While searching a family members mother,I came across an entry listing her fathers name as Braswell,he is also her owner.How do I find copies of his will that may list 1st names of slaves,when I dont know the slave owners 1st name?

ADMIN NOTE:
It will be easier for someone to help if you'll provide an approximate date and place. Keep in mind that these boards are used by people from all over the world and the slave trade was widespread.

Thanx admin,I regards to my previous post:The owners name(last name?) is Braswell,the slave is Mary Wilkes dob is listed as feb 20 1854,her mothers name is Margaret born in Brunswick Co.,Virginia.

Check the Virginia Slave Births Index. Its a 5 volume series of books that lists the births of (many)slaves from 1853 to 1865. It should be in your library's reference section. You may be able to use that to confirm which Braswell man (or at least which Braswell plantation) you need to focus on. From there go to the library of virgina's genealogy website (http://www.lva.virginia.gov/). If the will of the owner/owner's family is there, you can search it. Good luck.

All 1860 U.S. Federal Census - Slave Schedules results for Braswell

Matches 1–50 of 361 Sorted By Relevance
View Record Age Gender Race Name of Slave Owner Home in 1860
(City,County,State) View Image
View Record
88 Female Black Archelas Braswell Edgecombe, North Carolina
View Record
85 Female Black Rhoda Braswell Edgecombe, North Carolina
View Record
70 Female Mulatto Jos P Braswell McHerrin, Brunswick, Virginia
View Record
65 Male Black R Braswell Thomas, Georgia
View Record
65 Male Black R Braswell Thomas, Georgia
View Record
65 Female Black R Braswell Thomas, Georgia
View Record
65 Male Black Anzelany Braswell Edgecombe, North Carolina
View Record
64 Female Black Sallie Braswell Coopers, Nash, North Carolina
View Record
62 Female Black Archelas Braswell Edgecombe, North Carolina
View Record
60 Male Black Duke W Braswell Godfrey, Bibb, Georgia
View Record
60 Male Black Mary Braswell Edgecombe, North Carolina
View Record
58 Male Black Archelas Braswell Edgecombe, North Carolina
View Record
58 Female Black Archelas Braswell Edgecombe, North Carolina
View Record
56 Male Black Jesse Braswell Collinses, Nash, North Carolina
View Record
56 Female Black Jesse Braswell Collinses, Nash, North Carolina
View Record
55 Female Black James Braswell Western Division, Pike, Alabama
View Record
54 Male Black R Braswell Thomas, Georgia
View Record
52 Female Black Martha A Braswell Edgecombe, North Carolina
View Record
52 Male Black Sallie Braswell Coopers, Nash, North Carolina
View Record
50 Male Black Tirena Braswell Beasley, Crawford, Georgia
View Record
50 Female Black R Braswell Thomas, Georgia
View Record
50 Female Black N T Braswell Eddyville, Lyon, Kentucky
View Record
50 Female Black Sampson Braswell The 4, district, De Kalb, Tennessee
View Record
50 Female Black Pegram R Braswell McHerrin, Brunswick, Virginia
View Record
48 Female Black M Braswell Thomas, Georgia
View Record
48 Male Black A G Braswell Washington, Georgia
View Record
46 Male Black Samuel Braswell Farmington, Clarke, Georgia
View Record
46 Female Black Samuel Braswell Farmington, Clarke, Georgia
View Record
46 Female Black Wm T Braswell Edgecombe, North Carolina
View Record
45 Male Sam Braswell District 16, Decatur, Georgia
View Record
45 Female Black R Braswell Thomas, Georgia
View Record
44 Male Black Samuel Braswell Farmington, Clarke, Georgia
View Record
43 Male Black Archelas Braswell Edgecombe, North Carolina
View Record
42 Male Black Archelas Braswell Edgecombe, North Carolina
View Record
42 Female Black Calla S Braswell Edgecombe, North Carolina
View Record
42 Female Black Sampson Braswell The 4, district, De Kalb, Tennessee
View Record
41 Female Black Archelas Braswell Edgecombe, North Carolina
View Record
40 Female Black W W Braswell Northern Division, Walton, Georgia
View Record
40 Male Black Archelas Braswell Edgecombe, North Carolina
View Record
40 Female Black Ben G Braswell Edgecombe, North Carolina
View Record
39 Female Black Archelas Braswell Edgecombe, North Carolina
View Record
39 Male Black Jos P Braswell McHerrin, Brunswick, Virginia
View Record
37 Female Black Jessee L Braswell Townships 9, 10, 11 and 12, Choctaw, Alabama
View Record
37 Female Black Sampson Braswell The 4, district, De Kalb, Tennessee
View Record
36 Female Black Anzelany Braswell Edgecombe, North Carolina
View Record
36 Female Black Joseph B Braswell McHerrin, Brunswick, Virginia
View Record
35 Female Black William Braswell Western Division, Pike, Alabama
View Record
35 Female Black James Braswell Western Division, Pike, Alabama
View Record
35 Male Black Duke W Braswell Godfrey, Bibb, Georgia
View Record
35 Female Black Samuel Braswell Farmington, Clarke, Georgia

Thank you so much for posting this.I believe the two fellows in Brunswick,Virginia could be the owners I'm looking for.

You're quite welcome... Karen

My family is from Brunswick County too. My ancestor had a similar birth Cert, but the man listed on her cert is the slave owner, not her real parent. Her mother was owned by William Talley and she lived on the Talley plantation, but her father didn't. That type of "marriage" arrangement was common during slavery. My ancestor listed her father as Branch Walker on her marriage cert and she was found living with him in 1870. I found the same thing for your ancestor. Her slave name was Wilkes She was born while living on Burwell B Wilkes Plantation. Her mother was Margaret Wilkes and her Father is John Dennis. She listed Her parents as such on her marriage cert. BTW, Burwell B Wilkes 1805 was married to Lucy G Field on 11 Aug 1831 in Brunswick, Virginia. Look in his probate records...estate appraisals for Margaret's name. Good luck on your search!


Name: Margaret Dennis
Age in 1870: 34
Birth Year: abt 1836
Birthplace: Virginia
Home in 1870: Totaro, Brunswick, Virginia
Race: Black
Gender: Female
Post Office: Sturgeon
Value of real estate: View image
Household Members:
Name Age
John Dennis 40
Margaret Dennis 34
Mary R Dennis 16
Thomas Dennis 14
Kidder M Dennis 12
Nancy Dennis 9
Josephine Dennis 6
John D Dennis 4
Sheedrick P Dennis 7
Margaret A Dennis 1/12



name: Nancy Wilkes (Sister)
gender: Female
baptism/christening date:
baptism/christening place:
birth date: 08 Apr 1861
birthplace: Brunswick, Virginia
death date:
name note:
race: Black
father (or slave owner): B. B. Wilkes
father's birthplace:
father's age:
mother's name: Margaret
mother's birthplace:
mother's age:
indexing project (batch) number: C00714-7
system origin: Virginia-EASy
source film number: 2046919
reference number: p 98

name: Thomas Wilkes (brother)
gender: Male
baptism/christening date:
baptism/christening place:
birth date: 30 Jun 1856
birthplace: Brunswick, Virginia
death date:
name note:
race: Black
father (or slave owner): B.B. Wilkes
father's birthplace:
father's age:
mother's name: Margaret
mother's birthplace:
mother's age:
indexing project (batch) number: C00714-9
system origin: Virginia-EASy
source film number: 2046919
reference number: p 39


name: Mary Rebecca Wilkes
gender: Female
baptism/christening date:
baptism/christening place:
birth date: 20 Feb 1854
birthplace: Brunswick, Virginia
death date:
name note:
race: Black
father (or slave owner): Burwell B. Wilkes
father's birthplace:
father's age:
mother's name: Margaret
mother's birthplace:
mother's age:
indexing project (batch) number: C00713-9
system origin: Virginia-EASy
source film number: 2046919
reference number: p 14

groom's name: Jack Elder
groom's birth date: 1849
groom's birthplace: Lunenburg
groom's age: 23
bride's name: Mary R. Dennis
bride's birth date: 1854
bride's birthplace: Brunswick
bride's age: 18
marriage date: 28 Sep 1872
marriage place: Brunswick, Virginia
groom's father's name:
groom's mother's name:
bride's father's name: John
bride's mother's name: Margaret
groom's race: Black
groom's marital status:
groom's previous wife's name:
bride's race: Black
bride's marital status:
bride's previous husband's name:
indexing project (batch) number: M53580-2
system origin: Virginia-EASy
source film number: 30660
reference number: