About Us
Born into slavery over 161 years ago in Kershaw county South Carolina on the Jones plantation were three brothers named: Noah, Ellison and January. January was the elder of the three brothers, being born sometime prior to 1837; the exact date is still unknown. Ellison was born 1837, and the youngest brother, Noah was born in 1841 (according to the 1870 census).
Their mother was named Silla, born sometime between 1815 and 1820. The exact date is uncertain because the 1870 census list her as being 55 years old and the 1880 census list her as being 60, therefore there is 5 year discrepancy in her recorded age. Noah’s father was half black/ half Indian. Although we are uncertain as to which tribe he belonged to, we are aware the Catawba Indians were in and around Rock Hill, South Carolina. Ellison’s father was black, and the origin of January’s father is unknown. Because breeding was a part of slavery, it is unknown if their mother was even married to either of their fathers.
The three brothers worked on the plantation as field hands. As a young man, (Approximately 20 years old)., January was forced to leave Kershaw County after having a dispute with a white man. The white man was killed; detailed information about the incident is not known. It is believed that January fled to Fairfield County, but neither the 1870 nor the 1880 census show any record of him. Very little is known of January after he fled Kershaw County. Although it is believed that he received visits from Noah, he never returned to Kershaw County.
As stated above, there is no record of January Jones/Mingo in Fairfield County in The 1870 census, however, there were four(4) January Jones listed for other counties, which were Beaufort County, Charleston County, Georgetown County and Orangeburg County. The ages of these men at the time of the 1870 census were 25 years old, 36 years old and 60 years old. Ellis being 33 years old, and their mother being 55 years old (taken from the 1870 census), could it be that January from Georgetown (being 36 tears old) be that missing link in the Mingo history book. More research must be done in this area to gain better insight and draw a sound conclusion. This raises questions in our minds, questions such as, did January even marry? Did he have children? If so, where are his descendants today? To all these questions, we are in pursuit of answers.
Contact was made with some Mingo’s from Atlanta, GA: Philadelphia, PA; Booker, FL; etc. They have traced their heritage back to Mr. Silas Mingo. IT is their belief that Silas roots are in South Carolina. It is believed that Silas had to flee this area due to a altercation similar to the dispute described of January. Could connection between January and Silas be one and the same? Just a question. The similarity of the stories between January and Silas are too close for us to just brush off. We owe it to ourselves and our children to take a closer look. As we discover more information, we will pass it on. If you have any additional information, please pass it on so that we might be able to build a complete and accurate family history.
As the Civil war sweep through the country, from 1861 through 1865, Noah and Ellison were called upon to serve, but on opposite sides. Noah served the North while Ellison served the South. After the Civil war had ended, Ellison was receiving his pension while Noah was not. After several of Noah’s checks returned to Washington, DC un-cashed, a United States Senator decided to investigate the matter. Upon his arrival at the Liberty Hill post office (Liberty Hill, SC), he discovered that there might have been some confusion between the white Jones and the black Jones. Remember, prior to the Emancipation Proclamation which was issued by President
Abraham Lincoln, effective January 1, 1863, freeing all slaves in territories still at War with the union, slaves were considered property of the slave owner. The slaves usually assumed the last name of their owner. In light of this, the Senator sent for Noah and Ellison. When they arrived, the Senator informed them that they will be identified by the name Mingo. From that time forward, both Noah and Ellison received their pension with no problems.
After the Civil war, Noah was married to Fannie. To this union, the following children were born, Mary, Charles, Mattie, William, Joe, Lewis, John, Reuben, and Wiley.
Ellison was united in marriage to Fanny and later to Katy. Ellison’s children were Jimmy, Author, Essex, Mingo, Daniel, Meadline, Pesiny, and a step daughter named Cilia Stover.
The above information was gathered from South Carolina Archives and Public Records, Columbia South Carolina, and verbal information given by elder family members.
If you feel information is missing or inaccurate, please let us know so that we can construct a true and clear picture of our heritage; something that we can leave on record for our children and for generations to come.
