Slave Name Roll Project: RELEASING 13 Slaves Owned By Thomas Pace

Author: Julie October 31, 2016 7 Comments

I follow a Facebook page called, I’ve Traced My Ancestor’s Slaveholders. Not surprisingly, it is primarily geared towards African-Americans who are working to determine the names of the slave masters who had owned their ancestors. Some Caucasians, such as myself, belong as well, as we are working to assist AA (African-American) cousins in finding those slave masters. 

This week I noted on the FB page the existence of the Slave Name Roll Project, the brainchild of Schalene Jennings Dagutis. On her blog, Tangled Roots and Trees <http://tangledrootsandtrees.blogspot.com/p/slave-name-roll.html>, participants in the project can post the names of slaves that have been found in documents such as wills and land deeds and RELEASE them to be found by those searching. Several followers of the FB page expressed gratitude in learning of the blog. I noted that I would be releasing additional names this week. They are below.

This week I am releasing 13 named slaves owned by my 6th great-grandfather, Thomas Pace (b. abt. 1704 – d. 1764). This man, an ancestor of Richard Pace I of Jamestown, married Amelia “Amy” MNU (maiden name unknown) in Bertie District, North Carolina sometime between 1727 – 1735. His will was written in Northampton, North Carolina and is dated 04 July 1764. In it he leaves 13 slaves to family members, as follows. The use and spelling of the words “negroe” and “negroes” are taken directly from his will.

To his wife, Amy, he left two slaves named BOB and JACK.

To his daughter Celia, he bequeathed in his will one “negroe” girl named DINAH.

To his daughter, Frances: he bequeathed two slaves named JOE and ROSE.

To son, Nathaniel, he left the slaves WILL, LONDON, and SARAH.

To son, Thomas, he left “negroes” ESSEX and PETER.

To daughter, Amy, he left a girl named JANE.

To son, Richard, he left two males, ages unknown, named PEPPER and CESAR.

 

“It’s honorable to do…You’re RELEASING their Names and their Souls for their Descendants to hopefully find them one day. Every time this happens they are REJOICING. They have been in a book or what have you for so long.” 

~ True A. Lewis. Quote found on ‘Tangled Roots and Trees’ blog.