by AUDREY CREEL / December 28, 2020
©Audrey Creel, 2020 (All rights reserved.)

Melinda Maney was born in approximately 1847 in Mississippi.[i] It is unknown when Melinda arrived in Tennessee or where she was enslaved prior to emancipation. Lewis Maney enslaved a girl approximately Melinda’s age in 1860, so it is possible that Melinda was enslaved on the Maney plantation (present day Oaklands Mansion) prior to the Civil War.[ii] Edwin Keeble also enslaved several individuals approximately Melinda’s age in 1860, so it also is feasible that Melinda was enslaved by Edwin Keeble.[iii] Being born in Mississippi, it also is possible that Melinda was enslaved on the Maney’s Mississippi plantation and came to Murfreesboro after 1865.

Following the Civil War, Melinda moved into a home in Murfreesboro, Tennessee.[iv] The 1870 United States Census indicated that Melinda had married Jerry Maney within the past twelve months.[v] There is no known marriage record for Melinda and Jerry, so the exact date and location of their marriage is unknown. Melinda lived in a household with Jeffry and Millie Love.[vi] It is unknown how Melinda knew the Love family or if they were related. As older individuals, it is possible that Jeffry and Millie were Melinda’s parents; however, the census record does not indicate this relationship. Melinda worked at keeping house in 1870.[vii] There are no further known records for Melinda Maney. It is unknown what happened to Melinda Maney after 1870.

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References

[i] United States Census, “Maney, Melinda,” 1870 United States Census, 1870, accessed December 28, 2020 from ancestry.com database, https://www.ancestry.com/imageviewer/collections/7163/images/4275524_00068?treeid=&personid=&hintid=&queryId=4efe76a2285023e1e7cdbb2e4e78d0ae&usePUB=true&_phsrc=Kxs392&_phstart=successSource&usePUBJs=true&pId=14341222.

[ii] United States Census, “L.M. Manny,” 1860 United States Census – Slave Schedule, 1860, accessed December 28, 2020 from ancestry.com database, https://www.ancestry.com/imageviewer/collections/7668/images/tnm653_1285-0120?treeid=&personid=&rc=&usePUB=true&_phsrc=iaY1010&_phstart=successSource&pId=92225235.

[iii] United States Census, “E.A. Keeble,” 1860 United States Census – Slave Schedule, 1860, accessed December 28, 2020 from ancestry.com database, https://www.ancestry.com/imageviewer/collections/7668/images/tnm653_1285-0152?treeid=&personid=&rc=&usePUB=true&_phsrc=iaY1006&_phstart=successSource&pId=92227684.

[iv] United States Census, “Maney, Melinda,” 1870 United States Census.

[v] United States Census, “Maney, Melinda,” 1870 United States Census.[vi] United States Census, “Maney, Melinda,” 1870 United States Census.