On loan from Middleton Place Foundation near Charleston, SC, embroidered text on the bag reads:
mother of Ashley gave her this sack when
she was sold at age 9 in South Carolina
it held a tattered dress 3 handfulls of
pecans a braid of Roses hair. Told her
It be filled with my Love always
she never saw her again
Ashley is my grandmother
Ruth Middleton
1921
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Who, many of us have wondered, were Rose, Ashley, and Ruth? Where did they live and what can we recover of their lives? What circumstances might have led to the historical sale of nine year old Ashley, and to her grand-daughter Ruth's decision to embroider this long-term family narrative in 1921?
Now, the noted journal Southern Spaces has published my research, based on archival and oral historical work in South Carolina and elsewhere: https://southernspaces.org/2016/slaverys-traces-search-ashleys-sack
Please feel free to share your reflections on these findings, in the comment space below. What are your thoughts on this object, and on the lives of the women chronicled upon it? It would be fascinating to hear from those who have seen Ashley's Sack at Middleton Place or at the new Smithsonian museum, or to hear from collateral relatives of Rose, Ashley, and Ruth.
Selected comments will be re-posted at the conclusion of the Southern Spaces piece.
Thank you for your work. I have written a picture book about Ashley's Sack now seeking a publisher.
ReplyDeleteTammi Truax
Eliot, ME
Amazing work. Thank you.
ReplyDeleteHow fascinating, Tammi. I'd love to learn more about your picture book, and sure hope you find a publisher soon! Have you been down to see the object, in its new setting in the Smithsonian?
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ReplyDeleteDo we know if Dorothy Middleton had any descendants? Do they know about the sack? Thank you for this work.
ReplyDeleteSo far as I can tell, Dorothy Helen Middleton Page did not leave any next of kin. (I am not actually sure if "Page" was her married name.) I am working on finding other descendants of Rose and Ashley; families descended in the Clifton line, out of Orangeburg, SC and environs would seem the most likely possibilities. Would be wonderful to connect with them, of course. Thanks for asking!
ReplyDeleteThank you for your excellent research and fascinating article. Have you determined whether Ruth’s husband Arthur Middleton and his father Flander Middleton can trace their lineage back to formerly enslaved people at Middleton Place? Thanks again for your dedication to honoring Ashley’s Sack, a remarkable piece of history.
ReplyDeleteSorry, I just saw the footnote in which you discussed this issue. Thank you again for your terrific research!
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