Tuesday, November 4, 2014

Mayhew Mission, Choctaw nation female students

The following is transcribed from images obtained by Jeff Fortney.

Account of Beneficiaries who have been members of the female school at Mayhew

Name
Age
Ped
Time entered
Mos of Res
Notes
Anna Maria Tappan
10
Full
May 1822
38
Could read, write and sew handsomely, is married
Mary Reed
11
Do
Dec 1822
13
Read in testament, is home
Isabelle Porter
7
Do
May 1822
33
Is home, could read well in testament
Susannah P. Brashears
11
Do
Jan 3, 1823
15
Could read, is married
Priscilla Townsley
9
Do
Apr 4, 1823
11
Read only in spelling ?
Anna Homer
16
Do
Nov 6, 1824
29
Can read Choctaw & English write attended some to Geo? Perform various kinds of labor set a good example for the school is very uniform in her behavior and is much devoted to the ? Of the redemer.
Vina Folsom
13


Feb 14, 1823
19
Read in testament, is married to Isaac Watson
Eliza Nelson
9


Do , 1823
35-1
At Mayhew is married to N. Cochnear, left April 22 to reside with her friends Can read Eng & Choctaw write attended some to Geo H. behaves with propriety and is considerably devoted
Sophia Nelson
8


Do, 1823
35-1
At Mayhew ? she cause of her redeemer, left at same time, reads well in English and Choctaw, amiable and much beloved, lives with her grandmother
Elcy James
11
½
Mar 18, 1823
10
Is married and lost what she had learned
Visa Kincade
8
½
1823
11
With her grandmother, could read in Tes. is desirous to return but is opposed by her friends
Abigail Folsom
8
½
Apr 4, 1823
left March 3, 1829
36-14
At Mayhew. Left to reside with her mother, attends school now at Yoknickchy lives with Mr. Byington, reads and writes well in English & Choctaw
? Folsom
5


Apr 12, 1823
28
Was a promising student, died in August 1826
? Beams
8


Apr 26, 1823
32
At home reads well






2nd entry May 1, 1828


Left March 3, 1829, started in Geography
Susan Anderson
5
½
Sept 5, 1823
11
At home read only in spelling
Susannah Nail
8


Oct 6, 1823
25
One of the most promising scholars, died in Oct 1827 death caused by her clothes taking fire
Margaret Hall
22


Nov 21, 1823
6
With her relations, has been employed one year to take care of smaller girls at school has conducted with propriety
Lucinda Riddle
17


Nov 21, 1823
11
Very promising, was married Died March 1827
Judith Walker
13


Nov 21, 1823
12
With her father, read and wrote, good scholar, amiable
Hannah F. Bradshaw
14
Full
Jan 3, 1824
15
Promising girl, read in tes. Is married
Tennessee Folsom
17


Feb 19, 1824
4
Read and wrote decently, made mens clothes, is married
Emily Folsom
13


Feb 19, 1824
27
Could read and write attended some to Geo. Cut and made men's clothes. Neat and industrious. Behaved with propriety. Is married
Priscilla Townsley
6
Full
Apr 1, 1824
11
With her mother, read only in spelling lessons
Nella Folsom
3


Apr 12, 1824
18.9
With her mother, read in words of 3 syllables






2nd Apr 22, 1828


Left March 3, 1829 and is with her friends, could read in testament
Ishlahoya ?
4


Apr 15, 1824
10
At home
? rah F. Richardson
8
Full
May 3, 1824
23
At home
Lovisa Nail
16


Mar 16, 1824
4
Married to Israel Folsom
Mary Nail
15


Mar 16, 1824
12
Married
Alzira Nail
14


Mar 16, 1824
10
Read in tes. Has lived with her mother
Artimitia Wade
5


Oct 26, 1824
16
At home commenced easy reading ?






2nd March 20, 1829
9
Could read the testament in English and Choctaw
Alahoka
6
Full
Nov 3, 1824
8
At home
Anna Homer
16
Full
Nov 6, 1824
24
At home, married to Sam Folsom
Betsy James
13


Nov 6, 1824
8
At home
Mary Jones
20


Nov 15, 1824
5
Married
Gincy Hall
5


Nov 15, 1824
2nd Jan 13, 1830
5
14
At home could read English and Choctaw and compose and write letters
Selina McDonald
3


Dec 24, 1824
2nd Jan 13, 1830
14
6
Commenced easy reading.
Left on . at home
Rhoda Pitchlynn
13


May 19, 1825
4
Read in testament and is with her father Married 1829
Mary Pitchlynn
14


May 19, 1825
4
Read tolerably well and wrote. Is with her father, married 1829
Charlotte Wall




May 1, 1825
2nd Oct 1, 1828
10
16
At home


Elzira Folsom
5


Oct 7, 1826
16
28
At Mayhew
Left school to go over Mississippi could read and write and had some knowledge of geography
Eliza Colbert
5


Oct 7, 1826
16
27
At Mayhew
Left to go over river Fall of 1831, could read well in both languages, write letters and had studied geography
Patsy Folsom
6


Oct 7, 1826
17
At home, read in Test.
Vina Magee
5


Oct 7, 1826
18
36
At Mayhew
was a member of school until about January 8th 1832
Kezia Wade
15


Oct 7, 1826
8
At home
Orilla Folsom
8


Oct 7, 1826
17
At home read in English and Chatha
Miriam Hancock
7


Oct 7, 1826
35
At Mayhew
Anna Magee
7


Oct 7, 1826
18
18
Mayhew
dismissed from school
Eliza Hohuma
12
Full
Oct 31, 1826
3
At home
Alzira Pickens
7


Oct 7, 1826
2nd Oct 1829
9
6
Commenced easy reading
at home, died in 1831 on way to the new Choctaw Country
Gincy Folsom
4


Oct 10, 1826
9
Mayhew
Amy Folsom
4


Oct 13, 1826
9
27
Mayhew
Left to go to the new country
Visa Hancock
6


Oct 14, 1826
9
Mayhew
Sina Nail
6


Oct 2, 1826
9
Mayhew Was a member of school until it closed
Susanna Liles
15


Oct 27, 1827


With Mr. Macumber
at home
Rachel McGilbra
10


Oct 17, 1827


Dismissed from school
Hotima Christeen Baker
12


Oct 17, 1827


Mayhew (note with below) they learned to read and write and are now married
Oklima
14


Oct 17, 1827


Mayhew, note with above.. they learned to read and write and are now married
Mary Hancock
6


Oct 17, 1827
left July 1, 1828
9
Mayhew, was taken from school by father, read in test.
Winne Wilson
6


Oct 17, 1827


Mayhew
Polly Beams
6


Oct 17, 1827


Mayhew
Margaret Campbell
5


Feb 12, 1828


Mayhew

The ages of each scholar was given as it appeared to be at time of entrance.

56 have been members of the school since it's commencement May 1822 until the close of term July (cutoff). Seven new members admitted this term.
32 were ignorant of the English language
13 learned to read English well
15 read tolerably well in the testament
15 read Chatha and English
16 wrote composition
15 others commenced writing
17 studied Geo.
11 were married. 3 deaths
a number of them also worked decently in mens clothes and most of them sewed with _ also knits.
Average no.
six members of the mission family not included.

Next table has no dates

Name
Notes
? A. Dukes
Reads Chakta and English, has some knowledge of geography, and writes letters
Julia Teasy
Could read both languages and write a little, she professes religion
Alzira Beams
Could read in testament
Gincy Beams
Read in testament
Lucinda Victor
Could read the testment in both languages
Typhena Wall
Read in testament
Sally McIntosh
Reads in words of two syllables
Louisiana Folsom
Read words of two syllables
Charlotte Magee


Lavina Wall


Polly Wilson


Lydia Goodall


Betsy Thompson
These five little girls but just commenced an education
Elister May


Else Folsom


Selina Folsom


Mary Walton
These four girls read tolerably well in testament
Lucy James
Could read and write was amiable, was united with the church a little before she left Mayhew


Wilson vs. Wall and wife a landmark courtcase for Native American rights

Although I found the Alabama supreme court case several years ago, it didn't occur to me to look into the familysearch.org collection of Sumter court cases until yesterday, where I found over 150 microfilmed pages involving a landmark court case involving the children of William Hall in Sumter County, Alabama.

Originally filed in 1849, Thomas Wall and his wife Catherine Hall, William Moncrief and his wife Margaret Hall, James Trahern and his wife Sarah Hall, David Folsom and his wife Jane Hall, and Joseph Hall filed a suit in Chancery court for their portion of the land received and sold by their father William Hall in 1836. A similar case was also brought by the children of Alexander Brashears, Sr. namely Alexander Brashears, Derrill Brashears, Samuel E. Brashears, Dennis Brashears, Joseph Siliski and his wife Harriet Brashears, John Jones and his wife Sophia Brashears, James Jones and his wife Mary Jane Brashears, Asa Daniels and his wife Rachel Brashears, John Boykin and his wife Henrietta Brashears, and Gilbert Ansley and his wife Lettie Brashears.

In both cases, the only children who filed were those alive before the treaty of Dancing Rabbit Creek. The case of the children of Alexander Brashears frauduently claimed he died interstate by 1849 (he died in 1868), and is incomplete, the testimonies of the men sued and a decree are missing in that case. In both cases responses in support of the complainants by William Fluker, Sampson Moncrief and  John C McGrew  are absent. In 1851, the case of Alexander Brashears and others added the names of Susan Lanier, Ann Brashears and Clarissa Vaighter or Vaugter to their support, but those answers are also missing.

The case pivoted on the wording of the treaty of Dancing Rabbit Creek's 14th article, that to each head of a household one section of land where he then resided, for each child over 10 a half a section adjoining said land and for each child under 10 a quarter section adjoining said land was to be issued to the claimants under the fourteenth article. The children of William Hall alleged that their father had the land in trust for them, and that they were owed their portion of the land entailed to them by the treaty. William Hall sold his land in 1836. Under the fourteenth article he was entitled to a section or 640 acres of land for himself, and 3 1/2 sections (960 acres) for Catherine, Jane and Silas Hall, and 4 1/4 sections (420 acres) for Sarah, Margaret, Joseph and Eliza Ann Hall, the children born before 1830.

The total land in question entailed 2120 acres of land in Sumter County, Alabama along the Tombigee River, with the 5 remaining children asking for their share of 1380 acres of land. The respondents, or defendants were Samuel Wilson, William Bates, John W. Smith, Patrick May, William Meador and E. Haupt. Each responded by their attorneys Lyon and Price with almost identical answers, except to the improvements they each claimed to have made on their land.

Basically their argument was that they had no knowledge of the children of William Hall, or if the complainants were his children, that William Hall did not remain 5 years as specified in the treaty before removing to the Choctaw Nation, that the government issued the patent to William Hall and not to his children. They all also stated that they were aware of the fact that William Hall had a "wife or what would be a wife under the Choctaws" and several children, that he was a head of a family and received the land under the treaty. and that the children surely enjoyed the profits of the sale of the land by William Hall.

The judge returned a decree in favor of the children of William Hall, citing that it was impossible for a child to choose to remain so the language under the 14th article in that instance involved the head of household only, and the five year stay could not be applied to the children. That the language of the 14th article clearly stated the land was for each child thus implying a trust, and the head of household was obligated to that trust. That the purchasers of the land had no argument that they didn't know of this provision, as they knew the land in question came from the treaty, and it was their responsibility to be aware of the provisions as it was the law involved in the case, they could not claim ignorance of the fact, because they did not do due diligence in informing themselves.

As pivotal as the case was, it was a hollow victory. The land to be sold for the heirs amounted to only 240 acres, not the 1380 for which they should have been entitled. The main defender Samuel Wilson's land was the land in question, and the judge decreed he had the right to recoup his improvements. David Blackshear, Patrick May, A. M. McDowell, John C. Wilson and Wm McKee, all farmers, and some of them involved in the Brashears case gave testimony for the defendants on the value of his improvements totaling over $19,000 dollars. The value of the rent (only a dollar a cleared acre) and interest from 1836-1849 amounted to only $2500 and the men all claimed that the land had no value for rent from 1849-1854. Attorneys for the children of William Hall answered basically that was ridiculous. And it was, the evaluations were all done by men who like Samuel Wilson had the same risk of loss of land if other claims followed suit. Rather than the cost of the improvements, they charged the value, and it is certainly questionable that the children of William Hall should have to pay for negro houses, and overseer's house. A decree was then issued that the improvements were equal to the value of rent and interest and that the recommendation was to sell the 240 acres of land and divide the money between the complainants in 1857.

Samuel Wilson then appealed to the Supreme Court of Alabama which upheld the decree with the final decision dated 1861. By 1861 Jane Hall and her husband David Folsom and Joseph Hall had all died. How much money the remaining children received is unknown.

The value in the Alexander Brashears case isn't the information about the case, but rather what we learn about the children of Alexander Brashears Senior. Harriet Brashears was the widow of William Juzan and married J. B. Cooper in 1838 in Mobile, Alabama, and in 1847 married Joseph Siliskie (spelled Scelskie in record) also in Mobile. Emigration records and the annuity roll of 1855, done in 1856 show that Gilbert Ansley and his wife Lettie, Sophia Brashears Jones, now the widow of Sampson Moncrief, and Alexander Brashears were in the new Choctaw Nation. Asa Daniels, his wife and a child are shown as emigrants in 1847, but I have been unable to trace them further. Online genealogies show that James Jones and his wife (Sarah Ann and not the Mary Jane listed in the documents) end up in Kansas. Samuel E. Brashears enlisted in the army in 1848 and 1851 and served in the ordinance department of Mount Vernon. He appears on the 1855 state census in Mobile with a wife, but nothing else is known. Derrill Brashears, I have found nothing on, but he is named for Derrill Payne.