SarahFair
Senior Member
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.
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.
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.
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.