Slave Narratives: A Folk History of Slavery in the United States from Interviews with Former Slaves, Volume XI, North Carolina Narratives, Part 2
I was born in 1851, in the yard where my owner lived next door to the City Hall. I remember when they was finishin' up the City Hall. I also remember the foreman, Mr. James Walker, he was general manager. The overseen (overseer) was Mr. Keen. I remember all the bricklayers; they all was colored. The man that plastered the City Hall was named George Price, he plastered it inside. The men that plastered the City Hall outside and put those colum's up in the front, their names was Robert Finey and William Finey, they both was colored. Jim Artis now was a contractor an' builder. He done a lot of work 'round Wilmin'ton.
Yes'm, they was slaves, mos' all the fine work 'round Wilmin'ton was done by slaves. They called 'em artisans. None of 'em could read, but give 'em any plan an' they could foller it to the las' line.
Interviewer: Did the owner collect the pay for the labor, Uncle Jackson?
No, ma'm. That they did'n. We had a lot of them artisans 'mongst our folks. They all lived on our place with they fam'lies. They hired theyselves where they pleased. They colle'ted they pay, an' the onliest thing the owner took was enough to support they fam'lies. They all lived in our yard, it was a great big place, an' they wimmen cooked for 'em and raised the chilluns.
You know, they lays a heap o' stress on edication these days. But edication is one thing an' fireside trainin' is another. We had fireside trainin'.
We went to church regular. All our people marched behind our owners, an' sat up in the galle'y of the white folks church. Now, them that went to St. James Church behind their white folks didn' dare look at nobody else. 'Twant allowed. They were taught they were better than anybody else. That was called the 'silk stockin' church. Nobody else was fitten to look at.
My mother was the laund'ess for the white folks. In those days ladies wore clo'es, an' plenty of 'em. My daddy was one of the part Indian folks. My mammy was brought here from Washin'ton City, an' when her owner went back home he sold her to my folks. You know, round Washin'ton an' up that way they was Ginny (Guinea) niggers, an' that's what my mammy was. We had a lot of these malatto negroes round here, they was called 'Shuffer Tonies', they was free issues and part Indian. The leader of 'em was James Sampson. We child'en was told to play in our own yard and not have nothin' to do with free issue chil'en or the common chil'en 'cross the street, white or colored, because they was'nt fitten to 'sociate with us. You see our owners was rich folks. Our big house is the one where the ladies of Sokosis (Sorosis) has their Club House, an' our yard spread all round there, an' our house servants, an' some of the bes' artisans in Wilmin'ton lived in our yard.
United States. Work Projects Administration
SLAVE NARRATIVES
FOOTNOTES:
85 of Hecktown, Durham, Durham County, May 20, 1937.
ISAAC JOHNSON
Lillington, North Carolina, Route 1, Harnett County.
An interview with Tina Johnson 85, S. Bloodworth Street, Raleigh.
An interview with Bob Jones, 86 years of age, County Home, Raleigh, North Carolina.
CLARA JONES
408 Cannon Street
CLARA JONES
An interview with Clara Jones of 408 Cannon Street, Raleigh, North Carolina.
ABNER JORDAN
Ex-slave, 95 years.
JANE LASSITER
FOOTNOTES:
MY FATHER WHO KNEW THE PRINCIPLE CHARACTERS TOLD ME THIS STORY YEARS AGO
An interview with Jane Lee, 81 years old, Selma, North Carolina.
CHANA LITTLEJOHN
215 State Street
FOOTNOTES:
CHARITY McALLISTER
602 South Street
CLARA COTTON MC-COY
EX-SLAVE 82 YEARS
An interview with Henrietta McCullers, eighty-seven years old, of 531 E. Davie Street, Raleigh, North Carolina.
8 McKee Street, Raleigh, North Carolina. Age 68 years.
JAMES TURNER McLEAN
JACOB MANSON
317 N. Haywood St. Raleigh, N.C. 86 years of age.
ROBERTA MANSON
317 N. Haywood Street, Raleigh, N.C. Age 74.
EX-SLAVE STORY AS TOLD BY MILLIE MARKHAM
OF 615 ST. JOSEPH ST., DURHAM, N.C.
MAGGIE MIALS
73 years old, of 202 Maple Street, Raleigh, North Carolina.
An interview with Anna Mitchel, 76 of 712 S. Person Street, Raleigh, North Carolina.
PATSY MITCHNER
84 years old, of 432 McKee Street, Raleigh, N.C.
707 Hanover Street, Wilmington, N.C.
An interview with Richard C. Moring 86 of 245 E. South Street, Raleigh, N.C.
THE WITCH AT THE MILL
An interview with Julius Nelson, 77 of State Prison, Raleigh, N.C.
PLANTATION LIFE
An Interview with Lila Nichols 89 of Cary, Wake County, N.C. May 18, 1937.
A STORY OF SLAVERY
As told by Martha Organ of Cary as she heard her mother tell it many years ago.
An interview with Ann Parker in the Wake County Home, Raleigh, North Carolina.
AMY PENNY
811 Cannister Street, Raleigh, North Carolina.
SLAVERY DAYS IN FRANKLIN COUNTY
An interview with Lily Perry, 84 years old, of 9 McKee Street, Raleigh, N.C.
THE WOMAN OVERSEER
An interview with Valley Perry, 50 years of age, of Cary, North Carolina, Route #1.
An interview with Tempe Pitts, 91 of 307 Tarboro St., Raleigh, N.C.
HANNAH PLUMMER
412 Smith Street
PARKER POOL
RENA RAINES
An interview with Anthony Ransome of 321 S. Tarboro St. Raleigh, N.C.
CAROLINE RICHARDSON
An interview with Caroline Richardson who does not know her age. She resides near the northern city limits of Selma.
CHARITY RIDDICK
813 E. D. Street.
SIMUEL RIDDICK
2205 Everette Ave.
EX-SLAVE STORIES
An interview with Adora Rienshaw, 92, of 431 South Bloodworth Street, Raleigh.
CELIA ROBINSON
611 E. Cabarrus St.
HATTIE ROGERS
HENRY ROUNTREE
Henry Rountree, 103 years old, of near Newsom's Store in Wilson County.
BIOGRAPHY OF EX-SLAVE CATHERINE SCALES
Schooling
Story of Ex-Slave, Porter Scales
401 Church St., 77 years old.
TINEY SHAW
Ex-Slave of Wake County, 76.
JOHN SMITH
JOHN SMITH
10 Pettigrew St., Raleigh, N.C. Age 77.
An interview with Josephine Smith, 94 years old of 1010 Mark Street, Raleigh, N.C.
NELLIE SMITH
SARAH ANN SMITH
An interview with Sarah Ann Smith of 623 West Lenoir Street, Raleigh, North Carolina.
WILLIAM SMITH
920 Oberlin Road
THE BOUND GIRL
An interview with Laura Sorrell, 72 years old, of 207 Battle Street, Raleigh. The story is her mother's.
RIA SORRELL
97 years old. 536 E. Edenton Street, Raleigh, N.C.
CHANEY SPELL
An interview with Chaney Spell, 101 years old, Contena Heights, Wilson, North Carolina.
A SLAVERY FAMILY
An interview with Tanner Spikes, 77 years of age, of 43 Bragg Street, Raleigh, North Carolina.
ANNIE STEPHENSON
SAM T. STEWART
Ex-Slave Recollections
An interview with Emma Stone, 77 of Heck's-Town, Durham, Durham County. May 21, 1937.
An interview with William Sykes 78, of State prison, Raleigh, N.C.
An interview with Annie Tate 73 of 624 S. Harrington Street, Raleigh, N.C.
R.S. TAYLOR
710 South McDowell Street
FOOTNOTES:
ELIAS THOMAS
FOOTNOTES:
MR. BELL'S PLANTATION
An interview with Jacob Thomas, 97 years of age, of 1300 South Bloodworth Street, Raleigh, North Carolina.
MARGARET THORNTON
An interview with Margaret Thornton, 77 years old, of Hayti, Four Oaks, North Carolina.
TILLIE, DAUGHTER OF A SLAVE
ELLEN TRELL
HENRY JAMES TRENTHAM
JANE ANN PRIVETTE UPPERMAN
74 years old, of 330 West South Street.
EX-SLAVE STORIES
EX-SLAVE STORY
An Interview on May 19, 1937, with Tom Wilcox of Method.
CATHARINE WILLIAMS
2214 Barker Street
FOOTNOTES:
REV. HANDY WILLIAMS
Dunn, North Carolina.
JOHN THOMAS WILLIAMS
77 years old. 1272 Pettigrew Street, Raleigh, North Carolina.
Interview with LIZZIE WILLIAMS, Ex-slave,
An interview with Penny Williams 76, of 716 S. East Street, Raleigh, N.C.
AUNT PLAZ
An interview with Plaz Williams of Four Oaks who says that she is around 90 years of age.
An interview with Melissa Williamson 77 of Bledsoe Avenue, Raleigh, N.C.
8 Ford Alley—end of Martin Street, Raleigh, N.C.
ANNA WRIGHT
An interview with Anna Wright, 72 years of age, of Wendell, North Carolina.
DILLY YELLADY
909 Mark Street
HILLIARD YELLERDAY
1112 Oakwood Avenue, Raleigh North Carolina.
Transcriber's Notes
Язык
Английский
Год издания
2010-02-08
Темы
Enslaved persons -- North Carolina -- Biography; Slavery -- North Carolina; Slave narratives -- North Carolina; Enslaved persons -- North Carolina -- Social conditions; African Americans -- North Carolina -- Biography; North Carolina -- History -- 1775-1865 -- Biography