- unitid
-
{"value"=>"Sc MG 209", "type"=>"local_call"}
{"value"=>"20641", "type"=>"local_mss"}
- unitdate
-
{"value"=>"1904-1917", "type"=>"inclusive", "normal"=>"1904/1917"}
- date_inclusive_start
-
1904
- date_inclusive_end
-
1917
- keydate
-
1904
- unittitle
-
{"value"=>"Dowridge-Challenor family letters"}
- physdesc
-
{"format"=>"simple", "value"=>".2 linear feet (1/2 box)"}
- repository
-
{"value"=>"<span class=\"corpname\">The New York Public Library Manuscripts, Archives and Rare Books Division Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture</span>"}
- langmaterial
-
{"value"=>"English"}
- origination
-
{"value"=>"Dowridge-Challenor Family", "type"=>"famname"}
- bioghist
-
{"value"=>"<p>Aletha Dowridge, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. J. L. & Harriet Dowridge, was born in St. Michael Parish, Barbados in 1887, and immigrated to Brooklyn, New York around 1903. Although trained as a seamstress, in the United States Aletha worked primarily as a domestic. While in Brooklyn, she met Frederick Challenor, before or around 1906, who like her, had immigrated to the United States to escape the lack of employment opportunities in Barbados. A skilled shoe maker, Frederick made his living in a shoe factory, through infrequent janitorial work, and aboard freight ships traveling between New York and the Caribbean. After a relatively brief courtship, in which he wrote amorous letters to Aletha often conveying marriage, Frederick and Aletha were married in 1907.</p> <p>Shortly after the birth of their first child Elise, Aletha moved back to St. Michael Parish to console her mother due to the death of Aletha's father. Challenor remained in Brooklyn, and continued to support his wife and daughter with money which he sent to them. Sometime after 1913, Aletha returned to New York, leaving her daughter behind to keep her mother company. Aletha and Frederick brought Elise to Brooklyn shortly thereafter, and had two more daughters, Dorothy and Ida Mae. Dorothy married Louis E. Burnham, a communist and editor of <span class=\"emph\">Freedom</span>magazine, published by civil rights activist Paul Robeson. The union produced four children Linda, a writer; Margaret, an attorney; Claudia, an educator; and Charles, a musician.</p>"}
- scopecontent
-
{"value"=>"<p>The Dowridge-Challenor Family Letters span the years 1904-1913, and illuminate various aspects of Aletha Dowridge's and Frederick Challenor's lives as immigrants in the United States. The letters cover a wide-range of subjects such as immigration, family support systems, employment, courtship, Barbadians in the United States, black families, Caribbean Americans, relationships, financial hardships and social customs in Barbados.</p> <p>The letters are separated into three sections: letters from Frederick Challenor to Aletha Dowridge-Challenor (48); letters from J. L. and Harriet Dowridge to daughter Aletha (17); and letters from relatives and friends to Aletha (7). All letters are arranged by date. When no date is listed, the beginning of the first line of the letter is noted. Fragments of letters are treated as letters. Sixteen of the letters have been transcribed by Linda Burnham, granddaughter of Aletha and Frederick Challenor. These letters have been identified with an asterisk on the container list.</p> <p>See also: <span class=\"bibref\">Watkins-Owens, Irma. <span class=\"emph\">Blood Relations: Caribbean Immigrants and the Harlem Community, 1900-1930.</span>Bloomington, IL: Indiana University Press, 1990</span> . This book focuses on the complex interaction of African Americans and African Caribbeans in Harlem during the first decades of the twentieth century. Dr. Watkins-Owens quotes from several letters in the Dowridge-Challenor Family Letters collection.</p>"}
- acqinfo
-
{"value"=>"<p>Gift of Dorothy Challenor Burnham</p> <p>SCM90-22</p>"}
- abstract
-
{"value"=>"The Dowridge-Challenor Family Letters span the years 1904-1913, and illuminate various aspects of Aletha Dowridge's and Frederick Challenor's lives as immigrants in the United States. The largest group of letter are from Frederick to Aletha beginning with courtship in Brooklyn and continuing throughout his wife's return to her parent's home in St. Michael Parish. Letters from J.L. and Harriet Dowridge to their daughter comprise the second largest group of letters. The smallest group of letters are from Aletha's friends and relatives living in St. Michael and Brooklyn."}
- prefercite
-
{"value"=>"Dowridge-Challenor family letters, Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, The New York Public Library"}
- processinfo
-
{"value"=>"<p>Processed by Steven Fullwood; Machine-readable finding aid created by Apex Data Services; revised by Terry Catapano.</p>"}
- date_start
-
1904
- date_end
-
1917