Ashley's sack

Ashley's sack is a cloth bag from the mid-1800s with stitched text that tells the story of a nine-year-old girl named Ashley being sold as a slave. When they were separated, her mother, Rose, gave her the sack as a parting gift. Rose filled it with a dress, a braid of her own hair, some pecans, and "my love always." It is believed the bag was passed down to Ashley’s granddaughter, Ruth Middleton, who sewed their family history onto the cloth in 1921.

The sack was given to Middleton Place in South Carolina, a famous historic plantation site. For several years, it was kept at the National Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington, D.C., before returning to Middleton Place in 2021. Experts say the sack is a very rare object from the time of American slavery. Tracey Todd of the Middleton Place Foundation noted that the sack helps people today understand the deep pain of families being forced apart, calling it a "portal" to learning about our shared past.

 History 

In the early 2000s, Ashley's sack was bought for $20 at a flea market in Nashville. The buyer was shocked by the stitched story of a mother and daughter being separated by a slave sale. She searched the internet for the names "slavery" and "Middleton" and decided to give the sack to Middleton Place.


The sack was shown at Middleton Place from 2009 to 2013, where it deeply moved many visitors. At first, no one knew exactly who Rose, Ashley, or Ruth were. Mark Auslander, a professor from Central Washington University, saw the sack and began researching its history. By looking through old census records, wills, and death inventories, he was able to identify the family. His research suggests that Rose and Ashley were owned by Robert Martin, a wealthy merchant in Charleston. When Martin died in 1852, Ashley was likely sold to other people to provide money for his family. 

Auslander also found information about Ruth Middleton. She was born Ruth Jones in South Carolina around 1903. Her parents worked at the University of South Carolina. Ruth later moved to Philadelphia and married Arthur Middleton, though they might not have lived together. In 1921, when she stitched the story onto the sack, she was likely a single mother raising her young daughter, Dorothy Helen. Ruth worked for wealthy families and eventually became a well-known member of high society in Philadelphia. She was often mentioned in The Philadelphia Tribune for hosting parties and wearing high-end fashion. Her daughter Dorothy also became known for her sense of style.

Ruth died in 1942 from tuberculosis, and her daughter Dorothy died in 1988.

Embroidery details

 Timeline 
Based on research by Professor Mark Auslander (dates are approximate):
1799–1852: Life of Robert Martin, the Charleston slaveowner who owned Rose and Ashley.
1844: Ashley is born.
1853: After Robert Martin dies, his records list Rose in Charleston and Ashley at a different plantation. Rose is valued at $700. Ashley is sold away from her mother at age 9.
1865: The Civil War ends, and slavery is abolished.
1880: Ashley’s daughter, Rosa, is born.
1903: Ruth Jones (the woman who later embroiders the sack) is born to Rosa in Columbia, South Carolina.
1918: Ruth moves to Philadelphia and marries Arthur Middleton. She begins working as a domestic servant.
1919: Ruth’s daughter, Dorothy Helen, is born.
1921: At age 18, Ruth embroiders the story of her grandmother Ashley onto the cotton sack.
1928–1942: Ruth becomes a well-known member of African-American high society in Philadelphia while continuing to work for wealthy families.
1942: Ruth dies of tuberculosis at age 39.
2007: The sack is found at a flea market in Tennessee and bought for $20. The buyer donates it to the Middleton Place Foundation.
2016: The sack is displayed at the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture.
2021: The sack returns to South Carolina to be kept at Middleton Place.

References

 Further reading 


Category:Slavery in the United States