common last names for slaves in the 1800s

-Unknown, "If you can't get rid of the skeleton in your closet, you might as well make it dance!" It prohibited. Robyn. In ancient history, Lysander was the name of an esteemed Spartan naval commander and his literary cred comes from one of the two star-struck young men in Shakespeare's. The last U.S.census slave schedules were enumerated by County in 1860 and included 393,975 named persons holding 3,950,546 unnamed slaves, or an average of about ten slaves per holder. Where did you get the maiden name of Smith from? The name.Auber.is also.in.Haiti and.is of.French orign. In 1800, Frederick Douglass and Harriet Tubman were able to escape their terrible life of enslavement and were able to help other slaves trapped in a world of forced labour and grant them freedom once again due to the Underground Railroads that helped him, his partner Anna Murray Douglas and many other fugitives sneak away from the horrible The majority of these slaves used the surname Lewis instead of Washington. At her death when Thomas was ten, he was sold to Solomon Cobbs who lived nearby. At your request I have finally made available for viewing past popular webinars! Hi Susan, Thats a goal that I am working towards. by John C. Inscoe, 2006; Revised May 2022 by NC Government & Heritage Library. i have no way to confirm this. Ref. I worked for him as nurse for his children, and my full and correct name was OCTAVIA, but the family could not "catch on" to that long name and called me "LOTTIE" for short. Its knowledge that I think most Americans (not even just white Americans) dont have and it is endlessly fascinating and sobering both at the same time. My great grandfather Wilson Percival was born in South Carolina and I believe he took his surname from last slave owners family. In order to receive their pensions decades later, these former soldiers and their family members had to demonstrate to the government that they were who they claimed to be. Hi Jim, Instead a wide variety of surnames came about that would be the family name for future generations. This financial assistance was available to all Civil War veterans and their families. I am the applicant for pension on account of having served in Co. B. Places; Login. This had a profound impact on the Selfhood of each of the enslaveddisrupting ones presumed Mission in life, as indicated by ones name; shattering the sharing of personal and historical experiences, attitudes, and spirits towards life; and putting in disarray the philosophy of life framework and common sense values by which all Africans lived. The Missouri Compromisealso referred to as the Compromise of 1820was an agreement between the pro- and anti-slavery factions regulating slavery in the western territories. I would still recommend all of these books, except the first one listed for obvious reasons. "The past is not dead. 3. With your explanations in mind, I will go back over a couple of family groups and re-assess the surname ambiguousness I have in my notes. Therefore, a few of the most common first names of the time such as Mary (rank 815) and Sarah (1010) will appear in the list and surnames which correspond to personal names (e.g. I would appreciate any constructive comments on this question, which can be posted to me via my website address above. Questions about slave naming intersect with some of the major debates in slavery studies (especially regarding Creolization and the formation of Atlantic Creoles) and can illuminate issues about the ethnicity of African slaves, the personhood and agency of those enslaved, the nature of kinship structures among the enslaved, and the survival of African cultural practices in the diaspora. Best of luck to you in your research, Encyclopedia of North Carolina, University of North Carolina Press. Recently, I was looking for more information on Wesley Thompson, who was born about 1835 and who was living in Morgan County, Alabama with his wife, Nellie, and five children in 1880. After Emancipation, many former slaves adopted new names and surnames. Just makes me sad for the human spirit that anyone, let alone hundreds of thousands of people could participate in it. Names and Naming, African Africans arriving in the American colonies and later the United States continued to give their children African names well into the nineteenth century. They cut it off from OCTAVIA. Each name was a clue to her origins. Search 31 million family names. Copyright 2023 Facing History & Ourselves. Students learn about the period of violence in the South from 1873-1876 and examine its role in influencing elections and ending Republican control of Southern state governments. Robyn. In fact, it's not even past." 17. 2023 Nameberry.com.Nameberry is a registered trademark of Nameberry, LLC. Benson 2006 is one of the few general discussions of slave names. The result was the birth of mulatto, quadroon, or mustee (mestee) children. I think mostly about family separationas a mother now myself, the very idea that my dear child could be sold to who knows where, never to be seen again..just reduces me to tears anytime. It is not uncommon to see an African American family listed with one surname in 1870 and another in 1880. I presume no death certificate for her survives? Dear Robyn, See flier for more details. This reading contains quoted text not authored by Facing History & Ourselves. One of the less well known aspects of the history of slavery is how many and how often non-whites owned and traded slaves in early America. I liked the name better than Octavia, and so I took it with me to Danville, and was never called anything else there than that name. The given name Athena was derived from the city name Athens, which is of uncertain origins. Bernard Meaning: brave warrior Origin: French 4. In 2001, I began a process of transcribing names of some of the largest slaveholders and matching the surnames with numbers of African Americans on the 1870 . Davis: This name is a patronymic of David. You should give a TED talk! Ones occupation also set the naming method, such as Sheperd, Cooper, or Smith. Wonderful to have first hand account that help shine light on the attitudes of our ancestors. I especially recommend Mother, Thy Name is Mystery! Over time, East Tennessee, hilly and dominated by small farms, retained the fewest number of slaves. This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. The brothers were sold when they were very young and remained with their last owners nearly thirty years. Fernsby, (Old English Origin) Derived from the old English words meaning "fern farmstead". Thank you for posing your question. This is another instance of oral history being a key component in tracing African American ancestry. This is such a well-written and informative post one that I know will open many eyes to the complexity of slave surnames, as well as many other aspects of the lives of the enslaved. that lists the slaves along with their surnames. Well, I got to thinking about all us slaves that was going to take the name Fitzpatrick. You can read about this in the following two posts on my blog. Each is present in your body. In 1911, Barnett and Frys widow, Mollie, both applied for pensions from the government. Several names have been added under the letter representing the person's last name. Where did you get the maiden name of Smith from? Slavery in America was the legal institution of enslaving human beings, mainly Africans and African Americans. This causes many researchers to wrongly conclude that enslaved people did not have surnames until after emancipation, which was not the case. I liked the name better than Octavia, and so I took it with me to Danville, and was never called anything else there than that name. However, the enslaved occasionally had surnames, which became normal leading up to and after emancipation as a mark of assimilation into free society. Enslaved people suffered constant sale, where children were frequently torn away from parents at young ages and spouses were often separated. Unfortunately, I am not knowledgeable enough about African and Caribbean research in the areas you name. Five of the slaves were sold to the Washingtons and brought to Wessyngton. Enslaved people often transferred such names to later generations in modified form or relied on African naming traditions, such as "day names" or names reflecting the order of birth among siblings. Claudia Bautista,Santa Monica, Calif. You must have JavaScript enabled to use this form. Robyn, youve done it again! This blog is where I share family history methods, resources, tips and advice, with an emphasis on slave research, slavery and its aftermath. College, Advanced AA Gen. Class, September 2009, Alice, Robyn and Lajoye, CM AAHGS, September 2017, Robyn and Andrea, NGS Conference, May 2014. Use the form below to get in touch with me and I'll get back to you as soon as possible. Along with records from churches,manumission societies, enslavers, and estate settlements, these documents provide a vast pool of data from which to trace patterns and trends from the colonial period through emancipation. I also see that in 1900 she is listed as widow with 1 child living, so you may have luck trying to find out who her child was. She was a Murphy.. Manifests - Alphabetical by Slave Names Return to Slave Manifests main page Click on each Slave name to view information on that voyage. Q. CLICK HERE TO REGISTER NOW! Trinidad and Tobago. Through a video-based activity, students explore how Radical Reconstruction changed the nature of voting rights and democracy in the South. Edmon S. Conner Recalls About His Career", "Law and the Cultural Production of Race and Racialized Systems of Oppression", "Runaway Slaves and Servants in Colonial Virginia", Slavery in the Courtroom: An Annotated Bibliography of American Cases, "Soldier of Furtune: John Smith before Jamestown", "YSTUMLLYN, JOHN ('Jack Black') (d. 1786), gardener and land steward | Dictionary of Welsh Biography", "Strong, Jonathan (c. 17471773), de facto freed slave", "Juan Francisco Manzano | Slave Narratives | The MoAD Salon | MoAD - Museum of the African Diaspora", "Relatos sobre la India Juliana. Whereas names withAfrican, classical, or other unique origins were popular during enslavement, --- often continuingfrom one generation to the next and creating a distinctive nomenclature unlike that of southern whites -- free black peopleoften used more traditionally Anglicized versions of their first names. Testimony of Dick Lewis Barnett, May 17, 1911: I am 65 years of age; my post office address is Okmulgee Okla. I was only three years old when she died. An accessible introduction to the field. [15] Alice Clifton (c. 1772-unknown), as an enslaved teenager, she was a defendant in an infanticide trial in 1787. I am an engineer by day, but my true passion lies in genealogy. In the 1930s, ex-slave Martin Jackson explained why he chose his last name after Emancipation: The master's name was usually adopted by a slave after he was set free. Kindest regards, Even worse, during this period, many African Americanssome using surnames for the very first timechanged their surnames once or even several times. These require Microsoft Word and a Windows platform. Letter to Armistead Burt of September 1, 1831, sfn error: no target: CITEREFCalhoun1837 (. Drawing on extensive archival records, this digital memorial allows analysis of the ships, traders, and captives in the Atlantic slave trade. Others were more promiscuous. -Elbert Hubbard, "Families are like fudge; mostly sweet with a few nuts." Gerald, however, is a Germanic name meaning ruler) 2. ", "The great gift of family life is to be intimately acquainted with people you might never ever introduce yourself to had life not done it for you. Many took the surname of famous or celebrated people; such as 'Lincoln', 'Grant', and 'Washington' was very popular. An 's' at the end of a personal name also meant 'son of', for example Richards, Stevens, Williams and so on. I am the identical person who was named called and known as Dick Lewis Smith before the Civil War and during the Civil War and until I returned home after my military service . I'll illustrate transcribing deeds, show you how to find your county deed records on FamilySearch, and you will receive my PDF Beginner's Guide to Using Deed Records, a $12 value! Even many given names of ancestors eventually became a surname, such as Todd or William. This event is $20. . Q. Evie (F) (English origin) means "life" or "lively". So I asked my mother and she told me my father John Barnett, a white man, and I took up the name of Barnett . Whatever you call it, whoever you are, you need one" Thanks for adding your very experienced voice to the conversation. common last names for slaves in the 1800s. In doing slave research in Barbados, I have found one group of enslaved Chase ancestors who were manumitted (freed) and given the last name of the former slave owner. Q. Names from the Bible were another common practice, for given and surnames. Even tiny steps are huge in someones life. Eugene D. Genovese, Roll, Jordan, Roll: The World the Slaves Made (1974). Karen Halttunen, Murder Most Foul, p. 175. Jackson: This name is a patronymic of Jack. LOTTIE had been the name of the nurse before me and so they just continued that same name. Of course my mother wasnt a Bradley fore she married. 42. You already know the rich historical terrain of FPOC in Louisiana, what terrific grounds for family research. Aruba Congo Bob D'Sean Latoya Dilsy Lopez Lunah African Emmaline Ebo Mema Milla Kyser Ibo Medwin Oilsay Cupad Viney Centere Minta Zoruba Tyzer Nefar Phiba LaVaughn Congo Bob Ladia Ikbo Abah Medger Bossy Shand Cufee Uri Zulu jenee Sorce Tomm Dedib Slave Names Of The 1800's Cena Billah Quarker Lamoney Minba Geto Tonesia Zulu Jana Brutis But the Slaves generally had two namesthe one given by the slave owner (e.g. Letter to James Edward Calhoun, August 27, 1831. ", "Families are like fudge; mostly sweet with a few nuts. I love how you have documented the history of your own surname. If the former slave had been befriended or assisted in getting established after the Civil War, they might have taken that person's name. In more than thirty years of researching my ancestors and hundreds of others enslaved on one of Americas largest plantations, slaves owned by mid-sized planters and small farmers, reviewing thousands of documents I have come across various situations that might give others clues on what to look for.

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