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Researching Enslaved Ancestors
One of the challenges for many whose ancestors were slaves is to research the era of slavery. Part of the successful search involves indentifying the last slave owner, of one's ancestors. There are many methods and theories about how to document the enslaving family. This is particularly challenging when many records are still in private papers that include names of slaves. However, many researchers have still managed to have some success with this critical stage.
I have found military pension files to be wonderfully rich with data not only of a soldier and his service, but of the family, and in so many cases the name of the slave holders are mentioned in those files.
Other documents are often found in court houses in wills, deeds, and court records.
I would love to hear of how others have gone about this phase in their research---identifying and telling the history of those who were enslaved.
-Angela-
I have found military pension files to be wonderfully rich with data not only of a soldier and his service, but of the family, and in so many cases the name of the slave holders are mentioned in those files.
Other documents are often found in court houses in wills, deeds, and court records.
I would love to hear of how others have gone about this phase in their research---identifying and telling the history of those who were enslaved.
-Angela-
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Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Mavis Jones on
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Hi, Angela, I've either entered the slavery era or about to on most of my lines. The only line that I've actually identified the slave holding family was to assume my ancestors took the surname of the last family. My maternal grandfather's surname is not very common, Hosch, or I should say that I don't think it is, so it was kind of a safe bet to assume that. I have a cousin that I met on-line that did most of the legwork from 1870 and earlier since he lives in Georgia. Some of the documents we used were wills of the slaveholding family and also a book that was written by one of the descendents of the slave holding family. Also, I was able to talk to one of the descendents of the slave holding family who ironically at the time I talked to her lived in the same area of North Carolina that I live in.
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Permalink Reply by Angela Walton-Raji on
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Mavis, so interesting that you mention the slave owner's surname as that has been an ongoing discussion in many circles. Were you able to identify your ancestors among the wills that you used?
-Angela- -
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Angela,
It's been about ten years ago that the slave owner's descendent and I had contact but I had traced back to my great-great grandmother Matilda Hosch (1870 census). I had just moved back home to NC and posted a query about my ancestors on a couple of sites (this was 11 years ago and I've forgotten the names of the sites). First, my second cousin who I had never met contacted me. As soon as he said he was from Salisbury, NC, I knew it was one of my great uncles descendants. Then, one of the descendants of the slave owner's family contacted me. She wasn't sure but told me about this book that one of her ancestors had written that mentioned a Tilda and she thought that it was probably my Matilda.
My cousin came across the will and made me a copy and yes it mentions our ancestors by name in the will. I have to admit that I've not had a chance to fully go through and digest everything my cousin sent me. Right after moving back home, life sort of took over, (grad school, helping take care of an aunt that had alzheimers, dad's heart surgery, etc.) which partially explains my 10 year break from really working on this. Now that I'm back on the ancestral trail, I hope to get back to my Hosch line and see if I can find any more information especially on my granddad's mother's side which we really haven't looked at. I know my cousin thinks we are back as far as we can go but you know how it is, you always want to continue looking no matter what.
I almost forgot to add that my granddad, great-grranddad, and great-great-grandmother were from Jackson County Georgia and there is a town there called Hoschton. -
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Permalink Reply by George Geder on
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This is my 2nd Great Grandmother.
I'm blessed to have inherited this Tintype from my Dad.
Also, I'm thankful to the Bradford County Historical Society of Pennsylvania for sending me the obituary a number of years ago. It reads:
-Mrs. John (Emma)Jeter, a colored woman aged 81 years, died in this borough last week and was buried from the colored church, the service being conducted by Rev. Mr. Smith.
She was a slave at Charleston, SC, from infancy until the emancipation proclamation, and was mother of thirteen children, ten of whom were sold from her.
She thus experienced the horrors of slavery in its most heart-crushing phases.
Her son James Jeter, came to this place soon after the close of the war and by industry earned and saved enough to bring his parents here two or three years later.
I need help; as you'll also see in subsequent posts.
I'll be calling upon those GenealogyWise folks who live in Pennsylvania to help me. (Friend requests coming up shortly! LOL)
My Jeters came to Towanda from Virginia. I just don't know where in VA. Jeters are in practically all of the counties and mine are named James, John & Jeremiah.
Wills, deeds, and court records are what I need help with.
Can anyone assist?
Peace,
"Guided by the Ancestors" -
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My Goodness George!! That is an AMAZING image of your ancestor!!! You are so fortunate to have this document! Have you tried to see if your can find that obit by using PERSI? You might be able to identify where they were, who knows?
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A year later...
Bradford Argus; Thursday, January 5, 1882
Photo copy from the Bradford County Historical Society, 1997.
-James Jeder (colored) having the last few days exibited signs of insanity - by telling everybody how much money he had made, and singing in the streets, &c., - was on Monday taken to the insane department of the poor-house, where the pure air of the country may restore him.
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Bradford Reporter; March 23, 1882
Photo copy from the Bradford County Historical Society, 1997.
-James Jeeder, a colored man of this place, who became insane, and was taken to the County House, a few weeks ago, died there on Saturday evening last. His remains were brought to this place and interred on Tuesday. He was about 32 years of age.
Sooo..... did my Great Grandfather go nuts or did he catch a virus?
I can tell you this; he died before his last child, Emmett Moore Geder, was born on 31 March 1882. Emmett is my Grandfather. -
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Here's my 2nd Great Grandfather, John R. Jeter.
His Obituaries reads:
"Bradford Republic; March 21, 1893
-Death of a Venerable Colored man.
Some twenty-five or thirty years ago, soon after the proclamation of emancipation was issued by Abraham Lincoln, there came to Towanda, we think from Virginia, John R. Jeeder, a colored man, formerly a plantation slave.
He was a tall, boney man of powerful physique, with the habits, manners and dialect of a regular plantation negro.
He was a good humored, inoffensive man, inclined to garrulity in describing his experience of a life of nearly seventy years as a slave before coming to this place.
His principal employment here was doing chores about town, and occasionally he was utilized in standing at the door of auction rooms and crying in a stentorian voice
“Auction! Auction! Auction here genmun and ladies, walk right in. Auction! Auction!”
John R. Jeeder soon became noted and known to every one, and the good will of every body, children as well as adults, was extended to him. This aged man for the past two or three years, enfeebled by age, has been unable to support himself, has been supported by charity contributed by his colored friends to some extent and also by the Ladies Aid Society and citizens of the borough.
On Saturday evening last at ab out 6 o’clock, the subject of this sketch died at the residence of John Street, on Lombard Street, at the age, as given by himself, of 99 years.
Funeral services were observed from the M.E. Zion church, on state street, at 2 o’clock yesterday afternoon.
Thus passes from our midst a long time conspicuous character on the streets of Towanda.
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Daily Review; March 21, 1893
-Old Mr. Jeter Dead.
John Jeter, an aged colored man of this place, died on Saturday last about six o’clock, quite suddenly.
He was about town as usual on Friday. The old man was a familiar and well known figure upon our streets; for many years he has done the bell ringing and street calling for every auction that has been held.
Mr. Jeter was about ninety years of age.
The funeral services were held yesterday afternoon; interment at Riverside cemetery.
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Bradford Reporter Journal; Thurs., Mar 23, 1893
Geder, John R., d. Sat-Towanda, age 90–colored.
The 1870 & 1880 census records state that he and his family members were born in Virginia.
That's clue #1. And if you read my post about his wife, Emeline, you know what I'm up against.
Thanks go out to the Bradford county Historical Society for providing me with this obituary.
Since I live in Santa Fe, I'll be enlisting the help of those residing and researching in Pennsylvania.
Let's keep the discussion going!
Peace,
"Guided by the Ancestors" -
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Permalink Reply by msualumni on
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Wow, George that is the coolest obituary! I don't think I've ever seen a historical one that included a photograph, especially one as nice as that. You look like him;)
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Oh No!
The photos and the obits are separate.
I just combined them to make one file.
I should have done a better job of having them appear as separate docs.
The photos came from my Father's private album.
BTW, I'm tall and boney, good humored and inoffensive... LOL
Peace,
"Guided by the Ancestors" -
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George it looks like he brought his mother there from Virginia. Did she move to Virginia after she left Charleston? It appears that she was still in Charleston when emancipation came, so have you located his mother in either SC or Virginia? That is a real challenge, but not insurmountable, hopefully.
You are so lucky to have such obituaries! -
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Here's the 1870 census. It states that they all were from Virginia.
Also, the info is all over the place.
1. Phonetic spelling of the surname
2. The son James is the actual property owner
3. The brother Jerry (Jeremiah) is not 63 yrs old ( he's more like 19)
James would be approx 2-3yrs in 1850 and 12-13 in 1860.
There are quite a few slave owning Jeters throughout VA - with slaves in that age range.
I couldn't discern anything with the 1850 & 1860 slave censuses.
In 1880 they're in separate households but they all claim VA as their birthplaces.
I have no maiden name for Emeline.
Peace,
"Guided by the Ancestors" -
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George,
Wonderful pictures and it's great that you actually have obits for your ancestors. -
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