Brown Family History

Hi Sheila:

I am the family member who is doing the research on our family (Hickman and Brown) history. I have some very interesting information for you on the Brown side of our family. Every family member on this listserv is a descendant of George and Mollie Brown, your grandparents and my great-great grandparents. You say your grandmother’s name is Mary, but I talked in detail to Ida “Dollbaby” Hickman Roy (our family historian) and she reconfirmed that her name was indeed Mollie.

I have copies of the census from 1900 and 1910 for both George and Mollie Brown; they lived in Winston County, Mississippi. In 1900 George was 50 years old and Mollie was 40 years old. The following uncles and aunts lived in the household:

1) Alex
2) Laura
3) George Ann
4) James W (who you knew)
5) Fanny
6) Lucy
7) Earnest (who you knew)
8) Luby
9) Hosie (your dad)

Also living in the household w as your great grandmother and my great-great-great grandmother. Charlott (this is how she spelled her name) Brown, who was 70 years old in 1900 and was born in South Carolina. She was born a slave (1830 – our oldest known Brown family member) and was in slavery for at least 35 years. Slavery officially ended in 1865. I did some additional research on Charlott and I believe I found her in the 1880 census, which I have not been able to confirm. If I am correct in my research, I also found your great grandfather. (I’ll give you details about him once I confirm this information)

Additional information about your grandmother Mollie. Mollie was Indian (this is known by a number of living Hickman family members) (the 1910 census list her as being Mulatto) and I was having trouble researching our family history on her side because I could not find her maiden name, which you gave as being Baxter. Now I can look for her Indian tribe and further trace our family history. So, your dad Hosie was ¼ Indian and you are 1/8 Indian and every family on this listserv has Indian in his or her blood.

What’s interesting is that when I was in law school I wrote a constitutional legal paper on “Black Indians.” If I had known at the time I had Indian in my blood, I would have done research on our family and included this information in my paper.

I hope you and all the family members on this listserv find this information to be informative. If you have any additional information you would like to provide me, please do so. Also, do you have any pictures of your grandparents? Thanks and please share this information with your sister Fannie Mae.

Hickman Family History

Dear family:

Well, I guess it is time to talk about the Hickman side of the family. When I started this research, the only information I had was the name of Rev. Abraham Lincoln Hickman and George Ann Brown Hickman (this is the Brown side of our family. George Ann was ½ Indian) (We all have Hickman and Brown blood, except for Sheila who is only related to us via the Brown blood) and Lee Hickman was Abraham’s father.

Very generic information, but enough for me to find census records.

I first found the 1930 census record of Rev. Abraham L. Hickman and his wife George Ann Hickman living in the city of Macon, Noxubee County, Mississippi. Rev. Hickman was the pastor of the Life Boat Methodist Church, now called the St. Peter United Methodist Church in Aberdeen, Mississippi. In 1930, Rev. Hickman w as 39 years old and Mrs. Hickman was 38 years old. Both were my great grandparents. The following kids were living in the household:

1) Mardia J. Hickman – 18 years old
2) Eula J. Hickman (my grandmother) – 15 years old
3) Mary Hickman – 13 years old
4) Grazila Hickman – 11 years old
5) Harding C. Hickman – 9 years old

I knew Rev. Hickman father’s name was Lee Hickman. After reviewing numerous census records, I found Lee Hickman. Not only did I find Lee Hickman (my great-great grandfather), I found his only brother Ben Hickman. Yet, an even bigger surprise is that I found their mother, Emaline Hickman (she was my great-great-great grandmother). As far as I know, I am the first family member to find Lee and Ben’s mother. The information on Lee and Ben is correct and verified. I used an 1880 census record to obtain this information! Emaline was 35 years old (born in 1845 as a slave) and worked for a white family called the Yarboughs (husband, wife and 7 kids) as a servant. Lee was 10 and Ben 4 years old and no male lived with them. They lived in the city of Platt sburg, Winston County, Mississippi. I guess I have to do more research to find out who was Emaline’s husband. I did find out this week that Lee Hickman wife’s name was Sophia. I have to do research on her for our family.

I could not find any more information on Emaline or Lee Hickman on any other census record, but I was able to find additional information on Ben Hickman (my great-great uncle). I found information on him in the 1910 and 1920 census. He was living in Louisville, Winston County, Mississippi. (this information was verified) His wife was Martha Hickman and they had the following kids living with them:

1) Pearl Hickman
2) Nannie M. Hickman
3) Gertie L. Hickman
4) Sallie Hickman
5) Tommie L. Hickman
6) Lon Hickman
7) Smith Hickman
8) John Hickman
9) Addie M. Hickman
10) Earnest Hickman
11) Roberta Hickman

12) Early Hickman
13) Bob Hickman
14) Mattie Bell Hickman

My entire research on our family and everyone we know is a direct descendant of Lee Hickman.

Here is my amazing family find! I am in touch with (1) descendant of Ben Hickman! Willie “Pearl” Washington who lives in St. Louis, MO. Actually, Ida “Dollbaby" Roy knew she was alive and had her phone number. I called her and had a wonderful conversation about the Ben Hickman side of the family. Her mother was Roberta Hickman (see above), daughter of Ben Hickman. She confirmed most of her mother’s brothers and sister and will be getting me all the information she has on living and deceased Ben Hickman family members. Is this information exciting or what?

Below you will find our oldest family members. Because there was no census record on slaves prior to 1870, the research gets 10 times more difficult, which means it might be months before I find any additional information beyond these relatives. I still have not found the plantation for the Hickmans or Browns or the tribe/reservation for Mollie Baxter Brown.

Please wish me must luck in my research!

1845 Emaline Hickman, a slave (oldest known Hickman)
1830 Charlott Brown, a slave (oldest known Brown)
1860 Mollie Brown, an Indian

Now, given the research I have provided you on the Hickman and Brown lineage, I highly recommend that we now call the family reunion the Hickman-Brown Family Reunion. Please let me know if you agree. Keep in mind, we are all descendants of one or the other or both Abraham Lincoln Hickman and Georgia Ann Brown. Plus I discussed this with Dollbaby and she agreed that it should be called the Hickman-Brown Family Reunion to capture all our family members.