yesterday's tennessee

BLACK PERSONS MENTIONED IN HENDERSON COUNTY COURT MINUTE BOOK, 1860-1866

Jonathan Kennon Thompson Smith

Page 29, November 1860

Slave, HARRIET, ordered to be sold to help pay for her deceased owner, HENRY LYPE's debts; at his former residence at a credit of twelve months.

Slaves, MARY and her son, WARRICK, ordered sold to pay their deceased owner, JAMES THOMPSON's debts; Richard Barham, administrator.

Page 36, December 1860

The slaves of WILLIAM HOWARD, deceased, ordered to be sold for debt if need be; if not needed that way, to be divided among the Howard heirs.

Page 39, December 1860

WILLIAM HOWARD died in March_ 1858, the owner of s1aves, LAURA, VINA, MEDLIN, ELIJAH, EM, MONROE, JUPITER, NED, BOB, BETSEY MARY, SILVIA and JACKSON; and Howard's widow, URSULA HOWARD chose from among them, JUPITER, NED, BOB, BETSEY MARY, SILVIA and JACKSON due her as widow of WILLIAM HOWARD. She died in July 1860;other slaves had been sold for division among the children of WILLIAM HOWARD. The slaves JUPITER, NED, BOB, BETSEY MARY, SILVIA and JACKSON were now property of the Howard heirs; some the slaves were "old" and a fair division among the heirs for the slaves could not be made, hence these slaves were ordered sold at the former residence of the Howard couple.

Page 54, January 1861

MARY and her child, slaves formerly of JAMES THOMPSON, were to have been sold at Richard Barham's storehouse on December 11,1860 but MARY was close to childbirth and the sale was postponed. These three slaves were now ordered to be sold.

Pages 77-78, February 1861

The slaves in the estate of WILLIAM and URSULA HOWARD were sold January 11,1861:
JUPITER and NED sold to A. W. HARMON, $1360 (value)
BOB, MARY, JACKSON (the latter a child) sold to SAMUEL HOWARD, $1,700 (value)
BETSEY sold to RICHARD C. BLAIR, $450 (value)
SILVIA sold to BENJAMIN F.HOWARD, $605 (value)
Slaves vested in these persons and divested from Howard heirs combined.

Pages 86-87, March 1861

Slaves MARY and her children, WARRICK and an unnamed baby, in the estate of JAMES THOMPSON, "were sold in a lot together", February 16,1861,for $1400 to G. H. TRICE. Ownership vested in TRICE and divested from SUSAN THOMPSON, JAMES THOMPSON, GEORGE THOMPSON, NANCY and WISE DODDS, REBECCA THOMPSON, HARRIET THOMPSON, AMANDA and JAMES MEADOWS, MALVINA and MOSES MEADOWS, SIDNEY THOMPSON, EVAN THOMPSON, MALVINA and BURTON DOUGLAS; JONATHAN THOMPSON, BENJAMIN THOMPSON, heirs of the late JAMES THOMPSON.

Page 114,May 1861

FANNIE MITCHELL, free woman of color, successfully petitioned the court that her children, JO, about 6 years old; MILLARD, about 4 years old; JIM, about 2 years old; BILL, about 5 months old, be apprenticed to THOMAS L. TAYLOR as "farm servants" until they reached the age of 21 years.

Page 168, December 1861

Commissioners were appointed by the court to divide the slaves of ELIJAH FLAKE, deceased, among his heirs (as directed in his will).

Page 180, January 1862

RICHARD R. BARHAM, administrator of JAMES THOMPSON's estate had entered the Confederate army and the court appointed in his stead, JOHN G. CARVER, to hire out the slaves in the THOMPSON estate for the current year.

Pages 180-184, January 1862

Commissioners to divide slaves among the heirs of ELIJAH FLAKE, deceased, met at the residence of ELIZABETH FLAKE, December 20, 1861 and made this division with valuations for each slave:

1. To heirs of WILLIAM B.FLAKE: ELLEN and children THANEY and FRANCES, $1325; LEWIS, $950; ANN, $100.
2. To children of Mrs. MARY LILES: LUCY, $850; CHARLES, $400; WILLIS, $850
3. To DUDLEY L. FLAKE: CINDY and child HENDERSON, $1025; SARAH, $750; WADE, $750.
4. To JAMES S. FLAKE: EVELINE, $700; TENNESSEE, $450; LUCENA, $375; HARRY $150; ARRENA, $700.
5. To MOURNING J., wife of JAMES HOUSE: CANDIS, $600; MELIA, $300; MARY, $400; FRANK, $500; SAMUEL, $600.
6. To heirs of B. L. FLAKE: CHARLOTTE and child, NATHAN, $850; RICHARD, $800; HENRY, $750.

Commissioners: PETER PEARSON, WILLIAM PEARSON, BROWN BOSWELL, HENRY KIRBY

Pages 379-380, January 2, 1866

Freed persons, ANDREW WALKER, aged 14 years; SHARPER WALKER, aged 12 years; MARTHA WALKER, aged 11 years, bound by court to LEVI H. WALKER as apprentices; the males to age 21 and the female to age 18; at release they would be given suit of clothing and $50 for males and $25 for female.

Page 381, January 2, 1866

Freed "children of color", TENNESSEE, aged 12 years; LARCENA, aged 10 years; FREDONIA, aged 8 years were bound by the court to JAMES S. FLAKE as apprentices for work on farm; released from this contract as each reached 18 years of age at which time each would receive clothing and $25 cash.

Page 382, January 2,1866

JAMES HARMON, a freed person, aged 2 years, was bound by the court to A. W. HARMON, as a servant, until age 21 at which time he would be released from this contract and given a suit of clothing and $50.

Page 383, January 2,1866

ANDERSON, a "freed boy," aged about 2 years was bound by the court to WILLIAM P. COLLINS and at age 21 to be released with a suit of clothing and $50 cash.

Page 384, January 2, 1866

ONEY WALKER, a freed boy aged 7 years was bound by the court to E. W. WALKER until age 21 at which time he would be released from this contract and given a suit of clothing and $50 cash.

Pages 384-385, January 2, 1866

ANDY, a freed boy, aged about 13 years, was bound by the court to JAMES HART, as a farming apprentice until age 21 when he would be released from this contract, given a suit of clothing and $50 in cash.

Page 385, January 2, 1866

STAPPLETON STANFORD, freed boy aged 12 years, bound to THOMAS STANFORD until he was age 21,to then be given a suit of clothing and $50 cash.

Other works by Jonathan K. T. Smith can be found at the Madison County Records Repository at TNGenWeb.