An intriguing figure in the history of the Mount Zion Union Band of Georgetown, is Mary Ann Marshall, c. 1827-1894. who never married and who resided in Georgetown throughout her life.
She is listed in Freedman’s Bank records, under a Mount Zion Union Daughters’ Freedmen’s Bank Draft, dated July 3, 1867: ”Draft signed by the President and Secretary of the Society, will always be payable at the bank.” Mrs. Eliza Dorsey, President; Mrs. Georgeanna Brown, Secretary; Mrs. Julie Dent, Treasurer; Miss Mary Ann Marshall; Miss Eliza Batesen; Mrs. Harriet Rhodes.
What can be reconstructed of Mary Ann’s life in Georgetown?
The first reference I know to her is in the Compensated Emancipation record of the prominent Georgetown physician Dr. Joshua Riley, 23 May 1863. He reports her age as about 35, so presumably she was born around 1827. He notes “that at the time of said discharge said was of the age of Thirty five, as well as can be ascertained and of the personal description following:(1) five ft six inches in height, well proportioned, & perfectly healthy & sound, skin black lower lip rather prominent & somewhat pendulous check bones prominent. Teethe good. That your petitioner acquired his claim to the aforesaid service or labor of said Mary Ann Marshall in manner following:(2) purchased of Doct . H. Magruder in March 1851 for the Sum of Five Hundred 500 Dollars cash. That for said servant her master had been offered the sum of Eight Hundred 800$ by a trader. rather, than separate a family, he was willing to part with her for the sum named. There was no bill of sale”
Mary Ann’s enslaver (and later employer) Dr. Joshua Riley, born 19 Jan 1800 City of Baltimore, Maryland, Death 11 Feb 1875 (aged 75) Georgetown, District of Columbia and also buried in Oak Hill Cemetery) was one of DC’s most prominent physicians. He is reported in his obituary to have treated the poor of the city without payment.
He resided at 91 Gay Street, later known as 3088 N Street, NW which also housed his medical practice. The house was demolished at some point after 1913.
The “Dr. H Magruder” who had sold Mary Ann in 1851 must have been Dr. Hezekiah Magruder (b 25 May 1804 in Montgomery County, Maryland, USA, Died 20 Jul 1874 (aged 70) in Georgetown and buried in Oak Hill Cemetery
The 1850 Slave Schedules has two different entries for Hezekiah Margruder in NW Georgetown, with 5 and 2 slave respectively. In the second listing, the 26 old black woman slave is presumably Mary Ann Marshall, the year before her sale.
Mary’ Ann’s Immediate Family.
In his compensation petition for Mary Ann Marshall, Joshua Riley claims that Hezekiah Magruder sold Mary Ann to him in 1851 for only $500, so that she could remain close to her family. Who were these family members?
The 1850 census records a free Black young woman, Cynthia Marshall, age 16, residing as a domestic servant in the home of Dr. Hezekiah Magruder. Perhaps she is a younger sister of Mary Ann.
Twelve years later, the 1862 emancipation records record an Isaac Marshall, age 50, and Emily Marshall, age 35, both enslaved by Dr. Hezekiah Magruder. Presumably, these three individuals, perhaps Mary Ann’s father and sisters (one free, one enslaved) were the family members whom Dr. Magruder did not want to separate Mary Ann from. Thus, he sold her to his neighbor and fellow medical practitioner Dr. Riley, where she remained close by her immediate kin.
After Emancipation
What became of Mary Ann after emancipation? The 1867 bank record noted above implies that she must have been an active member of the Mt Zion Daughter’s Union (also known as the Mt Zion Union Band Society). She presumably worshiped at Mt Zion Methodist throughout her life; as noted below, her funeral service was conducted by the Mt Zion pastor.
The 1870 census, enumerated eight years after DC Emancipation, has Mary Ann Marshall, b 1830, in Georgetown, still residing as a house servant, in the household of her former enslaver Dr. Joshua Riley and his wife Juliet Riley.
The 1876 city directory list Mary Ann Marshall as a servant, still at at 91 Gay St, Georgetown (now “N” street), in the household of Juliet Riley (1803-1883), the widow of her late enslaver and employer Dr. Joshua Riley who had died a year earlier.
The 1880 census again has Mary Ann Marshall as a servant of Juliet Riley on Gay Street
After the death in 1893 of Juliet Riley, Joshua Riley’s widow. Mary Ann Marshall remained in this household (according to the 1888 and the 1893 city directories) up until her death. She appears to have been employed by Mary Anna Riley, spinster daughter of Dr Joshua and Juliet Riley, who resided at 3088 N St until her death in 1913.
Mary Ann Marshall received an unusually detailed obituary in the Evening Star, on Tuesday, July 24, 1894:
Mary Marshall Dead. The funeral of Mary Ann Marshall, one of the oldest colored folks of Georgetown, who for nearly fifty years was a faithful domestic in the family of the late Dr. Joshua Riley, took place yestereay from the Riley home, 3088 N Street. She was a women of the old school of servants;faithful to all trusts and respected by all for her integrity She came from one of the first colored families of this sedtion. She was never married. Her disposition was a retiring one, yet all who visited the Riley home were firends of Martha.
She had reached an advanced age
Those who acted as pall bearers were Henry Bowles, Caleb Hawk, Tho Williams, and Chas Smith. The services were held at the house, where deceased had spent the greater part of her life. There were conducted by the Rev W.A. Carroll, pastor of Mt Zion Church.
Mary Ann Marshall’s DC death certificate records her burial in Mt Zion Cemetery on 22 July 1894.
Mary Ann’s Immediate Family
Issac Marshall, Mary Ann’s likely father, is enumerated in the 1870 census as a common laborer residing in Georgetown, age 65, residing next door to John Marshall, 45, a porter, his wife Mary and son Nace, a domestic servant, who are likely all kin to Isaac. Perhaps John was Isaac’s son and Mary Ann’s brother.
City directories show Isaac Marshall continuing to live in Georgetown, at 1513 33rd Street, until his death on March 8, 1899.
His Evening Star obituary reads:
Isaac Marshall died at his residence at his residence on 32nd street Wednesday, night, at the advanced age of ninety-six years. The deceasd had resided in Georgetown the greater part of his life. The funeral will take place tomorrow afternon from Plymouth Church, corner of 17th and P street, Columbia Lodg, no 1376, G.U.) of O.F, of which he as a member, will attended in a body. The interment will be at Mount Zion Cemetery
His niece “Martha” placed a memorial notice in the Star on March 11, 1899. His death certificate indicates he was buried at Mt Zion on March 12, 1899.
Note that there is another Isaac Marshall in the 1870 census residing in Washington Ward 4, who must be a different person, married to a Chloe. The Freedman’s Bureau records indicate, retroactively, that this Isaac Marshall married Chloe Scott around 1820 by a Rev. Wright in Montgomery County, Maryland. He may be the same Isaac Marshall who escaped from Thomas Claggett, 8 September 1840. (Chloe Scott Marshall was enslaved by Samuel Anderson, who claimed compensation for her emancipation in 1862). I do not know if the two Isaac Marshalls are related.
I have not as of this writing been able to trace Emily Marshall or Cynthia Marshall, who may have been Mary Ann’s sisters.
Possible Extended Kin to Mary Ann Marshall
Mary Ann’s obituary statees she came from one of the oldest Black families in DC
The 1850 census lists about 27 Black free individuals in DC with the surname Marshall. Of these seven resided in Georgetown:
—Cynthia Marshall, age 16, who is as noted above, servant in the household of Hezekiah Marshall, and possible sister of Mary Ann Marshall
–Susannah Marshall, age 13, born in Georgetown, working in the household of Ignatius Clark, grocer
—W Marshall, a 29 year old man, born in Massachusettes, with four minors (M Marshall, 16, M Marshall, 13, W Marshall 12, A Marshall 6).
In 1862, in addition to Mary Ann, Issac and, six other enslaved people with the surname Marshall were emancipated in DC:
–Chloe Marshall, enslaved by Samuel B Anderson; as noted above she had been married for our four decades to a different Isaac Marshall; Richard Marshall, enslaved by Sarah Forrest,
—Martha Marshall and Ellen Marshall, enslaved by Christiana Larner and Arian Tweedy
—Julian Marshall, enslaved by Thomas A Richards
—Josephine Marshall, enslaved by Jonathan Learn
Perhaps some of these free and enslaved Marshalls were kin to Mary Ann, Issac, and Emily Marshall.
Mark Auslander 