Published the 16th of January in 1894 in the
Sun out of Baltimore, MD
COLORED
CENTENARIANS
Annie Sullivan Died at the Age of 109
Minnie Jefferson Living at 107
[Special Dispatch to the Baltimore Sun]
NEW YORK, Jan. 15 – One-time slave Annie E. Sullivan
died January 9 at the Colored Home and Hope at Sixty-fifth street and First
avenue, at the age of one hundred and nine years. Her body was to buried in
Potter’s field Saturday, when it was claimed at the morgue by her
sixty-five-year-old son, Geo. Sullivan, who lives with the O’Dell Family at
Hastings-on-the-Hudson. The son placed the body in St. Michael’s Cemetery, Long
Island, yesterday.
The aged colored woman was the daughter of Philip
Pickering, who fought with Francis Marion, the “Swamp Fox,” in the Revolution.
She was born a slave in the Carroll family in 1735 and in later days often
recalled visits made with her master and mistress to General Washington at
Mount Vernon. By the dying request of her mistress she was given her freedom,
and removed to Washington, where she entered the service of the Buchanan
family. At a banquet given in Lafayette’s honor she was waiting upon the guests
when the French General, stuck with pleasant manners spoke to her kindly. She
was fond of recalling those recollections of her childhood. One of her brothers
fought under Jackson at New Orleans. When Jackson became President this brother
was made assistant gardener at the White House.
She married in Washington and in XXXX moved to this
city, John Garrison, of No. Old East One Hundred and Twenty-fourth street, was
nursed by Mrs. Sullivan thirty years ago. He says there is no reason to doubt
the truth of the woman’s great age. Her son at Hastings has a bible in which is
a record of her birth. She entered the home about eighteen months ago and
rarely spoke to any one, sitting bent double, with her head resting upon her
knows, motionless. Her death was due to old age.
A colored woman, named Minnie Jefferson who claims to
be one hundred and seven years old, and that she was a slave born in Shenandoah
Valley, VA. in the family of Thomas Jefferson when he was President of the
United States, is now lying in a small room in the rear of the house No. 147
West Twenty-seventh street this city. She has now living four generations –
three children, fifty-six grandchildren, eight great – grandchildren and one
great-great-grandchild. Her eldest daughter, who was also born in the
“Jefferson family, and who was named Caroline Jefferson, is seventy-seven years
old, and when she was born her mother was thirty years of age.
Her husband belonged to Daniel Taylor, who was one of
the largest slaveowners of the revolutionary times. At the time of the
surrender of Lord Cornwallis to General Washington the man she afterword
married was a drummer-boy in the Continental army. Several years before the
late war Granny Jefferson bought her freedom for $100. Her husband paid $450
for his freedom. The old woman has been confined to her bed since she lost her
sight three years ago. She retains all of her other faculties. On January 23 a
benefit will be given for her at St. Paul’s Colored Baptist Church in lower
Seventh avenue. Her grandson, who is janitor at a factory, is her mainstay.
