Thursday, July 14, 2016

Isaac and Mariah Harrell of East Feliciana Parish, Louisiana

Top Left: William Harrell, Sr. Bottom Left: Isaac Harrell, Jr.
Top Right: Johnny Harrell: Bottom Right: Joseph Harrell
Isaac Harrell in the center.
Last week a woman name Carolyn August- Robinson contacted me about her East Feliciana Harrell family.  Her grandfather Isaac Harrell was born circa 1892. Isaac's mother was named Catherine, she married a man name Ripley Flowers who listed Isaac as his stepson in the 1900 U.S. Census. 

A brother by the name of James E. Harrell was living in the household. James was born in 1894. 

In 1910 he was living in the Police Jury Ward 7th, East Feliciana, Louisiana.  He was recorded as a mulatto and was a farmer by occupation. He was married to Mariah Jefferson Harrell.  They were the parents of Catherine, Emma, Leola, Viola, Mary Ella, Florence, Joseph, John, Isaac and Elizabeth Harrell.

In 1920 Isaac and Mariah were living in New Orleans, Louisiana at 5763 Dauphine Street. He worked as a laborer at a saw mill. In 1930 the family was living at 5431 Urquhart Street. Isaac was longshoreman working on the docks.

Their son Joseph was killed in a train derailment in 1947 on his way home. Once Isaac and his wife left the small town of Clinton they made New Orleans their home. Many of their descendants still live in the New Orleans today. I heard that there were Harrell's who lived in the ninth ward in New Orleans other than my Harrell family. Now that I'm making a connection with other Harrell's who came from Clinton it may help me find my maternal great grandfather Alexander's brother and sisters offsprings if there were any.

The Harrell Sister
Just this past week  family historian Karran Harper Royal and I went to Clinton to help New Orleans Police Officer Stephen Harrell, Sr. connect to his Harrell roots in Clinton. Now we're connecting with Carolyn to connect with her Clinton roots.

In 1802 Hezekiah Harrell was sent as early as 1802 by his father, fat old Levi Harrell of Charleston District, S.C., to explore the southern wilds for a home large enough for his "old folks," the littles one, the slaves and held. Hezekiah, having obtained a liberal Spanish grant.  Fat "Ole Levi," other family lines are  Smith, Bacon, Chance, Robinson, Hobgood, Little, Cassel, McNeil and Hunt. They all lived in East Feliciana and Amite County, Mississippi in the early 1800s.  I've been to the clerk's office in Amite County, Mississippi many time looking at the slave inventory and succession records of Hezekiah. Now that I know the lineage of Isaac and Beauregard Harrell, I would like to find their ancestors who were slaves to find out if they were related to my maternal great-great grandfather Robert Harrell.

Carolyn August-Robinson
One thing that fat old Levi told his son Hezekiah is not to sell any of his slaves. Hezekiah honored his father wishes and kept the enslaved African together on the the Harrell plantation.  I hear people with the last name Harrell talk about their Clinton roots.  I think its time to use DNA to find out if we're related once we hit a brick wall and our research can't go any
further.

So many of us with the last name Harrell want to know how history and more about our ancestors, who were they, where did they come from. Who are their children? Where did they go after the Emancipation Proclamation was signed granting the former slaves their freedom. I very grateful for social media networks, because we're sharing photographs and family stories.

Carolyn informed me that she and Stephen are friends on facebook and she was trying to find out if they're related.  I think we'll  get some answers very soon. If you're a Harrell with ancestral roots in East Feliciana Parish, Amite County, Mississippi, St. Helena Parish, Tangipahoa Parish and Orleans Parish, and you would like to share your Harrell family history please email me at afrigenah@yahoo.com., Karan and I would like to hear about your history and we're still searching for the descendants of Alexander and Dinah Harrell.
Isaac Harrell, Jr.
Son of Isaac and Mariah Harrell