Cleages In Black and White

African-American Genealogy & Slave Ancestry Research, Cleages, Investigations

Several days ago, I found the will of Alexander Cleage, which mentioned my Cleage Ancestors: Frank, Juda and Lewis Cleage by name, as he willed them to his wife. After finding the will, I did two things.  First, I went back through the other documents I have concerning the white Cleages and slavery.  I found a bill of sale wherein David Cleage and his sister Elizabeth sold some of their inherited slaves (including my great-great grandfather, Frank) to Alexander.  I had believed that my family went from Samuel Cleage to son David, and remained with him, after Samuel’s death.  This cleared that up.

Next, I set up a tree for the white Cleages on Ancestry.com. Through the shakey leaves I found another will. This one for Elijah Hurst, father of Alexander’s wife Jemima Hurst Cleage. In the will, Elijah deeds Jemima my great-great grandmother, Juda, who (along with several other slaves) he had already given her when she married.  There was a wealth of information and documentation available on Ancestry which I am going through now.

After going through those documents, I will modify the timelines I have for Frank and Juda Cleage.  I am also going to be looking for traditions surrounding giving ones daughter a couple of slaves to take with her when she married.  This is the second case of that I have found in my family.  My great great grandmother Eliza was given to Edmund Harrison’s daughter Martha Harrison, when she married Milton Saffold.

This is the year that I plan to devote some real time to writing up my family history. More about that later.

Related Posts

Article of Agreement Between Samuel Cleage and Overseer – 1834

Cleage Bricks

The Will – 1860

Elijah Hurst Last Will and Testament – 1848

African-American Genealogy & Slave Ancestry Research, Cleages,

This Will was written by Elijah Hurst, the father of Jemima Hurst Cleage, who married Alexander Cleage, who enslaved my 2X great grandparents and their 5 children.  In it he leaves Juda (my 2X great grandmother) to Jemima.  She already had possession of her.

Elijah Hurst Last Will and Testament

State of Tenn.  McMinn Co.Will of Elijah HurstMcMinn Co Will Book D, Mar 1841-Dec 1848, Microfilm roll 104, TSLA, pp 245-255.

Dec 2 1844.   Elijah Hurst Will Recorded.  

I Elijah Hurst do make and ordain this my last will and testament.

  • 1st It is my will and desire that all my just debts be paid.
  • 2nd I give and bequeath to my son Russel R. Hurst my negro boy Harry during his life; and at his death it is my will and desire that said boy Harry go to his heirs.
  • 3rd I will and bequeath to my son John L. Hurst my negro boy Jeff during his life; and at his death I give and bequeath said boy Jeff to his heirs.
  • 4th I will and bequeath to my son Russel my Cate Tract of land during his life; and at his death I desire the same to go the heirs of said Russel; and in consideration thereof he is to pay a debt I am owing the bank for said tract of land.
  • 5th It is my will and desire that my executor manumit my negro woman Rachel when her tenth child shall have attained the age of ten years; and it is my wish that she remain in McMinn County and that my executors support her out of my estate when she gets too old to support herself.
  • 6th I will and bequeath to my wife Mary the following negroes during her natural life:  Big Peter, Auston, Tom, Nancy, Judi, and Jerry; and at her death I wish them equally divided among my four children; and I will and bequeath to my dear wife Mary all my household and kitchen furniture and such of my farming utensils as my executors may think necessary for her convenience together with all my stock of horses, cattle, and hogs.
  • 7th I will and bequeath to my daughter Jemima Cleage and her heirs forever the four negroes she has had possession of Big Anny, Judi (my great great grandmother), Jane, and Matilda together with all the other property I have given her.
  • 8th It is my wish that my daughter Sarah Ann Calloway have and enjoy all the property conveyed heretofore in trust for her benefit and I will and bequeath to my daughter Sarah Ann Calloway my baroush carriage and harnesses in consideration of some losses   Sarah sustained on my account.
  • 9th It is my wish and desire that my executors get my mother and sister Delilah to remove from Claibourne County to the County of McMinn and that they attend to them carefully:  For that trouble and for taking care of my dear wife Mary, I have given them Harry and Jeff.
  • 10th It is my will and I do hereby release my son Russel R. Hurst from all debts and accounts he is  owing me on the condition that he attends to the interest of my wife while she lives.
  • 11th It is my will and desire that nothing be ex______ in this my last will and testament to interrupt the partnership existing between my son John L. Hurst and myself until the five years have expired.
  • 12th I do hereby constitute and appoint my two sons Russel R. Hurst and John L. Hurst my executors of this my last will and testament and do authorize and desire that they should act without giving bond and security for the trust, re_____ signed, sealed, published and declared to be my last will and testament this 12th day of December 1833.  Signed Elijah Hurst (Seal).  Witnesses:  Justus Steed, Andrew John, W. F. Keith.

Alexander Cleage’s Last Will & Testament – 1860

African-American Genealogy & Slave Ancestry Research, Cleages, , ,
Athens, Tennessee about 1919. Probably taken by my grandfather Albert B. Cleage, SR
Athens, Tennessee about 1919. Probably taken by my grandfather Albert B. Cleage, SR.  Men unknown.

I hadn’t planned yesterday to go to Family Search and look for the Will of Alexander Cleage, but I did.

“I give and devise to my beloved wife Jemima Cleage for and during her natural life the following described Negro slaves – to wit: … Juda and her five children  to wit: Charles, Angelen, Lewis, Laura and Frank… I also give and bequeath to her for her natural life a negro man called Frank the husband of Juda…” 

 30th day of May 1860 Alexander Cleage

Juda and Frank Cleage were my two times great grandparents. Their son Lewis Cleage was my great grandfather, my own grandfather Albert B. Cleage’s, father. I have several other documents that trace them through slavery – a letter to the overseer in 1838 and a bill of sale that mention Frank in 1852, a marriage record for Frank and Juda Cleage in 1866 and the 1870 census, Lewis’ death certificate in 1918.

By the time the will was probated 1 March 1875, my people had been free for 10 years.

These records give me a bare bones outline of their lives. I have no photographs, no stories. Nobody’s memories. These bones and their names. I read the will over and over until I felt it inside of me. I saw my cousins faces, my children’s faces.  All descended from these two people – Frank and Juda Cleage and their son, Lewis Cleage. I wish I could see their faces. I wish I knew their stories. I wish someone had shared memories.  One thing I know is that I will tell the parts of their stories that I can piece together and I will say their names. Frank Cleage born 1816 in North Carolina. Juda Cleage born 1814 in Tennessee. Lewis Cleage born 1852 in Athens Tennessee and died 1918 in Indianapolis, Indiana.

You can see a copy of the will here: Last Will and Testament of Alexander Cleage

You can see a copy of Elijah Hurst’s Will leaving my enslaved great great grandmother Juda Cleage to his daughter, Jemimah Hurst Cleage Elijah Hurst’s Will-1848

Click to see more Sepia Saturday posts.
Click to see more Sepia Saturday posts.

Dr. Albert B. Cleage – A Speech for Dunbar Hospital Nurses

Cleages

Dunbar_Memorial_Hospital_1930
Dunbar Memorial Hospital’s medical staff, trustee board and corps of nurses standing on the steps of hospital. Handwritten on front: “Medical Staff, Trustee Board and Corps of Nurses, Dunbar Memorial Hospital, Detroit, Mich., Sept. 14, 1930, [Jackson Photo].” Handwritten on back: “1. Henderson, 2. Dr. John Thomas, 2. Cleage O. [two people identified as #2], 3. Greene, 4. Henry Owen, 6. Greenridge, 7. Burton, 7. Osby.” Top left corner cut off. Stamped on photo back: “Harvey C. Jackson, photographer, 2614 Beaubien St., Detroit, Mich. OLIF 1431 J.” – See more at: http://digitalcollections.detroitpubliclibrary.org/islandora/object/islandora:162372#sthash.GhieIUUZ.dpuf Note: My grandfather, identified as 2. Cleage O. is not in the picture. Do not know what the O. stands for.

My cousin Jan recently sent me a copy of the speech below. It was given by my grandfather, Dr. Albert B. Cleage, Sr on the occasion of the graduation of the first class of nurses from Dunbar Hospital.  Dunbar was founded by a group of 30 black doctors in 1918 because they were not allowed to treat their patients at white hospitals in Detroit without special permission, and sometimes not even then. The hospital also served as a training school for nurses.  My grandfather isn’t pictured in the 1930 photo of staff above, but you can see him in the header photo which was taken in 1922. He is seated on the steps of Dunbar Hospital – first row, far right.

Click on the pages below to enlarge.

nurses graduation 1 blognurses graduation 2 blog

Sign on side of former Dunbar Hosptial. Photo by Paul Lee, Sept 2014.
Sign on side of former Dunbar Hosptial. Photo by Paul Lee, Sept 2014.

Births, Deaths, Doctors and Detroit

Kwanzaa – Ujamaa (Cooperative Economics)

Kwanzaa

Yesterday was the 4th day of Kwanzaa.  The principle of the day was Ujamaa (oo-JAH-mah) = Cooperative Economics.  This time last year my husband, my brother-in-law Michael and I decided to use Ujamaa and start a savings program. At that time Michael was sharing our home. We didn’t want to save large amounts of money, just to show that by small, consistent saving together we would have some money on hand at the end of the year. We decided to each put $5 each Friday into the can pictured below. It sat on a table in the living room.  We didn’t have any plans beyond saving a small amount and watching it add up. At the end of the year we had $780 in the can. We divided it up and each had $260.  It isn’t a lot, but it was totally painless to save that amount each week.  Michael has moved to his own place. Jim and I are going to continue the experiment for another year. We are also going to talk about it with during our New Year’s Eve family sleepover. Maybe it’ll catch on.

money can

Kwanzaa – Kujichagulia 1992

Kwanzaa

"Atlanta Kwanzaa Table
Our Kwanzaa table from several years ago.

Today is the second day of Kwanzaa 2013, Kujichagulia, which means self-determination in Kiswahili.  The article below was written in 1992 for a newsletter I published  for several years for homeschoolers of color.  It was written by my daughter Ayanna and describes a home celebration.  My family has celebrated Kwanzaa in various ways through the years since the about 1970. Sometimes we celebrated with just our family but often we participated in community celebrations. When we lived in Idlewild, MI we were part of a small group that started the Lake County celebration that was held for one night in the Baldwin and the Yates Township Senior Centers and sometimes people hosted additional nights in their homes.

Click the pages below to enlarge for easier reading.

kwanzaakwanzaa2

Carol Of The Bells – Blog Caroling 2013

Christmas

"Blog Caroling logo"For the past several years I have done We Three Kings as my carol for the Blog Caroling event hosted annually by footnote Maven. I was looking for something different and found this version of Carol of the Bells.   You can find a short history at Carol of the Bells – Wikipedia.

Carol of the Bells

Christmas is here, bringing good cheer
To young and old, meek and the bold
Ding, dong, ding, dong, that is their song,
With joyful ring, all caroling
One seems to hear words of good cheer
From everywhere, filling the air
Oh!, how they pound, raising the sound
O’er hill and dale, telling their tale

Gaily they ring, while people sing
Songs of good cheer, Christmas is here!
Merry, merry, merry, merry, merry Christmas!
Merry, merry, merry, merry, merry Christmas!

On, on they send, on without end
Their joyful tone to every home
Hark! How the bells, sweet silver bells
All seem to say, “Throw cares away.”
Christmas is here, bringing good cheer
To young and old, meek and the bold
Ding, dong, ding, dong, that is their song
With joyful ring, all caroling.
One seems to hear words of good cheer
From everywhere, filling the air
O, how they pound, raising the sound
O’er hill and dale, telling their tale

Gaily they ring, while people sing
Songs of good cheer, Christmas is here!
Merry, merry, merry, merry, merry Christmas!
Merry, merry, merry, merry, merry Christmas!

On, on they send, on without end
Their joyful tone to every home.
Ding dong ding dong…

 

Merry Christmas – 1920

Christmas, Grahams, sepia saturday

merry_Christmas_1920This is another card from the collection of my maternal grandparents, Mershell and Fannie Graham.  Unfortunately there is no name and no address so I have no way to find out who she is. Because it is dated 1920, the first Christmas after their marriage in 1919, I believe she was an old friend from Montgomery, Alabama sending them a card in their new home in Detroit.  I will echo their unnamed friend by saying “Merry Xmas!”

For more Sepia Merry Christmas', CLICK!
For more Sepia Merry Christmas’, CLICK!