My maternal side of the family are Scales'. I would try looking for records in Rockingham County, NC (Simpsonville, Stoneville, Madision, etc.) We're spread all over the place. Some of the Scales' migrated to Virginia (near the TN/WV/KY border) and West Virginia primarily to work as coal miners. There were alot of free blacks in Virginia, especially in Appalachia country. I'm not sure of any Scales families that originiated in VA. Do you know if he was born free or slave?