I love your idea of putting together a “master slavery” source list. Let’s do it. And I second you big time on the need for us to publish more abstracts and indexes. Here here!;)

You have created a great list here of sources of “indirect evidence” that will help you to identify a slave’s last owner. Unfortunately, without that corroborating “direct evidence,” it may be impossible to know 100%.

But, on the other hand, there are so many sources — many of which no one even knows about — that DO provide this direct evidence. What we all need to do is continue to blog, and provide information on different sources that we have located. Spread the word! Another idea would be to start publishing books of abstracts and indexes to these records, the way more “traditional” records have all been published. Why not make it easier for future generations to conduct research in these records?

As Renate stated, you’ve hit most of the resources that come to mind. However, after some thought I have two more to add to the list.

**Historic Newspapers. I think this is a valuable resource that African American researchers often overlook. But, you can sometimes find the unexpected. I discovered a legal notice in the Atlanta Constitution in which residents of the district where my ancestors lived had filed a petition for a new voting district. Included in the list of signers were former slave owner Edward Taliaferro and his son Samuel Taliaferro as well as my gg grandfather Miles Taliaferro and his son, my great grandfather, John Wesley Taliaferro.

**Freedmen’s Bank Records. Another overlooked resourse. These records can contain the name of the former slave owner or even the plantation where an ancestors lived during slavery. Even if you don’t get a clue to a former slave owner there are lot’s of gems in these records. I was able to put together almost a complete family from one single record. Amazing.

Robyn, thanks for starting this discussion. My eyes are open to new possibilities.

Sandra

Now, ma’am – I think you’ve just about covered all of the basis I can think of right off the top of my head for finding our ancestors former owners. Just a couple of other things come to mind right now:

*Try to find the ancestors’ cohabitation record. It was from this that I got my great-grandmother’s “maiden” name, Shaw, which I presume to be the surname of her last owner.

* This might not find the owners, but I want to mention something that I did in an attempt to identify former slaves who may have been siblings or family to my ggfather, Calvin. I had the names of all of the slaves as they were divided into lots after his owner, Chloe Neal died. I meticulously matched those names with some of Calvin’s post-emancipation neighbors (who’d taken the surname Neal) and found several of them. I don’t yet know for sure, but I think some of them may have been his family members, and one, possibly his mother.

* Also, a lot of times in the estate records I’ve records of payments made between slaveholders for the “hiring out” of their slaves, so this could also be helpful in establishing ownership.

That’s about all I can add right now, but if I think of something else, I’ll come back!

Renate