history
The Mystery of Henry Fordham
How did my great-great-grandfather become a free man?
TL;DR
- The author researched his family history, focusing on his great-great-grandfather, Henry Fordham, who was enslaved in Charleston, South Carolina.
- Henry Fordham was purchased as a boy named Harry in 1829 and became a skilled blacksmith.
- He was later sold in 1848 to a grain-wholesaling business.
- Family lore suggests Henry became literate and religious, and he eventually purchased his own freedom before the Civil War.
- The author used various resources, including the Free Negro Book, to piece together Henry's life and confirm his freedom by 1851.
- The narrative reflects on the broader history of African Americans, marked by cycles of opportunity and loss, and the enduring quest to recover lost ancestral heritage.
- The author's DNA results indicate West African ancestry (Nigeria, Mali) and European ancestry (Germany, British Isles).