In an earlier blog, I introduced the 1850s graduation poem book of friends and family of Eljatha Agatha Perry (Morris) 1837–1918. This is an ongoing blog to introduce her family to you as we use traditional genealogy to discover the authors of those beautiful poems. As a reminder, this bouquet book was like a high school or college remembrances book that your friends and family would sign so you could remember them for always and forever. In this case, I rescued it from an online auction website when it had been discarded or lost — or just perhaps a family member wanted to have it saved by somebody who would appreciate it. Likely it contains historically important insights into the Perry family of Kernersville, NC in the era when they were purging slaveholding pre-Emancipation Proclamation, marrying into Quaker families, and dividing a family that had perhaps founding impacts on Kernersville, NC today.
The Poem
We begin with the poem written by Amanda:
"Though hill and dale may intervene
— Written by Your Friend Amanda V. B. F., Swains Mills, Rush Co. Ind. March 27th (18)57.
And separate us far and wide
Yet fancy on her balmy wing
Can quickly place us side by side"
Starting in Forsyth County, NC
We start in Forsyth Co., N.C. where Eljatha lived and most of the poems were penned. The 1850 census places Eljatha age 12 in the household of her parents Ebenezer Perry and Anna Perry. At 1857, then, Eljatha would be about 19 — confirming our theory that this is her high school remembrance book. If this is a family friend, she might also be about 18 or 19 years old if classmates. A quick search of the 1850 census in Forsyth Co., NC for a female about 12 years with the name Amanda V B and a last name beginning with F yields a quick hit on an Amanda V B Folger, age 12, daughter of Benjamin F Folger and Nancy R Folger in Forsyth, N.C. On that same page is a familiar-looking surname: Swain next door — Bennet Swain family, a shoemaker. We'll make a mental note of that since in 1857 Amanda says she lives at Swains Mills, Rush Co., Indiana.
Tracing Amanda to Indiana
A Google search on Swains Mills Rush County Indiana supplies an image of Swain's Mill bridge in Walker Township, Rush County, Indiana built in 1881. An article on that bridge suggests it was named for a nearby gristmill built by Thomas Swain. An 1860 census record fails to turn up proof of Amanda in that location, but an 1870 census yields an Amanda V B Macy born about 1839 in N.C. living next door to B F and Nancy R Folger — B F being a Physician — living in Posey Township, Rush Co., Indiana within the post office of Beech Grove. Posey and Walker Townships are side by side on the western edge of Rush County, and the Thomas Swain family is listed as one of the prominent families of the area, helping us zero in on the location.
The Old Land Map
One of my favorite things to do in genealogy is access old maps, especially old landowner maps. We have one available for the SW corner of Posey Twp and NW corner of Walker Twp showing both the Folger family and the Swain family along that swath of land — what appears to be a road and primary mill. We seem to have conclusive evidence of Eljatha's friend Amanda Folger and the fact that at least in March 1857, the book was signed by Amanda living in this section of Indiana. Perhaps Eljatha was visiting, or the book was taken there by family visiting.
Updated: Amanda Was Also Family
Updated September 13, 2020: Amanda is also family to Eljatha. Amanda was the niece of her uncle's wife. Said another way: Reuben Folger was Amanda's grandfather. Reuben's daughter Elma married John Watson. Eljatha's mother was Anna Watson — John was Eljatha's uncle and her mother's brother. It was not a blood relationship, but one of marriage. We have many instances of the Folgers, Starbucks, Dean, and other Quaker families intermarrying with Perry relatives.
There are 20-plus poems from family and friends in this remembrance book. In future blogs we'll explore some of the others — who they were, where they lived, and how genealogy can connect the dots.