238 Richard Parker, Slave Owner

Richard Parker, Slave Owner

I continue my research on Judge Richard Parker, the judge at John Brown’s trial in 1860. The chapter I am working on now is titled, “Richard Parker, Slave Owner.”

I want to like and respect the person I am writing about, but I cannot. Richard Parker owned slaves, as did most of the landed aristocracy of the locality. Researching the documents about the slaves he owned has made real to me the terrible tragedy of slavery and the seeming indifference of slaveholders to the plight of fellow human beings.

From a modern perspective, it is shocking and tragic to see men, women, and children listed as property along with cattle and ricks of hay in the appraisal of the estate of Parker’s father. Top of list one: Henry, a negro boy, $300. Top of continuation of the list: Ref heifer, $10.

Likewise, Richard Parker shows little empathy for the fate of a fellow human being in a comment on the sale of the slave Henry who would not stop running away: “Was forced to sell Henry on yesterday to Mr. Coons for $600. He had been thrown into jail and I was also told that he would certainly run off, if not sold—a melancholy duty in one having charge of slaves.”

He kept careful records in his journals of the revenues he received from the slaves he rented out to others. Only a few journals survive, but they provide the names and monies received for each. 

Records of the slaves he and his parents owned also show in the United States Census Slave Schedules. From 1840 to 1860, they owned up to 23 slaves.

Records of sales of slaves, show that both parties in the transactions were careful to note that the slave in question was “a slave for life.” His second cousin John Elliott Parker Daingerfield bought Milly from Parker in 1852 and sent him this letter:

"Dear Parker,
Servant Milly arrived safely on yesterday & I have today deposited four hundred & seventy-five ($475) dollars to your credit in the Bank of the Valley at Charlestown--being payment in full for Said Servant.

Enclosed herewith please find certificate of deposit for the above amt. on receipt of which please send me a bill of sale--stating the age--that she is a slave for life & that she is sold as sound and healthy. These precautions are not probably necessary between you & I, but in the event of my death it might be wise to have a bill of sale as above."

The only time that Richard Parker is on record helping slaves gain their freedom is in the case of Bennett Russell and Others vs. Negroes Juliet and Others, and I believe he was merely following the law. Jesse Russell has done excellent research in the Clarke and Frederick county court records as well as other sources to document the story of Juliet in his book, Juliet, from Slavery to Inspiration. (https://store.bookbaby.com/book/Juliet)

Parker represented the slaves that had been owned by John Russell Crafton (an ancestor of Jesse), who died in 1848. (It is unclear when Russell dropped the Crafton surname.) Russell stipulated in his 1839 will that his slaves be freed. 

His son, Bennett Russell, and siblings produced an 1842 Articles of Agreement that retracted the manumission. There is doubt about the authenticity of the articles. Parker represented Juliet in trials in 1849 and 1850 that both ended with a hung jury. By the time the case went to trial again in 1856, Parker had become a judge and could no longer serve as legal counsel in the case. The 1856 verdict was in favor of the heirs, and the slaves were sold.

It is difficult for me to view these documents in their historical context.
Generations of Christian God-fearing slave owners (as well as those engaged in the slave trade) could not acknowledge the hypocrisy of their lives. I can't be too sanctimonious. With many mediums informing us of all the problems and tragedies of our world, how will history judge our response?   

Trish               

238 Death Cleaning

“Death Cleaning” and What I Found

Hello, Readers, although I have no premonition of imminent demise, I found this Swedish idea of “death cleaning” a remarkable solution to get rid of all those items that I thought someday a child or a grandchild might want, but they don’t. 

What I am realizing is that the next generation just doesn’t want our stuff. That mahogany banquet table--yeah, right, it really fits in an NYC apartment! China? Good grief--we have enough china plates to serve 143 people--dear husband’s grandmother’s, one grandmother of mine, my mother’s, mine from my “starter” marriage, plus sets of four or five matching plates that seem to have sprung from nowhere. They are in the attic over the garage gathering dust! What the heck does anyone do with 143 plates? Actually, we keep 16 plates in our kitchen closet--eight every day and eight edged with forest green and gold for dinner in the dining room. Of course, the only one with a chip is the green and gold!

The premise of “death cleaning” is basically decluttering and saying goodbye to stuff--clothes, dishes, furniture, photos, knickknacks, etc. It is a good old-fashioned let’s get rid of this stuff! In 2017 a Swede named Margareta Magnusson wrote The Gentle Art of Death Cleaning. Get organized so no one else has to clean up after you are gone! What a grand idea.

So far, dear husband and I have set up in the garage a large table of “stuff” to take to Goodwill or some charitable shop. I have been through one (yes, just one) closet of clothes. We had our daughter help us go through 15 bags (grocery store size) of photos. Why did we ever have duplicates made? We literally have rid ourselves of a 30-gallon trash bag plus a clothes hamper of photos about whom/which NO ONE CARES! Some we had no idea who they were.

This past week, we decided to clean out the vinyl, 45 rpm records, tapes, and CDs. Behind one faded, covered-in-dust zippered case of tapes, we found a 6”x10” accordion file about 1½ inches thick. It was on the bottom shelf of a small closet below a set of bookshelves. Neither of us recognized it. It is off-white--essentially the color of the inside of the closet. We have lived in this house now for 20 plus years and neither of us admits to ever having seen it before!

The file is filled with ephemera from the past two-three generations on dear husband’s side of the family. The following is a photo gallery of some of the items in the file. I hope you enjoy it. It’s been a poignant journey through the past and fun as well.

We have no knowledge of this padlock or what it went to or even when-–dear husband thinks it is his grandmother’s writing. 

And this should come in handy – never! 

Dear husband’s step-grandfather flew in 1915. Guessing that was brave! 

Interesting mainly for date of 1924 and the one-cent cost. The back reads: “Dear Mother, I am having fun and thank you for the box you sent me. Your son, Ridge.” It is written in pencil and the 10-year-old likely had a supply of pre-addressed cards to send home.

Amazing prose for this 1927 wedding announcement . . . hard to read but I think “the bride looked radiant” would be edited out.

And why was this saved?

And our very favorite is from a letter to dear husband’s grandmother from her friend who was the travel agent. This agent made all the grandparents’ arrangements--even an around-the-world tour by ship. Seems the travel agent’s driver left her to become Cole Porter’s driver. No more details….

There are many more bits and pieces spread across the office table. Births, obituaries, photos (one with only the name Larry, 1937, on the back), cartoons, random newspaper clippings. We spent a whole evening reading and sorting. Okay, I am having a really hard time with “death cleaning” now. It makes me sad to see these thrown away. I must continue to think on this! I do like interesting “stuff.”

Savvy Glenne           

237 Books to start the decade

Books to start the 2020 decade

The last week few weeks have been filled with conversations about the new year and more specifically the new decade--2020. Here we are embarking on a new decade that will bring so much to our lives, and of course, we have no idea what some of it will be.

My reading during this time has included some history and some fiction that has brought many issues to light. The importance of family, how we handle what we must, what lies ahead, and where to go next are few of the themes that have surfaced.

I guess I should begin with the here and now rather than the look back at history. I have read all of the works by author Elizabeth Strout so when her new novel about the irascible character Olive Kitteridge came out, I had to purchase a copy. 

At first, I wasn’t sure I liked it as much as the first novel about Olive which was followed by a film of the same name, but as I continued reading, I realized I really did find merit in the book. 

The author includes chapters about people who encounter Olive and how that affects their lives. I won’t give away too much, but it brings in the family themes as well as coping mechanisms, as aging impacts her life and others she knows. I did like the ending which was one I could not have predicted. It leaves an opening for a possible third book about this character whom readers love to hate.

This summer I had purchased a book – “Mary Lincoln, Wife and Widow” by Carl Sandburg when we visited Sandburg’s home in Flat Rock, N.C. It was on my stack of those to be read soon. It did not disappoint.

It is not an easy read and is compiled from letters she wrote and others who wrote to her. It was originally published in 1932 and was out of print for many years. The most recent publication date is 2008, but there were several paperback printings in the 1980s and 1990s. It is available now at booksellers online and in stores so a trip to Flat Rock is not necessary, but it is a fascinating place to visit.

I had read about her and heard about her for decades so it was interesting to read her own words and those of people who knew her. It is a sad and tragic story of course, but this does shed light on her mental capacity and how this type of illness was treated in those days. There are strides in that area for sure, but it often seems as if we have a long way to go.

Her tremendous capacity to love not only her husband but her dear children is evident and the loss of all of them but one child would shake most people to their core.

Her shopping exploits were especially interesting when considering the era and how people lived. Ordering online was not even a tiny glimmer in those days, but I bet she would have loved it. She did manage to find what she wanted and run up tremendous debt. At the end, that was something that consumed her with thoughts of poverty and starvation.

It is certainly worth a read, but it takes concentration. I had to find a time with few distractions to take in all the observations that were so compelling.

Last but certainly not least is the book “We Have Always Lived in the Castle” by Shirley Jackson. I have always been a fan of Jackson’s who writes some unusual stories (“The Lottery” is one of her most famous), and this one did not disappoint. 

This was her final novel and is considered her greatest by many writers and experts. First published in 1962, other editions are still available.

She takes the reader into a world that is unsettling with characters and events that shake the core of what would be considered normal. The surprise comes close to the end, but I am sure many readers figured it out sooner. 

The family is peculiar in every way possible, and the story unfolds slowly and methodically. I don’t want to give away any more of the story, but it will stay with the reader for quite some time.

There it is – the 2020 decade and what I have been reading so far. All three present women who are memorable. Some are real and some are not. Those that are not real could easily be. What we chose to read is definitely a matter of taste. Not sure what this says about me but I do seem to veer towards certain writers and types. Happy reading this decade! 

Savvy Frances         

236 Diversions from football watching

Diversions from Football Watching

Football games galore--from Christmas to New Years--football games abound. And the pro play-offs and ACC league basketball are yet to come!

I have many schemes to keep hubby company and to sort of watch the games:

1. Write this blog!

2. Dust--although not a good idea to do directly in front of the screen!

Please throw
my toy, NOW!

3. Sort Laundry.

4. Pay bills online.

5. Play with Tootsie. Actually, any time Tootsie has the two of us as a captive audience (for her, not the TV), she expects playing.

6. Edit documents.

7. Read Facebook postings. Hubby is not usually interested in looking at cute dog videos, "Aren't you watching the game?"  [in my own way]

8. Load or unload the dishwasher.

9. Play solitaire. If I actually want to pay attention to a game, any version of solitaire will work. Sudoku, particularly if I play against the clock, takes me away from the game completely.

 

10. Watch a second game on my tablet. While we both watched Va Tech play basketball on the big screen, I watched Florida State on the handheld. Both teams won.

When a game, usually basketball, gets very tight at the end,(In fact, my philosophy on basketball is not to pay much attention to most of the game because the score can change so quickly.) I cannot stand the tension. I pull out the broom and sweep nearby, peaking around the corner to see if the Hokies can save the day.

As I have explained to Harry dozens of times, I never miss anything because all the important stuff is on instant replay!

Sport Savvy Trish