Portrait: artist's interpretation. No photograph of Sarah Ashton Brooks is known.
Sarah Ashton Brooks
Recorded in Albemarle County, Virginia, Summer or Fall 1934
Their Story
This short recording says almost nothing about Sarah Ashton Brooks's own life. She spoke mostly about her mother, Sally, who she said was ninety-three years old as of the second of October and lived with her. Sarah said her mother had thirteen children, five of them still living, and that she was the only girl. She named her brothers, including Tom, Elvis and Richard.
She said her mother had twenty-five grandchildren and ten great-grandchildren, and that all of them lived up North, where they had gone for work and better wages. She named the oldest great-grandchild as Elvis Campbell, who she thought lived in Philadelphia, and the oldest grandson as John Ashton, then in his forties.
The interview was recorded in Albemarle County, Virginia, in the summer or fall of 1934 by Archibald A. Hill and Guy S. Lowman. Many of the interviewer's questions could not be made out, and the recording ends after one side.
The Recordings & Transcripts
The recording Albemarle County, Virginia, Summer or Fall 1934
Captions open at the bottom of the screen when you press play. Click any transcript line to jump to it.
Transcript
Archibald A. Hill[You want to tell us who (?)] you are?
Sarah Ashton BrooksSarah. Oh, Sarah. My mother is named Sally. Ninety-three years old, the second of, um, October. And she lives with me. She's the mother of thirteen children. Five, fiveliving. I'm the only girl. She lives with me.
Archibald A. Hill[Who are her other sons (?)]?
Sarah Ashton BrooksSir?
Archibald A. Hill???
Sarah Ashton BrooksOh, she has three um, no, four boys. ??? [a unknown woman says something in the background] Yeah, [Nelson is one (?)], Tom, Tom, Elvis, and, and ah, Richard. ???
Archibald A. HillAny grandchildren?
Sarah Ashton BrooksAh, yes she has ah, ??? twenty-five grandchildren ??? and ten great grandchildren.
Archibald A. HillNone of them live down here?
Sarah Ashton BrooksNo. They all live up North.
Archibald A. HillHow come they went up North?
Sarah Ashton BrooksThey working up North. Get more [wages (?)]. [she laughs]
Unidentified Woman[says something inaudible]
Sarah Ashton BrooksSome married. And some single.
Archibald A. HillAny morebeyond great grandchildren? Any great great grandchildren? [conversation briefly overlaps]
Sarah Ashton BrooksNo. No. No great great-grandchildren. No.
Archibald A. HillWho is the ah, the oldest great-grandchild?
Sarah Ashton BrooksGreat grandchild, ah, Elvis Campbell, is the oldest great grandchild.
Archibald A. Hill???
Sarah Ashton BrooksHe lives in, ah, Philadelphia, [at least I think he does (?)]. A grand, her oldest grandson is forty, forty [eight (?)] years old, John Ashton. He ??? .
Archibald A. Hill???
Sarah Ashton BrooksMmm.
Archibald A. Hill???
Sarah Ashton BrooksLaundry. Mrs. Phillips. She's the town clerk.
END OF SIDE A
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Recorded by Archibald A. Hill and Guy S. Lowman, Albemarle County, Virginia, Summer or Fall 1934. From Voices Remembering Slavery: Freed People Tell Their Stories. Bracketed notes and question marks in the transcripts mark sounds or words that are hard to hear.