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AUNT POLLY BREEDING
METCALFE CO KY
Courtesy Barren’s Black Roots,
Volume 3, Michelle Gorin Burris,
Gorin Genealogical Publishing,
(c)May 1993, by permission. Reprinted from a WPA project done in
1936, interviewed by Clara Moran.
“Aunt Polly Breeding is the oldest
and most noted slave near Edmonton, Kentucky. She was born on New
Year’s Day 1834? at Lafayette one mile this side of Center in the
northern part of what is now Metcalfe County. She was held as a
slave by Ben Hiser, a relative of A. B. Hiser, history teacher in
Edmonton High School. Her mother, Phyllis, was born and owned as a
slave by Mike Shufett in the Blue Grass Region. Mike Shuffett became
heavily in debt and was afraid that Phyllis would be sold for the
debt. He had his brother, Tom Shuffett who lived near Lafayette to
take her down there for safe keeping. Mr. Ben Hiser bought Phyllis
at the age of seven years for $700. Aunt Polly’s pap was Thomas
Pounds, a free born Mulatto. He was born in Halifax County,
Virginia. His grandmother was a white woman and slave holder. Her
name was Polly Pounds and after her husband died, she had an
illegitimate child by a Negro slave. This half-white and
half-colored child was Thomas Pound’s mother. Thomas’s mother grew
up as a free born and had four children: Thomas, Edd, Rachel and
Ann. This half-colored child, Harrett, could not sell her own
children and they were bound out until they became 21 years old. Edd,
Rachel, and Ann were bound out to Dick Cook, a white man of Halifax
County and he later moved to Lafayette near Ben Hiser’s. Thomas,
Aunt Polly’s pap, was bound out to a man in Virginia and lived there
until after he was 21 years old, when he got his free papers.
“The following is a copy of his
free papers. Aunt Polly holds the original copy.
“Virginia to wit, No. 379:
Thomas
Pounds, a free born man of color was this day registered in my
office
according to law. This said Thomas is a mulatto about 22 years
of age,
five feet 8 inches high, has a large scar on his left arm between
his
wrist and elbow occasioned by a burn and was born free.
“William Hold, Clerk, November 28, 1837. At a court held for Halifax
County,
the 28th day of November 1837. The court doth certify
that the
the
foregoing register of Thomas Pounds is only made by clerk of this
Court,
Virginia, towit: I, William Hold, Clerk of the County Court of
Halifax
do hereby Register and Certificate truly transcribed from the
records
of my office. In testimony where of I have herewith set my
hand
and affixed the seal of said County this day 28th of
November,
1837.
/s/ William Hold, Clerk”
“Thomas Pounds in Virginia heard
that Dick Cook had sold his brother Edd, and sisters, Rachel and
Ann. Knowing that he did not have any right lawfully to do so, he
was very anxious to come to see and investigate the matter. The day
that Thomas got his free papers, he put his old fiddle under his arm
and walked to Lafayette County, and on arriving he learned that
Cooks till held the children.
“Aunt Polly’s mother, Phyllis,
and pap fell in love with each other and were married at Ben Hiser’s
home under the old slave law, in which “they just stood up beside
each other in Mr. Hiser’s house and a preacher said the ceremony
without any license.” Phyllis continued to live at Mr. Hiser’s and
Thomas being a carpenter by trade hired himself out to various
people. Her mother was always treated good by her “Missie”, for Mr.
and Mrs. Hiser were “powerful good people.” Phyllis and her family
would attend church with the white people. Not all masters would let
their servants go to church with them to worship. Mr. Hiser never
whipped any of them.
“Aunt Polly said that some people
called them by the name of Pounds, while others would call them
Hisers. They lived with the Hisers as long as the Hisers lived, but
they died about 15 months before the slaves were freed. No one
wanted to buy them under the uncertain conditions of how the war
would end. Everything else that belonged to the Hisers was sold at
Public auction. Mr. and Mrs. Hiser died one day apart and were
buried in the same graveyard. Aunt Polly said that it just broke
their hearts for they knew that they would never have another
“Missie” like them.
“They hired out to Willis
Whitlow of Good Luck in southern end of the county and stayed there
for several months. Then they were bound out to Dr. Dickinson at
Lafayette and lived there until they were set free, but she did not
remember the year.
“After they had been freed,
they hardly knew what to do, but as her Pap had been a free man, he
had been used to depending on himself for his own judgment. The law
required her pap and mother to marry again after they were set free.
Aunt Polly holds the original certificate and the following is a
copy of it:
“State
of Kentucky, Metcalfe County: I, E. R. Beauchamp, Clerk of the
County
Court
for said County, do certify that Thomas and wife this day appeared
before
me and
united into declaration of marriage as required by law. Given under
my
Hand.”
(September 19th, 1868), s/s E. R. Beauchamp”
“After her pap and mother
remarried, her mother took the children to Louisville to put the
children in school, and left her and Pap at Edmonton to work. Five
northern women were hired to teach the colored people, but to Aunt
Polly’s regret she says that she did not study, just looked out the
window and watched the people pass up and down the streets. They
moved back to Edmonton to live as her pap had bought a place near
the jail and they lived there. They were also living there when she
fell in love with Mike Breeding and they went to New Albany to be
married. They lived there for some time while Mike worked in a glass
factory. Nine children were born to Mike and Aunt Polly. Only two
served in the World War. Edd died one day before the ship reached
New York. Aunt Polly now lives with her daughter Lou Richardson near
Edmonton, Ky.”
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