NOTTOWAY 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 Nottoway County, Virginia (NARA microfilm series M653, Roll 1393) reportedly includes a total of 6,468 slaves. This transcription includes 95 slaveholders who held 20 or more slaves in Nottoway County, accounting for 4,311 slaves, or about 67% of the County total. The rest of the slaves in the County were held by a total of 280 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 Nottoway 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, except for 100 year old female black “Silva Plaintain, Negro” held by James A. Scott on page 379B. 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 Nottoway County population included 2,270 whites, 98 “free colored” and 6,468 slaves. By the 1870 census, the white population had stayed about the same at 2,241, while the “colored” population had increased about 7 % to 7,050. (As a side note, by 1960, 100 years later, the County was listed as having 8,664 whites, almost a four fold increase, while the 1960 total of 6,467 “Negroes”was about the same as 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 Nottoway 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:
ATKINS, Wm., 43 slaves, District 4, page 380B
BASS, J. A., 28 slaves, District 4, page 382
BEVERLY, Robt. H., 45 slaves, District 2, page 356B
BLAND, G. C., 27 slaves, District 4, page 380B
BLAND, T. P., 46 slaves, District 4, page 374B
BLAND, Wm. R., 51 slaves, District 4, page 381
BOIVEAU?, Wm. P., 32 slaves, District 4, page 381B
BOOTH, E. G., 79 slaves, District 3, page 363
BORUM, Wm. A., 21 slaves, District 2, page 357B
BOULDIN?, Louis, 49 slaves, District 2, page 358B
BRIGGS, W. A., 51 slaves, District 2, page 354B
CAMPBELL, Dr. A. A., 36 slaves, District 1, page 342
CAMPBELL, Dr. A. C., 26 slaves, District 1, page 342B
CAMPBELL, M. E., 40 slaves, District 1, page 342
CAMPBELL, T. H., 28 slaves, District 1, page 346
CARTER, C. H., 53 slaves, District 1, page 346B
CLAY, Wm., 23 slaves, District 4, page 373B
COX, John L., 26 slaves, District 1, page 344B
CRALLE, G. T., 48 slaves, District 1, page 344
CRALLE?, Geo. A., 77 slaves, District 4, page 377B
DICKERSON, W. P, 36 slaves, District 1, page 344
DICKINSON, Thos., 139 slaves, District 4, page 376B
DYSON, Francis, 60 slaves, District 4, page 376
EPES, Col. T. H., 63 slaves, District 4, page 375
EPES, E. G., F. C. Williams for, 26 slaves, District 3, page 369B
EPES, F. W., 60 slaves, District 1, page 340
EPES, Francis, 27 slaves, District 4, page 380
EPES, R. S., 87 slaves, District 1, page 351
EPES, Samuel F., 78 slaves, District 1, page 344B
EPES, T. F., 79 slaves, District 4, page 374
FITZGERALD, B. W., 75 slaves, District 3, page 370
FITZGERALD, Francis, 53 slaves, District 4, page 375B
FITZGERALD, Geo., 35 slaves, District 1, page 352
FITZGERALD, John, 55 slaves, District 4, page 378
FITZGERALD, John in trust for 9 minors, 23 slaves, District 4, page 378
FITZGERALD, John in trust for 4 minors, 148 slaves, District 4, page 378B
FITZGERALD, M. & F., 82 slaves, District 1, page 341B
FOWLKES, L. B., 23 slaves, District 1, page 343B
FOWLKES, Parchal, 47 slaves, District 1, page 348
FOWLKES, T. A., 43 slaves, District 2, page 360B
GUY, Wm. W., 71 slaves, District 1, page 340B
HAMLIN, Thos., 29 slaves, District 1, page 349B
HARDAWAY, D. S. Est., J. S. Hardaway Executor for 6 minors, 38 slaves, District 1, page 351B
HARDAWAY, H. T., J. S. Hardaway Executor for 5 minors, 32 slaves, District 3, page 364
HARPER, Capt. W. J., 41 slaves, District 3, page 363B
HARPER, John, 20 slaves, District 2, page 358
HARPER, N. M., 21 slaves, District 4, page 374
HARRIS, Dr. Wm. J., 31 slaves, District 4, page 381B
HAWKES, A. H., 27 slaves, District 4, page 371
INGRAM?, Stith A., 28 slaves, District 1, page 343B
IRBY, R., 60 slaves, District 3, page 368B
IRBY, Wm. B., 45 slaves, District 1, page 341
JEFFRESS?, Col. Wm. C., 44 slaves, District 1, page 343
JEFFRESS?, Col. E. T., 94 slaves, District 1, page 346
JENNINGS, M. C., 47 slaves, District 1, page 349
JENNINGS, Martha, 25 slaves, District 1, page 348B
JENNINGS, R. P., 27 slaves, District 1, page 348B
JETER, Mary p., 42 slaves, District 1, page 350
JONES, Archer, 87 slaves, District 4, page 371B
JONES, B. D. M., 20 slaves, District 4, page 373
JONES, Ben C., 31 slaves, District 2, page 356
JONES, Cath___?, 43 slaves, District 2, page 361B
JONES, G. W., 37 slaves, District 2, page 354B
JUSTICE, D. M., 21 slaves, District 4, page 377
MARSHALL, R. O., 25 slaves, District 2, page 358
MILLER, A. P., 31 slaves, District 2, page 359B
NIBLETT?, R. N., 55 slaves, District 3, page 365B
NIGHT, S. E., 48 slaves, District 1, page 347
OLIVER, C. H., 50 slaves, District 1, page 343
OLIVER, Geo W., 36 slaves, District 1, page 340B
OLIVER, John B., 38 slaves, District 1, page 348
OVERTON, John, 20 slaves, District 2, page 359B
PONTON, Archiball, 21 slaves, District 1, page 349B
POWELL, John G., 31 slaves, District 3, page 366B
REAMS?, A. H., 22 slaves, District 3, page 363B
ROBERTSON, M. W., 38 slaves, District 2, page 361
SCOTT, James AS., 50 slaves, District 4, page 379B
SCOTT, P. S.?, 31 slaves, District 3, page 364B
SHORE, Dr. H. E., 126 slaves, District 4, page 372
SHORE, R. E., 21 slaves, District 4, page 382
SYDNOR, T. W., 21 slaves, District 3, page 366B
TAYLOR, James M., 42 slaves, District 1, page 347B
TODD, Judict?, 47 slaves, District 3, page 370B
TUGGLE, Dr. R. B., 50 slaves, District 1, page 342B
VAUGHAN, J. N., 32 slaves, District 2, page 361B
VAUGHAN, Jepy?, 40 slaves, District 1, page 352B
WARD, Robt. F., 28 slaves, District 2, page 357
WARD, Sallie F., 66 slaves, District 2, page 357
WARD, W. F., 96 slaves, District 2, page 355
WATSON, R. A> A., 22 slaves, District 2, page 359
WILLIAMS, Catherine C., 53 slaves, District 3, page 369B
WILLIAMS, F. C., 32 slaves, District 3, page 369
WILLIAMS, F. C. Guardian for 2 minors, 35 slaves, District 3, page 369
WILLIAMS, Martha B., 47 slaves, District 1, page 353
WINGO, Henry, 25 slaves, District 2, page 355B
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)
ATKINS, 406, 49, 0, 90, 49, 0
BASS, 764, 44, 0, 76, 41, 0
BEVERLY, 225, 84, 3, 135, 83, 3
BLAND, 594, 221, 27, 296, 221, 27
BOIVEAU?, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0
BOOTH, 361, 72, 5, 110, 72, 5
BORUM, 32, 14, 1, 113, 13, 1
BOULDIN?, 102, 61, 1, 73, 61, 1
BRIGGS, 600, 176, 1, 244, 172, 1
CAMPBELL, 2897, 314, 17, 542, 308, 17
CARTER, 7164, 1833, 27, 2810, 1810, 27
CLAY, 1465, 106, 4, 240, 104, 4
COX, 2288, 370, 5, 559, 355, 5
CRALLE, 46, 45, 25, 45, 45, 25
DICKERSON, 890, 217, 8, 284, 211, 8
DICKINSON, 425, 109, 0, 147, 105, 0
DYSON, 256, 31, 16, 53, 27, 16
EPES, 85, 73, 70, 78, 73, 70
FITZGERALD, 341, 131, 65, 157, 131, 65
FOWLKES, 132, 118, 58, 124, 118, 58
GUY, 334, 43, 1, 66, 41, 1
HAMLIN, 204, 66, 9, 98, 66, 9
HARDAWAY, 124, 19, 9, 40, 19, 9
HARPER, 1363, 113, 7, 207, 112, 7
HARRIS, 11315, 1877, 26, 2995, 1847, 26
HAWKES, 26, 26, 25, 26, 26, 25
INGRAM?, 653, 37, 8, 77, 37, 8
IRBY, 251, 45, 10, 73, 44, 9
JEFFRESS?, 98, 94, 19, 96, 94, 19
JENNINGS, 848, 177, 36, 242, 176, 36
JETER, 313, 96, 13, 104, 96, 13
JONES, 27193, 3894, 77, 6648, 3807, 77
JUSTICE, 108, 24, 0, 30, 23, 0
MARSHALL, 1756, 237, 3, 386, 231, 3
MILLER, 6577, 592, 19, 1082, 576, 19
NIBLETT?, 16, 3, 0, 6, 3, 0
NIGHT, 126, 9, 0, 15, 8, 0
OLIVER, 1482, 200, 83, 314, 194, 33
OVERTON, 383, 53, 0, 90, 49, 0
PONTON, 33, 8, 2, 8, 8, 2
POWELL, 2420, 278, 4, 481, 272, 4
REAMS?, 38, 1, 0, 3, 1, 0
ROBERTSON, 2878, 543, 19, 832, 535, 19
SCOTT, 8407, 1609, 39, 2560, 1588, 39
SHORE, 44, 8, 0, 13, 7, 0
SYDNOR, 109, 84, 0, 94, 84, 0
TAYLOR, 11696, 1887, 11, 3129, 1849, 11
TODD, 703, 56, 5, 120, 55, 5
TUGGLE, 93, 12, 4, 17, 12, 4
VAUGHAN, 480, 174, 20, 207, 174, 20
WARD, 2525, 248, 13, 457, 236, 13
WATSON, 3567, 415, 14, 759, 405, 14
WILLIAMS, 28865, 2184, 35, 4695, 2087, 35
WINGO, 38, 7, 3, 13, 7, 3
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