Sarah Ann and Benjamin Manson facts for kids
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Sarah Ann and Benjamin Manson were an enslaved couple from Wilson County, Tennessee. They had sixteen children together. They held a marriage ceremony in 1843. However, they could not be legally married until after the American Civil War. They officially married on April 19, 1866. They received a marriage certificate from the Freedmen's Bureau. Two of their sons fought in the war with the United States Colored Troops. After the war, Benjamin Manson worked as a farmer. He also became a minister for the African Methodist Episcopal Church. His first wife, Sarah Ann, passed away by 1899. Benjamin married two more times in his life.
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Life Before Freedom: Enslaved People
Benjamin Berry Manson shared details about his life in July 1909. He did this for a special record related to the Civil War. He was born on April 11, 1826, in Virginia. His parents, Sallie Blyth and Joe Manson, were also born in Brunswick County, Virginia. Benjamin was enslaved by Nancy Manson. She moved with her enslaved people to Tennessee when Benjamin was 11 years old. When Nancy died, her son Joseph inherited Benjamin.
Benjamin lived in Wilson County, Tennessee. There, he met Sarah Ann. She was enslaved by Dr. L.B. White. Benjamin was about 18 or 19 years old when they had their ceremony. At that time, children born to enslaved mothers were considered enslaved. They also took the last name of their mother's enslaver. So, their first son, John, had the last name White. For a while, John was enslaved by Dr. White. Later, he returned to Joseph Manson.
Becoming Free: Emancipation
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Why Legal Marriage Was Important
During slavery, enslaved people could not legally marry. Their relationships were not recognized by law. The Freedmen's Bureau was a government agency. It was created on March 3, 1865, by the War Office. Its job was to help formerly enslaved people and refugees. This included providing food, clothes, education, and jobs. It also helped formalize marriages for couples who had been enslaved.
After the Civil War, thousands of couples wanted to make their marriages legal. The Freedmen's Bureau, missionaries, and army clergy helped them. This made their family bonds official and protected by law.
Benjamin and Sarah Ann's Legal Marriage
Benjamin Berry Manson and Sarah Ann Benton White had lived as husband and wife since October 28, 1843. They had a wedding ceremony on the porch of their enslaver's home. After the Civil War ended, they were legally married on April 19, 1866. This happened in Lebanon, Tennessee. Their marriage certificate listed the names and ages of nine of their children:
- John (about 21)
- Jane (20)
- Martin Clark (18)
- Rob Pryoer (17)
- Ellen Clopton (16)
- Sallie (14)
- Paul (12)
- William (10)
- Patsy Agnes (6)
Their marriage certificate was a very important document. It showed their right to live together as a family. The Mansons had sixteen children in total. Their sons John and Martin fought in the American Civil War. They served in the 14th Regiment of the United States Colored Troops. Another son, William, served in other all-Black regiments. These were the 24th and 25th Infantry regiments. They served in the Western United States.
Life After Freedom
In October 1866, Benjamin Manson became a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church. He was part of the Nashville Mission District in Tennessee. That same year, he joined The Missionary Society of the church. Benjamin became known as Reverend B. B. Manson. He was a minister at the Methodist Episcopal Church in Lebanon, Tennessee. He also guided and mentored John Angelo Lester.
In 1874, Benjamin was given a leadership role. He became a leader for the Nashville District of the Tennessee Conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church. By 1880, he was the Presiding Elder for the Western District of the Tennessee Conference.
In 1877, Benjamin was made president of the Colored Benevolent Society of Tennessee. He was also a member of the State Temperance Association from Wilson County, Tennessee. This group worked to reduce alcohol use.
Benjamin married for a second time on May 31, 1899. His second wife was Arrana Price, who was born in 1836. In 1900, he worked as a farmer. He married for a third time on January 2, 1901, to Julia Maury. She was born around 1860. In 1910, Manson was a retired minister. He lived in Lebanon, Tennessee. Benjamin Manson passed away in Lebanon on January 2, 1914.
