Nearly five years ago I published a post for a will I had stumbled upon for a William S. MORRIS of New Bern in which he declares his wishes that his "negro woman Patty" and her "mulatto" children be freed and well-maintained after his death. The will was dated 1831 and as far as I knew, that was the end of the story. At the time, I searched for further information but found … [Read more...] about Update on the William S. Morris family of New Bern
African American Ancestry
Did you know all of these new records were at FamilySearch? I’ve got all of the links right here!
FamilySearch has been steadily putting a ton of North Carolina records on their site that aren't yet easy to access through the normal browsing methods. (Another thanks to Becky for tipping me off about some of the great new things that have gone up over the last few months!) Anyhow, I decided to compile a list of direct links to all eastern North Carolina counties in their … [Read more...] about Did you know all of these new records were at FamilySearch? I’ve got all of the links right here!
John Holmes sells wife’s interest in slaves to Church Chapman (1833)
Below I have transcribed a deed from my 4th great-grandfather John HOLMES to Church CHAPMAN of Craven County. In the deed, John HOLMES is selling his wife's (and by extension, his) interest in four slaves who were originally the property of David AVERITT, but who were lent to David's wife Sally during her widowhood in David's will. Sally's maiden name was Sarah BUTLER. She … [Read more...] about John Holmes sells wife’s interest in slaves to Church Chapman (1833)
Will of Willoughby MOORE – Beaufort County (Feb 1824)
The following is from Beaufort Orphans — 1808-1828. Willoughby Moore and this particular Moore family were listed as "Other Free" in the Beaufort County census. In 1810 Willoughby's household also lists one slave. North Carolina ) Beaufort County) In the name of God Amen. I Willoughby MOORE of the County and State aforesaid being some what weak and low in body but of … [Read more...] about Will of Willoughby MOORE – Beaufort County (Feb 1824)
Researching Apprentice Records
When researching one’s genealogy, an often neglected resource is a county’s apprenticeship bonds. At times, children apprenticed out were poor orphans. Many other times, the children being bound out simply had the misfortune of being born to non-white parents, or of having a father who died without specifying in a will that the children’s mother should be their … [Read more...] about Researching Apprentice Records
