Joseph Mosely (1853 - aft. 1940)

Born 15 Mar 1853 in Hopkinsville, Christian, Kentucky, United States

Husband of Hannah (Knight) Moseley — married 1 Feb 1877 in Christian, Kentucky, United States

Descendants

Died after 1940 after age 86 in Indiana, United States

Biography

Joseph Mosely is a part of US Black heritage.

(The spelling of this surname is quite variable.)

Joseph was born in 1853. He passed away after the 1940 census.

Joseph Mosley was interviewed about 1937 in Marion County, Indiana about his life and his time as an enslaved person.

Joseph Mosley, one of twelve children, was born March 15, 1853, fourteen miles from Hopkinsville, Kentucky. His master, Tim Mosley, was a slave trader.

Joseph's father was the shoemaker for all the farm hands and adult workers.

The father, mother, and all the children were slaves in the same family but not in the same house. Some with the daughters, some with the sons, and so on. No one brother or sister would be allowed to visit with the others. After the death of Tim Moseley, little Joseph was given to a daughter. He was seven years old; he had to pick up chips, tend the cows, and do small jobs around the house; he wore no clothing except a shirt. Little Joseph did not see his mother after he was taken to the home of the daughter until he was set free at the age of thirteen.

After their freedom, the family came to Indiana. The mother died here, in Indianapolis, at the age of 106. Mr. Moseley, who has been in Indianapolis for 35 years, has been paralyzed for the last four years. He and a daughter room with a Mrs. Turner.

Interview: Joseph Mosley was interviewed in Marion County, Indiana by Anna Pritchett as part of the Federal Writer's Project of the Works Progress Administration (WPA). The results are made available by the Library of Congress. ^[1]

Sources

1. ↑ [1] Library of Congress - WPA - Slave Narrative - Joseph Mosley - Vol. 5, Indiana; pages 147-149, images 152-154 of 222.

• "United States Census, 1870", database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MX7T-ZPF : Tue Oct 03 17:55:37 UTC 2023), Entry for Nelson Moseley and Lutecia Moseley, 1870.

• "Kentucky Marriages, 1785-1979", database, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:FW1W-Y2S : 11 May 2022), Joseph Morekey, 1877.

• "United States Census, 1880", , FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MCCC-LTM : Thu Oct 05 23:20:44 UTC 2023), Entry for Joseph Moseley and Hannah Moseley, 1880.

• "United States Census, 1900", database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M94X-ZCK : Wed Oct 04 19:39:22 UTC 2023), Entry for Joseph Mosley and Hannah Mosley, 1900.

• "United States Census, 1940", database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:V11F-84B : Tue Oct 03 03:11:09 UTC 2023), Entry for Lula Bolds and Joseph Mosely, 1940.