Crosby History
INTRODUCTION
This history of the Crosby Family will speak not only for their descendants, but also to preserve the memories of the millions of slaves who lived in the United States and were unable to record their lives. In reading and recording genealogy, it's very important to remember, there are few absolutes. Recording what you know at present is like a chameleon, the knowledge will shift and change as new discoveries are made. However, now with DNA testing made more available, more absolutes on "who you may be, " "where you come from," and who you belong to," are more defined. Discrepancies concerning dates of birth are a given as slaves were barely given a name, let alone informed of date of birth. In obtaining materials with dates, specifically, date of births, it is best to rely on 5 years before and 5 years after the given dates as a possible range. Information is only as good as the knowledge and perception of the person giving the information. Example 1: census takers reporting of "color" of household members will vary depending on the census taker perception. The census taker might have seen a White Female living in a household as a spouse with a Black Male and labeled her as W, for White, or M, for Mulatto or B, for Black, depending upon his/her perception. Example 2: a grandchild may be living in a household with elderly grandparents and becomes the spokesperson for them, giving the census takers wrong information regarding the grandparent's place of birth, because it was unknown to them. Most likely they would give their place of birth as the grandparent's place of birth. As African Americans we will not always find literary documents to substantiate our oral stories. However, these stories are as much a part of our history as validated records and are not to be discounted. Slaves did leave records; they recorded their history through songs and stories.
CROSBY FAMILY HISTORY: William and Cheney Burnett begat Elizabeth Burnett, who became Elizabeth Crosby. William and Cheney Burnett are listed in the 1870 U.S. Census, listing their home as Cherokee, Spartanburg, South Carolina, with Spartanburg listed as their Post Office. They are identified as "Black." Birth dates/places are: circa 1832, South Carolina for William, circa 1835, South Carolina for Cheney. Marriage date information not given. At the time of the 1870 Census, Four (4) children were listed in their home as their children: Elizabeth Burnett, 13; Isaiah Burnett, 6; Alice Burnett, 2 and Thos Burnett, 9 months. Elizabeth Burnett, who would become the Matriarch for the Crosby Family, reappears in the 1900 U.S. Census as Elizabeth Crosby. We know this Elizabeth Burnett and Elizabeth Crosby are one in the same because both were born in South Carolina, both states parents were born in South Carolina, birth dates falls within the 5 year spectrum of 5 years before the given date? or 5 years after the given date. Finally, Elizabeth's daughter, Mary Crosby Whitehead, on her U. S. Social Security Application and Claims, lists her mother as Elizabeth Burnett and her father as Aiken Crosby. In the 1900 U.S. Census, Elizabeth Burnett is listed as Elizabeth Crosby, born, October 1862, residing in Militia District 6, Chatham, Georgia. She's listed as a widow, having been married for 19 years. Marriage year recorded as 1881. Occupation listed as "Laundress," and renting. The Census states that she had 14 children, 9 of them living in 1900. Children listed as living in her household are as follows: John Crosby 17 Nathanial Crosby 15 James Crosby 13 Frederick Crosby 9 Burl Crosby 8 Gilbert Crosby 4 Hattie Crosby 2 Daughter, Mary Crosby, about. 27, at this time is married to William Whitehead, as of June 10, 1896, Chatham County, GA. Another daughter, Sarah is also married and living with her husband. The 1910 U. S. Census, reports Mary Burnett Crosby as "Lizzie Brown," age 45, birth year about. 1865, birthplace, South Carolina. She's living in Militia District 6, Chatham, Georgia, on Esterville Street. Elizabeth "Lizzie" is listed as married for nine (9) years, but is the head of the household, husband information not given. Occupation listed as "Farming," with a mortgaged on her home. Number of children born, 9, with 6 living children. Children missing from the home that were in the last Census were Nathaniel and James. Additions to the 1910 household were, Dinah Crosby - 22, and May Crosby - 1, the wife and daughter, of John Crosby. Elizabeth "Lizzie" demographics changes quite a bit in the 1930 U. S. Census. Lizzie Brown is now 70 years of age, birth date about. 1860, birthplace, Georgia, widowed, head of household. She's living in Savannah, Chatham, Georgia, on 922 Frank Street, renting. One person, a granddaughter, Edna Brown is living with her in the house. Elizabeth "Lizzie" Brown,s death information from Georgia Vital Records, lists her birth date about. 1859, place of birth, South Carolina, death date, June 20, 1934, age 75, location, Savannah, Georgia. Cause of death, not stated.
"So how did we get the Surname Crosby" Aiken Crosby the Spouse of Elizabeth Burnett appears in the 1870 Cenus as a Sixteen year old Black Male in Broxton South Carolina working as a Farm laborer. He is in a Household headed by Asa Crosby in the 1870 census and she is listed as being the head of household about 66 years of age widowed and"White" her ocupation is listed as keeping house she is the widow of Pete Crosby. Dinah Crosby a Nineteen year old Mullatto was the only other Person of color in that hosehold in the 1870 Cenus and she is listed as a Domestic Servant. Slavery Ended in 1865 in South Carolina but between 1865 to 1877 South Carolina underwent Reconstruction. Reconstruction provided the opportunity for African Americans to solidify their family ties and to create independent religious institutions, which became centers of community life that survived long after Reconstruction ended. The former slaves also demanded economic independence. Blacks’ hopes that the federal government would provide them with land had been raised by Gen. William T Sherman’s Field Order No. 15 of January 1865, which set aside a large swath of land along the coast of South Carolina and georgia for the exclusive settlement of black families, and by the Freedmen’s Bureau Act of March, which authorized the bureau to rent or sell land in its possession to former slaves. But President Johnson in the summer of 1865 ordered land in federal hands to be returned to its former owners. The dream of “40 acres and a mule” was stillborn. Lacking land, most former slaves had little economic alternative other than resuming work on plantations owned by whites. Some worked for wages, others as sharecroppers, who divided the crop with the owner at the end of the year. Neither status offered much hope for economic mobility. So its inferred that Aiken Crosby asumed the name Crosby from the family that inslaved him and stayed on during the recontruction era. Aiken Crosby is indentified as the Father of our family by goverment Records . Aiken Crosby Appears in Social Security claims of Sarah Crosby Harris, Mary Crosby Whitehead, and Nathanial Crosby listing Aiken Crosby as the Father and Elizabeth Burnett as the Mother. Aiken Crosby has no offical Death date but its assumed he passed before the 1900. Elizabeth Burnett Crosby on the 1900 census is listed as Head of household and Widowed with a marraige year as 1881. The last Child given the Crosby name was born in 1898.
The Decendents of Nathanial Crosby, John Crosby, Mary Crosby Whitehead , Sarah Crosby Harris and Hattie Crosby Reynolds make up the entire Crosby family of today.
The Crosby family of Today is a Strong family unit consisting of Professials in all walks of life.
I would like to Acknowledge Gail Bushrod , Hattie Reynolds Kerton and Tyrone Spann Sr with Their Research, Stories and Pictures of Our Great Family.
This history of the Crosby Family will speak not only for their descendants, but also to preserve the memories of the millions of slaves who lived in the United States and were unable to record their lives. In reading and recording genealogy, it's very important to remember, there are few absolutes. Recording what you know at present is like a chameleon, the knowledge will shift and change as new discoveries are made. However, now with DNA testing made more available, more absolutes on "who you may be, " "where you come from," and who you belong to," are more defined. Discrepancies concerning dates of birth are a given as slaves were barely given a name, let alone informed of date of birth. In obtaining materials with dates, specifically, date of births, it is best to rely on 5 years before and 5 years after the given dates as a possible range. Information is only as good as the knowledge and perception of the person giving the information. Example 1: census takers reporting of "color" of household members will vary depending on the census taker perception. The census taker might have seen a White Female living in a household as a spouse with a Black Male and labeled her as W, for White, or M, for Mulatto or B, for Black, depending upon his/her perception. Example 2: a grandchild may be living in a household with elderly grandparents and becomes the spokesperson for them, giving the census takers wrong information regarding the grandparent's place of birth, because it was unknown to them. Most likely they would give their place of birth as the grandparent's place of birth. As African Americans we will not always find literary documents to substantiate our oral stories. However, these stories are as much a part of our history as validated records and are not to be discounted. Slaves did leave records; they recorded their history through songs and stories.
CROSBY FAMILY HISTORY: William and Cheney Burnett begat Elizabeth Burnett, who became Elizabeth Crosby. William and Cheney Burnett are listed in the 1870 U.S. Census, listing their home as Cherokee, Spartanburg, South Carolina, with Spartanburg listed as their Post Office. They are identified as "Black." Birth dates/places are: circa 1832, South Carolina for William, circa 1835, South Carolina for Cheney. Marriage date information not given. At the time of the 1870 Census, Four (4) children were listed in their home as their children: Elizabeth Burnett, 13; Isaiah Burnett, 6; Alice Burnett, 2 and Thos Burnett, 9 months. Elizabeth Burnett, who would become the Matriarch for the Crosby Family, reappears in the 1900 U.S. Census as Elizabeth Crosby. We know this Elizabeth Burnett and Elizabeth Crosby are one in the same because both were born in South Carolina, both states parents were born in South Carolina, birth dates falls within the 5 year spectrum of 5 years before the given date? or 5 years after the given date. Finally, Elizabeth's daughter, Mary Crosby Whitehead, on her U. S. Social Security Application and Claims, lists her mother as Elizabeth Burnett and her father as Aiken Crosby. In the 1900 U.S. Census, Elizabeth Burnett is listed as Elizabeth Crosby, born, October 1862, residing in Militia District 6, Chatham, Georgia. She's listed as a widow, having been married for 19 years. Marriage year recorded as 1881. Occupation listed as "Laundress," and renting. The Census states that she had 14 children, 9 of them living in 1900. Children listed as living in her household are as follows: John Crosby 17 Nathanial Crosby 15 James Crosby 13 Frederick Crosby 9 Burl Crosby 8 Gilbert Crosby 4 Hattie Crosby 2 Daughter, Mary Crosby, about. 27, at this time is married to William Whitehead, as of June 10, 1896, Chatham County, GA. Another daughter, Sarah is also married and living with her husband. The 1910 U. S. Census, reports Mary Burnett Crosby as "Lizzie Brown," age 45, birth year about. 1865, birthplace, South Carolina. She's living in Militia District 6, Chatham, Georgia, on Esterville Street. Elizabeth "Lizzie" is listed as married for nine (9) years, but is the head of the household, husband information not given. Occupation listed as "Farming," with a mortgaged on her home. Number of children born, 9, with 6 living children. Children missing from the home that were in the last Census were Nathaniel and James. Additions to the 1910 household were, Dinah Crosby - 22, and May Crosby - 1, the wife and daughter, of John Crosby. Elizabeth "Lizzie" demographics changes quite a bit in the 1930 U. S. Census. Lizzie Brown is now 70 years of age, birth date about. 1860, birthplace, Georgia, widowed, head of household. She's living in Savannah, Chatham, Georgia, on 922 Frank Street, renting. One person, a granddaughter, Edna Brown is living with her in the house. Elizabeth "Lizzie" Brown,s death information from Georgia Vital Records, lists her birth date about. 1859, place of birth, South Carolina, death date, June 20, 1934, age 75, location, Savannah, Georgia. Cause of death, not stated.
"So how did we get the Surname Crosby" Aiken Crosby the Spouse of Elizabeth Burnett appears in the 1870 Cenus as a Sixteen year old Black Male in Broxton South Carolina working as a Farm laborer. He is in a Household headed by Asa Crosby in the 1870 census and she is listed as being the head of household about 66 years of age widowed and"White" her ocupation is listed as keeping house she is the widow of Pete Crosby. Dinah Crosby a Nineteen year old Mullatto was the only other Person of color in that hosehold in the 1870 Cenus and she is listed as a Domestic Servant. Slavery Ended in 1865 in South Carolina but between 1865 to 1877 South Carolina underwent Reconstruction. Reconstruction provided the opportunity for African Americans to solidify their family ties and to create independent religious institutions, which became centers of community life that survived long after Reconstruction ended. The former slaves also demanded economic independence. Blacks’ hopes that the federal government would provide them with land had been raised by Gen. William T Sherman’s Field Order No. 15 of January 1865, which set aside a large swath of land along the coast of South Carolina and georgia for the exclusive settlement of black families, and by the Freedmen’s Bureau Act of March, which authorized the bureau to rent or sell land in its possession to former slaves. But President Johnson in the summer of 1865 ordered land in federal hands to be returned to its former owners. The dream of “40 acres and a mule” was stillborn. Lacking land, most former slaves had little economic alternative other than resuming work on plantations owned by whites. Some worked for wages, others as sharecroppers, who divided the crop with the owner at the end of the year. Neither status offered much hope for economic mobility. So its inferred that Aiken Crosby asumed the name Crosby from the family that inslaved him and stayed on during the recontruction era. Aiken Crosby is indentified as the Father of our family by goverment Records . Aiken Crosby Appears in Social Security claims of Sarah Crosby Harris, Mary Crosby Whitehead, and Nathanial Crosby listing Aiken Crosby as the Father and Elizabeth Burnett as the Mother. Aiken Crosby has no offical Death date but its assumed he passed before the 1900. Elizabeth Burnett Crosby on the 1900 census is listed as Head of household and Widowed with a marraige year as 1881. The last Child given the Crosby name was born in 1898.
The Decendents of Nathanial Crosby, John Crosby, Mary Crosby Whitehead , Sarah Crosby Harris and Hattie Crosby Reynolds make up the entire Crosby family of today.
The Crosby family of Today is a Strong family unit consisting of Professials in all walks of life.
I would like to Acknowledge Gail Bushrod , Hattie Reynolds Kerton and Tyrone Spann Sr with Their Research, Stories and Pictures of Our Great Family.