Brown Fellowship Society facts for kids
The Brown Fellowship Society was an important group in Charleston, South Carolina. It was started in 1790 by African American men who wanted to help each other. This group later changed its name to the Century Fellowship Society. They focused on providing support and care for their members and their families.
How the Society Started
The Brown Fellowship Society began in Charleston, South Carolina, in 1790. Its motto was "Charity and Benevolence," meaning kindness and good deeds. Five free African American men from St. Philip’s Episcopal Church started it. These men were James Mitchell, George Bampfield, William Cattel, George Bedon, and Samuel Saltus.
They created the society because they needed services that white churches did not offer them. These included a proper burial ground, help for widows and orphans, and support during sickness. Having their own cemetery was a very important part of the group's purpose.
Members of this society considered themselves "brown." This was a key difference at the time. In Charleston, people were often grouped by their skin color and ancestry. The Brown Fellowship Society was mainly for African Americans with lighter skin tones or mixed heritage.
What the Society Did
Unlike some other self-help groups for African Americans, the Brown Fellowship Society was not connected to any church. They even avoided talking about religion during their meetings. Many members owned their own businesses and were quite successful.
The society did not get involved in the issue of slavery. Instead, their main goal was to create a cemetery and a meeting house for "brown" African Americans. They successfully bought land for both.
The society had about 50 members. To join, a person had to pay a $50 fee. They also had to pass three different votes before being accepted. The group did not allow discussions about politics or religion.
Besides the cemetery, the society also helped members' widows. They even ran a primary school for children. The group supported its members' businesses and worked to represent their interests to the white community.
After the American Civil War, the Brown Fellowship Society grew. It started to include more African Americans, including women and those with darker skin.
Later Years and Legacy
In 1892, the society changed its name to the Century Fellowship Society.
In 1943, the city of Charleston passed a rule. This rule stopped private groups from keeping their own graveyards. Because of this, the Century Fellowship Society sold its original cemetery in 1945 to Bishop England High School. After selling the land, the society officially closed down.
For many years, the Catholic Diocese said that all bodies had been moved from the cemetery. However, in 2001, four graves were found when the College of Charleston started building its Addlestone Library. The entire cemetery area was eventually paved over.
The records of the Brown Fellowship Society are now kept at the Avery Research Center for African American History and Culture. These records help us learn about this important part of history.
The Brotherly Society
In 1843, a free African American man named Thomas Smalls wanted to join the Brown Fellowship Society. But he was not accepted because his skin was considered "too dark." So, he decided to start his own group.
He named his group The Society for Free Blacks of Dark Complexion. It was later renamed the Brotherly Society. This new society created its own graveyard for African Americans of pure African descent. This cemetery was called MacPhelah, and it was right next to the Brown Fellowship Graveyard. Thomas Smalls also opened another cemetery called Ephrath, which is still there today.
