Henry Bragg

Black male, born 28 March 1875 in Mississippi (probably Winston County). Died in Pensacola, Florida on 8 May 1926 at the age of 51, of valvular heart disease. He died at his residence, 102 E. Gregory St., Pensacola. At the time of his death, he had lived in Pensacola for 40 years, and his occupation was Boiler Fireman. The informant on his death certificate was Oscar Lee of 2017 N. 7th Ave. (also called “San Carlos” at the time). The death certificate was signed by the Coroner, Dan Nee, and Henry was buried by T.M. Lloyd at the Escambia County Poor Farm cemetery.

Henry appeared on a World War I draft card that was undated but presumably from 1917-1918. He was living at the E. Gregory St. address. He was employed as a fireman by Empire Laundry, and described as tall, with a medium build, brown eyes and dark hair.

In the 1916 Pensacola City Directory he was listed as a fireman, living at 102 E. Gregory St.

While a Henry Bragg appeared in other records of the area, it appears there were at one time two Henry Braggs, both in Pensacola and in Henry’s presumed home of Winston County, Mississippi. Two Henry Braggs are listed in the 1905 Pensacola City Directory, one working as a cook and boarding on S. Romana St.; the second a laborer boarding at 133. W. Romana. While it seems reasonable to assume Henry was the second, that does not help identify him definitively when Henry Bragg is listed in other years, including 1910 and 1903, which both have different addresses.

Henry Bragg appeared in the 1880 federal census of Winston County, Mississippi, living in the household of Ann Bragg, a single mother. She was a Black female, 25 years old, born in Mississippi of two parents born in Mississippi. She was recorded as being illiterate. Henry was 5 years old at the time. Also in the household were Cordelia, a daughter of Ann, 9 years old; and Ann’s brother, Dick, a Black male of 20 years. Ann and Dick were listed as being farm laborers. I believe this is most likely the Henry Bragg on the Pensacola Death Certificate.

There is an 1895 marriage record for a Henry Bragg, who married Effie Walker on 3 Jan 1895 in Winston County. However, in the 1900 federal census for Winston County, Effie Bragg was living in the household of Charlie Holmes, working as a farm laborer, and listed as widowed. A Henry Bragg that married Rose Supples on 4 Jan 1894 in Winston County appears to have died in Mississippi in 1918 (according to an unsourced family tree on Ancestry). So I am unsure whether the Henry Bragg who died in Pensacola in 1926 is the same one who married Effie Walker or not; either way, they were living separately not long after the marriage.

I have not located Henry in a census after 1900. His sister migrated to Chester County, Tennessee by 1920, where she died. It is possible Henry tried his luck somewhere else before settling back in Pensacola, or there may be another reason he was not enumerated there. (Or his name may simply have been mangled beyond recognition by a census-taker; unfortunately, this is all too common.)

The house at 102 E. Gregory, where Henry died, was owned by Mr. C.L. Young, a man of color who was older than Henry. I have no reason to believe there is any family connection between them; Henry was merely a boarder. Oscar Lee, the informant, likewise appears to have had no family connection that I can find.

Henry’s profession of boiler fireman involved shoveling coal or other fuel and otherwise keeping a large fire going to heat water. This was back-breaking labor, and he was working at this occupation by at least 1916, if not earlier, and did so until his death.

FAMILY:

Mother: Ann Bragg

Siblings: Cordelia (“Cordie”) Bragg

SOURCES: