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- For years,
Mamoo (Our Matriarch) would tell us stories of her Family, our Family, in an effort to educate us on who we were and where
we came from. In her Family, this “Griot” role had been performed by her Mother and, in a sense, was passed down
to her. The Oral History Tradition was and still is an essential element of African Culture and Tradition. From the time of
the “Ancients” to today, African History has been an Oral Tradition. It is with this Tradition in mind that this
Family history has been compiled. The most effective interpretation of the enclosed Family History is to have Mamoo or a Family
Elder tell you the stories that go along with the pictures and documents. In that respect, we keep the History and the Tradition
alive.
As you can see, the Heroine of this story is Mamoo. As the Matriarch of our Family she deserves all due
respect. As the Elder, she requires deference and honor. Her story is in this History, as well as Ours.
I don’t
want to tell too much of the story but here are a few interesting points:
1-Mamoo worked as a housekeeper/caregiver
for George Biddle Kelly, one of the seven founding members (Seven Jewels) of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc.
2-Mamoo’s
Mother, “Bama”, carried her full term and delivered her, while she was paralyzed on her left side, after a stroke
she had on her honeymoon in 1906.
3-Mamoo’s maternal Grandfather, Joseph Epps, escaped slavery in Virginia
and came to Waterford, N.Y. by way of the Underground Railroad. He worked for the Breslin family in Waterford as a Coachman
and Groom.
4-Mamoo’s paternal Grandfather, Rev.Jeremiah R.B. Smith, was pastor of the 7th Ave. A.M.E. Zion
Church in Troy, N.Y. and was a reporter on the Toronto Globe newspaper at the age of 13. (See BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH at bottom
of this page)
5-Mamoo’s paternal Grandmother, Rachel (Murphy) Smith’s sister (Mary Elizabeth Murphy)
married Fredrick Douglass’ son Charles Remond Douglass and had six (6) children.
6-Mamoo's paternal Aunt,
May (Smith) Holmes, was the first African-American registered nurse at Freedman's Hospital, Memphis, Tenn.
7-Mamoo’s
second cousin, Bernice Bennett Lipscomb of Rhode Island, tells us that Mamoo’s maternal Great-Grandfather, James Peterman,
and Great-Great Grandfather, Henry Peterman, were Kickapoo and Saux and Fox American Indians.
8-Mamoo’s paternal
Great-Grandfather, Francis Smith, bought his freedom by painting portraits in Virginia. He later became an accomplished portrait
painter in New York City.
And, this is probably the most interesting fact, at least to me:
I’ve
traced Mamoo’s Family back six (6) generations to 1760s on her Mother’s side and six (6) generations to 1790 on
her Father’s side. Mamoo’s maternal Great-Great Grandfather’s surname was VanVranken and her paternal Great-Great-Great
Grandfather’s surname was Van Dorn. You will find in African-American History that if you go back far enough you will
find African-American branches of traditionally Dutch and other European Families.
It’s called Slavery.
- REV. JEREMIAH R. B. SMITH
A Biographical Sketch By L. Lloyd Stewart
EARLY LIFE
Rev.
Jeremiah R. B. Smith was born in Brooklyn April 19, 1846, he was the son of Francis Smith, a native of Virginia who was born
a slave and obtained his freedom by painting portraits. He subsequently became a creditable portrait painter in New York.
Jeremiah’s mother was also born in slavery in New Jersey. Jeremiah received his early education in the Willoughby Street
School, in Brooklyn and in the Vine Street School, Buffalo, where he went after the death of his father in 1851. Among his
instructors was James Theodore Holly, former bishop of Haiti. Later Mr. Smith became a pupil in the Model Grammar School and
Upper Canada College at Toronto, Canada. While in school, Jeremiah became a writer on the Toronto Globe at the age of thirteen
years old, and afterward was a contributor to the Anglo-African, a paper printed in the interests of African Americans. While
in Canada, he was actively identified with all matters pertaining to the amelioration of the condition of fugitives who sought
refuge under the British flag.
Though young, he took part in the meetings of, and met with John Brown, the hero
of Harper’s Ferry.
FAMILY LIFE
Rev. Smith married Rachel Murphy, of New Hope, PA. on May 21 1867
in Rochester, NY at the First Methodist Church. Rachel’s sister, Mary Elizabeth Murphy was the wife of Charles Remond
Douglass, the eldest son of the great orator and abolitionist, Frederick Douglass, they had six children.)
The
Smith’s had five (5) children: J. R., born in 1868; Sarah (Louisa) May, (called May) born in 1869; Joseph P., born in
1871; Alfred Clarence, born 2 March 1874; and Frederick Douglas, born in 1883.
Alfred Smith married Bella Davis
Epps on 10 October 1906 at the Grace Episcopal Church in Waterford, NY. They were the proud parents of Anabel (Smith) Puels,
my Grandmother, who passed recently on 1 November 2002 at the age of 95.
THE CIVIL WAR YEARS
When sixteen
years of age, Jeremiah returned to the United States and resided at Rochester, NY. In the same year, he enlisted in the 54th
Mass. Regiment and after remaining with the regiment for three months he was discharged because he was under age. On 24 February
1865, he re-enlisted, under the name of Jeremiah Reed, in B Company of the 27th Regiment of the United States Colored Troops
and mustered in at Fort Delaware, Ohio. While in the Regiment, he rendered efficient service and became a non-commissioned
officer. Jeremiah participated in the battles of Chaplin’s Farm, Cold Harbor, Strawberry Plains and Fort Fisher, the
capture of Wilmington and an engagement at Petersburg in July 1865, when he was wounded. At Wilmington, he was detailed with
others by General Terry to form the first Sunday school among the newly freed men of that city. He mustered out of the Army
on 21 September 1865.
At the close of the war, Jeremiah was engaged for some time in the Freedmen Bureau’s
work; leaving the South in 1866 to again take up his studies. His studies were finished at Naples, N.Y. and at that place
he became a correspondent of the Democrat and Chronicle of Rochester, attaining prominence as a writer under the nom de plume
of “Neapolitan”.
POLITICAL LIFE
After his time in the South, and he became prominent in
the political affairs of the Empire State (New York). In 1872, he was chosen a delegate to the Colored Men’s State Convention
at Troy and to the Republican State Convention at Elmira. He was instrumental in securing the selection of Rev. W. F. Butler
as delegate-at-large to the Philadelphia Convention, which re-nominated General Grant for President of the United States.
Mr. Smith was active in 1873 with William H. Johnson of Albany in securing the passage of the first Civil Rights Bill in this
state. He attained the distinguished honor of being the first African American to offer prayer in the Senate of the State
of New York. As first vice-president of the Colored Men’s State Committee in 1876, he did effective work, addressing
large audiences in this and other states.
In 1892, Rev. Smith was elected committeeman-at-large on the Republican
State Committee, defeating his opponent, Dr. W. B. Derrick, by a large majority. He represented Rensselear County in the Executive
Committee of the Colored Republican State Organization. He spoke with power during campaigns, under the direction of the state
and national committees. Later in the same year, he resumed the publication of the Echo, now known as the New York Central
Echo.
During President Benjamin Harrison’s administration, Mr. Smith was favorably considered to be United
States Consul to Liberia, Africa. He was endorsed by the NY State Republican Party and received the endorsement of the Hannibal
Legion (Colored Republican Voters of the City and State of New York). He declined to accept the position, his preference being
to remain with his Family in the United States.
Mr. Smith’s taste for journalistic work continued to exert
its influence and he became editor and proprietor of the Western Echo at Bath, N.Y. While at Bath, he gave substantial assistance
in the establishment of the Soldiers’ Home. The Echo was the organ of African Americans of the state, and after being
moved to Utica for a time, it was taken to Brooklyn in 1881, the office being in New York City. The paper was an important
factor under Mr. Smith’s guidance in securing the election of Hon. Seth Low as mayor of Brooklyn.
THE CHURCH
The conference of the A. M. E. Zion Church received Mr. Smith in 1882, and he labored zealously for the advancement
of the church of which he was an excellent representative. He became the pastor of the Franklin Street AME Zion Church at
Kingston, and in the five years of his service there he was successful in reducing a church indebtedness from $5,888 to
$1,800. He was then assigned to the Hudson AME Zion Church, where he remained three years. After a pastorate of four years
in New York City, he and his family moved to Troy, NY were he became pastor of the Seventh Ave. AME Zion Church.
The Seventh Ave. AME Zion Church in Troy progressed to a remarkable degree under Rev. Smith’s pastorate of a little
more than two years, and the affairs of the society were in prosperous condition. He organized the McAlpin Guard among the
young men and boys of his church, consisting of fifty-five members. The Guard had the honor of being the first African American
company to be officially recognized by the Adjutant General of the State of New York. While in Troy, Rev. Smith also organized
a missionary society in the church and a sewing society.
In the Grand Army of the Republic circles, Rev. Smith
attained distinction. He was elected chaplain-in-chief of the Department of New York in 1887, that being the first time a
colored man was elected to a position in that body. The following year he was re-elected almost unanimously, notwithstanding
there were many candidates. At Columbus, Ohio, in the same year he was chosen president of an association of officers who
composed colored troops.
Rev. Smith was a member of Pratt Post 127, G. A. R. of Kingston and of the Order of Moses
of New York. He became a Mason, but he had never affiliated with any of the local Masonic bodies
He was a prominent
candidate for the bishopric at the General Conference of the A. M. E. Zion Church at Mobile, Ala. He was a talented speaker,
delivering strong addresses not only in his church but also on general topics. In 1895, he was one of the Memorial Day orators
in this Troy, NY.
Rev.. Smith also was a contributor to the Star of Zion, the organ of the Zion’s Convention,
the National Tribune at Washington, the G. A. R. Journal of the State and other papers and journals devoted to African Americans.
DEATH, FUNERAL AND INTERMENT
The death of Jeremiah R. B. Smith occurred on Monday, 17 August 1896 in Troy,
NY. Rev. Smith suffered from pericarditis for about four months and for the last five weeks of his life he was confined to
the bed.
His funeral was held at the 7th Ave. AME Zion Church with Rev. Walters, Bishop J. W. Hood, Rev, George
Biddle, presiding elder, and Rev. W. H. Abbott of Nyack presiding. The remains of Rev. Smith arrived in Kingston Thursday
at 8:50 pm via the West Shore Railroad.
Captain E. G. garner, junior vice-commander of Willard Post. G. A. R.
of Troy, NY and Lieutenant S. Summer, officer of the day, of the same post with Department Quartermaster General Allen accompanied
the remains, acting as a guard of honor. A delegation from Pratt Post, G. A. R. 127, under the command of Commander George
M. Brink, was at the depot on the arrival of the train and escorted the remains to the Franklin Street AME Zion church were
a sermon was given by the Bishop of the Diocese and concluding remarks were delivered by the Presiding Elder of the District.
The interment took place at the Mt. Zion Cemetery and Commander Brink, assisted by Chaplain A. T. Drake, conducted the usual
Grand Army ceremony at the grave. Rev. Smith was buried with full military honors and members of the Pratt Post fired a rifle
salute.
Rev. Jeremiah R. B. Smith was
my Great-Great-Great Grandfather.
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