Israel Godfrey, Sr.
1840[45] - 1929
Israel Godfrey was born into slavery between 1840 and 1845 in Alabama. The Slave Schedule of 1850 lists his father as John, born in Virginia in 1798, and his mother as Lithia, born in Virginia in 1814. Israel was brought to Oxford as an infant and grew up on the Cody Plantation.
At that time, those held in slavery were not permitted to marry. Israel fathered three children with a slave-woman named Mahala: Elisha (1859), Ephraim (1863), and Adie (1872). Extant records indicate that Mahala and Adie died, however the date and cause of death was not mentioned.
The United States Census of 1870, the first Census that counted former slaves as individuals, identifies Israel Godfrey as a “field hand and stone mason.” In his work as a stone mason, Godfrey helped build many of the buildings at Emory College.
After emancipation, it became legal for former slaves to marry, and Israel married Sallie Sims of Oxford in 1882. Children born from this marriage were Julia, Valeria, Minerva, Sallie, Althera, Pearl, and John Pliny. Over the years Godfrey’s family continued to grow with Israel Jr., Joyce, Hibbler, Warren, and Elsie. Godfrey’s mother, Litha, helped care for the children. Like many freed slaves, Godfrey could not read or write, but Godfrey successfully supported his mother, a wife, and 12 children. Israel Godfrey was also one of the nine founding trustees of the Rust Chapel Methodist Episcopal Church.
Godfrey and his wife, Sallie purchased over 50 acres of farmland in Oxford, the town in which they were once enslaved. His property extended west of Hull Street and beyond Oxford’s city limits at that time. Although Israel could not read or write, his wife could, and Sallie would sign fifty dollar promissory notes at the bank at eight percent interest to secure farming supplies for the year and mortgage the land until crops that were “up now and growing” could be harvested and sold. They always met their obligations and much of the Godfrey farm remains in the family to this day.
At that time, those held in slavery were not permitted to marry. Israel fathered three children with a slave-woman named Mahala: Elisha (1859), Ephraim (1863), and Adie (1872). Extant records indicate that Mahala and Adie died, however the date and cause of death was not mentioned.
The United States Census of 1870, the first Census that counted former slaves as individuals, identifies Israel Godfrey as a “field hand and stone mason.” In his work as a stone mason, Godfrey helped build many of the buildings at Emory College.
After emancipation, it became legal for former slaves to marry, and Israel married Sallie Sims of Oxford in 1882. Children born from this marriage were Julia, Valeria, Minerva, Sallie, Althera, Pearl, and John Pliny. Over the years Godfrey’s family continued to grow with Israel Jr., Joyce, Hibbler, Warren, and Elsie. Godfrey’s mother, Litha, helped care for the children. Like many freed slaves, Godfrey could not read or write, but Godfrey successfully supported his mother, a wife, and 12 children. Israel Godfrey was also one of the nine founding trustees of the Rust Chapel Methodist Episcopal Church.
Godfrey and his wife, Sallie purchased over 50 acres of farmland in Oxford, the town in which they were once enslaved. His property extended west of Hull Street and beyond Oxford’s city limits at that time. Although Israel could not read or write, his wife could, and Sallie would sign fifty dollar promissory notes at the bank at eight percent interest to secure farming supplies for the year and mortgage the land until crops that were “up now and growing” could be harvested and sold. They always met their obligations and much of the Godfrey farm remains in the family to this day.