Toby Jones (1850)

Born 1850 in South Carolina, United States

Died [date unknown] in Texas, United States

Biography

Toby Jones is a part of US Black heritage.

Toby Jones was interviewed in Madisonville, Texas about 1937 about his life, and his time as an enslaved person.

"My father's name was Eli Jones and mammy's name was Jessie. They was captured in Africa and brought to this country whilst they was still young folks, and my father was purty hard to realize he was a slave, 'cause he done what he wanted back in Africa. Our owner was Massa Felix Jones and he had lots of tobacco planted."

"I married after freedom and had white loyal breeches. I wouldn't marry 'fore that 'cause massa wouldn't let me have the woman I wanted."

"The woman I wanted to marry, Govie, she 'cides to come to Texas with me. Me and Govie, we rides that hoss most a hundred miles, then we turn him a-loose and give him a scare back to his house, and come on foot the rest the way to Texas."

Slave Owners

1. Felix Jones

Interview: Toby Jones was interviewed in Madisonville, Texas 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 - Toby Jones - Vol. 16, Part 2, Texas, pages 249-252, images 254-257 of 300.