Aged handwritten ledger pages lying open on a table.

03 Nov How Do I Research Enslaved Ancestors When Their Names Are Missing?

Posted at 04:53h in African American Genealogy by

Start with the 1870 census, then use records made after the war to find who enslaved your ancestor, then search that person’s own records. The 1850 and 1860 slave schedules will not do the job alone, because they list the enslaver by name and the people they enslaved by age, sex and color. The National Archives form for both years says it plainly: “The slave schedules do not give the name of the slave.” So the work shifts from searching for your ancestor’s name to finding the person who held the paper.

This post gives the order I work in and how to label what you find. It is written by Aisha LaDon Abdul Rahman, MLIS, PhD, an archivist with almost 30 years of genealogy research and 3 years of professional archival work. It sits under my larger guide, Why African American Genealogy Gets Harder Before 1870, and Where to Look Next.

Why are enslaved people’s names missing from the records?

The federal census did not treat enslaved people as named residents until 1870. The National Archives explains that the 1850 and 1860 censuses had separate slave schedules, which list enslaved people by enslaver, giving sex and age, and only occasionally naming them. The same National Archives page notes that earlier censuses did not name enslaved people either, so a person has to be traced through the enslaver.

The 1850 and 1860 forms also recorded the number of people each enslaver held, along with fugitives, people freed, and whether anyone was deaf, blind or insane, according to the National Archives forms for 1850 and 1860. These were records of property, so they hold very little that reads like a family.

Step 1: What should I do first when my ancestor disappears before 1870?

Learn everything you can about the family in 1870 and later. FamilySearch advises building a timeline of known dates and places, noting who enslaved the person if you know, and reviewing census pages before and after the family, since surnames can differ within a family or change over time.

Before you assume enslavement, check the 1850 and 1860 censuses for your ancestor listed as a free person of color. FamilySearch recommends verifying that first. Some families were free long before 1865, and they left a different set of records.

Step 2: How do I find out who enslaved my ancestor?

Look at what was created in the first years of freedom. FamilySearch says that many Freedmen’s Bureau records identify a freed person’s final slaveholder. Labor contracts often show the former owner’s name and the plantation’s name and location, and sometimes state family relationships. Rations lists give a person’s age and plantation or residence, which can point you toward a family’s former enslaver. The same article notes that Bureau records list freed people with surnames as early as 1865, which can carry you past the 1870 census.

FamilySearch also names these records for formerly enslaved ancestors: cohabitation records (for example for Alabama, Georgia, North Carolina and Virginia), Freedman’s Bank records from 1865 to 1874, and Civil War service records of Union Colored Troops. Family papers and family Bibles belong on the list too.

If you are working through Freedmen’s Bureau records for the first time, the National Archives Freedmen’s Bureau guide explains what the collection covers.

Step 3: Which records of the enslaver can name enslaved people?

Once you have a candidate, search that person’s own paperwork. FamilySearch notes that owner records and family sources may name enslaved people, and the estate and probate records of owners may list names and ages. It also points to plantation business records and family papers.

The National Archives holds another source that few researchers think to check. Customs slave manifests (Record Group 36) cover coastwise shipments of enslaved people, mostly 1807 to 1860, and entries typically include a first name, sex, age, stature and the shipper or enslaver. The National Archives lists the limits as well: some early manifests carry no names at all, and New Orleans manifests usually give a single name per person.

Step 4: Can the 1850 mortality schedule help?

Sometimes. FamilySearch explains that the 1850 mortality schedule lists people who died in the year ending June 1, 1850, with age, sex, color, free or enslaved status and other details, and that it includes about 42,000 recorded deaths of enslaved people. The catch is that many entries have only a first name, though some also give the owner’s name. Treat it as one more way to learn who lived and died in an enslaver’s household, not as a family tree.

How do I label proof and leads?

Matching an age is a lead, not an answer. If your ancestor was about 32 in 1870, many women of about 22 in an 1860 slave schedule could fit, and so could many enslavers with the same surname in the same county. Sort every finding into one of three piles in your notes:

  • Proven: a record names your ancestor and the enslaver together.
  • Probable lead: two or more independent records point to the same enslaver, but no single record states it.
  • Guess: a matching surname, county or age with nothing else behind it.

Write down which record supports each line and what you still need. A guess that never gets labeled becomes a fact in someone’s family tree within a year.

Videos from my channel

I have a few videos that go with this topic on my YouTube channel. The Ultimate Guide to African American Genealogy Research covers the overall research process. My Ancestors Were Enslaved by Georgetown University: The Untold Story is about my own family’s research. The playlist Tracing Roots: African American Genealogy Basics has 23 videos on getting started.

More on this site

If the 1860 wall is where you are stuck, read Overcoming the thought that we cant get past 1860 in our records. For a wider look at archival sources, see Researching African Ancestors in Archival Records. If you are only beginning, start with Uncovering Your African American Roots: A Step-by-Step Guide.

Frequently asked questions

Do the slave schedules ever name enslaved people?

Rarely. The National Archives says they list enslaved people by enslaver, with sex and age, and only occasionally name them. Do not count on a name appearing.

Which census first names formerly enslaved people?

The 1870 census. The National Archives notes it names all household members, which is why so many researchers start there.

Where do I look for the enslaver after 1865?

Freedmen’s Bureau records are a strong first stop, especially labor contracts and rations lists, because many identify the final slaveholder.

Is a matching age and county enough to name an enslaver?

No. Treat it as a probable lead to test against probate, Bureau and family records, and label it that way in your notes.

Want help with a brick wall?

If you have reached 1870 and are not sure which records to search next, bring it to a Discovery Call. Every service with me starts with a 60-minute call where I listen to what you are working on and tell you what is possible and what the right next step is. You can book one at aishaladon.com/book-your-consultation.

Sources

Featured photo by camera obscura on Unsplash

Print page