Friend of Friends Friday: Slaves of Barnett Mitchell

In 1799, eight slaves (a woman and her seven children) which belonged to the estate of Barnett Mitchell were sold in Louisa County, Virginia.

Louisa County (Va.) Chancery Causes, 1753-1913. John Mitchell, et al. vs. Admr. of Barnett Mitchell et al., 1801-011. Local Government Records Collection, Louisa Court Records. The Library of Virginia, Richmond, Virginia. Page 12. Available from http://www.lva.virginia.gov/chancery/case_detail.asp?CFN=109-1801-011

Louisa County (Va.) Chancery Causes, 1753-1913. John Mitchell, et al. vs. Admr. of Barnett Mitchell et al., 1801-011. Local Government Records Collection, Louisa Court Records. The Library of Virginia, Richmond, Virginia. Page 16. Available from http://www.lva.virginia.gov/chancery/case_detail.asp?CFN=109-1801-011

In obedience to an annexed Decree of the worshipful Court of Louisa County we the subscribers proceeded on the 10th day of January 1799 to sell the Negroes belonging to the Estate of Barnett Mitchell Decd, on Eighteen Months Credit when William Carpenter purchasd Betty, Harry and Lucy for the sum of one hundred twenty pounds and gave Phillip Carpenter for security, John Mitchell purchasd [?] for Eighty two pounds and gave William Carpenter and Abram Davis for security, Chapman Gordon purchasd Lucretia for seventy three pounds and gave Wm Mansfield and James Dickson for security, William Chewning purchasd Judith for one hundred and twenty five pounds and gave Joseph Cannon for security, William Carpenter purchasd Robin for the sum of thirty nine pounds and gave Phillip Carpenter for surety - John Mitchell purchasd Esther for the sum of ninety three pounds and gave Wm Carpenter and Abram Davis for security. The Bonds were taken payable to us and are in our possession for the order of said Court. Witness our hands this 9 Day of August 1799

                                                                                          Wm Cooke
                                                                                          Overton Harris
                                                                                          Robert Harris junr.

My 5th-great-grandfather Chapman Gordon was married to Elizabeth (Lane) Mitchell, the widow of Barnett Mitchell. (Thanks to Neil Gregory for that information and for telling me about the chancery court case!) John Mitchell was the son of Elizabeth and Barnett Mitchell, and William Carpenter and William Chewning were their sons-in-law.

Lucretia may have been the oldest slave in Chapman Gordon's household in 1850 (a black female age 60) and in the household of his widow Mary (Layne) Gordon (his second wife) in 1860 (a black female age 75). The ages may be approximate. Earlier census records are consistent with the slave being a child purchased in 1799. The 1810 census indicates that there were two slaves in Chapman Gordon's household. The 1830 census shows that his household contained one male slave under 10, one female slave under 10, and one female slave 24-35. The 1840 census shows that there were one male slave 10-23, one female slave 10-23, one female slave 36-54 in his household.