I’ve focused so much of my energy on researching the ancestry of the Askews that I’d totally neglected my research of the Moore’s Ford Mass Lynching of 1946. After watching Murder In Black and White: Moore’s Ford, I believe it’s time for me give this event and its aftermath a bit more attention.
Moore’s Ford Bridge by the Associated Press (AP)
The possibility of George Askew having children with someone other than Harriet Berry was brought to my attention. The evidence? The death certificate of Bird Askew, the oldest son of what we (family members and myself) thought was from the union of George and Harriet based on what was documented on the 1880 Federal Census.
The death certificate does indeed document the deceased as Bird Askew (Ascue) and shows a George Askew (Ascue) as the father. The mother’s name, however, is one that I do not recognize. Who is Arlie, and how many children did she have with George?
1920 U.S. Federal Census – Georgia, Clayton, Jonesboro, District 64
Sheet No. 3B – Enumerated on 20 January 1920
Roundtreeb(?) Road
My grandfather, Lish Askew, was only 12 years old on the date of enumeration for this census year. Life is indeed fleeting, but witnessing just how fleeting it is on paper just makes me want to live my life out loud and regret nothing. Ten years after this enumeration, granddaddy was married and the head of his own household. What dreams, hopes, and wishes flowed through the mind of this 12 year old boy who was going to school and working as a farm laborer in the Jim Crow South?
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Well, it’s been quite a while since my last post. From December 2019 to December 2021, I’ve had two major surgeries, with what seemed like a barrage of steroid injections in between. Add in some physical therapy, and it’s a recipe for discomfort and chaos. I’d lost my drive, and desire to pursue any research. Not to mention, it was difficult to find the time. I was seriously ready to throw in the towel. As a matter of fact, part of me actually had thrown in the towel.
It has been mentioned a few times since I’ve started this journey that my enslaved, third great-grandmother was a Morris. I never really confirmed nor denied this possibility, until now. I came across a family tree on Ancestry that linked Lida as a Morris by way of the 1860 Slave Schedule for Henry County, Georgia, and a death certificate. In my opinion, it was an inaccurate lead, so I left it alone.
I decided it was time for me to delve deeper into Lida’s limited paper trail and ask myself, “What facts do I have?”
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Skinfolk and Kinfolk 