They Had Names

African Americans in Early Records of Liberty County, Georgia

Burke County Estate Inventory & Division – John E. McCall

Location: Burke County, Georgia
Deceased: McCall, John E.
Date Sworn: 1835-06-05
Appraisers: M. Denmark, Jas. Rawls, Thos. Knight
Estate Administrator: not listed
Court Officer: A. Rawls, J.I.C.
Date Recorded: 1836-12-04
Recording Official: Thos. [Thomas] J. Shepard, Clk
Total Value of Property Appraised: $2090
Value of enslaved persons: $2090
Comments: This inventory appears to be from the records of Burke County (B.C.), but was recorded by Liberty County Superior Court Clerk Thomas J. Shepard on December 4, 1836.

It included an earlier inventory dated 1827-01-20 that gave the following names and values:

EnslavedValueDesc.Lot
Ceasar500[alt: Caesar] “A man”
Tom200“a boy”
Tenah
Patty
Phoebe
550“Tenah & 2 children Patty & Phoebe”
Patty100“a woman”

Then came this division made on June 5, 1835. The lots were divided as follows:

1 — Sarah E. McCall

2 — Margaret McCall

3 — John McCall

4 — not identified

EnslavedValueDesc.Lot
Seusa400“a man” [name could be something else]1
Tenah
Ceasar
500“Tenah & her child Ceasar” [alt: Caesar]2
Patty325
3
Alexander175
3
Violet250
4
Bob200
4
Patty40“old woman”4

Source: Family Search.org. Liberty County Superior Court “Deeds and mortgages, 1777-1920; general index to deeds and mortgages, 1777-1958,” Film: Deeds & Mortgages, v. K-L 1831-1842,” Record Book K, p. 346-7. Image #224-5 (Link: https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-C3QP-T92J-7?i=223&cat=292358)