Ramsey Branches

There is very little information on Bat’s or Ammie’s early life. In the 1870 Census Records, Bat’s birthplace is recorded as Mississippi.  However, resource material found in the genealogy section of the Wiggins Library indicates that in an interview with Bat, he mentions that he came from Georgia to Mississippi, and that his mother was also from Georgia and belonged to a Robert McKenzey (spelling could be McKenzie). In describing his father, George indicates that he was tall and that he “wasn’t a white man, jes’ bright.”  Bat rode as a substitute from Holden Ferry to Wolf River as a troubleshooter for telegraph office at Dantzler.  During those days, they did not have telegraph poles to string the wire.  They were strung on trees, and thus, something was always going wrong and someone had to constantly be available to locate the problem and make the necessary repairs.  He served as a back-up to a Phil Delgado who was not too reliable because of his indulgence in the bottle.

George in the WPA interview reports that his mother, Ammie, was a Fairley and was bought by William Ramsey III.  Ammie was initially owned by a Judge Fairley who was the father of William III’s first wife, Mary.  At the time of their marriage, William III bought Amy from the Judge for Mary.  George reports that Ammie had general charge of the house and children, and quite naturally, being an industrious woman, she spun and wove and dressed them (the master’s children as well as her own).  Mary died in child birth of one her children, which completely placed Ammie with the responsibility of raising someone else’s children along with hers.

Once the Civil War ended and the slaves were set free, Bat, his wife and family stayed on with the slave master’s 2nd wife, who was known as “Widow Ramsay.”  She paid them for their work on her land and helped Bat and his two sons, Green and George to secure their own land. In his book, Jacob Reddix mentions that Bat and his children own several thousand acres of fine timber in and around Ramsey Springs.

Shortly after slavery, many of the Black Ramsey descendants became farmers and/or worked in the logging and turpentine camps.  Census Records list Bat’s occupation as farmer.  They were very enterprising people with the ability to work and used the land to survive.  They knew how to build their own homes from the timber on their land, hunt for and grow their own food, and raise animals for food and clothing.  In letter dated July 25, 1916 and written by A.M. Stewart from Godwin, North Carolina to George Ramsey, A. M. Stewart asked, “I want you to send me too sheep skins too.  With the wool on them.  I have use for them.  I got one boy and name him Ramsay.  So, you will know what I want with hides. So, tell me when I can get them.”   He also asks  “how is turpentine-is it doing anything yet or is it dead.  Tell me allabout it.”  This letter also gives an indication that George could read and write. In an interview with Emma Grace Whitlock, George’s granddaughter, she mentions that he could read and write and wouldn’t hesitate to let you know it in a minute.  It would be interesting to know if he knew how to read while in slavery.

Bat and Ammie had nine children: six boys and three girls. Based on information available, they all had children.

Family names that have ties to the Ramseys through marriage shortly after slavery included the Reddixs, Fairleys, Graces, Carters, Burneys, Evans, Browns, Brelands, Whittles, Evans, Johnsons, Seymours and Reids.  Many of the black Ramsey descendants continue to own land and live in and around Ramsey Springs, Vancleave, Hattiesburg, Biloxi, Gulfport, Wiggins, Janice, Bond, and Maxie well into today.  You will also find Ramsey family descendants far and wide in many states: California, Washington, Michigan, Ohio, Washington D.C., Virginia, Florida, Alabama, Texas, Georgia, Indiana, Louisiana, Florida, New Jersey, Kansas, Arizona, Arkansas, Tennessee, North and South Carolina. The wide spread location is very evident when various branches of the family connect through DNA.

As mentioned above, Bat and Ammie are buried in the Ramsey Springs Cemetery located near Highway 15 and Bethel Road in Ramsey Springs.  The cemetery contains both white and black Ramsays/Ramseys. Inventory of the Ramsey Springs gravesite indicates that the black descendants either just misspelled the name and it just stayed “s-e-y” or they eventually changed the spelling to “s-e-y” to distinguish themselves from the slave master’s descendants. The change appears to have occurred with the first generation born after slavery.  Bat and his sons, Greene and George are shown to have the last name of Ramsay (s-a-y) after the slave master.  As you stroll through the cemetery, you will find more of our family members buried there.  The blacks are buried on one side and the whites are buried on the other.  Yes, there was segregation in the cemetery.  The separation is marked by a huge gigantic oak tree.  William III, his wife, Mary, and children are buried on the white side.  Most of the graves for the black Ramseys are marked. However, there are a few that are not.  It makes you wonder if these graves are family members that existed before Bat and Ammie.  At this point, only God knows.

It should be also mentioned that segregation led to the family building its own church.  It was located on Ramsey Road in the Ramsey Springs area and served a dual purpose as a church and school.  This was also the site for the annual Homecoming.  Ramsey family members from far and wide would return on the first Sunday in October of each year to attend church service, eat good food, reaffirm family unity and catch up on the latest family news. Although the building is currently not in use, the structure is still standing.

This is only part of and the beginning of the history of the black Ramseys.  Before Bat and Ammie, there were others.  As we go forth, we should be encouraged by what we do know and hungry enough to know more about from whence we as a people came.