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African Americans in Early Records of Liberty and Bryan Counties, Georgia

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Year: 2024

Bryan County Estate Inventory – Elijah Mattox (1846)

December 29, 2024

Elijah Mattox of Bryan County, Georgia, died intestate, so his heirs agreed in a document dated November 3, 1846, by mutual consent to divide his estate, that which had not been included in a deed made by him to Hiram W. Mattox in 1840, which was recorded in the County. They added, “Whereas there is one Negro man, named April or ?Ape?, now in Florida as we believe, we do agree and bind ourselves solemnly to each other, that if said negro man Ape should not be got or be in any unsound condition, that we will refund in cash to such heir as may draw said negro man Ape according to his valuation in this division, each one his proportionable part., and should there be any expense in getting said negro, we do agree to pay each a proportionable part.” The heirs signed themselves as: Candace Mattox (signed for by H. A. Smith), John A. Mattox, Wm. Tootle, Joseph A. Mattox, Edward Kenedy, John A. Mattox as agent for Elijah H. Mattox, H.A. Smith as guardian for M.M. Mattox. The record and division were recorded in Bryan Countyon April 23, 1847. “Valuation of Division of the Negroes / Slaves

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Putting FamilySearch’s Experimental Full-Text Search to the Test: A Case Study

November 21, 2024

Have you heard of FamilySearch’s experimental search feature that allows searching the full text of U.S. county land, probate and court records? It’s definitely a game-changer but how well is it working now in November 2024? I have a website where I put abstracts of Liberty County, Georgia, records naming enslaved people. I’ve gone page by page through through all the antebellum Liberty County deed, wills and estate inventory records available on FamilySearch, abstracting any relevant records, so I used my very large data set to see if the full-text search would find these records I already knew existed. To learn how to use the full-text search and get some great examples of its usefulness, check out Jennifer Dunn’s Copper Mine Genealogy short Youtube video: https://youtu.be/KE7065tCaPI?si=XMncNiGMgxBpPUFr. I chose at random 20 deed records I had already abstracted. Here’s an example from the website: Enslaved Persons Named: Tom, Bess, Affy, Jacob, NancyType: marriage contract On May 30, 1822, Mary Ann Girardeau and Benjamin Fuller entered into a marriage contract, with Major Andrew Maybank as her trustee, all of them in Liberty County. As part of the contract, the following were put into trust for Mary Ann Girardeau: “personal property, namely, to

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Child of USCT Soldier Quash Fripp: Rebecca Fripp Green West of Beaufort County, South Carolina (1874-1962)

November 16, 2024

Rebecca Fripp Green West was born in St. Helena Township, Beaufort County, South Carolina, around 1874, and lived most of her life there except during one of her marriages. Her parents were Quash and Mollie Fripp, formerly enslaved people of South Carolina. Quash Fripp was a private in the 33d U.S. Colored Troop during the Civil War. Not all of Quash and Mollie Fripp’s children were enumerated in census records, and neither were all of Rebecca’s children, making it necessary to piece together their lives from other records, primarily death certificates. Rebecca lived with her parents in St. Helena until about 1898, when she married Henry Green and had their first child, Estell. By 1910, she had been widowed and was living in the home of relatives in the same neighborhood as early in her marriage. By 1915, Rebecca had married again, to Jake West, and in 1920 was living in Roberts Township, Jasper County, South Carolina, with him and their son Jake West Jr. They had moved back to Beaufort County by 1930, however. By 1940 Rebecca was listed there as a widow, so they were presumably separated, because Jake West did not die until 1948, in Charleston. Rebecca

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Rev. James Shannon and the People He Held in Slavery

October 28, 2024

Reverend James Shannon, who immigrated from Ireland to Liberty County, Georgia, in 1820, was an influential clergyman, educator and college administrator in Georgia, Louisiana, Kentucky and Missouri. His early experiences in Liberty County, where he married a woman who had inherited enslaved people, resulted in his becoming an outspoken and fiery proponent of slavery. As head of the University of Missouri at Columbia and the first president of Culver-Stockton College in Missouri, his pro-slavery advocacy propelled him into the heart of the debate over slavery in the border states before his death in 1859. Documents about his life reveal the names of the people he held in slavery, some of whom were forced to leave Liberty County and accompany him in his travels. Throughout his adult life, he was both an academic and a clergyman. A Presbyterian when he came to the United States, he became a Baptist a few years after arrival, and then a leader in the Disciples of Christ movement. Shannon was part of the impetus behind the establishment of Mercer College in Georgia and was chair of Ancient Languages at Franklin College (later University of Georgia) in 1830. He became Dean of the College of Louisiana,

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Bryan County Bill of Sale (Roberts/Stephen-Stiles)

October 8, 2024

Enslaved People Named: Lempeter, Catharine On January 29, 1846, at Savannah, Hiram Roberts, sold to Alexander W. Stephens and Benjamin Stiles, trustees of Jane Penney, wife of Beecroft Penney, , for $749.24 “two certain negro slaves, to wit, Lempeter [or Lemsseter] a man, aged about thirty six years, and Catharine a woman, aged about forty years.” Recorded in Bryan County Superior Court on April 25, 1846. Bryan County, Georgia, Deeds & Mortgages, v. E-G 1830-1853, Book F (1840-46), page 415; digitized microfilm accessed through catalog, FamilySearch.org (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-CS4K-VS2G-H : 8 Oct 2024), image 468 of 682; microfilm #007899047, citing original records of Bryan County Superior Court.

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Bryan County Chattel Mortgage (Middleton/Smith)

October 8, 2024

Enslaved People Named: Jemmy, Cicely, Diana, Lucy, Isaac, Nancy, Jenney, Elsy, ? Dornar ? [or Domar], Mia, Harry, Hagar, Oliver, Affy, Peggy, Moses, Ryna [alt: Rhina, Rina], Tyra, Daphne, Quacco, Molly, Tommy, Dandy, Bella, Mary Ann, Cuffy, Charles, Patience, ? Wye ?, Israel, July, Elizabeth, Josey, Priscilla, Peggy, Titus, Myrtilla, Bess, Patience, Deal, Charles, Friday, Jacob, Molly, Sally, Murray, Chloe, Tom, Tyra, Rose and infant, Charles On January 5, 1846, James Mongin Smith, Camden County, sold to Thomas Pinkney Middleton, Chatham County, for $15,000 “all that rice plantation situate lying and being on the River Ogeechee” in Chatham County, Georgia, containing 150 acres of tide swamp and a 300-acre property called Sterling Bluff in Bryan County. Middleton gave Smith his bond for $15,000, to be paid in installments. To secure this mortgage, Middleton used as collateral the land and “the following negro slaves to wit Jemmy, Cicely, Diana, Lucy, Isaac, Nancy, Jenney, Elsy, ? Dornar ? [or Domar], Mia, Harry, Hagar, Oliver, Affy, Peggy, Moses, Ryna [alt: Rhina, Rina], Tyra, Daphne, Quacco, Molly, Tommy, Dandy, Bella, Mary Ann, Cuffy, Charles, Patience, ? Wye ?, Israel, July, Elizabeth, Josey, Priscilla, Peggy, Titus, Myrtilla, Bess, Patience, Deal, Charles, Friday, Jacob, Molly, Sally,

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Bryan County Bill of Sale (Marlow/Harn)

October 6, 2024

Enslaved People Named: Linda On February 3, 1845, Paul Marlow, Effingham County, sold to John Harn Sr, Bryan County, for $500 “a certain negro slave by the name of Linda about seventeen years of age.” Witnessed by Lewis ? Grovenstine ?, Beal Edwards, William Blitch. Recorded in Bryan County Superior Court on January 19, 1846. Bryan County, Georgia, Deeds & Mortgages, v. E-G 1830-1853, Book F (1840-46), page 389; digitized microfilm accessed through catalog, FamilySearch.org (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-CS4K-VS26-R : 6 Oct 2024), image 453 of 682; microfilm #007899047, citing original records of Bryan County Superior Court.

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Bryan County Deed of Gift (Shuman/Shuman)

October 6, 2024

Enslaved People Named: Charlotte, Beny, Stephen On January 3, 1846, Pheriba Shuman, Bryan County, made several gifts of enslaved people. She gifted to Eliza Shuman, Bryan County, “one negro girl by the name of Charlotte, about seventeen years of age and her increase, and four head of stock cattle, with their increase from date, one bed stead, bed and furniture.” The gift was to take place after Pheriba Shuman’s death. Witnessed by Benjamin Willess. Written on this deed was: “I revoke this will this 18th May 1854. In presence of E.H. Bacon” Signed by mark by Pheriba Shuman. She gifted to Elias Calvin Shuman, also of Bryan County, “the following property (to be delivered at the decease of said Pheriba Shuman) viz one certain negro boy, by the name of Beny [or Bony or Bany] born in July eighteen hundred and forty five, and nine head of stock cattle, and their increase from date, one bed stead, ed and furniture and one mattress.” Witnessed by Benjamin Willess [signed by mark], Eliza Shuman [signed by mark]. Pheriba Shuman also signed by mark. She gifted to Henry Jackson Shuman, also of Bryan County, identifying him as her grandson, “the following property (to

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Bryan County Bill of Sale (Clay/Clay)

October 4, 2024

Enslaved People Named: Yorick On June 26, 1845, Thomas S. Clay, Bryan County, sold to Eliza C. Clay, Bryan County, for $450 “a certain negro man slave named Yorick.” Witnessed by John Winn, Mary C. Winn. She then sold Yorick back to Thomas S. Clay on the same day, but this time in his capacity as the executor for Anne Clay’s estate and the trustee for Thomas S. Clay’s minor children, Joseph Clay, Thomas C. Clay and Anne Clay. He was to hold Yorick “to his and their only proper use and behoof forever, as directed by the will of the aforesaid Anne Clay deceased.” This record was also witnessed by John Winn and Mary C. Winn. Both records contained an attestation by John Winn dated December 10, 1845 that he had witnessed the signatures. Recorded in Bryan County Superior Court on December 22, 1845. Bryan County, Georgia, Deeds & Mortgages, v. E-G 1830-1853, Book F (1840-46), page 370-2; digitized microfilm accessed through catalog, FamilySearch.org (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-CS4K-VS25-2 : 4 Oct 2024), image 444-5 of 682; microfilm #007899047, citing original records of Bryan County Superior Court.

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Bryan County Chattel Mortgage (Perry/Rogers)

October 4, 2024

Enslaved People Named: Levina, Washington On July 21, 1845, Elias Perry, Bryan County, used as collateral on a promissory note to Dr. Charles W. Rogers, Bryan County, for $200 “for value received” “two negro slaves named Levina and her brother, Washington.” Recorded in Bryan County Superior Court on August 11, 1845. Bryan County, Georgia, Deeds & Mortgages, v. E-G 1830-1853, Book F (1840-46), page 364; digitized microfilm accessed through catalog, FamilySearch.org (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-CS4K-VS25-W : 4 Oct 2024), image 441 of 682; microfilm #007899047, citing original records of Bryan County Superior Court.

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