Bethel Burying Ground Project

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The stillborn daughter of Julia Pearce was delivered this date, July 18th, in 1849 and was buried at Bethel Burying Ground. 

Dr. Thomas T. Smiley had his medical office on the northwest corner of 10th and Lombard Streets. Nearby lived a family of three generations of Black women. This family included Julia Pearce, 65 years old, her daughter, Hannah Pearce, thirty-two-years-old and Julia Pearce, the daughter of Hannah was seventeen-years-old. Young Julia lost her daughter in stillbirth with Dr. Smiley signing the death certificate. (See above)*

Sadly, the next day Dr. Smiley would sign the death certificate of the matriarch of the family who would pass away from Typhoid Fever.

Dr. Smiley was not done yet with the Pearce family. Tragically, two days later on the 21st, he would sign the death certificate of seventeen-year-old Julia Pearce who would die from Cholera. She was one of 148 Philadelphians to succumb to a vicious Cholera epidemic that week. 

Both women would be buried with the new stillborn baby at Bethel Burying Ground. (See below)

The 1847 Philadelphia African American Census shows a “Julie Ann Pierce” as the head of a family of three females residing on Lombard Street. This would have been the eldest of the three women. Her occupation was reported as “nurse.” One other woman was reported as being “at service” working as a live-in domestic. Only two of the women were born in Pennsylvania. 

The red pin represents the approximate location of the Pearce family home. The black arrow illustrates the location of Bethel A.M.E. Church where the women attended services.

The three women lived in one room at 363 Lombard Street in the 900 block of Lombard. Their rent for this tenement space was $2.25 a month, according to the 1847 Census. This amount would have been close to two weeks’ earnings for one of the working women. 

Three Women on Lombard Street, circa 1900-1905. Temple University’s Urban Archives.

The stillborn baby and the two adult women died between July 18th and the 21st in 1849 and were buried at Bethel Burying Ground. A heatwave had just broken and the days were clear and moderate with temperatures ranging from morning lows in the low 70s to highs in the low 80s in the afternoon.

The survivor of that tragic week for the Pearce family was Harriet Pearce. She buried her mother, daughter and granddaughter all within several days. According to her death certificate, Ms. Pearce lived until she was fifty-four years old working as a housekeeper. Still living on Lombard Street, she died of an “abdominal abscess” (ulcer?) in August 1869 and was buried at Lebanon Cemetery. 

*The ages of the Pearce women were gathered from the death certificates and the 1850 U.S. Census which recorded Harriet Pearson’s age. 

Five-month-old Julia Harper died this date, July 15th, in 1847 of Cholera and was buried at Bethel Burying Ground. She was the daughter of Robert and Dorcas Harper. He was twenty-five years old at the time of his child’s death; she was twenty-years-old. Both were born in Delaware. Julia was their only child. However, Ms. Harper would give birth to a son, Simon, in 1849, according to the 1850 U.S. Census. 

The black arrow indicates the location of the Harpers’ residence on the 900 block of Race Street. The location is now in the Chinatown section of the city. The red arrow indicates the location of what was “Penn Square” at the time – the future home of Philadelphia City Hall.

In 1847, it appears that the Robert and Dorcas Harper family lived with or next door to the George Harper family on Race Street. Robert and George may have been brothers or cousins. According to the 1847 Philadelphia African American Census, the rent for 340 Race Street was a hefty $6 a month. Robert worked as a laborer and George was employed as a stevedore and his unnamed spouse worked as a laundress. 

Little Julia Harper was one of the 443 children in Philadelphia that died of Cholera in 1847. She died on a “temperate and pleasant” day in July with the temperature rising to 82° and was buried at Bethel Burying Ground.

EPILOGUE

Thirty years before the death of little Julia Harper, Race Street looked very different. Black children were being sold as indentured servants. A young Black man was up for sale as “a good Carriage driver” and “an excellent hand on a Farm.”

Poulson’s American Daily, 10 January 1818.

The two girls and the young man listed above were not enslaved for life, as in the historical sense. They were enslaved as indentured servants. Slavery of a different kind. Frequently, white immigrants would offer themselves and their family members as indentured servants in order to pay the cost of their passage across the Atlantic. This would not be the system that Blacks would be forced into. 

Excellent reading on the Philadelphia Black indentured servant is in “A Fragile Freedom” by Erica Armstrong Dunbar. She focuses on Black women and girls forced into servitude. Also, the book “Freedom By Degrees” by Gary B. Nash and Jean R. Soderlund offers an excellent overview of the topic.

The six-month-old son of Frances and Francis Ludnun* died this date, July 9th, in 1848 of Hydrocephalus and was buried at Bethel Burying Ground. Ms. Ludnun was thirty-one-years-old at the time of her son’s death; Mr. Ludnun was thirty-six-years-old. She was born in Philadelphia while he was born in Delaware, according to the 1850 U.S. Census. At the time of the baby’s death, there were three other Ludnun children: Daniel (15 y/o), Charles (13 y/o), and Anne (3 y/o). All of the children were born in Philadelphia. 

The red arrow indicates the approximate location of the Ludnun family’s home on Wheat Street. The red star marks the Philadelphia Navy Yard.

The Ludnun family lived in a 10’x10′ room on Wheat Street in the far southeastern part of the county, very close to the Philadelphia Navy Yard. For this, they paid $.50 a week in rent. Mr. Ludnun reported in the 1847 Census that he earned $4 a week as a laborer, likely at the Navy Yard. Ms. Ludnun worked in the home.

In August of 1844, the neighborhood near the Navy Yard was raked by white mob violence. A gang raided the Navy Yard and stole two cannons with the goal of destroying Catholic churches in the neighborhood (Southwark). The city’s newspapers did not report the violence to the local Black community that more than likely happened.

The six-month-old son of Frances and Francis Ludnun died on an overcast day in July that saw intermittent showers. The temperature only rose to 70 degrees.

*In addition to the spelling of the family name as “Ludnun,” I have also seen it spelled “Lednum,” “Ludnam,” and “Lednun.”

Four-year-old Maria Britton* died this date, July 8th, in 1847 of lung disease and was buried at Bethel Burying Ground. She was the daughter of Charlotte and Peter Britton. Ms. Britton was twenty-two-years-old at the time of her daughter’s death. Mr. Britton was thirty-two-years-old. Ms. Britton was born in Maryland, while Mr. Britton was born in Cape Verde Islands, according to the 1847 Philadelphia African American Census. In addition to young Maria, the Brittons had a two-year-old son, Robert, and had a daughter Emma who was born two years later in 1849. Both children were born in Pennsylvania, according to the 1850 U.S. Census. In both censuses (1847 & 1850), Mr. Britton reported his occupation as “seaman.” Ms. Britton was employed as “days worker” in the 1847 Census.

The red pin indicates the approximate location of the Brittons’ residence at 227 Lombard Street. The red arrow indicates the location of Bethel A.M.E. Church where they worshiped. The family paid $1.50 a month for a 10’X10′ room. Mr. Britton likely was paid $4-$5 a month as a seaman. Ms. Britton possibly would earn $0.50-$1.00 a week.

Peter Britton reported to census takers that he was born in the Cape Verde Islands, now know as Carbo Verde. The red pin indicates the country’s location off the west coast of Africa.

“The Cape Verde islands are situated 350 miles off the West Coast of Senegal . . . The islands were first settled by the Portuguese in the mid 15th century, they were uninhabited at the time. The Portuguese wanted to set up plantations, modeled on what they had done in the Algarve region of Portugal, so they brought West African slaves to the Cape Verde islands to cultivate the land, but because of this arid climate, they weren’t very successful at it. But nonetheless, the large African population intermingled with the fewer numbers of Portuguese, to create a completely new culture and society—Cape Verdean Creole.”

Cape Verdeans came on whaling vessels to the United States as early as the late 1700s. 

“The Cape Verde islands were a stopping off point for the whaling industry. Vessels, mainly from New Bedford, Massachusetts, would make regular stops at the Cape Verde islands for supplies and for salt. When whaling went into decline in the latter 19th century, the whaling captains were having trouble finding crew for their ships. They tended to hire a diverse group anyway, but young Yankee seamen were no longer interested in serving. So when they would stop at the Cape Verde islands, the young men of the islands, who were so eager to find any means of survival, that they just seized the opportunity to work on these whaling vessels.”

(Marilyn Halter at https://afropop.org/articles/cape-verdean-american-story-with-marilyn-halte)

Four-year-old Mary Britton died on a day that was alternately cloudy and clear with the temperature rising to 88°. Her parents buried her at Bethel Burying Ground.

*Although the attending physician spelled the family’s last name ‘Brinten,’ it is most commonly spelled ‘Britton’ in census records. I also have seen it spelled ‘Briton.’ The attending physician, Dr. J.J.G. Bias, was a Black man who was instrumental to the establishment of a strong Black community in 19th century Philadelphia.  

Thirty-two-year-old Caroline Anderson died this date, June 24th, in 1853 of Consumption of the Bowel. (The death certificate identifies her year of birth incorrectly. She was 32 years old at her death and was born in 1822.) This bacterial disease created ulceration and perforation in the victim’s intestines, making nourishment impossible to reach the body. The 1850 U.S. Census shows that Ms. Anderson was born in Delaware. There was no occupation reported.

Her spouse Isaac Anderson was born in Maryland and was thirty-seven years old at the time of Ms. Anderson’s death. He reported his occupation as “laborer” in the 1850 Census. It appears the Andersons did not have children.

The red arrow indicates the location of the Andersons’ residence on Fifth Street just north of South Street. The yellow arrow indicates the close proximity of Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church. The couple would have lived in one small room for which they would pay $3-$5 a month in rent. Mr. Anderson would have been fortunate to make that amount in a week. 

The above photo was taken just five years after Ms. Anderson’s death in 1853. It depicts the old Hurst mansion that was built in 1776. It was located two blocks from the Andersons’ home. The building was a tenement by 1853 and the yard was used for storage of wagons, lumber, and headstones from the adjacent marble yard. (Library Company of Philadelphia)

Ms. Anderson died on a day where the temperature reached 82°. For the four days previous, the temperature soared to 95°– 96°. The night before her death, a “fine shower” brought some relief. For someone not able to hold fluid down, her suffering is hard to comprehend. 

Ten-year-old Alexander Murrell died this date, June 18th, in 1851 of Stomatitis and was buried at Bethel Burying Ground. Stomatitis is a condition that causes painful swelling and sores in the mouth.  Causes for this include injury, infection, allergies, and malnutrition. The victim usually dies from Septicemia. 

The child’s father was David Murrell. His mother’s name has not been mentioned in any of the available documents. Mr. Murrell was employed as a waiter earning $2.50 a week. Ms. Murrell worked as a wash woman earning $.50 a week, according to the 1847 Philadelphia African American Census. One of the adults was previously enslaved and manumitted by their enslaver. Ten-year-old Alexander was their only child at the time of his death.

The red pin above illustrates the location of the Murrell family’s residence in Liberty Court in the Spring Garden District in the northern part of the City (before county consolidation in 1855).

The box outlines the location of Liberty Court that ran from 10th Street below Vine Street.

Liberty Court was an “African American enclave.” It was a small courtyard community of “band-box” houses squeezed in behind the larger residences that faced the street. “Liberty Court had been erected over a portion of the property along Tenth Street, owned by the First African Baptist Church (FABC), between 1810 and 1822.” A 1985 archeological project revealed the skeletal remains of five African Americans that were missed when the FABC moved its cemetery in 1822. Liberty Court eventually was demolished during the construction of the Vine Street Expressway extension in the late 1980s.*

This “enclave” was home to extremely poor Black families who were paying $0.75-$1.00 a week for one room. Looking at the results of the 1847 Census, there were 18 families with a total of 86 family members living in Liberty Court. The vast majority of the males worked as porters when they could get the work. The women were employed in their usual jobs of domestic and laundress.  Many families received public assistance in the form of firewood in the winter. In addition, there was a higher than normal percentage of formerly enslaved men and women. Interestingly, I could not find any of the Liberty Court residents recorded in the 1850 U.S. Census.

The Murrells buried their son at Bethel Burying Ground on a clear warm day in June.

*John L. Cotter, et. al, The Buried Past: An Archeological History of Philadelphia, p. 301-303.

Thirty-four-year-old Daniel Johnson died this date, June 15th, in 1854 of Tuberculosis and was buried at Bethel Burying Ground. Mr. Johnson was employed as a porter until the onset of his illness. He was married to Anna Johnson, who was thirty-two-years-old at the time of her spouse’s death. There was no occupation reported for her. Both were born in Delaware, according to the 1850 U.S. Census. It appears they did not have children. Below is the family’s entry from the 1850 Census which includes two others residing in the same room with the Johnsons.

It was common for families to share a room to defray the cost of the rent, although there may have been a family connection. The 1852 Philadelphia City Directory has the Johnson couple residing at #23 Gilles’ Alley. 

The black arrow indicates the location of Gilles’ Alley. The red pin illustrates the close proximity of Bethel AME Church.

Gilles’ Alley was a narrow thoroughfare lined with wretched tenements.  It was cobblestoned and without sewer connections. The overflowing outhouses were often used by the homeless for shelter. “It is safe to say not one house in the alley could pass an inspection without being condemned as prejudiced to health.”* In 1847, it was home to forty Black families totaling almost one hundred members. They were working as cake bakers, stevedores, seamen, cooks, shoemakers, domestics, and painters. 

The Johnsons regularly attended religious services and were members of a beneficial society, according to the 1847 Census. 

Anna Johnson buried her husband at Bethel Burying Ground on a clear June day where the temperature rose to 65 degrees by noon. Although it is not possible to be definitive, there is some evidence that Anna Johnson may have lived until June of 1893 when she died at 71 years old of heart disease and was buried at Lebanon Cemetery.

*W.E.B. DuBois, Philadelphia Negro, p. 307.