Recently, I decided to revisit my Prather family’s historic cemetery in Montgomery County, Maryland. The church was then called Brooke Grove Methodist Church, and is on Maryland’s Inventory of Historic Properties. I discussed in a previous post how useful these types of databases can be. Brooke Grove was built after the Civil War by a […]
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Category: My Family Research
The Last Slave
Everyone researching enslaved ancestors eventually reaches the last slave. They find their ancestor in an an inventory or will or other official document. Usually, that’s as far as it goes. My ancestor Martha provides a good example. William Warfield In the 1860 Howard County, Maryland household of William R. Warfield, my great-great-grandmother Martha Simpson was […]
Matilda: Back Another Generation
I have been having some tremendous breakthroughs in this year. With every new name, a piece of me and and my history slides into place. Into memory. Searching for Matilda’s Roots My search for my great-grandmother Matilda’s roots is a wonderful example of the value of cluster research. For many years, I knew nothing about […]
Mattie Mae Springer Holt
Today I celebrate the life of my maternal grandmother, Mattie Mae (Springer) Holt. She would have been 92 years old on May 17 this year. Although my family has had to do without her physical presence for 13 years now, her influence and spirit lives on in us all. My grandmother was the only one of […]
Martha Simpson: Right Under My Nose
I am in a state of genealogic shock. I’ve found another family line of free blacks that no one knew about in our family. My ancestor Martha Simpson was the wife of Levi Prather. I’ve been working hard to unravel the complicated slave relationships in the Prather family of Montgomery County, Maryland. So, I hadn’t yet […]
Tracking Mason Garrard Through Slavery
I have succeeded in extending Mason Garrard’s history back just a little further. Mason is my 4th great-grandfather. He was enslaved by William Garrard. I discussed that find in the previous post. Daniel Garrard Now I know that Daniel Garrard was the father of the slaveowner William Garrard. This is a classic case of enslaved […]
Finding the Garrard Slaveholder
Finding the Garrard slaveowner for my great-grandmother Mary Garrett is a fascinating case for study. She married John Wesley Holt and they settled in Hardin County, TN and raised a large family. Mary was from neighboring Decatur County. Her mother’s death certificate (also named Mary) identified her parents as Mason and Rachel Garrett. The 1870/1880 […]
The Artifacts of Our History: Part 2
I enjoyed those who shared their family artifacts- they were all wonderful! I’ve got to share just a few more of my favorites. Education & Photography My dad attended Howard University and for awhile wrote a column in the school paper, The Hilltop. It’s nice to look into the twenty-something mind that would later become […]
The Artifacts of Our History: Part 1
Artifacts are those items passed down within our families. Pictures and bibles are artifacts. But military papers, diplomas, letters, awards, and even quilts are also good examples. I wanted to post some of the wonderful artifacts from my family. Each has expanded my understanding of their lives and communities. Maybe this post will inspire you […]
John W. Holt’s Will
I recently transcribed my gggrandfather John W. Holt’s will. He lived in Hardin County, Tennessee. He spent his childhood enslaved by Giles Holt, along with his mother Malinda and other family. By the early 20th century, John W. Holt was one of the wealthiest black man in the county. He owned hundreds of acres of land. […]