Our Historical Roots in the Continental U.S.:
The Life of John Drinkard, Sr. and Victoria Hansom
By Meru Nombeko-Aisha Kheop, 6th Generation Drinkard
(Birth Name: Kimi'Sung Tori Dixon)
Spring 2012
The Life of John Drinkard, Sr. and Victoria Hansom
By Meru Nombeko-Aisha Kheop, 6th Generation Drinkard
(Birth Name: Kimi'Sung Tori Dixon)
Spring 2012
John Drinkard, Sr.
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Victoria (Hansom) Drinkard
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Did you know that... in 1870, only 5 years after slavery was abolished in the United States, John and Victoria (Hansom) Drinkard used the surname LINCOLN? This is evidence that our ancestors wanted to change their family name. This is consistent with many other reports that black people, once free as full citizens, named themselves. In John and Victoria's case, it makes sense why they would want the surname Lincoln because the 16th President, Abraham Lincoln, signed the Emancipation Proclamation. The important questions is, why wasn't the name able to stick?
John Drinkard, Sr. and Victoria (Hansom) Drinkard are my great-great-great grandparents. John Drinkard, Sr. was born in July circa 1847 in Mississippi. His parents were also born in Mississippi according to United States Census records. **Note: His death Certificate pictured below contradicts the date and location of his birth.** In 1867, he married Victoria (Hansom) Drinkard, who was born in Georgia in July circa 1850. Her parents were born in Georgia as well. Thus, we begin the known family tree of the African-American Drinkard Family in the Continental U.S. *Both are listed are "Mulatto" on the 1870 U.S. Census (Photo 1) and "Black" on the 1900 U.S. Census (Photo 2).
John Drinkard, Sr. was recorded as an enlisted private in the AMERICAN CIVIL WAR on the side of the Confederacy in the State of Georgia in 1862. This makes sense because our collective American history tells us that the enslaved people were forced to become soldiers for the Confederate Army who fought to maintain the slave system against the Union Army. The question here is, was John Drinkard, Sr. ever enslaved? Did our ancestor, John Drinkard, Sr. want to become a soldier for the Confederacy, or not? One way for us to determine how our ancestor felt and what he thought about at the time, is to look at what we see documented by him. The first opportunity he had to declare what side he was on, for everyone to see, is in the U.S. Census of 1870. Our ancestor, known as John Drinkard, Sr. put his family's surname down as LINCOLN on the 1870 U.S. Census. Abraham Lincoln was the Commander and Chief of the UNION ARMY which fought to end the slave system. In 1870, five years after slavery officially ended in the Continental U.S. as a result of the Union Army winning the U.S. Civil War and President Abraham Lincoln signing the Emancipation Proclamation in 1865, all formerly enslaved African-Americans were able to include themselves in the U.S. Census. At the time, 23 year old John and his wife, 19 year old Victoria, and their 2 children, James (age 3) and John, Jr. (age 2 months) lived at #282 in the 28th District of Blakely, Early, Georgia. In this very first census for freed black families, our first known "Black" Drinkard ancestors recorded their surname as LINCOLN, not Drinkard.
Between 1870 and 1880, the family relocated to Alabama because according to the 1880 U.S. CENSUS, John Drinkard, Sr. and his wife, Victoria (Hansom) Drinkard, along with their 7 children, made their home in Crawfords and Columbia in Henry County, Alabama. Then, 10 years later, Victoria (Hansom) Drinkard is listed in the 1890 GEORGIA PROPERTY TAX DIGEST as owning 62.5 acres of land at #382, District 28, Early, GA. The land is valued at $125 with horses, mules, cattle and stock worth $40; household and kitchen furniture at $25; plantation and mechanical tools at $40; and other property worth $2.
According to the 1900 U.S. CENSUS (photo 2), John Drinkard, Sr. and Victoria (Hansom) Drinkard were married for 33 years and lived at #44 Rockhill District 510 including River, Hillton Town, Early, GA. In 19oo, John is listed as a farmer who cannot read or write, and Victoria is listed as a person who can read, but not write. They live with the following children: Lucius, age 17 (born July ca. 1882); Alabliss, age 16 (born May ca. 1884); Dahl, age 12 (born March ca. 1888); and Handsome, age 7 (born June ca. 1892). Right next door lived their 2nd eldest child, John Drinkard, Jr. a 30 year old turpentine laborer (born May ca. 1870); his wife Susan (Hubberd) Drinkard (born Dec. ca. 1876); and their 4 children.
In 1910, John Drinkard, Sr. and Victoria (Hansom) Drinkard continued to live and work at the farm with 24 year old Alabliss and 17 year old Handsome. John Drinkard, Sr. continued to work on the family's General Farm and his wife, Victoria, and daughter, Alabliss, worked as laborers on the family's House Farm at #119 and #120 Militia District 510, Rockhill, Early, GA in the 1920s.
Our Family Tree and U.S. Census Records are consistent in the fact that my gret-great-great grandparents, John Drinkard, Sr. and Victoria (Hansom) Drinkard birthed 11 children: James, John, Jr., Anna, Wiley, Joe, Evelina, Hattie, Lucius, Dahl, Alabliss and Handsome.
Below is a copy of John Drinkard's original death certificate (Photo 3). You will see that there is a discrepancy in his birth year and place. All other copies of original manuscripts pertaining to his place of birth, wife, children residence, and birth year consistently reveal that he was born circa 1847, his spouse is Victoria Drinkard, Lucius is his child, and that he and his parents were born in Mississippi.
Another interesting observation: John Drinkard, Sr. was buried in Columbia, Henry County, Alabama where the family resided at the time of the 1880 U.S. Census. The historic map below (Photo 4) illustrates the geographic relationship between Blakely and Columbia. A road separates the two towns. This raises even more questions: Could it be that John and Victoria Drinkard had family and property in Alabama as well? How often did they travel between the locations? Why would our ancestor be buried in Alabama when it is clear that the couple lived, worked, raised children, and grandchildren in Georgia?
Note: In the videotaped interview of Emily (Cissy) Houston, which is locates under "4th GEN", she answers the question of how did John, Sr. and Victoria Hansom acquire the land that they owned? Cissy recounts this about her great-great grand-parents, John Drinkard, Sr.'s parents; his father was Indian and his mother was Dutch. If this is the case (no records have been located to support this), then, it makes sense that John Drinkard, Sr. would not be listed as a formerly enslaved person, and would have land. This also supports other findings that the early Native Americans were "Black" because John Drinkard, Sr. is listed on the first U.S. Census as "Black".
John Drinkard, Sr. was recorded as an enlisted private in the AMERICAN CIVIL WAR on the side of the Confederacy in the State of Georgia in 1862. This makes sense because our collective American history tells us that the enslaved people were forced to become soldiers for the Confederate Army who fought to maintain the slave system against the Union Army. The question here is, was John Drinkard, Sr. ever enslaved? Did our ancestor, John Drinkard, Sr. want to become a soldier for the Confederacy, or not? One way for us to determine how our ancestor felt and what he thought about at the time, is to look at what we see documented by him. The first opportunity he had to declare what side he was on, for everyone to see, is in the U.S. Census of 1870. Our ancestor, known as John Drinkard, Sr. put his family's surname down as LINCOLN on the 1870 U.S. Census. Abraham Lincoln was the Commander and Chief of the UNION ARMY which fought to end the slave system. In 1870, five years after slavery officially ended in the Continental U.S. as a result of the Union Army winning the U.S. Civil War and President Abraham Lincoln signing the Emancipation Proclamation in 1865, all formerly enslaved African-Americans were able to include themselves in the U.S. Census. At the time, 23 year old John and his wife, 19 year old Victoria, and their 2 children, James (age 3) and John, Jr. (age 2 months) lived at #282 in the 28th District of Blakely, Early, Georgia. In this very first census for freed black families, our first known "Black" Drinkard ancestors recorded their surname as LINCOLN, not Drinkard.
Between 1870 and 1880, the family relocated to Alabama because according to the 1880 U.S. CENSUS, John Drinkard, Sr. and his wife, Victoria (Hansom) Drinkard, along with their 7 children, made their home in Crawfords and Columbia in Henry County, Alabama. Then, 10 years later, Victoria (Hansom) Drinkard is listed in the 1890 GEORGIA PROPERTY TAX DIGEST as owning 62.5 acres of land at #382, District 28, Early, GA. The land is valued at $125 with horses, mules, cattle and stock worth $40; household and kitchen furniture at $25; plantation and mechanical tools at $40; and other property worth $2.
According to the 1900 U.S. CENSUS (photo 2), John Drinkard, Sr. and Victoria (Hansom) Drinkard were married for 33 years and lived at #44 Rockhill District 510 including River, Hillton Town, Early, GA. In 19oo, John is listed as a farmer who cannot read or write, and Victoria is listed as a person who can read, but not write. They live with the following children: Lucius, age 17 (born July ca. 1882); Alabliss, age 16 (born May ca. 1884); Dahl, age 12 (born March ca. 1888); and Handsome, age 7 (born June ca. 1892). Right next door lived their 2nd eldest child, John Drinkard, Jr. a 30 year old turpentine laborer (born May ca. 1870); his wife Susan (Hubberd) Drinkard (born Dec. ca. 1876); and their 4 children.
In 1910, John Drinkard, Sr. and Victoria (Hansom) Drinkard continued to live and work at the farm with 24 year old Alabliss and 17 year old Handsome. John Drinkard, Sr. continued to work on the family's General Farm and his wife, Victoria, and daughter, Alabliss, worked as laborers on the family's House Farm at #119 and #120 Militia District 510, Rockhill, Early, GA in the 1920s.
Our Family Tree and U.S. Census Records are consistent in the fact that my gret-great-great grandparents, John Drinkard, Sr. and Victoria (Hansom) Drinkard birthed 11 children: James, John, Jr., Anna, Wiley, Joe, Evelina, Hattie, Lucius, Dahl, Alabliss and Handsome.
Below is a copy of John Drinkard's original death certificate (Photo 3). You will see that there is a discrepancy in his birth year and place. All other copies of original manuscripts pertaining to his place of birth, wife, children residence, and birth year consistently reveal that he was born circa 1847, his spouse is Victoria Drinkard, Lucius is his child, and that he and his parents were born in Mississippi.
Another interesting observation: John Drinkard, Sr. was buried in Columbia, Henry County, Alabama where the family resided at the time of the 1880 U.S. Census. The historic map below (Photo 4) illustrates the geographic relationship between Blakely and Columbia. A road separates the two towns. This raises even more questions: Could it be that John and Victoria Drinkard had family and property in Alabama as well? How often did they travel between the locations? Why would our ancestor be buried in Alabama when it is clear that the couple lived, worked, raised children, and grandchildren in Georgia?
Note: In the videotaped interview of Emily (Cissy) Houston, which is locates under "4th GEN", she answers the question of how did John, Sr. and Victoria Hansom acquire the land that they owned? Cissy recounts this about her great-great grand-parents, John Drinkard, Sr.'s parents; his father was Indian and his mother was Dutch. If this is the case (no records have been located to support this), then, it makes sense that John Drinkard, Sr. would not be listed as a formerly enslaved person, and would have land. This also supports other findings that the early Native Americans were "Black" because John Drinkard, Sr. is listed on the first U.S. Census as "Black".
Photo 1. 1870 U.S. Census - John and Victory (Victoria) Lincoln
(Changed to Drinkard)
(Changed to Drinkard)
Photo 2. 1900 U.S. Census - John and Victoria Drinkard, Sr. &
John and Susan Drinkard, Jr. (See Lines 24 thru 35)
John and Susan Drinkard, Jr. (See Lines 24 thru 35)
Photo 3. John Drinkard, Sr.'s Death Certificate
Photo 4. Antique Map of Alabama and Georgia
Researched and written by Meru Nombeko-Aisha Kheop (aka. Kimi'Sung Tori Dixon,
6th Generation Drinkard 2011-2018). Send all inquiries to: johnandvictoriadrinkardclan@gmail. com
6th Generation Drinkard 2011-2018). Send all inquiries to: johnandvictoriadrinkardclan@gmail. com