| Notes |
- Robert Stafford (1790-1877) of Cumberland Island, Georgia, had two extralegal wives (slaves). The first liason began in about 1839 and was life-long. The slaves involved in this family, which we will call the Bernardy-Stafford family, were all white-skinned. Stafford shipped his family off to Groton, Conn, by 1850. He supported them by creating lifetime trusts that lasted long after his death in 1877.
The second liaison may have begun about 1850 or so. Apparently the slave was named Judy. Two daughters were born. The elder was named Cornelia. The younger, named Nanette or Nannie, was born on Cumberland Island, June 20, 1854. They were brought up in New Jersey by a white man named George E. Webb, his wife Eliza, and their daughter Sarah E. Webb. Sarah Webb was mentor and tutor to her charges; and she grew especially fond of the younger daughter, Nanette. Judging from Stafford's funding of the first family, reason exists to suppose Stafford also financially aided his second family.
When Nanette was in her 20s, she was graduated from Howard University's medical school (1878) with a medical degree and became a doctor. She went immediately to Zurich to study some more. She spent much of her life in Switzerland, where she practiced medicine, usually as an assistant to Swiss physicians.
Nanette married a Swiss. It was an unhappy marriage (he was often drunk, and he taunted her about her color), and they divorced in 1889. Nanette kept on working both in Switzerland and in Germany. When she was about 79 or so, she retired to England. She died in 1933 and is seemingly buried in London. We have assumed that she received a financial stipend or pension (an allowance of some sort) all her life from Robert Stafford, her father. The Swiss tribunal presiding over the divorce said they figured the Swiss man, named Gustav Gassman, had married Nanette for her money. The actual amount (an annual payment of 4,000 francs) was stated in the findings of the Swiss divorce tribunal. An annuity is the annual payment of an allowance or income, or the right to receive this payment or the obligation to make this payment. We presume both sisters received annuities.
Long before her death, Cornelia (and Nanette) sued (1907) Mrs. Lucy C. Carnegie of Pittsburgh and Camden County, Georgia, to get back her land on Cumberland. The case appears to be called Williams v Carnegie. That's Cornelia again. She'd married a mulatto man named Philip Williams, and they lived and worked in New Jersey. Both sisters were U.S. citizens. The lawyers representing the plaintiffs were Crovatt & Whitfield, a Brunswick, Ga. firm. LCC was represented by Dunwody & Atkinson, also of Brunswick. The case was dismissed in 1908.
Nanette died in 1933. Cornelia died in 1917.
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Key names for informational purposes:
Robert Stafford (1790-1877) was a slaveowner on Cumberland Island, Georgia.
Robert Stafford's daughter, Nanette (Nancy, Nannie) was born on Cumberland Island, June 20, 1854. She died in England in 1933. Her mother, Judy, was a slave.
Primus Mitchell (b. ca. 1831-d. 1912), born son of Judy, slave at Rayfield Tract, on Cumberland Island, Georgia, owned by Nathaniel Greene, son of Genl. Nathanael Greene, acquired by Robert Stafford. After Emancipation returned to reside High Point, Cumberland Island. Buried High Point Cemetery.
Sarah Robinson, alive in 1906, residence Fernandina, Florida. Was familiar with Cumberland Island, and probably was once a slave belonging to Robert Stafford. Named by Cornelia Stafford Williams in court case, as person familiar with circumstances of Cornelia's birth in Florida.
Susan Morgan, alive in 1906, residence Brunswick, Georgia. Was familiar with Cumberland Island, and probably was once a slave belonging to Robert Stafford. Named by Cornelia Stafford Williams in court case, as person familiar with circumstances of Cornelia's birth in Florida, and Nanette's birth on Cumberland Island, Georgia.
George E. Webb (1800-1883)
1800 George [E.] Webb was born 1800 (MRB omitting parentage) in Connecticut. He married Eliza Ann White, 7 Nov., 1824 (also of Conn.) and to them was born in Windham, Conn. daughter Sarah E. Webb, 31 July, 1825. Eliza Ann White's father was Amos White. Source: New England Historical-Genealogical Society.
1830 George Webb was still living in Windham County, Conn. Source: Barber Index.
1840 George Webb was living in Brooklyn, Kings County (in 3rd Ward), NY. Source: U.S. Fed. Census:
1842-1851 George Webb listed as broker, New York City Directory, at 42 Wall St. His "h." listed as 22 Vestry. He not listed in 1840-1841, 1844-1845, 1845-1846,1849-1850. In NYC Directory, 1850-1851, two George Webbs: (no initials): one is clerk at 22 Vestry (see above); other is a "com. mer." [commercial merchant?] at 68 Broad St., his "h." is 206 Henry St., Brooklyn. In NYC Directory, 1848-1849 (the year before): same (one George Webb at 22 Vestry. other one is listed as "late com. mer." but he was "George A. Webb" -- does late mean "job change" rather than "deceased"?
1850-1851 George Webb, listed as merchant, 68 Broad, NY. his "h." was 206 Henry St.
Source: Brooklyn Directory, 1850-1851. Query: Which George Webb is the one we search?
1850 George Webb was living in Brooklyn, with wife, daughter, and two young men ages 27, 21 both of them called "merchants" (as was George Webb). Souce: U.S. Federal Census. Inference: Do the Webbs take in boarders?
1851-1852 George Webb listed in Brooklyn Directory: the same as year before.
1854-1855 George Webb listed in NYC Directory as still living at 206 Henry St. Brooklyn, but he was now listed as broker, at 18 Nassau St. (NYC)
1850 George Webb is listed in the 1850, 1860 [?] census as living in Brooklyn, New York (he was listed as a broker in the 1860 census) and he seemed moderately wealthy for the time. "We went to our New York City directories." George in 1850 was a commercial merchant, giving both business address and residential address. By 1850 he was being listed as a broker. They found George Webb in a few earlier directories but only sporadically. "Unfortunately the censuses previous to 1850 don't list names of anyone other than the head of household." Complicating the issue was finding a George Webb in the 1840 living in Brooklyn "with the census image not available on the Ancestry web site." Source: NEHGS
1859-1860 New York City Directory, 1859-1860, George Webb is listed as "broker" whose office is listed as "116 Broadway" (his home is Columbia & Amity, Brooklyn)
Sources: Data for the above comes from research of New England Historical-Genealogical Society (Boston, June 18-19, 2004) and can be fully documented.
1850 Federal Census shows George Webb (the correct one), age 50, living with wife and daughter, in Woodbridge, Middlesex County, New Jersey. They share the house with Thomas H. Shafer (a lawyer) and Shafer's family.
Source: US Census, visitation #545. A two-family house? Did Webb family move from Brooklyn to New Jersey in 1850? This info re 1850 census courtesy of VFW, which was more thorough than NEHGS.
1860 George Webb, broker, age 60, lives with his wife and daughter; Amos White (his wife's aged -- 88 yrs. -- father, merchant); and 2 Irish servants (man, wife) in Elizabeth, NJ. A single visitation. Webb now has a larger house. No little children here. Source: US Federal census.
MRB: Suggests (1) NYC Directory was incorrect and/or out of date 1850, 1860; or (2) the researcher got wrong George Webb; or (3) our George E. Webb moved at least his home to the country (Middlesex or Union Counties, NJ). George Webb's death was not found in New York Times Obituary index.
"Next we tried New York Genealogical and Biographical Record by searching their index. Unfortunately the index is only by last name giving us numerous Webb listings. We searched as many as time would allow without success."
George Webb consistently identified himself as "merchant" or "broker." In 1869 he was listed as in "lumber." In 1875 he was identified as "lumber merchant (Pennsylvania)." In 1880 he again specified his business as "lumber."
1869 George Webb listed in Elizabeth City Directory, his occupation "lumber." Source: Elizabeth Public Library, Elizabeth, NJ (courtesy Lisa De Palo, Reference Lib., Elizabeth Public Library, 11 South Broad St., Elizabeth, NJ 07202, 6/17/2004)
1870 Nannie resident at home in Elizabeth, Union County, New Jersey, of George Webb, age 70, husband of Eliza A. Webb, age 74, father of Sarah E[liza] Webb, age 45, with her sister Cornelia W. Stafford. Ages given for both Stafford girls. Nancy about 17 yrs. Cornelia age 19. All Webbs cited as born Connecticut. The 2 Staffords given as "black."
Sources: USCensus (1870). Address of Geo. Webb's residence is "23 W. Jersey, Elizabeth" Death Certificate, State of New Jersey (made out in 1883).
1872 Eliza (Mrs. George Webb) died. Perhaps her daughter, Sarah, introduced the two Stafford girls to home nursing?
1875 GeorgeWebb (no initials) listed as "lumber merchant (Pennsylvania)" h[ome] W Jersey. n W Grand
Source: Elizabeth Merchants' Union City Directory, for 1875, Street Directory, James H. Lansley, compiler, (Elizabeth, N. .J. Freie Presse Book and Job Printing Establishment, 1875), courtesy VSW.
1883 George Webb died in early January, at age of 82 yrs. 8 mos., of Elizabeth, New Jersey. He was buried 4 January 1883, in Evergreen Cemetery (lot 51, sec. D), in Hillside, NJ. Also buried there is Amos White, and a George White, who d. Sept. 2, 1862, and Laura Webb, d. 5/25/1875. His daughter (Sarah E.Webb) who had been living with her father [resident in his household, 1880 census], may have decided to change her residence at this time. She may have moved to New York City (or any one of its boroughs).
Source: Senior Librarian, Public Library, Elizabeth, New Jersey, email, courtesy VSW, June 2004; testimony presented in equity bill (1907). Death Certif. said George Webb was a merchant; he died at "W. Jersey St." The undertaker for Geo. Webb was "Jas. C. [?] Ogden." Neither death notice nor obituary found. (not in Elizabeth Daily Journal, no matches foumd from December 27, 1883 to January 5, 1883). Courtesy Lisa De Palo, Senior librarian, Elizabeth Public Library. NEW as of Sept.25, : researched by Eugene Buck, NARA: -- entries 572, 575, 576, and 578, in Record Group 366, Records of the Civil War Special Agencies of the Treasury Department, which deal with Georgia and eastern Florida. Entry 315 in Record Group 56, General Records of the Department of the Treasury, deals with special agents among others. Geo. E. Webb seemingly was never a Treasury agent (Treasury sent timber experts to Georgia during War to purchase suppplies for Union armies.)
George Webb's death was not found in New York Times Obituary index.
"Next we tried New York Genealogical and Biographical Record by searching their index. Unfortunately the index is only by last name giving us numerous Webb listings. We searched as many as time would allow without success."
George Webb consistently identified himself as "merchant" or "broker." In 1880, however, he specified his business as "lumber."
MRB: Notes that "Webb Folding Boxes" name of an industrial company in Elizabeth, NJ, at this time. A "folding box" is a carton. Cartons made from wood pulp were fast becoming popular industrial products 1840s-1850s, boomed post-Civil War.
Sarah E. Webb ( - )
Sophia S. Boggs ( - )
Cornelia Stafford Williams (born ca. 1851-d.1917), b. in Florida, daughter of Robert Stafford of Cumberland Island, Camden County, Georgia. Sister of Nancy Stafford Gassman. Grew up in Elizabeth, New Jersey. Married Philip Williams who had lived Harlem, New York City, as caterer, but moved to Elizabeth, New Jersey, after marriage. His death date unknown. Cornelia, either his wife or his widow by 1917, buried in New Jersey in Webb family plot, husband Philip not there.
For further information or if you have information, contact [email protected]
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Stafford Plantation
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopediaJump to:navigation, searchStafford Plantation Historic District
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
U.S. Historic district
Stafford mansion
Nearest city St. Marys, Georgia
Built 1901
Governing body National Park Service
MPS Cumberland Island National Seashore MRA
NRHP Reference # 84000265
Added to NRHP November 23, 1984[1]
Stafford Plantation setting.
The Stafford Plantation was a plantation on Cumberland Island in Camden County, on the southeastern coast of Georgia. It was established in the early 19th century by Robert Stafford.
Stafford acquired portions of lands belonging to General Nathaniel Greene through auction, and continued to assemble former Greene family lands so that by 1830 Stafford controlled 1,360 acres (550 ha) with 148 slaves. In 1843 Stafford acquired 4,200 acres (1,700 ha) from P.M. Nightingale, a Greene descendant who retained Dungeness. The primary crop was Sea Island cotton.[2]
Robert Stafford died in 1877. His heirs sold the property to Thomas M. Carnegie and his wife Lucy, who had also acquired Dungeness.[2] All that remains of Stafford's house is a ruin known as "The Chimneys," a series of 24 hearth and chimney structures representing the Stafford slave quarters, about one kilometer east of the main house.[3]
Four years ago I attended and Elderhostel (now Road Scholar) on Cumberland Island, and walking one day I stumbled on the Stafford Mansion. We stayed at the Greyfield Inn (http://www.greyfieldinn.com/) and the staff told me there is an annual Stafford reunion at the Inn. Since Robert Stafford (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stafford_Plantation)never married (but fathered 6 black children), I wonder who attends those reunions (descendants of his 5 sibs)? I read he descended from Thomas Stafford, farm manager of a sugar cane plantation in the Barbados, who came to Spanish Florida and eventually moving to Cumberland Island (see http://www.ugapress.org/index.php/books/robert_stafford).
Stafford's career was fairly typical for his time and place; his personal life was not. He never married, but fathered six children by Elizabeth Bernardey, a mulatto slave nurse. Bullard's discussion of Stafford's decision to move his family to Groton, Connecticut--and freedom--before the Civil War illuminates the complex interplay between southern notions of personal honor, the staunch independent-mindedness of Sea Island planters, and the practice and theory of racial separation.
In her afterword to the Brown Thrasher edition, Bullard presents recently uncovered information about a second extralegal family of Robert Stafford as well as additional information about Elizabeth Bernardey's children and the trust funds Stafford provided for them.
Census:
1850. Listed as a planter.
1870 Listed as a farmer.
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1790 - 1877 (86 years)
