The Black Thunder Connection!!!

Today I happened to thumb through a book called Black Thunder by Arna Wendell Bontemps, who was born in Alexandria, Louisiana 1902. What grabbed me was the name of one of the characters. There's a slave named Criddle who takes part in a slave uprising. His killing of a white man ,and attempted murder of his daughter factor in the story. Criddle has to be taking out for raping the white man's daughter, because this is not what the slaves are about. I was wondering how the author came up with the name Criddle? Is there some truth to this fiction? Maybe the author had heard his parents use the names common in Rapides, Parish in dialogue around the house? He moved to Los Angeles, California when he was seven, but stories of home seem to follow us wherever we go.

Hm-mm...

Just a thought.

Just another thought Crittle could be his mother's maiden name?


Cecelia J. Cook
September 19th, 2009

Arna Wendell Bontemps (October 13, 1902 - June 4, 1973) was a well-known American poet and a noted member of the Harlem Renaissance. As the librarian at Fisk University, he established important collections of African-American literature and culture, establishing it as an important goal of scholarly study. Bontemps was born in the city of Alexandria, Louisiana to the son of Charlie Bontemps and Marie Pembrooke Bontemps. His birthplace at 1327 Third Street has been recently restored and converted for use as the Bontemps African American Museum. It is included on the Louisiana African American Heritage Trail.

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Well I did some research and this is what I found. Black Thunder Gabriel's Revolt:
Virginia: 1800 is a fictional account of a real slave revolt that took place in Virginia. I look a the court record's and found that there were no Criddle's or Crittle's slaves or slaves owner involved in Gabriel Prosser's 1800 hundred revolt. Even though Virginia is the state that our family originated from and most African American Crittle & Criddle originate from Virginia as well I found no connection to this case.

Arna mother maiden name was Pembrooke. I went back two generation on Arna and found no connection to the Crittle's. But I found that Arna Maternal Grandmother move to California when he was young and grew up around Irving. The matriarch of the Crittle's side Isabella Washington second husband name was Frank Irving.

Just a thought.

Michael Criddle