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MAPLETON – Tracy Cain hopes that by sharing her ancestry, others will dig deep into their family histories to understand where they came from and the power of the legacies they leave behind for future generations.
During the Mapleton Historical Society’s annual meeting in May, the Guelph Black woman will discuss three of her ancestors and their connections to the Underground Railroad: Andrew Lucas, who escaped slavery, Joseph Mallot, who purchased his freedom, and Alan Cooper, who was freed by order of his master’s will.
Many of Cain's ancestors escaped slavery in the United States and settled in Ontario using the Underground Railroad between 1800 and 1863.
Mallot, who was born in Alabama, was one of the first settlers to live at the Queen's Bush Settlement, an area between Waterloo County and Lake Huron where more than 1,500 freed slaves and enslaved Black people established farms in the early 19th century.
“When I hear and read the stories of what (my ancestors) went through, I have nothing to complain about,” said Cain. “Once you start to look into your history and see what they had to deal with, your situation usually becomes quite small.”
During her research, using a genealogy site, Cain connected with an American woman who is descended from an abolitionist that helped Cooper to freedom. Together, they found his free papers, a certificate issued to freed slaves, which had been stolen from him.
“I was in tears at the beginning because he had to have free papers to be able to do any type of movement and it’s just so surreal,” said Cain. “He made it through all the craziness of being enslaved, and then still came to Canada, created a new life for his family, and not just survived, but thrived.”
Cain's parents did their best to raise her with the stories they grew up on but when they learn new things from her “they’re blown away.”
“They can't believe that I've been able to find so much information,” said Cain. “My mother handed down a lot of the research that she did, that her mother did, that her sister did, but the understanding I have with technology, the world of finding more information about your ancestors has just opened the playing field completely.”
One way Cain unknowingly connected to her ancestors while growing up was through spiritual songs that her family sang at home and at church. Now, she chooses to open her presentation with Wade in the Water, a song that was used as code for Black slaves to get off the trail and into the water away from dogs trained to scent them.
“I remember hearing my mom singing Wade in the Water when I was a little girl and just thinking it sounded like a beautiful song,” said Cain. “Now, singing (the song), it feels like my pride that I have for my ancestors gets renewed every time…(since) I’m now blessed enough to be able to tell their story.”
Cain is also constantly finding new tidbits of information on her ancestors. She more recently stumbled across old newspaper clippings related to Lucas, or “Little Andy” and his punishment by a short whip. The short whip, in addition to marking a slave’s wrist as a deterrent, also marked them as slaves.
Cain said that while it can be difficult to read about these experiences, it’s “wonderful to be able to read his words on what (Lucas) dealt with.”
“Knowing your history but then doing something about it is how you can make a difference in your own community,” said Cain. “I want my children to not have to have to dig as hard as we've been digging for this information so that they can be proud.”
Cain's talk will take place on May 12 at the Maryborough Community Centre in Moorefield.
Isabel Buckmaster is the Local Journalism Initiative reporter for GuelphToday. LJI is a federally-funded program.
