They Had Names

African Americans in Early Records of Liberty County, Georgia

Used as Collateral (Wilkins/Wilkins)

Enslaved Persons Named: Fanney, Phoebe, Mary, Betty, Judy, Ned, June, Romeo, Moses, Caesar, Richard, Nancy, Charley, August, Mary, Lisbon, Rose, Ben, Sarah, Caesar, Stephen, Dick, Sibby, Richard, Miley, Sampson, Sophia, Simon, Edward, Linda, Scipio, Molley, Helen, Rebec, Minty, Adam, Allick, Caesar, Barrack, Flora, Doll, Lydia, Frankey, Nancy, Haga

On May 31, 1837, James S. Wilkins, of Chatham County, used as collateral on a promissory note of $20,000 to Doctor Paul H. Wilkins, of Savannah, Chatham County, his plantation on the Isle of Wight and “the following named negro slaves, being forty five in number, to wit (1) Fanney [alt: Fanny], (2) Phoebe, (3) Mary (4) Betty (5) Judy (6) Ned (7) June (8) Romeo (9) Moses (10) Caesar (11) Richard (12) Nancy (13) Charley (14) August (15) Mary (16) Lisbon (17) Rose (18) Ben (19) Sarah (20) Caesar (21) Stephen (22) Dick (23) Sibby (24) Richard (25) Miley (26) Sampson (27) Sophia (also (28) Simon aged about ?twenty? eight years (29) Edward aged about two years (30) Linda aged about one year (31) Scipio aged about twenty years (32) Molley [alt: Molly, Mollie] aged about fifteen years (33) Helen aged about twenty eight years (34) Rebec [alt: Rebecca?] aged about ten years (35) Minty aged about eight years (36) Adam aged about four years (37) Allick [alt: Ellick] aged about one year (38) Caesar aged about sixty years (39) Barrack [alt: Barack] aged about fifty years (40) Flora aged about sixty years (41) Doll aged about twenty eight years (42) Lydia aged about sixty years (43) Frankey [alt: Franky, Frankie] aged about twenty years (44) Nancy aged about Twelve years and (45) Haga [alt: Hagar, Hagah] aged about eight years.”

The deed described the “Isle of White” plantation as being in Liberty County and including the marsh lands belonging to it, surrounded on all sides by water, “and bounded on the west by a canal dividing the said Island of Whight [SIC] plantation from the Dunane plantation, owned and occupied by Doctor James D. Stevens, to the bend above the causeway then in a direct line to be run from the afforesaid [SIC] bend to strike the Limerick Canal then to run along said Canal, to the lower corner of Limerick Bank, thence to run north following the ditch to the [?bank? or ?creek?] and on all other sides by Medway River and Branches containing seventeen hundred acres more or less, being the same plantation or tract of land, lately owned & occupied by the said party of the second part [Dr. Paul H. Wilkins] and sold and conveyed by him to the said party of the first part [James S. Wilkins],” together with all the buildings.

Witnessed in Chatham County by Joseph L. Shaffer and George J. Colleck, Notary Public. Recorded in Liberty County Superior Court on June 9, 1837.

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, 1831-1838, pp. 410-12. Image #257-8 (Link: https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-C3QP-T9L6-1?i=256&cat=292358)