A few weeks ago, I was contacted by Princess Hairston, a film editor and director, about my Hairston research. She has been working on the documentary, Tracing the Hairstons, a three-part series about the history of the Hairston Family.
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| Myrtie Hairston - 1880 to 1927 |
My grandmother was Johnie Myrtlene "Myrtie" Hairston, born in Falls County, Texas, July 9, 1880. Her father was Phillip A. Hairston and his father was John L. Hairston. John L. was born in South Carolina and I believe, but haven't yet proven, his father was Hugh Brown Hairston.
Most Hairston genealogical research focuses on the Hairston family who was known to have numerous plantations and was one of the largest slave-holding families in the history of America.
Those were not my Hairstons. Although I am sure my Hairstons are connected, my known Hairstons were poor, moved often, and left very little documentation about their lives.
Tracing the Hairstons will be an interesting documentary. The film's Facebook page can be seen by clicking here. Visit the Seed & Spark funding page to learn more, support, and/or donate.
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| This photo was used on the funding page for Tracing the Hairstons. Click here to see this photo and other Hairston photos. This is a photo of the grandchildren of Permelia Hairston Noah and Martha Elizabeth "Mattie" Hairston Chisum Thompson. It can be seen, along with an enlargement and the names of the children at 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks: #38 Jessie Mae Thompson Hicks |
If you want to know more about the families I research, click here to like my Facebook page where you will see each post and other genealogical finds.
Diana
© 2017Source
Family photographs and documents from the collection of Diana Bryan Quinn
I found these photos and the video most interesting. I am currently reading the book by Henry Wiencek.
ReplyDeleteAs a descendant of the Hairston family, it had three branches in America (which are #1 plantations owners/slaveholders, #2 poor hardscrabble farmers, and #3 black slaves descending from the plantations by blood or by bondage. Most Hairstons seem to descend from Scot born Peter Hairston, arriving in 1729, from Ireland, where he had escaped after a failed 1715 rebellion. The family started in Pennsylvania and moved to Virginia, where the older sons became slaveholders and created huge wealthy plantations. Another branch developed when younger son, Alexander (I think) died young, and his wife headed south towards the Carolinas with her young children. They became poor, hard-working small farmers, and laborers. And, the third branch, is the children of former black slaves held in bondage. Some took the name Hairston, and others were blood-related to the Hairstons. See the book "The Hairstons: An American Family in Black and White" by Henry Wienck for more details.
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