Will of Nathan Harris of Edgecombe County, North Carolina, 30 November 1809

July 23, 2019July 1, 2020 ~ Kelly ~ Leave a comment

I've recently uncovered several wills relating to the Harris family, Thomas Bembry's in-laws. They seem to have been a pretty hard-nosed lot, being very specific about property in their wills and selling enslaved people without thinking twice about it. I had known for some time that the second Nathan Harris' will had resulted in a … Continue reading Will of Nathan Harris of Edgecombe County, North Carolina, 30 November 1809

Researching Records of Slavery at Family Search

February 27, 2019July 1, 2020 ~ Kelly ~ Leave a comment

Advice for descendants of slave holders on locating records at Family Search.

Wills of William and Nancy Townsend Walker of Benton County, Tennessee

February 25, 2019July 1, 2020 ~ Kelly ~ 2 Comments

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

February 15, 2019July 1, 2020 ~ Kelly ~ 2 Comments

The story of the only Bembry to wear Union blue.

Hiding in Plain Sight: Slave Records on Ancestry.com

February 10, 2019July 1, 2020 ~ Kelly ~ 3 Comments

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

January 30, 2019July 1, 2020 ~ Kelly ~ 8 Comments

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

January 16, 2019March 3, 2021 ~ Kelly ~ 2 Comments

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

January 2, 2019July 1, 2020 ~ Kelly ~ Leave a comment

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

July 6, 2018July 1, 2020 ~ Kelly ~ Leave a comment

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

July 3, 2018March 3, 2021 ~ Kelly ~ Leave a comment

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