Nicole wrote:
Jane's message mentions that she thinks the above Solomon BRUCE was connected to the VanMETER slaves. I know about them but am not so sure about the connection, because that would mean that Solomon named 2 of his sons Andrew.

Solomon BRUCE & Jane (unknown) had son Andrew H. BRUCE born about 1849 (per 1850 census). Solomon BRUCE & Elenor=Ellen=Nellie LETT had son Andrew Jackson BRUCE=BRUSE-REDMAN born about 1824-1830 (per death info).

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Nicole,

The Solomon Bruce who was freed by Abraham Vanmeter in Hardy Co. received his freedom at the death of Abraham's wife Elizabeth in 1841. Some of the Bruce family were free at Abraham's death in 1823, but Abraham stipulated in his will that five named children of Joe and Sarah Bruce were to remain enslaved with Elizabeth Vanmeter until her death, which occurred in 1841. I can give you the citations for the wills and estate papers if you need them.

The only place I have found where it mentions that Barnet Redman married Solomon Bruce's wife "Nellie" is in:
M. Bransom and W.A. Davison. "Early African American Life in Waynesburg Greene County, Pennsylvania". Indiana, PA: A.G. Halldin Publishing Co., Inc. 2002, pg. 29

Note that Bransom and Davison say Barnet Redman married Solomon Bruce's wife. And they state that Solomon Bruce was married to Eleanor "Ellen or Nellie" Lett when he moved from Hardy to Greene Co.

However, something doesn't fit. For starters, Barnet Redman predeceased Solomon Bruce. Did "Nellie" divorce Solomon Bruce to marry Barnet Redman?

Barnet Redman is present for the 1850 Green Co., PA census, but is not in the household in 1860 where Nellie is alone with some of the children.

Solomon Bruce is present in the 1850 Hardy Co. census with wife Jane and several children. Then in 1860 we find him in Greene Co., PA with some of the same children, no wife and several new children -- children whose birth years overlap with the births of Barnet Redman's children with "Nellie".

Nicole, you mentioned that an Andrew Jackson Bruce's death certificate says his mother's name was Nellie. Can you tell me where this death certificate is filed? I'd love to obtain a copy of it for my files. However, I don't see that Solomon Bruce had a son named Andrew Jackson Bruce born about 1824-1830. He had a son named Andrew H. Bruce born about 1849 (according to 1850 Hardy Co. census). Barnet Redman had a son named Jackson Redman born about 1832 (according to 1850 Greene Co., PA census).

Also, Nellie Redman's enumeration in 1860 states that she was born in MD and the same for the oldest child, Margaret. The other children are born in PA, except Andrew, who is born in VA. I wonder if some of the children in Barnet Redman's household were Nellie's from a previous relationship. Or perhaps, Barnet Redman was living in Maryland for a while.

We need some more evidence to sort this out. It's looking to me like there were two Nellie, one the wife of Solomon Bruce and one the wife of Barnet Redman.

Jane