A New Reason to Celebrate Black History Month

 FEBRUARY 13, 2021

This year, Black History Month takes on a whole new meaning for me -- a more personal meaning. The reason being, this past year has revealed who my black and mixed-race ancestors are in my family tree. This finding was quite extraordinary for a number of reasons!

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Hezekiah Marshall pedigree chart, screenshot, 13 Feb 2021; online database with images, Ancestry (https://ancestry.com : accessed 13 Feb 2021).

For one, the blatantly clear reason for those that know me, is the fact that I am white. No one would look upon me and instinctively know I have any black ancestry. This plays right into the famous phrase “Don’t ever judge a book by its cover.” Even I wouldn’t have guessed that I had African ancestry based upon my years of research as a genealogist, were it not for the relatively new technology of DNA testing! It also reinforces the fact that the human race as a whole is much more alike than we are different; after all, we all originated from Africa at some point in history.

For another, I hadn’t gone actively looking for this connection, and yet it unfolded before me in such a spectacular fashion. My original assumptions about this branch of the family sent me looking for a Native American connection. And when that was debunked, I had simply stopped barking up that tree.

And finally, these ancestors were all pre-1850s! For those familiar with genealogy, research in African American ancestry and African ancestry prior to the Civil War can be extremely difficult. The fact that I can put names to these ancestors and even determine their close relationships, is astounding and sometimes quite a rare feat.

But certainly, I cannot take credit for all of these discoveries. A distant cousin, who was doing remarkable research on the Marshall line, reached out to me one night and inquired into some specifics of my family’s DNA ethnicity reports. She was particularly interested in whether any of our test kits had shown African heritage. While some of them did, the percentages were quite negligible, ranging from less than 1-4% on average, and my personal results with 23andMe not showing any. I had already been resigned to the fact I’d never know which of our ancestors contributed those percentages. However, she had a theory it all tied back to our Marshalls.

Privatized ethnicity report of a relative of Kira D. Foltz, AncestryDNA (https://ancestry.com : 13 Feb 2021).

I’ll spare you all the details as to what led to that investigation and jump ahead to the moment I used AncestryDNA’s ThruLines to input the hypothesis and shockingly reveal our genetic connection to a very unique family unit and community in Maryland and Virginia in the 1600-1700s.

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George Alsop, Map of Colonial Maryland, A land-Skip of the Province of Mary land, 1666 [1869], Gowan's Bibliotheca Americana; Wikimedia Commons (https://commons.wikimedia.org : accessed 13 Feb 2021).

During the colonial era in and around Frederick County, Maryland, it would appear race relations were quite complex in different ways than they are today. Part of those complexities had to do with the fact that slavery was in full swing in the colonies, but no rules had truly been set in any legislation as to what constitutes a slave until 1663/64. That year, Maryland legalized slavery and made it understood that any black man, woman, or child imported from Africa was considered a slave. Contrarily, a black man from, say, the British Isles, may arrive in the colonies a free man depending on the situation.

Not only was the slave trade atrocious for imprisoning the innocent, in this regard, it also raised the unjust question amongst the black population of why one may be enslaved and another free. Their fate was tied to their birthplace and unfortunate circumstances of their arrival alone.

Maryland Historical Society, Baltimore, Slaves working on a swidden in Virginia, USA in 1798; Wikimedia Commons (https://commons.wikimedia.org : accessed 13 Feb 2021). The area is the traditional zigzag fence around. Shifting cultivation was common among the first Europeans in North America.

Following their settlement in the colonies, slavery was then treated as a hereditary condition through the maternal line. This was a completely new way of institutionalizing slavery worldwide. Because, although slavery had existed for thousands of years prior to the founding of the colonies, never had it been inherited generationally. If the mother of a child was enslaved in the colonies, her offspring were as well. On the other hand, if an enslaved, black man had consorted with a free, white woman, their offspring would traditionally become part of the free black population. And depending on the color of their skin, they may be classified as “mulatto” or a “free person of color.” However, if a black male slave entered into marriage with a free white woman, that woman was then giving up her freedom. She would be declared a slave for the duration of the life of her spouse, as the law enacted forbade this union.

Then, in 1681, Maryland passed a law that children born to free black women or black children born to free white women would be free. As one might guess, with a population count much smaller than modern times, townsmen would become quite familiar with many neighboring folk, and this extended to their slaves as well. Relationships amongst the small villages would, at times, cross the boundaries of color. The more frequently this occurred, the more likely it was for pocket communities of free persons of color to flourish -- and right alongside estates of their relations, whom may remain enslaved. This is indeed what occurred in the counties of Frederick and Prince George in Maryland, as well as surrounding areas of Virginia.

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Now to highlight what I know of my relations. I’ll actually start with a white, Englishman, Col. Richard Marsham. He was my 8th great grandfather, likely born sometime around 1630. He is thought to have arrived in Maryland in 1658 and took at least 2 wives during his life; one marriage to Katherine Brent (which issued 2 heirs) and the other to Anne Calvert, daughter of the 1st governor of Maryland, Leonard Calvert. Marsham also amassed a large slave population throughout his life in Prince George’s County. One of his female slaves, “negroe woman Sarah,” as it was written in his will, bore him additional children. It is thought, perhaps hopefully, he only pursued this sexual relationship following his wife Katherine’s death and prior to his second marriage. The known birth years for some of his offspring in this union actually do support this conjecture.

Richard Marsham, will, 1713, Prince George’s County, Maryland, p. 4; Maryland Court, will books, p. 537; Maryland, U.S. Wills and Probate Records, 1635-1777, database with images, Ancestry (https://ancestry.com : accessed 13 Feb 2021) > All counties > Wills, vol. 13, 1710-1714, image 264.

Sarah was my 8th great grandmother. Because she was a slave, she was thought of as property, so very few records exist which can explain her life story. While this rings true for women in general throughout history, Sarah would not have even been considered a woman, let alone, a person. Her story is instead told only through the last wills & testaments of the white masters in her company. This means I do not have solid dates for her birth or death, nor the place she might have called home, let alone even know if she was born into slavery in the colonies or captured in a faraway land and shipped over the Atlantic and sold off. While some of the details may be revealed in years to come, for now, what I know is it’s possible she identified with the surname Pearl/Perril/Pearrall and lived circa 1670 – 1733. By the language of Col. Marsham’s will in 1713, it gives credence to the idea that he was fond of her and treated her rather kindly. But one should not be fooled into thinking this was a consensual relationship. For, if it were, would she not be set free entirely?

Instead, Marsham writes that Sarah and her 2 daughters, Beck and Sarah, are to remain living on his plantation following his death to serve his grandchildren. It’s unclear whether Beck and Sarah are his kin, though it’s likely. He does say she is to be paid 2 pounds sterling per year in addition to being kept fed and clothed. It’s not until 1732 that Richard Marsham’s grandson, Marsham Waring, grants “Old Negro Sarah,” presumably Sarah Pearl, manumission upon his own death. Take note he did not set her free immediately, but instead, left the action to be handled by his will’s executor upon his passing, clearly benefitting from her servitude right up until his death. So, she formally served at least 2 men during her lifetime that we know of.

Curiously, in 1734, in the neighboring county of St. Mary’s, a will was penned by one “Negro Sarah.” While I have not yet been able to verify whether this is my ancestor Sarah, the details seem rather coincidental that my ancestor had just been freed about 2 years prior and here, a freed negro woman named Sarah is drafting a will? I have to assume this would not have been a common circumstance for a woman in her standing to have this chance. And yet, the other individuals named in the will are unfamiliar to me, as of yet, including 3 children, none of which are named Sarah or Beck (who likely remained as slaves to the Waring family).

Negro Sarah, will, 1734, St. Mary’s County, Maryland, p. 1; Maryland Court, will books, p. 904; Maryland, U.S. Wills and Probate Records, 1635-1777, database with images, Ancestry (https://ancestry.com : accessed 13 Feb 2021) > All counties > Wills, vol. 19-20, 1726-1734, image 943.

My ancestor Sarah had at least one son by Richard Marsham, probably at least two. My 7th great grandfather, Robert Pearl, was born 3 September 1685 in Maryland. He would have been half black and half white, but because his mother was enslaved, so too, was he. His slave name growing up was “Molatto Robin.” Despite being enslaved to his own blood, being mixed race definitely had its advantages for Robert. As Col. Marsham was a highly respected citizen around town, some of that respect passed to Robert. He was even taught the trade of carpentry, and he became a very skilled carpenter. Eventually, he was able to interchangeably be known as both monikers “Molatto Robin” and Robert Pearl. The fact that he chose Pearl as his formal surname, rather than Marsham from his biological father, is what has led descendants to believe this was the favored name of “Negro Sarah,” his mother.

Robert was 28 years old when his father penned his will in 1713. Marsham declared that Robert was to serve his Marsham’s executor until Robert arrived at the age of 35 years, at which point, Robert, his wife, and his child were all to be set free. This is surprising for a few reasons, but most notably because Marsham may have actually been the first man in all of Maryland to have officially set a slave free, even if that slave happened to be his biological son. Also, it’s known that during the Antebellum period of American history, marriage amongst slaves was forbidden and usually even illegal, but back here in the Colonial period, we are left to understand that it was potentially commonplace. And finally, Robert’s wife, my 7th great grandmother, Anne or “Nanny,” was a slave with a child. Normally, this would have been seen as valuable property, and yet, he is allowing Robert and Anne to eventually be on their way. There was, however, a catch. Should Robert and Anne parent any more children prior to their release, those children would remain in bondage to Marsham’s executor. Sadly, that did come to pass. Their son Charles and daughter Cathrin are thought to have been recorded as slaves “Charles” and “Kate” in Marsham Waring’s will in 1732, which granted them freedom upon his death.

Another stipulation of Col. Richard Marsham’s will was that Robert was to build a 20 foot dwelling house, 50 foot tobacco house, and 15 foot quarter at carpenter’s wages for Marsham’s grandson, Leonard Brooke, when he reached the age of 20 years. Marsham also extended a similar offer of freedom to his 17 year old “Mollatto Slave James” in his will, stating that so long as he remain vigilant and faithful, he is to be released at the age of 35 years. As this language emulates Robert’s release, it’s thought James and Robert might be full-blooded siblings, both sons to Sarah Pearl and Col. Marsham.

It’s interesting to assess Marsham’s acts and intentions some 300 years later through a different lens, though it would certainly seem as though he felt some sort of affection for his sons and perhaps struggled with the fact that they were slaves. Marsham was also known to have ties to the Roman Catholic Church, and Robert Pearl followed in his footsteps holding that faith, which may lead one to speculate that he held at least some of his father’s opinions and actions in high regard. Plus, at least one of Robert’s sons, Basil Pearl, was named after a man belonging to Marsham’s white branch of the family. Robert’s half-sister, Sarah Marsham, married Basil Waring, and they went on to have a son also named Basil Waring. And within that branch of the family tree, the name Basil flourished nearly every generation. To further the connection between these families, Robert Pearl remained living in the vicinity at Carrollton Manor, leasing several acres of land and planting tobacco. So, it’s truly impossible to say what the family dynamics really were like, other than to know there was a large Moravian congregation in this area, and the government did allow interracial marriage from time to time in the region, so personal rights based on race were slightly more fluid in the 1700s than what we think of throughout the late 1800s.

Unknown photographer, postcard, The Old Carrollton Mansion at Tuscarora, Carrollton Manor, Maryland; online database with images, Ancestry (https://ancestry.com : accessed 13 Feb 2021), uploaded by user mustangmay, 2 Jun 2016.

While there’s plenty more to tell about Robert Pearl in length, from his days as a slave to his days as a slave owner, I have little to no information about Robert’s wife, Anne or “Nanny,” though she was certainly alive in 1736 when Robert was selling some of his land. She appeared on a land record, releasing her dower’s rights. It is also likely she died before 1752, as she was not recorded as releasing a dower’s right on what may be the last of Robert’s land sales preceding his death on 4 October 1765. Other than that, I am aware of 8 children she is believed to have given birth to, though there certainly could have been more.

Her daughter, Ann Pearl, was my 6th great grandmother. There is a running pattern here that little information exists to tell these life stories. Ann was likely born around 1730, most certainly after 1720, otherwise, she too would have been deemed a slave. Ann would have been approximately 75% black and 25% white. And she married William Marshall, my 6th great grandfather, thought to be a white man of possibly English or Scottish origin, and had at least 8 children. At the time her father, Robert, wrote a will, she was already married to William and he left her 5 shillings. It is also likely the Marshalls lived in or around Carrollton Manor, staying close to Col. Richard Marsham’s extended family and descendants. It’s unknown when Ann perished, but William died 24 June 1778 in Frederick County, Maryland.

Ann and William Marshall’s first born, as far as we know, was James Marshall, my 5th great grandfather. He was likely born sometime around 1745 and married my 5th great grandmother, Mary, last name unknown but possibly Randolph. It’s claimed by 1786 he had fled Carrollton Manor and the county, as his debts had totaled nearly 400 pounds of current money, in addition to overdue rents. His brother, William, reportedly agreed to pay the landlord, Charles Carroll of Carrollton.

This little piece of history is what has me excited for an entirely different reason. Fans of the 2004 film “National Treasure” might recall the opening scene where Charles Carroll, Senior, signer of the Declaration of Independence, quickens to the White House in a carriage to pass along the Freemason code phrase (spoiler alert), “The secret lies with Charlotte.” While the filmmakers incorrectly named Charles Senior as a Freemason, his son who shared his name, in real life, actually was. Both managed the property at Carrollton. In fact, Charles Senior traditionally signed his name as Charles Carroll of Carrollton, including on the Declaration of Independence. He was an ardent abolitionist in politics, though a slaveholder himself. And when it came to leasing land to tenant farmers at Carrollton Manor, he did not hold prejudice against renters of color. If I were to hazard a guess, his morals set him against the institution of slavery, but his interests remained in business and profits. I take this as my little connection to one of my favorite historical fiction movies! In any case, it appears James’ debts were paid to the Carrolls, as he is listed in Frederick County amongst other Carrollton Manor residents on the country’s first census taken in 1790. Though James would have been about 40% black, he was recorded as a free white person on the census, so he was likely very light-skinned. The census also revealed he owned 8 slaves. By 1800 that number had doubled to 16. And by 1810, it had nearly tripled to 27 slaves. This drives home the fact that race relations were very complicated in this time with select black people owning other black people and finding a difference in their status levels, strictly by birthright. James died between July and August 1815, outlived by his wife, Mary.

Walt Disney Pictures, National Treasure film image, 2004.

One of their sons, Hezekiah Marshall, was born in 1763 in Frederick, Maryland. He was my 4th great grandfather and the reason why my family believed we had Native American origins. This was because Hezekiah fought in the American Revolution as an Indian spy. And it would seem that tidbit of information was twisted over time into a rumor that his daughter was half Native American. What’s interesting is Hezekiah, his parents, and siblings were all recorded as free white persons from 1790 through 1810 on the censuses, but once Hezekiah started his own family, they were recorded on the 1820 census as free colored persons. Initially, I took this to think the rumors of Native American ethnicity were true, as I didn’t know his lineage at the time, including any of his African background. And his later census enumerations all reverted to recording him as a free white person. He would have been less than a quarter black, so likely very light-skinned. In contrast to his forefathers, Hezekiah did not own slaves. He was married twice, first to Catherine Hiley and second to my 4th great grandmother, Athe Neal.

Records of the Department of Veterans Affairs, Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty-Land Warrant Application Files, Hezekiah Marshall, Record Group 15, National Archives, Washington, D.C., NARA microfilm publication M804, 2,670 rolls; U.S., Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty-Land Warrant Application Files, 1800-1900, online database with images, Ancestry (https://ancestry.com : 13 Feb 2021) Provo, UT, USA, 2010.

And this generation appears to be where the African bloodline thins out to a nearly unnoticeable trace, as all subsequent records deem this family and their descendants as white. And along with that change in written history, the oral history also began to dissipate until, were it not for DNA testing technology, our family story of complex interracial colonial life had all but been lost. I’m so excited we get a chance to uncover these tales once more and give names back to these forgotten ancestors.