Thornton Clarke was an ex-enslaved person born around 1812 in Virginia. He lived in Rappahannock County with wife Susan. He may or may not be the father of my ancestor Henrietta Clarke but that’s a whole ‘nother can of worms that you can read about when I get around to finishing those posts. (Edit: Here’s my first post about Thornton Clarke specifically.)
This post is about his daughter Mary Clark (the e is omitted in most documents referring to her), and his grandson E. Franklin Frazier. I’m going unload some images (1870 Census, 1880 Census, marriage record, 1900 Census) concerning Mary Clark’s origins and then jump into some thoughts on E. Franklin Frazier.
1870 Census
Mary was listed on the next page so it looks a little funny, but here she is age 7 living with her parents in Rappahannock. Notice her older siblings who have the “cannot read and write” boxes checked off.
1880 Census
In 1880, Mary is 16 and she is attending school. Although Judson didn’t have the “cannot read and write” boxes checked off in 1870, he does here. It seems, then, Mary Clarke is among the first of her family to have the opportunity to go to school and also learn to read and write.
About 2 years later, Mary Clark marries James Edward Frazier.
1882 Marriage record
The full transcription cites Frazier’s origins as Maryland.
Sometime between 1882 and 1900 (boy, I wish the 1890 census wasn’t destroyed), they left Virginia and headed to Frazier’s home state of Maryland.
1900 Census
Take a look at the highlighted person: Edward F. Frazier born in 1894. Hmmm…
Not many of my ancestor(?) Thornton Clarke’s children had children of their own (that I can find, at least), so I kept going with my research. Look who I found.
1921 Passport Application
Ancestry.com. U.S. Passport Applications, 1795-1925 [database on-line]. Lehi, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2007. Original data: Selected Passports. National Archives, Washington, D.C. 
Ancestry.com. U.S. Passport Applications, 1795-1925 [database on-line]. Lehi, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2007. Original data: Selected Passports. National Archives, Washington, D.C.
Yep, this is really beginning to sound a lot like E. Franklin Frazier, the sociologist who wrote prolifically about African Americans families for decades. A small sample of his works include:
- The Free Negro Family: a Study of Family Origins Before the Civil War (Nashville: Fisk University Press, 1932)
- The Negro Family in Chicago (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1932)
- The Negro Family in the United States (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1939)
- The Negro in the United States (New York: Macmillan, 1949)
- The Integration of the Negro into American Society (editor) (Washington, D.C.: Howard University Press, 1951.
For whatever reason, he opted to be private concerning his own family. I respect his decision, however it came about, but I can’t ignore the irony.
I have pored over many of his books, this 352 page document concerning his works housed at Howard University, and his hefty FBI file. While his own books offer no information on his own family (that I can find), I’ve wondered if some of his personal or unpublished documents at Howard University offer any insight into his own history. Who knows. As far as his FBI file, we have these tidbits:
Beyond a couple of short blurbs written by others, one of which refers to E. Franklin Frazier’s mother as an ex-slave, not much else is recorded about E. Franklin Frazier’s parents and origin:
Source: Lindquist, M. A. (2012). Race, social science and the crisis of manhood, 1890-1970: We are the supermen. Taylor and Francis. DOI: 10.4324/9780203121719 
Source: James E. Teele’s E. Franklin Frazier and Black Bourgeoisie (2002).
Also, in a book that I can no longer find, I previously came across a brief mention about E. Franklin Frazier’s mother, where she had apparently warned him of returning to the South. I also read, from someone who knew him, that he would frequently ask African Americans to fill out a questionnaire regarding their family history. I wish I could find where I read both of those statements. Oh well.
Looking at his expansive bibliography, I just have to wonder, why? Why did E. Franklin Frazier make a conscious effort to not disclose his own history? Did he publish any information about his family history in his early career (who knows where) and then come to regret it? Was it a promise to his parents or siblings? Did he have a reason to be concerned with only the history of “his people” in general and not “his people” who came directly before him?
While I want to leave it at a concern for privacy, I can’t help but wonder whether his reason really was simple and innocuous, or rather based on wanting to forget someone or something in particular.
As much as I selfishly wish that the Clarkes back in Rappahannock were in any way documented by E. Franklin Frazier, his mysterious choice to do the contrary is ultimately his right and I should probably just appreciate him for what he did do, not harp on what he didn’t. Whether or not we do indeed share Thornton Clarke as a common ancestor (and I’m pretty sure we do), I am very proud and amazed that Mary Clarke’s children accomplished so much, so quickly (one generation removed from slavery), and with so many cards dealt against them.
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