Tales from Charleston's Past: June 2017

Monday, June 12, 2017

Nealand O' Reeder: Part 2 (Records)

What made Nealand O' Reeder the man he was?
While climbing this family tree, I'm reminded of our countries worst and it's best in American history. Finding records of Afro Americans can be a bitter and sweet feeling. Especially when their your Great Grands. I cant' help but look into Nealand's eyes and wonder, what his daily life was like. Did he talk often with his loved onses, of one day living a truly free life? He may have been a nominal slave or born free, but to be a "negro" in a white mans city, life could and would never have been easy for him! He would have watched his every move and have spoken always with care. Had must have had a demeanor of control, respect and a quality of refinement. If not his life and families life could change within moments. His every movement was under a living microscope!

I want so desperately to find out how and when Nealand became a free person during the antebellum years. I'll continue to research for more recorded documents. In the photo above my guess is, it was taken near the end of his life.

This document is a real treasure! Nealand's wife Corinne has already passed and was not the informant, the unnamed informant has given us Nealand's mother, Matilda, (Tilla) her name of affection, a name familiar to her friends and loved ones. The record also lets us know the church that Nealand and his family had attended. The Centenary Methodist church which had a rich early history with the black slave and free community of Charleston. Nealand had Brights Desease (poor Kidney's) as stated and corrected on left top of document.

The black Reeder family worshiped alone side the white petitioner's, however, due to Political church dissensions after the early 1800's, the "colored's" returned to the baloney. The followers of Bishop Asbury and Bishop Capers were for esemulation, but others were not. This caused a dissension within the church. Within the walls of the church held so many stories. I have procured the church records of slave and free blacks that attended bible studies, with free persons of color as the teachers/ministers. I'll do a separate posting for the church records.

Feb. 27th, 1785, Francis Asbury

Francis Asbury a Methodist antislavery principled man arrived in Charleston, South Carolina, where he founded the cities 1st Methodist congregation. This later becomes the Cumberland Street Methodist Episcopal Church with 35 white and 23 black members in 1786 one being black Evangelist Amos Baxter Sr.
(His son mentioned in a previous post)

Here Nealand and Cora (here families familiar name for her) have applied for a certificate of birth/return for their 1st child Mary Reeder. The Reeder's are living on Lynch St., this document revels that both Corrine and Nealand were born and probably raised on Lynch St. Nealand is still working as a carpenter.

The first document is a return for Nealand and Corinne's 6th child, Herline a female.
On January 11th 1947 in Philly Pa. for unknown reasons at this time, Linwood E. Reeder corrects the original document, and clarifies the full name of his sister.

In both of these two newspapers Nealand was either living with Albert Elfe or renting from him, at this time it's unclear. There seems to be a strong connection with the Reeder and Elfe family, I hope to clear this up. Mr. Elfe owned several homes in Charleston and a couple on Lynch St. it's self. I have this information however on another computer that needs repair. But from memory this is the case. I don't at this time know if Nealand is a blood relative, however, I do know that Nealand was a very skilled carpenter and Mr. Albert Elfe would have keep him close by. The feeling may have been mutual or not.
Mr. Elfe is a desendant of Thomas Elfe. (Give him a Google Wikipedia search)

Here are a few collages, I've put together of the the buildings and homes that Nealand ran as a carpenter business and lived in.

If this blog post is helpful, please fill free to comment below.
Have any Q's please ask!

Felissa Velvet~Luv

The Slave Hiring~out System

Hiring out, or hiring, referred to a system in which a hirer would temporarily lease a slave from an owner. In doing so, owners generated revenue from their slaves’ labor without having an investment in the actual work itself. Slaves were more likely to face weekly, monthly, or yearly hiring than being permanently sold. Each year, five to fifteen percent of the slave population was hired for outside work. Conversely, less than four percent of slaves permanently exchanged hands. Hired slaves performed all kinds of labor: women worked domestic jobs such as laundering and wet-nursing, while men labored on roads, canals, and railroads. Others worked in industries such as mining coal, smelting iron, and processing tobacco. Skilled slaves might work as carpenters or blacksmiths. The number of hired slaves and the variety of jobs reflected not only the flexibility of slavery but also the importance of slaves as capital for owners and hirers. ~The New University Library / Newspaper Advertisement ~Edgefield Advertiser April 6 1859 Newspapers com

"Free Person of Color" Laura Bing

The words, Free Persons of Color (F.P.C.) or (F.P.) are often found in my blog, the definition is not as true as it may sound. I have noticed that it came with a high price and a great deal of self-control, and can never be taken for granted! The word Freedom for a free man, women and child was continually threatened! However a f.p.c. did have some limited liberties. You'll that see some owned property, ran shops, catering businesses, headed organization's. There was a % of negro slave owners, most being of a humanitarian nature, but surprisingly a few slave holders for mere profit and personal gain.