Tuesday, April 15, 2014

Mary Winston's Letter - 1894

Mary Peachy Smith-Demyers Winston
1828-1895
At Home
Apr. 27 1894

Mrs Ella Harris

Dear friend
Please to send me that what you promse(sp) me of Sidney's
by so doing you will oblige

Your Resp
Mary Winston

Home for Mary was near Hazlehurst, Copiah County, MS. Mary was born about 1828 in Alabama. She was a slave of Peachy Ridgway Taliaferro and later his son Richard. According to oral tradition, Mary is believed to be the daughter of Peachy R Taliaferro with my 3rd great grandmother Peggy Demyers.

Mary is named in the probate records of Taliaferro, along with her husband Andrew and two of their daughters, Malinda and Sidney.

What of Sidney's did Ella Harris have? Did she owe Sidney money? Did Sidney leave behind clothing, hat, tools? Did Ella Harris make a promise to give Sidney a gift?

I am also curious about the writer. Did Mary write the letter, one of her children, grandchildren, or a neighbor?

How Does Mary connect to my family tree?
Mary is the half sister of my 2nd great grandmother
Alice Demyers Overton Usher.

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Lucy Ella Rice married Lewis Bingaman Harris. The couple was associated with Gustavus family of Copiah County. Read about Andrew Gustavus and the Harris family here. Ella is connected to the Taliaferro family through marriage.

Source: Harris (Lewis Bingaman and Family) Papers
Z/0983.000/S
Box 3
Mississippi Department of Archives and History

1 comment:

Kristin said...

Now I'm wondering all those things too.