AMELIA COUNTY, VIRGINIA
LARGEST SLAVEHOLDERS FROM 1860 SLAVE CENSUS SCHEDULES
and
SURNAME MATCHES FOR AFRICAN AMERICANS ON 1870 CENSUS
Transcribed by Tom Blake, July 2003
PURPOSE. Published information giving names of slaveholders and numbers of slaves held is almost non-existent. It is possible to locate an ancestor on a U.S. census for 1860 or earlier and not realize that ancestor was also listed as a slaveholder on the slave schedules, because published indexes almost always do not include the slave census. The last U.S. census slave schedules were enumerated by County in 1860 and included 393,975 named persons holding 3,950,546 unnamed slaves, or an average of about ten slaves per holder. The actual number of slaveholders may be slightly lower because some large holders held slaves in more than one County and would have been counted in each County. Excluding slaves, the 1860 U.S. population was 27,167,529, with about 1 in 70 being a slaveholder. It is estimated by this transcriber that in 1860, slaveholders of 200 or more slaves, while constituting less than 1 % of the total number of U.S. slaveholders, or 1 out of 7,000 free persons, held 20-30% of the total number of slaves in the U.S. The process of publication of slaveholder names beginning with the largest holders will enable naming of the holders of the most slaves with the least amount of transcription work. Surname matching of slaveholders with 1870 African Americans is intended merely as suggesting another possibility for further research by those seeking to make connections between slaves and holders.
SOURCES. The 1860 U.S. Census Slave Schedules for Amelia County, Virginia (NARA microfilm series M653, Roll 1386) reportedly includes a total of 7,655 slaves. This transcription includes 130 slaveholders who held 20 or more slaves in Amelia County, accounting for 5,056 slaves, or about 66% of the County total. The rest of the slaves in the County were held by a total of 406 slaveholders, and those slaveholders have not been included here. Due to variable film quality, handwriting interpretation questions and inconsistent counting and page numbering methods used by the census enumerators, interested researchers should view the source film personally to verify or modify the information in this transcription for their own purposes. Census data for 1860 was obtained from the Historical United States Census Data Browser, which is a very detailed, searchable and highly recommended database that can found at http://fisher.lib.virginia.edu/census/ . Census data on African Americans in the 1870 census was obtained using Heritage Quest’s CD “African-Americans in the 1870 U.S. Federal Census”, available through Heritage Quest at http://www.heritagequest.com/ .
FORMAT. This transcription lists the names of those largest slaveholders in the Amelia County, the number of slaves they held in the County, the Magisterial District where enumerated and the first page number on which they were listed. The page numbers used are the numbers rubber stamped in the upper right corner of every other page of the census, with the intervening pages being reported here with a B added to the number of the preceding page. Following the holder list is a separate list of the surnames of the holders with information on numbers of African Americans on the 1870 census who were enumerated with the same surname.
TERMINOLOGY. Though the census schedules speak in terms of “slave owners”, the transcriber has chosen to use the term “slaveholder” rather than “slave owner”, so that questions of justice and legality of claims of ownership need not be addressed in this transcription. Racially related terms such as African American, black, mulatto and colored are used as in the source or at the time of the source, with African American being used otherwise.
PLANTATION NAMES. Plantation names were not shown on the census. Using plantation names to locate ancestors can be difficult because the name of a plantation may have been changed through the years and because the sizeable number of large farms must have resulted in lots of duplication of plantation names. In Virginia in 1860 there were 641 farms of 1,000 acres or more, the largest size category enumerated in the census, and another 2,882 farms of 500-999 acres. Linking names of plantations in this County with the names of the large holders on this list is beyond the scope of this transcription.
FORMER SLAVES. The 1860 U.S. Census was the last U.S. census showing slaves and slaveholders. Slaves were enumerated in 1860 without giving their names, only their sex and age and indication of any handicaps, such as deaf or blind Slaves 100 years of age or older were supposed to be named on the 1860 slave schedule, but there were only 1,570 slaves of such age enumerated, out of a total of 3,950,546 slaves, and the transcriber, though not specifically looking for such named slaves, did not notice any such information while doing this transcription. Freed slaves, if listed in the next census, in 1870, would have been reported with their full name, including surname. Some of these former slaves may have been using the surname of their 1860 slaveholder at the time of the 1870 census and they may have still been living in the same State or County. Before presuming an African American was a slave on the 1860 census, the free census for 1860 should be checked, as almost 11% of African Americans were enumerated as free in 1860, with about half of those living in the southern States. Estimates of the number of former slaves who used the surname of a former owner in 1870, vary widely and from region to region. If an African American ancestor with one of these surnames is found on the 1870 census, then making the link to finding that ancestor as a slave requires advanced research techniques involving all obtainable records of the holder.
MIGRATION OF FORMER SLAVES: According to U.S. Census data, the 1860 Amelia County population included 2,897 whites, 189 “free colored” and 7,655 slaves. By the 1870 census, the white population had increased about 5% to 3,055, while the “colored” population had decreased about 13 % to 6,823. (As a side note, by 1960, 100 years later, the County was listed as having 3,806 whites, about a one-third increase, while the 1960 total of 3,995 “Negroes”was only about half of what the colored population had been 100 years before.) In comparing census data for different years, the transcriber was not aware of any relevant changes to County boundaries.
Where did the freed slaves go if they did not stay in the same County? Between 1860 and 1870, the Virginia colored population declined by about 36,000, to approximately 513,000, a 6.5% decrease. Two Virginia Counties that showed a significant increase in colored population between 1860 and 1870 were Henrico, with an increase of over 7,000, and Norfolk, with an increase of over 10,000. States that saw significant increases in colored population during that time, and were therefore possible places of relocation for colored persons from Amelia County, included the following: Georgia, up 80,000 (17%); Texas, up 70,000 (38%); Alabama, up 37,000 (8%); Florida, up 29,000 (46%); North Carolina, up 38,000 (8%); Ohio, up 26,000 (70%); Indiana, up 25,000 (127%); and Kansas up from 265 to 17,000 (6,400%).
SLAVEHOLDER LIST:
ADAMS, Richard E. G., 40 slaves, Magisterial District 4, page 168B
ANDERSON, Alfred, 24 slaves, Magisterial District 2, page 147B
ANDERSON, Henry Estate, 1 legatee, 40 slaves, Magisterial District 4, page 172
ANDERSON, J. B___?, 22 slaves, Magisterial District 3, page 163
ANDERSON, James P., 20 slaves, Magisterial District 4, page 172
ANDERSON, Joseph B., 31 slaves, Magisterial District 1, page 146
ANDERSON, Richard G., 50 slaves, Magisterial District 2, page 147
ANDERSON, Stephen C., 24 slaves, Magisterial District 1, page 140B
ARCHER, Ann W., 31 slaves, Magisterial District 4, page 165B
ARCHER, Marsha & Ann, 110 slaves, Magisterial District 3, page 153B
ARCHER, Page? P., 32 slaves, Magisterial District 4, page 166B
BAILEY, Mary W., 24 slaves, Magisterial District 4, page 169B
BARKSDALE, Conway, 59 slaves, Magisterial District 3, page 162
BARKSDALE, Robert J., 28 slaves, Magisterial District 3, page 156*
BARKSDALE, William J. Estate, 6 legatees all slaveholders in their own right, 99 slaves, Magisterial District 3, page 155B
BARRISTER, S. P., 118 slaves, Magisterial District 3, page 161B
BAUGH, Martha, 20 slaves, Magisterial District 1, page 135B
BERKELEY, Park T., 38 slaves, Magisterial District 3, page 159
BLAND, Fannie & 3 others, minors, 35 slaves, Magisterial District 4, page 170
BLAND, Matthew R., 30 slaves, Magisterial District 4, page 166
BLANTON, Ann P., 31 slaves, Magisterial District 3, page 152
BOISSEAU, Peter F., 46 slaves, Magisterial District 3, page 157
BOISSEAU, Peter F., trustee for 7 legatees, 20 slaves, Magisterial District 3, page 157
BOOKER, Lavinia W., 45 slaves, Magisterial District 1, page 136
BOOTH, W. C., 29 slaves, Magisterial District 5, page 182B
BRAGG, Joseph Estate, 2 legatees both slaveholders in their own right, 43 slaves, Magisterial District 4, page 171B
BRIDGFORTH, Benjamin, 35 slaves, Magisterial District 4, page 175
BURKE, Abner H., 21 slaves, Magisterial District 5, page 180B
BURTON, Daniel W., 26 slaves, Magisterial District 5, page 178B
CARSLEY, Elizabeth, 20 slaves, Magisterial District 1, page 137B
CARTER, William R., 27 slaves, Magisterial District 1, page 142B
CHAFFIN, Susan A. Owner, but resides and holds slaves in Henrico Co., 50 slaves, Magisterial District 5, page 180
CHEATHAM, Willaim J., 44 slaves, Magisterial District 4, page 170B
COLEMAN, E. H., 21 slaves, Magisterial District 4, page 175
COUSINS, Robert, 26 slaves, Magisterial District 5, page 178B
CRADDOCK, James, 28 slaves, Magisterial District 2, page 150
CRENSHAW, Thos. A., 22 slaves, Magisterial District 2, page 148
CROWDER, Levi B., 38 slaves, Magisterial District 4, page 175
DUNN, Joseph B., 40 slaves, Magisterial District 4, page 171B
EGGLESTON, Edward W., 34 slaves, Magisterial District 3, page 160B
EGGLESTON, William & sister, 80 slaves, Magisterial District 3, page 160B
FARMER, Charles W., 43 slaves, Magisterial District 2, page 149
FEATHERSTON, Edward & 3 others, one being a slaveholder in his own right, 31 slaves, Magisterial District 3, page 156B
FITZGERALD, C. W. Owner, but resides and holds slaves in Richmond, 29 slaves, Magisterial District 4, page 173B
FITZGERALD, John owner, but resides and holds slaves in Nottoway Co., 40 slaves, Magisterial District 5, page 177B
FOSTER, Wortham, 50 slaves, Magisterial District 1, page 141
FOWLKES, Joseph M., 71 slaves, Magisterial District 1, page 138
FOWLKES, Phineas, 52 slaves, Magisterial District 5, page 181
FRETWELL, William W., 36 slaves, Magisterial District 1, page 140
GILL, Miles A., 53 slaves, Magisterial District 2, page 144B and 151
GILL, William, 21 slaves, Magisterial District 1, page 140B
GREEN, William, 34 slaves, Magisterial District 1, page 139B
GREGORY, H. C., 34 slaves, Magisterial District 5, page 178B
GREGORY, W. J.? C., 50 slaves, Magisterial District 5, page 183
HAMLIN, James B., 37 slaves, Magisterial District 5, page 181
HARDAWAY, D. Estate, 6? Legateesall interested in other States, 25 slaves, Magisterial District 4, page 173B
HARDAWAY, John S., 103 slaves, Magisterial District 4, page 164B
HARRIS?, Lewis E., 56 slaves, Magisterial District 3, page 162B
HARRISON, Willaim H., 41 slaves, Magisterial District 3, page 152B
HENDRICK, Samuel T., 20 slaves, Magisterial District 2, page 146
HOBSON, Jane L.?, 24 slaves, Magisterial District 4, page 175B
JACKSON, Francis W., 41 slaves, Magisterial District 4, page 173
JEFFERSON, John G., 65 slaves, Magisterial District 3, page 159B
JOHN, James, 22 slaves, Magisterial District 2, page 143B
JOHNSON, Edward R., 35 slaves, Magisterial District 3, page 152
JONES, C., owner, but resides and holds slaves in Nottoway Co., 34 slaves, Magisterial District 2, page 151
JONES, Samuel, 44 slaves, Magisterial District 3, page 157B
JONES, William W., 20 slaves, Magisterial District 5, page 176B
KNIGHT, John W., 24 slaves, Magisterial District 4, page 170
LANE, John W., 56 slaves, Magisterial District 3, page 156B
MABEN?, Jane B., 35 slaves, Magisterial District 4, page 167B
MABEN?, Robert D., 22 slaves, Magisterial District 4, page 167B
MANN, Robert W., 28 slaves, Magisterial District 5, page 183B
MANN, Spencer A., 30 slaves, Magisterial District 4, page 167
MARSHALL, J. W., 22 slaves, Magisterial District 4, page 174B
MARSHALL, R. H., 23 slaves, Magisterial District 4, page 174
MASON, John G., 74 slaves, Magisterial District 3, page 155
MASTERS, Jane R. & 2 others, 20 slaves, Magisterial District 4, page 164
MAYO, George, 23 slaves, Magisterial District 3, page 157B
MCGEHEE, Lucy A., 27 slaves, Magisterial District 1, page 139
MEADE, William E., 40 slaves, Magisterial District 3, page 158
MEAUX, Thos. Estate, 34 slaves, Magisterial District 3, page 158
MILESTONE, William A., 24 slaves, Magisterial District 3, page 154B
NEAL, Thos. W., 25 slaves, Magisterial District 4, page 163B
NOBLE, Milton F., 22 slaves, Magisterial District 1, page 140
NOBLE, Wright E.?, 58 slaves, Magisterial District 3, page 161
NORFLEET, Abram, 20 slaves, Magisterial District 4, page 165B
PARKINSON, John E., 60 slaves, Magisterial District 4, page 172B
PHILLIPS, William A., 33 slaves, Magisterial District 3, page 152B
PRIDE, John T., 60 slaves, Magisterial District 4, page 163B
PRIDE, Thos. A., 70 slaves, Magisterial District 1, page 138B
PRIDE, William, 47 slaves, Magisterial District 3, page 160
ROBERTSON, Mary B. & 1 other, 27 slaves, Magisterial District 5, page 181B
ROBINSON, Edward C., 67 slaves, Magisterial District 4, page 169
ROWLETT, William H., 31 slaves, Magisterial District 4, page 170B
SCOTT, George C., 40 slaves, Magisterial District 2, page 149
SCOTT, Hiram T., 32 slaves, Magisterial District 5, page 182
SCOTT, Joseph M., 21 slaves, Magisterial District 4, page 171
SCOTT, Martha, 24 slaves, Magisterial District 2, page 148
SCOTT, Richard M., 27 slaves, Magisterial District 4, page 168B
SEAY, Austin, 39 slaves, Magisterial District 1, page 141B
SEAY, Selden A., 23 slaves, Magisterial District 1, page 139B
SOUTHALL, Elizabeeth, 60 slaves, Magisterial District 2, page 144B
SOUTHALL, Phiip T., 28 slaves, Magisterial District 4, page 167
STEGER, John H. Estate, 8 legatees, 6 of whom hold slaves in their own right, 72 slaves, Magisterial District 3, page 154
STRINGER, Robert R.?, 36 slaves, Magisterial District 3, page 158B
TABB, Thos. Z., 77 slaves, Magisterial District 3, page 153
TAYLOR, Richard F., 93 slaves, Magisterial District 5, page 176
TOWNES, Thos. J., 66 slaves, Magisterial District 4, page 168
TUCKER, Elizabeth C. & 7 others, 20 slaves, Magisterial District 2, page 146
VAUGHAN, Augustus Estate, 2 legatees, 68 slaves, Magisterial District 2, page 149B
VAUGHAN, James A., 47 slaves, Magisterial District 5, page 180B
VAUGHAN, Robert T., 37 slaves, Magisterial District 2, page 147B
WADE, Newton, 23 slaves, Magisterial District 2, page 145
WARRINER, Benjamin W., 20 slaves, Magisterial District 4, page 164B
WEBSTER, Thos. W., 22 slaves, Magisterial District 2, page 145B
WEBSTER, Thos. E., 22 slaves, Magisterial District 2, page 145B
WEBSTER, William T., 41 slaves, Magisterial District 4, page 173B
WILLIAMS, Robert P., 22 slaves, Magisterial District 2, page 143B
WILLS, Richard A., 23 slaves, Magisterial District 5, page 177
WILLSON, Joseph B., 32 slaves, Magisterial District 5, page 182
WILLSON, Thos. C., 41 slaves, Magisterial District 2, page 147
WILLSON, William H., 53 slaves, Magisterial District 4, page 166
WILEY?, John F., 31 slaves, Magisterial District 1, page 137B
WILEY?, Thos., 83 slaves, Magisterial District 1, page 142
WINGO, J. W. C., 25 slaves, Magisterial District 2, page 148
WOOD, Elizabeth, 34 slaves, Magisterial District 1, page 134
WOOD, Henry C., 28 slaves, Magisterial District 1, page 142
WOOD, R. R., 32 slaves, Magisterial District 1, page 135B
WORSHAM, William, 36 slaves, Magisterial District 5, page 183B
*This comment was written about Robert J. Barksdale:”Mr. Barksdale slaves are not now in this county, but as they have had no [set? _____?] residence for some months, Mr. B. Having broken up Campbell Co., where he formerly resided, I at his suggestion listed them here; he stating that they would probably not be listed at ll if not here.”
SURNAME MATCHES AMONG AFRICAN AMERICANS ON 1870 CENSUS:
(exact surname spellings only are reported, no spelling variations or soundex)
SURNAME, # in US, in State, in County, born in State, born and living in State, born in State and living in County)
ADAMS, 4295, 353, 4, 654, 343, 4
ANDERSON, 8173, 1153, 58, 1969,1142, 58
ARCHER, 358, 98, 12, 139, 97, 12
BAILEY, 2281, 384, 10, 634, 374, 10
BARKSDALE, 300, 132, 1, 145, 131, 1
BARRISTER, 10, 1, 0, 3, 1, 0
BAUGH, 151, 34, 3, 46, 34, 3
BERKELEY, 15, 12, 4, 13, 12, 4
BLAND, 594, 221, 23, 296, 221, 23
BLANTON, 154, 7, 0, 16, 7, 0
BOISSEAU, 21, 14, 3, 14, 14, 3
BOOKER, 1338, 545, 105, 698, 541, 105
BOOTH, 361, 72, 0, 110, 72, 0
BRAGG, 267, 44, 4, 70, 43, 4
BRIDGFORTH, 18, 5, 0, 8, 5, 0
BURKE, 4452, 54, 0, 95, 54, 0
BURTON, 1530, 196, 1, 323, 189, 1
CARSLEY, 1, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0
CARTER, 7164, 1833, 8, 2110, 1810, 8
CHAFFIN, 28, 16, 0, 17, 15, 0
CHEATHAM, 384, 117, 1, 150, 116, 1
COLEMAN, 4329, 932, 6, 1515, 922, 6
COUSINS, 214, 122, 2, 143, 118, 2
CRADDOCK, 83, 28, 2, 37, 28, 2
CRENSHAW, 366, 42, 0, 69, 41, 0
CROWDER, 253, 38, 0, 68, 38, 0
DUNN, 994, 45, 0, 102, 44, 0
EGGLESTON, 88, 36, 19, 48, 36, 19
FARMER, 569, 85, 1, 138, 83, 1
FEATHERSTON, 47, 9, 2, 14, 9, 2
FITZGERALD, 341, 131, 13, 157, 131, 13
FOSTER, 2611, 258, 8, 504, 253, 8
FOWLKES, 132, 118, 4, 124, 118, 4
FRETWELL, 13, 3, 0, 3, 3, 0
GILL, 591, 51, 0, 92, 50, 0
GREEN, 11070, 1257, 37, 2240, 1236, 37
GREGORY, 726, 178, 2, 226, 163, 2
HAMLIN, 204, 66, 0, 98, 66, 0
HARDAWAY, 124, 19, 3, 40, 19, 3
HARRIS?, 11315, 1827, 26, 2995, 1847, 26
HARRISON, 3639, 371, 15, 693, 353, 15
HENDRICK, 241, 61, 5, 80, 55, 5
HOBSON, 299, 100, 7, 131, 100, 7
JACKSON, 19100, 2897, 45, 4977, 2858, 45
JEFFERSON, 1789, 409, 27, 643, 402, 27
JOHN, 444, 20, 0, 69, 20, 0
JOHNSON, 33402, 4458, 88, 7797, 4373, 88
JONES, 27193, 3894, 77, 6648, 3807, 77
KNIGHT, 834. 101, 0, 140, 90, 0
LANE, 1402, 97, 0, 202, 95, 0
MABEN?, 11, 2, 1, 2, 2, 1
MANN, 558, 72, 5, 137, 72, 5
MARSHALL, 1756, 237, 3, 386, 231, 3
MASON, 2858, 547, 11, 917, 536, 11
MASTERS, 28, 3, 0, 5, 3, 0
MAYO, 403, 191, 7, 228, 190, 7
MCGEHEE, 185, 10, 0, 21, 10, 0
MEADE, 114, 70, 23, 86, 70, 23
MEAUX, 49, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0
MILESTONE, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0
NEAL, 1145, 100, 3, 171, 95, 3
NOBLE, 268, 17, 0, 41, 15, 0
NORFLEET, 130, 29, 2, 29, 27, 2
PARKINSON, 11, 1, 0, 4, 1, 0
PHILLIPS, 1974, 135, 3, 268, 129, 3
PRIDE, 200, 45, 9, 75, 44, 9
ROBERTSON, 2878, 543, 6, 832, 535, 6
ROBINSON, 8046, 1242, 47, 2251, 1233, 47
ROWLETT, 51, 28, 0, 29, 28, 0
SCOTT, 8407, 1609, 36, 2560, 1588, 36
SEAY, 107, 27, 6, 37, 27, 6
SOUTHALL, 89, 36, 0, 45, 34, 0
STEGER, 40, 8, 0, 11, 8, 0
STRINGER, 118, 7, 0, 13, 7, 0
TABB, 154, 93, 3, 114, 92, 3
TAYLOR, 11696, 1887, 15, 3129, 1849, 15
TOWNES, 122, 89, 21, 98, 89, 21
TUCKER, 2023, 429, 10, 669, 422, 10
VAUGHAN, 480, 174, 21, 207, 174, 21
WADE, 1372, 208, 3, 314, 201, 3
WARRINER, 3, 1, 0, 0, 0, 0
WEBSTER, 886, 98, 3, 213, 97, 3
WILLIAMS, 28865, 2184, 8, 4695, 2087, 8
WILLS, 409, 67, 0, 104, 66, 0
WILLSON, 542, 53, 20, 104, 52, 20
WILY, 580, 46, 9, 100, 42, 9
WINGO, 38, 7, 2, 13, 7, 2
WOOD, 2672, 434, 1, 658, 418, 1
WORSHAM, 72, 17, 5, 23, 16, 5
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