” PDF link. This should answer some of your immediate questions.Just know that we are thrilled to have Metro Atlanta AAHGS repping online & are here to help!:-)
Kristin,I am so excited to see that you enjoyed Luckie’s presentation, and that you’ve joined the genea-blogging community. As Luckie said above, please also consider joining the genealogy community on Twitter; there are lots of bloggers there ready to welcome you aboard.I looking forward to reading about your journey to Finding Eliza.Sandra
Congratulations Kristin!I just I’ve added it to the blog list at GeneaBloggers. In addition, I’ve made sure your blog is listed in our search engine (http://www.geneabloggers.com/search-geneablogger-member-blogs/) so that it may be searched along with over 1,000 other genealogy blogs. Finally, I will also highlight your blog in my weekly This Week’s New Genealogy Blogs post on Saturday, 29 May 2010.Is there anything you need from us in terms of tech assistance or other advice? Check out the GeneaBloggers Welcome Wagon for lots of info: http://www.geneabloggers.com/about/. And if you need technical help, I run a tech blog for bloggers: http://fbbootcamp.blogspot.com
Hi Kristin,Welcome to the blogsphere! I see you have Greens, and I do also, although right now, I don’t know of any connection to Kentucky. Good luck to you as you get started, and I’ll be following along! Renatewww.justthinking130.blogspot.comNadasue on Twitter
This is great! It is in such nice little stories and pieces it makes it very easy to see the connections. I am not sure how to follow you but I will save to favorites and check back in.
Ayanna, great to have a daughter reading the blog. i think to get your picture there as a follower you have to have a blogger acct or some google acct. but you can still check in and follow me without that. wonder if you could do it with your fb acct?
Hello Kristin and welcome aboard!Glad to see another member of the blogging community and I look forward to reading the stories of the family as well as the stories of how you have made your discoveries. Welcome to the blogosphere.
Hallo Kristin,Welcome to this wonderful community of geneabloggers! I recently re-set my blog and one of the best things I did was join Geneabloggers and have made some really great new friends. And I am learning a lot too.If you decide to join Twitter, it would be good to follow you – I am rootsresearcher there.I have found your blog very interesting so far and look forward to seeing further posts from you.Kind regards,Christine – (rootsresearcher) So That’s Where I Get It From and Ancestors at Rest Graveyard Rabbit blogs.
12 Responses to Who was Eliza?
These are exciting times Kristin! I am so proud of the AAHGS members who have decided to make the genea-leap!:-)Definitely consider joining the Genealogy community on Twitter.com –> they will be a GREAT pool of info as you get started. I’m also including the URL to a “Blogger Cheat Sheet” created by Thomas at GeneaBloggers.com.http://www.geneabloggers.com/cheat-sheets-blogger-wordpress/Click on the “Blogger” PDF link. This should answer some of your immediate questions.Just know that we are thrilled to have Metro Atlanta AAHGS repping online & are here to help!:-)
Kristin,I am so excited to see that you enjoyed Luckie’s presentation, and that you’ve joined the genea-blogging community. As Luckie said above, please also consider joining the genealogy community on Twitter; there are lots of bloggers there ready to welcome you aboard.I looking forward to reading about your journey to Finding Eliza.Sandra
Congratulations Kristin!I just I’ve added it to the blog list at GeneaBloggers. In addition, I’ve made sure your blog is listed in our search engine (http://www.geneabloggers.com/search-geneablogger-member-blogs/) so that it may be searched along with over 1,000 other genealogy blogs. Finally, I will also highlight your blog in my weekly This Week’s New Genealogy Blogs post on Saturday, 29 May 2010.Is there anything you need from us in terms of tech assistance or other advice? Check out the GeneaBloggers Welcome Wagon for lots of info: http://www.geneabloggers.com/about/. And if you need technical help, I run a tech blog for bloggers: http://fbbootcamp.blogspot.com
Hi Kristin,Welcome to the blogsphere! I see you have Greens, and I do also, although right now, I don’t know of any connection to Kentucky. Good luck to you as you get started, and I’ll be following along! Renatewww.justthinking130.blogspot.comNadasue on Twitter
Welcome to the blogging community, and good luck with your search!
Thanks to all to all of you for the support. I really appreciate it.
This is great! It is in such nice little stories and pieces it makes it very easy to see the connections. I am not sure how to follow you but I will save to favorites and check back in.
Ayanna, great to have a daughter reading the blog. i think to get your picture there as a follower you have to have a blogger acct or some google acct. but you can still check in and follow me without that. wonder if you could do it with your fb acct?
Hello Kristin and welcome aboard!Glad to see another member of the blogging community and I look forward to reading the stories of the family as well as the stories of how you have made your discoveries. Welcome to the blogosphere.
Welcome Kristen! I’ve subscribed to your blog and look forward to reading your future posts.
Welcome to the Genea Blogging community. I look forward to reading about your research and your family.
Hallo Kristin,Welcome to this wonderful community of geneabloggers! I recently re-set my blog and one of the best things I did was join Geneabloggers and have made some really great new friends. And I am learning a lot too.If you decide to join Twitter, it would be good to follow you – I am rootsresearcher there.I have found your blog very interesting so far and look forward to seeing further posts from you.Kind regards,Christine – (rootsresearcher) So That’s Where I Get It From and Ancestors at Rest Graveyard Rabbit blogs.