They Had Names

African Americans in Early Records of Liberty County, Georgia

Bryan County Chattel Mortgage (Harris/Haig)

Enslaved People Named: Ceaser [alt: Caesar], Cinder [alt: Cinda], Suky, Jackson, Ann Eliza
Enslaved People Named: Will, Grace, her infant child, Phenisa (?), Edy, Will, Ned, Nancy, Celia, Watty [or Matty], Geoffry, Binah, Mary, Primus, Tenah, Sandy, George, Maria, Isone (?), Billy, Bob, Rhody, Elsey, Robert, Richard, Jimmy, Tenah, Mitchell, Jane, Martha, Phillis [alt: Phyllis], Jack, Cyrus, Andrew, Phillis, Eve, Titus, Harriet, Jeffry, Louisa, Isaac, Cynthia, Sam, Richard, Charles, Bing

On April 8, 1839, Raymond Harris, Bryan County, used as collateral on promissory notes totalling $12266.66 to Sarah G. Haig, Chatham County, via her agent Robert Habersham his Palermo Plantation, 740 acres, and an adjoining tract known as Success, 447 acres, both in Bryan County and bounded on the north by lands of G.W. McAllister and R.J. Arnold, on the west by lands of R.P. Demere and an area called the Park, on the south by lands of the estate of Dr. Charlton, and on the east by lands of the estate of Dr. Charlton and R.J. Arnold. Also used as collateral were “the following five negroes to wit Ceaser [alt: Caesar], Cinder [alt: Cinda], Suky, Jackson, and Ann Eliza.”

This record noted that Harris had previously used 46 enslaved people as collateral for these promissory notes, but had added the land and additional five people because he had paid only the interest, none of the principal, of the notes. The 46 people were not named in this record.

The record stated this about the original mortgage: “on the same day [as the promissory notes were delivered] the said Raymond Harris made and delivered a mortgage of forty six slaves to said Robert Habersham agent as aforesaid and purchased from the said Sarah G. Haig the better to secure the payment of the aforementioned notes.” It is possible that this was actually a sale of enslaved people by Haig to Harris and that the promissory notes were in order to pay off this purchase over time.

Witnessed by Thomas Tyson. Recorded in Bryan County Superior Court on April 22, 1839. Marked as satisfied per Sarah G. Haig. (No date of satisfaction given.)

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The original mortgage naming the 46 enslaved people was then found in Chatham County deed records.

On January 10, 1838, Raymond Harris, Bryan County, used as collateral on a promissory note of $12266.66 with interest to Sarah G. Haig “the following named negro slaves being forty six in number, viz. Will, Grace and her infant child, Phenisa (?), Edy, Will, Ned, Nancy, Celia, Watty [or Matty], Geoffry, Binah, Mary, Primus, Tenah, Sandy, George, Maria, Isone (?), Billy, Bob, Rhody, Elsey, Robert, Richard, Jimmy, Tenah, Mitchell, Jane, Martha, Phillis [alt: Phyllis], Jack, Cyrus, Andrew, Phillis, Eve, Titus, Harriet, Jeffry, Louisa, Isaac, Cynthia, Sam, Richard, Charles, and Bing.”

Marked as satisfied in full according to Robert Habersham, but no date given for that.

Witnessed by William Law. Recorded in Chatham County Superior Court on February 2, 1838.

Bryan County, Georgia, Deeds & Mortgages, v. E-G 1830-1853, Book E (1830-40), page 345-6; digitized microfilm accessed through catalog, FamilySearch.org (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-CS4K-VSGQ-5 : 2 Aug 2024), image 193 of 682; microfilm #007899047, citing original records of Bryan County Superior Court.

Chatham County, Georgia, Deeds & Mortgages, Volume 2V (1837-1838), page 397-9; digitized microfilm accessed through catalog, FamilySearch.org (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-C3Q5-WWF3: 2 Aug 2024), image 212-3 of 601; microfilm #008564921, citing original records of Chatham County Superior Court.