I’m excited to announce two significant improvements to They Had Names that will make this Liberty County and Bryan County historical data more accessible and searchable than ever.
New Downloadable PDF Collections
I’ve converted a major record set—all Liberty County estate inventory abstracts naming enslaved people from 1762-1777 and 1785-1865— into free, downloadable PDFs. These are organized into four comprehensive PDFs, indexed by enslaver names. Also downloadable is a searchable, sortable spreadsheet containing every record in the three post-Revolutionary War PDFs. Looking for a specific first name? You can sort the spreadsheet by enslaved persons’ names and quickly find every relevant record. The PDFs then allow access to the abstract with a link to the original document.
Check out the new download page here: https://theyhadnames.net/downloadable-files/. Anyone signed up for blog post updates will receive notice as new files are added.
Coming Soon
- Bryan County deed record abstracts (available within a week or so), indexed by enslaved persons, enslavers, and other mentioned individuals
- Smaller record sets like homestead exemptions
- 3-4 PDFs covering Liberty County deed record abstracts
- Complete Southern Claims Commission transcripts and research
Why PDFs Matter
At 67, and given today’s political climate, I feel an urgency to preserve this data in a format that ensures its survival. These “books” cannot be sold without permission, but the information is freely available for personal research, client work, blog posts, articles, books about ancestors or Liberty County history, and institutional reference. My hope is simple: wide distribution means preservation.
The mission remains unchanged—helping descendants find their ancestors so their stories are never forgotten, whether in personal family histories or in the broader narrative of American history and our nation’s future.
Enhanced Search Function
The website’s search bar now highlights your search terms in result snippets, making it easier to identify relevant documents at a glance. You can also search for exact phrases using quotation marks (e.g. “John Lambert”). Additional search features, including category and tag filtering, are planned for future updates.
I’m currently prioritizing data preservation over new research, but I’m maintaining a list of requests and haven’t forgotten anyone. Please let me know if you encounter any issues with the new search system.