Charity Southgate

I ran across your page a Walking Tour Through Falmouth. I'm not sure how long ago this was posted, but I do want to offer some corrections.

I'm a direct descendant of Charity Palmer Southgate of Happy Hollow (also called Little Egypt).  The Charity Southgate House.

Charity was born a free woman of color (she was NOT born into slavery).  She was sold into slavery (illegally) at the age of 16 by someone representing her white maternal family. (Charity was the daughter of a white woman and a man of color).

Charity (with the help of a white attorney friend) pleaded her "legal free status" for years until she won.  She won the case because it was proven she was the daughter of a white woman in Virginia. (Not that she was simply half white). Charity knew that children of color born to white women, by law, were considered free because white women were free.  Charity got her freedom back because she was specifically the daughter of a white woman. 

I thought it was important to share the research and facts with you.

Thank you so much,

Keith Adkins   

email from Keith Adkins, February, 2011.  Thanks, Keith.