Re: Black Peterkins of Marlboro Co. S.C.

Dear Linda:

Hi! I saw your reply on genforum.genealogy.com.I know there were a couple of Furman Peterkin's in Marlboro,so now I will expand more on what I know.According to the 1920 U.S. Census for Marlboro County,Furman, age 40,was married to Lillie B. who was age 28.They had a daughter named Katie Mae who was 3 years old,a son named Furman Jr. who was 2 years old and a son whose name looks like it was Darkam (?) age 9 months.The handwriting on some of the old census records is faded,but that's how it appears to read.

My Great-Grandmother was Sarah Ann Dixon.She had a relationship with Mr. Peterkin which resulted in two children that I know of:Catherine Dixon ("Dovie") who lived in Brooklyn, New York and Robert Charles Dixon or "R.C." or "Coot".These were children outside of his marriage.Robert Charles Dixon was my grandfather.He died in 1982 and is buried in Macedonia Baptist Church Cemetery in Bennettsville.It is said other Dixons are buried in Cedar Fall Cemetery.I know Katie Mae is still living,but I did not get a chance to meet her when I visited Bennettsville in 1997.Uncle Kyte,who was Robert Charles's brother,and husband of Corrie McRae Peterkin (My Great-Great Aunt) died a few years ago.

Anyway,my mother has always said that Grandpa Dixon's father was Mr. Furman who ran the candy store and I wanted a little more information.I saw Kyte in December of 1997.As I mentioned before,his wife Corrie,is my Grandmother's (Ella Jane Dixon) Aunt.I was there visiting and asking Corrie questions about my Great-Grandmother Tommie J. McRae (Corrie's mother).Someone said her people were brought to this country on a boat,but that they didn't come directly from Africa.Kyte said he too recalled as a child hearing his mother (Furman's wife) say the same thing about her people coming here on a boat,but that he could not recall any specifics.Something to the effect that they too were said to have had some Indian blood,but they weren't sure if far back there someone came from a place other than Africa or if they were mixed with white ancestry.My Aunt said that when she used to go to Bennettsville as a child for the summers during the early 70's, Katie Mae had a large picture of Furman on her wall. I am wondering if large eyes run in the Peterkin family?
I have been researching my father's family who is from the Tidewater Virginia Coastal North Carolina area for a long time and am about to bring that research to a close.With those chapters now ended,I thought it was time to do some digging into my mother's roots.The following explains my connection to Furman Peterkin:
Furman had a son named Robert Charles Dixon w/Sarah Ann Dixon about 1927.Robert Charles Dixon married Ella Jane Covington Simmons in 1952.They lived in Brooklyn, New York.They had two daughters,one named Yvonne Dixon or "Cookie" or "Vonie" in 1953.In 1962 they had another daughter named Veronica Dixon.Yvonne is my mother.I was born in 1973.You are more than welcome to email me directly at [email protected]

P.S. On the 1900 Census I came across an A. Peterkin and his wife Nancy who had the following children: Elizzie, Furman, Anna B., Thomas, Tommie J., Mary, Nancy, and Lillie G.Could A. Peterkin and Nancy been Furman Peterkin's parents?I also found another Furman Peterkin born in 1853 who had a wife named Dawkis born in 1855.There wer some Dudley's living with them in 1900.

Thanks,

Geneen