Elizabeth (Hobbs) Keckly (1818 - 1907)

Born Feb 1818 in Dinwiddie, Virginia, United States

Ancestors

Died 26 May 1907 at age 89 in Washington, District of Columbia, United States

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Biography

Elizabeth (Hobbs) Keckly is Notable.

Born into slavery, overcame harsh mistreatment to buy her own freedom and that of her son's. The two relocated to Washington, DC in early 1860 where she became a fashionable dressmaker, leading to a close association with Mary Todd Lincoln, and then subsequently writing a book about their friendship and White House experiences.^[1]

"If Lizzy ever experienced something like happiness as a slave, it was with the Garlands...” ^[2]

"...She soon built up a very prestigious list of customers…and kept handing the money over to the Garlands. But Lizzie wanted something else for her life: Freedom. She asked Mr. Garland how much she would need to buy her and her son’s freedom. Long story short (long version of this story and a lot more details are on podcast), after asking many times he gave her a figure of $1200 which gave Lizzie hope for her future, so much so that she married James Keckly …a lying, drinking, not-so-great husband. James was NOT free like he had told her and to make her situation worse (yeah, worse) saving any money was nearly impossible– the Garlands took everything." [sic]^[3]

Following the Civil War, Elizabeth Keckly applied for and received a pension based on the service of her son George Washington D Kirkland. In the application affidavit, she stated that she was the widow of Alexander Kirkland and that George had died leaving no widow or children. The affidavit is written in one hand and signed in a different hand by Elizabeth Keckly.^[4]

Sources

1. ↑ "Behind the scenes, or, Thirty years a slave and four years in the White House", by Elizabeth Keckley; G.W. Carleton & Co.; New York, NY, USA; 1868. [1]
2. ↑ 'Mrs. Lincoln and Mrs. Keckley: The Remarkable Story of the Friendship Between a First Lady and a Former Slave, by Jennifer Fleischner; Broadway Books, New York, NY, USA; ©2003.
3. ↑ "The History Chicks Podcast: 'Elizabeth Keckley'" (note that although the URL uses Keckley, the page itself, as of 17 April 2021, says Keckly)
4. ↑ "United States Civil War Widows and Other Dependents Pension Files, 1861-1934," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:F9GM-PWB : 4 December 2014), Elizabeth Kirkland, 1861 - 1934; from "Case Files of Approved Pension Applications of Widows and Other Dependents of Civil War Veterans, ca. 1861- ca. 1934," database, Fold3.com (http://www.fold3.com : 2008); citing military unit 1 Missouri Infantry, company D, application number WC6135, NAID identifier 300020, National Archives and Records Administration, Washington, D.C.

• Threads Of Time, The Fabric Of History

• "The Lincoln Collection: 'Elizabeth Keckley'"

• "Encyclopedia of World Biography: 'Keckley, Elizabeth Hobbs'"

• "Wikipedia: 'Elizabeth Keckley'" (note that this source also lists the alternate name spelling of Keckly)

• "Armistead Burwell"

• "Burwell family of Virginia"

• "How a Seamstress Went From Slavery to the White House"

• (Half-brother and his spouse) "NC Pedia: 'Burwell, Robert Armistead', by Mary Claire Engstrom; 1979"

• North Carolina Connecting to Collections, "Satisfying Numen-Seekers," 12 Feb 2013, Image of reenactors at the Burwell School

• "Burwell School Historic Site"

• "Find A Grave: 'Elizabeth Hobbs Keckley'"

• Received a pension for son George's Civil War service - "United States Veterans Administration Pension Payment Cards, 1907-1933," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:2MK1-65X : 19 February 2021), Elizabeth Keckly in entry for George W D Kirkland, 1907-1933; citing NARA microfilm publication M850 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.); FHL microfilm 1,635,253.

• Glamour and Innovation: Elizabeth Keckly [www.whitehousehistory.org]

See Also

• Wikidata: Item Q5363058, en:Wikipedia