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Andrews Genealogy
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Early Life In Virginia
Recollections of what my mother told me, long ago, of what her mother told her
of life in Virginia, in the early 19th century, by
Mrs. Mary A Jaques, granddaughter
of Rev. Wells and
Nancy Harper Andrews.
Virginia was a slave state and the Harper family owned slaves. So many, it was
something of a problem to keep them all busy and out of mischief. The colored
girls would be scouring brass door knobs oftener than they needed it, and be
given other needless tasks. In the family of Mrs. Mary Harper (widow of Capt.
John Harper) was an orphan granddaughter of the Captain, named Mary Harper. She
and Nancy took turns, week about, in giving out the supplies to the "colored"
people. Mary did not feel at liberty to deal out more than the regular quota to
each, but when they said to Nancy, "Je's a Ill mo', Miss Nancy," she the
daughter of the family, would give a little more, so the slaves liked her week
best.
This Mary Harper was a beautiful girl, that a Baltimore artist asked to paint
her portrait for his own pleasure. After that Mrs. Harper hired him to paint
Nancy's portrait, the one Aunt Maggie Harlan had in her home, now in possession
of Minnie Eyman.
Mary Harper married Dr. Thomas Swift and her portrait is probably owned by her
descendants. She was about the age of Nancy Harper, older than Joshua, younger
than James. There was an attachment between her and James, but the family
thought them too nearly related, and they didn't marry. We have a book with an
inscription on the title page, "To Joshua Harper from his affectionate Mary
Swift." She was his half niece, a daughter of one of Capt. Harper's sons by his
first marriage. The family disapproved of selling slaves and an older half
sister of Nancy's incurred the censure of the family when she sold slaves. When
slaves were sold, they were marched through the streets, to the wharf to embark,
perhaps for Charleston or New Orleans, but not in the daytime. Nancy told of
looking from her bedroom window just at daylight and seeing the mournful
procession pass. James Harper disapproved of slavery and set free those he
owned. Before this, one troublesome man named Alex ran away, but no effort was
made to bring him back.
We have the bill of sale of a mullato woman to James Harper, dated 1824. It is a
warranty deed for $150. On the other side of the sheet is an agreement to hire
the same woman to his mother for seben years, also for $150, after which time
she should be set absolutely free.
We also have a bond for the hire of a negro woman dated 1801 for ten pounds
(Virginia currency), the one who hired her agreeing to pay her tax and furnish
her with customary clothing, viz, one jacket and petticoat, two shifts,
stockings and shoes and one summer jacket and one blanket, signed by Thomas
Yoeell, who was the husband of one of Capt. John Harper's older daughters by
first marriage. Slave marriages were regarded as but temporary. One slave woman,
sold by her owner away from her family to Capt. John Harper, was given another
husband and raised another family, but she longed to see her older children and
was considered so trustworthy that she was allowed to go and visit them (a long
distance away), and came back faithfully, and better satisfied.
Those who had not themselves done physical work could not be considerate of
those who did it for them. Nancy told, in later years, how the colored mammy
would be kept standing, holding a candle, perhaps to show some guest to her
room, till she would fall asleep, tip the candle and spill some tallow and be
scolded for it.
A slave girl left to Nancy Harper by her father, but the girl died before Nancy
became of age.
After her marriage to Rev. Wells Andrews Nancy lived some years in Alexandria,
where he was pastor of the Second Presbyterian church, probably living with her
mother. When she moved to Ohio, where she heard condemnation of slave holders,
it made her indignant. They were her own people the finest in the world, in her
eyes. Finally she would not speak at all on the subject, but when, on a farm
near Tremont, Ill., she had herself worked hard, she came to realize that it was
not right to take from another the unpaid toil of a life time.
She was not happy in Ohio until her mother came to live with her, then she was
entirely satisfied.
She was of an impulsive nature, warm hearted and very generous. While the family
lived near Tremont, they took Horace Greely's paper and read anti-slavery news.
Uncle Tom's Cabin was published at this time and read aloud in the family
circle, incidents in the book bringing back memories of early life in Virginia.
Regarding the Civil War, she said, "If I had stayed in Alexandria my four sons
would have been in the Confederate army. It was providential that we came
north."