They Had Names

African Americans in Early Records of Liberty County, Georgia

Bryan County Estate Inventory – Mrs. Mary Ann Mell

Location: Bryan County, Georgia
Deceased: Mell, Mary Ann
Date Sworn: 1828-03-22
Appraisers: Lewis Hines, Luke Mann, F. O. Mann
Estate Executor: Benjamin S. Lamb
Court Officer: John Harn, J.P.
Date Recorded: 1828-06-14
Recording Official: E. Baker, Clk
Total Value of Property Appraised: $306.00
Value of enslaved persons: $275.00
Comments: Bryan County inventory. An estate inventory of her Liberty County property was performed on March 17, 1828, by appraisers Furman R. Whitwell, Peter W. Law, Dwight R. Perry, but included no slaves. Both estate inventories were recorded on the same page in the Liberty County record books.

Enslaved Person NamedValueDescription
Rose275“Woman”

Find the digitized original at: “Georgia Probate Records, 1742-1990,” database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QSQ-G93L-PQ6?cc=1999178&wc=9SYT-PT5%3A267679901%2C268032901 : 20 May 2014), Liberty > Wills, appraisements and bonds 1790-1850 vol B > image 462 of 689.

These antebellum estate inventories and appraisals generally included all the deceased person’s “property,” including enslaved persons. Only those names are documented here for historical and genealogical purposes. Anyone interested in the actual property owned by the deceased may find it at the link at the bottom of the page. Names are listed in the original order, as this often gives very valuable information about family groupings or the age of children (who may be listed in age order).