Albert was born into slavery in Tennessee. He had a kind master with whom he lived for 30 years. Upon his master's death, he was sold to an owner who mistreated him. Albert escaped to the California gold fields, then to Salem where he conducted a successful blacksmith business. A member of the Methodist Church, Albert retained his faith until death. In death, he left behind his faithful wife, Mary Ann, his only known surviving relative.
Mary Ann was born into slavery in Bowling Green, Kentucky in 1839 when she was 16. She was freed by her master and moved with his family to Missouri where she married David Reynolds. There, David and two of their children died. In 1864, she and her two remaining children moved to Oregon with the James Ord family. On October 18, 1866, in Salem, she married Albert Bayless, a blacksmith. On April 24, 1907 in Salem, only days after Albert's death, Mary Ann died of a broken heart and was laid to rest next to her husband.