Slave research can be frustrating, but there are an endless array of records in which to uncover the lives of our ancestors. Many are little known and uncommon, but still filled with possibilities. What Are Community Papers? The private records of local citizens is one kind of valuable source. These are usually stored in the […]
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Tag: slaveowner
Slave Research: Search the Slaveowner’s
Slave and slaveowner research is not for the faint of heart, that’s for sure. You need to have intermediate/advanced genealogy skills to do it well. Additionally, there’s the emotional impact of even looking at the documents. After all these years of research, my heart still bleeds every time I see: a will that includes “negro […]
Giles Holt, the Slaveowner
I have been researching Giles Holt for 13 years now. He enslaved my ancestor, Malinda Holt. I’d had this thought many times about Malinda Holt. I concluded about a year ago that I may never find out where and how Giles acquired her. There’s simply a limit to the written records. At some point, accepting […]
Slave Surnames: Where Are They From?
I’ve been having a wonderfully lively debate in recent weeks with another genealogist about ex-slaves’ surnames and how many used: the name of the last slaveowner the name of a previous/former slaveowner, or surname origins undetermined. Most books and classes that teach how to discover the slaveowner (once you’re back to the 1870 census) teach […]