Friend of Friends Friday: Negro Suck 1793 Indenture

Whoa.  What is this?  Just the names alone caught my attention as I was wandering around Pittsburgh and the wonderful site the University of Pittsburgh Library System has.

Can you believe a slave, Suck, indentures her child, of her own free will to someone one else?  Somehow that seems a little weird.

A tidbit of  history into this fabulous collection is in order.  A ledger entitled, "Negro" was found in 2007 in the Allegheny County Recorder of Deeds.  Take some time to look at the Freedom Papers showcased from the exhibit.  Fascinating.

Ahh, genealogy.  Sometimes, finding old information can boggle the mind.  I just wonder whatever happened to the child, Kut, who was indentured?

Sources:
http://www.library.pitt.edu/freeatlast/papers/i_negrosuck.html
http://www.library.pitt.edu/freeatlast/freedom_papers.html

©2016 ASEldredge

Friend of Friends Friday: Dwarf Negro and Those Terrible Taxes

While perusing the October 5, 1869, Charleston Daily News on the site Chronicling America,
 several articles caught my attention.  As we all know, the end of War of Northern Aggression made for some really tough times for everyone.

In this short blurb, we see an assault made by a "negro lad".  Just a few years before, the article would have read differently, I am sure.  Interesting the negro dwarf, July, was the one arrested.   Was the lad released to go home? Was there no interest in the attacker or was it the gun that was pulled out by the attackee the bigger issue?

The bigger article to catch my attention was about the high taxation on the planters.  Higher taxes lowered their profits.  The article is a discussion on one way to address the problem--  have those who farm the land for the owner pay a portion of the taxes, or better yet, get rid of "Misrepresentatives" of the "radical officials."

There's more to read in this article......

Ahh, genealogy.  Fair taxation. Gee, what a novel idea.  Hey, wait.  Didn't we stand up for this in the past?  Sounds like the conversation lives on and on- even after the early "misrepresentatives" are long gone.

Sources:

http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn84026994/1869-10-05/ed-2/seq-2/

©2016 ASEldredge

Friend of Friends Friday: United States and Negro Stock June 1861--Scary?

Amidst the articles in the Charleston Mercury dated June 1, 1861, the following was found.

Scary United States bonds at 85 cents on the dollar compared to average price of a negro child at $750?

Ahh, genealogy.  Reading the newspapers of the past can be scary as past deeds haunt us still.

Friend of Friends Friday: Finding the Negro in Allegheny County

For those who are searching in western Pennsylvania for their family roots, consider checking the Heinz History Center in Pittsburgh.  The only known copy of a paper first written in 1931 by Schenkel which was taken from early court documents can be seen at the Heinz History Center.

Slavery was prohibited in Pennsylvania in 1780.  However, the masters had to register their slaves by Nov 1780 or the slaves would be free.  There were some other rules, but in general, the slaves would become servants until the age of 28.  At that time, they would be freed.

In 2002, the Western PA Genealogical Society published the names of the negroes and mulattos which had been registered with the courts in Allegheny County from 1783-1813. 

Ahhh, genealogy.  Digging up the past one court document at a time can lead to some interesting discoveries.  And, then there are the other questions raised......

Source:
Western Pa Genealogical Society Quarterly, Vol 29, No. 1, ppg 33-43.

©2015 ASEldredge