African American Slave Names in the Estate Papers of THOMAS MILLER of Goochland Co VA

The house at LaVallee plantation, Goochland Co VA, where Thomas Miller lived. 

Source: "Goochland Yesterday & Today" by Cece Bullard

According to the Library of Virginia Website, my ancestor THOMAS MILLER (b March 20, 1754 Goochland Co VA, married CONSTANCE MASSIE) was a prominent figure in Goochland Co VA. He was an attorney, deputy sheriff, and sheriff of Goochland, as well as a member of the Virginia House of Delegates. Apparently there is a large file of THOMAS MILLER's papers available at the Library of Virginia, including his estate records and large amounts of correspondence and financial records.

As I do not live on the east coast, I have never had the opportunity to look at this file. However, a couple of years ago, a fellow researcher, Max Miller,  sent me copies of THOMAS MILLER's original will and estate papers. The writing was extremely tiny, but I managed to decipher and transcribe the will. I put the estate inventory away, however, because it was a daunting 20 pages long and the tiny print barely legible. I did note that in the 1810 census there were at least 44 slaves living at LaVallee.

Recently I pulled out the estate inventory, and using a scanner, enlarged the writing enough to transcribe the estate inventory. I was shocked to find that THOMAS MILLER, at the end of his life in 1819, owned seven different large plantations in Goochland, Spotsylvania and King William County, Virginia--and that over a hundred slaves are named in the estate inventory.

The plantations were: LaVallee (where THOMAS MILLER lived), Woodville, Slab City (?) and Byrd, all in Goochland; Wormley House and Manskin (Manakin?) Lodge in King William County, and Prospect Hill in Spotsylvania County.

Names of Slaves Who Were Living at LaVallee Plantation, Goochland Co VA June 1819

Sally HOLMAN & her five children: Major, Sam, Agnes (?), Malinda, Julius

Betsey COOPER & her four children: Albert, Arnold, Mahalah, Ned (?)

Judith & her two children: Minerva and Ann

Billy HAWES

Biddy

Leatt (?) and her child Livinia

Berry

Matilda & her child Mercy (? Mary?)

Lee

Martin

Dolley

Billy PRYOR

Mary & her three children: Eliza, Martha and Phill

Lucy & her child Nancy

Anna

Mira

Nicey

Ned

Helen

Emanuel (with illegible notation)

Will

Emanuel

John

Marcillus (?)

Billy VAUGHAN

Payton

Jim SHELTON

David SHELTON

Ambrose

Ruben

Seifus

Sam the Waggoner

William

Phebe & her two children Letty and Ansy

Solande (? Rolande?)

one Negro man Randolph

one Negro man George

Names of Slaves Who Were Living at Woodville Plantation, Goochland Co VA June 1819

Isham

Phill BENTLEY

Dick

Joshua

Phill

Billy CRADDOCK

Daniel (?) BENTLEY

Ned

Billy HAMPTON

George DANIEL

Nathan

Isabella

Sally PRYOR

George RATCHETT

Letty & her two children: Rachel and Joshua

Bitty & her two children Agnes and Payton

Mourning and her four children: Pammy, Isaac, Dupree (?) and William

Betsey HAWES

Names of Slaves Who Were Living at Slab City (?)

Goochland Co VA June 1819

Isaac PARRISH

William

Sauncy

Buck

Old Billy

Dorcas

Sumas (? Somes?)

Sam

Bob

Lendley (? Candley?) & her two children Lucinda and Mary

Aggie and Phebe, two small girls

Linney and her child Linney

Kano and her children (illegible)

Tom RATCHETT

Old Aggy

Names of Slaves Who Were Living at Byrd Plantation, Goochland Co VA June 1819

Dany BARROTT

Tom PRYOR

Charles HAWES

Tom PAYNE

Pen

John SLAUGHTER

Harry WOOD

Smith

Suckey & her four children: Ciller, Charlotte, Lucy and Nancy

Easter and her child William

Names of Slaves Who Were Living at Wormley House and Manskin Lodge, King William Co VA June 1819

Davey, an old Negro man

Jenney, an old Negro woman

Emanuel

Peter

Turner (? Pearson?)

Matt

Davey

Bob

John

Charles

Bevins (?)

Lucy

Bridget

Bob the carter

Suckey and her three children: Spottswood, George and Mary

Rachel

Warwick

Lewis the carpenter

Ben

Robin

Randolph

Spencer

Bartlett

Brennan

Davey HAWES

Billy WORMLEY

Isaac POOR

Wilson

Easter

Old Easter

Mary

John

Franky, an old woman

Old Dick

Names of Slaves Who Were Living at Prospect Hill Plantation, Spotsylvania Co VA June 1819

Richard DOON

Billy

Winston

John





Harry--now run away Have a great day!

Betty

© Betty Tartas  2010, 2014