Any use of this material except for historical research is prohibited.
Errors in indexing, and addenda are expected... and corrections, additions can be added to our notes page.
This is a research platform, and your input (corrections, additions, comments, etc.) is highly welcome.
Please provide references/links if appropriate!
Email Corrections, Addenda, etc.
to us at OSN
anti-spam powered by
Index to the Historical Documents on OSN: http://ourspecial.net/refindex/
Our Special Net Gean-ealogy.com OSN Weather OSN Search OSN Images/Gean
Written about 1929, Memories of a Long Life is a vignette of life
in North Carolina from about 1840 to 1929.
Lucy Jane Williams, (1840-1934) was born in Chatham County North Carolina, a daughter of Albert Jean (Gean) and Cynthia Harmon. "I do want to write a little of my life..." she writes.
The pages published here were transcribed in November 2005 by Mary Jane Sparks, from 2nd or 3rd generation photocopies transmitted to me by Melinda Harman Mathis, the amiable hostess at Gean-ealogy.com, and the "Kousins" research site. Melinda received a photocopy of "Memories" in 1991 from Merry Alpha Gean (Gardner)-(Downs), a grand-daughter of Lucy's brother, William Polk Gean. A source for an original printing is presently unknown. Perhaps, with this publication, one can be located, and the holder will have other valuable historical information to share. The pagination is identical to the original, but line space and typeface are not.
Scans of the photocopies are posted at Our Special Net Images: Lucy Jane Gean Williams
Also at that location are some personal letters written by Lucy.
Lucy was the sister of Ann Cornelia Gean, who married Jefferson B. Mansfield. Perhaps complementary to Lucy's book, are the Civil War letters of Ann and J.B. Mansfield, re-published on Our Special Net:
The Jefferson B. Mansfield Letters were printed in 1995-1996, and used with the permission of the publisher.
Lucy's History of the Mount Zion M.E. Church, South written in 1928, is a valuable adjunct to Memories.
Copyright Notice:
To the best of our knowledge, "Memories of a Long Life" is "common domain" material-- no copyrights have been located and the original author is no longer with us, but please do not use this commercially. The general content and presentation on this website IS protected, and much of the material is copyrighted, and used by permission.
Images from the photocopied frontispiece and last pages.
Michael Gean Sparks
September 2006
