Mother Mathilda Beasley

Mathilda Taylor was born enslaved in New Orleans in 1834 and moved to Savannah as a free woman in the 1850s.

In addition to making 💵 as a seamstress and waitress, she taught black folk how to read and write in her home although it was illegal. Could’ve been fined or whipped fuh that, but she risked it anyway.

In 1869 she married Abraham Beasley, who was originally from Richmond, Virginia but moved to Savannah and went on to own land in Savannah, Skidaway Island, and Isle of Hope. He operated a restaurant slash boarding house called The Railroad House in Troupe Square (between Charlton and Harris Streets on Habersham) and a produce market called Green Grocer on E. 48th. They lived at 48 Harris Street.

Abraham made most of his money from the slave trade 😔. According to W.W. Law and His People, “He…is reputed to have been the only black slaver, or seller of slaves, in Savannah’s history.” And when he died in 1877, Mathilda inherited everything.

She also donated all of it to Father Moosmuller, for Sacred Heart Church, with their word that they’d build an orphanage for black girls. They did. The orphanage was named the St. Francis Home for Colored Orphans. Located around 31st and 32nd Streets and Habersham Street. She also relocated to 1511 Price Street.

She sailed to England about 8 years after Abraham died to become a nun. (It was illegal for a black woman to do so during that time.) Moved back afterwards, making her the first black nun in the state of Georgia. New name: Mother Mathilda Beasley. In 1889, she founded the first community of black nuns in Georgia.

She worked in the orphanage til the day she died on December 20, 1903. 116 years ago. She was 71 years old.

In March 1999, the city of Savannah dedicated a park in honor of her. It’s located across from St. Benedict’s Church at 500 East Broad Street. In 2013, the city restored and relocated her home on Price Street to the park on East Broad to serve as a museum of sorts to commemorate/study her life.

P.S.: No one knows what she looked like. These pics are claimed to be her. The one of the African-American one is most likely, according to the Georgia Historical Society, Josephine Beasley, wife of the younger Abraham Beasley and Mother Mathilda’s step-daughter-in-law.