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Maria Tilden Thompson, 101 years old, was born a slave in 1836. Maria was born in Jefferson County, Texas, but
does not know who her first master was. She was only six weeks old when her mother died, and she doesn't
remember anything about her father, or his name. She became the slave of the Engledow family of Nueces County,
who were ranchers. There wasn't much field work. She was a house-girl and nursed the Engledow children. In 1866,
just after she became a free woman, she married Fountain Thompson. They were the first colored couple to be
married by minister and marriage license in Nueces County. Maria still retains the original marriage license. It is
dated March 31, 1866, at 5 o'clock p.m. They had no children. She says she became the best midwife in that section
of Texas. At 101, she says it's no honor to have lived to be that old, but just misery to have to go in life. She lives
with her niece, Mary Alice Langham, at 1606 East 12th Street, Austin, and gets a monthly pension of ten dollars
from the State.
"I'se named Maria Tilden Thompson, and I was bawn 101 years ago, down in Jefferson County. I don't know nothin'
about dem early days and my mammy died when I was only six weeks old. I never did know nothin' about my
daddy. I know dat I had a brothaw by de name ob Charles. He died in 1908.
"De reason dat I know about my age is 'cause a ole white gentleman down in Nueces County said dat he knowed all
about my age, and dat I was fifteen years older'n he was, and dat he was eighty six years old. Dat makes me 101.
Dis white man whut knows all about me is Mr. Eli Merriman, a writer from down Corpus Christi.
"When I stayed on de Engledow place near Corpus Christi, I learned to ride a hoss lak a man 'ceptin' dat I rode
side-saddle. I sure could ride a hoss. Later in life I became a midwife, and I rode hoss back all over dat countryside.
I was doctor and midwife to many chillun. I nussed 'em all. I reckon dat I was a midwife fo' at least fifty chillun.
Why some families had seben chillun, and I brought 'em all into de world. I never did lose a case when I took it. I
would always cha'ge about ten dollahs fo' a case. Sometimes I had to cha'ge mo'e 'cause dere was times when I had
to help out one fambly fo' a entire month. But I got good pay fo' it. I even nussed chillun fo' folks whut lived on de
King ranch and on other ranches.
"At Engledow's ranch I had to do housework and nuss de chillun. I don't remember none ob de chillun's names.
Durin' slavery time de folks whut owned us was putty mean to us. De Engledows was putty good folks, but dey
would whoop us, too. Even when I was in my late twenties I still got a whoopin' fo' doin' somethin' dat I should of
done better. But us slaves was jes' plain ignorant, and a lot ob times we didn't know right away how to do somethin'
whut dey wanted us to do. Yo' must remembah dat we never had no education, and none was give to us. We wasn't
allowed to go to school and we wasn't showed how to do our A B C's. But, I do remembah how some ob de
Engledow girls would try to show me my A B C's, but dey would git a whoopin' fo' showin' me if dey was caught at
it. I didn't git to go to school after freedom, 'cause dere wasn't no school to go to. I can read my Bible a little but I
can't write much. I jes' picked it up myself 'cause I never got no schoolin'.
"We never did git paid fo' our work and we jes' got our eatin' and a place to stay. I had a room in de big house,
'cause I was a house-girl but later Mawster Engledow built a small house fo' me to live in.
"I was took f'om Jefferson County to Nueces County, and I was brought to de Engledow ranch about ten miles f'om
Corpus Christi. Dis was nothin' but a big ranchin' county at dat time. Dere was big ranches everywhere. De King
ranch was de biggest one down dere.
"One day Mawster Engledow called me into de big house. He told me:
"Now Maria, yo' is as free as I is. But yo can stay on here if yo' want to. We want yo' to stay."
"But he never said nothin' about payin' me fo' my work and my sweetheart didn't want me to stay. Mawster
Engledow said that I should git married on his place. I had been going wid Fountain Thompson, a man whut had
worked and bought his freedom long befo' freedom come fo' de rest ob us. Fountain had a truck fahm near Corpus
Christi, and he took his vegetables to town in a wagon. Fountain was also a good hoss doctah.
"I felt good and left a shoutin' 'cause I was free. I felt right sorry fo' de Engledow chillun 'cause dey like me so
much, but I didn't mind a leavin' de older folks. Oh, but de chillun cried and seemed to be so hurt 'cause I was
leavin' 'em.
"I married Fountain on Mawster Engledow's ranch, and we was de first colored couple to be married by license and
preachah in Nueces County. The City Clerk was Joseph Fitzsimmons and our marriage license is dated March 31,
1866 and we got it at 5 o'clock in de afternoon. A white preachah married us. We never did have no chillun.
"We was now free but I still remembah how my brothaw Charles was sold durin' slavery fo' nine hundred dollahs,
but he said dat when he got free dat he couldn't git seventy-five cents fo' his days work.
"After freedom I found life right pleasant. I had a good man fo' a husband. He was a hard worker and a quiet man. I
sure did like de Corpus Christi Country and I wish dat I was down dere now. Dat climate in summer is good fo' de
old folks. I liked dat salty breeze down dere. I never did take a bath in de bay or in de Gulf ob Mexico. It was all
right fo' dem whut liked it, but I didn't care fo' it. I didn't know how to swim and I didn't want to learn. I never did
care to go into deep water. Suppose dat dat water would of took a flirt and come on shore in big waves--den whut?
"A lot ob times I took ole Yellow Jacket, a favorite dun hoss ob mine, and rode it side-saddle down to Corpus, and
I'd ride up and down de beach. Ole Yellow Jacket was a pacer and a good one. It's easier on yo' when yo' ride a
pacer.
"Durin' slavery time dere was lots ob times when de scared slaves would git together and talk about gittin' dere
freedom. Dey would git together, polish up dere huntin' guns, and be ready to staht somethin'. Dis was jes' befo'
freedom. De main thing dat de slaves wanted was to git dere freedom, but de mawsters had better not hear about it.
"Dem times will never come to me again. Many was de times durin' slavery dat I'd git to thinkin' about bein' slaves
and I'd sit down and cry and cry. I would rather die dan live through dem days again. But, dem days will never
come to me again."
((No))
