WINSTEAD-L Archives From: Subject: Winstead - Slave Information - KY Date: Fri, 14 Jul 2000 10:07:35 EDT Staci - you wrote to me and asked if I had any slave data. You were responding to one of my Winstead e-mails regarding Missouri. Well - the only item I have is some information that I picked up at the Owensboro Library in Daviess County in KY. It was in one of their manilla folders in their filing cabinet where people put information regarding families they are researching. I copied it because this appears to relate to a slave that my ggg-grandfather owned (Stephen Hall Winstead - 1782 - 1841). I have included what I found - and if I find anything else - I will forward it to the list. The first page is a picture - but I am afraid that my copy is terrible. The second page are some notes by a descendant and the third is an obit. "RACHAEL STOUT WINSTEAD 1814-1924 Like all cultures, one of the family's first jobs is to persuade its members they are something special, more wonderful than any of the neighboring children. The persuasion consists of stories showing family members demonstrating admirable traits, which claims are family traits. Attention to stories' actual truth is never the family's most compelling consideration. Encouraging belief is. The family's survival depends on the shared sensibility of its members. During my childhood days, I can remember the tales told by my relatives of my great grandmother, Rachael, some I wonder if they could possibly be true. She was born in Daviess County as a slave in 1814. Little is known about her parents - only stories about her mother being a Chiricahua Indian. At the time of her birth Daviess County was then known as Ohio County and all records of that period are in Ohio County, which I have not had the chance to researched. The earliest record found is dated 1850, which is in the Kentucky Room of the Owensboro Public Library. She was evidently owned by a Stout at birth and had two brothers, Perry and Joe. It is not known when she was purchased by Steve Winstead who was her owner up until the Emancipation. Rachael grew up in an unimaginably cruel, unjust and confused world. We, as her descendants, cannot even begin to imagine the life of a slave. I do not believe that people in her station of life thought of the world in the sense that we think and take it for granted. She had no schooling. She was the mother of 18 children of which records of 11 have been found. All of her children had different fathers except two who were twins. All went in the name of Winstead except her first child who kept the name of Stout. Rachael lived on the Winstead's farm after the Emancipation and remained a free servant for them until she was unable to work. She then went to reside with her daughter Jennie Hall on the Old Boonville Road just west of Owensboro. She remained with her daughter until her death in 1924 at the age of 110. It has been related that even though short in stature she was one not to be dealt with unkindly. She was sometimes known to be very cruel. I wonder if she ever dreamed of being the ancestor of such a large and prosperous family. It seems unlikely that a family, as large as the Winsteads have become, could have stemmed from one woman. I am sure she would be very proud of all her ancestors. The following pages of descendants of Rachael were compiled by Bettye Burns and I to the best of our knowledge. (Either I did not copy this or it was not in the folder - I would contact the Owensboro Library.) Respectfully submitted by Sara Gray Winstead Grundy Great Granddaughter of Rachael August 10, 1991" Copy of Newspaper Clipping "Aunt Rachael Winstead, 110 Years Old Dies in County Pass 110 years in one community, in Daviess county west of the city. Aunt Rachael Winstead passed to her reward Wednesday night of the past week. She was born in times of slavery, the year being a bit uncertain, and was the property of S.H. Winstead, grandfather of former Sheriff Ike Winstead, who confesses to 60 summers and S.H. Winstead an older brother. The old negress had lived with the family until released by the proclamation of President Lincoln, and then remained with them for many years as a free servant. Aunt Rachael died at the home of her daughter, Jennie Hall, on the Boonville road, and was buried from Little Flock church west of Sorgho and in the church cemetery. A very large congregation of colored people who had known the elderly woman in her life attended her funeral. She is survived by five children, 25 grand children, 27 great grand children and 11 grand children, twice removed." -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- This thread: Winstead - Slave Information - KY by -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- RootsWeb is funded and supported by Ancestry.com and our loyal RootsWeb community. Learn more. About Us | Contact Us | Acceptable Use Policy | Privacy Statement | Copyright Copyright © 1998-2002, MyFamily.com Inc. and its subsidiaries.