Millie and Christine McKoy~Often Billed as the “Carolina Nightingale.”

Millie-Christine McKoy, co-joined twins, were born 11 July 1851 near Whiteville, North Carolina. 

Their parents were Jacob and Monomia McKoy. They were  enslaved by Jabez McKay.

Jabez McKay sold the co-joined twins when they were about 10 months old to John C. Pervis of Chesterfield, South Carolina. 

The foregoing paragraph presented verbatim from “Millie-Christine McKoy and the American Freak Show: RACE, GENDER, AND FREEDOM IN THE POSTBELLUM ERA, 1851-1912”; by SARAH  E. GOLD, Department of History, University of California at Berkeley.

[Quote] In early 1852, McKay began to tire of the “burden” and “frequent visits of strangers” that Millie-Christine created, and decided to “dispose” of her—this rhetoric highlights how, despite her unusual slave experience, Millie-Christine was nevertheless a possession.17 On May 18, 1852, McKay signed an agreement with a man named John C. Pervis, who paid McKay one thousand dollars for the twins. McKay would receive one-fourth of the proceeds from any exhibition, as well as one-fourth of the money Pervis received if he ever sold the twins. Finally, Monemia was allowed to accompany the girls without charge, but had to be returned to McKay if Pervis sold Millie-Christine.18 Little else is known about Millie-Christine’s time with Pervis, but in late 1853 she was sold once more to a Mr. Brower, who paid between six- and ten thousand dollars for her.19 Brower did not have enough money to outright purchase Millie Christine, instead offering a promissory note backed by one Joseph Pearson Smith. Smith would later become a central figure in Millie-Christine’s life, but in 1853 he simply cosigned Brower’s note and left with the group for New Orleans, where the girls underwent “a scientific examination” at the “request [of] the medical faculty of that city.” 20 [unquote] [For footnotes within the paragraph , see footnote 1 of this blog post]

Transaction Deed:

Transcription:

J. C. Pervis to J. P. Smith

Received of J. P. Smith Six thousand dollars full payment for Christian [Christine] and Milly the North Carolina twins negroes the title and rights to which Negros I hereby warrant and defend unto the said J. P. Smith his heirs and afsigns forever. March 10th 1854.             J. C. Pervis {Seal}

Signed Sealed & delivered

In presence of. Adam Springer

Thos. G. Sanders

 

State of North Carolina} County Court Clerks Office

Anson County} September 12th 1856

Then the foregoing Bill of Sale was duly proven before me by the oath of Thomas G. Sanders a subscribing witnefs thereto and ordered to be registered. 

                                                                                    J. White, Clk

The co-joined twins died in 1912. First to pass was Millie on 8 October 1912 with Christine passing approximately seventeen hours later.  

John C. Purvis was a son of  John Purvis and Sarah McMillan. 

Related Articles:

1. https://www.nlm.nih.gov/hmd/conjoined/marvels.html

2. https://ncpedia.org/mckoy-millie-christine

3. Millie-Christine McKoy and the American Freak Show:   RACE, GENDER, AND FREEDOM IN THE POSTBELLUM ERA, 1851-1912   SARAH E. GOLD  Department of History University of California at Berkeley

4. https://harkaroundthegreats.wordpress.com/2024/01/05/the-miracle-of-the-two-headed-nightingale-millie-christine-mckoy/

5. https://docsouth.unc.edu/neh/millie-christine/millie-christine.html

6. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Millie_and_Christine_McKoy

___________________________

1. “Millie-Christine McKoy and the American Freak Show: RACE, GENDER, AND FREEDOM IN THE POSTBELLUM ERA, 1851-1912”; by SARAH  E. GOLD, Department of History; University of California at Berkeley.

2. Land Deed - J. C. Purvis to J. P. Smith; 10 March 1854; Deed Book #15; Page(s) 132; Register of Deeds; Wadesboro, Anson County, North Carolina; 3 January 2010.

3. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/11427328/christine-mckoy