Worcester morning daily spy., 1898-01-31
HOW OLD WAS MAMM1E MAR1AH?

From the Memphis Commercial Appeal.)
Nicholasville, KY, Jan. 22.-In the pau
pers' graveyard in the town of Cynthiana,
in central Kentucky, silent and unosten-
tatioue with no stone to tell who lies be-
meath, is a newly-made mound. The
sleeper was a recent inmate of the Harri-
son county poorhouse, sometimes dignif1ed
with the name of infirmary. "Mammie
Mariah." an old negro woman, who sleeps
her last sleep in that newly made grave,
came to Kentucky more than 100 years
ago from "Ole Virginny" with a family
named Innis. Soon afterward she was
bought by Thomas Hamilton and his wife,
who were laid to rest years ago in the
beautiful cemetery at Lexington. OF all
the slaves in the household in which she
served there was none like old. Mammie.
Baby's cries We're hushed upon her breast,
childish griefs were poured into her sym
pathetic ear, the troubles of the school
boy and girl dwindled into nothingness be-
fore her honeyed words and kind caresses,
donned the gray to fight for his loved
Dixie land" would not go away without
first receiving Mammies blessing. For
three generations she petted and caressed,
scolded-yes, and even spanked-the chill
dren of her "missis." Death came to the
old woman peacefully, without a struggle,
without moment's warming. Sitting in
her old armchair. she dropped into gem
tie sleep from which she never awakened.
The negress was a middle-aged woman
when bought by the Hamiltons. The
Maria became the property OF Miss Jane
Hamilton, whom she had nursed. Miss
Hamilton married James Carroll. The
CAROLS died, and still this woman, even
then remarkably old and wiZened, lived.
Mrs. Jane Carroll died a year ago at the
age Of 70. Mammie Maria had a child Is
years older than Mrs. Carroll. Mammie
Maria was married five times.
Ever since the oldest inhabitant of Har-
rison county can remember she has been a
dried-up old woman Of the mummy order
she appeared more like the typical witch
than like a human being Although par
TALLY deaf during the last 50 years of her
life, her .eyesight was wonderfully good,
and right up to the time she died she
could, without spectaclesa see to thread a
needle. Old people who as children were
nursed in the lap of Mammie Maria re-
late many stories which she told them Of
the appearance of Washington, and Of the
fmery of the relocated Britishers and
colonial customs, all of which she distinct
ly remembered.
Peter Turner, an old negro Of this place,
youngest son of Mammie Marias young
est sister, who was raised by the Carroll
family, and has lived with them all his
aunt, Mammle Maria, was in 1860, and she
then told me that she was over a hundred
years old, and 1 think she was a hundred
and forty at the time of her death"
A grandmother of Mrs. Dorothy Carroll,
mother of James Carroll, says: For
% years before my grandmother died,
Mammie Maria lived with her. I remem-
Der my grandmother, who died exactly 80
years ago, at the age of 105 years, very
distinctly, as L was also grown, and both
the old women said that the negress was
few years the elder. This would have
made Mammie Maria about 40 at the time
of her death, a few days ago."
James Carroll whose wife owned Mann
mie Maria, died is years ago, and at the
time of his death he stated that she was
1& years old. But the following affidavit
made by Graves Carroll. former assessor,
and one of the most prominent citizens OF
Harrison county, and son Of James and
Jane Carroll, should prove a clincher as
regards the age of this old woman:
Il, Graves Carroll, being duly sworn
state that to the best of my knowledge and
belief, the negro woman known as Mann
m1e Maria was 1876 years old at the time
OF 4, her death. / compute her age in the
following way: She was few years older
than my grandmother, Mrs. Dorothy Car
roll. Mrs. Carroll died 80 years ago in the
lOSth year of her age. This would have
made Mammie Maria about 139 years old
when she died. Therefore, feel perfectly
safe In stating that she was 1876 years old
''Graves Carroll
state of Kentucky, Harrison county
subscribed and sworn to before me by
Graves Carroll. this 18th day of January.
1879 w. S. Hardin"
The CAROLS above referred to came
from Maryland, and are descendants of
Charles Carroll of Carrollton one of the
signers of the Declaration of Independ-
ence. Other members Of this Carroll fam
ily In central Kentucky, from whom other
FACTS In the above story were obtained,
will make affidavits as to their truthful
ness, and that the old negress was at least
1SS years old when she died.