From Slave Owner to Hopeful Emancipator
It's absolutely jaw-dropping to discover a past like this.
First things first, let's dive headlong into the heavenly goodness that is my all-time favorite chocolate brownie recipe. Brace yourself for a mouthwatering experience that will make you weak in the knees. But beware! Once you've had a taste of these fudgy wonders, there's no going back!
đ« The Ultimate Fudgy Chocolate Brownies đ« Find the irresistible recipe at one of my favorite websites for baking! Donât forget to add 1 cup of pure love. Itâs optional, but highly recommended. Cool before you unleash your inner chocolate monster. Trust me, your patience will be rewarded, not to mention your brownies will cut oh-so-beautifully!
HISTORICAL FIND
Image from the Library of Congress Archives - a plantation in Virginia.
As you savor your delectable brownie, would you lean in as I share my latest adventures in the wondrous world of family history? This endeavor of mine is not only rewarding, itâs also more addictive than a stash of hidden chocolate bars!
In my recent dig into my husbandâs family tree, I stumbled upon a fascinating bit of information that caused my jaw to drop and imagination take off. I started by trying to find out if my husband had any ancestors that lived in the United States before moving up to Canada. Sure enough, he did. Quite a few, to be sure.
So, I picked one surname to investigate and discovered a trove of treasure!
Time travel is possible, in a sense! Letâs take a trip down Ancestry Lane as I uncover bits of the life of my husbandâs 8th great grandfather, Francis Awbrey. Buckle up, because this tale takes us waaaay back in time, to an era before the United States was even a twinkle in Uncle Sam's eye. Thanks to some nifty research skills and lots of documented history, here we are!
Picture this: the year is around 1725, and Virginia is still part of the Virginia Colony (obviously, right?). Now, there's this group of wealthy British guys who were given the opportunity to stake their claim in the area. They even make a treaty with the local Indians. Among these men is the feature man himself, Francis Awbrey, ready to build his empire.
Now hold on to your hats, because Francis wasn't just any old landowner. Oh no, he was one of the big shots, owning a whopping 29,000 acres of prime Virginia real estate by the Potomac River. On this vast stretch of land, he decided to plant some tobacco, much to the chagrin of the King of England. The King wanted corn planted, but tobacco had proved more profitable, until it didnât. To help him out, he had a crew of three or four white indentured servants and a hard-working bunch of fourteen African slaves. Yep, you read that right â my hubby's 8x great granddad was a slave owner! My jaw dropped.
Naturally, my inquisitive mind started to wonder about Francis' character. Was he a kind-hearted master or more of a wicked ruler? Well, my dear friends, that's a mystery for the ages. But fear not, as we delve deeper into his friendships, we may uncover some clues. Ah, the suspense!
Now, Francis wasn't just a jack of one trade. Oh no, this guy had a lot more going on. Not only did he own a tobacco plantation, but he also owned a tavern, a ferry, iron mines, and even a store! A few years after his death, the land was sold to a man named Nicolas Minor, who then established the city of Leesburg, Virginia. You could say that the plantation had grown immensely from its seedling beginning!
But wait, there's more! It turns out that the first Episcopal church (of which George Washingtonâs father was part of the Vestry) in the area was actually built on Francis' land. It was called âChapel Above Goose Creekâ. However, it seems that the poor parson had to play musical chairs with his sermons, hopping from church to church. Not unlike some of our small town pastors in rural Alberta today.
Francis Awbrey fought valiantly as a Sergeant in the Revolutionary War, proudly representing the British Colony of Virginia. And as history would prove, the British didn't quite come out on top, and the Virginia colony got a fancy new name â the Commonwealth of Virginia.
Fast forward a couple of generations, and my husbandâs ancestors decided to pack their bags and move on up to Kentucky and later Iowa. But guess what? These destinations weren't just idyllic countryside spots â they were part of the action during the Civil War. Can you imagine being in the thick of it all!Â
And as for those slaves owned by the Awbrey family, well, your guess is as good as mine. Their freedom may have been granted, especially considering the efforts of friends and neighbors who were raising funds to send their slaves back to Africa. So, Iâm hoping that the Awbrey family followed suit and did the right thing. Though, if they followed Thomas Jeffersonâs example, they would have maintained their holdings to the bitter end.Â
Maybe youâve got a great-great-grandmother who was an expert cheesemonger or a long-lost cousin who moonlighted as a circus acrobat. Your family tree is a treasure trove of surprising tales, waiting to be uncovered.
If you've got the itch to discover your own hidden gems, Iâm now offering one-on-one sessions to see what I can dig up for you! You can contact me here for more info.
Thanks for reading and supporting my writing! As always, share with your friends!
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