They Had Names

African Americans in Early Records of Liberty County, Georgia

Bryan County Estate Settlement (Mann)

Enslaved People Named: Sappo, George, Billy

On September 5, 1833, John A. Mann, McIntosh County, released the executors of the estate of John Pray from any obligation to make any disbursements to him as a legatee as one of Luke Mann’s children when the estate was divided, in view of his indebtedness to the estate of Ann Pray “for the hire of negroes” for the years 1831 ($20), 1832 ($143), and $254 “jointly with T.O. Mann and for the present year for the hire of Fellows Sappo George and Billy, negroes belonging to said Est. two hundred and sixty five (265) dollars.” He added that T.O. Mann “has sold Billy a fellow belonging to said estate and which I hired for the present year, and that it is apprehended that the Estate will loose [sic] said fellow.” The estate executors were identified as John J. Maxwell, George M. Waters and Lewis Hines. Witnessed by Thomas Mann, Luke Mann.

Appended to this deed was a statement of T.O. Mann saying that he had received from Lewis Hines on January 18, 1834, “an order on Mr. Robert Habersham for fifty dollars to release me from great pecuniary embarrassment, and as the said Hines has frequently made advances of the same kind for my special relief, I do hereby authorise the said Hines as well as the other executors of the Est. Of Mrs. Ann Pray to withhold the payment of any legacy that I am intitled [sic] to under the will of Mrs. Ann Pray as one of the children of Mr. Luke Mann.”

Recorded in Bryan County Superior Court on September 4, 1834.

Bryan County, Georgia, Deeds & Mortgages, v. E-G 1830-1853, Book E (1830-40), page 139-40; digitized microfilm accessed through catalog, FamilySearch.org (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-CS4K-VSGP-9 : 11 Jul 2024), image 78 of 682; microfilm #007899047, citing original records of Bryan County Superior Court.