Hatter, Andrew: Petition For Re-Enslavement, Albemarle County
1863

Anderson Hatter sometimes called Andrew Hatter a free person of color,
supposed to be some thirty two or thirty three years of age, personally appeared
in court and made application to the court to select Benjamin F Abell
of the County of Albemarle, as his master, and to become a slave of the said Abell: and the court
having examined the said Hatter, and the said Abell separately, and such other
testimony as was introduced before it, in the presence of the attorney for the Commonwealth,
and being satisfied upon said examination, that no injustice was
done to the applicant, the said Hatter; that there has been no fraud or collusion
between the parties, and that there is no good reason to the contrary, and
that the said Benjamin F Abell is a person of good character, doth grant the
application of the said Hatter, and doth hereby order and direct that the property in
the said Anderson or Andrew Hatter shall, from this day, vest in the said
Benjamin F. Abell, and that the rights and liabilities and condition of the said
Hatter shall henceforth in all respects be the same as though said Hatter had
been a slave.

Know all men to these presents that we Benjamin F. Abell and
John Burch are held and firmly bound unto the Commonwealth
of Virginia in the just and full sum of Two Thousand Dollars
to the payment whereof well and truly to be made we bind ourselves jointly
and severally, our joint and several heirs, executors and administrators
firmly by these presents. Sealed with our seals and dated this twelfth
day of May in the year, 1863.
The condition of the above obligation is such that whereas Anderson
Hatter alias Andrew Hatter a free man of color has this
day made application to the Circuit Court of Albemarle county to select a
master and become a slave: And whereas the said Anderson alias Andrew
Hatter has chosen the said Benjamin F. Abell as his master, and the said
Court has satisfied and approved said selection: Now therefore if the said Anderson
alias Andrew Hatter shall not hereafter become chargeable to any
county or corporation in this Commonwealth, and the said Benjamin F. Abell
shall pay the debts and liabilities of said Anderson alias Andrew Hatter
existing prior to this date, then the above obligation to be void, otherwise to
remain in full force and virtue.
Benja [Benjamin] F Abell (Seal)
John Burch (Seal)
Witness Ira Garrett

Reference: Hatter, Andrew: Petition For Re-Enslavement, Albemarle County
1863 American Narrative Digital Collection, Library of Virginia, Richmond, Va.

We are six women with roots in Jefferson County, WV who embarked on separate journeys into the world of our ancestors, leading us to each other and bringing us a fresh understanding of the community in which they lived.

This time we sought to share our research and findings with a great turn out of interested folks.

Shelley said:

Let me introduce you to the Jefferson County, VA/WV fabulous genealogy researchers, (L-R) Kate Brown, me, Monique Crippen-Hopkins, Joyceann Gray, Sarah Brown and Marsha Smith. We were in Charles Town, Jefferson County, WV, on the 13th sharing our stories of what happens when we come together with our research. All of our lines connect. We are descendants of the Enslaver, and Free/Enslaved African Americans. Thanks for hosting us at Fisherman’s Hall. Folks get a genealogy group together and see what happens.

Sarah said:

A fabulous day with a terrific group! On April 13th, in Charles Town WV (site of my ancestors’ plantation) we gathered to present our work on uncovering shared roots within our separate family histories. L to R: my sis Kate Brown;Shelley Murphy; Monique Crippen-Hopkins;Joyceann Gray; me; Marsha Smith. These wonderful, dedicated women have kept me afloat during my research, offering insight and support I would have been lost without. 
It’s a long story – too long to tell here – but a good one. You can read more about it on my Sarah Brown’s Blue Bridges page.

Laurie Potteiger

April 13 at 8:15 PM · 

Fantastic, compelling, informative and inspiring workshop. Thank you so much for all your work, and for sharing it with us!

Claudia Elferdink Truly amazing! Good to see you there Kate!

Sarah Brown it was a truly great experience! Thank you so much to my dear ‘cousins’. Every presentation was interesting and well delivered, each connected to the others in intriguing ways. Only one thing missing – our dear cousin Nikki! Get well soon!

Monique Crippen-Hopkins I had a great time!! Thanks to everyone involved and for letting me be part of this fabulous group.

More to come……..

https://katebrownpottery.com/?fbclid=IwAR2lBHjawF6ApRmfuihFKXji9IzxIsOkEher36jVN98yPvZXktnY7uUhzuU

I am sharing Kate Brown’s collection that is for sale. It’s a fundraiser to put up a tribute plaque to those who were enslaved by her Washington family. Check out her website which is her name and she is from New Mexico. The pieces in this Cousins collection of Kate’s pottery will be on display in the case at the Charles Town West Virginia public library in the month of May 2019.

PLEASE SUPPORT THIS WORTHY CAUSE!

History of the Melungeons

Abe Lincoln, Elvis Presley?

LATER 17TH CENTURY FAMILIES ASSOCIATED WITH FREE AFRICAN AMERICANS

1670’s: Anderson, Atkins, Barton, Boarman, Bowser, Brown, Bunch, Buss, Butcher, Butler, Carney, Case, Church, Combess, Combs, Consellor, Day, Farrell/Ferrell, Fountain, Game, Gibson/Gipson, Gregory, Grimes, Grinnage, Hobson, Howell, Jeffries, Lee, Manuel, Morris, Mullakin, Nelson, Osborne, Pendarvis, Quander, Redman, Reed, Rhoads, Rustin, Skipper, Sparrow, Stephens, Stinger, Swann, Waters, Wilson.

1680’s: Artis, Booth, Britt, Brooks, Bryant, Burkett, Cambridge, Cassidy, Collins, Copes, Cox, Dogan, Donathan, Forten/Fortune, Gwinn, Hilliard, Hubbard, Impey, Ivey, Jackson, MacDonald, MacGee, Mahoney, Mallory, Okey, Oliver, Penny, Plowman, Press/Priss, Price, Proctor, Robins, Salmons/Sammons, Shoecraft, Walden, Walker, Wiggins, Wilkens, Williams

1690’s: Annis, Banneker, Bazmore, Beddo, Bond, Cannedy/Kennedy, Chambers, Conner, Cuffee, Dawson, Durham, Ford, Gannon, Gates, Graham, Hall, Harrison, Hawkins, Heath, Holt, Horner, Knight, Lansford, Lewis, Malavery, Nichols, Norman, Oxendine, Plummer, Pratt, Prichard, Rawlinson, Ray, Ridley, Roberts, Russell, Sample, Savoy, Shaw, Smith, Stewart, Taylor, Thompson, Toney, Turner, Weaver, Welsh, Whistler, Willis, Young

These African-American families appeared in the southern tidewater colonies when evidence indicates that most all of the blacks coming to America, were Angolan by birth.

THE EARLIEST MELUNGEON CLANS IN SOUTHERN TIDEWATER COLONIES

The following are some of the first black, white, Indian and mixed families who began intermarrying in the 1600s in Virginia, Maryland, Delaware and the Carolinas to produce the people who became known as “Melungeons”.

The African who became known as John Gowen of Virginia, was born about 1615. Before 1775, his descendants had married into the black, white, Indian and mixed families of Ailstock, Bass, Chavis, Corn, Cumbo, Dungill, Findley, Hill, Jones,Locklear, Lucas, Matthews, Mason, Miner, Mills, Patterson, Pompey, Stewart, Simmons, Singleton, Tyre, Webb, and Wilson; many of whom can also be traced to the 17th century.

Thomas Chivers/Chavis was born in 1630. Before 1775, his descendants had married into the mixed families of Bass, Locklear, Singleton, Stewart, Cumbo, Matthews, and Wilson as had descendants of John Gowen. In addition the Chivers/Chavis group intermarried with Bird, Blair, Blythe, Brandon, Bunch, Cannady, Carter, Cypress, Drew, Earl, Evans, Francis, Gibson, Gillet,Haithcock, Harris, Hawley, Hull, Kersey, Lowry, Manly, Manning, Mitchell, McLin, Scott, Silvey, Smith, Snelling, Silver, Sweat, Thaxton, Tyner, Thomerson, Taborn, Valentine, Watts, and Walden; many of whom were 17th century Africans in the British-American colonies.

The family of Eleanor Evans, born in 1660, shares with the Gowen and Chavis families the following names: Bird, Brandon, Chavis, Dunghill, Harris, Kersey, McLinn, Mitchell, Snelling, Scott, Stewart, Sweat, Taborn, and Walden. In addition, the Evans were early related to the families of Anderson, Boyd, Bee, Blundon, Doyal, Green, Hudnall, Hunt, Jeffries, Jones, Lantern, Ledbetter, Penn,Pettiford, Redcross, Richardson, Rowe, Sorrell, Spriddle,Tate, Thomas, Toney, and Young.

The Gibson/Gipson family which descended from Elizabeth Chavis, born in 1672, also shares with the 17th century Gowen, Chavis, and Evans families, the surnames of Bass, Bunch, Chavis, Cumbo, and Sweat. They add Driggers, Deas, Collins, and Ridley.

The family of the Angolan named Emmanuel Driggers, [Rodriggus] born in 1620, also has several families in common with the Gowen, Chavis, Evans and Gibson clans: namely Carter, Collins, Sweat, Gibson, and Mitchell. In addition, the Driggers intermarried with Beckett, Beavens, Bingham, Bruinton, Copes, Fernando, Francisco, George, Gussal, Harman, Hodgkins, Jeffrey, Johnson, King, Kelly Lindsey, Landrum, Liverpool, Moore, Payne, Reed, and Sample.

From Margarett Cornish, born about 1610, comes the Cornish family with ties to Gowen and Sweat in addition to Shaw and Thorn.

With the Cumbo family dating back to 1644, we have links to Gibson, Gowen, Jeffries, Matthews, Newsom, Wilson and Young in addition to Hammond, Maskill, Potter, and Skipper.

The Bass family originates in 1638 America and shares several connections from an early period with Gowen, Chavis, Evans, Cornish, Driggers, Cumbos and Gibsons which are: Anderson, Byrd, Bunch, Cannady, Chavis, Day, Mitchell, Gowen, Pettiford, Richardson, Snelling, Valentine and Walden. In addition, they are related to the mixed families of Farmer, Hall, Lovina, Nickens, Perkins, Pone, Price, Roe, and Roberts.

If given the space, we could present complex scores of intermarriages of Melungeon and other mixed surnames beginning in the 1600s of colonial America. These common kinships of cousins show the Melungeon society was becoming cohesive and distinctively apart in colonial America at least 100 years before the American Revolution. The Melungeon community began before 1700.

For example: The Banks family originates in 1665 colonial America with related families of Adam, Brown, Day, Howell, Isaacs, Johnson, Lynch, Martin, Walden, Wilson, and Valentine along with several Melungeon surnames.

The Archer family begins in 1647 America with related families; Archie, Bass, Bunch, Heathcock, Manly, Murray, Milton, Newsom, Roberts, and Weaver.

The Bunch clan traces back to 1675 colonial America with kinship to: Bass, Chavis,Chavers, Collins, Gibson, Griffin, Hammons, Pritchard, and Summerlin.

The Beckett family of 1655 ties to Bibbins, Beavens, Collins, Driggers, Drighouse, Liverpool, Mongon, Morris, Moses, Nutt, Stevens, and Thompson.

The family of Carter begins in 1620 America with the related families of: Best, Blizzard, Braveboy, Bush, Cane, Copes, Dove, Driggus, Fernando, Fenner, Godett, George, Harmon, Howard, Jacobs, Jones, Kelly, Lowery, Moore, Norwood, Nicken, Perkins, Rawlinson, and Spellman.

Mixed red, white, and black Melungeons can be found in Virginia and Maryland within one and two generations of the first Mbundu-Angolan appearance in Jamestown in 1619. The general Melungeon community is more than 350 years old in North America.

All of these families descended from, or intermarried with, 17th century Angolans of Virginia. They began building the Melungeon community more than a century before they appeared in Tennessee.

Delbert DeWitty, a descendant of Miles DeWitty, (the firest Postmaster of the longest lasting African American settlement in the State of Nebraska) gave an excellent presentation in Lincoln, Nebraska. Check it out!

https://www.facebook.com/ddewitty/videos/10212997888725538/

What a wonderful Summer day, a little rain, a bit of sun, lots of laughter and hugs and a fabulous array of food to share. We had a great afternoon!

So far we’ve only missed one year but promise to try to not let that happen again.

Warmest of thanks to Walter for opening his home and the Samuel Walter Washington House to us once again! Our Sarah, dear Sarah Brown (bass player, songwriter and Washington descendant) has traveled so far to be with us with her husband published author John Hubner coming in town just in time to be wowed by our teenagers’ brilliance.  We look toward the future without kids providing Olympic passes and a number of college graduation celebrations.    The rest of us nibbled on the delightful spread and compared notes of how our independent research was coming along. We chatted about a  possible Marker in remembrance of the enslaved that lived and worked at Harewood. Marsha and Nikki got into a deep DNA discussion and Sarah and I laugh because that wave went way over our heads. Sarah announces she was close to finishing her database of folks who were enslaved by the Washington families and which plantation that they worked.

Missing from the photo but not from our hearts is Shelley Murphy, Lei Bennifield, Monique Crippen-Hopkins.

We call ourselves the Charles Town Researchers.