Since
I am working with a friend to find her ancestors who had been enslaved –
different state, probate records not online – I started indexing the names that
I found. To date I have only looked at
two years, from the Emancipation Proclamation to the end of the Civil War. I am working backwards as is typical in
genealogy, but I think this also gives the best chance to find a connection to
a family in the 1870 census.
This was an
eye-opening exercise for me, even though I had some experience researching the
period. Reading the wills gives a sense
of what it was like to be in Virginia during the Civil War. Some had been written years earlier and some
by men heading off to fight. Some people
included slaves in their bequests a few months before the end of the war. One man wanted his slaves sold – perhaps seeing
the writing on the wall.
Since collecting
the names, I have been searching for a way to share them. I am putting them in my blog because of a
suggestion in a recent Legacy webinar by Nicka Smith, Full Circle: Tracing the Descendants of a Slaveholding Ancestor.
As of now the Ancestry
collection, Virginia, Wills and Probate
Records, 1652-1983, is hard to access.
The title does not show up in the catalog and when I click on it in record
view I get an error message. However, it
does show up as a search result for a person and once you get to the images
there is a dropdown menu that goes to different books and indexes (this works
for me sometimes but not today). Note
that most of the names in the books are not
indexed and will not be found when
doing searches. Here is a work-around:
Will Book 11
(1859-1864) Images 309-630 (search for Charles Baldwin died 1861 in Prince Edward
County, Virginia – goes to image 526)
Will Book 12 (1864-1869)
Images 632-757 (search for Wm A Gehee – goes to image 653 which is preceded by
an index)
If nothing else
you can scroll through the books using the filmstrip at the bottom of the
screen.
Please note
that at this time nobody has double-checked my indexing, so there are likely
errors, typos and omissions. If you find one, please tell me and I will change it. If you are
seriously researching this county, you should read through the books. Luckily, the persons who recorded
these records had reasonably good handwriting which is a blessing in genealogy.
Prince Edward
County, Virginia – Will Books 11(partial) and 12 With Inventories & Accounts
Jan 1, 1863
|
Emancipation
Proclamation
|
|||
Will Book 11 With
Inventories & Accounts (Partial - Images 525-630)
|
||||
Image
|
Decedent
|
Date
|
Names of enslaved people
|
Value
|
525
|
Thomas Mohorn or Mohan
|
16 Mar 1863
|
Woman Betty
|
700
|
1860 - 23 slaves
|
Boy Elijah
|
1200
|
||
Boy Edward
|
1200
|
|||
Boy Samuel
|
1000
|
|||
Boy Richard
|
800
|
|||
Girl Esther
|
500
|
|||
Girl Hannah
|
300
|
|||
Girl Jane
|
800
|
|||
Woman Anna
|
900
|
|||
Woman Nancy & child
Harriet
|
1400
|
|||
Girl Cena
|
800
|
|||
Boy John
|
700
|
|||
Boy Seavior
|
400
|
|||
Girl Pattie
|
350
|
|||
Girl Ellen
|
1000
|
|||
Girl Lucy
|
1200
|
|||
Girl Anna
|
500
|
|||
Woman Fanny
|
1400
|
|||
Girl Maria
|
650
|
|||
Girl Millie
|
400
|
|||
Boy Tom
|
200
|
|||
Boy Washington
|
1000
|
|||
Woman Charity
|
300
|
|||
Boy Stephen
|
1200
|
|||
Boy Bob
|
1500
|
|||
526
|
Wm N Fowler
|
25 Jan 1863
|
Jim
|
1700
|
Dily
|
100
|
|||
Jane and her child
Galenda
|
1900
|
|||
526
|
Charles Baldwin
|
to my son Archibald A
Baldwin one negro woman named Patience
|
||
1860 – 10 slaves
|
to my son john R Baldwin
one negro boy John
|
|||
to my son Charles I
Baldwin one negro boy Abe
|
||||
to my daughter Susan E
Baldwin one negro boy Henry
|
||||
to my daughter Agnes H
Woods one negro boy Pleasant
|
||||
to my daughter Elizabeth
Boatwright one negro girl Jane
|
||||
527
|
to my daughter Judith P
Peacock on negro girl Francis
|
|||
to my granddaughter Mary
A Baldwin one negro boy named William
|
||||
533
|
John Meadow
|
18 Jan 1860; presented 20
Apr 1863
|
to my daughter Polly H
Gresham…to Nancy H Meadow fifteen negroes…named Ben, Billy, Armstead, James K
Polk, Wilson, Charles, Sam Claborn, Susan, Louisa, Kitta, Sarah, Caroline, Catharine,
Lucy, Ann, Manda.
|
|
…twenty one
negroes…named Joe, John Pleasant, William, Sidney, Jen, Hannah[?], Emily,
Allis, Adoline, Jeffry, Eliza, Edward, George W. Junius, Mary, Willis,
Henrietta, Imoline, Betta, Jefferson, Ann, Martha…
|
||||
534
|
Mrs Mary Allen
|
18 March 1863
|
Moses 53 years of age
|
800
|
1860 – 15 slaves
|
Albert 25 deformed
|
100
|
||
Jack 25
|
1800
|
|||
Thomas 23
|
1800
|
|||
Douglas 18
|
1800
|
|||
Monroe 18
|
1800
|
|||
Little Tom 10
|
1200
|
|||
Peter 10
|
1000
|
|||
Molly 70 at
nothing [?] taken by Archer W Allen by Cond of Leg*
|
||||
Maria 60
in bad health
|
150
|
|||
Nelly 44
|
300
|
|||
Kass [?] 27 & child
|
1200
|
|||
Betsy & child 21 years of age
|
1400
|
|||
Lucy 15
|
1300
|
|||
535
|
Ella 15
|
1300
|
||
Judy 13 years of age
|
1300
|
|||
Fanny 8
|
800
|
|||
Levenia 8
|
800
|
|||
Anna 6
|
600
|
|||
May 6
|
600
|
|||
Sally 3
|
400
|
|||
542
|
Wm A Walton
|
Apr 1863
|
1 negro woman Sally
& 4 children
|
2000
|
1860 – 23 slaves
|
1 man John
|
1500
|
||
549
|
Charles Baldwin
|
1 Jun 1863
|
Davy
|
1800
|
1860
– 12 slaves
|
Abram
|
500
|
||
Rueben
|
1200
|
|||
Jane & 4 children
|
4000
|
|||
Phillis & child
|
1400
|
|||
554
|
Branch O Scott
|
1 Jun 1863
|
One negro man Tom
|
1800
|
1860 – 40 Slaves
|
One negro man Sam
|
2000
|
||
One negro man Isham
|
2000
|
|||
One negro man Henry
|
1700
|
|||
One negro man Johnson
|
1400
|
|||
One negro man Jim
|
300
|
|||
One negro man Doctor
|
1800
|
|||
One negro man Lee
|
2000
|
|||
One negro man Tom
Haskins
|
2000
|
|||
One negro man Madison
|
2000
|
|||
One negro man Ellick
|
1700
|
|||
One negro man Abram
|
750
|
|||
One negro man Jacob
|
750
|
|||
One negro boy Daniel
|
1000
|
|||
One negro boy Ca[?]
|
1650
|
|||
One negro man Shepperd
|
1000
|
|||
One negro boy Nathan
|
1300
|
|||
One negro woman Lucy
& child Nelson
|
1500
|
|||
One negro woman Permelia
|
2000
|
|||
One negro woman Dolly
|
1800
|
|||
1 negro girl Maria &
child Davy
|
2000
|
|||
1 negro girl Fanny
|
300
|
|||
1 negro woman Gency Ann
|
900
|
|||
1 negro woman Polly
|
200
|
|||
1 negro woman Mary &
children Susan & Caroline
|
2150
|
|||
1 negro girl Nannie
|
1800
|
|||
1 negro girl Cora
|
1800
|
|||
1 negro woman Emma &
child Isaac
|
1800
|
|||
1 negro girl Patty
|
1000
|
|||
1 negro girl Ann Rebecca
|
900
|
|||
1 negro boy Lewis
|
600
|
|||
1 negro girl Amanda
|
1100
|
|||
1 negro boy Ryland
|
1700
|
|||
1 negro boy Joe
|
1200
|
|||
1 negro boy John Reed
|
1300
|
|||
1 negro boy Jacob Jr
|
700
|
|||
1 negro boy Henderson
|
600
|
|||
1 negro boy Abby
|
700
|
|||
1 negro girl Nancy
|
800
|
|||
1 negro girl Litty
|
500
|
|||
1 negro boy John
Randolph
|
350
|
|||
1 negro girl Harriet
|
450
|
|||
1 negro girl Elizabeth
|
400
|
|||
1 negro woman Dolly
Chappell
|
100
|
|||
1 negro woman Martha
Fears
|
800
|
|||
1 negro man Abb (very
old)
|
||||
555
|
Lilleous D Womack
|
Signed May 1856;
presented 15 Jun 1863
|
To my son Wm. L.
Womack…negroes Mat, Catharine Milly & Susan
|
|
To my son James A
Womack…negroes Jefferson Harriott Billy & Isaac
|
||||
To my daughter Mary A
Guthrey…negroes Mary, Effy, Nancy, Jn’ & Cesly
|
||||
To my son Archer W
Womack…negroes Deck, Francis & Farrer
|
||||
To my daughter Betsy L
Cary…negroes Rendy & George
|
||||
To my daughter Margaret
I Gilliam…negroes Walter [?] Betsy & Billy
|
||||
To my daughter Sallie A
Womack…negroes Jerry Ann Eliza & Adam
|
||||
To my son John D Womack…negroes
Bagly, Doctor, Ida & Polly little Polly’s daughter
|
||||
To my son Adam C
Womack…negroes Muncie, Spencer & Jane daughter of Lizie
|
||||
William H Cary may keep
Elizabeth & family…or she may be sold…
|
||||
558
|
Lilleous D Womack
|
22 Jul 1863
|
Nancy 14 years old
|
1500
|
1860 – 34 slaves
|
Sally 8
|
1100
|
||
Peter 16
|
2000
|
|||
Robert 16
|
2000
|
|||
Janetta 17
|
1400
|
|||
William 5
|
700
|
|||
Thomas 3
|
600
|
|||
Susan Ann 18
|
1500
|
|||
Henry 16
|
1000
|
|||
Jack 18
|
2500
|
|||
Rose 12
|
1500
|
|||
Polly 40
|
800
|
|||
Rhoda 5
|
600
|
|||
Horace 6
|
800
|
|||
Kenny 51
|
1500
|
|||
Joe 29
|
2600
|
|||
Polly 52
|
500
|
|||
Merchant 29
|
2700
|
|||
Albert 47
|
1500
|
|||
John 13
|
1500
|
|||
Jim 9
|
950
|
|||
George 10
|
1000
|
|||
Eliza 36
& child Martha Susan 1
|
1000
|
|||
Fanny, Letta, Martha,
Lillie, worthless
|
||||
560
|
Jennetta P Allen
1860 – 14 slaves
|
…to my son John James
Allen…my interest in one negro slave Edmund (given by my mother Elizabeth
Shepperd…)
|
||
563
|
D C Glenn
|
20 Jan 1863
|
Negro man Branch
|
1000
|
1860 – 24 slaves
|
Girl Ella
|
1000
|
||
Girl Victoria
|
1000
|
|||
Boy William
|
1100
|
|||
Boy John
|
1150
|
|||
Maria & 2 children
Lou and Laura
|
1600
|
|||
Elvina & 2 children
Maria & Julia
|
2000
|
|||
Jane & 2 children
Robert & Mollie
|
2500
|
|||
Andrew negro man
|
1400
|
|||
Henry (sick)
|
1200
|
|||
Alexander
|
1500
|
|||
Nathaniel boy 16 yrs old
|
1400
|
|||
Sally and 2 children
Horace & Ann
|
2000
|
|||
Amy yellow girl
|
1500
|
|||
Cephis [?] negro boy
|
1200
|
|||
Lewis negro boy
|
1200
|
|||
565
|
S C Chumney
|
12 Sep 1863
|
Jacob
|
2500
|
1860 – 4 slaves
|
Missouri
|
1299
|
||
Sarah
|
2000
|
|||
Amelia
|
1500
|
|||
Ellen
|
400
|
|||
Joe
|
150
|
|||
566
|
Thomas H Anderson
|
17 Sep 1863
|
Isaac 60 years of age
|
550
|
1860 – 25 slaves
|
Anthony 17
|
2575
|
||
Robert 24
|
2800
|
|||
Nelson 23
|
2600
|
|||
John 31
|
2800
|
|||
Munroe 36
|
2700
|
|||
Dick 22
|
2900
|
|||
Charles 19
|
2900
|
|||
Frederick 21
|
2600
|
|||
Henry 12
|
1800
|
|||
Sam 9
|
1500
|
|||
Vicey 26 years of age and child Patty
|
2650
|
|||
Booker 7 years of age
|
1000
|
|||
Archer 4 years of age
|
800
|
|||
Polly & child, woman
25 years of age
|
2800
|
|||
Maria 35 years old and child Ella
|
2300
|
|||
Margaret 6 years old
|
850
|
|||
Emma 14 years old
|
2500
|
|||
Chancey 45 years old
|
450
|
|||
Mollie 4
|
600
|
|||
Ann 12
|
1300
|
|||
Winney 21
& child Page
|
2800
|
|||
William 19
|
2600
|
|||
568
|
Robert Hill
|
6 Oct 1863
|
One negro man Spencer
|
2500
|
1860 – 5 slaves
|
One woman Mollie
|
1000
|
||
Harriett and 2 children
Ella and Mollie
|
4000
|
|||
One negro man Don
|
2700
|
|||
571
|
Vincent Phillips
|
29 Jul 1863
|
Pleasant
|
00
|
1860 – 25 slaves
|
Ellen
|
300
|
||
Amply
|
1500
|
|||
Mahala
|
750
|
|||
Henry
|
1400
|
|||
James
|
2500
|
|||
Charles
|
2600
|
|||
Malinda
|
1000
|
|||
Hyram
|
2500
|
|||
Matilda
|
2000
|
|||
Elisha
|
1500
|
|||
Jarret
|
2500
|
|||
Patty
|
2200
|
|||
Branch
|
2000
|
|||
Daniel
|
1100
|
|||
Laura
|
1500
|
|||
Amy
|
300
|
|||
Otilla
|
500
|
|||
Madison
|
2000
|
|||
580
|
John HIll
|
1 Aug 1863
|
To my beloved wife
Judith B Hill one negro woman named Lucndan and her children Mary, Cora and
Ida…
|
|
1860 – 25 slaves
|
To my daughter Mary E
Morgan on negro woman named Nancy…
|
|||
To my daughter Ann E B
Atwood…one negro woman named Mahala…
|
||||
To my daughter Judith E
Pigg…one negro woman named Rhoda
|
||||
To my son John R Hill…on
negro man named Archer…
|
||||
To my daughter Martha J
Hill one negro girl named Harriet…
|
||||
To my daughter Elvira D
Hill one negro girl named Mary
|
||||
580
|
Edward R Brightwell
|
25 Nov 1863
|
Negro boy George about
11 years old
|
2250
|
1860 – 3 slaves
|
Negro woman Mary about 40
years old very much affected & valueless
|
|||
582
|
Janetta P Allen
|
6 Oct 1863
|
Julia
|
200
|
Elvira
|
500
|
|||
Clapton
|
2000
|
|||
Archer
|
2500
|
|||
Julia Ann
|
1800
|
|||
Henry
|
2000
|
|||
Louisa
|
2000
|
|||
Maria
|
1200
|
|||
William
|
1000
|
|||
582
|
Thomas H Anderson
|
5 Jun 1863
|
To my son William H
Anderson…the following slaves viz: Bob, Polly and her child Betty, Winney,
and her child Page, Dick, Charles, Anthony, Emma, Bell and Vicy
|
|
To my daughter Lucy A C
Bradley the following slaves viz: Alia, Sallie, Tom, Seth, Catharine, Lucy,
Fanny, Jane, Mat and Esther…at my decease the following slaves viz: Isaac, Nelson,
Maria, Ella, Margaret, Chancy and Mollie…
|
||||
To my niece Marietta E L
Stiff one negro girl Ann
|
||||
To my son William H
Anderson…the following slaves viz: Munroe, John, Frederick, Henry, Sam,
Patty, Edward & Archer
|
||||
584
|
William Bradshaw
|
1 Dec 1863
|
Negro Sam
|
1500
|
1860 – 14 slaves
|
Spencer
|
1500
|
||
Nelson
|
3000
|
|||
Doctor
|
3000
|
|||
Alec
|
3000
|
|||
Milton
|
3000
|
|||
Jack
|
2000
|
|||
Judy
|
400
|
|||
Matilda
|
600
|
|||
Becky
|
3000
|
|||
Henry
|
2500
|
|||
Benton
|
2500
|
|||
Mary Jane
|
800
|
|||
586
|
John Hill
|
26 Nov 1863
|
Negro man named Daniel
|
3000
|
Negro man named Dennis
|
2500
|
|||
Negro man named Clay
|
3000
|
|||
Negro man named Bob
|
3000
|
|||
Negro man named Bouldin
|
3500
|
|||
Negro boy named John
|
2000
|
|||
Negro boy named Ned
|
2500
|
|||
Negro woman named Mary
|
3300
|
|||
Negro woman named Winney
|
3000
|
|||
Negro woman named Becky
& six children Chancy, Alice, Rose, Washington, Jennie and Lee
|
9300
|
|||
Woman Sally & six
children viz: Harriet, James, Isham, Henry, Bettie, Sam
|
11100
|
|||
Woman Silla
|
100
|
|||
Woman Lucinda,&
Mary, Cora & Ida
|
6200
|
|||
589
|
Wm S Brent
|
18 Jan 1864
|
Louisa & 3 children
Rogers, Neal & Rufus
|
5000
|
Illinois & 1 child
|
2850
|
|||
Alcey
|
200
|
|||
John
|
2000
|
|||
Stephen
|
2500
|
|||
Robert
|
2500
|
|||
589
|
Booker Foster
|
29 Dec 1863
|
To Mrs. Ann McGhee:
|
|
1860 – 11 slaves
|
Molly an old woman
valued at
|
000
|
||
Sam a man
|
3000
|
|||
Collin a man
|
3500
|
|||
Beverly a man
|
3500
|
|||
To Nelson Booker McGhee:
|
||||
Bob an old man valued at
|
000
|
|||
Clarissa a woman valued
at
|
1000
|
|||
Washington a man valued
at
|
3500
|
|||
Richard a man valued at
|
3500
|
|||
598
|
George G Fowlkes
|
7 Dec 1863
|
Negro man Randolph
|
4000
|
1786 – 2 slaves
|
Negro man Washington
|
4000
|
||
600
|
Josiah Brightwell
|
15 Feb 1864
|
Ralph
|
500
|
1860 – 13 slaves
|
Jacob
|
2500
|
||
Maria, 300 less than
nothing
|
00
|
|||
Hannah Glascow & Lee
|
2500
|
|||
Mary
|
4500
|
|||
Alice & child Laura
|
5000
|
|||
Patrick
|
3500
|
|||
Dolly
|
1250
|
|||
William
|
2000
|
|||
Robert
|
3000
|
|||
625
|
Thomas A Gilliam
1860 – 1 slave
(13 – female)
|
Signed 29 Jun 1863; presented
10 Oct 1864
|
To my beloved wife Susan
R Gilliam a negro girl Eliza
|
|
625
|
James Mickle
1816 – 16 slaves
|
Signed 28 May 1858;
pres. 20 Jun 1864
|
To my wife my negro
woman Nancy and the youngest child she has now…and my negro man Sam
|
|
To my son Joel E
Mickle…one negro man named Henry sometimes called Dick…my woman named Anica
or her value…my son in law Stephen Fore is to have the privilege of taking
the said woman Anica at valuation…
|
||||
My son George Mickle a
negro man named Billy
|
||||
To my daughter Elizabeth
Matthews the following slaves viz: George, Tom, Spencer, Sam & John
children of a woman named Clementine…
|
||||
To my daughter Mary Jane
Lan [?] the following slaves…viz: Polly and Catharine and the children that
they may have now…
|
||||
626
|
To my daughter Harriet J
Fore one negro woman named E [?]…with all the children…except for one girl
named Martha which I have given my son James…
|
|||
To James Mickle a negro
girl named Martha the daughter of a woman named Eliza…
|
||||
To my daughter Sarah Ann
Mickle the following named slaves viz:
Lucy, Elijah, Clementine, Peggy sometimes called Margaret, Tom &
Richard sometimes called Howard…
|
||||
To my daughter Mary
Frances Elam the following slaves…Sophia, Lewis, Charity & Patty and
after the death of my widow one negro boy named Alexander
|
||||
To my son John S Mickle
on negro boy named Jack…
|
||||
To my daughter Cordelia
S Adams the following slaves…Indiana, Thompson, Mary, Milly & Titia and
after the death of my widow one negro man named Reubin
|
||||
To my widow…I loan her
the following slaves…Reubin, one boy named Alexander, and one woman named
Mahala
|
||||
627
|
Mary Carter
|
Signed Aug 1863; pres.
21 Nov 1864
|
I direct that my slaves
seventeen in number named as follows to wit: Isaac, Lizzy, Malinda and her
children Caroline Salina, Milly and Mason Sarah and her child Edwin, York,
Martha and her children Beth and Jenney, Charles, Aggy, Cora and Winney…be
divided inot five equal parts
|
|
1860 – 19 slaves
|
The first lot embracing
Lizzie I give to John B Bell to be held in trust…for my son Richard Carter…
|
|||
The second lot embracing
Isaac, I give to my son John Thomas Carter…
|
||||
The third lot embracing
Malinda, I give to the children of my daughter Elizabeth Fowlkes…
|
||||
The fourth lot embracing
Charles I give to my son James B Carter…
|
||||
The fifth lot embracing
York I give to my son Samuel Carter…
|
||||
Will
Book 12 With Inventories & Accounts
|
||||
643
|
Stephen B Farrar
|
4 Dec 1864
|
Sidney
|
6000
|
1860 – 8 slaves
|
Jim
|
3000
|
||
Louisa and two children
Doctor and Walker
|
6000
|
|||
Manerva
|
1500
|
|||
645
|
James Mickle
|
19 Dec 1864
|
Sam
|
1500
|
Reuben
|
1500
|
|||
Elich
|
1500
|
|||
Buck
|
00
|
|||
Mahala
|
300
|
|||
Anica
|
300
|
|||
Sophia & child
Martha, Jinny & Signora
|
2800
|
|||
Louisa & child
|
1500
|
|||
Margaret & child
|
1800
|
|||
Frank
|
600
|
|||
Howard
|
800
|
|||
Tom
|
800
|
|||
648
|
Robert C E Elliot
|
25 Dec 1864
|
Chancy
|
500
|
1860 – 5 slaves
|
Gabrilla
|
3000
|
||
Emma
|
2000
|
|||
Page
|
5000
|
|||
Munroe
|
2500
|
|||
Judith
|
4000
|
|||
652
|
Henry M Vaughn
|
15 Mar 1865
|
Granville
|
2000
|
1860 – 14 slaves
|
Ben
|
2500
|
||
Stephen
|
2000
|
|||
Davy
|
1500
|
|||
Betty
|
4500
|
|||
Patty
|
4500
|
|||
E? & child
|
?
|
|||
Elvira
|
4500
|
|||
Francis & child
|
5050?
|
|||
Eliza
|
4500
|
|||
Allice
|
1850
|
|||
Armstead
|
2500
|
|||
Thacus
|
2200
|
|||
Egbert
|
850
|
|||
Dolly
|
||||
653
|
Wm A McGhee
|
Mary to my sister Eliza
S Daniel
|
||
Sarah to my sister Sarah
A McCargo
|
||||
656
|
Samuel Anderson
1860 – 16 slaves
|
1852; presented to court
18 Sept 1865
|
to my wife Lucy H
Anderson all my negroes to wit Lewis, Rose, Easther, John, Patrick, William,
Easter, commonly called by us Hannah, and Chloe, Phillis and Isham, and Sarah
or Sary and Cora and Ellen, and Judy and Dallas and Henry and Rose & Joe
…
|
|
658
|
Branch A Farley
|
28 Mar 1865
|
to my son George A
Farley my negro boy Jim
|
|
April
9, 1865
|
General
Robert E. Lee surrendered at the village of Appomattox Court House.
No more slaves appear in inventories after March 1865.
|
