Ellen (Bell) Washington (1841 - 1910)

Born 2 Jun 1841 in Greenbrier County, Virginia, United States

Descendants

Died 23 Feb 1910 at age 68 in Gallipolis, Gallia County, Ohio, United States

Biography

Ellen (Bell) Washington is a part of US Black heritage.

Ellen Bell was born about 2 Jun 1841^[1] in Greenbrier County, Virginia, United States of America (present day West Virginia).^[2] Her mother was named Delilah. Ellen's mother had been enslaved by a Dr. Cree (Creigh?) in Greenbrier County, but on his death, she was passed to his daughter Frances, who freed her and her children, including Ellen, according to Ellen's son Charles.^[3] See "Slave Owners" section below for more details.

According to Ellen's son Charles, Ellen and her children stayed on Frances Cree's estate until her death, at which point she sent them to Gallipolis, Gallia County, Ohio, where Miss Eliza Sands helped them. In particular, Eliza helped to make sure all of the children received an education. After Emancipation, Ellen's husband Allen Williams joined the family in Gallipolis. Charles said he had been a butler for a general who was a nephew of Jefferson Davis.^[3] In 1870, the family was living together in Cheshire Township, Gallia County, Ohio. Ellen and Allen had seven children under 12 at that time. Her children's birthplaces in the 1870 census suggest that the move to Ohio was made between 1861 and 1865.^[4] In 1880, they were living in Gallipolis and another four children had been born to Allen and Ellen since 1870.^[5]

Ellen's husband Allen died sometime before 1900. In 1900, Ellen was still living in Gallipolis, Ohio and living with two daughters and a son-in-law.^[6]

On 19 Jan 1902, Ellen married George Washington.^[2] He died in 1909. Ellen died a year later, on 23 Feb 1910 in Gallipolis, Ohio from tuberculosis.^[1]

Research Notes

• In 1896, Ellen received a visit from a brother, Charles Bell, who had been living in the South. She had not seen him in years.^[7]

Slave Owners

It is not clear if Ellen was ever technically enslaved. Her son Charles states that he was born on the estate of Frances Cree (likely Creigh) who he described as "my mother's mistress". His grandmother Delilah had been enslaved by Dr. Cree, Frances Cree's father, and then Delilah and her 16 children passed to Frances at Dr. Cree's death. Charles said that Frances freed Delilah and her children, so that Charles's mother was free when he was born.^[3] The Cree family has not yet been identified in the records.

• There is a Dr. Thomas Creigh (Find A Grave: Memorial #105839874; 1860 slave schedule) from Greenbrier County who was married to a Sarah Frances (Lewis) Creigh who could potentially be the Cree family Charles describes. The details of their lives and family don't really fit Charles's description, although he was very young when he and his family moved to Ohio, so maybe he got the details wrong.

Sources

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1} Ohio, Death Certificates, #7924, Ellen Washington, 23 Feb 1910, Gallipolis, Gallia County, Ohio, USA; "Ohio Deaths, 1908-1953," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:X88S-2PX : accessed 27 Feb 2022).
2. ↑ ^{2.0 2.1} Ohio, Gallia County, Marriage Records, 1899-1902 Volume 9, page 497, #990, George Washington and Ellen Williams, 19 Jan 1902; "Ohio, County Marriages, 1789-2016", database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:VN3T-GK9 : accessed 27 Feb 2022).
3. ↑ ^{3.0 3.1 3.2} Interview with son Charles E. Williams:
   The Federal Writers' Project, Slave Narratives; A Folk History of Slavery in the United States From Interviews with Former Slaves, Vol. 12, Ohio, pages 111-113, images 115-117 of 120, Rev. Williams interview, Washington, District of Columbia : The Library of Congress, 1941; image copy, Library of Congress (https://www.loc.gov/resource/mesn.120/?sp=115 : accessed 26 Feb 2022).
4. ↑ "United States Census, 1870", Cheshire, Gallia, Ohio, USA; page 24-25, family 177, dwelling 177, Ellen William in Allen William household; https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M62Q-S6X
5. ↑ "United States Census, 1880," ED 25, Gallipolis Ward 4, Gallia, Ohio, USA; page 29, family 273, dwelling 198, Ellen Williams in Allen Williams household; https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M8MF-Y6T
6. ↑ "United States Census, 1900", ED 29, Gallipolis Ward 4, Gallia, Ohio, USA; sheet 22A, family 514, dwelling 495, Ellen Williams household; https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MM89-6LC
7. ↑ "Our Colored People," Charles Bell visit to Ellen Williams, The Gallipolis [Ohio] Daily Tribune, 24 Apr 1896, page 2, column 3; image copy, Bossard Library Digital Newspaper Archive (https://bossardlibrary.advantage-preservation.com : accessed 27 Feb 2022).