Research Leads: The Wise Homestead in Leesport, Pennsylvania

Last night, I was looking over a packet of photos that I've seen before, from the Wise and Harkema families of my great-grandmother, Gertrude Alyce Wise. While I was most interested in the photos of Gertrude's father Fred Edwin Wise Sr., who was electrocuted in 1927, two photos in particular stood out to me. 

One was captioned "Reading, PA., July 1927. Erma Sterner, Edna Wise, sisters. Cousin Kate Sell in the chair." I do not know currently who any of these people are, but they're definitely relatives and could be research leads. Regardless, it shows some of my relatives were still living in Pennsylvania as late as the 1920s. It reminds me of the vibrancy of the Pennsylvania Dutch people, and the continued existence of our people in eastern Pennsylvania.

The most interesting one was captioned "Wise Homestead, Leesport, PA." It's a small, seemingly two part building surrounded by a big tree and looks like some crops. When looked at closely, it looks like there's a porch on the side of the home. I wonder if this is where Gertrude's paternal grandfather, John Harter Wise Sr., a Civil War Veteran, grew up. While he was born in Reading, the county seat of Berks County, in 1846, in the 1850 Census the Wise family is listed as living in Alsace, Berks County. In 1860, they're in Ontelaunee, Berks County. John's father, Abraham Wise, is recorded as living in Ontelaunee in 1870 and 1880 as well. His probate file also lists him as residing in Ontelaunee. However, he died in Leesport in 1896, and was buried there, at Saint John's Gernants. His obituary states he was "residing near Gernant's church", and worked for many years for the Leesport Iron Company as a Blacksmith. In 1884 a newspaper article notes that thieves broke open Abraham's corn crib and stole corn, and that he was "near Leesport". Google Maps shows that it takes around 8 minutes to drive from Ontelaunee to Leesport, although it'd definitely take more time to walk. So my theory is that the Wise Homestead pictured may have been purchased by Abraham between 1850 and 1860, and may be the location of the Wise family in the 1860-1880 Censuses. Of course, this is all speculative for now. More research is needed. 

The Wise family has always been one of my favorite families to research, and one of the most frustrating as well. John Harter Wise Sr. is one of my personal heroes, because of how much he endured in the Civil War, when he was only around 18-19 years old. Younger then I am now, and I'd never be able to do the same thing. The Pennsylvania Dutch people are fascinating to me, and it is a great source of pride for me that my true surname, Saddler, comes from this community. Pennsylvania is a Rust Belt state just like my home state of Michigan, and imagining Abraham Wise the Blacksmith is a great source of interest as well. Someday, I'd like to visit Berks County, and walk where my ancestors once walked. To see the Keystone State in all her glory. 

Photo Perspectives: Elizabeth Maddox (c. 1814- c. 1860)

One of my most frustrating brick walls is the Freels and Maddox family of Hardeman County, Tennessee. All I know is that my 4th great grandfather, Thomas Jefferson Freels, was born on Christmas 1846 to Thomas and Elizabeth (Maddox) Freels, who appear on the 1850 and 1860 Censuses as illiterate farmers in Hardeman County, western Tennessee. This county borders Hardin County, Tennessee, where they seem to show up in the 1840 Census, as well as Tippah County, Mississippi, where their son moved to in 1870, before returning to Tennessee. One of my most valuable finds in my genealogical research, is a photo of Elizabeth, the mother of Thomas J. Freels: 

I have a lot to say about this photo of my 5th great grandmother. First of all, it is definitely very old. She probably died between 1860 and 1870, and I would assume this photo was taken around then, due to her apparent advanced age in this photo. Honestly, this photo is kind of creepy. It looks like it was taken on the porch, and she appears to be sitting in an old rocking chair. The building is probably their farmhouse, and it looks like it's a very old wood house, possibly a log house. There are a few trees in the background which add to the creepy, haunted area feel of the photo in my opinion. She's wearing a very big, thick jacket with a hood, which makes me think this photo was taken in winter, because there's no way she would be wearing something like that in the dead of summer, down in Tennessee. Her facial expression seems very serious and kind of angry- she strikes me as one of those strict, authoritative Southern mothers. I don't think I would want to disobey her. Also, I wonder what that is on her lap? Maybe she was sewing or knitting something? Obviously on the farm she would have had a role in the domestic aspects of the Freels household, so maybe she was making clothing. 

Here, for interest's sake, is a colorized version of the photo from MyHeritage: 

My Ancestors in the 1850 and 1860 Slave Schedules

In the 1850 and 1860 United States Federal Censuses, for the first time, households in Slave-owning States reported on how many Slaves they owned. Because my Southern ancestry is drenched in Slavery, I have found several ancestors who showed up in the Slave Schedules. This is important both for African American Genealogists seeking to discover the possible identity of the owner of their ancestor, as well as for white descendants of Slave owners (like me) seeking to document their brutal legacy. The following ancestors of mine are included in the Slave Schedules: 

1850: 

• Aaron B. Strickland of Tattnall County, Georgia: Owned 8 Slaves. These were a 45 year old black female, 42 year old black female, 38 year old black female, 25 year old black male, 13 year old black male, 6 year old black female, 21 year old black female, and a 15 year old black male. 
• Ezekiel Stafford of Tattnall County, Georgia: Owned 21 Slaves. These were a 60 year old black female, 40 year old black male, 38 year old black female, 36 year old black female, 34 year old black female, 25 year old black male, 22 year old black female, 19 year old black male, 16 year old black male, 15 year old black male, 12 year old black male, 11 year old black male, 9 year old black male, 5 year old black male, another 5 year old black male, 2 year old black male, 8 year old black female, 6 year old black male, 3 year old black female, 1 year old black male, and a 14 year old mulatto male. 
• John Pittman of Tattnall County, Georgia: Owned 1 Slave, a 15 year old black male. 
• Marmaduke Hart of Twiggs County, Georgia: Owned 2 Slaves. These were a 22 year old black female and a 19 year old black male. 
• Michael McKenzie Eason of Tattnall County, Georgia: Owned 8 Slaves. These were a 44 year old black female, 25 year old black male, 17 year old mulatto female, 13 year old black male, 11 year old black male, 9 year old mulatto female, 9 year old black female, and a 6 year old mulatto female. The 11 year old black male was reported as being deaf or blind. 
• William Fuller Sr. of Laurens County, South Carolina: Owned 18 Slaves. These were a 41 year old black male, 42 year old black male, 37 year old black male, 30 year old black male, 28 year old black male, 10 year old black male, 8 year old black male, 8 year old mulatto male, 6 year old black male, 7 year old black male, 32 year old black female, 28 year old black female, 14 year old black female, 12 year old black female, 7 year old black female, 4 year old black female, 2 year old black female, and a 75 year old black female.

The total number of human beings enslaved by my family in 1850 was 58. Fifty-eight human beings held in bondage to my family, to my ancestors 

1860: 

• Aaron B. Strickland of Tattnall County, Georgia: Owned 19 Slaves. These were a 32 year old black male, 25 year old black male, 22 year old black male, 16 year old black male, 6 year old black male, another 6 year old black male, 4 year old black male, 3 year old black male, 1 year old black male, 47 year old black female, 35 year old black male, 28 year old black female, 25 year old mulatto female, 22 year old black female, 18 year old black female, 7 year old black female, 2 year old black female, another 2 year old black female, and yet another 2 year old black female. Unfortunately, the amount of slave houses was not recorded. 
• George Washington Winn of Laurens County, South Carolina: Owned 3 Slaves. These were a 30 year old black female, 3 year old black male, and a 2 year old black female. There was one slave house. 
• James F. Benton of Colleton County, South Carolina: Owned 5 Slaves. These were a 25 year old black male, 12 year old black female, 18 year old mulatto male, 17 year old mulatto female, and a 2 year old mulatto male. There were 2 slave houses. 
• John James of Tattnall County, Georgia: Owned 5 Slaves. These were a 25 year old black male, 16 year old black female, 12 year old mulatto male, 5 year old black female, and an 8 month old black male (listed as 8/12). There was one slave house. 
• John Pittman of Tattnall County, Georgia: Owned 1 Slave, a 20 year old black female. 
• Michael McKenzie Eason of Tattnall County, Georgia: Owned 10 Slaves. These were a 37 year old black male, 29 year old mulatto female, 18 year old black female, another 18 year old black female, 16 year old mulatto female, 5 year old mulatto male, 3 year old black female, 2 year old black female, 1 year old mulatto male, and another 1 year old mulatto male. There were three slave houses. 
• Mourning Collum of Twiggs County, Georgia: Owned 2 Slaves. These were a 31 year old black female and a 2 year old black female. 

The total number of human beings enslaved by my family in 1860 was 45. Forty-five human beings held in bondage to my family, to my ancestors 

So much is unknown about the lives of these individuals, whose stories are lost to history. These were human beings with desires, interests, romances, stories, and memories, all regarded as property by the individuals I descend from. So many questions exist: how were conditions under my ancestors? Were there overseers? What happened to them after Emancipation? So many questions, and so few answers. 

We can only truly build the future by remembering the past 

Darker History: Reckoning with the past in my Grandmother's DNA results

Evil

That is the one word that I most associate with the history of my paternal grandmother's family, going back into the Antebellum days. The evil, atrocious legacy of Slavery soaks our family tree. And today, with the arrival of my paternal grandmother's DNA results, I have a better understanding and acceptance of the true horrors that live on in my ancestry. Her results were:

98.8% British and Irish

0.2% French and German

0.3% Broadly Northwestern European

0.3% Nigerian

0.2% Angolan and Congolese

0.1% Iranian, Caucasian, and Mesopotamian

0.1% Unassigned

Are her results surprising or shocking to me? Well, no. She is a tried and true Southerner of White Southern descent, and since the British were the major colonizers of the Old South, it is not surprising at all that she is of mostly British descent. I can trace different lines of her family back to Kent and Norfolk, for example, and it is through her that I can trace my descent from Medieval Royalty and Nobility. But the African ancestry is also not a surprise either, mostly because my own DNA came back 0.2% Angolan and Congolese. Under the ludicrous "one drop rule", if taken to its logical extreme, we are both black. But there are other conclusions that I can draw based on my own research. 

1. It is very likely that both of my Southern grandparents descend from African Slaves 

My paternal grandfather, Luther Allen Saddler Jr., has a possible descent from John Punch, an African indentured servant who attempted to escape to Maryland and was sentenced in 1640 to serve as a Slave for the rest of his life, unlike his White counterparts- the "first legal sanctioning of lifelong slavery in the Chesapeake." And because John Punch was probably from Angola, it was possible that my initial DNA result included DNA from him. Punch's descendants intermarried with white women, and eventually became white men with distant African ancestry. BUT- the discovery that my grandmother has partial African ancestry shatters this notion, and shows that I could have African blood through both of my dad's parents- Luther, through John Punch, and (LIVING) through the unnamed Slaves. 

2. My ancestry traces back to both sides of the Atlantic Slave Trade- the Master and the Slave

Through my paternal grandmother, I can trace descent from multiple Slave owners. In 1860, on the eve of the Civil War, at least four of my ancestors owned Slaves: Aaron B. Strickland (19 Slaves), Mourning Collum (2 Slaves), George Washington Winn (3 Slaves), and James F. Benton (5 Slaves). Before 1860, many other Slave owners darken my tree: Michael McKenzie Mattox. William Fuller Sr. Michael Creger. Ezekiel Stafford. Simon Smith. The Reverend William Eason. Robert Deshazo. And so on. These men made their fortunes off of the cruel, inhumane exploitation of other humans, viewed as their property, merely because of their origin. But the flip side is also true in my DNA- I descend from Slaves as well, the victims of these cruel men. And probably from multiple Slaves, from multiple owners. This contradictory nature of history is a cruel fact. 

3. I definitely have Sub-Saharan African ancestors who lived post-1500

There is no denying that I am of partial African descent, no matter how distant it is. Not only do I have a possible descent from a specific African individual on my paternal grandfather's side, but my paternal grandmother's DNA results show that 0.5% of her DNA is of Sub-Saharan African origin. There is no possible way to deny the facts of my heritage. I have African ancestry, regardless of what anybody claims. And this African ancestry probably includes more then one African ethnic group, too. 

NOW, why do I associate the word "Evil" with this reality of African heritage? 

Because it is a fact, that the history of the United States of America, as well as of many other Western nations, is built on the oppression and subjugation of African people. My family history is no different. My ancestors profited off of human suffering and torture. I have African American cousins on my DNA results, as well as African Slave ancestry, so I can also say very clearly: At least a few of my Slave owning ancestors were rapists. The sexual torture and violation of African people was commonplace on Slave plantations in the Old South, and my family is apparently not exempt from this. Not only were my African Slave ancestors sexually violated and assaulted, but this likely happened at the hands of other ancestors of mine. There are also probably many, many Slaves who were assaulted, raped, whipped, beaten, and tortured by my ancestors, who I do not descend from. The White South of Antebellum days was a kingdom of evil. Because of this, I do not think it is far fetched to say that my very existence is a moral abomination. I exist because of rape and torture. My existence comes from acts of human oppression, white supremacy, and racial terrorism. And my ancestors defended this institution, both by propagating the institution by distributing their Slaves to their descendants in their wills, as well as by taking up arms for the South and for Slavery in the American Civil War. 

I appreciate my African ancestors, whose names remain unknown, and probably forever will be, and I am fond of studying the possible regions of Africa I have some roots in- Nigeria and Angola. But I am definitely not fond of how it happened. Even more sickening is how the brutally barbaric institution of Slavery was defended by many in the Antebellum South! 

John C. Calhoun, 7th Vice President of the United States, the "Cast Iron man": "Never before has the black race of Central Africa, from the dawn of history to the present day, attained a condition so civilized and so improved, not only physically, but morally and intellectually… It came to us in a low, degraded, and savage condition, and in the course of a few generations it has grown up under the fostering care of our institutions."

James Henry Hammond, Governor and US Senator for South Carolina: "I firmly believe that American slavery is not only not a sin, but especially commanded by God through Moses, and approved by Christ through his apostles."

Men like John C. Calhoun and James Henry Hammond (who was also a pedophile who raped 4 of his nieces) defended Slavery, the vile institution that ensnared my ancestors in immorality, as a positive good. What is the positive good of Slavery? The institution of rape, forced labor, torture, beatings, whippings, and the separation of families? My heart breaks merely thinking of the unspeakable torments that my ancestors sickeningly gave to their so-called "property", human beings kidnapped and held in bondage by my forefathers and bloodline. I share the DNA of evil, brutal men who are irredeemable. Slavery is America's original sin, and it is a sin America can never truly atone for. Millions upon millions of lives were ruined and lost to this horrifically awful institution, and even today the African American community suffers generational trauma and discrimination because of the long lasting effects of Slavery and Jim Crow. The black-white wealth gap is atrocious. Black farmers face systemic discrimination. Black neighborhoods are often poor and dangerous. Credit discrimination is rampant, and overt racism is still rampant in this country. Police violence continues to snatch African Americans from the world and from their families- lives ruined because of hatred. Until America truly atones for her crimes through paying Reparations to the descendants of Slavery, America should be known as an evil land with no conscience and no soul, for her awful and wicked human rights violations and crimes. 

To acknowledge my family's role in the systemic oppression and near-genocidal war on African people, I am going to make donations to five organizations focusing on the African American community: Black Lives Matter, the NAACP, the Thurgood Marshall College Fund, the Sentencing Project, and 100 Black Men of America. I encourage all descendants of Slave owners to do their part in advocating for racial justice, as well as national Reparations, criminal justice reform, and an end to police violence. 

Support African people and the African diaspora, victims of the torment and torture of the Atlantic Slave Trade. Rest in peace, to all who were enslaved, and especially to the Slaves in my own ancestry. You will never be forgotten, even if we do not know your names or ethnic origins. Your struggles can never be forgotten. 

Will Wednesday: Ezekiel Stafford (1773-1853) of Tattnall County, Georgia

Ezekiel Stafford, my 6th great-grandfather on my father's side, is one of my more prominent Southern ancestors. In 1773 he was born in South Carolina as the son of Joshua Stafford, who served in the Militia in the American Revolutionary War. He was a 3rd great-grandson of the Reverend Hawte Wyatt of Jamestown, Virginia and Boxley, Kent, England; a documented Gateway ancestor to Medieval Royalty. Stafford was among the early settlers of the young Tattnall County, and became a prominent citizen there. He was County Surveyor, Captain of the Militia, and Justice of the Peace. He was a member of the Methodist Church and a trustee for one of Tattnall's first Methodist Churches. He was also a Freemason, as a member of Rising Sun Lodge. He made his will on July 5, 1853, and died later that year on August 17. 

WILL 

State of Georgia

Tattnall County

In the name of God, Amen.

I, Ezekiel Stafford of said County and State aforesaid, being of advanced age and knowing that I must shortly depart this life, deem it right and proper both as respects myself and family that I should make a disposition of the property with which a kind providence has blessed me with. I hereby make the following disposition. Blessed be the name of God.

Item 1. I desire that me old servant Ben and his wife Ann shall not become slaves to any person after my demise, and should Ben and Ann see proper to remove from place to place I wish and desire that there should be no constraint but to be allowed to go and make a subsistence for themselves.

Item 2. I give and bequeath to me two beloved sons, Joshua Stafford, and Nathaniel B. Stafford, their heirs and assigns, the following property, viz: Driss and her seven children, viz: Frank, Peter, Elias, Lucy Ann, Leonard, Ishmel, Wyatt. I also give to my son N. B. Stafford, my man Titus as a remuneration for his goodness to me in affliction.

Item 3. I give and bequeath and devise unto my daughter Martha Knight my negro woman Maria and her three youngest children, viz: Ben, Silvey, and Nancy, to be and belong to her as the property of the said Martha Knight, her heirs and assigns forever; not subject to any other person’s contracts.

Item 4. I give and bequeath to my daughter Harriet Reddish, wife of Isham Reddish, I give and bequeath to her and the heirs of her body my negro man Daniel in fee simple.

Item 5. Give and bequeath to me son Elijah E. Stafford in his heirs the following property, viz: I give and bequeath to him my negro boy Simon and my man Owen.

Item 6. I give and bequeath and devise unto my grand children Julius Pittman, Noah Pittman, and Ezekiel S. Pittman, the following property, to-wit: my boy Aaron, my girl Peggy.

Item 7. I give devise and bequeath unto my son William Stafford a full portion of my property both real and personal with the other heirs heretofore mentioned to be made up of the estate not herein given of devised.

Item 8. I give and bequeath to my daughter Dorinda Townsend the sum of Five dollars to be pait by my Executors out of my estate after my decease.

Item 9. I furthermore give, bequeath and devise unto my beloved son Elijah E. Stafford two certain tracts of land lying and being in Tattnall County containing eight hundred and five acres more or less. Provided he, the said E. E. Stafford, shall see cause proper to take said lots of land at its appraised value, said lands lying near said E. E. Stafford.

Item 10. I furthermore will and devise that all my lands, tenements, stock, either hogs, cattle and property of any description be sold by my executors and the proceeds equally divided so as to comply with the foregoing will.

Item 11. I hereby constitute and appoint Isham Reddish of the County of Appling in said State; Elijah E. Stafford, Tattnall County & Nathaniel B. Stafford of the same place Executors of this my last will and testament.

In presence of said testament at his special request & of each other this 5th day of July 1853.

Witnesses:

R. C. Surrency

Jacob Howard

R. H. Peacock          E. Stafford (L. S.)

Ezekiel's first bequest stands out- that his old servants Ben and Ann shall not become Slaves to any person after his death, and basically frees them. He must have had an affection for the two to make this bequest, especially as the first one he makes in his will. He then goes on in his will to name 18 Slaves, who he distributes to his children and grandchildren. In the 1850 Slave Schedules he owned 21 Slaves, which goes well with the 20 named in his will. He later mentions hogs and cattle as well, meaning that the Stafford lands had livestock on them. He must have owned a fair bit of land, because he leaves a tract of land that's around 805 acres large to his son Elijah. 

His probate must have gone on for a while, as there are extant estate vouchers dating to 1856 for his property, three years after his death, including for sale of timber and "division of the negroes". 

Overall, the will of Ezekiel Stafford gives an important insight into the life of this early Tattnall settler and citizen, one of my most recent Slave owning ancestors. In his will he leaves Slaves to my 4th great grandfather, Noah G. Pittman, who was still a young boy at the time, along with his siblings. If it wasn't for the Civil War, where Noah fought as a Confederate soldier for around three years, the institution of Slavery may have endured in the South until even more recently in my family tree. That would be a true horror. May the Slaves of Ezekiel Stafford rest in peace and happy memory. 

Tombstone Tuesday: Hannah White (1646-1709) of Ipswich, Massachusetts

Hannah White, my 9th great-grandmother on my mother's side, was born circa 1646 as the youngest daughter of John White and Joane West, Puritan immigrants from South Petherton, Somerset, England. Her parents and siblings had come to the Massachusetts Bay Colony in 1638 during the Great Migration, and settled in Wenham, near Salem, before removing to Lancaster. Hannah was likely born in Wenham, although her birth isn't recorded. Her father John later described her as "nurse to him in his old age". In 1663, at Lancaster, she married the Ensign John Divoll. Tragedy struck the family on February 10, 1676, when Wampanoag Indian warriors attacked Lancaster and destroyed the town. Her husband John was killed in defense of the garrison house, along with two of her children. Meanwhile Hannah as well as her other two children were taken captive by the Indians. She was later ransomed along with her son William and apparently her daughter, also named Hannah, my 8th great-grandmother. Around 1678 she remarried to Samuel Lummus of Ipswich, and had a son named Samuel. Hannah died on December 22, 1709 at Ipswich, having led a fascinating life, the daughter of Puritan immigrants who saw her husband and two children killed by Indians, was taken captive by Indians and later ransomed, and to live out her life in the growing Colony. She was buried at Hamilton Cemetery in Hamilton, Massachusetts. 

The grave of Hannah White is a beautiful one, and is very old and damaged. You can make out some Puritan symbolism on the grave, with a visible death head and wings at the top of the grave. Puritan graves are always such beautiful finds. 

Inscription on the Grave: 

HERE LYES THE BODY OF

MRS. HANNAH LUMMUS

WIFE TO MR. SAMUEL LUMMUS

AGED 65 YEARS

DIED DEC. 22ND, 1709

William Henry Trescot's Poem at the Confederate Soldier Monument

While contemplating the meaning of Confederate ancestry a while back, I stumbled upon a poem that is inscribed, or was inscribed, on the Confederate State Memorial at the South Carolina State Capitol. Personally, all forms of racism, bigotry, sexism, homophobia, etc. are absolutely repulsive and anathema to me. Yet as a passionate genealogist and recorder of family history, I cannot deny the reality- I descend from a legacy of racism. Many of my ancestors owned Slaves- three of my four grandparents descend from Slave owners. And multiple ancestors of mine saw service for the Confederate States of America, an illegitimate entity formed out of rebellion against the Union, in the defense of African chattel Slavery. While I also have ancestors who fought in defense of the Union, more of my ancestors were Confederates then were loyal to the Union. This is probably because much of my maternal ancestry is traced to Dutch immigrants, but the point still stands. And so this moral conundrum is central to my reflections in my genealogical research- how can I love and honor my ancestors, when so many of them led downright evil and despicable lives? 

The inscribed poem on the Confederate Soldier Monument at the South Carolina State House by William Henry Trescot does an excellent job in summarizing my feelings on those men in my ancestry who saw service for a brutal cause. Without them, I would not exist. They are my ancestors just the same as those who fought for the Union, fought for American independence from Britain, came to West Michigan from the Kingdom of the Netherlands, lived as faithful Anglicans and Puritans in Merry Old England and Puritan New England, and were pious Lutherans in the Holy Roman Empire. I honor them as well as all my other ancestors, despite my horror at their lives. 

This monument perpetuates the memory, of those who

true to the instincts of their birth, faithful to the teachings of their fathers,

constant in their love for the state, died in the performance of their duty:

who have glorified a fallen cause by the simple manhood of their lives,

the patient endurance of suffering, and the heroism of death,

and who, in the dark hours of imprisonment,

in the hopelessness of the hospital, 

in the short, sharp agony of the field

found support and consolation in the belief

that at home they would not be forgotten.

Let the stranger, who may in the future times

read this inscription, recognize that these were men

whom power could not corrupt, whom death could not terrify,

whom defeat could not dishonor and let their virtues plead

for just judgment of the cause in which they perished.

Let the South Carolinian of another generation remember

that the State taught them how to live and how to die.

And that from her broken fortunes she has preserved for her children

the priceless treasure of their memories, teaching all who may claim

the same birthright that truth, courage and patriotism

endure forever.

In Memory of Complicated Men: Sgt. Joseph Franklin Winn Sr., James F. Benton, William J. Humphreys, Bartholomew K. Bragg, Noah G. Pittman, and possibly others.