Fountain Hughes (abt. 1848 - 1957)

Born about 10 May 1848 in Charlottesville, Virginia, United States

Died 4 Jul 1957 at about age 109 in Baltimore, Maryland, United States

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Biography

Fountain Hughes is Notable.

Fountain Hughes is a part of US Black heritage.

Fountain Hughes was a centenarian, living to age 109.

Fountain Hughes (ca. 1859 – 1957) was an American former slave freed in 1865 after the American Civil War. Born in Charlottesville, Virginia, he worked as a laborer for most of his life, moving in 1881 from Virginia to Baltimore, Maryland. Fountain was a grandson of Wormley Hughes (abt.1781-abt.1858) and Ursula Granger, and great-great-grandson of Betty Hemings, the slave matriarch at Monticello. Wormley Hughes and his family were enslaved by President Thomas Jefferson at the time of his death. He was interviewed in June 1949 about his life by the Library of Congress as part of the Federal Writers' Project of former slaves' oral histories. The recorded interview is online through the Library of Congress and the World Digital Library.^[1]

It is said Fountain was born in 1848. He had at least one child with a woman named Mary, born soon after emancipation. He had children with Amelia Upshur (might have been married previously), that had her surname. [Not sure if they ever officially married. No marriage found.]

• Children

Amelia states 3 births in the 1900 census. In 1880 Fountain (age 18) was still in Virginia. There is a possible match, Amelia Upshur (age 23) [2] living with her mother Henrietta Upshur (age 54) in Baltimore. Both seamstresses. There is a 1 year old child name James, listed as Henrietta's son.

1. Ella Hughes Kennie 10 Feb 1867 - 13 Dec 1942^[2]
2. James Upshur born in 1877 is listed as Fountain's son. ^[3]
3. Mildrid Upshur born in 1882.
4. Shelley/Shallie Hughes born in 1889. ^[4]

Fountain is recorded in 1950 in the household of his daughter Shellie.^[5] He passed away in 1957 and was buried in the Arbutus Memorial Park in Arbutus, Baltimore County, Maryland. No photo of a tombstone available. ^[6][7]

Slavery

Fountain Hughes spent his boyhood in slavery on the Hydraulic Mills property of the Burnley family near Charlottesville. After the Civil War, in which his father was killed while with the Confederate Army, his mother, Mary Hughes, had to hire Fountain out for a dollar a month. In the 1880s he purchased horses and a carriage and worked as a hack driver, but soon sought greater opportunities in Baltimore, MD. There he worked for several decades for the Shirley family as a farmer and gardener.
An interview with Fountain Hughes in 1949 is among the few surviving sound recordings of former slaves. He had vivid memories of slavery in central Virginia and of the harsh conditions for black people during and after the Civil War. His longevity attracted notice and led to numerous articles about him in Baltimore newspapers. Shallie Marshall, his only surviving descendant, remembers outings to the Shirley farm to visit her great-grandfather, “Pap.” from the African American Oral History Project ^[8]

Museum of the African Diaspora [3]

Former slave Fountain Hughes recalls his life as a young slave. ^[9]

Voices from the Days of Slavery: Stories, Songs and Memories ^[10]

Hydraulic Mills

Some history of Hydraulic Mills: Nathaniel, the son of John Burnley settled in Stony Point, where he ran a tavern for many years. He married Sarah, daughter of the elder Drury Wood and Malinda Carr [pg 366] in 1811. Children include: James F, William, Horace, Drury, Martha, Lucy, Mary J, Emily and Cornelia. In 1829, Nathaniel and Rice W. Wood, together purchased the Hydraulic Mills from John M. Perry. Nathaniel was in the milling and merchantile business till he died in 1860. ^[11]

Research Notes

• Note: Census records seem to indicate he was born closer to 1860 but definitely born a slave. Also census records can often be wrong, depending on who gave the information. He is 10 in the 1870 census, but in 1900 it says he was b 1869, so... He jumped from 47 in 1910 to 71 in 1920. Might have been a legitimate correction. Many people could not read or write. McClintock-715 22:44, 19 June 2020 (UTC)
• African-American Family Database; Hydraulic Plantation background information www.centralvirginiahistory.org/hydraulic.shtml African-American Family Database; Hydraulic Plantation background information (dead link)

Census Records

Year: 1870 Census Place: Fredericksville Parish, Albemarle, Virginia ^[12]

• Mary Hughes 40/f, domestic servant, VA
• Arthur Hughes 14/m, at home, VA
• Malnna [Malvina?]Hughes 12/f, domestic servant, VA
• Fountain Hughes 10/m, at home, VA
• Wesley Hughes 8/m, at home, VA
• Ella Hughes 6/f, at home, VA

Year: 1880 Census Place: Charlottesville, Albemarle, Virginia ^[13]

• Fontaine Hughes 18/m, carriage driver, cant r or w, VA/VA/VA
• possibly living with a Comer family

Year: 1900 Census Place: Baltimore Ward 15, Baltimore City (Independent City), Maryland^[14]

• Street: 540 Baker Street
• Founlaise Hughes head, 31/m, May 1869, md 11yrs, VA/VA/VA, day laborer
• Amelia Hughes wife, 41/f, Jan 1859, md 11yrs, 3births/3living, VA/VA/VA
• Shelley Hughes dau, 11/f, Apr 1889, MD/VA/VA, school
• Milride [Mildride?] Upsher step-dau, 17/f, Sep 1882, s, MD/VA/VA, school
• Mary Hughes mother, 61/f, Apr 1839, wd, 13births/8living, VA/VA/VA

Year: 1910 Census Place: Baltimore Ward 11, Baltimore (Independent City), Maryland ^[15]

• Street: Orchard St
• Nellie Pippins head, 28/f, md1 8yrs, 0births, MD/MD/MD, servant, private family
• Charles G Quill lodger, 13/m, s, MD/MD/MD, school
• Emma Gross lodger, 47/f, wd, 9births/3living, MD/MD/MD, cook, private family
• Susie Mcallister lodger, 33/f, md2 4yrs, 3births/1living, MD/MD/MD, laundress, at home
• Fountain Hughes lodger, 47/m, md2 6yrs, VA/VA/VA, farmer, produce farm

Year: 1920 Census Place: Baltimore Ward 27, Baltimore (Independent City), Maryland ^[16]

• Street address: Wylee Ave. [indexed as Work]
• Fountan Hughes head, 71/m, md, VA/VA/VA, servant, private family
• Susan Mccalister servant, 31/f, md, MD/MD/MD, servant, private family
• Note from originator of profile: "I dont believe these 2 were married, as later he is widow and she says she is still married."

Year: 1930 Census Place: Baltimore, Baltimore, Maryland^[17]

• Street address: Wylee Ave.
• Sussie Mc Allister head, 49/f, md1 @32, MD/MD/MD, practical nurse, private family
• Fountain Huges boarder, 81/m, wd, md1@48, VA/VA/VA, gardner, landscape

Year: 1940 Census Place: Baltimore, Baltimore City, Maryland ^[18]

• Street: 3201 Sylia Cole
• Susie Mc Allister head, 61/f, md, MD,
• Fountain Hughes lodger, 91/m, wd, VA, gardner, private family
• Note: listed twice in the 1940 census. He used to work for the Shirley family.

Year: 1940 Census Place: Baltimore, Baltimore City, Maryland^[19]

• Street: 4401 Park Heights Terrace
• Joseph W Shirley head, 69/m, md, MD, civil engineer, private practice
• Katherine D Shirley wife, 67/f, md, MD
• Walter H Shirley brother, 71/m, MD, office clerk, general office
• Annie Fitzgerald cook, 45/f, wd, VA, cook, private family
• Fontaine Hughes gardner, 95/m, wd, VA, gardner, private estate

Sources

1. ↑ Fountain Hughes Wiki
2. ↑ Ella Kennie Mentioned in the death record, mother Mary (?)"Virginia, Death Certificates, 1912-1987," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QVR8-VS4V : 16 August 2019), Fountain Hughes in entry for Ella Kennie, 13 Dec 1942; from "Virginia, Marriage Records, 1700-1850," database and images, Ancestry (http://www.ancestry.com : 2012); citing Charlottesville, Albemarle, Virginia, United States, entry #, Virginia Department of Health, Richmond.
3. ↑ James Upshur mentioned in U.S., Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936-2007; Original data: Social Security Applications and Claims, 1936-2007.
   • Name: James Upshur
   • Gender: Male
   • Race: Black
   • Birth Date: 24 Sep 1877
   • Birth Place: Baltimore, Maryland
   • Father: Fountain Hughes
   • Mother: Amelia Upshur
   • SSN: xxx
   • Notes: Nov 1936: Name listed as JAMES UPSHUR
4. ↑ Shallie Addison mentioned in The Evening Sun; Publication Date: 5/ Jul/ 1957; Publication Place: Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America; URL: Obituary-The Evening Sun; Publication Date: 5/ Jul/ 1957; Publication Place: Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America
   • Name: Fountain Hughes
   • Gender: Male
   • Death Age: 109
   • Birth Date: abt 1848
   • Birth Place: Charlottes ville, VA.
   • Residence Place: Union
   • Death Date: Abt 1957
   • Obituary Date: 5 Jul 1957
   • Obituary Place: Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America
   • Child: Shallie Addison
5. ↑ "United States 1950 Census", database, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:6F9F-S3F2 : Sun Jul 23 19:22:41 UTC 2023), Entry for James Addison and Shallie Addison, 10 April 1950.
6. ↑ Burial Find a Grave, database and images (accessed 19 June 2020), memorial page for Fountain Hughes (1848–4 Jul 1957), Find A Grave: Memorial #9380452, citing Arbutus Memorial Park, Arbutus, Baltimore County, Maryland, USA ; Maintained by Laurie (contributor 2811407) .
7. ↑ Obituary "United States, GenealogyBank Historical Newspaper Obituaries, 1815-2011", database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:Q53V-5STF : 18 July 2020), Fountain Hughes, 1957.
8. ↑ African American Oral History Project
9. ↑ Former Slave FULL INTERVIEW: 101-year-old Fountain Hughes
10. ↑ Fountain Hughes: Voices from the Days of Slavery: Stories, Songs and Memories
11. ↑ Albemarle County in Virginia; giving some account of what it was by nature, of what it was made by man, and of some of the men who made it by Woods, Edgar, 1827-1910; Coddington, Anne Bartlett; Dunlap, Edward N[1]
12. ↑ Year: 1870 Census Place: Fredericksville Parish, Albemarle, Virginia; Roll: M593_1631; Page: 376B; Family History Library Film: 553130; 1870 U.S. census, population schedules. NARA microfilm publication M593, 1,761 rolls. Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.
13. ↑ Year: 1880 Census Place: Charlottesville, Albemarle, Virginia; Roll: 1352; Page: 293B; Enumeration District: 012; Original data: Tenth Census of the United States, 1880. (NARA microfilm publication T9, 1,454 rolls).
14. ↑ Year: 1900 Census Place: Baltimore Ward 15, Baltimore City (Independent City), Maryland; Page: 4; Enumeration District: 0192; FHL microfilm: 1240614; Original data: United States of America, Bureau of the Census. Twelfth Census of the United States, 1900. Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1900. T623, 1854 rolls.
15. ↑ Year: 1910 Census Place: Baltimore Ward 11, Baltimore (Independent City), Maryland; Roll: T624_556; Page: 8B; Enumeration District: 0165; FHL microfilm: 1374569; Original data: Thirteenth Census of the United States, 1910 (NARA microfilm publication T624, 1,178 rolls).
16. ↑ Year: 1920 Census "United States Census, 1920", database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M6Q6-PSH : Sat Jul 22 01:09:59 UTC 2023), Entry for Fountan Hughes, 1920.
17. ↑ Year: 1930 Census Place: Baltimore, Baltimore, Maryland; Page: 5A; Enumeration District: 0444; FHL microfilm: 2340605; Original data: United States of America, Bureau of the Census. Fifteenth Census of the United States, 1930. Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1930. T626, 2,667 rolls.
18. ↑ 1940 Census Place: Baltimore, Baltimore City, Maryland; Roll: m-t0627-01540; Page: 10A; Enumeration District: 4-830; Original data: United States of America, Bureau of the Census. Sixteenth Census of the United States, 1940. Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1940. T627, 4,643 rolls.
19. ↑ Year: 1940 Census Place: Baltimore, Baltimore City, Maryland; Roll: m-t0627-01524; Page: 1A; Enumeration District: 4-398; Original data: United States of America, Bureau of the Census. Sixteenth Census of the United States, 1940. Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1940. T627, 4,643 rolls.

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