Recently, I wrote about how Kenneth apprenticed a free boy of color named William Williams. Well, of course I had to find out more about his mother, Fanny Williams! Which led me into an entirely new (for me) area of genealogy: that of "free people of color" in the antebellum South. Fanny Williams deeded her … Continue reading Kenneth Bembry’s “Colored” Children?
Tag: Family History
Kenneth Bembry’s Very Interesting Apprentice
Fanny Williams, a "free woman of color," indentures her eight year old son to Kenneth Bembry.
Slaves Held by Miles Bembry
Miles Bembry I is the first Bembry I have on record in America, and my "brick wall." Recently, I was surprised to discover that he moved from Edgecombe County, North Carolina, to Pulaski County, Georgia late in life to join his sons, Thomas and William. Miles died in November or December of 1838. His son … Continue reading Slaves Held by Miles Bembry
Found! Martha Bembry Fleming
Thomas Bembry's household shows three white females in 1820 and 1830, all of whom are gone by 1840. There are no obvious marriage records for any of them, and Thomas did not leave a will (of which I am aware) that would name them, so they have been a brick wall ever since I started … Continue reading Found! Martha Bembry Fleming
Four Williams and a Henry
I've been deep into the weeds lately, organizing the first two generations of Bembrys. It's more or less like herding cats, particularly when it comes to Williams. I wrote previously about how I had mixed up Miles Bembry II and William Bembry I. To be fair, I wasn't the only one: their estate files were … Continue reading Four Williams and a Henry
Miles Bembry II’s Plantation
William Bembry I, son of Miles I, died deeply in debt. His estate file (once I found bits and pieces of it in three different places) contains almost 200 pages, mostly documents regarding payment of debts. Only a few enslaved people are listed on the inventory. They are: 1 Negro Woman Crean (?) and her … Continue reading Miles Bembry II’s Plantation
Cannie Bembry’s Estate
There was a second Kenneth Bembry,* the son of John Bembry. He went by the name "Cannie," served with the 63rd Georgia Infantry, and was killed at the battle of Gettysburg in 1863. Cannie died intestate, but his probate file includes the following enslaved people. I can find no record of their sale, so perhaps … Continue reading Cannie Bembry’s Estate
William Bembry’s Bar Tab
While running a search on Ancestry yesterday, I found something fun misfiled under "Wm Bembry." This is a stray account from William Bembry's estate file, paid by his administrator to a merchant or tavern keeper of some kind. William, it seems, was quite the tippler, putting away many "Drinks" of gin, cider, cordial, and the … Continue reading William Bembry’s Bar Tab
Kenneth Bembry’s Estate
Family Search has provided another Bembry estate file, that of Kenneth Bembry who died intestate in Tallahassee in 1854. His inventory reveals a a somewhat luxurious household including mahogany furniture, silverware, crystal, and of course, a list of "negroes." Unfortunately, the file does not include a record of the estate sale, so there is no … Continue reading Kenneth Bembry’s Estate
Guilford, a Carpenter
This is the first instance I have found in my research of an enslaved person being identified by a skill or profession. Kenneth Bembry sold "One certain negro Slave a Man by the name of Guilford a Carpenter" to Joseph Carruthers of Pulaski County, Georgia on July 27, 1840 for $1,500. This is no doubt … Continue reading Guilford, a Carpenter
A Long Way to Tennessee 