PETER & ELIZA FARROW SR.
1st Generation

Metalsmith/Seamstress-Midwife/Abolitionist

SLAVE ARTIFACTS * PHOTO STUDIOS * ORGANIZATIONS * DOCUMENT * 

UNIVERSITIES RECORDS * LEGISLATION * WILLS * COURT DOCUMENTS  

An Documented Oral History-

I tried to place documents about my family document in Keeper of the Fire in my UGRRQuiltCode Blogspot so that listeners of the 1/15/2015 radio program would be able to follow along and join our 1/15/2015 discussion.

 Our wonderful host, Bernice Bennett's on-line Geneaology BlogTalk Radio Program did her best to assist in clarification and a orderly presentation of thousands of years of history in one hour.  

This is the 2nd on-line radio interview I have done and I what to thank her for having me (Mrs. Teresa R. Kemp) as a guest. I will continue adding documents and more primary sources and Methodology. These post are part of the documents we will be discussing. I put the information here for your study & review. It continues my mission

To document, discuss preserve our families cultures and contribution to World & American History.

There were a lot of records of their lives but it took a while to find since every one say there are not records we believed it for too long.


I.       Peter and Eliza Farrow Sr.

II.    Their son Peter and 'Liza (Smith) Farrow Jr.

III. Their daughter Nora (Farrow) McDaniels & William McDaniels

IV. Their daughter Mary Eva (McDaniel) Strother & Milton & Strother

V.    Their daughter Serena (Strother) Wilson & Howard Wilson, Ph.D.

VI. Their daughter Teresa R. Wilson Kemp

Rev. Peter Farrow’s wife, Eliza was captured and enslaved from her homeland of Danhomey, (now the Republic of Benin) West Africa. She underwent a similar ordeal only she was branded with a “D”. I do not yet know where she or Peter went from Sullivan Island after being sold in the Charleston slave market. It might have been to the Dover Hall Plantation. 

I still have hundreds of documents to go through. I do know for sure that they were valued four times and they are listed with the 1844 appraisal of the deceased Thomas Dover.  They are named in the 1858, Last Will and Testament of William Dover Jenkins (in No. 7), were both named in several of the Dover Hall Plantation documents along with 20 others enslaved or former slaves.

When hired out, they shared their religious beliefs and skills from plantation to plantation, to farm. She setup quilting houses, was a midwife who delivered babies and cared for the sick or injured since doctors were few. While planning and executing slave escapes, they passed their cultures and traditions to their child, Rev. Peter Farrow, grandchildren, Ozella her older sister Mary Eva (my grandmother), and my mother and her siblings prior to his death in 1946. Ozella filed and received a U. S. Copyrighted the Quilt Codes in 1950. 

Nora, Ozella and Mary Eva, taught their faith, culture and the symbols and codes to my mother who passed it on to me, (the 5^th generation) and my children... Peter Farrow and their grandchildren, (Nora, Tom, Frank and Jency). Peter Farrow Jr. taught his just as I am doing today, I have passed it to my children, grandchildren and young great grandchildren and audiences where I exhibit.

Together, in America Peter and Eliza both continued working, freeing enslaved people, performing their ethnic groups historic agricultural skills, sewing, metal smithing, dietary and religious beliefs, passing them down thru demonstration and oral history to their next three generations.

Documents from the Dover Hall Plantation

Peter & Eliza were valued 4 times while on the Dover Hall Plantation

Dover Hall Plantation Slave Valuement

One of the early settlers to Glynn County, Thomas Dover was the proprietor of Dover Hall Plantation near the town of Bethel in Glynn County. This plantation was located on Hwy. 99, just North of Hwy. 82. His neighbors included the Tison family at Bethel and Coleridge and the Hazlehursts on Anguilla Plantation, which was also considered a small "town" where the train would stop. There are two graves located on this site, one of Thomas Dover and the other of a John Vickery. The graves are in ruin and have been demolished by the negligent bulldozing. This was a cotton plantation, and apparently quite prosperous. In March of 1849 there was an entry for $2716.60 from proceeds of cotton and the total value of the 74 slaves working the plantation was $20,850. The household items alone totaled over $26,000. The following records were extracted from the probate record of Thomas Dover. Since he was quite wealthy, there may be more slave records to be found in the deed books.  Calculations are those of the filing clerk.  Lines were drawn under certain names, perhaps denoting families?

Dover hall 26 July 1845 Glynn County, Georgia
A bill of appraisement of the property belonging
to Thomas Dover late of said County, deceased
[image Appraisement 2a & 2b]

Inventories & Appraisements Vol. E pgs. 55 & 56
[Glynn County Probate Court]

NAME	VALUE	NAME	VALUE	NAME	VALUE
Lammia	$600	Genny	$200	Eliza	$150
Renty	300	B. George	200	Peggy	100
Archy	500	Morris	225	Abby	100
Isrial	500	Quash	500	Tim	500
Clarasy	450	Frank	450	H May	250
Neptune	200	Grace	450	Mary	500
Abraham	150	Patty	450	Stephen	450
London	100	Harriet	200	Mariah	300
Betty	450	Sucky	150	Isabella	450
Elizabeth	175	Palbrusa?	200	Mole	150
Victoria	100	Daniel	125	Cudgo	150
Peggy	450	Tom	100	Jacob	500
Nanetta	450	Charles	400	Sam	800
Richard	300	O May	100	Edgy?	450
Robert	250	Toby	500	Smart	150
Matilda	200	Sophia	350	Tor?	100
Elvira	150	Rachel	300		$20,850
Sarah	300	Elsy	450
Tinah	250	Nancy	300
Sally	250	O Tom	00
Kate	125	C Ben	200
B. Ben	100	Polly	450
Rosetta	450	Mary Ann	150
Margaret	200	Hannah	100
Tom	150	Peter	350
Philis	100	Cloye?	450
Nanny	450	Edward	300
Isac	150	Pheby	250
Lydia	100	Bick?	200
	$7950		$16,050

Freedman's Bureau record found for a Nancy Johnson who claims her father was Thomas Dover and Rachel, states that she was born at Dover Hall but her master was General White of Savannah, she was yellow in complexion [could the slave master Thomas Dover been her father?].  Her husband's name was George and she had children Charles, Quivis, Joshua, and Matilda.

Elsie Stevens has a record as well, stating that Thos. McNish of Savannah was her master [the McNish family is intermarried with the Hazlehursts who owned property near Dover, even Dover Hall itself at one time].  She was yellow in complexion, the wife of Ishmael and had children Cornelia and James.

It's possible that both of these women are listed above in the slave inventory with Old Tom and a Rachel to be found within their grouping.  Maybe their father was the illegitimate son of the slave master Thomas Dover, or he just took the last name for himself.

Library of Congress Nearby Neighbors: 

(Our UGRR Secret Quilt Code Museum Archives has over 

100 documents & Photos From Retreat Plantation they had 45 Blacksmiths)

Butler Island was the location of the plantation that famous English actress Fanny Kemble visited from 1839 to 1839 and about which she wrote in Journal of a Residence on a Georgia Plantation. It was owned by Pierce Butler of Philadelphia, Kemble's husband.

Retreat Plantation Slave Hospital St. Simon's Island Glynn County, Georgia after 1933.

Many people did not think they had hospitals in southern America for slaves.

Wills text from Thomas Dover 1st owner of 

Dover Hall Plantation

Georgia}                                                                                                                    

Glynn County}

In the name of God Amen.

I Thomas Dover, Planter of the County and State aforesaid being in perfect sound mind and memory, thanks be unto God calling unto mind the mortality of my body and knowing that it is appointed for man once to die. I do make and ordain this my Last Will and Testament in manner and words as follows to wit after all my just debts are paid. For the love and affection which I bear towards my nephew William Dover Jenkins and for many services rendered me I give and bequeath to the said William Dover Jenkins the following property to wit. The two Tracts of Land called Dover Hall Plantation containing nine hundred acres of land more or less also the following Negroes: viz.       

Chance, Peter, Chloe, Edward, Phebe, Beck, Eliza, Peggy, Genny, Sarah, Tenah, Sally, Kate, Nanny, Isaac, Carpenter, Ben, Molly, Mary Ann, Tom, Jeptha, Rachael, Elsy, Nancy, George, Diana, Jim, Marris, Quash, Grace, Frank, Black Ben, House Mary, Moses, Jacob, Stephen, Mariah, Loammi, Sam, Edy, Smart, Joe, Isabella, Moll, Cudjoe, Rosetta, Margarett, Tom, Renty, Archey, Ipard, Clarissa, Neptune, Abraham, London, Charles, Old Mary, Toby, Patty, Palbrus, Harriett, Suckey, Daniel, Peggy, Nannetta, Richard, Robert, Matilda, Elvira, Betty, Elizabeth, Victora and Amy and all the increase from the said Negroes, from the signing of this will, also the stock, cattle, sheep, horses and all the plantation utensils, household furniture, boats also all debts due me by book or otherwise and all other property belonging to me of every description.

I also request the said William Dover Jenkins to pay to the heirs of Pryor Wright late of Baldwin County State of Georgia the sum of two thousand dollars which is to be equally divided between the children of the said Pryor Wright the same to be paid in four installments on the first day of March annually after my decease.

I also leave in charge of my Nephew William Dover Jenkins my servant woman Sally who shall be allowed the privilege of working for herself and appropriating the money arising from her Labours to her own benefit and that the said William Dover Jenkins shall furnish the said woman Sally with good and comfortable clothing and good and wholesome food during her life.

            Lastly I do hereby nominate and appoint my friend Francis M. Scarlett my executor of this my Last Will and Testament to carry into effect this my last will.

            In witness whereof I Thomas Dover the testator have to this my last will set my hand and seal this twenty second day of June, one thousand eight hundred and forty four.

Thos. Dover {LS} Witness Signed Sealed and delivered in the presence of us.

A. Fallen

R. Hazlehurst, Jr.               

D.B. Palmer 

Probated 7 July 1845

The first “holder” of my ancestor Peter Farrow that we know of was Thomas Dover, owner of the Dover Hall Plantation in Glynn County, GA. He died in 1844 and according to his will, Peter and Eliza went to his nephew William Dover Jenkins.  He afforded many of the people named in the following will, “warm and comfortable clothing, nourishing food and allowed them to keep the proceeds of the labors for their own benefit all the days of their lives”. (Or all the days of William Dover Jenkin’s life).

When he died, not believing that Dr. Richard’s wife and children would afford them the same freedoms, Peter and Eliza purchased their freedom. Peter Farrow (my mother’s great grandfather) and had their son in 1858, following Igbo custom, named after the father. My mother’s father, Professor Milton Strother was also born in the 1850’s. From the Glynn County Probate Court Records, these are just a few of the Dover Hall Plantation records we have:

We have almost 400 pages of  Probated Estate Records From the Dover Hall Plantation 
I have not read through them all but they are on the list.

The record U. S. Census record below shows William Dover Jenkins 2nd owner of 

Dover Hall Plantation was born in 1794 in England.

Below is an inventory accounting of William D. Jenkins estate paid out in Cash,
 by vouchers with the names, dates and amounts totaling over $44,000.00  

Below this account document in the estate records of  William Dover Jenkins shows dates, items and their values like table, horse, husk of corn, oxen, a cart....

I can get ideas of what items to collect for museum displays.
I collect items from antique shops in the areas of subjects.

State of Georgia Last Will & Testament of William Dover Jenkins,
the nephew of Thomas Dover.
 He was the 2nd owner of Dover Hall Plantation
located in Glynn County, Georgia USA.

Georgia}                                                                                           Glynn County}

In the name of God Amen. I William Dover Jenkins of the State and County aforesaid being of sound and disposing mind knowing and believing from my low state of health, that I have not long to live do make this my last Will and testament.

First I direct that all of my honest debts and funeral expenses as soon after my death as possible after my deceased [sic] be paid by my Executors hereinafter named and that as soon as convenient my body be sent to Freetown for burial in my new family graveyard.

Second I will and bequeath to my nephew Henry William Cridland of England the Sum of Five Thousand dollars.

Third I will and bequeath to my sister Sarah White the Sum of One thousand Dollars.

Fourth I will and bequeath to my sister Mary Ann Alexton one thousand dollars. To my nephew William Dover Maccaw Five Dollars to my niece Mrs. Mary Dora duBignon Five Dollars to my niece Sarah Ann Aust five Dollars.

Fifth I will and bequeath to my grandniece Margaret Fredonia Harrison her children but in no way subject to the debts of the present or any future husband the following named negroes viz. Old Jenny, Sarah, Isaac, Lydia, Pricilla, Paul, Tenah, Kate, Dinah and William with their future increase and issue.

Sixth I will and bequeath to the Wife and children of Dr. Thomas S. Hopkins but in no way subject to any debts of said Dr. Hopkins the following named negroes with their future increase and issue viz. Old George, Quash, Sally, Jim, Frank, Phebe, Harry, Robert, Stephen, Dinah, Billy, Sandy, Grace, Toby, March, and Dick.

Seventh I will and bequeath to the Wife and children of Joseph R. Richard but in no way to be subject to the debts of Jo. R. Richard the following negroes to wit Peter, Chloe, Edward, Beck, Eliza, Peggy, Alby, Louisa, Ben, Jacob, Martha, Rosetta, Richard, Maria, Susan, and Washington.

Eight I request that my Executors hereinafter named shall dispose of the following negroes viz. Betty and her children Elizabeth, Victoria, Hetty, and James at private sale at any time they may deem fit and proper the balance of my property both real and personal I direct my Executors to dispose at public sale on the first of January next after my decease hereby authorizing my said Executors to adjourn said sale from time to time as they may deem and see fit the proceeds thereof, I will and bequeath to Peggy, Matilda, Nannetta, Elvira, Jane, Georgianna, and Robert who were formerly slaves but now free and live in Freetown, Massachusetts.

Lastly, I do nominate and appoint my friend Joseph R. Richard and Dr. J.S. Hopkins both of Wayne County, GA my executors of this my last will and testament.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal this the seventh day of January in the year of our Lord eighteen hundred and fifty-eight.

W.D. Jenkins {LS} in presence of David J. Delroach
Probated 20 January 1858

Below are 4 of  pages of a 5 page will of William D. Jenkins.
In the Will my ancestors Peter & Eliza are named in # Seven on the enlarged page. 

1858 Last Will & Testament of William Dover Jenkins

 

William Strother South Carolina Land Poster

Below is the 1850 St. James Mortality information

U. S. FEDERAL CENSUS RECORDS-

U.S. Federal Census Records showing Slave Schedule this can be used with other records to verify or complete your family or community documentation. It will give you the ages, race, gender of the enslaved people.It will also tell you neighbors and size and value of property. 

(Below)Photos or the studio where the photo 

was taken can give me a lot of information.

I add photos to the family tree document as we get
 them and the next generation can get the board
or quilt and continue filling it in.

PHOTOS -

This is Cora Strother, born in 1839
in the state of Georgia  to the union of William & Lucinda Strother.

SLAVE TAGS & PLANTATION ARTIFACTS - 

Below Monte Bello Plantation Slave Tag from the state of Virginia, 

dated 1823 now in the Theriba Parker Collection. Workers who worked away from the plantation like my ancestor Peter Farrow wore these to identify them as enslave persons.

There were free African and African Americans in
America living side by side with enslaved people.

LEGISLATION-

Legislation and Activism literature like the "Barbarism of Slavery" can give you 

information on the lives and the landscape of the time.
This was published by the Young Men's Republican Union.

Information dates from 1787-1863 are covered in this document.

COMMEMORATIVE ITEMS -

SCHOOLS-Penn School established 1862

Established 150 years ago in 1862 as Penn School, an experimental program 

to educate Sea Island slaves at the beginning of the Civil War, it is the oldest 

and most persistent survivor of the Port Royal Experiment. 

The two founders were Northern missionaries: Laura M. Towne, a 

Unitarian from Pennsylvania, and her friend, Ellen Murray, a Quaker 

from Rhode Island, who spent the next 40 years of their lives serving 

the people of St. Helena in so many ways, in spite of numerous 

severe hardships. 

Charlotte Forten (1862-1864) of Philadelphia was the first Northern

 African American teacher at Penn. Upon Ms. Towne’s death in 1901, 

the school became incorporated under a Board of Trustees, and was 

heralded as a showplace as the new Penn Normal, Agricultural and 

Industrial School, influenced by the Hampton Institute, until it 

closed in 1948." For more information photos and a video, click here

UNIVERSITIES RECORDS-

Brown University, founded in 1764, was built on the backs of African slaves. 

Many other colleges in recent years have admitted to hiring of slave laborers 

like my ancestor Peter Farrow.

RADIO PROGRAMS-

Click Here to listen to NPR Radio program "How Slavery Shaped Americas Oldest & most Elite Colleges"

The above information are excerpts from my book

"Keeper of the Fire"

Follow me on GoodReads.com Author Page Teresa R. Kemp
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Call Mrs. Teresa R. Kemp in USA at (404) 468-7050.
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Igbo: E kwere m ị me ọke m. 

English Translation: "I agree to do my part."‏

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