Celebration Sunday-Genealogy Happy Dance!-Finding a Manumission Record

 

  You know the dance. You know you've done it. The one every researcher does after finding something new. The one where you want to jump up and down and shout to everyone that you found the document, contacted a cousin with the family Bible, made a DNA connection, or found a new branch to your tree. The one that is met with glazed stares and eye rolls.

                                                          Celebration Sunday is a place to share your discoveries. 

This weekly series enables everyone to tell about their Genealogy Happy Dance moment. 

Share by scrolling 

down and add your story to the comments section, or you may also put a link to a blog post telling about what had you dancing this week.

Sumter County, South Carolina Conveyance Records, (FamilySearch.org),
William Doughty to Hester, Edward, Sarah, and Susan,
Book D, 1812, pg. 26

My Happy Dance Moment for this week: 

As a researcher in the south, I often run across records of enslavers buying, selling, or willing the enslaved as pieces of property. These are hard records to reconcile with.

This week as I was looking for information on my maternal Daughrity line from Sumter District/County, South Carolina, I was surprised to come across a manumission record.

William Daughty, Jr. gives "the mulatto wench Hetty, and her three mulatto children, named Edward, Sarah, and Susan their full and absolute freedom.....releasing them from a state of slavery and bondage.....making them fully and absolutely and free forever every sense conception and meaning of the word free."

At this time, I am not sure exactly where William fits into my Daughrity family. A grandfather to my William, perhaps?  He may not be part of my line at all. But, he gives me hope. Hope that someone in my family line did was right regarding the holding of the enslaved. 

A genuine happy dance of thankfulness for his huge act of humanity during a time and place when it was uncommon to do so.

What's your Happy Dance Moment?

 Please share, and let's celebrate together!

                                                                      

                                                                                              

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Looking forward to reading about your Happy Dance moment!

Thanks so much for stopping by!
Helping you climb your family tree,

Friday's Faces From the Past~Do You Know This Soldier?

Fellow researcher, Keith Edwards posted this picture on a South Carolina Facebook page in hopes of identifying him.
The young man in this picture is described as being a member of the 10th South Carolina Infantry serving in the Civil War as a Confederate Soldier. 
His name is unknown but it is believed he was from the Low Country area of South Carolina. 
Williamsburg, Georgetown, Horry or Marion County may have been his home.

Unknown Confederate Civil War Soldier
10th South Carolina Infantry

Do you know this soldier? Let's get this picture back home!



Thanks so much for stopping by!

Helping you climb your family tree,

Friday's Faces From the Past~Mystery Girl 2

Another mystery girl picture from the scrapbook belonging to my Grandmother, Azile Juanita (Daughrity) Sullivan (1921-2009).

Unknown Little Girl 2
Sumter, South Carolina
1939

Like the picture of the first mystery girl in my Wordless Wednesday post, this looks to be an elementary school picture from 1939 taken by the same photographer.
Again, there is no name associated with it and the question is the same. Who is this little girl and how did Grandmom know her?
She graduated from High School the same year, so it can't be someone she knew there.
Could these two girls be related? Were they neighbors, family friends?

Grandmom lived in Sumter, South Carolina during her growing up years. Unless the photo was mailed to her, it's most likely a picture taken there.

Do you know this mystery girl? Do you have any similar pictures from an elementary school in Sumter?

Can you help me identify her and get her picture to her family?

Are we kin? Need help with your research? Please contact me.
Together we can find our people.

Thanks so much for stopping by!

Thanksgivings Past

Newspapers can give us a clue as to what was going on in our ancestor's lives.  A search of the word Thanksgiving in the historical newspapers of Sumter County, South Carolina gave some interesting results about the way the day may have been celebrated by my ancestors who lived in that area over the years.

The Watchman and Southron
(Sumter, South Carolina)
Dec. 6, 1905, pg 5
Image from Newspapers.com

As much as things change, they stay the same. In this article from 1905, an opinion was given about stores being open on Thanksgiving Day. 
It was thought it showed a lack of being thankful. 

The Watchman and Southron
(Sumter, South Carolina)
9 Nov. 1887, pg. 6
Image from Newspapers.com

  This announcement in 1887 shows a list of those businesses who were committed to staying closed.


















Getting ready for the traditional turkey dinner was a little different years ago. For most, heading to the grocery store was not an option.
Most of my ancestors were farmers and would have gone out to hunt for their main course. They were given notice as to whether turkeys were plentiful or in short supply in a given year and in this case, where to find them.

The Watchman and Southron
(Sumter, South Carolina)
Nov. 22, 1881 pg. 3
Image from Newspapers.com

My in town ancestors may have been lucky enough to order theirs.

The Watchman and Southron
(Sumter, South Carolina)
Nov. 10, 1897 pg 3
Image from Newspapers.com

What about cooking and serving? Here's an add for those essentials.

The Watchman and Southron
(Sumter, South Carolina)
28 Nov. 1906 pg. 6
Image from Newspapers.com

The Watchman and Southron
(Sumter, South Carolina)
Nov. 19, 1911 pg. 4
Image from Newspapers.com

Does your family dress up for the big 
day? Wearing your best is a tradition held in many families.                               

The Watchman and Southron
(Sumter, South Carolina)
Nov. 23, 1912 pg. 2
Image from Newspapers.com

Did your ancestors travel to visit family on Thanksgiving Day?

The Watchman and Southron
(Sumter, South Carolina)
Nov. 17, 1897 pg. 4
Image from Newspapers.com

What kind of celebrations were held in your ancestor's neighborhoods? Here's some reports from Bishopville and Sumter.

The Watchman and Southron
(Sumter, South Carolina)
30 Nov. 1886 pg.2
Image from Newspapers.com

The Sumter Watchman and Southron
(Sumter, South Carolina)
Dec. 1, 1920 pg. 3
Image from Newspapers.com

Pisgah Baptist Church Services

The Watchman and Southron
(Sumter, South Carolina)
Nov. 13, 1909 pg. 4
Image from Newspapers.com

And a not so celebratory one

The Watchman and Southron
(Sumter, South Carolina)
Dec. 2, 1884 pg. 3
Image from Newspapers.com

Then there were the football games!

The Watchman and Southron
(Sumter, South Carolina)
Nov. 30, 1931 pg. 6
Image from Newspapers. com

You know that stuffed feeling we all get after eating too much Thanksgiving dinner? Our ancestor's felt it too.

The Sumter Watchman and Southron
(Sumter, South Carolina)
Nov. 26, 1902 pg. 2
Image from Newspapers.com

Finally, a holiday is always a good excuse for advertising business.

The Watchman and Southron
(Sumter, South Carolina)
Nov. 29, 1905 pg. 7
Image from Newspapers.com

What was Thanksgiving like for your ancestors? Take a look at the newspapers from their communities to get an idea. Most likely they celebrated in much the same way you do today. You may even discover traditions that have been passed down through the years. 

Happy Thanksgiving!

Are we kin? Need help with your research? Please contact me.

Together we can find our people.

Thanks so much for stopping by!


                       

Friend of Friends Friday~Finding Their Names

 

  Researching my southern ancestors often leads to finding information on the enslaved. 

  While looking for information on Samuel J. Bradford II (1815-1875), my 3rd Great Grandfather, on Newspapers.com   advertisements were found for Runaway Slaves.                  

                   
                                                                                                     Nathan

   Prince

John

Richard (Dick)

Source for above notices: The Sumter Banner (Sumter, South Carolina) 29 March 1853, Tuesday, First Edition, page 3, www.newpapers.com (accessed 25 Feb. 2016) 

     Joe

Source: The Sumter Banner (Sumter, South Carolina) 5 Sept. 1849, Wednesday, First Edition, page 3, www.newspapers.com (accessed 25 Feb. 2016)

For African American researchers finding ancestors before emancipation can be challenging. The Slave Name Roll Project begun by Shalene Dagutis as a place to post information researchers may come across. This post will be included to help in the effort to assist the descendants of Nathan, Prince, John, Dick, and Joe.
Are we kin? Please contact me. Together we can find our people.
Thanks so much for stopping by!