Wordless Wednesday Hannah and Granddaughters

Hannah Jane Wilcher Kelly
1895-1965
Front Row: Jessie Mae and Jocy
Back Row: Annie Ruth and Mickey

Picture Courtesy of Deborah Wright

How does Hannah connect to my family?
Hannah married Lewis Durr Kelly.
Lewis brother, Pearly Kelly, married my second cousin 1x removed Arnetta Byrd.

Peggy's Letter Seeking Family Separated During Slavery

Family of Slaves - 1861
Washington, DC or Hampton, Virginia

I thought of this letter while watching the PBS series, African Americans: Many Rivers to Cross, Part 3 - Into the Fire - 1861-1896. Peggy does not connect to my family but found her letter to be very touching. My great grandfather Washington Marshall, who was a slave in Copiah County, MS, spoke of the siblings he left in Virginia. I can easily imagine him writing Peggy's letter

The letter was written by Reverend J. H. Nichols, Starkville, MS, on behalf of Peggie, to William Peacock, Shelbyville, TN. William Peacock was Kelly's former owner who had sold her away from her family many years before. Kelly was inquiring of Peacock if he knew the whereabouts of any surviving family members whom she had not seen since being sold.

The letter represents a woman's determination to locate before she died surviving members of her family from whom she had long been separated. It provides poignant evidence of the tragic and lingering consequences of slavery on the individual.

Starkville, MS
January 31, 1892

Mr. William Peacock
Shelbyville, Tenn

Dear Sirs or Friends

I am trying to find my mother and father. My father's name was named Prince and my mother's name was Rose. They both belong to above Peacock. They had four children when I was sold. Their names Peggie, Isaac, John, and George and I had two half sisters belonging to old Thomas Peacock.

I was sold to James Wortham in KY where I lived 3 years then he sold me to Jack Tucker and then was sold to Evan Davis in this state.

Any information given if any or the where abouts of them will be thankfully received. Let me know if they are dead or alive.

My name was Peggie one of the children of Prince and Rose.

Yours inquiring,
Peggie Kelly, now
Peggie Peacock

Sources:
Kelly (Peggie Peacock) Letter
Manuscript Collection Number: Z1821.00S
Manuscript found at the Mississippi Department of Archives and History.
Photograph courtesy of Library of Congress

Calvin and Odessa Banks Lowe

Busy this afternoon looking at pictures Cousin Nate emailed me before the holidays. It was nice to see a picture of Cousin Odessa Banks, daughter of Archie and Janie Scott Banks. I had no idea who she married so it was an extra bonus to get a name and photo of her husband. His name, Calvin Lowe, was not on my family tree but his parents were, Robert Lowe and Dezine Kelly. Robert's siblings Fannie and John married into my extended family.

I do what I call community research but I think the correct name for it is cluster research, which is researching extended family members, friends and neighbors of direct relatives. The Lowe family was from Union Church, MS, a neighboring village to the family home place, Caseyville, MS. The Lowe families connected to my tree descend from Eveline Lowe born about 1830 in Virginia.

Cousin Odessa was born about 1927 which lead me to the 1930 and 1940 censuses searching for her husband. In 1930, Calvin was a 7 year old in the household of his parents with his siblings, Euniemay, Hudie Mann, Willis, Chalmers, Jessie May, and Marie. In 1940, everyone except Euniemay is still in the household. I found a family group sheet that a cousin sent confirming the names of Calvin's parents.

Calvin and Odessa married, adopted three children: Stephen, Vera and Christopher.

The Couple's Obituaries
1923-1987

1926-2001

Calvin is the son of Robert Lowe and Dezine Kelly
grandson of Lewis Lowe and Amanda Johnson, Calvin Kelly and Harriet Reed

Odessa is the daughter of Archie Banks and Jannie Scott
granddaughter of Joseph Banks and Mary ?, James Pearly Scott and Mary Viola Markham
Odessa is my mother's half 2nd cousin.

Photograph courtesy of Nathaniel Thomas.
Obituaries from Daily Leader Newspaper, Brookhaven, MS.

Do You Know My Name

Who is this lovely lady? Her photograph was discovered in the photograph collection of John H Williams in the Lincoln County Public Library in Brookhaven, Mississippi. The photograph was label L D Kelly. It is believed L D paid to have the lovely face photographed. Is she a wife, daughter, sister, cousin, of L D's? What was her name?

Lincoln-Lawrence-Franklin Regional Library