Josiah Askew, Jr., my paternal 3rd great-grandfather. I feel something whenever I look at this photograph. If I were asked to describe the feeling, I couldn’t do it. There is a disconnect, but also a strong sense of curiosity attached to this indescribable feeling.
He was born in Pitt, North Carolina on July 14, 1776 to Josiah Askew, Sr., and an unknown woman. On April 14, 1803, he married Nancy Jernigan. Together, they had 11 children. Josiah, Jr., also fathered three children with an enslaved mistress named Lida. Lida was my paternal 3rd great-grandmother.
Josiah Askew, Jr. died on May 21, 1844 in Henry County, Georgia. He did not leave a will.
It was a DNA test, census records, slave schedules, and stories passed among family members that helped me connect the dots.
What kind of person was he? I doubt he loved Lida. I doubt Lida loved him. After all, a “master” cannot be loving if he keeps the object of his affection in a state of enslavement. I’m doubtful that he acknowledged the children that he had with Lida as his own. To him, I’m sure they were nothing more than property.
Skinfolk and Kinfolk 