Estelle "Essie" Roberta Frye Blackley

Estelle worked in a cotton gin factory as a child as a "spinner" I have found this information listed on the census under photos associated with her name. There is also a photo of a girl working in the mill. It is not Estelle, but it is a child in North Carolina about the same time Estelle worked. Also, teh following story is about children working in these factories.

Hughes Children

They were ten, eleven, fourteen and the oldest was fifteen. Girls of their age typically worked in the most challenging of situations, and worked for more than 60 hours a week. The young girls that entered the mill, like the Hughes girls, usually worked as spinners (Ayers, 72). The spinner's job was to "move quickly up and down a row of machines repairing breaks and snags" (Hall, 49). In the words of a spinner in a cotton mill, "What the spinners have to do, is put the ends up - we call it putting up ends - put this threaded up that breaks and falls you take the end of that thread and you stick it up to where that's coming out between these rollers. It'll twist it and then run up and down and keep going." (Hall, 49) The risks of working as spinner were very abundant. Alice Evitt recalled the extreme heat that she was exposed to as a spinner, "Oh it was awful hot. All that machinery a-runnin' makin' heat. It was bad. Terrible hot out here. You'd come out of there, your clothes was plumb wet." (Hall, 84) Mozelle Riddle, also a spinner, recalled the heat in the spinning room. "You could walk into the frames and burn your legs, that's how hot the heat was...The motors'd burn you, when you walked around them." And inside the room the heat reached oppressive temperatures, "It'd be eighty, it'd be ninety in there in that spinning room. Work and sweat yes, sir." (Hall, 84) These children would be exposed to these conditions for over 10 hours a day. While these girls did not work in the Magnolia Mills, their experiences mimic the experiences of other spinners in cotton mills.

Hughes Children

The girls and boys that "helped," (like the young Hughes girls in the link above and the workers in link below), in the cotton mills were a staple of the Southern cotton industry. A child who was "helping" in the mill was usually working with a relative to assist them and learn the trade as well, as there was no formal training program (Hall, 61, 62, 64). "Helping" also allowed for the children's labor to be facilitated into full-time work and many parents supported this as families needed kids to help provide for the family. For a large family, "with many mouths to feed, outside pressure was often unnecessary," such as the Hughes' with six children (Ayers, 62). "Helping" was also a way for mill officials to get around restrictions of age limits and having to pay wages for the labor of working children. See for example overseer in the link below who stated that every one of the children "works or helps."

In 1908, Mississippi officially became the final state in the South to pass a child labor law. The law called for no children under 12 to be employed in cotton or woolen mills. The laws also called for no more than 10 hours a day for children under 16. The National Child Labor Committee found in 1911 that workers of the Magnolia Cotton Mill were working 63 hours a week, and "the children [were] apparently putting in full-time." (NCLC, 14)

The photo below was taken three years after the law was passed and it is obvious that many of these children are below the age of the 12, as were several of the Hughes girls who were employed in the mill. Thus, "helping" allowed mill owners to take full advantage of a loop hole in the child labor laws by using child labor, not paying them, and avoided breaking the law, as the children were not officially employed but, only "helping". Also in the link below, Lewis Hine, the photographer, noted that all of these children worked the entire work day. In Hine's research he found that all of the children he encountered in Mississippi were trained to say "12" whenever a matter of age was concerned, "even the tiny helpers I knew were not over 8 years old....they all had the answers on their tongues." (NCLC, 13)

Overseer and His Flock

910 United States Federal Census about Melvin Blackley

Name: Melvin Blackley

[Melvin Blackly]

Age in 1910: 27

Estimated Birth Year: abt 1883

Birthplace: North Carolina

Relation to Head of House: Head

Father's Birth Place: North Carolina

Mother's Birth Place: North Carolina

Spouse's Name: Estela

Home in 1910: Marks Creek, Richmond, North Carolina

Marital Status: Married

Race: White

Gender: Male

Neighbors: View others on page

Household Members:

Name Age

Melvin Blackley 27

Estela Blackley 25

Ruth Blackley 6

Rodney Blackley 4

Ruby Blackley 1 4/12

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Estelle Roberta Frye Blackley was born June 26, 1883. Mother Elizabeth Abernathy Frye, Father Jim Frye from Startown, NC. Estelle Roberta Frye Blackley died May 5, 1970 between 12:30 am to 2:00 am at 217 Judson Ave. Age 86 years, 10 months, 9 days. Buried in Oaklawn Cemetery in Charlotte, NC. Heart attack in her sleep. We called her “Mammy”.

Remember to ask who is Cherokee Indian? Everyone has heard that Mammie, as we called her was part Indian.

Date of Death: 05/05/1970 Certificate Number: 1970001046

Name BLACKLEY, ESTELLE ROBERTA Address:

Mammies parents & siblings:

Husband

James Hix Frye Pedigree

Birth: 18 DEC 1852 North Carolina,Probably, , Lincoln, North Carolina

Christening:

Marriage: 21 AUG 1874 , Catawba, North Carolina

Death:

Burial:

Wife

Elizabeth Abernathy Pedigree

Birth: 12 JAN 1851 North Carolina,Probably, , Catawba, North Carolina

Christening:

Marriage: 21 AUG 1874 , Catawba, North Carolina

Death: 01 NOV 1913

Burial:

Children

1. John R. Frye Pedigree

Male

Birth: 15 JAN 1878 Newton, Catawba, North Carolina

Christening:

Death: 1939

Burial:

2. Nora Frye Pedigree

Female

Birth: JUL 1879 Newton, Catawba, North Carolina

Christening:

Death:

Burial:

3. Anna Frye Pedigree

Female

Birth: OCT 1881 Of, Newton, Catawba, North Carolina

Christening:

Death:

Burial:

4. Essie Frye Pedigree

Female

Birth: JUN 1883 Of, Newton, Catawba, North Carolina

Christening:

Death:

Burial:

5. Moses G Frye Pedigree

Male

Birth: DEC 1884 Of, Newton, Catawba, North Carolina

Christening:

Death:

Burial:

6. Sarah Jane Frye Pedigree

Female

Birth: 13 AUG 1886 Of, Newton, Catawba, North Carolina

Christening:

Death: 09 APR 1974 , Catawba, North Carolina

Burial: Olivet Baptist Church Cemetary, Longisland, Catawba, North Carolina

7. Otto B Frye Pedigree

Male

Birth: JUN 1889 Of, Newton, Catawba, North Carolina

Christening:

Death:

Burial:

h 726 e 4th Blackley Melvin D (Estelle),

Malvin Blackley

[Melvin Blachley] name city, Mecklenburg, North Carolina abt 1882 location race relation

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Name: Estelle Blackley

Age: 36

Estimated Birth Year: abt 1884

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Estelle Blackley

[Estelle Blachley] name city, Mecklenburg, North Carolina abt 1884 location race relation

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Name: Ruth Blackley

Age: 15

Estimated Birth Year: abt 1905

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Ruth Blackley

[Ruth Blachley] name,

name city, Mecklenburg, North Carolina abt 1905 location race relation

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Name: Rodney Blackley

Age: 14

Estimated Birth Year: abt 1906

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Rodney Blackley

[Rodney Blachley] name,

name city, Mecklenburg, North Carolina abt 1906 location race relation

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Name: Ruby Blackley

Age: 11

Estimated Birth Year: abt 1909

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Ruby Blackley

[Ruby Blachley] name,

name city, Mecklenburg, North Carolina abt 1909 location race relation

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Name: Hubert Blackley

Age: 8

Estimated Birth Year: abt 1912

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Hubert Blackley

[Hubert Blachley] name,

name city, Mecklenburg, North Carolina abt 1912 location race relation

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Name: Elizabeth Blackley

Age: 6

Estimated Birth Year: abt 1914

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Elizabeth Blackley

[Elizabeth Blachley] name,

name city, Mecklenburg, North Carolina abt 1914 location race relation

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Name: Catherine Blackley

Age: 2 9/12

Estimated Birth Year: abt 1917

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Catherine Blackley

[Catherine Blachley] name,

name city, Mecklenburg, North Carolina abt 1917 location race relation

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Name: Betty Blackley

Age: 10/12

Estimated Birth Year: abt 1919

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Betty Blackley

[Betty Blachley] name,

name city, Mecklenburg, North Carolina abt 1919 location race re

North Carolina Death Certificates, 1909-1975

Name: Estelle Roberta Blackley

[Estelle Roberta Frye]

Gender: Female

Race: White

Age: 86

Birth Date: 26 Jun 1883

Birth Place: North Carolina, United States

Death Date: 5 May 1970

Death Location: Charlotte, Mecklenburg

Father's Name: Jim Frye

Mother's Name: Elizabeth Abernathy

RESIDENCE: Charlotte, Mecklenburg, North Carolina

Moses G. Frye Compact Disc #137 Pin #3681009 Pedigree

Sex: M

Event(s)

Birth: Dec 1884

Of Newton, Catawba, North Carolina

Parents

Father: James Hix Frye Disc #137 Pin #3680999

Mother: Elizabeth Abernathy Disc #137 Pin #3681003

Notes and Sources

Notes: None

Sources: None

Submitter

karen CONWAY

3633 stonefield st sw concord nc 28208

Submission Search: 4577958-1004107141614

URL:

CD-ROM: Pedigree Resource File - Compact Disc #137

CD-ROM Features: Pedigree View, Family View, Individual View, Reports, Downloadable GEDCOM files, Notes and Sources.

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Estelle Frye was married to Melvin Dorsey Blackley on May 24, 1903 in Wake Forest , NC by Bones Parifol at his home. (Minister and professor at Wake Forest University)

Births:

Ruth Rosetta Blackley was born April 20, 1904- Wake Forest, NC

Rodney Thomas Blackley was born January 29, 1906 – Wake Forest, NC

Ruby Helen Blackley was born November 28, 1909

     (Married Carl Kennedy of Charlotte.  Ruby died in 1942)

Hubert James Blackley was born April 18, 1911

Elizabeth Hazel Blackley was born April 14, 1913 (Dr. Gilbert, Charlotte, NC)

Katherine Cappitolla Blackley was born March 1, 1917 in Charlotte, NC

Nevlyn Hixy Boyce Blackley was born September 1,1923, died May 15, 1924 (8 months, 15 days) of pneumonia.

Deaths:

Melvin Dorsey Blackley from Cary, NC died April 5, 1966. Age 84 years, 7 days. Melvin was born March 30, 1882. Worked for the railroad driving trains. Later worked in Charlotte.

Estelle Roberta Frye Blackley was born June 26, 1883. Mother Elizabeth Abernathy Frye, Father Jim Frye from Startown, NC. Estelle Roberta Frye Blackley died May 5, 1970 between 12:30 am to 2:00 am at 217 Judson Ave. Age 86 years, 10 months, 9 days. Buried in Oaklawn Cemetery in Charlotte, NC. Heart attack in her sleep. We called her “Mammy”.

Marriage:

Katherine Cappitolla married Edwin Lee Sloan (b. Nov. 3, 1910 in Steele Creek, Charlotte, NC) on January 20, 1940. 5 children; Katherine Lee Sloan born October 7, 1942; Edwin Lee Sloan, Jr. born October 3, 1944; James Thomas Allen Sloan born January 14, 1947; Pauline Adele Sloan born January 9, 1951; and Janet Christine Sloan born July 8, 1954.

Deaths:

Rodney (Bubba) Kennedy (Ruby’s son) was killed on a Mecklenburg public school bus accident. Died October 4, 1938. At window at Camp Greene Street and Wilkinson Blvd in Charlotte.

Ruth died August 9, 1928 and was 24 years old.

Ruby died February 10, 1942 was 34 years old. (Husband A.Carl Kennedy, Jr-5 children; Betty Ruth; Rodney (Bubba- who died as a result of a school bus accident); Jack & Jerry (twins); and Myrtle.)

Nevlyn Hixy Blackley September 1, 1923 – May 15, 1924. 8 months, 15 days old.

Rodney Thomas Blackley died May 3, 1972 at Lake Norman near Mooresville, NC. (Wife Geneva Killian- 2 children. Marlene Roach and Glenda. Glenda married Carl Moore and had 4 children; 1 boy, 3 girls.) Retired Charlotte Policeman (lieutenant) and ABC Board enforcement officer. Buried in Oaklawn Cemetery, Charlotte, NC on May 5th, 1972. Age 66 years.

Elizabeth Hazel Blackley – Jim Hunsucker, Lonnie Todd, Leadmon, Harrison. Had 3 children Elva Ann Hunsucker (who married Aubrey Deal- and had 5 children, Later married Tony Wells.), Larry and Dain Leadmon (Dain married Jane and has a daughter named Shawne). Elizabeth died at 5:16 PDT on August 14, 1983. Buried in Rose Hill Cemetary in Anaheim, CA. on August 18, 1983.

Hubert James Blackley died in April, 1995 (?) in Hendersonville, NC. Hubert was married to Pauline Merrell of Hendersonville, NC. (Actually it was Fletcher, NC)

Other notes:

Mammy had a sister, named Sarah Jane Frye.

Asked my mom, Katherine, who Papa’s parent were and she does not remember them. She said that she did not ever meet them.

Blackley, Eliz H. r314 Lima av

                Hubert J clk Am Bakeries Co r315 Grandin rd

Kath C student r314 Lima av
Melvin D (Estelle R) pntr h314 Lima
Rodney T (Geneva K) sta atndt Gulf Refining Co h321 Worthington av