Thursday, May 20, 2010

African American Slave Names in the Estate Papers of THOMAS MILLER of Goochland Co VA

The house at LaVallee plantation, Goochland Co VA, where Thomas Miller lived. 
Source: "Goochland Yesterday & Today" by Cece Bullard


According to the Library of Virginia Website, my ancestor THOMAS MILLER (b March 20, 1754 Goochland Co VA, married CONSTANCE MASSIE) was a prominent figure in Goochland Co VA. He was an attorney, deputy sheriff, and sheriff of Goochland, as well as a member of the Virginia House of Delegates. Apparently there is a large file of THOMAS MILLER's papers available at the Library of Virginia, including his estate records and large amounts of correspondence and financial records.

As I do not live on the east coast, I have never had the opportunity to look at this file. However, a couple of years ago, a fellow researcher, Max Miller,  sent me copies of THOMAS MILLER's original will and estate papers. The writing was extremely tiny, but I managed to decipher and transcribe the will. I put the estate inventory away, however, because it was a daunting 20 pages long and the tiny print barely legible. I did note that in the 1810 census there were at least 44 slaves living at LaVallee.

Recently I pulled out the estate inventory, and using a scanner, enlarged the writing enough to transcribe the estate inventory. I was shocked to find that THOMAS MILLER, at the end of his life in 1819, owned seven different large plantations in Goochland, Spotsylvania and King William County, Virginia--and that over a hundred slaves are named in the estate inventory.

The plantations were: LaVallee (where THOMAS MILLER lived), Woodville, Slab City (?) and Byrd, all in Goochland; Wormley House and Manskin (Manakin?) Lodge in King William County, and Prospect Hill in Spotsylvania County.

Names of Slaves Who Were Living at LaVallee Plantation, Goochland Co VA June 1819


Sally HOLMAN & her five children: Major, Sam, Agnes (?), Malinda, Julius


Betsey COOPER & her four children: Albert, Arnold, Mahalah, Ned (?)


Judith & her two children: Minerva and Ann


Billy HAWES


Biddy


Leatt (?) and her child Livinia


Berry


Matilda & her child Mercy (? Mary?)


Lee


Martin


Dolley


Billy PRYOR


Mary & her three children: Eliza, Martha and Phill


Lucy & her child Nancy


Anna


Mira


Nicey


Ned


Helen


Emanuel (with illegible notation)


Will


Emanuel


John


Marcillus (?)


Billy VAUGHAN


Payton


Jim SHELTON


David SHELTON


Ambrose


Ruben


Seifus


Sam the Waggoner


William


Phebe & her two children Letty and Ansy


Solande (? Rolande?)


one Negro man Randolph


one Negro man George


Names of Slaves Who Were Living at Woodville Plantation, Goochland Co VA June 1819


Isham


Phill BENTLEY


Dick


Joshua


Phill


Billy CRADDOCK


Daniel (?) BENTLEY


Ned


Billy HAMPTON


George DANIEL


Nathan


Isabella


Sally PRYOR


George RATCHETT


Letty & her two children: Rachel and Joshua


Bitty & her two children Agnes and Payton


Mourning and her four children: Pammy, Isaac, Dupree (?) and William


Betsey HAWES


Names of Slaves Who Were Living at Slab City (?)


Goochland Co VA June 1819


Isaac PARRISH


William


Sauncy


Buck


Old Billy


Dorcas


Sumas (? Somes?)


Sam


Bob


Lendley (? Candley?) & her two children Lucinda and Mary


Aggie and Phebe, two small girls


Linney and her child Linney


Kano and her children (illegible)


Tom RATCHETT


Old Aggy


Names of Slaves Who Were Living at Byrd Plantation, Goochland Co VA June 1819


Dany BARROTT


Tom PRYOR


Charles HAWES


Tom PAYNE


Pen


John SLAUGHTER


Harry WOOD


Smith


Suckey & her four children: Ciller, Charlotte, Lucy and Nancy


Easter and her child William


Names of Slaves Who Were Living at Wormley House and Manskin Lodge, King William Co VA June 1819


Davey, an old Negro man


Jenney, an old Negro woman


Emanuel


Peter


Turner (? Pearson?)


Matt


Davey


Bob


John


Charles


Bevins (?)


Lucy


Bridget


Bob the carter


Suckey and her three children: Spottswood, George and Mary


Rachel


Warwick


Lewis the carpenter


Ben


Robin


Randolph


Spencer


Bartlett


Brennan


Davey HAWES


Billy WORMLEY


Isaac POOR


Wilson


Easter


Old Easter


Mary


John


Franky, an old woman


Old Dick


Names of Slaves Who Were Living at Prospect Hill Plantation, Spotsylvania Co VA June 1819


Richard DOON


Billy


Winston


John






Harry--now run away
Have a great day!

Betty

© Betty Tartas  2010, 2014

1 comment:

Thomas MacEntee said...

This is great information and I want to thank you for making it available.

Please consider submitting it to the A Friend of Friends blog which tracks slave records.

http://afriendoffriends.com/