INTERVIEW WITH MANDY TOMBERLIN COVERSON, FORMER SLAVE

(Note: Believe her married name was originally CUTHBERTSON)

 

Name: Mandy Coverson

Age: 78

Birth place: Union County

Residence: North Carolina

Places lived: Raleigh

Interview location: Raleigh, Wake County, North Carolina

Father’s name: Henderson Tomberlin

Mother’s name: Sarah Tomberlin

Mother, places lived: Union County

Spouses name: Daniel Coverson

Other owners mentioned: Jackie Tom Tomberlin, Moses Coverson

Dated: June 7, 1937

 

An interview with Mandy Coverson, 78, of 103 South Wilmington Street, Raleigh (NC).

 

            “I wuz borned in Union County to Sarah an’ Henderson Tomberlin.  My mother belonged to Mr. Moses Coverson, an’ my pappy belonged to Mr. Jackie Tom Tomberlin.  I stayed wid my mammy, of course, an’ Marster Moses wuz good ter me.  Dey warn’t so good ter my mammy, case dey makes her wuck from sunup till sundown in de hot summertime, an’ she ain’t had no fun at all.  She plowed two oxes, an’ if’en yo’ has eber been around a steer yo’ knows that agravatin’ things dey is. 

            “De oberseer, whose name I’se plumb forget, wuz pore white trash an’ he wuz meaner dan de meanest nigger.  Anyhow I wuz too little ter do much wuck so I played a heap an’ I had a big time.

            “My mammy, died ‘fore I wuz very old an’ missus kept me in de house.  I wuz petted by her, an’ I reckon spoiled.  Yo’ knows dat den de niggers ain’t neber eat no biscuits but missus always gimmie one eber meal an’ in dat way she got me interested in waitin’ on de table.

            “I wuzn’t old enough ter know much, but I does ‘member how de fambly hid all de valuables ‘fere de Yankees come, an’ dat Marster Moses in pickin’ up de big brass andirons hurt his back an’ dey said dat dat wuz de cause of his death a little while atterwards.  Anyhow de andirons wuz saved an’ dar warn’t no trouble wid de Yankees who comed our way, an’ dey ain’t hurt nobody dar.

            Dey did kill all de things dat dey could eat an’ dey stold de rest of do food stuff.  Dey make one nigger boy draw water fer dere hosses fer a day ‘an night.  De Yankees wuz mean ‘bout cussin’, but de southern soldiers wuz jist as bad.  Wheeler’s Cavalry wuz de meanest in de whole bunch, I thinks.

            “De Ku Kluxes wuz pretty mean, but dey picked dere spite on de Free Issues.  I doan know why dey done discept dat dey ain’t wantin’ no niggers a-favorindem nigh by, now dat slavery am ober.  Dey done a heap of beatin’ an’ chasinfolkses out’n de country but I ‘specks dat de Carpet Bagger’s rule wuz mostly de cause of it.

            “I married Daniel Coverson, a slave on de same plantation I wuz on, an’ forty years ago we moved ter Raleigh.  We had a hard time but I’se gladdat he an’ me am free an’ doan belong ter two diff’ent families.”

 

Source - Ancestry.com database: U.S. Interviews with Former Slaves.

Original data: A Folk History of Slavery in the United States From Interviews with Former Slaves, 1936–1938. Vol. 1-17. Federal Writers’ Project of the Works Progress Administration microfilm publication SCM 000 320, SCM 000 321, SCM 000 322, SCM 000 323, SCM 000 325, 5 rolls. Library of Congress, Washington D.C.


 

 

Additional Information:

 

Union County, NC Marriages

Amanda Tomberlin, age 18 (black), dau. of Henderson & Sarah

Daniel W. Cuthbertson, age 24 (black), son of Saml. & Harriett

Married on July 1, 1883

 

Apparently, somewhere along the line they changed their name from CUTHBERTSON to COVINGTON:

 

1930 Census, Raleigh Township, Wake County, North Carolina

Wake County Home of Aged and Infirm

Enumeration District: 55; Page 22A

Covington, Daniel, inmate, male, negro, age 75, married, born NC, parents born NC

 

North Carolina Death Certificate
Daniel Covington

Gender: Male
Race: Black
Age: 78
Birth Date: abt 1853
Birth Place: Monroe, North Carolina, United States
Death Date: 20 May 1931

Death Location: County Home, Raleigh, Wake County
Spouse's name: Amanda Covington

Marital status: married
Father's name: Sam Covington
Mother's name: Harriett Covington

Informant: Willie Covington, 1105 S. Blount St., City

Burial location: Lincolnville

 

North Carolina Death Certificate
Name: Willie Covington
Gender: Male
Race: Black
Age: 68

Occupation: Barber
Birth Date: 14 Nov 1882
Birth Place: Union County, North Carolina, United States
Death Date: 21 Oct 1951
Death Location: 1201 Smithfield Rd, Raleigh, Wake County
Father's name: Daniel Covington
Mother's name: Amanda Thomlin
Residence: Raleigh, Wake, North Carolina

Informant: Mrs. Blanche Covington, 1201 Smithfield Rd.

Burial: Hillcrest Cemetery

 

North Carolina Death Certificate
Name: Mr. Dan Covington
Gender: Male
Race: Black
Age: 49
Birth Date: abt 1892
Birth Place: Union County
Death Date: 16 Sep 1941
Death Location: McCauley Hospital, Raleigh, Wake County
Spouse's name: Mrs. Trueletta(?) Covington
Father's name: Dan Covington, born Union Co.
Mother's name: Mandy Tomlick, born Union Co.
Residence: Cary, Wake County, North Carolina

Informant: Mrs. Trueletta Covington, Cary, R-1, Box 18

Burial: Lincolnville Church, Wake Co.

 

 

 

MORE UNION CO., NC GENEALOGY

 

This page created February 2, 2011 by Julie Hampton Ganis