Mary Bell nee Rice told her life story in 1937 with great pride. Her father, brother, husband and son were all army men. "I love a man who will fight for his rights, and any person that wants to be something."
Mary Rice named her slaveholder as Kitty Diggs. Kitty Diggs also enslaved Mary's mother Orie/Arie Rice and all her children. I found one reference to Kitty Daggs/Margaret Catherine Daggs born in Virginia 1828 at findagrave buried in Lewistown Cemetery, Lewis County, Missouri. However I did find a Catherine L Diggs living in the household of FW Diggs in Howard County Missouri in 1850. There is an FW Digges named in the Slave Schedule of 1850 in Howard County with 7 enslaved people. I cannot confirm at this time if this is the same Kitty that Mary Bell nee Rice names. Mary was 'hired out' at age 7 to a Presbyterian minister (unnamed) and later to Henry Tillman, a baker.
By 1870 Mary was reunited with her father and mother.
She married Joseph Belle/Bell in 1874, but sadly was widowed by 1900. See the 1900 Census at the top of the page.
Mary Rice gave additional information about her father, Spottwood Rice (known as Spot during slavery) who was enslaved by Lewis the tobacco grower.
In her research Angela Walton Raji identified Lewis the tobacco grower as Benjamin Lewis when she found a bill of sale for Spot(s)wood Rice dated 1843 in his military record. In the 1860 US Federal Census~Slave Schedules Benj W Lewis of Chariton, Howard, Missouri is recorded as a slaveholder of 55 enslaved people, 14 women and 41 men.
I failed to see the second post by Angela Walton Raji until after I had searched for confirmation of the above. You can read more of Spottswood Rice's life in exquisite detail at usctchronicle.blogspot.ie/2012/04/life-words-and-actions-of-spottswood.html
My research was undertaken as a contribution to the #SlaveNameRollProject
slavenamerollproject.blogspot.ie/p/about-project.html
Sources
Mary Bell age 85 in 1937
goodoowah.50megs.com/women/womslavweb/wpa/Missouri/Missouri-03.htm
Mary Bell's father Spottwood Rice
usctchronicle.blogspot.ie/2012/03/words-actions-and-life-of-spottswood.html
Benjamin Lewis of Chariton, Howard, Missouri 1860 US Federal Census~Slave Schedule
Death of Kitty Daggs 1910
www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=6730419
1870 US Federal Census~St. Louis, Missouri~Rice family
familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HT-DZBF-3P?mode=g&i=251&cc=1438024
Catherine Diggs Howard County 1850 US Federal Census
familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HT-DZBF-3P?mode=g&i=251&cc=1438024
Mary Bell 1900 US Federal Census
familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HT-DBG3-H2M?mode=g&i=5&cc=1325221
Mary Rice named her slaveholder as Kitty Diggs. Kitty Diggs also enslaved Mary's mother Orie/Arie Rice and all her children. I found one reference to Kitty Daggs/Margaret Catherine Daggs born in Virginia 1828 at findagrave buried in Lewistown Cemetery, Lewis County, Missouri. However I did find a Catherine L Diggs living in the household of FW Diggs in Howard County Missouri in 1850. There is an FW Digges named in the Slave Schedule of 1850 in Howard County with 7 enslaved people. I cannot confirm at this time if this is the same Kitty that Mary Bell nee Rice names. Mary was 'hired out' at age 7 to a Presbyterian minister (unnamed) and later to Henry Tillman, a baker.
By 1870 Mary was reunited with her father and mother.
She married Joseph Belle/Bell in 1874, but sadly was widowed by 1900. See the 1900 Census at the top of the page.
Mary Rice gave additional information about her father, Spottwood Rice (known as Spot during slavery) who was enslaved by Lewis the tobacco grower.
In her research Angela Walton Raji identified Lewis the tobacco grower as Benjamin Lewis when she found a bill of sale for Spot(s)wood Rice dated 1843 in his military record. In the 1860 US Federal Census~Slave Schedules Benj W Lewis of Chariton, Howard, Missouri is recorded as a slaveholder of 55 enslaved people, 14 women and 41 men.
I failed to see the second post by Angela Walton Raji until after I had searched for confirmation of the above. You can read more of Spottswood Rice's life in exquisite detail at usctchronicle.blogspot.ie/2012/04/life-words-and-actions-of-spottswood.html
My research was undertaken as a contribution to the #SlaveNameRollProject
slavenamerollproject.blogspot.ie/p/about-project.html
Sources
Mary Bell age 85 in 1937
goodoowah.50megs.com/women/womslavweb/wpa/Missouri/Missouri-03.htm
Mary Bell's father Spottwood Rice
usctchronicle.blogspot.ie/2012/03/words-actions-and-life-of-spottswood.html
Benjamin Lewis of Chariton, Howard, Missouri 1860 US Federal Census~Slave Schedule
Death of Kitty Daggs 1910
www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=6730419
1870 US Federal Census~St. Louis, Missouri~Rice family
familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HT-DZBF-3P?mode=g&i=251&cc=1438024
Catherine Diggs Howard County 1850 US Federal Census
familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HT-DZBF-3P?mode=g&i=251&cc=1438024
Mary Bell 1900 US Federal Census
familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HT-DBG3-H2M?mode=g&i=5&cc=1325221
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