I Come from Bowman Lane: A Family History Memoir

By Margaret Ann Gethers Scott, Ph.D.

Margaret Gethers Scott has been the Ford Family historian since 1996. Here, she first offers a wealth of information about why and how to write one's own family history. She then proceeds to her main subjects, the seven children of her earliest known ancestors, ex–slaves Charles Ford and Rebecca Small Ford. The parents and children were all born in the 1800s. Margaret, born in 1946, is the granddaughter of Tom, the youngest of those seven children.

 

Charles and Rebecca are placed in the historical context of Emancipation and Reconstruction in the African American community in South Carolina, where the author still lives. In telling the stories of The Big 7 and their very numerous descendants, much general history of the area in the early and mid–20th century is interwoven with more personal anecdotes. Many of those are humorous, and all of them are vividly narrated.

 

There are long lists of the descendants' names, and there is well–earned acknowledgment of their impressive accomplishments in many fields: music, the military, education, business, diverse trades, and more. Some sections present fascinating snapshots of culture, detailing things such as typical foods of the area, quilting traditions, yellowware pottery, and time–tested construction techniques.

 

Naturally, in addition to the uplifting stories of hard work, family unity, and perseverance, there are some painful stories of prejudice and tragedy. As is only right, there is no whitewashing of history here. But at the close of the book, as the author obviously intended, the reader is left with a wonderful, over–arching impression of warmth, as beautiful and comforting as an heirloom quilt.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Margaret Ann Gethers Scott, Ph.D.
• Release date: Apr 25, 2023
• ISBN: 9798215290439

Book preview

I Come from Bowman Lane

A Family History Memoir

Margaret Ann Gethers Scott, Ph.D.

Editing, print layout, e–book conversion,

and cover design by DLD Books

Editing and Self–Publishing Services

www.dldbooks.com

Copyright 2023 by Margaret Ann Gethers Scott

All rights reserved

Write your family history now, before it’s too late!

Dedicated to the memory of

Tom Ford, aka Papa

Frances Rebecca Becca Grimkey Ford, aka Mama

Nettie Maria Ford Gethers, aka Mother Dear

and

SFC Sherman Jenkins Ford (U.S. Army, Ret.)

Founder of the Ford Family Reunion

In appreciation for a legacy of stories

Acknowledgements

Anita Reyes for the Guided Autobiography certification course and other life story writing classes. I hope you like what my PowerPoint has become!

Elizabeth Laney, Reference Librarian, Colleton County Memorial Library in Walterboro, South Carolina, for information and resources on Beech Hill Plantation and Burrell Sanders, as well as for help accessing digital copies of my hometown newspaper, The Press and Standard.

Katie L.B. Henningsen, Head of Research Services, David M. Rubenstein Rare Book & Manuscript Library, Duke University in Durham, North Carolina, for facilitating access to the Sanders Family Papers.

Arlette Wright for census data on a Charles Ford. Too bad we could not make the leap from my Ford ancestors to your came over on the Mayflower Ford ancestors. Hope your research is going well.

Eunice Tea White for the many hours of climbing our family trees. Thanks also for sharing the Levine plat and the link to Cain Ford’s lynching story.

Dr. Ernestine J. Carter for sharing 1860 Beech Hill Plantation slave schedules and 1870 census data, and for all those conversations trying to situate Charles and Rebecca.

Ada Ree Chaplin for the history of St. Paul C.M.E. Church and Jacquelyn Jackie Ford Williams for the history of Cumberland U.M. Church.

Jackie Williams, Rocky Ford, Stacey Frazier, Delores Frazier, Gwen Azam–Edwards, Ada Ree Chaplin, and Connie Johnson for chasing down facts at a moment’s notice.

James David Adams for pointing me in the direction of the South Carolina Land Commission.

Carl R. Ford, Sr. for the photo of the Bowman Lane/Ritter Road sign.

Liticia Tish Hairston Whitten for 45 years of friendship and moral support. You are the face of creative aging, so keep on dancing!

Anna Ford and Billi Ford Taylor for the large print keyboard, the 32–inch HP monitor, and the Envision Glasses. Your gifts made my writing so much easier.

Anna’s Boys—Tyrone Ty Ford, Raquan Ray Ford, and Isaac Zak Ford—for the cinnamon rolls and all the sweet–smelling stuff from Bath & Body Works. Auntie loves you.

Myles London Priester, who gets special emoji thanks because his interest in the book kept me motivated. Auntie Margaret loves you.

Jell Priester for serving as research assistant and Gullah Geechee consultant. Thanks also for being my eyes in matters great and small.

And finally, words cannot express the depth of my gratitude to 93–year–old Willie Shark. Mr. Shark willingly and tirelessly answered my many questions and returned every phone call. He provided details about master bricklayer/teacher/contractor George Deal and his students, as well as tidbits about school days at Ward Cross and Ritter. Mr. Shark’s other recollections helped me paint a more vibrant and vivid picture of the Bowman Lane (and Ritter) of yesteryear. Thank you, Mr. Willie Shark!

Preface

Bits and pieces of this book have been with me since my growing–up years in the Bowman Lane community of rural Colleton County, South Carolina. Even quilts, which are a metaphor for my writing process, have always been there—from the quilts that warmed me as I slept in a drafty, concrete–block house on cold winter nights to the quilt that now serves as a tablecloth on my kitchen table.

In creating this book about family history, I relied upon a sewing basket full of assorted scraps of knowledge. Included in this assortment were my own stored memories: the centrality of telling family stories, the pull of family connectedness, the importance of land and home ownership, the wisdom of the elders, and the cast of characters who peopled the community of my childhood and youth.

The sewing basket also held three unpublished family history documents. Those are our family history book, From Whence We Came: The Ford Family of Walterboro (Colleton County), South Carolina; my mother’s 2013 memoir, The Whole Armor of God: Recollections of a Proud Poor Mother; and a 2015 interview I conducted with my mother, Work, Pray, Live: Reflections of a Wise Woman. All were invaluable in providing historical and contemporary family information.

Other scraps in the sewing basket included quotations, mementos, and information–gathering strategies. After making final selections from the basket, I sorted and classified, mixed and matched, measured and cut, assembled and pieced. Then, using the thread of narrative, I stitched the myriad swatches of Ford Family lore into the design that is this book, I Come from Bowman Lane: A Family History Memoir (Write Your Family History Now, Before It’s Too Late!).

You too can fashion the contrasting but compelling pieces of your family story into a multi–textured, multi–layered, lovingly sewn quilt of many colors. No special skills are needed. Curiosity, determination, and innate creativity are all that is required. Happy Piecing and Joyful Stitching!

—MGS

Introduction

Knowing one’s family history can have a centering and stabilizing effect, empowering us as we navigate today’s fractious socio–political landscape. Scraps of knowledge about the personal, professional, cultural, and spiritual lives of family members—known and unknown, living and dead—reside in our memories and in our mementos. I Come from Bowman Lane: A Family History Memoir (Write Your Family History Now, Before It’s Too Late!) is a testament to how scraps of knowledge can combine to create a family history worthy of sharing and preserving.

If you are reading these words, you have probably considered writing your own family history. My goal is to move you from considering to writing. I captured the history of my family through interviews, essays, anecdotes, questionnaires, newspaper articles, solicitation letters, U.S. census records, historical documents, and eyewitness accounts. The stories generated by these information sources provide glimpses into the lives of the people from whom we came, enabling us to gain strength and sustenance from their example. Other more recent stories provide additional examples, inspiring family members toward continued striving for higher levels of achievement.

Part One of I Come from Bowman Lane asks the question Why Write Your Family History? and follows with a discussion of five reasons for doing so, from which you can choose your own justification. The reasons are based on themes I have developed through research and reflection. Depending upon your background and interest, at least one of the reasons/themes should provide a rationale for your family history project. The themes are addressed in the five chapters of Part One. Each theme is developed through epigraphs, research studies and/or background information, and one or more illustrative family stories. The chapter themes are as follows:

Chapter 1

Future generations deserve a tangible record of their family history.

Chapter 2

Family stories should be told and captured before it is too late.

Chapter 3

Stories from ordinary people often reflect universal values and experiences.

Chapter 4

Too many stories from diverse and marginalized groups remain untold.

Chapter 5

Knowledge of family history helps build resilience.

Part Two formally introduces the Ford Family—our ancestral couple, Charles Ford and Rebecca Small Ford, and their seven children: LUCY, ROBERT, FORTUNE, DIANNA, ADAM, BINA, and TOM, my maternal grandfather. Part Two places Charles and Rebecca in the historical context of Emancipation and Reconstruction and attempts to determine the place of their former enslavement, as well as how the ancestral land was acquired. Part Two also highlights the ongoing relationships between and among the seven families descended from Charles and Rebecca, a bond formalized 25 years ago with the first Ford Family Reunion. In essence, Part Two shows how the descendants of Charles Ford and Rebecca Small Ford have lived and breathed and suffered and triumphed.¹

Everyday ordinary families like mine have stories begging to be told. Hopefully, reading about the Ford Family will convince you that now is the time to move from considering writing to doing writing about your family. In the words of librarian Carmen Nigro: You should cease pondering and start writing.²

"If you want to go quickly, go alone. If you want to go far,

go together."

—African proverb

Part One

Why Write Your Family History?

Choose Your Own Reason!

A people without the knowledge of their history, origin, and culture is like a tree without roots.

—Marcus Garvey

"If a race has no history, if it has no worthwhile tradition, it becomes a negligible factor in the thought of the world,

and it stands in danger of being exterminated."

—Dr. Carter G. Woodson, founder of Negro History Week

(now Black History Month)

Chapter 1

The Gift of Family History

If we keep all our memories in our heads, if we don’t take them out to examine them, give them shape and substance, and record them, they will be lost to our families and to future generations.

—James Birren

Theme: Future generations deserve a tangible record of their family history.

Gift–giving is a time–honored tradition. It touches communities and cultures across the globe. Some say the tradition began as early as Biblical times, when the Magi brought gifts to the Baby Jesus. But why give gifts? Sociologists believe we give gifts to form connections with others. If this is true, in giving the gift of family history, we confirm and reaffirm current family connections, while simultaneously establishing connections with generations of family yet to come.

So, what is family history? The terms family history and genealogy are often used interchangeably, but British genealogist Nick Barratt says they are not the same:

We use genealogy and family history as though they are one and the same thing, but of course they are not. Genealogy is a purer search for historical connectivity between generations—building a family tree or pedigree, if you like—whereas family history is a broader piece of research into their lives and activities.³

In other words, genealogy reveals who begat whom and results in a family tree with names, dates, and places. Family history digs more deeply into the lives of people named on the family tree and uncovers stories about their activities, interests, and experiences.

Nowadays there are many ways of being a family. Therefore, any definition of family must be as inclusive as possible and should include at least the following: children who have been formally adopted, long–term foster children, children who are reared by family members other than their birth parents, children who are unofficially enfolded into a family other than their birth family, and even adults who identify with a family other than their family of origin. Given these (and other) possible family scenarios, I have formulated the following definition of family history:

Family history is stories about the lives of people connected either by bloodline or marriage or by acceptance and socialization into a group that is connected by bloodline or marriage.

Writer William Zinsser says a family history can be a careful act of literary construction, or it can be informal, written to tell your children and grandchildren about the family they were born into⁴ —and, according to my definition, the family with whom they are associated and connected.

This is not a how–to book. In Chapter 10, however, I do provide examples of several strategies that have proven helpful in capturing my family story. In addition, there are many ways to present stories once they are collected. These include audio, video, or print options and cover formats such as CDs and DVDs; e–books; audiobooks; heirloom books with thick, glossy pages; PowerPoint presentations; print, video, and digital scrapbooks; internet cloud storage sites; and, more recently, podcasts. A Google search will explain these and possibly uncover other options. The choices are many, and the options are yours to explore. Just remember: Format follows content. That is, the stories you gather are far more important than how they are packaged. Regardless of format, years from now, future generations will appreciate and applaud your foresight and generosity in bequeathing them the gift of family history.

Stories about my family have been preserved in three unpublished print documents. Our documents were produced on a PC using Microsoft Word, then photocopied and spiral bound at a copy center. The look and feel of the documents is plain and unpretentious. While our format may not be pretty, the content is beautiful, and the end product is affordable. Most important of all, these tangible records of our family story can be easily reproduced and gifted to future generations.

The first document is our family history book, From Whence We Came: The Ford Family of Walterboro (Colleton County), South Carolina. From Whence We Came is the focus of Chapter 10 in this book and covers the activities, interests, and experiences of the seven families descended from Charles and Rebecca Ford. The second document is the 2013 memoir written by my mother, Nettie Mariah Ford Gethers, aka Mother Dear. The memoir, titled The Whole Armor of God: Recollections of a Proud Poor Mother, shows that ordinary people—like my pants–presser laundry worker mother, for example—have compelling stories to tell. The third document is an interview I conducted with Mother Dear in 2015. The interview, titled Work, Pray, Live: Reflections of a Wise Woman, covers a wide range of topics, including family relations, school days, and life on a farm during the Great Depression and World War II.

As I worked at editing Mother Dear’s memoir, I realized I was uncovering a family history gold mine. Furthermore, the gold mine deserved to be shared with an audience larger than Mother Dear’s children and grandchildren: the audience for whom the book was originally intended. At this point, I sent a flyer announcing: A forthcoming book by one of our own. Family and friends were invited to pre–order a copy. Forty friends and family members purchased the book. In December 2013, at her annual Christmas Eve breakfast, Mother Dear happily signed copies of The Whole Armor of God, her Christmas gift of family history.

Jacquelyn Jackie Ford Williams was so impressed with her Aunt Nettie’s book that she posted a picture of the front cover on Facebook and described the emotions she felt while reading the book. My longtime friend and confidante Liticia Tish Whitten called to say that as she read, she could picture the book as a movie. Tish even described the opening scene! Leah Meisel, my niece Billi’s (Billi Maria Ford Taylor’s) mentor, sent the following note after reading her copy:

Dear Ms. Nettie,

I wanted to let you know how very much I enjoyed your stories. I feel so honored to have been given that special glimpse into your and your family’s history. I loved it and can tell where my dear friend Billi (and Anna) get their strength. Amazing women! Amazing family!

Anyway, thank you for allowing me in. I truly appreciate it.

Sincerely,

Leah

Mother Dear’s youngest brother, Lawrence Alexander Ford, had a different response; he had a score to settle.

As an Army veteran, Lawrence frequented the VFW club in his adopted hometown of Colorado Springs, Colorado. He often told stories about the South Carolina dirt farm where he grew up. One day he talked about Bob, the family’s stubborn mule. One of his VFW buddies dismissed the Bob stories, saying, I don’t believe you. Who ever heard of a mule named Bob?

Upon receiving his copy of Mother Dear’s memoir, Lawrence took the book to the VFW club. While his naysayer friend and others listened, he read aloud from the chapter titled Early Farm Years: Bob (The Mule), CCC Camp, and WWII. When Lawrence finished reading, the naysayer friend looked at him and said, So, there really was a mule named Bob.

Most people think their family story is too uninteresting for others to want to read. After all, who wants to read about a mule named Bob? Still, everyone yearns to know who they are and from whence they come. When you offer the gift of family history, chances are it will be gratefully and graciously accepted. William Zinsser believes that however flawed the effort, family members will give you their blessing and will thank you for taking on the job.⁵ As the response to Mother Dear’s memoir shows, if you write it, they will come.

"If you don’t recount your family history, it will be lost….

The tales may not seem very important,

but they are what binds families

and makes each of us who we are."

—Madeleine L’Engle

Chapter 2

The Urgency of Now

Even though most people agree that having some family history preserved is a grand idea, few people consider it urgent. That is unfortunate, for we all are living on borrowed time.

—Tom Gilbert

Theme: Family stories should be told and captured before it is too late.

Today is Thursday, December 17, 2020. It is 6:55 p.m. So far this day, there have been 3,270 coronavirus deaths in the United States alone. If COVID–19 has taught us anything at all, it should at least have taught us about the urgency of now. The social upheaval and personal loss resulting from the pandemic underscore the risk we assume when putting off for tomorrow that which can be done today: apologizing to a friend for an unkind remark; attending a child’s sports event; committing, at last, to writing your family history.

When speaking about the necessity and urgency of writing one’s family history, I am often asked, But how do I get started? My response is always the same: Start with the interview. There was a time when I would next tell audiences to find the oldest person(s) in the family and talk to (and record) them as soon as possible. Now I advise audiences to seek out older friends of the family as well. I explain that friends can often add stories that relatives might have forgotten. Or, if the relatives are all gone, friends may be the only source of stories about earlier times. After such an exchange, it is usually agreed that there is an aging family member and/or family friend who should be interviewed. Participants leave the talk excited about the prospect of writing their family history. Then, for many, enthusiasm fades and excuses flourish.

Some feel they do not know what to do or how to do it. Others say they do not have time to do it. Writing a family history does not require special skills. The only requirements are a compelling need to know and a determined willingness to gather, preserve, and share the stories. As for those who say they do not have time, they are correct; they do not have time to waste. We can never know, for example, the number of untold stories lost to the coronavirus pandemic. As we call again upon William Zinsser, he reminds us that all too often, memories die with their owners, and too often, time surprises us by running out. Zinsser says: One of the saddest sentences I know is, ‘I wish I had asked my mother about that.’ And then he adds: Or my father. Or my grandmother. Or my grandfather.⁶

When you finally commit to having the elders share their memories, you will likely discover stories you never knew existed. Such was the case with a story Mother Dear told during a 2015 interview. Upon hearing the question How was your home heated? Mother Dear responded with the story of a clay fireplace her father (Papa) had built in the kitchen of the old house.

We had a fireplace in the living room. In later years Papa built a clay fireplace in the kitchen. (My daddy was a smart man.) It was a fireplace made out of clay. You didn’t have to dig very deep to find clay on our property, and Papa used the clay from our land to build the clay fireplace. First, he framed it up with wood to look like a chimney. Next, he put mud (clay) between the boards on the frame. Then, he got more mud and smoothed it on over the first mud.

The story of Papa’s fireplace resonated with me because of a July 2009 experience my sisters Jell (Priester) and Anna (Ford), Anna’s son Thomas (TJ), and I had at a Teacher Institute at the Frontier Culture Museum in Staunton, Virginia. At the institute we got our hands thoroughly muddied as we participated in the construction of a traditional West African mud house. After doing some research, I learned that Papa’s clay fireplace and the West African mud house were both built using the wattle and daub method.

The wattle and daub method has traditionally been the main house–building technique in rural settings in West Africa. Archaeologists refer to houses built using this method as timber lattice and mud houses.⁷ When constructing a timber lattice and mud house, the timber lattice (the cage)—or in Papa’s case, the chimney frame—is