Last week, I finished putting my research about Arthur Laws
into a narrative. Executive Director Meg Sharp Walton shared it with her
husband, who wondered out loud how present-day “servants” are treated in
comparison to domestic workers in the early twentieth century. When Meg brought
this question up to me, we both immediately pointed out the obvious fact: I am
one of these servants. Well, at least sort of—and no, I am not referring to my
150 hours of free labor at Glen Foerd. For the past two years, I have worked as
both a full-time and part-time nanny for several different families. When
Arthur Laws worked at Glen Foerd, Elizabeth May Prettyman cared for the family’s
children as governess. She lived in a suite that faced the river on the East
side of the house. There is still much to learn about Elizabeth and her life at
Glen Foerd, but her descendants have provided a future intern with a very
interesting starting place.
Besides fundamental
information such as her birthdate and place, they told entertaining stories of
a romance that began at Glen Foerd between Elizabeth May Prettyman and her
future husband Joe McGowan. Joe was employed at Glen Foerd as a gardener and
probably lived in the gatehouse. Elizabeth was about twenty years his senior.
The two fell in love on the grounds of Glen Foerd and eventually married. The
romance caused quite the stir in Torresdale, and the couple lost their jobs
with the Tonner family. My own experience as a nanny proved much less exciting,
but working closely—and basically becoming a member of—another family does
produce interesting experiences. Let’s just say it would make for a popular
blog!
Back to
Arthur… since I finished the narrative, I thought I would share a page or two
on my blog, for all to enjoy!
Arthur Laws was born in 1875 in Richmond, Virginia. His
father Daniel worked as a farmer. His mother Lucinda kept house. Both of
Arthur’s parents were born in Virginia in the early 1850s. Many records exist
that document the lives of Arthur’s parents, grandparents, and even his
great-grandparents. But none of these records date earlier than 1870. Because slaves
did not regularly receive marriage licenses or appear on censuses, the lack of
documentation prior to and during the Civil War displays that Arthur’s direct
ancestors most likely spent a portion of their lives enslaved.
Raised in the Marshall Ward of Richmond, Arthur
was the oldest of Daniel and Lucy’s nine children. Around the turn of the
century, Arthur migrated from Virginia to Philadelphia in search of work. He
married Mary Taylor, also from Virginia, in Philadelphia in 1897. Arthur and
Mary resided in North Philadelphia, near Temple University.
An article
from the Philadelphia Inquirer on July 31, 1898 described an event that
occurred soon after Arthur’s arrival to Philadelphia. At the time, Arthur
worked around the city as a waiter, taking various positions when they arose. A
Philadelphia man named Charles Krouse convinced Arthur—and at least five other
victims—that he wanted to hire him for a job. Krause conned Arthur into paying
him $1.10 in advance, which he claimed was for Arthur’s train fare. When the
day of the event arrived, Krouse was nowhere to be found. Along with the other
victims, Arthur testified against Krouse in court. This event was likely very
frustrating for Arthur-- $1.10 was a significant amount of money, particularly
for a newlywed seeking work in a new city.
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