Editor’s note: In 1855, one Chatham resident emancipated 28 slaves she owned, provisioning in her will that they be freed. Local historians Steven E. Brooks and Beverly Wiggins, members of the Chatham County Historical Association, recently researched and wrote an academic paper on this piece of Chatham County’s history. Here’s the story of Marium Alston. Last in a series.
The document by which Dr. Henry B. Marley emancipated these people on May 31, 1859, reflects the care and diligent legal efforts Marley had taken to fulfill Marium’s final wishes, stating that Marium Alston, “by her last Will and Testament which was duly established in the proper Court according to Law” bequeathed her slaves...
“(i)n number to Jesse Marley, her Executor in Trust for them to be free, and for him to remove said slaves, or cause them to be removed, from North Carolina to some free State, & there to be emancipated & enjoy the rights of Freedom. And the said Jesse Marley having caused said slaves by his son & Agent, Henry B. Marley to be removed to the State of Ohio, with his consent & by his own direction, that they may there be free...” He then named all of the newly freed people, gave their ages, and further stated that his actions were “in consideration of the promises, and the desire of said Jesse Marley to carry into full execution the Trust reposed in him by his Testatrix (Marium Alston) by her last Will & Testament, and, to do the same according to the Laws of North Carolina & the State of Ohio, & all said slaves being now in the State of Ohio, the said Jesse Marley by his Agent and Attorney in fact Henry B. Marley doth herby emancipate & set free the whole of the afore named slaves; and doth hereby invest them & each & every of them with all the rights & privileges of Free persons of color according to the laws & constitution of the State of Ohio.”
The careful legal language of this document and its emphasis on the compliance of Marley’s actions with both North Carolina and Ohio law, suggests just how tense the political and legal climate of the United States had become by fall 1859.
In Ohio, the newly-freed people were given a modest amount of cash ($9 each for single individuals and $27 each for the three families) from Marium’s original bequest. Marium’s allocation of $300 at the time of her death in 1855 was equivalent to $8,846 in 2019. The supplies and equipment from the journey (“five horses, two wagons, one carriage together with harnesses”) were turned over to the two United Brethren ministers who witnessed the emancipation document per a receipt included in the estate papers and the proceeds were to be distributed to the freed people in shares specified by Henry Marley.
After a full accounting was made of income from the slave’s labor before their emancipation and expenses incurred during the time between Marium’s death and their journey to Ohio, as well as the journey itself, the surplus, approximately $1,800 was to be distributed among the freed people, according to Marium’s estate papers. This distribution was more substantial. Each single freed person was to be given $100.62 (or $2,967 in 2019 dollars), and each family $301.86 (or $9,297 in 2019 dollars).
In addition to the support of the local anti-slavery advocates and the resources willed to them by Marium, the freed Alston slaves surely must have benefitted from the support they derived from one another. Other accounts of escaped or freed slaves highlight the effort they expended on trying to find ways to free their still-enslaved family members. By freeing whole families in this large group, Marium Alston helped prevent this common source of suffering and gave the freed persons the benefit of their families’ support.
Lives Forever Changed
The story of the Alston freed slaves can still be found within the history of Delaware County, Ohio. Various versions, with some errors, have been told and recorded over time, but the documents available in North Carolina show with certainty that this is where Marium Alston’s freed slaves ended up and clearly show Marium’s own hand in this outcome.
The Westerville Public Library web pages contains the following:
This group of slaves ended up in East Orange. It is not know why they came to that community or how difficult the journey was that they made. It is known that the residents welcomed them, housed them, hired them to work on their farms and made them part of the community. The freed Alston slaves became landowners, musicians and artists and also participated in hiding runaway slaves who travelled to the village. Their descendants served in the military and became educators.
The impact on the lives of those persons of being granted freedom and helped to settle in a relatively safe place can hardly be fathomed. Sharon Lytle’s research in Ohio focused on identifying and learning about the Alston freed slaves who settled there. Although the details of that research have not been published, the information is on file at the Westerville Public Library, and Ms. Lytle has shared highlights with us via personal communications.
• The births, deaths and marriages of the Alston freedpersons are recorded in several Ohio communities. For example, Peter’s marriage was conducted by the Rev. William Hanby (Bishop of the Church of the United Brethren in Christ and an active conductor on the Underground Railroad.)
• Ms. Lytle documents that several of the Alston freedpersons (including Peter, Andrew, and Anthony) became landowners in Ohio in Franklin County, Delaware and Worthington.
• At least two of the freedmen, Wesley and David, served in the Union Army. Other Alston descendants served in the Spanish-American War and in WWI.
• The freed Alstons became affiliated with local churches. For example, burial records for Viny and Sarah are recorded in the parish register of St. Johns Church in Worthington.
• Mary Frances Alston Austin’s obituary notes her acquaintance with Bishop William Hanby’s son, Benjamin Hanby, author of several popular songs. She was an artist and art teacher, according to her obituary.
There is also evidence that the Alston freedpersons may have helped others settle in Ohio after Emancipation. We know that they were in touch with still-enslaved persons back in North Carolina after their settlement. For example, the June 6, 1860 entry in Rachel Bowman’s diary says she helped Susan
Alston write a letter to her friends still in bondage back in NC. A number of former slaves from Chatham and Randolph Counties moved to the central Ohio area after Emancipation. Some of these have documented connections with the Alston freedpersons.
Marium’s actions, from the time of Oroon’s death through the posthumous efforts of her faithful executor, Jesse Marley, deserve recognition in North Carolina, as they have gained in Ohio. Her actions have historical significance in North Carolina precisely because they represent the hidden history of women and of anti-slavery sentiment in the state. The impact of her actions reaches beyond the twenty-eight slaves she sent to freedom and even beyond their descendants.
About the authors
Steve Brooks is a native of Siler City, where he lived until age 18, when he went to college in Chapel Hill. He now lives in Durham. He has maintained an interest in Chatham history and people and is a member of the Chatham County Historical Association. He holds a Masters degree in American History, and his specialty was race relations both before and after the Civil War. Bev Wiggins contacted him about the Marium Alston story, and together they began a lengthy process of piecing together the details of what happened.
Wiggins has lived in Chatham County, near Bynum, since 1978. Before her retirement she worked at UNC’s Odum Institute for Research in Social Science. She has been involved for many years in the Chatham County Historical Association (CCHA) and currently serves as the website coordinator and maintains the Association’s Facebook page. She became intrigued by the story of Marium Alston, having seen a posting about the Ohio marker by Sue Ashby. That story, especially in these times of renewed focus on racial justice, is a relevant and important piece of Chatham County history. But it has remained obscure until now. The authors hope that the people of Chatham will be inspired by reading this previously unknown episode of our past and that telling Marium’s story will help her take a deserved place among historical Chatham County figures.