Mary Jane Holmes Shipley Drake facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Mary Jane Holmes Shipley Drake
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| Born |
Mary Jane Holmes
November 29, 1841 |
| Died | January 26, 1925 (aged 83) |
| Nationality | American |
| Spouse(s) | Reuben Shipley |
Mary Jane Holmes Shipley Drake was a brave American woman. She was born into slavery. Her story is important because she fought for her freedom. She won her freedom in 1853 through a special court case.
Her Early Life
Mary Jane Holmes was born in Missouri on November 29, 1841. Her parents were Robin and Polly Holmes. She had five brothers and sisters: Eliza, Clarisa, William, James, and Roxanna.
The Holmes family was enslaved by a farmer named Nathaniel Ford. He became their owner when he was the sheriff of Howard County in Missouri.
The Fight for Freedom
In 1844, Mr. Ford moved his family and the Holmes family to Oregon. At that time, slavery was not allowed in Oregon. Ford had promised to free the Holmes family once they were settled.
However, Ford did not keep his promise. He refused to free the Holmes family for five years. Even after his farm was set up, he did not free everyone.
Mr. Ford claimed that Robin Holmes agreed to work for his son for a year. He said that after this, Robin, Polly, and their baby son would be free. Ford also said that Robin agreed to leave his other three children with him. He said they would be "wards" to pay for his support.
Robin Holmes said this was not true. He said Ford was holding his children as slaves. Ford even threatened to sell them back to Missouri. This was a threat to use a law that forced escaped enslaved people back to their owners. A letter from Ford, found later, showed this was true.
The Court Case
Because Ford would not free their children, Mary Jane's parents took action. On April 16, 1852, they filed a lawsuit against him. They wanted to get their four children back.
The court case was long and difficult. It lasted 15 months. The case went through several lower courts. Finally, it reached the Oregon Territory Supreme Court. Chief Justice George A. Williams heard the case.
On July 13, 1853, the judge made an important decision. He ruled that the Holmes children were free. This was a huge victory for the family.
Life After Freedom
After gaining her freedom, Mary Jane Holmes chose to stay with the Ford family. She worked as a servant for four more years. She did this to help her parents earn money. Her parents had moved to Marion County with their other children. They owned a successful plant nursery there.
In 1857, Mary Jane was sixteen years old. She wanted to marry Reuben Shipley. But Mr. Ford demanded money from Reuben. He wanted $750 for Mary Jane to marry, even though she was legally free. Reuben Shipley did not want to go through another court battle. So, he agreed to pay the money.
Ruben and Mary Jane got married. They later bought an 80-acre (32 ha) farm near Corvallis, Oregon. They had six children and became respected members of their community.
After Ruben passed away, Mary Jane married R.G. Drake in 1875. She died on January 26, 1925. She lived a long life, outliving both her husbands and most of her children.
