From the WPA Slave
Narratives:
Betsey Cotten (Calcote), Age 110
Betsey Cotten, known in slavery times as Betsey Calcote, died last Friday in
this county near the Franklin County line, aged one hundred and ten years. She
formerly belonged to James Calcote who was one of the earliest settlers of
Mississippi. She left surviving her four generations --- children,
grandchildren, great grandchildren, and numerous great great-grandchildren.
One of her great grandchildren, Cynthia Howard, is over sixty years old.
Betsey was born in Richmond, Virginia, about the close of the Revolutionary
War, and was, when a young woman, brought to Mississippi territory and sold to
Mr. Calcote. On her marriage to one of his slaves, Mr. Calcote made her the
singular promise that when she had ten children he would set her free. He was
as good as his word and from the year 1833 to the time of her death she was a
free woman. James Calcote, the owner of Betsey, died sixty years ago.
Brookhaven Times. (Lincoln County)
REF: Franklin Advocate (no date; c. 1886)
Interviewer:
Unknown
Transcribed by Linda Durr Rudd
Mississippi Narratives
Prepared by
The Federal Writer’s Project of
The Works Progress Administration
For the State of Mississippi
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"If you teach them where they come from, they won't need as much help finding where they are going!" Cordelia Carothers " Aunt Dee" Geoghegan (1894-1987)
Project Manager: Ann
Allen Geoghegan State Coordinator Assistant State Coordinators and
Transcriptionists: Ann Allen Geoghegan, Debbie Leftwich, and Rose Diamond and Linda Durr Rudd Banner designed by: Melissa McCoy-Bell Unknown worker photograph provided by L. Stephen Bell Photography, and family photo albums of Karen Schweikle, Lucy Gray and Jens Burkhart. Copyright © 2005-2008 by MSGenWeb Project. All rights reserved. |
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