1894 Obituary of Hampton Futch, a former slave of Union Parish Louisiana

Submitted for the Union Parish Louisiana USGenWeb Archives by T. D. Hudson, 12/2006


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1894 Obituary of Hampton Futch, a former slave of Union Parish Louisiana

From the Farmerville "Gazette"; issue of Wednesday, 30 May 1894, page 3, column 4


Hampton Futch, an old colored resident of this place, died last Thursday. He was a very old negro, reputed to have reached his 104th year of existence.


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NOTE:
Despite what the newspaper stated about Hampton Futch's age, other records strongly suggest that he was born about 1811, in either Virginia or Kentucky. It appears that Hampton was owned by Oliver H. P. Windes in the 1840s. Windes died in August 1847, and his estate included the slave "Hamilton", then aged 27 years old. This 
age does not appear correct, as later records show him born about 1811. Oliver's slaves apparently went to his brothers, Edward B. Windes and Robert W. Windes. The 1850 slave schedule of Union Parish shows a male slave owned by Edward B. Windes aged 30. This matches the age given in Oliver's estate records. 

In 1860, Edward B. Windes owned a male slave aged 49, almost certainly Hampton. Windes died in 1861, and his estate records dated March 1864 mention 53-year-old "Hamilton" as a slave belonging to Windes as his own separate property (indicating that Windes had inherited this slave from a relative). Windes' widow Sarah Carr remarried to Robert W. Futch by 1863, and the court appointed Robert and Sarah Futch 
as the guardians of Edward B. Windes' children. Since these children were the sole owners of Hampton, Robert W. Futch was in charge of Hampton in the mid-1860s. 
It appears that Hampton chose the surname "Futch" based upon this connection. 

The 1870 census shows "Hamilton" Futch living near Farmerville, aged 55, which puts his birth about 1815. He was engaged in farm labor, and listed his birth as Virginia. His wife was "Elen", born about 1835 in South Carolina. 
They had children: 
Charley (born c1854)
Alfred (born c1855), 
Guy (born c1858)
Paulina (born c1862)
Susan (born c1865)
Hamilton (born c1868)

In 1880, Hampton Futch worked as a mail carrier near Farmerville with Ellen and their children. He was listed as 70 years old, putting his birth in about 1810. Hampton's birthplace was listed as Kentucky, with his parents born in Virginia. Ellen was listed as 46 years old, or born about 1834 in Alabama. Their children included"
Lina (born c1862)
Susan (born c1864)
Hampton (born c1870)
James (born c1873)
Caroline (born c1877)


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