Friends of Friends Friday~Releasing Slave Names from the Benjamin Walker Estate

 Genealogy research in South Carolina for both my paternal and maternal lines often results in locating records dealing with slavery. Friends of Friends Friday is a way to share the information regarding the enslaved.

My paternal 4th Great Grandfather was Benjamin Walker (1786-1845). Named after his father and grandfather, Benjamin was a land owner in Sumter County, South Carolina.
 When Benjamin died intestate an inventory of his personal property was completed on 22 December 1845.
 Included in the list were names of the enslaved on his plantation.
They were put into the following groups:
2) negro man Peter 400  1 do Ben 400
2) negro man Joseph 350  man George 300
2) woman Tilly 350  infant Peter 75 
3) Caroline 250 Ellen 200 Emma 150
2) Charlie 125- young man  January 425
3) boy Ross 300    Sam 275    old woman Kate 25
3) woman Jane 200   Matilda 200  Charlotte 150
1) child Edward 125
3) Jenor old woman 200   Martha 250  Nora 225
1) old woman Tilda 25

Inventory of Benjamin Walker Estate
22 December 1845
Sumter County, South Carolina
 Probate Bundle 122 Packet 4
Ancestry.com image

Additionally, the probate packet contains a Petition from Eliza A. Walker and W.J. Gibson, wife and son in law of the deceased saying that in order to pay the debts of the estate, they were going to have to sell 
" 18 negros belonging to said estate, George, Joe, Peter, Ben, January, Ross, Jenna and child, Nora, Tilley and four children, Ellen, Emma, Charlie, Peter, Jane and her children, Charlotte, Tilda, and Ed and Cate"

Dated 16 June 1946 and signed by Eliza Walker her mark x admin.
W.J. Gibson admin.   Test. B.A. Walker.

Petition Paper- Estate of Benjamin Walker
16 June 1846
Sumter County, South Carolina Probate
Bundle 122 Packet 4
Ancestry.com image

Perhaps with the listing of their names, they will not be forgotten and their families will be able to locate them.

This post will be submitted to the Slave Name Roll Project created by Schalene Dagutis. Do you have documents and records that list the names of the enslaved? Please consider contributing to this project. 

Are we kin? Need help with your research? Please contact me.

Together we can find our people.

Thanks so much for stopping by!