Underground Railroad (UGRR) Secret Quilt Code Blog

AKWAABA - WELCOME to the Blog of Teresa R. Kemp, Nana Efua Adadzewa 1st, Queen Mother of Mankessim Traditional Area, Central Region of Ghana Africa. We provide information to educate about her diverse history. "Keeper of the Fire: An Igbo Metalsmith From Awka", is the companion guide for this blog. Patrons want sources, images and information on topics they weren't taught in school. Please, share and follow our Social Media. Visit often, share your incite with us and teach what you've learned!

Wednesday, January 14, 2015

WILLIAM "WILL" & NORA MCDANIEL

3rd Generation

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.

I put the information here for your study & review.

William "Will" McDaniel

Nora (Farrow) McDaniel

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

1908 Marriage Record -

CHILDREN-

Cemetery and Death Records -

Headstones are a source of American Revolutionary or Civil War military service or community illnesses like yellow fever or malaria out breaks.

American Revolutionary war marker

I have gone to the family churches and the cemeteries with my parents on several occasions and cleaned, re-marked an photographed the grave sites.

We also took a van load of family and toured Edgefield and surround SC Circuit churches our family preached, served as administration, attended, or are buried and photo graphed the cemetery sites.

My parents are both buried on the land it is still in our family.

Teresa Kemp & Catherine Fuller 2014

I knew and learned our family history from their daughters my grand mother Mary Eva, Ozella, and still living Catherine. I stayed with their son Calvin, knew Ervin and his children are all still living an are active in our Family Reunions.

INTERVIEWS -

Catherine came to our 2012 Family Reunion and we video taped and photographed her. When I exhibited in the Maryland/DC area I stopped by her house and she allowed me to photograph her pictures.

We talked on the phone at least bi-weekly and any question we can think of we discussed. Her memory was better than mine and she attended the wedding of her cousin Ophelia DeVore and told me about the food, the guest, the bridal party and the food catered by Ophelia's father John DeVore. (I have his recipe for hash).

Interviews with Catherine (McDaniel) Fuller was Will's younger brother, John & Maggie (Dent) McDaniel's daughter (Age 92 at her death in 2014). I lost my good friends and sources of family history Catherine Fuller in Nov. 2014.

My late mother stayed with her grandparents on their farm in McCormick County, South Carolina as a child. Her great grandfather Peter Farrow called her and her sister the little "Ibo Gals" when he would visit he taught them their numbers, to spell their names, bible verses and their family history. (Ibo is now spelled Igbo/Their town in Nigerian was Oka is now spelled Awka)

According to journals my mother wrote and the history she rehearsed with me and other family members. Nora her grandmother, her aunts and other women in the community would gather to quilt and discuss community events history and the Quilt Code so they would never forget the method of their freedom.

The initial information was gained by interview of my mothers freat aunt/cousin, two in their nineties are still living.

"Plantation were not called Plantations in many of my sources"

"In 1854 Dennis Redmond, an Irish born horticulturalist, built the plantation house now used as the clubhouse. Redmond edited the widely read Southern Cultivator, which was published in Augusta Georgia.

.....In 1857 and 1858, Redmond sold Fruitlands to a Belgian horticulturalist named L. E. M. Berckmans. He and his son, P. J. A. Berckmans, established Fruitland Nursery on the site, which became one of the most important horticultural centers in the South. Not only did they sell plant material, but they also imported new specimens and developed new varieties well adapted to the climate.

The Berckmans created some of the most common southern shrubs and trees at Fruitlands. The beautifully landscaped golf course still has many plantings that originated when the Berckmans family operated their nursery." Source cited http://www.n-georgia.com/nps-augusta-fruitlands-golf-club.html

The above information are excerpts from my book
"Keeper of the Fire"

Follow me on GoodReads.com Author Page Teresa R. Kemp
Sign up for the "Keeper of the Fire" book giveaway!

Visit www.PlantationQuilts.com

For book signings, exhibits or programs:

Call Mrs. Teresa R. Kemp in USA at (404) 468-7050.

We would love to hear from you.

Leave your comments or questions.

Igbo: E kwere m ị me ọke m.

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

Follow us on Facebook: Mrs. Teresa R. Kemp &
UGRR Secret Quilt Code Museum

Twitter: @UGRRQuiltMuseum
Email me at: trkemp@PlantationQuilts.com

PETER & LIZA FARROW

2nd Generation

CHALLENGES IN SPELLINGS OF NAMES * DIFFERENT DATES * FORMS FILL OUT INCORRECTLY

Here is a high level overview of the Farrow Line.

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 & ELIZA FARROW Sr. had a son. Peter named him after himself. Naming of the son after the father is an Ibo custom. They were enslaved on a Southern Georgia coastal plantation and listed in the 1840 & 1850’s wills and slave inventories I have.

Rev. Peter Farrow Jr. born 1858 and died October 11, 1946. His wife, Eliza (Smith) Farrow was born 1864 and died November 11, 1933.

US Census Record for Peter &Eliza Farrow with son Tom

This 1900 U.S. Census record, shows Peter misspelled “Pharrow”& his wife, Liza born in was born April 1864 and is shown as 36 years old (on her next birthday). They have their four children listed, who can all read, write and speak English. It shows they are all born in GA and lived in Columbia County, GA. James, born September 1885 will be 14 on his next birthday. Nora (my mother’s grandmother) born October 1886, will be 13 on her next birthday, Jency a daughter born Sept. 1890 will be age 9 on her next birthday. All of the children are listed as farm laborers and on land he rented to use as a famer.

Part of the reason it is difficult to find my family is due to the names being spelled using variations by census taker error or hard to read handwriting. On this Schedule the name is not spelled Farrow as it is on subsequent U.S. Census records.From this record we got their recorded race, gender, birth dates, locations, marital status, and their occupations. Their last name is spelled "Pharrow", which is one reason others could not find their records.

CHILDREN-

Here are the children of Rev. Peter Jr. & Liza Farrow they had four children (Nicknames my mother and other relatives knew them by -Tom, Jim, Nancy and Nora Bell) All reports agreed Peter & Eliza had 2 sons and 2 daughters.

Thomas “Tom” Farrow born October 1883.
James (“Jim”) Farrow born September 1885, he died 12/19/1964.
Nora Bell Farrow born October 1888, died September 2, 1957. (my great grandmother)
Jencia “Jency” Farrow-Holms born in died 10/15/1968 married Gary Holms and (they had a son, Willie P. Bonham born 1890 in Georgia). She stuttered and was called "Auntie 10 cent" by my mother told me.

All of the above listed children are deceased but one daughter of James and one daughter of Nora are still living. I talk with them monthly or more often.

Marriage Certificates -

(Below) Tom's father Peter Farrow Jr. signed the Marriage Record that confirmed the month but had a different year for Tom's birth date. Another issue was that Rubin Smith Eliza's father signed as the Grandmother. It also gave us Alma's last name and explained how we were related to the Brunson family of Edgefield County South Carolina.

Family Register of Rev. Peter Farrow Jr. who married his son and his wife, note that

Thomas Farrow is listed as being born on Oct. 8, 1875, (conflicting with our original date) in Columbia County, GA and his wife, Alma (Brunson) Farrow was born in Edgefield County on July 12, 1900.

I believe that Rubin Smith signed as the other official at the wedding service, or as the maternal grandfather (since he is Peter Farrow Jr.’s wife Eliza’s) father, who is the “Husband” on this marriage record. Neither Alma Brunson’s parents nor grandparent are listed.

Tom & Alma Farrow with their daughter Lucille (I met her)

1940 U.S. Census of Tom & Alma Farrow

Eliza Farrow's 1933 Standard Certificate of Death
State of South Carolina

We found Peter & Eliza's daughter Jency Holm's death date on the Scoggins Family Death Record below. My mother gave me the original hard copy and we scanned it together.

My mother passed and a man called and said he thought he was a family member of mine. His last name is Higgins. He sent me his family tree back to his grandmother and her 4 sisters. Three are listed on the record below, When he asked me whose family record this was I did not know. Finally when I pulled it up to send it to him I had saved it under "Scoggins Family Death Record" I still do not know any Scoggins! I have added the Higgins with my family records. All of the other names on this Record I know oddly enough there are no Scoggins on the list.

Nora's older brother, James is listed on here, as well as, Nora & her husband William's death dates too,

Scoggins Family Death Record with both Peter & Eliza Farrow's death dates.

(Above) The Scoggins Family Death Record, with 22 of my family members listed. I have not found a member of the Scoggins family yet. My late mother gave me the record, I never thought to ask her where she found it. From the dates I think this person died in 1965-1969, had to live or attend church in the Edgefield or McCormick, SC area. If you know any contact me.

* If you do not have a Death Record for your family, start one today. Put obituaries with your record and when time permits add their life story in your on-line family record.

Your Record can be in a journal that you get from the dollar store and I recommend the type where the pages do not come out. This record above has solved many mysteries for our family and is not even typed written. You can go to FamilySearch,org and type in Peter Farrow or my late mother's name Serena Strother Wilson and see what comes up.

William "Will" McDaniel

Nora Bell (Farrow) McDaniel

Nora married my great grandfather William McDaniel in 1908 and I have done a separate Blog Post for them since they had so many children. Here is their certificate and we also have a photo of the page in the County Marriage Book where their information is hand recorded.
I found it on www.Familysearch.org

I am in the process of digitizing our family’s birth, marriage, court,military, land and death records before information is lost.

The above information are excerpts from my book

"Keeper of the Fire"

Follow me on GoodReads.com Author's Page - Teresa R. Kemp

Sign up for the "Keeper of the Fire" book giveaway!

Visit www.PlantationQuilts.com

For Book Signing, Exhibits or programs:

Call Mrs. Teresa R. Kemp in USA at (404) 468-7050.

We would love to hear from you.

Leave your comments or questions.

Igbo: E kwere m ị me ọke m.

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

Follow us on Facebook: Mrs. Teresa R. Kemp &

UGRR Secret Quilt Code Museum

Twitter: @UGRRQuiltMuseum

Email me at: trkemp@PlantationQuilts.com

AFRICAN TEXTILE LANGUAGES -

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

* In this blog I have covered the women except for the patterns cut into the skin to the dismay of my African friends, due to the wide age range of viewers and school groups. Please forgive the decision, I know it is the appropriate thing to do.

Regardless of the date 900 A.D. or 2,500 BC dates on the African patterns found in West Africa, I still can show that the patterns that are called “American Quilt patterns” are found in textiles that predate the Europeans arriving in America and definitely before the American Civil War which formally began is 1861. They are not Civil War Era patterns as has been suggested in American quilting circles. There was little dispute of the of the 900 A.D. dates.

When I wrote on my Facebook page that my ancestor came from Awka here is one of the comments I received that I will be researching! In the book I discuss that the names were changed from Oka to Awka and it was hard for me to find more information and I had to look at old maps. Please leave comments and lets discuss!

"Thanks Teresa, but I'm not comfortabe with the

hellenized spelling of this illustrous Igbo town name

"Awka" instead of the real Oka, which is traceable to the

Hebrew 'roka' as in "L'roka ha-aretz.al hamayim"of

Tehillim 136./

(Below Right) are the pannels of the American Fan Quilt Pattern

Lft African wrapped head adornment pounded to pleat the indigo fabric head wrapped

(Below) my late mother and my cousin Lynn Booram in front of the Hollingsworth Fan Pattern quilt in one of the families historic properties in South Carolina, Lynn'

s Grandmother is the Sister of my grandfather and Sally Strother was the historian for the Old 96th Daughters of the American Revolution and documented a lot of historic events.

Textile languages are not just in Africa. They are not just in banners, blankets or quilts.

Many of the textiles designs and colors show family,
nationalities or rank without word being spoken.

Crossroads African Textile and Cut Patterns

Mrs. Teresa R. Kemp in front of 2-tone indigo, reverse appliqued Crossroads pattern African Textile

Cross roads quilt pattern and other information symbols cut into the stomach & body

There are 5 iterations of Hebrew. I was told the Hebrew in the Igbo language is the first iteration prior to the Babylonian & Assyrian captivity of the tribes of Israel by Ethiopian Coptic clergy that visited my museum.

Consider what skills or hobbies you oldest family members practiced. Write down all the traits, names, customs, religious belief and that can give you clues about where you family origins could be. What are you attracted do you move a lot (nomadic) or do you stay settled. Were your family farmers, did they keep livestock, did they like water, swimming boating? All can be clues. What part does music or faith play in your daily life. Types of spices and foods they eat or grow can also give clues to the origins of your family.

Hebrew symbols

How many symbols do you see in the textile below?

Diverse groups come together at my exhibits and share their knowledge with me

while I share my family history and findings with the guest. Find a way to get community historians input on your research by visiting cultural centers, community events & talking with local genealogy groups.

I learn from the young & old patrons of my exhibits

Bag Pipe musicians in kilts, the plaid fabric can be read like a billboard.

We hosted many festivals so I could study the cultural similarities and learn more about the customs, attire and the symbolic meaning that are the same or different.

Benin bronze plaque with short knife,
kilt like attire & helmet like bag pipe group

Here is an Irish man sharing his culture with my son

Wagon Wheel quilt in the UGRR Quilt Code Plantation Collections & Wagon Wheels in the Benin Bronze Plaque

MUD CLOTH -

I have more than 50 mud cloth that have patterns of the UGRR Secret Quilt Code Museum as well as telling stories of village life, showing community cooperation and harmony. They address the skills of the group and relationships with livestock and animals of this Western African people.

Village Life Mud Cloth, shows women pounding rice, man weaving,
spinning cotton, a women carrying a basket on her head.

Shows a community cluster of homes, domesticated horse and the technique to twist cotton into thread, weave it into strips an cover parts that should stay white with bees wax/ They mix natural pigments into mud paint them on and let the textile dry in the sun crack it off and the result are the beautiful textiles you see here.

Woman carrying basket on her head man working in garden, domesticated animals,

birds flying cross road pattern logs & rails patterned boarder.

Dogon people of Mali have documented their festival that takes place every 69 years in this textile.

RUN AWAY ADVERTISEMENTS WITH COUNTRY MARK

At first I was upset with my mother for writing on textiles now I am so glad she did. We know the dates, the location and the group where many of the textiles were collected.

The patterns and designs have been passed down from generation to generation in families of weavers in Ghana, West Africa. Unlike other cultures and groups the men do the weaving of Kente.

All of the languages were not only put in fabrics. Above note the matching

designs on both the Igbo girl and the mud cloth textile. The textile and the photo are 90 years apart.

ADINKRA STAMPS -

My mother brought me eight Adinkra stamps from her research trip to Ghana. Below left is one of them.

The patterned gourd is dipped in natural dye and stamped on the fabric in specific patterns to communicate a message or funeral information.

Colors and the shapes have meanings.There are posters of both Kente and Adinkra symbol meanings that I display when I exhibit.

KENTE FABRIC

Note the designs and patterns in the textile above on the left it is one of the quilts done by my family

Kente Exhibit curated by the Coubagy's at the UGRR Secret Quilt Code Museum in Atlanta, GA

This Kente is done in Ghana, West Africa.

Though we think of Kente from Ghana the impotant thing to remember is it was not until the last 4 hundred years when Africa was subdivide into different countries and ethenic groups. Look at these maps:

Jacob Hondius's Map of Africa 1563-1612

1743_Homann Heirs Map of West Africa Slave Trade references-Guinea - Geographicus - Aethiopia

BODY MAPS AND MESSAGES -

Centuries old practice of the use of body maps was documented by Friedrich Ratzel in 1890's

Languages and messages were put on both people and in textiles. Below I wanted to show these two photos side by side though they were acquired 80 years apart both are in our African photo & Textile Collections at the UGRR Secret Quilt Code Museum. Don't assume culture is only writen in books or on scrolls.

Run Away advertisement with straight lined scars on his cheeks

Committed to James City prison a man with country marks on his face.

Tools used to make the cuts in the body for Ichie or Country Marks

Sampler quilt cut into the stomach of the young African Girl is one way the patterns were brought to America.

UGRR Secret Quilt Code Museum Sampler in the Plantation Quilts Collections.

850,000 visitors from over 80 countries and

48 states wrote their diverse history in my guest books at the

UGRR Secret Quilt Code Museum Exhibit 2005-2007.

One Group that visited the Underground Railroad Secret Quilt Code Museum

1830 slave quilted textile in the Slave Relic Museum in North Carolina was on
Antique Road Show & appraised by Nancy Druckman of Sotheby's in New York City
You can see it's the same symbol only done in a textile, both found in North America.