Dear Brother by D C H S

Written by Jan Green, New Zealand, 2023

Contents Prologue ..

Disclaimer

Introduction

Family

4-6

New York County Map Decade of Change

The War Years

8-9

Employment

9-10

Education ..

10-11

Loss

11-12

New Directions ..

12-18

Main Street Photographs 1850-1870

Health

Housing

20-21

Community

Last Letters

23-25

Last Years ..

25-30

Epilogue

Poughkeepsie—Alonzo’s Map

Appendix to Page 22 ‘Community’ ..

33 - 41

Sources

Prologue In 1799, the New York State Legislature passed the Manumission Act. This Act required slaveholders in New York State to free any children born to slaves after 4th July, 1799. The passing of this Act was the start of a chain of events that would eventually see Black families freed after more than two hundred years of slavery in the State. As a follow on, in 1809 a Statute was passed to make slave marriages legal. Up until this time ‘Jumping the Broom’ was the common way for African Americans to celebrate their nuptials as legal marriages weren’t permitted. The 1809 Statute also gave freed Blacks the right to own land. During this period sympathetic owners gave slaves their freedom, others were sold out of the State so that owners could avoid financial loss, but the slave trade did not stop throughout this time, evident in Poughkeepsie newspaper clippings.

Four years later in 1817, the Gradual Emancipation Law, the second piece of abolition legislation was passed in New York. This Act, building upon the 1799 legislation, declared that any African American born before 4th July 1799 would become free on 4th July 1827. According to Harry Schenawolf, founder of the American Revolution Journal, “New Yorks shameful history of discrimination, racism, rigid segregation, and anti-Black violence continued, it did not end with the abolition of slavery.” It is in the aftermath of these events that my story begins.

Disclaimer Over time many terms have been used to describe people that originated from Africa. These terms range from Negro, Black, Coloured, African American and others that I would not choose to use. In writing this story, I have used terms relative to the time in history and the sources used. I do not mean any disrespect to the characters.

Introduction I am the descendant of an African American immigrant who moved from his home of Dutchess County, New York State, in the 1850’s to start a new life in Australia. It is through this man, my great grandfather Alfred Brown and his wife Alison, who had the foresight to retain letters from afar, that I met Alonzo Brown, my great great Uncle. In the words of Nelson Mandela, “A good head and good heart are always a formidable combination. But when you add to that a literate tongue or pen, then you have something very special.” Without Alonzo’s ability to write, the essence of his being could have been lost in time. I am now going to introduce the life and times of Alonzo, whose letters opened the door to his life inspiring me to go through that door for a closer look.

Family While it is over forty years since Alfred Brown began life in Ballarat, Victoria, the familial love in Alonzo’s words written to his older brother gives a sense that they had never been apart.

Harvey Alonzo Brown, known as Alonzo, was born on 13th August 1835, the fifth of six children of Judith Tolman of Dutchess County and Henry Brown from New Jersey, who were married in September 1813.

“Poughkeepsie NY Aug 20th 1894 Dear Brother, I received your letter and paper and was glad to hear from you and Family once more and to hear you are all well”

The Brown family is first found in the 1820 US Census living in Washington town, Dutchess County. They were described as Free Blacks with only the gender and ages of Henry, Judith and three children, Sarah Ann, Jane Eliza and George Henry, born in 1815, 1816 and 1820 respectively. How Henry and Judith earned their freedom before the legislated year of 1827 is not clear, but they were legally free. In 1830 they were still living in Washington town with the addition of Alfred, born in 1823. By 1840 the family, now with sons Alonzo and Arthur, born in 1835 and 1839, had moved six miles to the town of Union Vale. They moved back to Washington town prior to the 1850 census where Henry, now 66, was working as a labourer.

Dutchess County was one of the first twelve counties established in the Province of New York in 1683. It is located in southeastern New York State between the Hudson River on its west and the New York border with Connecticut on its east, making it halfway between Albany and New York. It was named after Mary of Modena, the then Duchess of York and future wife of King James II of England. The spelling derives from the 17th century spelling of Duchess, as preserved in the original 1st November 1683 establishment law.

Dutchess County in relation to New York City 5

Also present were daughter Sarah, her children Ellen 9 and Julia 1, with 16-year-old Alonzo. By this time sons George and Alfred were seamen working on whaling ships out of New York, delivering the whale oil for rendering to Poughkeepsie. Despite intensive searches Jane and Arthur cannot be found after 1840. If they had died there was no mechanism to register a death as official record keeping did not begin until 1882 in Dutchess County.

Family Bible & Birth Record Page

Brother Alfred in whaling foul weather gear

Decade of Change The next five years saw major changes in the Brown family. By the 1855 census, Mother Judith was a widow living in Poughkeepsie working as a laundress, brothers George and Alfred were both married with children in New York and Australia respectively. Alonzo married Julia Mills, born in 1833 in Pleasant Valley, Dutchess County and in the 1860 census they were living in Stamford, Fairfield County, Connecticut, Alonzo working as a coachman and Julia a servant. By 1861 Alonzo and Julia had moved back to Dutchess County, taking up residence in Poughkeepsie where his mother was living and they welcomed their first son, John Joseph, on 11 th July 1861. Alonzo was working as a labourer with the family living in a house at the rear of 381 Main Street. 1860 Census

Poughkeepsie Sanborn Map 1861—381 Main Street Courtesy Dutchess County Historical Society

Poughkeepsie is located on the western edge of Dutchess County. It is the administrative centre of the county and is situated on the Hudson River, midway between New York and Albany, having been chartered as a city in 1854. The name Poughkeepsie is derived from a word in the Native American Wappinger language, U-puku-ipi-sing, meaning the reed covered lodge by the little water place, referring to a stream feeding into the Hudson River. The land was originally acquired from the Wappinger Tribe in 1686 by two colonists. In 1788 Ratification Convention members for New York State, including the infamous Alexander Hamilton, met at the Courthouse in Market Street Poughkeepsie, to ratify Constitution allowing New York State to enter the new union as the eleventh of the original thirteen colonies to become the United States. During the 19th century industry was flourishing in the city. It was a major centre for whale rendering as well as a thriving business hub for shipping, millineries, breweries and paper mills so was no shortage of employment. With its close proximity to New York it was a popular location for wealthy families to build palatial weekend homes. The climate can be very hot in summer with temperatures in winter dropping to 0° Fahrenheit (-18° Celsius). While official records did not begin until 1893 it has been known to get up to 104° Fahrenheit (40° Celsius) as Alonzo pointed out to his brother.

“The weather is cold enough to snow our there, it is hot enough here to melt it, the thermometer has stood at 104 degrees in the shade”

The War Years

9 th

Alonzo registered for military duty in the 12 Congressional District in June 1863. The Civil War run from 1861 – 1865, brought on by North and South America disagreeing over the future of slavery, establishing two feuding sides, the Union and Confederacy. In January 1863 President Abraham Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation declared that all persons held as slaves within any State were to be freed. This proclamation opened the door for African Americans to enlist in the Union Army which caused more racial issues to surface. The Conscription Act of 1863 required all males aged 20–45 to enroll in a lottery to be drafted for the war effort. Poor minorities, mainly Irish, took exception to the clause that enabled wealthy people to pay $300 Commutation fee to hire a substitute to enlist for them. In addition to this, Coloured were becoming more accepted in the North, taking jobs, both of these issues led to the Draft Riots in Manhattan, New York, 13th – 16th July 1863. As well as the existing racial competition for jobs, workers feared an influx of emancipated slaves from the South would exacerbate job shortages. The riots turned racial with Black homes and establishments attacked, as well as those of White people who employed them.

June 1863 Poughkeepsie Military Intake

At the same time, a convention to promote Coloured enlistment was held in Poughkeepsie where forty Class One enrolments, men aged 20-45 were enumerated. Of the forty, thirty-nine were White and one Coloured, Harvey A Brown, a 27, year old married labourer. Married men were chosen last, and exemptions could be made if the draftee is the only son of a widow dependent upon his labour for support. It was maybe due to one of these criteria that Alonzo did not see active duty. Despite the fact that the Coloured soldiers were given the worst duties to carry out, by the end of the war 179,000 served, making up 10% of the Union Army as well as 20,000 in the Union Navy. Only 46,000 were drafted, the rest enlisted voluntarily.

Employment Following his work as a coachman, Alonzo was working as a porter in 1865 with the family living at 12 Mechanic Street, daughter Ella May born the same year. In the period from 1840 to 1880 the White “I send you the New York World with the Illustrated newspapers to read” population made up 59% of teamsters, carmen and carters. These occupations provided opportunity for self employment, with Coloured people making up only 5%. In stark contrast they made up 23% of drivers and coachmen, 7% gardeners and 77% of waiters. More than 90% of Black males were in unskilled work, mainly labourers and in service positions, factory jobs were not open to Blacks at this time.

Over 90% of employed Black women worked as domestics or laundresses, such as Alonzo’s mother Judith. This was hard work before the advent of the washing machine. By 1880 25% of Black women worked, mainly as laundresses, with only 3% of White women working. Even in the late 19 th century Black workers were still trapped in the lowest paid occupation. 1860 Census

In support of these statistics Alonzo returned to work as a labourer until the mid 1870’s. Second son Alonzo was born in 1869 and in the 1870 census John and Ella were attending school. The family were a part of only 500 Black citizens out of a population of 20,080 citizens living in Poughkeepsie at the time.

Education Alonzo could read and write, there is no mistaking that. Even though his use of phonetics was most accomplished it is unlikely that he had any formal education. According to 1850 – 1870 US Census records, his parents Henry and Judith, sister Sarah, brother George and his wife Jane could not read or write. I am unsure of brother Alfred’s literacy. From documents I have seen he was not skilled at signing his name but his wife went to school in Scotland, could read and write and was most capable at assisting Alfred with anything requiring literacy. In 1870 80% of the Black population was illiterate, making Alonzo and his wife Julia, who could also read and write, part of a minority. New York established a free school for African Americans in 1787 but they were set up to fail with insufficient financial and public support. White leadership did little to ensure teachers had adequate materials or facilities to work with. An African school was set up in Poughkeepsie in 1829 by the New York Manumission Society which run until 1844. In 1843 the unified public schools of Poughkeepsie were established, providing education for White children. In 1844, following the closure of the African School, a separate school was opened for Black children called Poughkeepsie Coloured School. This school averaged twenty students per year. Alonzo’s children were able to attend school though prior to 1870 both high schools would not admit Negro students. A college was incorporated by legislature to be located in Poughkeepsie in 1871 and though supported by local Black families, it never opened due to interference from church elders. In 1871 Poughkeepsie Coloured School was considered for closure, with only twenty students in attendance it was not felt that the $750 annual budget was justified. This impending closure coincided with Black students trying to attend White schools all over New York State. This culminated in the 1874 New York State Legislation abolishing segregation in public schools. The Poughkeepsie Coloured School closed in 1875, allowing the first generation of the Brown family to not only attend school, but to be part of a non segregated school. By 1900 only 44% of Black people were illiterate, 36% less that thirty years prior. The differences narrowed post Civil War but it was not until over one hundred years later, in 1979, that the rates were the same as White people.

1870 Census

Loss In November 1873 tragedy struck the Brown family when John Joseph, aged twelve, died of Malignant Sore Throat, officially known as Diphtheria. Baby Alonzo also disappeared from records around this time, John is buried at Poughkeepsie Rural Cemetery. It became apparent after receiving John’s gravesite record from them, that six months after his death baby Alonzo was buried with him. He is simply referred to as the son of Harvey A Brown, buried on 9th May 1874. Diphtheria was officially named in 1826 by French physician Pierre Bretonneau (17781862). The disease primarily affected children under the age of five but whole families became sick, the public viewed the disease as a death sentence. Symptoms include a sore throat, fever, chills and swollen glands. While these symptoms on their own were not deadly, the toxin produced by the bacteria was causing heart and nerve damage, paralysis and lung infections. It was believed that inadequate water supplies were connected to the spread of diseases, but diphtheria was highly contagious, transmitted by airborne secretions or contaminated items, like clothing or bedding. In July 1872 Harvey Eastman, Mayor, established the first slow sand water filtration plant in America, curbing epidemics of cholera and typhoid.

AND

Dr Pierre Bretonneau

Harvey Eastman

It was not until the late 1870’s that New York Councils declared that people who die of diphtheria or scarlet fever must be immediately enclosed in an air-tight coffin and that clothing and bed clothes that come into contact with discards from the mouth should be buried. The current Health Officer, Dr Robert Tuthill, published monthly mortuary reports, but they seemed to cease for the latter part of 1873. A new Health Board had been elected and it was pointed out to them by the outgoing board the benefit of these reports for the City’s ongoing monitoring of resident’s health. In July that year an article in The Poughkeepsie Eagle, entitled ‘A Large Mortuary Report’ stated that there had been more deaths in Poughkeepsie that month than had been recorded for many years with an accompanying article alluding to the noncompliant practice of burial of half of the dead without appropriate notification to authorities. In February of 1874 the City Chamberlain printed an article stating that Undertakers will be fined $50 if people are interred without written permission from the Health Officer. The deceased details and cause of death must be provided, signed by an attending physician. These factors could lend weight to the fact that baby Alonzo was buried seemingly under the radar appearing as a footnote on his brothers record. The Diphtheria epidemic reached its peak in 1880 and an antitoxin developed in Germany to treat the disease was rolled out in 1894. For those who survived the disease many were left with heart damage from myocarditis which could prove to be fatal over a number of years. While the disease is rare in the 21 st Century, 50% of untreated cases die.

New Directions In 1874, after working as a labourer for thirteen years, Alonzo secured a job with Wm Frost & Son, on the corner of Main and Garden Streets. William Frost was a well respected member of the Society of Friends, primarily a merchant who dealt in dry goods before opening a stove business with his son in the late 1850’s. There were several stove dealers along Main Street from the early 1800s until the end of the century. Frosts sold stoves, heaters and a variety of tin, copper and brass kitchen tools. They specialised in the Lafayette gas burning stove and the hot air cooking stove for which sales were aimed at the middle and upper class. After Williams’ retirement his son Robert took over the business. Alonzo was now recorded in the Poughkeepsie Directory as a Coloured Tinman. In 1877 Alonzo, Julia and daughter Ella moved to 6 Crannell Street which coincided with the retirement of Robert Frost. Alonzo leased the house next door at 4 Crannell Street for business premises and he took

1875 Census

over work from Wm Frost & Son. Fricker & Clark, nurserymen and florists, moved from their premises on the corner of Main and Crannell Streets to the Frost premises and customers had the option of going to Alonzo’s business direct or leaving orders at Fricker & Clark’s. By 1880 Alonzo was a tin and sheet iron worker and Ella was fifteen years old attending the local high school.

Wm Frost & Son circa 1866 Courtesy Poughkeepsie Public Library

Poughkeepsie Eagle January 1880

Main Street Photographs Courtesy Poughkeepsie Public Library

1852

Main Street looking East from Washington Street

1860

Main Street looking West from corner of Liberty and Garden Streets

Main Street from Perry Street

1870 North side of Main Street, looking West from Garden Street

Alonzo engaged photographers Redell & Tweedy on Liberty Street. They were at this address from 1875— 1879, which confirms that he was aged in his early forties. He sent this copy to his brother Alfred.

The 1875 Census confirmed Alonzo as a voting US citizen. In 1860 a referendum was held on Black suffrage. It was proposed that Black men over 21 years of age should be able to vote without having to meet any property-owning criteria, 63% of voters opposed it. The 15th Amendment granting all African American men the right to vote was passed in 1869 and ratified on 3rd February 1870. In the 1870 census a section was added to record male citizens 21 years and upwards.

Ella May

In 1880 Alonzo lodged a Products of Industry Return for the preceding year. This stated that up to four people were employed by his Tin, Copper and Sheet Ironware business working ten hours per day. Skilled mechanics were paid $2 per day, ordinary labourers $1. The value of material, including supplies and fuel was $500 and product, including work and repairing was $1,800. Alonzo had, upon taking employment with the Frosts, secured a future of owning his own business, one of a handful of Coloured people to achieve this.

Crannell Street had a name change in 1882 to Eighmie Place. In 1884 Alonzo received a visit from Jesse Wolcott, a friend and colleague of his brother Alfred, from Ballarat, Australia. Jesse was returning to live in the United States after thirty years in the colonies and after arriving in New York, took the day ferry to Poughkeepsie. He wrote to Alfred in a letter dated 25th July 1884, saying how he took the tram to 4 Eighmie Place where Alonzo was working at his business.

Jesse Wolcott

Judith Talmon Brown

Alonzo told Jesse that as he saw him disembark the tram with his carpet bag he was thinking about Alfred at the time. Jesse spent two nights with Alonzo and Julia during which time Alonzo took him to places of interest and to visit his mother Judith, now 85, and his sister Sarah. His niece, daughter of brother George, was also visiting from Brooklyn. Jesse described how Alonzo had Australian pictures and photos of Alfred’s children framed and that in the evening Ella played the piano for them. Alonzo told Jesse he would write to Alfred as well and that their letters may make the same post.

“Dear Brother, I sit down to pen you a few lines”

On 27th May 1887, three years after Jesses’ visit, Alonzo’s wife Julia passed away at their home, 6 Eighmie Place. The cause of death was heart disease, she was 54. Julia was buried with son John. The coroner to verify the death was Joseph G Frost, the 47 year old son of William of Wm Frost & Sons.

After more than forty years in Poughkeepsie, Alonzo’s mother Judith moved to Mechanic, a small village in Amenia, Dutchess County, twenty-five miles away. She passed away there on 15th March 1890 aged 95. Poughkeepsie Eagle 17th March 1890

By the time of the 1890 Census, 7.5 million Coloured made up 11.9% of the population. While New York was the most populous state the majority of Coloured people lived in the South. Though free, it would be over half a century before conditions improved significantly for them. New York did not fill out the 1885 Census due to political issues and with most of the 1890 Census destroyed

by a fire at the US Department of Commerce in 1921, it was fortuitous that New York took a special census in 1892. Alonzo is recorded as a 57-year-old Coloured plumber, living with daughter Ella and a 26-year-old housekeeper, Annie J Brown.

1892 New York Census

By the early 1890’s there were six sheet iron businesses in Poughkeepsie, five on Main Street and Alonzo at 4 Crannell Street, having changed its name back from Eighmie Place. Alonzo was undertaking work for the Board of Education as outlined in audited account listings printed in the Poughkeepsie Eagle. As with both the sheet iron businesses and the list of contractors working for the Board of Education, Alonzo was the only Coloured person amongst them.

“Dear Brother I send you a couple of papers, now I must bring my letter to a close”

It was around this time that a photograph of Alonzo was taken in Main Street outside the shop of George R Brown, a White citizen of Poughkeepsie, who operated a haberdashery and hat store at 283 Main Street from 1891-92. This photo is part of the Poughkeepsie Public Library collection. The origin of the photographer is unknown but the type of camera it was taken with was a very modern invention. In 1886 Carl P Stirn, a New York toy and camera manufacturer, bought the rights to make a vest pocket camera that was invented by lens maker, Robert D Gray. Manufactured by his brother Rudolph in Berlin, the camera was designed to take fit in a vest pocket with photos taken through a lens that looked through the pockets buttonhole. It came known as the buttonhole camera and StirmsCamera Camera 1886 Stirms 1886 were marketed in the United States and Victoria & Albert Museum, London Victoria & Albert Museum Canada by Stirn & Lyon of New York. The images captured much of the world’s first street photography with the camera loaded with a round film plate 14 or 17 cm in diameter. The round brass body with the exposure dial and the funnel type lens added to the unique look of the photographs.

Health

By 1894 Alonzo, now almost 60, was starting to suffer from rheumatism. According to correspondence regarding arrears in license fees on land in Australia, brother Alfred also suffered from this condition from as young as 43.

“I am feeling pretty good now. My legs don’t hurt me much “

Ella was also suffering from ill health. At the time of writing this there were thirty-six physicians and surgeons practicing in Poughkeepsie, seventeen pharmacists, two hospitals in the area as well as several homes that catered for a range of illnesses and circumstances. The local options were vast, which leads me to believe that to make the journey to New York Ella would be visiting a specialist that was not available at home.

“Dear Brother I see you are quite heavy in weight 217 pounds is good weight for short people”

“My daughter don’t get along very well and I think I shall send her away to New York to be doctored this fall.”

Despite the worries over their own health Alonzo imparted his concern to Alfred about his weight. The Brown family were not tall, Alfred was recorded as 5’ 6” in an 1842 shipping manifest, with brother George being 5’ 7”, Alonzo was clearly concerned about his brother’s weight.

“Dear Brother Must close hoping when this reaches you it will find you in good health. My daughter joins me in sending our kind love to all. This from your affectionate brother Harvey Alonzo Brown of Poughkeepsie, New York 6 Crannell Street. Write soon Good bye”

Housing On 22nd July 1895 Alonzo became the proud owner of 32 Hamilton Street, the house at the south end of four homes that made up the Vadney Block. Built in 1873 by local builder Joseph Vadney, number 32 was sold to Hester Bailey, widow of farmer Thomas Bailey of Westchester, New York, for $5,000. In 1891 Hester’s spinster daughter Maria, aged 39, married Abram V W Decker, 31-year-old widower. Four years later Hester sold her property at 32 Hamilton Street to her son-in-law Abram for $2,000. Since their marriage Abram and Maria had been living in Catskill, Greene County, where Abram was an under sheriff. By 1895 they had moved nine miles to Cairo Town where Abram had taken up the role of Keeper of Greene County Almshouse. Built in 1883 to improve the lot of the sick and destitute, it took over the role of Cairo Almshouse that had been operating since the 1820’s by setting up a working farm. The farm strived for self-sufficiency with the inmates working the land and maintaining the buildings. At the 1900 Census Abram was in charge of 51 inmates, 23 women and 18 men, the majority of which were American citizens or Irish, three were Black. Abram and Maria remained at Greene County Almshouse where Abram was recorded as farm manager in 1910.

28th August 1873 Poughkeepsie Eagle

It is unclear the relationship between Alonzo, Hester Bailey and Abram and Maria Decker but the same day that Hester sold the property to Abram for $2,000 he on-sold it to Alonzo Brown for $1. The indenture, signed by Abram and Maria and witnessed by Augustus Hill, Notary, Greene County, stipulated that Alonzo ‘shall quietly enjoy the said premises, that the premises are free from encumbrances and that Alonzo was ‘to have and to hold the granted premises, his heirs and assigns forever’. The agreement emphasised that Abram V Decker was giving up the property forever.

From data gathered in a 1918 Department of Commerce report, prior to the destruction of census records, the 1890 rate of owner occupancy for the Black population was 18.7%, making Alonzo part of an elite group of homeowners. Alonzo, with daughter Ella, left their home at 6 Crannell Street to move to his new home at 32 Hamilton Street. He retained his business premises at 4 Crannell Street. Abram Decker appears in records again in 1921 leasing a farm in Poughkeepsie but despite extensive searches there is no further record of the family. The reason behind him selling such a property for Alonzo for $1 will remain unknown.

“I have been laid up with the Rheumatism for seven weeks and aren’t any better yet”

“I see by your letter you had bad luck with your horse falling in the well. You must have large wells out there or pretty small horses”

Brown Family Farm Melbourne Road, Ballarat Above—Family homestead 1870’s Right—Children & Grandchildren at the water hole with small horse 1890’s

“I haven’t seen Jane Brown in some time but I hear she has been quite sick this winter. But she is better the last time I heard from her. Jane is getting very old but she don’t think so”

Jane Brown, now 74, was the widow of brother George, who had passed away prior to 1890. Formerly Jane Jaycox from Poughkeepsie, Jane lived in Brooklyn but still had siblings, nieces and nephews near Alonzo.

Community By the mid 1890s the African American population had passed eight million, with 90% of this number living in the south. Despite the relatively low population in Poughkeepsie there was a sense of community amongst them. Alonzo kept Alfred up to date on the lives of many of their acquaintances with his usual good sense of humour. All of the people mentioned seemed to form part of a network that was intrinsically connected. An appendix is provided on pages 33-41 of this story to ensure the memories of Mary Eliza and Anthony Willis, Pheobe and Sylvester Lawrence, John Quimby, Frank Anthony and his son Tommy the fiddler along with Stephen Willis, William Lyons, Rachel Hill and the Hoff family live on, not only in the remnants of Alonzo’s letters. They lived within a few streets of each other at times in their lives, all with different occupations, income levels and opportunities, all part of Alonzo’s life. “Anthony Willis is quite complaining at present, Mary Eliza is smart and can talk as fast as ever” “The Hoff family is all dead, Rachel Hill is living yet”

“Don’t know how many children Stephen Willis has got, I have heard but I have forgotten”

“John Quimby said his 2 sisters living yet but they don’t look too promising to live a great while. He said that he was the only one that was going to live forever. John’s a great fellow”

“Sylvester Lawrence is dead and buried. He died about three weeks ago. He was Pheobe Anthony’s husband. You remember Frank Anthony, he had a son that played the fiddle. He is living yet and fiddling as hard as ever now”

“Mary Eliza is well. She lost all of her property since Anthony died” “Willie Lyons is dead. He has been dead about six months”

Last Letters

“Dear Brother I received your kind and welcome letter on the tenth of February and your picture and papers and was glad to hear from you and family once more and to hear you were all well. Dear Brother I think you have changed very much I don’t think I would have known you by the picture if it had been shown to me and not known it was yours”

Alfred, now 73 and Allison 63 had sent Alonzo a copy of their portraits, who was surprised to see how his brother had changed, though he did take the opportunity to express his admiration for his sister-in-law. While there were a number of lotteries operating in Australia at this time, the Friendly Society, which Alfred had a history with, was one of the major players. “I think your wife is a fine looking lady for that age of 63 years old”

“I see your going to try your luck again. I hope you will win so you can buy you a bicycle and start around the world. What is the fare between your place and Europe”?

The lotteries raised money in order to boost the funds to distribute to members in need. There was societal opposition to the lotteries and they were banned around 1892 but the legislation to have them legalised again came up in 1896. As well as prizes of cash, furniture, or homes, one of the prizes they offered was a trip to Europe.

“Poughkeepsie NY Dec 1896 Dear Brother I received your letter on the tenth of December and was very glad to hear from you and family and to hear your all well”

The Melbourne Herald—1891 “I see you expect to have a wedding soon in your family. How is it out there? Do they stay together any time after they get married. They don’t stay here, only for a short time”

Allison and Alfred’s youngest daughter Julia married Robert Clapp shortly after this letter was written. They had five children, Julia lived until she was 104.

“At present I have got over the Rheumatism once more but it is liable to come back”

“My daughter joins me in sending kind love to all from your brother H A Brown. Good bye, God bless you”

This was the last letter that Alfred kept from Alonzo. Four months later, Alfred was admitted to Ballarat Base Hospital on 27th April and passed away on 4th May 1897 from chronic nephritis. He was 74 and survived by his wife Alison and 11 of his 12 children. Alison sold the family farm, moved into Ballarat town and passed away on 6th January 1919 aged 85, they are buried together in the Wesleyan Section of Ballarat Cemetery.

Alonzo continued with his sheet metal business, having added the storing of new stoves, steaming of frozen pipes and re-roofing and painting to his repertoire. By now there were ten sheet iron workers operating in Poughkeepsie, seven in Main Street, two in Union Street and Alonzo in Crannell Street, the only one listed in Directories as a ‘Col’d Tin Man’. In 1902 Alonzo served a term as a trial juror at the Crown Court. Fourteen men served on the jury, all businessmen. Apart from Alonzo and Edward May, the rest of the jurors were White. The first African American to sit on a jury was Francis Clough, a 45year-old freeman and William Jenkins, a former slave, who both served at the Worcester Superior Court, Massachusetts, in 1860. Jury service by non-White has a checkered history with different rules in different states, with numbers of African Americans serving on juries still falling short in the late 20th century. Telephone numbers were first introduced to New York in 1880 with new lines being installed over the subsequent years. By March 1905 Alonzo added phone number 464 to his advertisements.

Last Years In early 1905 the Poughkeepsie Evening Enterprise reported that Alonzo was seriously ill and had a nurse in attendance. He spent months at home, returning to his business in March 1905. The nature of his illness was not confirmed. He continued to advertise and appear in the New York Trade Directory until 1907.

H Alonzo Brown Circa 1895—1905

26 th

In December 1907 Alonzo contracted typhoid and passed away three weeks later on 18 January 1908, he was 73. In the obituary, published in the Poughkeepsie Journal and Sunday Courier, the cause of death was listed as appendicitis.

The Sunday Courier 19th January 1908

Poughkeepsie Daily Eagle 20th January 1908 For many years the water supply in Poughkeepsie had been blamed for the spread of infectious diseases. A bacteria known as Salmonella Typhi causes typhoid fever, transmitted through contaminated food or water or by person-to-person contamination. Once ingested the bacteria spreads through the bloodstream to the intestinal tract, causing bleeding and inflammation of major organs, which could lead to death. An outbreak occurred in New York during 1907 infecting 3,000 people. This outbreak was attributed to Mary Mallon, AKA Typhoid Mary, an Irish immigrant who in 1906 was employed by a wealthy New York banker as a cook. Large numbers of typhoid fever were diagnosed and a sanitary engineer, George Sober, concluded that Mary was a carrier of the disease, though healthy herself. Mary was incarcerated on North Brother Island, located on New Yorks east river, until 1910 when she was released by a new health commissioner who found her employment as a domestic. Mary ignored the warning and took on work as a cook at Sloane Maternity, Manhattan, under the name Mary Brown, where she again contaminated people. She was placed back on North Brother Island until her death in 1938.

The first typhoid vaccines were introduced in 1896 but public trust was low. It was not until 1911 after many refinements that the vaccine was made compulsory for military personnel. While it is mostly eradicated today, it is still a concern in developing nations with vaccination being the best preventative. Two weeks prior to Alonzo’s death, an article was printed in the Poughkeepsie Eagle denying that the water supply caused typhoid fever. Five deaths from typhoid occurred in December 1907 in Poughkeepsie, one of these was imported, another two were family members, who, according to reports, would not use city water, rather using one of the 500 wells that were still in operation in the city. The article concluded that the city water was not attributable for the cases. On 12th March 1908 the Poughkeepsie Eagle announced that there had been two deaths from typhoid during January, one of which was Alonzo. The report of his death from appendicitis, I believe, was to alleviate public concern. It was obviously an issue at the time and Alonzo was a well known figure in the city, a trusted businessman and friend.

Poughkeepsie Eagle News 12th March 1908 Poughkeepsie Journal 20th January 1908

The Evening Enterprise 21st January 1908

Alonzo was buried in Lot 44, Section O, at Poughkeepsie Rural Cemetery with Julia and his boys on Tuesday 21st January. At the time of his death Dutchess County still had segregated areas for the burial of African Americans with restrictions on markers being put on graves. His funeral was held at his home, 32 Hamilton Street, officiated by Rev C S Fariess, pastor of the Ebenezer Baptist Church. By request Amelia Garnet sung, accompanied by Mrs Oscafara Lawrence. Amelia was the great niece of sister-in-law Jane Jaycox Brown and Mrs Lawrence, daughter in law of friend Stephen. He was survived by 42 year old daughter Ella May.

Alonzo had died intestate. With no Will his assets were frozen by the courts which posed a challenge for Ella, who moved to New York, leaving 32 Hamilton Street vacant. It was not until Tuesday 4 th October 1910 that advertisements were published in the Poughkeepsie Evening Star asking anyone that may have a claim on the property to come forward. The advertisement ran each week for six months. Ella had an offer for the property from Edward C Southwick, Tanner, for $3,300. She accepted this offer which set the value of the estate.

Six creditors presented claims to the estate. They were: •

Martin Ryan – Irish Grocer - $12.02

•

Estate of Charles Kircher – Landlord - $275.00. Kircher was a German butcher who, by 1880, was the richest of his countrymen in Poughkeepsie, owning several properties. Alonzo rented the Crannell Street premises from him. The sum of his claim was disputed, and mediation was entered into.

•

Isaac Daniels – A Black Kelsominer (whitewashed houses) - $20

•

Peter Adriance & Son – Stove dealers - $3.25

•

Haggarty Floral Co – An Irish owned chain of flower shops - $25.10

•

CD Lane MD – Medical Attendant at Alonzo’s death - $58.50

By June 1911, three claims had been withdrawn, Adriance & Son, Haggerty Floral Co., and CD Lane MD.

Landlord Kircher had reduced his claim to $250. CWH Arnold, Attorney, charge the estate $75, plus an extra $25 was distributed amongst three other lawyers, and expenses of $141. Ella received her inheritance on 27th June 1911, three years after Alonzo's death. Mr Southwick, purchased the property the same day, leaving Ella with a balance of $2,776.98.

Alonzo was still making the newspapers long after his death, listed below news on the Vanderbilt family of Hyde Park.. Evening Enterprise, Poughkeepsie, 1915

Ella returned to New York after the settlement of Alonzo’s estate. She is listed in the 1920 Census living in Manhattan with a 22 year old boarder, her occupation was described as housework. Despite extensive searches there is no further record of Ella until 1934. She was living at 234 West 122 nd Street in the South Harlem neighbourhood of Manhattan, working as a waitress. By this time she was going by the name May Brown and had altered her age to 61, making her eight years younger than she was. Ella was admitted to one of the two hospitals on Welfare Island on 14 th November 1934. Welfare Island, originally Blackwell Island, was established in the 1830’s to provide health care for the city’s poor as well as almshouses and penitentiaries for criminals. The island, situated on New York City’s East River, is two miles long, consists of 147 acres and lies between Manhattan and Queens. By 1909 the island housed the Metropolitan Hospital, a general hospital for destitute sick and injured, including tuberculosis cases. In addition, there was the Central and Neurological Hospital that Ella was admitted to. This was a special hospital for the care and treatment of people suffering from diseases of the nervous system and mental disorders. Ella spent thirteen months at the Neurological Hospital, passing away on 16 th December 1935. While the cause of death was not known, the diagnosis of her latest illness was chronic myocarditis contributed to by arteriosclerosis. In short, Ella suffered from heart disease brought on by one or many factors from genetics to autoimmune disorders, though this would not have been the cause for her admission and continued stay at the Neurological Hospital. Ella was buried at the City Cemetery on Welfare Island. Reverend Sydney Ussher, who had been on Welfare Island since 1917, was the officiating chaplain. Seventy year old Ella’s death certificate states that her name was May Brown, the 62-year-old daughter of Julia Mills and Alonzo Brown. The Central and Neurological Hospital closed on 6th July 1939, Welfare Island was renamed Roosevelt Island in 1973, and now boasts wealthy residential and retail developments.

Welfare Island—New York City in background

Roosevelt Island 2013

Epilogue It is now over twenty years since I first received the few pages of Alonzo’s letters that had survived. This was by no means accidental, it was due to the keeping of records by generations of the Brown family in Australia and the generosity in sharing them with others. Alfred left the United States in the early 1850’s for a new life in the colonies where he raised a family and led an exceptional life. It would not have been easy by any means, as it hasn’t been for his descendants. Alonzo, on the other hand, stayed in a country that would never have made his life easy. He lived through times in the United States that his brother could only have dreamt of. Alonzo was a man that led an amazing life, he was able to walk in two worlds and conducted himself with dignity, good humour and the overarching desire to strive for more. When I started this journey I really believed that the Coloured Tinman worked with coloured tin. With the luxury of being raised in 20th century New Zealand, colour was not an issue to me, we were all just who we were. It is only with age and hindsight that I can appreciate the life that Alonzo led. I cannot express enough my pride in our Coloured Tinman—H Alonzo Brown and feel very blessed to have been able to enter a part of his world and proud to call him family.

Section O Final resting place for the Brown family of Poughkeepsie

Sources