BLUF: Bottom Line Up Front
The Georgia Heath Enslaved and their descendants all have one
thing in common; they named their children after each other!!! So you are
connected to Benjamin Heath, well which one? How about Phelps Heath or Felts
Heath, again which one? You said Samuel, oh ok, but again which one? And you
thought you descended from William, Isaac, Abraham, Ransom, Foster, Peter,
Daniel, Anachy, Rebecca and again, I still ask you WHICH ONE? So the theory was birthed, the Heaths must have been related to one another.
After beginning my Heath family research in 1988 and digging
deeper beginning in February 1993, I only knew as far back to my 2nd
Great-Grandfather, Phelps
"Tug" Heath who was born in Hancock County, Georgia. I also
thought his first name was spelled Phelps, but it turns out it is spelled
Felts. When I first began researching the Georgia Heaths, there were many and
the many were spread from east Georgia counties such as Richmond,
Burke, Emanuel, Washington, Greene, Hancock, Warren, Wilkes, Jefferson,
Screven, and Glascock to
west Georgia counties such as Harris, Talbot, Taylor,
Houston, Pulaski, Monroe (in the middle), Macon,
Muscogee, and Troup counties
just to name a few but all these counties had one thing in common, they were
all located in central Georgia and along the Central Georgia Railroad.
As I looked at the Georgia county map in 1993, I was fascinated
by the fact that there were so many Heaths, black, white, mulatto, you name it
and they were all living near one another with some right next door or over in
the next county and with many instances where the names appeared to mimic one
another. Abraham, Henry, William, Daniel, Foster, Peter, Benjamin, Jefferson,
Turner, Asberry, Dollie, Celia, Hannah, Caroline, Anachy, Ellen, Lena, Sylvia,
Rachel/Rachael, and Harriett seemed to be the most popular names in the Heath
families. It is because of the naming convention and county proximities with
one another I capitalized on the notion and teaching point that repetition
is significant in family research.
In the Beginning: Finding the Heath Enslaved and their owners
Finding the Heath Enlaved was not all that hard as the 1870
census was filled with black Heath families in all the counties named above and
I'm certain, I have probably missed a few. Once again, the names repeated themselves
in all the counties with Benjamin, Abraham, Peter, and William topping the list
for the males and Harriett, Eliza, Ellen, Sylvia (Silvie), and Rachel/Rachael
topping the list for the females. The children's names also were very
repetitious and many families lived next door to one another, with some also
living next door to the white Heaths which meant there was a clue to the slave
and slave owner relationship. Bingo, it was time to dig deep!
My slave owner research began by tracing the white Heath families
in order to establish connections as well as migration patterns. I began
mapping which Heaths were present on the 1870 census and worked backwards from
there. It seemed all roads lead back to a white Heath named William and
his parents as well as North Carolina back to Surry County, Virginia. And it
was also through William, all roads led back to his father Adam, and Adam’s African Enslaved female named Doll who was
identified with seven other Enslaved.
The African Enslaved female Doll was identified as 1 of 8 Enslaved imported from Africa by the Barrow family and subsequently purchased by Adam Heath in
1695. Their purchase was associated with Adam having been granted 386 acres in
Surry County on the south side of the James River. William Heath was the son of Adam
and Sarah Heath of Surry County, Virginia and husband of Elizabeth Gee-Heath. William and
Elizabeth had a son named Thomas Heath
who was married to a Sarah. Thomas and Sarah's sons Adam Heath, Abraham Heath,
and Richard Heath were the original
Enslaved owners of many Heath slaves in Wilkes, Burke, and Warren counties in east
central Georgia (but originally from or descendants of Enslaved from Halifax
County, North Carolina) as well as our connection to the North Carolina to Georgia
migration between 1782-1790. Thomas and Sarah’s Enslaved servants were the descendants of
Doll, which has been confirmed through the historical documents of Adam Heath
and his son, William Heath.
Thomas Heath received several of his Enslaved servants from his father
William and ultimately passed down either as gifts or through his last will and
testament, June 13, 1772 (Halifax County, North Carolina) the same Enslaved and
their descendants to his sons Adam, Abraham, and Richard. I am focusing this
background story on the three sons for a reason and that is the North Carolina
to Georgia migration. Thomas Heath died in Halifax County, North Carolina in
1773, Abraham Heath and Richard Heath died in 1807 in Warren County, Georgia.
Many of the Virginia Heath Enslaved servants and their offspring were documented in the
wills thereby providing a connection to one another as well as a connection to
the white Heath enslavers. The Enslaved servants born in Virginia moved along with their
children to Halifax County, North Carolina not by choice but forcibly by
obligation as Enslaved servants to the white Heath families and subsequently some of the
Heath Enslaved were born in Halifax County and then their offspring were born in
Georgia.
Our
Ancestors’ Heath Expansion in Georgia: Abraham Heath & Richard Heath's Enslaved and the Migration Westward
Abraham Heath was in three specific counties in Georgia namely
Burke, Wilkes, and Warren. Abraham's trail connects many theories of slave
connections and relationships as well as just how did the Enslaved get to those
specific areas. One caveat to that is Warren County was formed around 1794/95
out of Wilkes County. Burke County is just southeast of both Warren and Wilkes
Counties. Richard Heath's records show he was primarily in Warren County, but
nonetheless both Abraham and Richard owned a great number of Enslaved servants as
documented in their last will and testament, for Abraham dated November 23,
1807 and probated January 4, 1808; for Richard Heath May 26, 1807 and
probated January 4, 1808.
Abraham's Enslaved were willed to his wife, Winnifred
Cotton-Heath, and his children: John Heath, Sarah "Sally"
Heath-Chapple (Chappell), Benjamin Heath (who was married to Nancy and relocated to Monroe
County, GA; will dated September 10, 1838 and probated January 6, 1840),
William Heath (who was married to Sarah Bonner-Heath; will dated December 12,
1813 and probated July 4, 1814 and Sarah's will dated February 3, 1846 and
probated September 7, 1846), Adam Heath, Elizabeth Heath, Polly Heath-Barrow,
Richard Heath, and Frances "Fannie" Burge Heath-Highfield, and
Abraham Heath. Richard's Enslaved were willed to his wife, Rebecca Chappell-Heath, and his children Chappell Heath, Mack Heath,
Elizabeth Heath-Hill, Sarah Heath-Moreland, Nancy Heath-Wright, Temperance
"Tempy" Heath-Dewberry, Henry Heath (who was also willed land purchased from Burrell Searcy), Rebecca
Heath, and Richard Heath.
Between brothers, Abraham Heath and Richard Heath, and other associated
families such as the Hubert, Ivey, Flewellyn (Fluellen), Barksdale, Felts,
Chapple/Chapel/Chappell, Dickson/Dixon, Battle, Barrow, and Wright families owned and
more likely shared labor among the Heath Enslaved throughout Warren, Wilkes,
Burke, and surrounding counties as well as the migration through central
Georgia and into Alabama.
One notable Heath Enslaved servant who was rented was Clack Heath who was a skilled worker and worked for the Barksdale,
Hubert, Ivey, Felts, Dickson, and Battle families and was described in many
instances as a skilled and reliable worker. Another skilled Enslaved servant was Elisha "Lige" Heath who was a
skilled wheelwright. Both Clack and Lige were owned by Henry Heath, son of
William Heath and grandson of Abraham Heath, and it can be assumed as well as proven through documentation that they
were willed or given to Henry by William who also most likely received their Enslaved parents from Abraham Heath and Winnifred Cotton-Heath through their wills in
the early 1800s. Over in Talbot County, another Heath slave named Titus Heath worked for the railroad and
bought his freedom and possibly his wife's freedom. Titus is a descendant of Celia "Celey" Heath as well
as Dollie "Doll" Heath. Coupled
with the fact of slave owning families migrating, the railroad expansion across
central Georgia played a vital role in the migration of all Heaths and their
families as well as the expansion and interaction of Heath Enslaved servants with other
plantations, providing slave labor for the building of the Central Georgia
Railroad, and becoming skilled and reliable workers while traveling with the
enslaver(s).
Benjamin Heath, son of Abraham and Winnifred, relocated to
Monroe County, Georgia with a great number of Heath slaves. Benjamin
and his wife Nancy were the parents of Mary Ann Louisa Heath, Benjamin Green
Heath (who relocated from Georgia to Cass
County (formerly known as Davis County for a few years), Texas), Abraham Heath, William
Lafayette Heath (he also relocated from
Monroe County Georgia to Macon County, Alabama where he married Catherine
Wilson and finally relocated to Cass County, Texas), and George Chapple (Chappell) Heath. The most interesting part about Benjamin and his family, we can clearly
trace Heath Enslaved of Abraham and Winnifred that were willed to Benjamin who
then passed them and their children down to his sons and daughter. The same
Heath Enslaved servants migrated with the white Heaths from Warren County to Monroe County,
Georgia, then over to Macon County, Alabama, and finally to Cass County, Texas.
Some of the Enlaved included were Isaac, Dice, Tillman (known as Tillman Heath Dickerson), Mamie (Mymy in wills), Henry, Charles (known
as as Charles Heath Richardson), Jeffery, Turner, Abraham, Fanny, Mary,
Lydia, Anachy, another Fanny (girl listed
in September 1838 will of Benjamin), Julius Caesar, Miles, and Jack. These
Enslaved and many others appear in the 1870 Census in Davis County (as previously mentioned, Davis later reverted back to the original name, Cass County shortly after 1870 around 1872/73).
Understanding the Family Connection and
Accepting the Past
For many years, I questioned just how are all these Heath
families were connected and how and why did so many move west from Georgia into
Alabama and onto Texas. From Texas, many also relocated to Oklahoma, Arkansas,
and California. There were so many migration patterns, but the Heaths and their
associated cousins from the Richardson, Dickerson, Haskins, Walker, Hubert,
Barksdale, Battle, Dickson, Searcy, Harrell, Flewellyn/Fluellen, Rousseau/Russeau/Russaw/Russell
and Ivey families all seemed to follow the same patterns and this is a direct
correlation to the enslaved owner and Enslaved relationship as well as how Enslaved families were relocated with the slave owners. Fast forward to today, DNA
testing is confirming the links related to the Virginia to North Carolina to Georgia
to Alabama to Texas migration of the above families. It is an awesome feeling
knowing the documented research coupled with historical documents confirming
both white and black families and DNA matches is ensuring we understand the family
connections and begin the process of accepting our past.
In the instance of the great migration from Georgia to Texas,
many black families were still in Georgia after the Civil War and appear in the
1870 and 1880 Census in Warren, Hancock, Talbot, Taylor, Monroe, and Muscogee
counties many by 1880 and most by 1900 began appearing in Texas with their
families right along with the previously mentioned slave families who relocated
prior to 1870 between the years of 1850-1865. This can all be verified through
many Texas voter registration lists from 1866-1867 which documented the year of
arrival, years living in a given state, and associated years living in a
particular county. Voter registrations and agricultural documents provided key
details in identifying black Heath family members and associated families.
Another interesting revelation is the fact there had to be some form of
communication between the Enslaved families after leaving Georgia as they were
reunited after the Civil War and some years after 1870 and the 1880 Census. One
thing is certain, the Enslaved and later emancipated black families remained connected not only
thru naming convention but by occupation as well as the connection back to the
white families who originally enslaved them. Slavery is not something to cherish,
but it is something our Ancestors survived, conquered, and taught each surviving
generation how to survive and advance forward. As a result of our Ancestors' strength,
perseverance, and unwavering faith, we must understand, acknowledge, and accept
our past.
Thank You Ancestors for Preserving Our
Family!
I am grateful for our past even the bad parts as without all of
it, many of us would not be here today. Whether we accept slavery or not,
whether we accept kinship between the slave owners or the slaves, or whether we
accept the fact our Ancestors worked for less than their potential and
worth or not is not the issue. Our present day issue of not wanting to
accept the past and realize it was reality should not be an issue at all, but
instead it should be our purpose to take the "issues" and past wrongs
of this country enslaving others and leap forward and preserve our Ancestors'
legacy. My Ancestors had purpose and my Ancestors had worth!! Today, the next
hour, the next few moments, and throughout the journey of researching the
Ancestors, my purpose and our purpose should be to preserve the legacy of our
Ancestors as they guide us to greater and greater depths of knowledge as we
continue to break down the brick walls. I acknowledge the purchase of the Enslaved female named Doll by Adam Heath in
Virginia and I am grateful for her journey, her descendants becoming my
Ancestors, and for the Ancestors birthing a great family spread abroad from
coast to coast.
******************************************************************************
Humbly and Respectfully submitted in Honor of the Ancestors,
Danté Eubanks, August 24, 2017
Special Note: This writing includes over 20 years of combined
research and collaboration beginning in 1988.
Showing posts with label Alabama. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Alabama. Show all posts
Thursday, August 24, 2017
Monday, June 20, 2016
From Virginia to North Carolina and South Carolina to Georgia to Alabama, and to Louisiana and Texas: Understanding the Barrow Connections
From Virginia to North Carolina and South Carolina to Georgia to Alabama, and to Louisiana and Texas: Understanding the Barrow Connections
Analyzing my Barrow-Heath Family Connection
The Barrow, Wright, and Chappell/Chapple family connection to one another as well as to the Heath, Hubert, Flewellyn, Ivey, and Barksdale families is another great story of "what did I just uncover" and "did I read that right", the plot thickens. What and how do the aforementioned families relate to the Barrow research and migration pattern. Well it all leads back to not only my Granny, Anna Lue Barrow, but to her husband and my maternal Great-Grandfather, Mitchell Heath. Granddaddy, as we all called him, was the son of Felts (sometimes spelled Phelps) "Tug" Heath and Eunice "Eunie" Frazier-Heath. Granddaddy's paternal grandparents were Felts Heath and Jane "Jincy" Hubert-Heath, former slaves of the Heath and Hubert families of Warren County, Georgia by way of Halifax County, North Carolina and Sussex County and Surry County in Virginia. Thus, my Barrow research and Heath research began to intersect long before I realized the true connection.
Some of the white Heaths took Barrow, Wright, and Chappell family members as their spouses such as Nancy Heath-Wright (daughter of Richard Heath and Rebecca Chappell) married William D. Wright, Rebecca Heath-Barrow (another daughter of Richard and Rebecca) married William Barrow, Patsy Heath-Wright (another daughter of Richard and Rebecca) married Lewis Wright, Sally Heath-Chappell (daughter of Abraham Heath and Winnifred Cotton) married John Chapple, Polly Heath-Barrow (another daughter of Abraham and Winnifred) married Warren Barrow. Many of these marriages and further estate slave distributions are the direct links to Putnam, Monroe, Troup and Muscogee counties in Georgia and Chambers, Lee, Russell, and Randolph counties in Alabama. As stated above, My Granny, Anna Lue's paternal great-grandmother was Rena Rose Wright-Barrow (as of February 2016, I'm running to ground a Sampson family connection). And there we have a full circle of common family names associated with white planters from Georgia settling in Lee, Russell, Chambers, and Randolph counties in Alabama as well as the aforementioned counties in Georgia. But not only is there the possible link to my great-grandparents, the link among the Hubert, Heath, Barrow, Wright, Searcy, Hugeley/Hughley, Sibley, and Chappell families extends over into Texas immensely with ties back to the Alabama, Georgia and ultimately back to North and South Carolina as well. There are many towns within Texas that are the same name and affiliated with the same families from Alabama.
William Barrow and Rebecca Heath-Barrow: The Georgia to Alabama to Louisiana Migration
William Barrow and his wife, Rebecca Heath-Barrow, were married in Warren County, Georgia and relocated to Putnam County, Georgia and ultimately over to Chambers County, Alabama. This is a huge piece in the Barrow and Heath family as Granddaddy Mitchell's Ancestors were Heath slaves of Abraham Heath (Rebecca's Uncle) and Richard Heath (Rebecca's father). While my Granny Anna Lue's Ancestors were slaves of the Barrow family which is directly tied back to the Barrow families of Halifax County and Edgecombe County in North Carolina. William and Rebecca's son, James Heath Barrow, resided in Chambers County, Alabama for quite a time and owned a great number of the Barrow and Heath slaves originally from Georgia. Post Civil War era and during the reconstruction period, many of the Barrow family slaves worked for James Heath Barrow in Chambers County. These were family members from the Anthony and Nancy Barrow line as well as the Newton and Rena Barrow line to include the Burton, Freeman, Foreman, King, Carlisle, Fears, Meadows, Wright, and Trammell family members.
In addition to the North Carolina connection of the Barrow family, we also can clearly see the connections of the white families from state to state which began in the Surry and Sussex County areas of Virginia, down to the North Carolina, then to Georgia, over to Alabama, and then onto Louisiana and Texas. This is another proven fact that the white families and the black families have been tied together for centuries. Good or bad, our stories are the woven fabric of our nation. Many descendants of William and Rebecca migrated from Chambers County to places like Louisiana and Texas taking black Barrow family members with them. In addition to the Barrow families, the intertwined families migrated as well to include the Russaw/Rousseau, Stiggers/Stiger/Steger, Thweatt, Heath, Hubert, Searcy, Lynn, Flewellyn/Fluellen, Chappell/Chapple, Dansby, Richardson and all the other allied families to both the whites and the blacks. Many descendants of William Barrow and Rebecca Heath-Barrow settled in Summerfield, Claiborne Parish, Louisiana and surrounding areas. Anyone aligned to these families and the slaves are interrelated to several prominent southern families. For more information on these intertwined families, read Roots of the Tree: Understanding the Georgia to Alabama to Texas Connection through the Mid to Late 1800s Migration, which can be found by looking up Dollie Heath, Newton Barrow, Anthony Barrow, or Hartwell Searcy within the Barrow-Heath and Eubanks-Jones family tree and on this blog.
The African-American Barrow Families of North Carolina, Georgia, and Alabama
Family members such as John Irwin Barrow Sr., Kind David Barrow Thomas, Sarah Barrow-Askew, Newton "Newt" Barrow, Della King-Barrow, Monroe "Mun" Barrow, Joseph Louis "Brown Bomber" Barrow, Zack Trammell, Janie Forman-Burton, Edd Barrow, Eliza Barrow-Winston, Stonewall Winston, Willie Goinda Barrow-Hill, O.C. Barrow, Monrow "Dock" Barrow, Susie Winston-Barrow, Alonzo Barrow, Victoria Harp-Barrow, Napoleaon Barrow, Anthony Barrow, Newton Barrow, Bailey Barrow, Jesse Barrow, Sr., Willie Calvin Barrow, Nolan Barrow, Mallory "Mal" Barrow, Robert Barrow, Ada Barrow-Finley, Green Barrow, Mary Trammell-Barrow, Liddy Barrow-Burton, Charles "Charlie" Burton, Sirlema Burton-Bonner, Anna Lue Barrow-Heath, Sarah Barrow-Thompson, Leola Barrow-Gaines, Clara Mae Barrow-Griffin, Mary Thomas-Gilbert, Amos Barrow, Anne Elizabeth Nelloms-Barrow, and countless others are the Ancestors who have paved the way for so many whose roots began in Chambers County, Alabama and neighboring Troup County, Georgia. Chambers County and Troup County both border one another on the Alabama and Georgia state lines. But neither Chambers County nor Troup County is the original birthplace of all the black Barrow Ancestors.
Virginia is the beginning origin for many Barrow family members in the United States, both black and white. From Virginia, the Barrow families began migrating into North Carolina in Halifax, Edgecombe, and Onslow counties before migrating to Burke County Georgia (along with the Heath and Hubert families) in the mid 1700s. Along with these relocations, slaves were also a part of the move. On January 31, 1757, James Barrow was born to the union of Thomas Barrow, Jr. and Elizabeth Atkinson in Edgecombe County, North Carolina. The Barrow family has ties to Edgecombe County which is significant and also supported by present DNA testing. The Barrow family then relocated to Halifax County but kept close ties to Edgecombe and Onslow Counties. An interesting fact find lies within Onslow County. In Onslow County, the Camp Lejeune Marine Corps Air Base is located on land once owned by Thomas Barrow and his family.
Many Barrow slaves remained with the white Barrow families from Virginia to the Carolinas and over into Georgia. Of the prominent black Barrow Ancestors, Bailey Barrow and Anthony Barrow, come to mind. Both men are believed to be the sons of James Barrow who owned a considerable amount of slaves and thousands of acres of land at the time of his death in 1828. James died in Baldwin County, Georgia but owned quite a few parcels of land. James Barrow was the son of Thomas Barrow, Jr. and Elizabeth Atkinson-Barrow, formerly of Virginia and migrated to Edgecombe County, North Carolina and ultimately settling in Onslow County, North Carolina. James later relocated and settled in Georgia. The Barrow family was a very prominent family with rich history in Virginia and North Carolina as well as strong ties back to England. Again, present day Camp Lejeune Marine Corps Base is on land once owned by Thomas Barrow and his descendants. The land was donated by the descendants.
From James Barrow, we see the migration pattern in the North Carolina region as well as his receiving land grants from his Revolutionary War service in Burke County, Georgia. This is a huge piece of historical context for both Barrow slaves as well as the Heath slaves due in part because Burke County is the first place both prominent white Barrow and Heath families relocated to from Halifax County, North Carolina. As I continue to further my slave ancestry research and better define the inter-relationships of the plantation owners and the slaves, the migration patterns, family relationships, and slave families will continue to prove we're connected in more ways than one. The African-American Barrows can attribute the births to both Georgia and North Carolina just as Grandpa Newton Barrow (born in North Carolina) and Uncle Anthony Barrow (born in Georgia) has according to Census records. Ironically, Bailey Barrow (presumed father of Newton) is documented as having been born in Virginia. This is not far off as James Heath served in the Maryland and Virginia areas during the Revolutionary War. It has also been said that James was dedicated to his family and took his slave children with him and provided for them immensely. This tells of the character of James, however we do not discount that Bailey, Anthony, and Newton were still considered slaves.
From Barrow to Barron: The North Carolina and South Carolina Mystery
I mentioned Grandpa Newton being the presumed son of Bailey Barrow. Newton was born in North Carolina in about 1828 (Census confirmed) and Bailey was born about 1810 (Census confirmed), but bailey was born in Virginia. We understand from the text above that Bailey is thought to be the son of the Revolutionary War veteran, James Barrow (1757-1828). Bailey is first found in the 1870 Census as a resident of York County, South Carolina with York County being positioned on North and South Carolina border. In 1870, Newton is residing a few houses over from Anthony Barrow in Chambers County, Alabama and documented having been born in North Carolina. Given all the migratory patterns of white Barrow families, the varying counties and states is not far off as we can find the trail!
So why Barrow and Barron, one may ask? Well, the children of Bailey and Flora Barrow are all residing side by side in York County and all the grandchildren seem to have like names such as Milas, Erwin, Sylvester, with Milas sticking out more. I descend from Milas Barrow son of Newton, but Bailey seems to have several grandsons named Milas which leads me to believe there is an older Milas slave somewhere that all these men are named after him. Beginning in 1880 and beyond, the York County Bailey Barrow descendants are documented as Barron and not Barrow. This is a change in spelling but in southern dialect or drawl as some would say, Barrow and Barron sound the same. Just ask any Carolinian! Thus we have Barrow and Barron cousins in the same branch of a family but under different surnames. This is not uncommon among any family as spelling variations and pronunciations have changed often through the ages of time. Until further documentation proves otherwise, Bailey Barrow and the many Barrow/Barron descendants are still Barrow family members.
As the ongoing research continues with the Barrow and Heath families, I am reminded of the importance of utilizing "cluster genealogy" which involves researching everything from a person's family, neighbors, occupation, and locality. It's all in the realm of the cluster! This research method is affording many new possibilities of finding lost branches as well as connecting with other researchers who just may have the missing piece to the puzzle you were looking for which aids in breaking down the brick walls. It's no coincidence that my great-grandparents, Mitchell Heath and Anna Lue Barrow-Heath, are my anchor as it is through them that the doors of genealogy possibilities are overflowing. And it is because of them, I am lucky to be a Barrow and Heath descendant.
Are We Family?
One can conclude that the Barrow slaves were in North Carolina, Georgia, and some ultimately forced to settle in Chambers County, Alabama where many descendants today still call the region home. The living Barrow descendants of Anthony and Newton in Chambers County are of close connection and lived next door, in the same communities, on the same roads, or lands touched one another and yet many of us still to this date are divided as a result of the hue of skin tones. One Cousin who began documenting the family tree and just how everyone was connected encountered much opposition from the family as many truly believed there were three sets of Barrows. A white branch, a light skinned branch, and a dark branch. I can tell you, as a Barrow descendant, we are all shades of FAMILY!! I applaud my cousin whose initials are DHP for her work in initially documenting the many generations of our family as well as connecting to our oral history and now through documented research and DNA testing, we all can definitively prove we are just that - FAMILY!
Humbly Submitted to honor the Ancestors,
Danté Eubanks
 |
| Photo of Papa John Irwin Barrow, Sr. |
My Beginning Barrow Ancestry
My maternal Great-Grandmother is Anna Lue Barrow-Heath, and it is because of her I know more about my family history and the history of our people. My Barrow journey begins with my maternal Great-Grandmother. She was born March 8, 1913 to the union of John Irwin (Erwin) Barrow, Sr. and Annie Elizabeth Hunter Nelloms-Barrow. Anna Lue, and I called her Granny, often spoke of her Georgia and Alabama family. And I don't mean occasionally every few years, but very often as Granny was the glue to the south and was very close with cousins near and far. For years, it was told that Granny and her siblings were born in Atlanta, but I am finding that many were in Alabama in Chambers County, some in Troup County, Georgia and a couple in Atlanta with the youngest of Papa Irwin and Grand Annie's children, their daughter Clara Mae Barrow-Griffin, being born in Cincinnati, Ohio. Granny shared so much with all of us about both her father's family and her mother's family. The Barrow line is the paternal side of Granny and it is this side that is becoming more and more fascinating as years of documented family history, oral history, archived research, and now AncestryDNA is bringing it all together!
Papa Irwin was born to the union of Milas Barrow and Lula Mattie Haines (Hanes) Barrow in Chambers County, Alabama. Papa's paternal grandparents were Newton Barrow and Rena Rose Wright-Barrow. As I began searching for my maternal lineage, I always knew that I was a cousin of Joseph Louis Barrow affectionately known as the “Brown Bomber” and great son of Chambers County, Alabama. There are many who claim to be related to famous people, but in my family this claim was always true and the stories were endless. I don't mean stories just to say Joe Louis was our cousins, but stories of his father Monroe, stories of his siblings in Detroit, stories of the family down south in the Buckalew Mountains area of Chambers County, and ultimately stories of the intersecting family lines within the Barrow family.
Finding Uncle Newton Barrow
In 1992, I began researching in one the best genealogical study centers in the Midwest, the Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County. It was here where I first learned of my Great-Great-Great Uncle, Newton Barrow. I first saw Uncle Newton residing in the household of my Great-Great- Grandparents, Irwin (Papa Irwin) & Annie (Grand Annie) Barrow, in East Point, Fulton County, Georgia in 1920 (1920 U.S. Census; Fulton County, Georgia). This substantial piece of evidence was the break and most important clue I needed as it paved the way of the road leading back to Chambers County, Alabama.
In the 1920 Census record, Uncle Newton was listed as Papa Irwin’s uncle and that was the best clue I could have found as it allowed me to begin tracing my roots backward knowing Newton was Papa Irwin’s uncle which would eventually lead to discovering Papa’s father. Our family always knew Papa’s mother’s name was Mattie and that she was a Haines (Hanes) and of Cherokee Indian ancestry (according to oral history). So finding Uncle Newton was like hitting a gold mine in my book as it now gave hope and pure determination in researching the Barrow line much deeper and with great expectations.Analyzing my Barrow-Heath Family Connection
The Barrow, Wright, and Chappell/Chapple family connection to one another as well as to the Heath, Hubert, Flewellyn, Ivey, and Barksdale families is another great story of "what did I just uncover" and "did I read that right", the plot thickens. What and how do the aforementioned families relate to the Barrow research and migration pattern. Well it all leads back to not only my Granny, Anna Lue Barrow, but to her husband and my maternal Great-Grandfather, Mitchell Heath. Granddaddy, as we all called him, was the son of Felts (sometimes spelled Phelps) "Tug" Heath and Eunice "Eunie" Frazier-Heath. Granddaddy's paternal grandparents were Felts Heath and Jane "Jincy" Hubert-Heath, former slaves of the Heath and Hubert families of Warren County, Georgia by way of Halifax County, North Carolina and Sussex County and Surry County in Virginia. Thus, my Barrow research and Heath research began to intersect long before I realized the true connection.
Some of the white Heaths took Barrow, Wright, and Chappell family members as their spouses such as Nancy Heath-Wright (daughter of Richard Heath and Rebecca Chappell) married William D. Wright, Rebecca Heath-Barrow (another daughter of Richard and Rebecca) married William Barrow, Patsy Heath-Wright (another daughter of Richard and Rebecca) married Lewis Wright, Sally Heath-Chappell (daughter of Abraham Heath and Winnifred Cotton) married John Chapple, Polly Heath-Barrow (another daughter of Abraham and Winnifred) married Warren Barrow. Many of these marriages and further estate slave distributions are the direct links to Putnam, Monroe, Troup and Muscogee counties in Georgia and Chambers, Lee, Russell, and Randolph counties in Alabama. As stated above, My Granny, Anna Lue's paternal great-grandmother was Rena Rose Wright-Barrow (as of February 2016, I'm running to ground a Sampson family connection). And there we have a full circle of common family names associated with white planters from Georgia settling in Lee, Russell, Chambers, and Randolph counties in Alabama as well as the aforementioned counties in Georgia. But not only is there the possible link to my great-grandparents, the link among the Hubert, Heath, Barrow, Wright, Searcy, Hugeley/Hughley, Sibley, and Chappell families extends over into Texas immensely with ties back to the Alabama, Georgia and ultimately back to North and South Carolina as well. There are many towns within Texas that are the same name and affiliated with the same families from Alabama.
William Barrow and Rebecca Heath-Barrow: The Georgia to Alabama to Louisiana Migration
William Barrow and his wife, Rebecca Heath-Barrow, were married in Warren County, Georgia and relocated to Putnam County, Georgia and ultimately over to Chambers County, Alabama. This is a huge piece in the Barrow and Heath family as Granddaddy Mitchell's Ancestors were Heath slaves of Abraham Heath (Rebecca's Uncle) and Richard Heath (Rebecca's father). While my Granny Anna Lue's Ancestors were slaves of the Barrow family which is directly tied back to the Barrow families of Halifax County and Edgecombe County in North Carolina. William and Rebecca's son, James Heath Barrow, resided in Chambers County, Alabama for quite a time and owned a great number of the Barrow and Heath slaves originally from Georgia. Post Civil War era and during the reconstruction period, many of the Barrow family slaves worked for James Heath Barrow in Chambers County. These were family members from the Anthony and Nancy Barrow line as well as the Newton and Rena Barrow line to include the Burton, Freeman, Foreman, King, Carlisle, Fears, Meadows, Wright, and Trammell family members.
In addition to the North Carolina connection of the Barrow family, we also can clearly see the connections of the white families from state to state which began in the Surry and Sussex County areas of Virginia, down to the North Carolina, then to Georgia, over to Alabama, and then onto Louisiana and Texas. This is another proven fact that the white families and the black families have been tied together for centuries. Good or bad, our stories are the woven fabric of our nation. Many descendants of William and Rebecca migrated from Chambers County to places like Louisiana and Texas taking black Barrow family members with them. In addition to the Barrow families, the intertwined families migrated as well to include the Russaw/Rousseau, Stiggers/Stiger/Steger, Thweatt, Heath, Hubert, Searcy, Lynn, Flewellyn/Fluellen, Chappell/Chapple, Dansby, Richardson and all the other allied families to both the whites and the blacks. Many descendants of William Barrow and Rebecca Heath-Barrow settled in Summerfield, Claiborne Parish, Louisiana and surrounding areas. Anyone aligned to these families and the slaves are interrelated to several prominent southern families. For more information on these intertwined families, read Roots of the Tree: Understanding the Georgia to Alabama to Texas Connection through the Mid to Late 1800s Migration, which can be found by looking up Dollie Heath, Newton Barrow, Anthony Barrow, or Hartwell Searcy within the Barrow-Heath and Eubanks-Jones family tree and on this blog.
The African-American Barrow Families of North Carolina, Georgia, and Alabama
Family members such as John Irwin Barrow Sr., Kind David Barrow Thomas, Sarah Barrow-Askew, Newton "Newt" Barrow, Della King-Barrow, Monroe "Mun" Barrow, Joseph Louis "Brown Bomber" Barrow, Zack Trammell, Janie Forman-Burton, Edd Barrow, Eliza Barrow-Winston, Stonewall Winston, Willie Goinda Barrow-Hill, O.C. Barrow, Monrow "Dock" Barrow, Susie Winston-Barrow, Alonzo Barrow, Victoria Harp-Barrow, Napoleaon Barrow, Anthony Barrow, Newton Barrow, Bailey Barrow, Jesse Barrow, Sr., Willie Calvin Barrow, Nolan Barrow, Mallory "Mal" Barrow, Robert Barrow, Ada Barrow-Finley, Green Barrow, Mary Trammell-Barrow, Liddy Barrow-Burton, Charles "Charlie" Burton, Sirlema Burton-Bonner, Anna Lue Barrow-Heath, Sarah Barrow-Thompson, Leola Barrow-Gaines, Clara Mae Barrow-Griffin, Mary Thomas-Gilbert, Amos Barrow, Anne Elizabeth Nelloms-Barrow, and countless others are the Ancestors who have paved the way for so many whose roots began in Chambers County, Alabama and neighboring Troup County, Georgia. Chambers County and Troup County both border one another on the Alabama and Georgia state lines. But neither Chambers County nor Troup County is the original birthplace of all the black Barrow Ancestors.
Virginia is the beginning origin for many Barrow family members in the United States, both black and white. From Virginia, the Barrow families began migrating into North Carolina in Halifax, Edgecombe, and Onslow counties before migrating to Burke County Georgia (along with the Heath and Hubert families) in the mid 1700s. Along with these relocations, slaves were also a part of the move. On January 31, 1757, James Barrow was born to the union of Thomas Barrow, Jr. and Elizabeth Atkinson in Edgecombe County, North Carolina. The Barrow family has ties to Edgecombe County which is significant and also supported by present DNA testing. The Barrow family then relocated to Halifax County but kept close ties to Edgecombe and Onslow Counties. An interesting fact find lies within Onslow County. In Onslow County, the Camp Lejeune Marine Corps Air Base is located on land once owned by Thomas Barrow and his family.
Many Barrow slaves remained with the white Barrow families from Virginia to the Carolinas and over into Georgia. Of the prominent black Barrow Ancestors, Bailey Barrow and Anthony Barrow, come to mind. Both men are believed to be the sons of James Barrow who owned a considerable amount of slaves and thousands of acres of land at the time of his death in 1828. James died in Baldwin County, Georgia but owned quite a few parcels of land. James Barrow was the son of Thomas Barrow, Jr. and Elizabeth Atkinson-Barrow, formerly of Virginia and migrated to Edgecombe County, North Carolina and ultimately settling in Onslow County, North Carolina. James later relocated and settled in Georgia. The Barrow family was a very prominent family with rich history in Virginia and North Carolina as well as strong ties back to England. Again, present day Camp Lejeune Marine Corps Base is on land once owned by Thomas Barrow and his descendants. The land was donated by the descendants.
From James Barrow, we see the migration pattern in the North Carolina region as well as his receiving land grants from his Revolutionary War service in Burke County, Georgia. This is a huge piece of historical context for both Barrow slaves as well as the Heath slaves due in part because Burke County is the first place both prominent white Barrow and Heath families relocated to from Halifax County, North Carolina. As I continue to further my slave ancestry research and better define the inter-relationships of the plantation owners and the slaves, the migration patterns, family relationships, and slave families will continue to prove we're connected in more ways than one. The African-American Barrows can attribute the births to both Georgia and North Carolina just as Grandpa Newton Barrow (born in North Carolina) and Uncle Anthony Barrow (born in Georgia) has according to Census records. Ironically, Bailey Barrow (presumed father of Newton) is documented as having been born in Virginia. This is not far off as James Heath served in the Maryland and Virginia areas during the Revolutionary War. It has also been said that James was dedicated to his family and took his slave children with him and provided for them immensely. This tells of the character of James, however we do not discount that Bailey, Anthony, and Newton were still considered slaves.
From Barrow to Barron: The North Carolina and South Carolina Mystery
I mentioned Grandpa Newton being the presumed son of Bailey Barrow. Newton was born in North Carolina in about 1828 (Census confirmed) and Bailey was born about 1810 (Census confirmed), but bailey was born in Virginia. We understand from the text above that Bailey is thought to be the son of the Revolutionary War veteran, James Barrow (1757-1828). Bailey is first found in the 1870 Census as a resident of York County, South Carolina with York County being positioned on North and South Carolina border. In 1870, Newton is residing a few houses over from Anthony Barrow in Chambers County, Alabama and documented having been born in North Carolina. Given all the migratory patterns of white Barrow families, the varying counties and states is not far off as we can find the trail!
So why Barrow and Barron, one may ask? Well, the children of Bailey and Flora Barrow are all residing side by side in York County and all the grandchildren seem to have like names such as Milas, Erwin, Sylvester, with Milas sticking out more. I descend from Milas Barrow son of Newton, but Bailey seems to have several grandsons named Milas which leads me to believe there is an older Milas slave somewhere that all these men are named after him. Beginning in 1880 and beyond, the York County Bailey Barrow descendants are documented as Barron and not Barrow. This is a change in spelling but in southern dialect or drawl as some would say, Barrow and Barron sound the same. Just ask any Carolinian! Thus we have Barrow and Barron cousins in the same branch of a family but under different surnames. This is not uncommon among any family as spelling variations and pronunciations have changed often through the ages of time. Until further documentation proves otherwise, Bailey Barrow and the many Barrow/Barron descendants are still Barrow family members.
As the ongoing research continues with the Barrow and Heath families, I am reminded of the importance of utilizing "cluster genealogy" which involves researching everything from a person's family, neighbors, occupation, and locality. It's all in the realm of the cluster! This research method is affording many new possibilities of finding lost branches as well as connecting with other researchers who just may have the missing piece to the puzzle you were looking for which aids in breaking down the brick walls. It's no coincidence that my great-grandparents, Mitchell Heath and Anna Lue Barrow-Heath, are my anchor as it is through them that the doors of genealogy possibilities are overflowing. And it is because of them, I am lucky to be a Barrow and Heath descendant.
Are We Family?
One can conclude that the Barrow slaves were in North Carolina, Georgia, and some ultimately forced to settle in Chambers County, Alabama where many descendants today still call the region home. The living Barrow descendants of Anthony and Newton in Chambers County are of close connection and lived next door, in the same communities, on the same roads, or lands touched one another and yet many of us still to this date are divided as a result of the hue of skin tones. One Cousin who began documenting the family tree and just how everyone was connected encountered much opposition from the family as many truly believed there were three sets of Barrows. A white branch, a light skinned branch, and a dark branch. I can tell you, as a Barrow descendant, we are all shades of FAMILY!! I applaud my cousin whose initials are DHP for her work in initially documenting the many generations of our family as well as connecting to our oral history and now through documented research and DNA testing, we all can definitively prove we are just that - FAMILY!
Humbly Submitted to honor the Ancestors,
Danté Eubanks
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