Archives Record
Images
Metadata
Catalog Number |
1968.123.4 |
Object Name |
Postcard |
Title |
Postcard, Harriet Miller, circa 1925 |
Date |
circa 1925 |
Year Range from |
1920 |
Year Range to |
1932 |
Description |
The postcard features a black and white photograph of Harriet Miller, in her senior years, sitting in a rocking chair smoking a pipe. It was likely taken during her stay with the Sisters of St. Joseph between about 1920 and 1932. Harriet Miller (c.1855-1932) was the daughter of William and Mary Ann Miller. The Miller family was a one of the early Black families living in the Queen's Bush settlement. By 1911, Harriet was living in Guelph with her sister and brother-in-law's family at 133 York Road. Harriet likely never married. After the deaths of her immediate family, an elderly Harriet lived "under the care of the Sisters of St. Joseph" for the last decade of her life. She struggled with memory loss during this time. Harriet was remembered as "a keen devotee of her pipe, which she smoked until a short time before her death." (Waterloo Region Record, 29 January 1932). |
Notes |
Historic Context: For many years, the exact identity of "Aunt Harriet" was unknown and many of the details of her life were shaped by stories told about her by white caretakers and historians. Dr. Jade Ferguson (Associate Dean and Professor at the University of Guelph) and Deirdre McCorkindale (Assistant Professor, History at the University of Guelph) have undertaken an extensive examination into the historic records to better understand who Harriet was. Harriet was "under the care of the Sisters of St. Joseph" for about a decade before death. This photograph was likely taken during her stay with the Sisters. In the 1931 census, Harriet is listed as an "inmate" of the House of Providence. No information about her place of birth, mother, or father were recorded because (according to the census) her "memory is gone." Her age is also mistakenly recorded as "100." This record suggests that Harriet was not able to share her own story in 1931 and that someone may have answered the census questions on her behalf. Some misunderstandings about Harriet are traced to a one-page article titled "Aunt Harriet" by Harold Koch published by the Guelph Historical Society in 1973. Koch records several biographical errors and talks extensively about Harriet's singing and/or stories of her singing. Ferguson and McCorkindale's research could not corroborate Koch's statements. Ferguson and McCorkindale identify the person in this photograph as Harriet Miller who was born in Peel County. Tracing Harriet through the census records suggests that she was born sometime between 1852-1857; placing her in her late 70s at her time of death, not at 100 as mistakenly recorded in 1931. The Miller family was in Wellington County around the mid-1800s (perhaps earlier). Harriet's father, William Miller, was born in the United States, possibly Pennsylvania. It is unclear when he came to Canada, but it is very unlikely that William was a freedom seeker as Pennsylvania was one of the first states to abolish slavery in 1780. Harriet's mother, Mary Ann Miller, was born in Ontario (possibly Belleville) around 1812. William and Mary Ann Miller are first listed in the 1851 Wellington County/Garafraxa census with their nine children: Eliza (age 18), William (13), Sarah (12), Francis (11), Mary (10), Matilda (9), John (8), Susana (4), and James (3). The Millers also had several children after 1851, including Harriet, Samuel L., John Sylvestor, and Lewis G. The Millers were undoubtedly in Wellington County in the 1850s and were among the pioneering Black families in the Queen's Bush Settlement. The children eventually married into several Black families with long ties to the settlement. Harriet's sister, Matilda Miller, married James Mallott in 1867. It is unclear when Harriet moved to Guelph but we know that she was in the city by the recording of the 1911 census. In 1911, the Mallott family were living in a multigenerational home at 133 York Road. Matilda and James (in their 60s) lived with their children, grandchildren, and Harriet (in her 50s). There are some large gaps in the archival records around Harriet's life. She can be found on the 1861 and 1871 censuses in Wellington County, 1911 in Guelph, and 1931 in Guelph Township. There are no located marriage certificates or birth certificates. By the 1920s, most of Harriet's known immediate family were no longer living. This is likely why she found herself in the care of the Sisters before her death in 1932. "In the absence of her own memory and immediate family, the descriptions of her are left to white 'voices.' They may be capturing her accurately with her love of singing, friends, and children. However, it's important to note that the 'picturesque character' of older Black women from minstrel stage and screen is also informing (and perhaps eliding) 'Aunt Harriet' Miller." (Dr. Jade Ferguson, Associate Dean and Professor at the University of Guelph) Summary of research compiled by Dr. Jade Ferguson and Assistant Professor Deirdre McCorkindale. For full research package, see media file. Updated 2024 |
People |
Miller, Harriet |
Search Terms |
Queen's Bush Settlement St. Joseph's Home for the Aged St. Joseph's Hospital |
Subjects |
COSTUME - FEMALE BLACK HISTORY |
Dimensions |
14cm l x 9 cm w |
Collection |
Archives |