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Black Heritage in the Upper Piedmont of South Carolina

Tidmore Cassette 1 Side 2

Media

Part of Interview: Tidmore, Dora Brown

Title

Tidmore Cassette 1 Side 2

Source

Dora Brown Tidmore Interview

Date

1990-07-27

Description

Side 2

**NOTE** this side contains a short interview with a woman identified as Prudence Idlett who was staying with Mrs. Tidmore at the time of this interview. This interview does not pertain to the scope of the Black Heritage in the Upper Piedmont Project.

00:00--Prudence Idlett states that she was born in 1893 in Suwannee Florida.

00:36--The only older relative she can recall is her grandmother Mary Dance, who was raised in Knoxville, Tenn. Her grandmother's experiences of slavery were not all negative; her master and his family were "church people" who apparently treated their slaves with respect. She worked as a mid-wife.

2:15--Her father was a blacksmith.

2:33--Education--in the old days, things regarding education were simple. Prudence states that from lunch to curriculum, things were not as "fancy" as they are today but the children enjoyed it nonetheless.

3:22--She had several brothers and sisters [not named] who have all predeceased her.

4:03--Clothes were both store-bought and handmade.

5:30--After she finished school, she did domestic work for the C.W. Rodgers family. She enjoyed working for him.

6:30--Prudence states that she moved to South Carolina with her husband on account of his work.

7:09--As a youth she was a member of Shiloh Methodist Church. She can recall camp meetings where services consisted of singing and the confirmation of new members to the church. She didn't attend singing conventions.

8:05--Hot suppers were a popular way in which communities would celebrate with food and dancing. These events would sometimes get rowdy, however.

9:10--During Christmas, family and friends would have parties and decorate trees.

9:39--Funerals were carried out in a much simpler way when she was a youth.

10:24--Youths often made extra money by picking cotton. It was hard work though; she didn't enjoy it.

11:40--When she moved to South Carolina, she worked as a cook in a local Clemson boarding establishment.

12:17--Prudence states that she has enjoyed her life and wouldn't change anything.

13:04--Audio ends.

Rights

Interviews may only be reproduced with permission from Clemson University Libraries Special Collections and Archives. All rights to the interviews, including but not restricted to legal title, copyrights and literary property rights, have been transferred to the Clemson University Libraries Special Collections and Archives.