Advice for descendants of slave holders on locating records at Family Search.
Researching Records of Slavery at Family Search
Tag: Slave Names
Wills of William and Nancy Townsend Walker of Benton County, Tennessee
I've just added the wills of my 5th great-grandparents, William W. Walker (abt. 1780-abt. 1840) and his wife Nancy Townsend Walker (1785-abt. 1850) to my tree. William and Nancy were both born in Virginia, probably in or near Frederick county. This is at the northern tip of the state around Winchester, right on the Great … Continue reading Wills of William and Nancy Townsend Walker of Benton County, Tennessee
Thomas Bembry of the U.S. Colored Troops
The story of the only Bembry to wear Union blue.
Hiding in Plain Sight: Slave Records on Ancestry.com
It is very common for white genealogists not to know about, or not to know the full extent of, slave holding in their own families. Until a few years ago, I was one of them! One reason is that genealogy websites do not put this kind of information front and center. In fact, it is … Continue reading Hiding in Plain Sight: Slave Records on Ancestry.com
(Finally) Adding Enslaved People To My Family Tree
If you are a descendant of slave holders, there are two parts to researching that aspect of your family history. 1.) Finding the enslaved people in records and documents. I am learning a lot about that, through trial and error, and will post more about it later. 2.) Figuring out an accurate and respectful system … Continue reading (Finally) Adding Enslaved People To My Family Tree
Slaves Held by the Shaw Family of Sumner County, Tennessee
Please note that since this post was published, I have discovered that these Shaws are not, in fact, my ancestors. However, I have left the post online for anyone else who may find it to be useful to their research. Whenever I find a slave holder in the family, I try to post as much … Continue reading Slaves Held by the Shaw Family of Sumner County, Tennessee
Slaves Held by Thomas Bembry
Thomas Bembry was my 4th great-grandfather, and an unlucky man. The slaves that he held were also unlucky, as they were all eventually sold off to settle debts. The first mention of slaves held by Thomas Bembry that I have found occurs in 1821, when his wife, Patsy Dicken, inherited slaves from her grandfather, Nathan … Continue reading Slaves Held by Thomas Bembry
Will of William Lanier of Davidson County, Tennessee, 12 February 1811
William Lanier was my 5th great-grandfather, himself the grandson of a Barbadian immigrant. He came to Nashville before 1807 from Beaufort County, North Carolina. Previously, I had an abstract of his will, but I recently found the original online at Family Search with more detail, including the names of several enslaved people (in bold, below). … Continue reading Will of William Lanier of Davidson County, Tennessee, 12 February 1811
Will of Robert Shaw, Sumner County, Tennessee, 7 July 1823
Please note that since this post was published, I have discovered that Robert Shaw is not, in fact, my ancestor. However, I have left the post online for anyone else who may find it to be useful to their research. I Robert Shaw of Sumner County and of Tennessee do make and ordain this instrument … Continue reading Will of Robert Shaw, Sumner County, Tennessee, 7 July 1823
Slaves Held by Kenneth Bembry
It must have been particularly difficult to be held as a slave by Kenneth because his finances were a roller coaster ride. He was constantly buying, selling, and mortgaging people (as well as land and other property) to keep up with growing debt. Because there are so many enslaved people involved, and because Kenneth was … Continue reading Slaves Held by Kenneth Bembry
A Long Way to Tennessee 