Our ancestor’s original residence on the Eastern Shore of Maryland was in Somerset County, which became Wicomico County after the Civil War ended. The village was known as Allen, named after the first Post Master General in the area. The road where many of them resided was called Knights Road which was later changed to Upper Ferry Road.
The earliest record of any of these people begins with a will written by a David Polk in 1778 which he leaves to his son William Polk several slaves; 2 adults Henry and Rose and children Frederick, Leah, Genney and Ishmael. The will does not indicate if the 6 slaves were a family or related in any way.
In 1809 another will by Nancy Morris begins to free my ancestors Mary Dutton her daughter Sarah and son James Morris Polk a year old child. Mary’s older children Violet, William and Isaac were sold away.
Other dates of interest are: 1829; James Morris Polk receives his manumission paper at the age of 21. 1832 a special census was taken to determine if free blacks would prefer to return to Africa. The Polk’s elected to stay in the U.S. 1840 Mary Polk is seen in the census for that year. The 1850 census has James Morris, Frederick Mary and a young boy living together, all are free by this time. In March 1856 James Morris Polk applies for a marriage license to marry Rebecca Caroline Black. The 1880 census has Rebecca and her younger children listed in it, son Thomas was listed as employed as a sailor. From 1882 until 1892 Thomas Elzey Polk, Sr. enlist in the U.S. Army 9thCavalry regiment where he learned to read and write and became a sergeant during his two enlistments. In 1890 James Morris Polk dies. In 1898 the first recorded lynching of a Black man (Garfield King age 18) takes place in Salisbury, Maryland. The white residents of Salisbury discussed killing all the Allen Maryland citizens. The Black residents of Allen prepared to defend themselves Thomas Polk may have been involved in this defense since he was a former army sergeant and shot at the marksman level. In 1917 & 1918 numerous ancestors registered for the World War I Draft and Dennis Polk went to war. The 1940 census shows many young Polk’s had moved back in with their parents during the Depression. In 1942 several Allen Residents registered for the World War II Draft and many became members of the U.S. military.
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