They Had Names

African Americans in Early Records of Liberty County, Georgia

Bryan County Bill of Sale (Gray/Clay)

Enslaved People Named: Judy, Peter, Nanny, Braveboy, Brancer, Nelly, Emma, Nancy, Guy, Cretia, Nancy, Solomon, George, Cretia, Charles, Jean, George, Nanny, Susan, Betsy, Billa, Wanny, Middy, Susy, Mary Ann, Bess, Cato, Affy, Jacob, Elizabeth, Sylvia, Phillis, Webster, Lucy, Benjamin, Hannah, Caesar, Nancy, Gordon, Caesar, Judy, Isaac, Phebea, Hector, Cupid, Man, Peter, Hamit, Johnny, George, Scip, Nanny, Limus, Larry, Scip, Binah, Rose, Hagar, Harris, Molly, Pat, Judy, Margaret, Pat, Judy, Margaret, David, Judy, Warny, Pat, Fanny, Flora, Sue, Sandy, Shovey, Boston, Rachel, Betty, Simon, Dick, Tom, Frank, Yorick, Susan, William, Nanny, Affy, Amy, Tamar, Morris, Binah, Shovey

On June 15, 1844, Mary Gray, Boston, Suffolk County, Massachusetts, sold to Thomas S. Clay, planter, and Eliza C. Clay, singlewoman, Bryan County, for $6600 “the following slaves now in the state of Georgia aforesaid to wit, Judy 71 years old, Peter 50 years old, Nanny 50 years old, Braveboy 28 years old, Brancer 26 years old, Nelly 15 years old, Emma 6 months old, Nancy 67 years old, Guy 46 years old, Cretia 48 years old, Nancy 17 years old, Solomon 15 years old, George 13 years old, Cretia 9 years old, Charles 65 years old, Jean 51 years old, George 27 years old, Nanny 23 years old, Susan 5 years old, Betsy 1 year old, Bella 17 years old, Wanny 20 years old, Middy 42 years old, Susy 12 years old, Mary Ann 69 years old, Bess 45 years old, Cato 43 years old, Affy 40 years old, Jacob 37 years old, Elizabeth 25 years old, Sylvia 4 years old, Phillis 6 months old, Webster 16 years old, Lucy 14 years old, Benjamin 10 years old, Hannah 4 years old, Caeser 6 months old, Nancy 35 years old, Gordon 13 years old, Caesar 8 years old, Judy 4 years old, Isaac 3 years old, Phebea 1 1/2 years old, Hector 50 years old, Cupid 48 years old, Man 48 years old, Peter 21 years old, Hamit 19 years old, Johnny 16 years old, George 50 years old, Scip [alt: Scipio] 47 years old, Nanny 54 years old, Limus 34 years old, Larry 28 years old, Scip 25 years old, Binah 32 years old, Rose 9 years old, Hagar 6 years old, Harris 2 years old, Molly 67 years old, Pat 45 years old, Judy 24 years old, Margaret 2 years old, David 8 years old, Judy 36 years old, Warny 14 years old, Pat 6 years old, Fanny 8 years old, Flora 2 years old, Sue 10 years old, Sandy 43 years old, Shovey 41 years old, Boston 36 years old, Rachel 40 years old, Betty 13 years old, Simon 2 years old, Dick 38 years old, Tom 35 years old, Frank 31 years old, Yorick 24 years old, Susan 27 years old, William 6 years old, Nanny 2 years old, Affy 37 years old, Amy 16 years old, Tamar 11 years old, Morris 8 years old, Binah 5 years old, Shovey 2 years old.”

Mary Gray noted that this was her share as an heir of Mary Clay, deceased.

She also sold them a 498-acre tract of land in Bryan County called Richmond, formerly known as Dublin, including a small island that contained about seven acres, opposite the north east point of the tract, bounded on the south by William Patterson, north by Richard J. Arnold, east by the Great Ogeechee River and west by the public road leading to the Neck, and by lands belonging to Thomas S. And Eliza C. Clay, and on the south also by Sterling Creek. Also a tract of land called Transquiller, containing 2500 acres, bounded on the northwest by land of Watson formerly J. Clark’s, northeast by land belonging to Dr. Barnard, east by Beacroft Penny and Edward Stiles, south by lands of John J. Maxwell and southwest by land of Dr. Charles W. Rogeers and Jesse Ham. Plus another tract in Bryan County called Mann’s Ford, 900 acres, bounded north by lands of James Butler, on the west by land of John Ham [or Harn], south and southeast by the Canouchie River and on the east by lands of Quarterman.

As well she sold them for $954 personal property including 150 cattle, 1 carriage, 1 pair horses, 1400 bushels corn, 200 bushels rice, 5000 lbs fodder, lot poultry, 1 pair large mules, 1 pair small mules, 1 pair very old mules, 1 saddle horse, 1 plough horse, 1 flat boat & 2 canoes, 3 wagons, 1 cart, various farming tolls, lot household furniture.

They mortgaged all the property back to her until paid off. These mortgages were all marked as paid off.

Witnessed by George Gray, Ellen Gray. Recorded in Bryan County Superior Court on June 26, 1844.

On January 15, 1845, Mary Gray, of Boston in Massachusetts, released to Thomas S. And Eliza C. Clay, Bryan County, Georgia, the mortgage on “George aged twenty eight years, Yorick aged twenty five years and Elizabeth aged twenty six years.” Witnessed by Frederic Gray. Recorded in Bryan County Superior Court on February 4, 1845.

Bryan County, Georgia, Deeds & Mortgages, v. E-G 1830-1853, Book F (1840-46), page 265-276; digitized microfilm accessed through catalog, FamilySearch.org (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-CS4K-VSL9-4 : 15 Sep 2024), image 391-6 of 682; microfilm #007899047, citing original records of Bryan County Superior Court.

Bryan County, Georgia, Deeds & Mortgages, v. E-G 1830-1853, Book F (1840-46), page 319-20; digitized microfilm accessed through catalog, FamilySearch.org (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-CS4K-VS25-S : 19 Sep 2024), image 417-8 of 682; microfilm #007899047, citing original records of Bryan County Superior Court.