A version of this was published in the Georgia Genealogical Society Quarterly.

The James James family left Liberty County, Georgia, in the 1830s, yet by the 1870 census, there were 37 households of freed people bearing the surname James in Liberty County. Now, more than 150 years later, most descendants of those families probably do not know why their ancestors chose that surname.

Distinguishing people of the same name in genealogy research is always difficult, but even harder when the name is a common name used for both first name and surname. In this case, there were three generations of men whose name was James James.

I came across them while doing slavery research in Liberty County, Georgia, for my website TheyHadNames.net. In general, researching the lives of enslaved people requires following the family lines of their enslavers, including complicated lines of inheritance. When the enslaving family is difficult to research, it doubles the work. I set out to see if I could detangle the various men named James James, and trace how they interacted with the slavery trade in Liberty County to make it easier for descendants of the people held in slavery by the James family to find their ancestors.

The James family left Liberty County to return to New Jersey in the 1830s and sold all their land and enslaved people in Liberty County. There were no White families by that surname in Liberty County after that time. Yet, in 1870, there were 37 Black households in Liberty County bearing that surname. Of the 19 Black male heads of household in 1870 who were old enough to have been alive in the early 1830s when James James sold 95 enslaved people, 13 of their first names, or 68%, appear in that deed of conveyance.

Freed people in Liberty County chose surnames for a variety of reasons. One of the reasons, in my research, appears to have been as a reference to the early history of their families, by choosing the surname of an early enslaver. In many cases, they may have been known informally by that surname before Emancipation to distinguish people of the same first name from each other.

There are still Black families with the surname James living in the area of Liberty County where James James and his family lived and traded in enslaved people. This research may aid them in their own family history research.

A Genealogist’s Nightmare: James James, his father James James, and his son James James

James James (1764-1838) of Liberty County, Georgia, engaged during his lifetime in a large number of transactions involving enslaved people, including the sale of 95 people in 1831. He proved an unsurprisingly difficult research subject, given that there was little biographical information easily available, and that his father was also named James James and his son James (Henry) James. In addition, he was referred to as “the younger” and “the elder” in Liberty County records at different times in his life.

Fortunately, after detangling the records, it appears that James James the elder never lived in Liberty County, although James James the younger was referred to as James James the elder in documents recorded in Liberty County after his father died.

Early Life and Removal to Liberty County

James James’ parents appear to have been James James (d. 1807) and Abigail Lawrence James (1737-1770) of New Jersey. This case study focuses on Liberty County records, but an 1879 book about the community where Abigail Lawrence’s family lived in New Jersey said that she, a Quaker, had married James James of Philadelphia at Newtown, Long Island, in 1758.^[1] Quaker Society records showed Abigail James moving in 1769 from Philadelphia, with four children, including her son James James, to New Jersey.^[2]

The same book stated that James James moved to Liberty County, Georgia, because he married Kerenhappuch Powell. However, a 1786 deed record was found in Liberty County Superior Court records that described “James James the younger” as a merchant of Liberty County,^[3] so it appears that he moved prior to the marriage, which took place in 1793.

Image 1: James James “the younger” of Liberty County

In that 1786 transaction, Hepworth Carter, a planter of Liberty County, and his wife Margaret, used a 300-acre tract of land as collateral on a promissory note of 1721 pounds to Myndert VanYeverin and James James. It appears that James James brought money with him, and evidently had connections upon arrival. He appears to have had strong business connections with Myndert VanYeverin.

Marriage and Business Life

James James married Kerenhappuch (“Karen”) Powell, daughter of Josiah Powell of Sunbury, Liberty County, on May 15, 1793, according to Midway Congregational Church records.^[4] (Confusingly, a marriage record available in Ancestry has Kerenhappuch marrying a James Jackson on the same day, and some trees “cite” this record but there are no records attached to the reference, and the Midway Church records are clear in recording that she married James James.)

James James had married into an established Liberty County family. Josiah Powell, his father-in-law, was a member of the Midway Congregational Church, the dominant church in the area,^[5] and his children were baptized there. Josiah Powell also reportedly was held as a prisoner of war by the British in Sunbury during the Revolutionary War.^[6]

Image 2: Liberty County’s Midway Congregational Church (which still exists today). The door at the front left was the entrance to the slave gallery.

As a married man, James settled down, which in Liberty County for people of a certain social and economic class meant buying land and people held in slavery. In 1793, James bought land on Colonels Island in Liberty County from Whitmarsh Baker.^[7] The land was 50 acres, bounded north by lands of Simmons, south by William Myers, and by marsh on the other sides. At the same time, he bought from Baker 10 enslaved people: Pollidore [alt: Polydore], September, Jacob, Sanco (possibly Sancho), Jane, Rose, Violet, Sarah, Phillis and a child Will, who all likely lived on that land.^[8] This latter purchase was in satisfaction of a suit brought against Baker by James, with an additional 265 pounds added.

By 1797, James had become the Liberty County tax collector.^[9] That same year, he sold to William Peacock for 50 pounds a house and lot of land “in the town of Graves End Newport Bridge” in Liberty County, lot #9 [in the town that later became Riceboro].^[10] Kerenhappuch James relinquished her right of dower for this sale, which was witnessed by a prominent local citizen, Lachlan McIntosh.

In 1799, their daughter “Abagail” (Abigail Lawrence James, obviously named after his mother) was born.^[11] James continued as a man of business, issuing two bonds to Myndert VanYeverin in 1799,^[12] and in 1800 selling Lot #11 in Riceboro to James Holmes and John Robarts, known under the trading name of James Robarts & Company, for $650.^[13] The deed noted that the town of Riceboro had previously been known as North Newport Bridge. The lot was bordered by a lot also owned by James James.

In 1800, he also paid $700 to Thomas Young of Savannah for a tract of land in Liberty County that had originally been granted to Daniel Donnom [alt: Dunham) on May 5, 1747, containing 500 acres bounded south by land of Benjamin Andrew and vacant land, east by John Humphreys and Grey Elliott, northeast by Osgood & Joseph Way, and by vacant land on all other sides.^[14] That land had been sold by Donnom to Thomas Young in 1772. The purchase of the land by James James was witnessed by the Mayor of Savannah.

In 1801, James James and his wife bought from Mary Sudy [or Sody], described as “at present of Liberty County,” “two negroes viz a negro boy about sixteen years old named Nero and a girl about fourteen years old named Nancy.”^[15] They also sold to Mary Sudy for $700 Lot #13 at North Newport Bridge in the same year.^[16] James evidently was speculating in land in Riceboro town.

Image 3: Mary Sody sold Nero and Nancy to James James, 1801

James continued to buy and sell human beings. In 1802 he purchased “a negro wench named Phebe about thirty five years of age” for $500 from Francis and Thomas Sheppard,^[17] and in 1806, he sold to Moses Way for $412 “one negro man named Joe about forty five years of age.”^[18]

In 1806, James James appears to have facilitated a free man of color’s attempt to gain title to his enslaved wife and daughter. He purchased “a Negro wench named Tenah and her child named Little Dick formerly the wife of Jim Goulding”^[19] from Jonathan Bacon for $500, then relinquished his “right and title” to them.^[20]

Image 4: James James relinquishes title to Tenah and Dick, 1806

By this time, James and Karen had had two more children: William James and James Henry James.^[21] Life was shortly to change dramatically for James James.

Life-Changing Events: Deaths and Removal Back to New Jersey

In 1807, James James’ father James James died in Morris County, New Jersey.^[22] Two years later, on February 2, 1809, James’ wife Karen died.^[23] Her 1808 will left the following enslaved people who belonged to her to their son James Henry James:^[24]

Flora	Charlotte	John	Cracker
Cuffee	Cudjoe	Lilly	Diana
Violet	Delia	Plenty	George
Nanney	Jupiter	“Tub, or Toby,”	Creamer

James Henry James was also to receive “the profits arising from their labour to be applied to his use.” It is possible that Plenty and Creamer, at least, had been inherited by Karen from her father Josiah Powell, as his early-1790s estate inventory listed those names among the 38 people named in the inventory.^[25] Others on the list may be descended from the people named in the inventory. Josiah Powell’s estate inventory grouped the enslaved people by what were apparently family groups, which may make it possible to trace some of these individuals back even further.

Image 5: Josiah Powell’s 1790s estate inventory listing Plenty and Creamer

After his father’s death, James James, who had previously been described as “the younger” in the earlier mentioned 1786 Liberty County record came to be referred to as “the elder” in Liberty County records,^[26] presumably because his father had died and he had a son named James Henry James.

Image 6: Reference to James James “the elder” in 1816

In April 1809, James James decided to move back to Morristown, Morris County, New Jersey. He appointed his friends General Daniel Stewart and Thomas Bacon Jr as his attorneys for everything related to “my plantation & negroes…during my absence.”^[27]

The family may have gone back and forth between New Jersey and Georgia for the next decade, or they may have all moved to New Jersey. A James James was listed in the 1830 Liberty County federal census,^[28] but it is not clear if he was actually there at the time, or which one he was, because no marks were made for an age range; however, 93 enslaved people were listed by age ranges so it may have just been a way of marking that he still had a presence in Liberty County.

The James Children Inherit People Held in Slavery by Their Powell Relatives

In the 1820s, life changed again for James James and his children. James Powell, Kerenhappuch’s brother, died childless between 1813-1816.^[29] He left a complicated will giving to his wife Ann everything he had received by marriage to her, his home plantation, and half of his slaves. He left the other half to his nephews William W. James and James James, and his niece Abigail James. His 1816 estate inventory showed them inheriting the following people:

Binah	George	Delia	Sally
Harry	Jenny	Minty	Clarinda
“Elsey Mary”	Sary	Jenny	Sylvia
Amey	Nanny	Cuffee	Crease
Venus	Milly	Sue	Chloe
Jemmy	Tom	Brutus	Hector
Ned	Peggy	Lucy

They evidently owned all of them as tenants in common. The names Jenny, Elsey, Sary, Sylvia, Nanny, Cuffy, Crease, Milley, Sue, Chloe, Ned, Peggy, and Lucy all occurred in the early 1790s Josiah Powell inventory, but are mostly common names and, given the time gap, obviously may not be the same people.

William James Dies, and More Enslaved People Change Hands

Then, between the December 1816 James Powell estate division and 1826,^[30] James James’ son William died, unmarried and childless, which entitled his siblings James Henry James and Abigail James Child each to one half of the enslaved people they had inherited from their uncle. Abigail, now married to Francis Child and living in New Jersey, sold to her father, “James James the elder, of Morris Town in the County of Morris and State of New Jersey,” her share of the people inherited from her uncle for $2000.^[31] They were identified as:

* “the negro slave named Creese [or Crease], with her three children named Milly, Sylvia and Washington,
* also the negro slaves Amey, Menta, Chloe, Hector, Jemmy, Brutus, Nanny, Clarinda and her child named Ned, George, Jenny, Sarah, Binah, Sally, Delia, Old Jenny, Old Ned, Mary, Elsey, Thomas or Thom.”

In 1826,^[32] James Henry James sold to his father James James, still living in New Jersey, for $4000 his half of the enslaved people inherited from his uncle — now identified as “the negro slaves, Creese, with her three children named Milly, Sylvia & Washington; also the negro slaves named Amy, Minta, Chloe, Hector, Jimmy, Brutus, Nanny, Clarinda & her child named Ned, George, Jenny, Sarah, Binah, Sally, Delia, Mary, Elsey and Thomas,” and the following enslaved people inherited from his mother: George, Nanny, Charlotte, John, Cracker, Cuffee, Cudjoe, Diana, Delia, Plenty, Jupiter and Lilly, with all the increase of the females since the year eighteen hundred and nine. The document stated, “All which said slaves are now on the plantation of the said James James the elder in the County of Liberty and State of Georgia.”

James James, living in New Jersey, now owned all the enslaved people who came from his wife Karen and his brother-in-law James Powell, many of whom were likely originally owned by their father, Josiah Powell. In 1829, James sold “Creese, and her five children, Milley, Sylvia, Washington, Elizabeth and Boston” to Moses L. Jones of Liberty County.^[33] Moses L. Jones’ 1858 estate inventory and division listed Milly, 41 years old; Washington, 36. A Boston was listed in his 1855 estate inventory and division, “drawn” by Randal F. Jones. These are not necessarily the same people, of course, but it is worth further investigation.

In 1830, James James, in Morris County, New Jersey, sold “a certain negro boy, about eighteen or twenty years of age, named George” to James Laing of Liberty County for $500.^[34] Around 1830, he also sold to James E. Martin of Liberty County for $400 “a certain negro man named Nero, about forty five years or thereabouts.”^[35] This is presumably the same Nero whom he had purchased at age 16 from Mary Sudy in 1800.

Image 7: James James sold Nero to James E. Martin, 1830

End of the James Family’s Presence in Liberty County

In 1831, evidently deciding to remain solely in New Jersey, James James, “formerly of Liberty County in the State of Georgia but now of Morristown in the County of Morris and State of New Jersey,” sold to Nathaniel Varnedoe and George W. Walthour of Liberty County for $25,760 three tracts of land and 95 “negro slaves” in Liberty County.^[36] The first piece of land was described as 268 acres, and was the same land he had purchased from Thomas Young in 1800. The 268 acres was said to be the remainder of the original 500-acre tract, the rest of which James James sold to Joseph Quarterman.

Also included was a 440-acre tract of land that was said to have been originally owned by Joseph Way, and left in his will to Joseph Way, lying on a swamp called Spencers Swamp in the North Newport District of Liberty County. It was bounded east by land belonging to the estate of Robert Quarterman, south by land belonging to Thomas Young and land granted to William Bacon, west by land belonging to Edward Sumner, and land sold by Joseph Way to Andrew Walthour, and north by land of the estate of Edward Ball and land belonging to Thomas Cater, “these being the boundaries of said last mentioned tract, when the same was conveyed by the said Joseph Way, son of Joseph, unto Myndert VanYeverin and said James James [by deed dated January 31, 1789] and when Myndert VanYeverin conveyed his interest therein unto the said James James by deed [dated April 10, 1792.”

The third piece of land sold was a 280-acre tract in Liberty County bounded northwest by John Stevens, southwest by the estate of Edward Sumner, southeast by James James, and northeast by the estate of John Croft, which was purchased by James James from Thomas Bacon Jr on an unspecified date.

Finally, 95 people held in slavery were included in the sale:

Chloe	Little Plenty	Delia
Jesse	Violet	Peggy
Jemmy	Jupiter	Sampson
Stephen	Minty	Little Diana
Bess	Little Jupiter	Caspina
Sandy	Israel	Sukey
Little Abraham	Anthony	Old Sarah
Daphne	Sarah	Sarah-Chloe
Becky	Nanny	Sarah-Jenny
Charlotte	Cuffy	Paris
Binah	Cudjoe	July
Caesar	Elsey	Simon
George	Lucy	Adam
Jenny	Leah	Little Jacob
Amey	Rachel	Little Kate
Nanny	Joshua	May
Stephen	Nanncy	Abraham
Matthew	Charlotte	Old Sibby
Isaac	Abraham (country)	Old Die
Little Jacob	Tom	Phoebe
Little Die	Old Jemmy	Jesse
Tissey	Kate	Joe
Jacob	Sibbey	Dorcas
Lame Jenny	Murriah	John
Elsey	Prince	Clarinda
George	Hector	Ned
Mary	Old Abraham	John
Plenty	Dick	Gashem
Nelly	Diana	Dinah
Juno	Peter	Old Phoebe
William	Flora	Ellick
Toby	Lettuce

James James died in February 1838, and appears to be buried in Morristown, New Jersey.^[37] James Henry James evidently had moved to Morristown as well, because a man named James H. James, having died in February 1886, is buried there in Evergreen Cemetery,^[38] where Abigail James Child, his sister, is also buried, with a death date of December 1879.^[39] Because both James Henry James and Abigail James Child died after the Civil War, there would be no probate records naming enslaved people.

Church Memberships Reveal More of the History of the Enslaved

James James and Kerenhappuch Powell had been married in Midway Church in Liberty County. This church was established in 1754 and had both Black and White members from at least 1756 to 1867.^[40] Many of the people James and Kerenhappuch Powell held in slavery also were members of this church. According to the church records, the following individuals belonging to James James went through the membership process and were admitted as members:^[41]

Name	Date Admitted while owned by James James
Cuffee	1807-02-28
Phebe	1807-02-28
Lilley	1807-06-20
Andrew	1809-02-25
George	1810-02-24
Chloe	Member as of 1812, probably admitted while owned by someone else
Sibby	1816-02-25
William	1816-02-25
Amey	1821-05-26
John	1821-05-26
Nanny	1821-05-26
Bess	1822-02-25
Delia	1822-04-21
George	1822-04-21
Dorcas	1822-11-23
Caspenah	1823-03-02
Charlotte	1823-03-02
Elsy	1823-03-02
Jenny	1823-03-02
Cracker	1823-06-01
Delia	1823-06-01
Jupiter	1823-06-01
Mary	1823-06-01
Stepney	1823-06-01
Cuffy	1823-11-23
George	1827-11-24
Cudjoe	1828-02-24

Image 8: Stepney, Cracker, Delia, Mary, and Jupiter, belonging to James James, admitted to membership in Midway Church, 1823

In 1846, a local pastor, Rev. Charles Colcock Jones, took a census of all the African Americans, enslaved or free, who were church members in Liberty County’s 15th District.^[42] Of the names in the 1831 sale by James James to Nathaniel Varnedoe, the following names appear in the 1846 census as belonging to Nathaniel Varnedoe, with the church they attended listed opposite:^[43]

Plenty (a driver)	Midway
Toby	Midway
Clarinda	Midway
Lucy	Midway
Isaac	Midway
Jenny	Midway

Freed People with the Surname James in Liberty County

In 1870, there were 37 Black heads of household in Liberty County with the surname James.^[44] In the 1840, 1850, 1860, and 1870 census records, there were no White heads of household with that surname in Liberty County, so no White families with the surname James had had a presence in Liberty County since James James sold his Liberty County property in 1831.

Of these 37 Black households, 19 were headed by Black men old enough to have been alive during that 1831 sale: Cation^[45] (47), Charles (65), Fortune (41), Friday (40), George (50), George (45), George (45), Israel (43), Jacob (70), Joseph (45), July (40), Jupiter (40), Jupiter (40), Paris (65), Peter (52), Plenty (40), Stepney (39), William (50), William 50). Given the vagaries of ages as reported by census records, though, it is possible that not all of the younger of these men were alive in 1831.

Of these 19: 13, or 68%, held names listed in the 1831 James James bill of sale: George, Israel, Jacob, Joseph (Joe), July, Jupiter, Paris, Peter, Plenty, Stepney, William.

Much more research remains to be done to establish the ties of the freed people who chose the surname James with the people held in slavery by the James family, but it appears virtually certain that these ties do exist.

Appendix: Black Households with the Surname James in the 1870 U.S. Federal Census for Liberty County

[NOTE: The enumerator for each subdivision is noted because there was a fraudulent 1870 U.S. Federal Census conducted in Liberty County by Charles Holcomb. It is unfortunately in Ancestry, so care must be taken to use the correct 1870 census by noting the enumerator.]

The page number for each census by subdivision is shown in brackets.

In Subdivision 176: (enumerated by John E. Martin)

George James (45) and Ellen James (9) recorded in the household of Newton and Venus Bacon [21 of 28]

George James (45), Hagar James (40), Nanny James (18), Ellen James (13), Simeon James (11), Catherine James (11) [24 of 28]

Alex James (18), Louisa James (16), ? Myra ? James (12) [17 of 28]

In Subdivision 180: (enumerated by Robert Q. Baker)

Caesar James (12) recorded in the household of Stephen and Catherine Roberts [42 of 52]

Cane [or Cam] James (28), Ellen James (30), Matilda James (6), Warren James (4), Lilla A. James (1 month) [46 of 52]

Charles James (65), Catherine James (65), Lawrence (11) [25 of 52]

Clarinder [alt: Clarinda] James (6) in the household of Thomas Cassels (59), Nancy Cassels (28), Sarah LeConte (11), Robert LeConte (4) [45 of 52]

Cornelius James (8) recorded in the household of Anthony and Susan Bacon [42 of 52]

Ellen James (13) in household of Hetty Hicks (36), William Hicks (21), Dinah Hicks (15) [27 of 52]

Friday James (40) and Jane (24), Daniel (18), Charity (3) [35 of 52]

Fortune James (41), Terra [alt: Tira] James (35), Peter (13); in household with Pompey Bacon (80), Jane Bacon (45), Lilly Bacon (6 months) [1]

Frank James (29), Maria James (35), Andrew James (10), Stepney James (9), Daphne James (5), Patty James (4), Frank James (3 months), with Daphne Bacon (45) also in household [2 of 52]

Gation (likely an alternate spelling of the name Goshen) James (47), Grace (41), John James (15), Margaret James (13) [36 of 52]

George James Jun. (21), Patsy James (20), Collins James (2); also in household Davis Williams (3) [15 of 52]

George James (50), Hannah James (40), Tony James (8), Eliza James (4), George James (1) [48 of 52]

Goshen: see Gation

Israel James (30), Lucretia James (30) James, Rebecca James (7), Sandy James (5), Minty James (3) [image 15 of 52]

Israel James (43), Frances James (27), Samuel James (13), Victoria James (12), Israel James (10), Rozanna James (7), Joseph James (10), Harriet James (4 months) [40 of 52]

Jacob James (70), Nanny James (66) [20 of 52]

Joseph James (45), Peggy James (43), Stepney James (19) [3 of 52]

July James (40), Lydia James (32), Screven James (12), Chloe James (5), Judy James (75) in same household with Mag LeConte (15), Ritta LeConte (18), Milly LeConte (8)

Jupiter James (40), Venus James (35), Sambo James (13), Violet James (12), [name blurred, possibly Mars] James (11), Toby James (5) [46 of 52]

Jupiter James (40) [15 of 52] (next to Israel James)

Marcus James (28), Clara James (35), William James (16), Edward James (9) [22 of 52]

Peter James (52), Nelly James (52) [1 of 52]

Plenty James (40), Elizabeth James (30), William (15), Mary (12), Cutter (7), Friday (4), Maria (1) [36 of 52]

Richard James (20), Tyra James (19), Charles James (1) [16 of 52[

Toby James (28), Rachael James (26), Peter James (8), Harriet James (7) [42 of 52]

William James (50), Lucretia James (43), Henry James (18), Oliver James (16), Alfred James (13), Charles James (10), Oscar James (9), Tyra James (7) [4 of 52]

William James (50), Judy James (30), David James (14), Joseph James (12), Barnard James (10), Peter James (6), Margaret James (4) [37 of 52]

Subdivision 181 [enumerated by W.S. Norman]

Alex James (29), Julia James (20), Mary James (2), Eliza James (1 month), also with Lawrence Clifford (4) in the household [20 of 56]

Chloe James (50) [13 of 56]

Edward James (15) recorded in household of Phillis Lambert (90), also with Lizzie Quarterman (2), Lloyd James (4), William Morrison (31), Patty Morrison (21), Samuel Morrison (12), Charlotte Morrison (4) [9 of 56]

Elsy James (20) and Chloe James (2) recorded in the household of Toney and Judy LeConte [11 of 56]

Paris James (65), Catharine James (52), Sarah James (4) (with John Jenkins, 12) also in the household [13 of 56]

Patsy James (25), in household of Dembo Dix (45), Polly Dix (35), Mary Dix (5), Sarah Dix (4), Robert Grant (5), Jane Golding (23), Sue Golding (60) [14 of 56]

Patty James (49) [next to Stepney James] [12 of 56]

Stepney James (39), Rachel James (41), Eliza James (16), Betsy James (15), Hester James (11), Ellen James (9), Sarah James (6) [12 of 56]

1. Thomas Shourds, History and Genealogy of Fenwick’s Colony, (Bridgeton, New Jersey: Georgia F. Nixon, 1876); digitized book, Google Books (https://books.google.com/: accessed 13 Nov 2022). ↑

2. U.S., Quaker Meeting Records, 1681-1935, New Jersey -> Salem -L Salem Monthly Meeting -> Women’s Minutes, 1763-1792, page 67; digital images (Ancestry.com : accessed 6 Nov 2022), image 36 of 172; citing Philadelphia Yearly Meeting Minutes, Quaker Meeting Records, Friends Historical Library, Swarthmore College, Pennsylvania. ↑

3. Liberty County, Georgia, Deeds & Mortgages, 1877-1882, Book A, 8 Feb 1786, page 100-1; digitized microfilm accessed through catalog, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-CSLZ-FG6N : accessed 6 Nov 2022), Family History Library microfilm 008188881, image 177 of 578, item 1 of 2; citing original records of Liberty County Superior Court, Georgia. ↑

4. James Stacy, History and Published Records of the Midway Congregational Church, Liberty County, Georgia, (Spartanburg, South Carolina : The Reprint Company, Publishers, 1979), p. 79 in 3d of 3 sections. ↑

5. James Stacy, History and Published Records of the Midway Congregational Church, Liberty County, Georgia, (Spartanburg, South Carolina : The Reprint Company, Publishers, 1979), p. 17 in 3d of 3 sections. ↑

6. Lucian Lamar Knight, A Standard History of Georgia and Georgians, (Harvard University : Lewis Publishing Company, 1917); digitized book, Google Books (https://books.google.com/: accessed 13 Nov 2022). ↑

7. Liberty County, Georgia, Deeds & Mortgages, 1793-1795, Book C, 8 Nov 1793, page 111; digitized microfilm accessed through catalog, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-C3QP-5TQZ : accessed 6 Nov 2022), Family History Library microfilm 008564330, image 73 of 708, item 1 of 2; citing original records of Liberty County Superior Court, Georgia. ↑

8. Liberty County, Georgia, Deeds & Mortgages, 1793-1795, Book C, 7 Nov 1793 page 112; digitized microfilm accessed through catalog, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-C3QP-5T9F : accessed 6 Nov 2022), Family History Library microfilm 008564330, image 74 of 708, item 1 of 2; citing original records of Liberty County Superior Court, Georgia. ↑

9. Liberty County, Georgia, Deeds & Mortgages, 1795-1798, Book DD, 8 Feb 1797, page 108; digitized microfilm accessed through catalog, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-C3QP-5BFD : accessed 6 Nov 2022), Family History Library microfilm 008564330, image 247 of 708, item 2 of 2; citing original records of Liberty County Superior Court, Georgia. ↑

10. Liberty County, Georgia, Deeds & Mortgages, 1798 – 1801, Book D, 1 Feb 1797, page 97-9; digitized microfilm accessed through catalog, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-C3QP-5TW4 : accessed 6 Nov 2022), Family History Library microfilm 008564330, image 247 of 708, item 2 of 3; citing original records of Liberty County Superior Court, Georgia. ↑

11. James Stacy, History and Published Records of the Midway Congregational Church, Liberty County, Georgia, (Spartanburg, South Carolina : The Reprint Company, Publishers, 1979), p. 98 in 3d of 3 sections. ↑

12. Liberty County, Georgia, Deeds & Mortgages, 1795-1798, Book D, 17 May 1799, page 52; digitized microfilm accessed through catalog, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-C3QP-5PGJ : accessed 6 Nov 2022), Family History Library microfilm 008564330, image 592 of 708, item 3 of 3; citing original records of Liberty County Superior Court, Georgia. ↑

13. Liberty County, Georgia, Deeds & Mortgages, 1801-1804, Book E, 14 April 1800, page 10-11; digitized microfilm accessed through catalog, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-C3QL-J9DS-P : accessed 6 Nov 2022), Family History Library microfilm 008560359, image 13 of 520, item 1 of 3; citing original records of Liberty County Superior Court, Georgia. ↑

14. Liberty County, Georgia, Deeds & Mortgages, 1798 – 1801, Book D, 6 Feb 1800, page 94; digitized microfilm accessed through catalog, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-C3QP-5BF3 : accessed 6 Nov 2022), Family History Library microfilm 008564330, image 638 of 708, item 3 of 3; citing original records of Liberty County Superior Court, Georgia. ↑

15. Liberty County, Georgia, Deeds & Mortgages, 1798 – 1801, Book D, 6 Mar 1801, page 137; digitized microfilm accessed through catalog, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-C3QP-5RDS : accessed 6 Nov 2022), Family History Library microfilm 008564330, image 690 of 708, item 3 of 3; citing original records of Liberty County Superior Court, Georgia ↑

16. Liberty County, Georgia, Deeds & Mortgages, 1804-1809, Book F, 1 Mar 1801, page 81-2; digitized microfilm accessed through catalog, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-C3QL-J9DR-5 : accessed 6 Nov 2022), Family History Library microfilm 008560359, image 206 of 520, item 2 of 3; citing original records of Liberty County Superior Court, Georgia. ↑

17. Liberty County, Georgia, Deeds & Mortgages, 1801-1804, Book E, 22 Mar 1802, page 132-3; digitized microfilm accessed through catalog, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-C3QL-J98R-Y : accessed 6 Nov 2022), Family History Library microfilm 008560359, image 76 of 520, item 1 of 3; citing original records of Liberty County Superior Court, Georgia. ↑

18. Liberty County, Georgia, Deeds & Mortgages, 1804-1809, Book F, 22 Feb 1808, page 199; digitized microfilm accessed through catalog, FamilySearch https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-C3QL-J9ZL-B : accessed 6 Nov 2022), Family History Library microfilm 008560359, image 265 of 520, item 2 of 3; citing original records of Liberty County Superior Court, Georgia. ↑

19. Jim Goulding likely obtained his freedom through the 1789 will of John Goulding. Besides arranging the purchase of his wife Tenah and son Dick, he also purchased 4-year-old Eliza, probably his daughter, from Jonathan Bacon in 1804. For the will, see “Book A” of wills, appraisements and bonds (1789-1823), Liberty County, Georgia, pp. 161-2; digitized microfilm accessed through manual search, FamilySearch.org (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-L93L-P9WM : accessed 13 Nov 2022), “George Probate Records, 1743-199” >, Liberty County > Wills, appraisements and bonds 1789-1823 vol A > image 103 of 689. For the 1804 deed of conveyance, see Liberty County, Georgia, Deeds and mortgages, 1777-1920, Book E, page 253, entry for Jim Goulding, 1804; digitized microfilm accessed through catalog, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-C3QL-J98J-K : accessed 13 Nov 2022), Family History Library microfilm 008560359, image 137 of 520, item 1 of 3; citing original records of Liberty County Superior Court, Georgia. ↑

20. Liberty County, Georgia, Deeds and Mortgages, 1804-1809, Book F, page 131, entry for James James; digitized microfilm accessed through catalog, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-C3QL-J984-F : accessed 12 Nov 2022), Family History Library microfilm 008564335, image 231 of 531, item 2 of 3; citing original records of Liberty County Superior Court, Georgia. ↑

21. James Henry James’ existence was acknowledged in his mother’s 1808 will, in which she left enslaved people to him. See “Book A” of wills, appraisements and bonds (1789-1823), Liberty County, Georgia, pp. 159-160; digitized microfilm accessed through manual search, FamilySearch.org (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QSQ-G93L-P9V5 : accessed 13 Nov 2022), “George Probate Records, 1743-199” >, Liberty County > Wills, appraisements and bonds 1789-1823 vol A > image 102 of 689. ↑

22. Thomas Shourds, History and Genealogy of Fenwick’s Colony, (Bridgeton, New Jersey: Georgia F. Nixon, 1876); digitized book, Google Books (https://books.google.com/: accessed 13 Nov 2022). ↑

23. James Stacy, History and Published Records of the Midway Congregational Church, Liberty County, Georgia, (Spartanburg, South Carolina : The Reprint Company, Publishers, 1979), p. 148 in 3d of 3 sections. ↑

24. “Book A” of wills, appraisements and bonds (1789-1823), Liberty County, Georgia, pp. 161-2; digitized microfilm accessed through manual search, FamilySearch.org (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-L93L-P9WM : accessed 13 Nov 2022), “George Probate Records, 1743-199” >, Liberty County > Wills, appraisements and bonds 1789-1823 vol A > image 103 of 689. ↑

25. “Book A” of wills, appraisements and bonds (1789-1823), Liberty County, Georgia, pp. 53-4; digitized microfilm accessed through manual search, FamilySearch.org (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-L93L-PPV : accessed 13 Nov 2022), “George Probate Records, 1743-199” >, Liberty County > Wills, appraisements and bonds 1789-1823 vol A > image 198-199 of 689. ↑

26. For an example, see Liberty County, Georgia, Deeds and Mortgages, 1822-1831, Book I, pages 263-4; digitized microfilm accessed through catalog, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-CS42-SSYR-L : accessed 12 Nov 2022), Family History Library microfilm 007899015, images 439-440, item 2 of 2; citing original records of Liberty County Superior Court, Georgia. ↑

27. Liberty County, Georgia, Deeds & Mortgages, 1816-1822, Book H, 18 Apr 1809, page 41; digitized microfilm accessed through catalog, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-CS42-SSYR-N : accessed 6 Nov 2022), Family History Library microfilm 007899015, image 41 of 548, item 1 of 2; citing original records of Liberty County Superior Court, Georgia. ↑

28. 1830 U.S. census, Liberty County, Georgia, population schedule, page 47, entry for James James; digital image, Ancestry (https://www.ancestry.com : accessed 6 Nov 2022); citing NARA microfilm publication M19, roll 19. ↑

29. James Powell wrote his will in 1813 and his estate inventory was performed in 1816. For the will, see: “Book A” of wills, appraisements and bonds (1789-1823), Liberty County, Georgia, pp. 206-7; digitized microfilm accessed through manual search, FamilySearch.org (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-L93L-P9WM : accessed 13 Nov 2022), “George Probate Records, 1743-199” >, Liberty County > Wills, appraisements and bonds 1789-1823 vol A > image 127 of 689. For the estate inventory and division, see Liberty County, Georgia, Deeds and Mortgages, 1816-1822, Book H, entry for James Powell, pages 47-8; digitized microfilm accessed through catalog, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-CS42-SSB8-K : accessed 12 Nov 2022), Family History Library microfilm 007899015, image 44 of 548, item 2 of 2; citing original records of Liberty County Superior Court, Georgia. ↑

30. It is likely that William James died in 1819, when a man by that name was listed in the “deaths” records of the Midway Congregational Church in Liberty County. See James Stacy, History and Published Records of the Midway Congregational Church, Liberty County, Georgia, (Spartanburg, South Carolina : The Reprint Company, Publishers, 1979), p. 152 in 3d of 3 sections. ↑

31. Liberty County, Georgia, Deeds and Mortgages, 1822-1831, Book I, pages 8-9; digitized microfilm accessed through catalog, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-CS42-SSR4-R : accessed 12 Nov 2022), Family History Library microfilm 007899015, image 305, item 2 of 2; citing original records of Liberty County Superior Court, Georgia. ↑

32. Liberty County, Georgia, Deeds and Mortgages, 1822-1831, Book I, pages 263-4; digitized microfilm accessed through catalog, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-CS42-SSYR-L : accessed 12 Nov 2022), Family History Library microfilm 007899015, images 439-440, item 2 of 2; citing original records of Liberty County Superior Court, Georgia. ↑

33. Liberty County, Georgia, Deeds and Mortgages, 1822-1831, Book I, page 385; digitized microfilm accessed through catalog, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-CS42-SSY7-5 : accessed 12 Nov 2022), Family History Library microfilm 007899015, image 500, item 2 of 2; citing original records of Liberty County Superior Court, Georgia. ↑

34. Liberty County, Georgia, Deeds and Mortgages, 1822-1831, Book I, page 412; digitized microfilm accessed through catalog, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-CS42-SSTJ-C : accessed 12 Nov 2022), Family History Library microfilm 007899015, image 514 of 548, item 2 of 2; citing original records of Liberty County Superior Court, Georgia. ↑

35. Liberty County, Georgia, Deeds and Mortgages, 1822-1831, Book I, page 388; digitized microfilm accessed through catalog, FamilySearch ((https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-CS42-SSY8-Z : accessed 12 Nov 2022), Family History Library microfilm 007899015, image 502 of 548, item 2 of 2; citing original records of Liberty County Superior Court, Georgia. ↑

36. Liberty County, Georgia, Deeds and Mortgages, 1822-1831, Book I, page 427-9; digitized microfilm accessed through catalog, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-CS42-SSTK-L : accessed 12 Nov 2022), Family History Library microfilm 007899015, images 521-2 of 548, item 2 of 2; citing original records of Liberty County Superior Court, Georgia. ↑

37. Find A Grave, memorial page for James James (d. Feb 1838), Memorial 173556857; database index, FindaGrave (http://www.findagrave.com : accessed 13 Nov 2022); citing Evergreen Cemetery, Morristown, Morris County, New Jersey, Section E, Plot 23, no grave marker image. ↑

38. Find A Grave, memorial page for James H. James (d. 12 Feb 1886), Memorial 173556858; database index, FindaGrave (http://www.findagrave.com : accessed 13 Nov 2022); citing Evergreen Cemetery, Morristown, Morris County, New Jersey, Section E, Plot 23, no grave marker image. ↑

39. Find A Grave, memorial page for Abigail Lawrence James Child (1799-1879), Memorial 173405188; database index, FindaGrave (http://www.findagrave.com : accessed 13 Nov 2022); citing Evergreen Cemetery, Morristown, Morris County, New Jersey, Section G, Plot 92 and 93, no grave marker image. ↑

40. Conclusion based on research performed by the author in Midway Church records. For details, see https://theyhadnames.net/midway-church-records/. ↑

41. “Midway Congregational Church Records,” quarterly session records, Liberty County, Georgia, 1762-1867; digital images accessed through catalog, FamilySearch ((http://familysearch.org : accessed 5/14/2020). Note: Records naming African Americans were abstracted and are available in spreadsheet format at https://theyhadnames.net/midway-church-records/. ↑

42. Charles Colcock Jones, “1846 Census of African American Church Members in Liberty County’s 15th District,” Liberty County, Georgia; citing Charles Colcock Jones papers, Louisiana Research Collection, Tulane University, New Orleans, Louisiana. ↑

43. The 1846 Charles Colcock Jones census has been transcribed and is available in spreadsheet format on the author’s TheyHadNames.net website: https://theyhadnames.net/1846-c-c-jones-census/. ↑

44. Analysis in this section and the appendix based on a digital search of the 1870 U.S. Federal Census for Liberty County at Ancestry.com for individuals with the surname James. ↑

45. Possibly a mishearing or misspelling by the enumerator of the name Goshen. Gation was recorded in the 1870 census as being 47 years old. In 1867, a Goshen James had registered to vote, stating that he had been in the state, county and precinct for 42 years. “Georgia, U.S., Returns of Qualified Voters and Reconstruction Oath Books, 1867-1869,” Liberty County, Georgia, Precinct 1, Election District 2, entry for Goshen James, voter 118; database images, Ancestry (https://www.ancestry.com: accessed 13 Nov 2022), image 39 of 100; citing Georgia, Office of the Governor, Reconstruction registration oath books, 1867, Georgia State Archives, Morrow, Georgia. ↑