Mary M (Hall) King (1830 - aft. 1874)

Born 1830 in Augusta, Richmond, Georgia, United States [uncertain]

Wife of Alfred King — married about 1845 in Augusta, Richmond, Georgia, United States

Descendants

Died after 1874 after age 44 in Monrovia, Montserrado, Liberia [uncertain]

Problems/Questions Profile manager: Susan Cooper [send private message]

Biography

Mary (Hall) King is a part of US Black heritage.

Mary M. Hall was born in 1832 in Georgia. She was enslaved to Martha Melvina Milledge (Jones) Moderwell, formerly Martha M M Jones and daughter of Seaborn Jones (1759-1815).

Seaborn Jones Seaborn Jones gave his daughter Martha nine enslaved persons. One of these could be the mother of Mary ^[1] The names of enslaved persons that were left to Martha Melvina M Jones- daughter of Seaborn Jones, were Jack, Lucy, Cato, George, Nimrod, Faith, Boatswain, Mary, Ann, and Picker. One of these women could be the mother of Mary.

Mary was married to Alfred King, who was enslaved to John P. King. She had four children by Alfred King: William Henry William Henry King Alfred Benedict Alfred Benedict King Charles Smelt Charles Smelt King Cora E. King Cora E (King) Johnson All were enslaved to Martha M.M. Moderwel.

Mary King and her children Alfred Benedict King, William Henry, Charles Smelt, and Cora E lived on the Moderwell's property in the 3rd Ward in Augusta, Georgia.^{[2] [3]}

Before her death, Mrs. Martha M.M. Moderwel had planned to buy the freedom of Alfred King (1827-1870), Mary's husband, and send the family to Liberia. Unfortunately, Mrs. Moderwel died in April 1859 before she could purchase Alfred King so that he could join his family on their journey to Liberia. ^[4]

In her will, Martha states, – My will and desire is that all slaves of which I may die possessed, be transported to some American Colony of coloured persons on the Coast of Africa, provided that any Colonization Society in “the United States” will undertake to remove them – if not, at their own proper charges.^[5]

Mary and her children sailed for Liberia on the Mary Caroline Stevens a year after Mrs. Moderwell’s death without her husband.^{[6] [7]}

The family settled in Sinoe County, Liberia. Mary struggled to support her family by baking cakes that her children sold. After four years, she moved them to Monrovia and placed her children in school.

Mary missed her husband, whom she had left behind in the USA. Apparently, she lost touch with him before the US Civil War 1861-1865. After that war, she tried to reach him through correspondence. We know that in 1864, she wrote to William McLane of the American Colonization Society asking them to forward a letter to her husband saying that she had not heard from him since 1860.^{[8] [9]}On Nome1872, Mary, William and her son Henry King, her daughter-in-law Leonora, and daughter Cora E King, landed in Boston, Massachusetts aboard the Ship Example to search for her husband. The family traveled to Augusta, Georgia, where they found Alfred King. Census records indicate that Alfred King was alive in 1867, living in Augusta, Georgia, with his son by another woman) and his son’s family, wife Julia, sons Albert and James, and daughter Minnie. ^[10]

While in the USA, her son William took a loan to finance a shoemaking business with which he supported his family. This document reveals that Mary's father was James Hall and was alive. We also learn that Alfred had died by 1874 when the record was made.^[11]

Her son, William, and daughter-in-law, Leonora, had my grandmother, Susannah Augusta King, who was born on Feb 20, 1873. I assume that Mary returned to Liberia.

She passed away about 1874.

Slave Owner

• Martha Melvina Milledge (Jones) Moderwell (1803-1859)

Sources

1. ↑ Georgia Probate Court Records, 1742-1900, Estate account books. 1793-1900. Estate Accounts Books, v. A-C 1799-1823, Page 344-349. Film #005756707. Family Search
2. ↑ Liberia. Bulletin No. 21. November 1902. https://books.google.com
3. ↑ African Repository, May 1860, Vol. 35-36, pp. 144; 147 -148. https://books.google.com
4. ↑ African Repository, May 1860, Vol. 35-36, pp. 144; 147-148. https://books.google.com
5. ↑ Extract from last Will and Testament of Martha Melvina Milledge Jones ModerwelI.Wills 1853-1881, Vol. C-D, page. Augusta City, Richmond County, Georgia.FamilySearch. http://FamilySearch.org
6. ↑ African Repository, May 1860, Vol. 35-36, pp. 144; 147 to 148. https://books.google.com
7. ↑ Mary Caroline Stevens arrived in Monrovia in 1860. African Repository, May 1860, Vol. 35-36, pp. 144; 147 -148.https://books.google.com
8. ↑ Wiley Bell (1979). Slaves No More: Letters from Liberia 1833-1869. Lexington: The University Press of Kentucky. No. 225 Mary King, pp. 249.
9. ↑ ACS Papers. Microfilm reel 161, No 4.https://www.loc.govebr 18,
10. ↑ 1870 census for the 4th Ward of Augusta Georgia.
11. ↑ United States, Freedman's Bank Records, 1865-1874," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:NSTV-FNT: 9 March 2018), Mary in entry for Wm H. King, citing bank Augusta, Richmond, Georgia, United States, NARA microfilm publication M816 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1970); FHL microfilm 928,577

• Journal of the American Colonization Society. African Repository, May 1860, Vol. 35-36, pp. 144; 147 -148. https://books.google.com

• "United States, Freedman's Bank Records, 1865-1874," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:NSTV-FNT: 9 March 2018), Mary in entry for Wm H. King, citing bank Augusta, Richmond, Georgia, United States, NARA microfilm publication M816 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1970); FHL microfilm 928,577.

Wiley, Bell (1979). Slaves No More: Letters from Liberia 1833-1869. Lexington: The University Press of Kentucky. Pp. 249