Granny Cain
From:
South Carolina
Project 1885-1
District #4
Spartanburg, S. C.
May 31, 1937
FOLKLORE: EX-SLAVES
"I was born on the other side of Maybinton, in Newberry County, South
Carolina. Old Squire Kenner was my master and his wife, Lucy, my
mistress. My pa was Joseph Gilliam, who was a slave of John Gilliam, and
my mamma was Lou Kenner, who was a slave of Squire Kenner. I stayed with
my mamma at Squire Kenner's and waited on my mistress, Mrs. Lucy Kenner,
who was the best white woman I know of--just like a mother to me, wish I
was with her now. I stayed there 'till my mistress died, was right by
her bed.
"It sure was a good place to live. Dey didn't give us money for work but
we had enough to eat and place to sleep and a few clothes. Squire had a
big farm he got from the Hancocks, some of his kin. He didn't have
overseers; he looked after his own farms. Master had a big garden and
give us lots from it to eat. We hunted 'possums, rabbits, squirrels,
wild turkeys, on the river. We lived right near Broad River.
"I remember de padderrolers; dey come to my pa's house and want to come
in, but pa had an old musket gun and tole them if dey come in dey
wouldn't go out alive--and dey went away.
"After the day's work was done, the slaves would set down and talk, and
on Saturday afternoons, they would stay home, go fishing or wash up, and
sometimes the chaps would go to de river and watch the boats full of
cotton go by. On Sundays we go to church. They made us go to Baskets
church, de white folks church, and set in the gallery. On Christmas Day
we would get time off and master would give us good things to eat. We
never had any corn-shuckings and cotton pickings there. All of the
family and the slaves do that work on moon-shiney nights. We had some
games we played, like Molly Bright, Hiding Switches, Marbles. We played
on Sunday, too, unless the mistress calls us in and stops us.
"When a slave got sick we sent for the doctor. We never put much store
in herb root tea and such like.
"The Yankees went through Maybinton but didn't get over as far as us.
Some say they stole cattle and burned ginhouses.
"Squire Kenner was killed in the war, and when the war was over we
stayed on with de mistress; she was like a mamma. She had a son who was
killed in the war, too. Another son lived there and we worked for him
after Mistress died, but he soon moved far away and sold out his
plantation. His name was Howsen Kenner.
"I married Walter Cain at Mr. Walter Spearman's house, a good white man,
and the white folks give us a good supper after the wedding. I had one
child, 2 grandchildren, and one great-grand-child. I joined the church
before I married 'cause I wanted to do better, do right and live right,
and get religion. I think everybody ought to join the church and live
right. That is the reason the Lord blesses me in lots of ways today. We
had good time in slavery--sometimes I wish I was back there--would have
somebody to take of you and help you. If my mistress was living I would
rather be back in slavery."
Source: Granny Cain (90), RFD, Newberry; by G. L. Summer, Newberry, S. C.
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