Georgia Slave Laws - Manumission

[SarahFair]

Over the last few years I have been doing my best to study the slaves that one of my ancestral lines owned.

I noticed that one of the slaves were freed.
Her name was Rachel.

Rachel was born about 1775 and originally owned by Lodowick.
Lodowick moved from Virginia to Georgia about 1792, bringing his slaves down with him.
Lodowick dies in 1798, leaving Rachel and her 3 children to his son William (Jane, Jack, and Pheobe).

In the 1850 census Rachel is listed as a free black female and living next to Pinckney (youngest son of William). I'm guessing it's on Pickney's property.
Rachel is again listed in the 1853 tax digest for the county, which is the last time she shows up in records.

William dies in 1861 with around 40 slaves and divides them up between his children, but lets 5 of the slaves pick which child of Williams they want to live with, 2 of those slaves being Rachel's children (Jack and Pheobe, Jane is not listed amongst the slaves, so Im not sure what happened with her).
Jack goes on to live with Pinkney
Pheobe goes on to live with one of William's daughters.
I'm guessing Rachel dies sometime between 1853 and 1860.


I wanted to look up any documents that would have recorded Rachels freedom here in the state of Georgia.
I was pointed to a link that goes over the laws surrounding slavery, in it includes laws of manumission.

https://www.georgiaarchives.org/assets/documents/Slave_Laws_of_Georgia_1755-1860.pdf

If I'm reading it correctly, manumission (release from slavery) was illegal in Georgia except by application to the legislature, and if approved it was illegal to record it?
But it also says free persons of color must register?
And you would be fined?
I'm not understanding how all that works, wouldn't they just tell you, "no, you can't free your slaves" instead of fining you?


I'm trying to figure out where I need to be looking for records; state records or county level records, and which court I need to look into.


This woman obviously meant something to the family and I'd like to try and dig out her story.

 

[JustUs4All]

Very interesting. The Free Person of Color thing could be explained if a slave was freed in a State where that could legally be done before the freed slave then moved to Georgia.

 

[SarahFair]

Very interesting. The Free Person of Color thing could be explained if a slave was freed in a State where that could legally be done before the freed slave then moved to Georgia.

Yes, but free people of color were not allowed to enter the state?

 

[JustUs4All]

Interesting again. I expect that any blacks who were freed before Statehood and who resided in Georgia at the formation of the State would have been allowed to stay. May there also have been blacks freed within the state after Statehood but before these laws was passed?

 

[SarahFair]

Interesting again. I expect that any blacks who were freed before Statehood and who resided in Georgia at the formation of the State would have been allowed to stay. May there also have been blacks freed within the state after Statehood but before these laws was passed?

I'm guessing, but it doesn't seem to fall into the criteria of Rachel

 

[JustUs4All]

If Rachel arrived in GA in 1792 owned by Lodowick and he left her to William in 1798, is there still time for William to free Rachel before the 1801 law came into effect?

 

[SarahFair]

It's possible, but she doesn't show up in 1824, 28, or 37 tax records..
Though I haven't checked the tax laws to see if she even would have been listed

 

[JustUs4All]

Interesting anyway.

 

[Resica]

Good luck. All interesting stuff!

 

[westcobbdog]

That's a big rabbit hole to go down, good luck.
I would visit the Ga Archives in Morrow Tues- Friday. To me it's too dark in there, I slip a small flashlight in my pocket when I go just to able to see easily.