Ben Brown (abt. 1842 - 1940)

Born about Apr 1842 in Albemarle County, Virginia, United States

Husband of Bernice (Shepherd) Brown — married 23 Dec 1938 in Muskingum County, Ohio, United States

Died 31 Mar 1940 at about age 97 in Zanesville, Muskingum, Ohio, United States

Biography

Ben Brown is a part of US Black heritage.

Benjamin Brown was born around 1842 in Albemarle County, Virginia. He was the son of Jack/Frank and Nellie Brown.^[1][2] For the first part of his life, he was enslaved by Fleming Moon and his wife. Detail about his life during this time can be found in his WPA interview from the late 1930's.^[2]

After the American Civil War when Ben was freed, he worked for a while on the Maxie or Massie place near Charlottesville, Virginia, where his sister and brother also worked. He later ended up working for the C & O Railroad, which brought him to Ohio.^[2]

19 Mar 1888, Ben married Mary Ann Nutter,^[3] a widow with two children, in Middleport, Meigs County, Ohio.^[2] After her death, he wandered around working until he was seriously injured in a mine near Zanesville, at which point he moved to his niece's house in Zanesville.^[2]

Ben lived in Zanesville, Muskingum County, Ohio, where he boarded with Bernice Turner prior to marrying her on 23 Dec 1938.^[4][5] They never had any children of their own, but he did have two step-children from this marriage.^[6]

Ben died on 31 Mar 1940 in Zanesville.^[1][6]

Interview

Ben Brown was interviewed in Zanesville, Muskingum County, Ohio by Albert I. Dugan as part of the Federal Writer's Project of the Works Progress Administration (WPA) sometime from 1936-1938. The results are presented in narrative form, most, allegedly, in the first person, and made available by the Library of Congress.^[2]

"Yes suh I was a slave in Vuginyah, Alvamaul (Albemarle) county...My fathah's name wuz Jack Brown and my mammy's Nellie Brown. Dey wuz six of us chillun, one sistah Hannah an' three brothers, Jim, Harrison, an' Spot. Jim wuz the oldes an' I wuz next. We wuz born on a very lawge plantation an dey wuz lots an' lots of other slaves, I don't know how many."

"De mastah, he wuz Fleming Moon an' dey say he wuz cap'n in de wah of 1812. De missy wuz Parley Moon and dey had one son an fouh daughters."

Ben describes how his sister Hannah was sold and taken to a plantation near Charlottesville. He missed her terribly and ran away several times to try to visit her. This resulted in his recapture and severe punishment.

"When de [Civil] wah wuz ovah, de missie nevah tell me dat I wuz free an' I kep' on workin' same as befoh." "Mah sistah an' brother cum foh me an tell me I am free and take me with them to Mastah Maxies' place where dey workin'."

"In Middleport, dat's near Pomeroy, Ohio I was married to Gertie Nutter, a widow with two chillun, an dere wuz no moah chilluns. After my wife died I wandered about workin' on railroads an' in coal mines an' I wuz hurt in a mine near Zanesville." After his injury he came to his niece's house in Zanesville.

"Mah life wuz hard an' sad, but now I'm comfortable here with kind friens. I can't read or write, but I surely enjoy de radio."

Slave Owners

• Fleming and Parley Moon: may be this Fleming Moon, especially if "Parley" his wife is Polly, often a nickname for Mary.

Sources

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1} "Ohio Deaths, 1908-1953," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:X87Y-XZ9 : 15 August 2019), Benjamin Brown, 31 Mar 1940; citing Zanesville, Muskingum, Ohio, reference fn 20051; FHL microfilm 2,023,832.
2. ↑ ^{2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5} Library of Congress - WPA - Slave Narrative - Ben Brown -Vol.12, Ohio, pages 11-14, images 15-18 of 120.; https://www.loc.gov/resource/mesn.120/?sp=15
3. ↑ Ohio, Meigs County, Marriage Records, 1885-1891 Volume 8, page 247, no. 734, Ben Brown and Mary Ann Nutter, 19 Mar 1888; "Ohio, County Marriages, 1789-2016", database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:ZZ5C-9G3Z : accessed 2 Feb 2022).
4. ↑ "United States Census, 1930,"' ED 60-43, Zanesville, Muskingum, Ohio, USA; sheet 1B, family 18, Ben Brown in Bernice Turner household; https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:X4H5-MDK
5. ↑ Ohio, Muskingum County, Marriage Records, 1938 Volume 35, page 175, Benjamin Brown and Bernice Turner, 23 Dec 1938; image copy, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-CSL5-V92N-N?i=226&cat=2804141 : accessed 2 Feb 2022), citing Film # 04045482.
6. ↑ ^{6.0 6.1} "Benjamin Brown Expires Sunday," obituary, The [Zanesville, Ohio] Times Recorder, 1 Apr 1940, page 11, column 8; image copy, Newspapers.com (https://www.newspapers.com/clip/94024381/ : accessed 2 Feb 2022).

• https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/101700225/benjamin-brown