N.C. Legislature. Senate.
Monday, Jan. 5. Mr. Myers, of Mecklenburg, by leave, introduced a bill to prevent the Clerks of the County Courts from fixing the county seal on the papers of free negroes. [Vote 27-18 in favor.]
North Carolina Whig, Charlotte, 13 January 1857.
Twenty-Five Dollars Reward.
Runaway from the Subscriber on the night of 24th ult. a Negro Man by the name of BEN, commonly called BEN THORN; he is about 5 feet 6 or 7 inches high, between 30 and 40 years old, perhaps might weigh between 145 and 160 pounds; is of a bright complexion, neither black nor mulatto; is well made, stands a little wide, and springs back in his knees; has a round head, middling long neck; long face, flat jaws, high nose, inclined to be Roman, and somewhat sharp; his eyes is rather large, white and glaring when thrown open, his mouth projects out, and is tolerable large, with a very good set of teeth; speaks broad and quick, and endeavors to speak proper language; his arms is rather long, and short fingers, he has thick, short hair, and inclined to be square across his forehead; fine grained skin, &c. He is a little ruptured, or what is called bursting, in consequence of which he commonly wears a truss. He had when he went away, a furred or knapped hat, considerably worn; a blue broad cloth coat, worn out at the elbows and cuffs; a homespun jacket, blue grounded, with small white streaks, the stripes went round; a pair of white homespun pantaloons; a pair of mixed do.; a black velvet cravat, and what is called a white comforter, with some colouring at the ends, and perhaps some other old cloathing. He can read and write, so as he can be understood, is very intelligent, being acquainted with a number of the States, sea-port towns, and other noted places. It is presumed that he has an instrument of writing, and will endeavor to pass as a free man; having made the attempt and was apprehended with a free pass in the town of Edenton, on the 16th of Feb. 1816, where he went by the name of John Doctor, and was imprisoned for about three months, and taken out of jail by me. His intentions were at that time, and I make no doubt are now, to get on board some vessel and escape to some of the Northern States, where slavery is not tolerated. It is presumed he will alter his name, and change his features (if possible.) All masters and owners of vessels are hereby forwarned from taking the said Negro on board. The above reward will be given to any person who will apprehend said Negro, and confine him in any jail, and give me information so that I get him again. ALEXANDER SORSBY, Nash county, N.C. March 16.
Norfolk & Portsmouth Herald, 6 April 1818.
Wiley G. Overton.
The First Full Fledged Patrolman of His Race Appointed on Brooklyn’s Police Force.
Wiley Granda Overton is a successful undertaker, whom Commissioner Hayden has appointed as patrolman and assigned to the First Precinct, in the most popular and business part of Brooklyn, under Capt. Campbell. Mr. Overton is originally from North Carolina. He was born in Elizabeth City, Oct. 20, 1859, of free parentage. He spent his early days attending school, until his graduation from the normal school. While yet quite a young man he passed a good examination before the county commissioners and obtained a position as a teacher in the public schools. With his parents he came North fourteen years ago and settled in Brooklyn. Through his energy and push he was not long in obtaining a good situation [illegible] wholesale firm in New York City [illegible] Taylor & Co. Entering as a porter he rose to the important position of stock clerk, which he held for seven years. While in this position he spend all of his leisure moments in private study and improved his education. After leaving his New York situation he engaged with a well known undertaker, Moses Genung, and after sufficient training he started out in business for himself at 75 Lawrence street. His business has grown rapidly, and he will turn it over to his cousin, R.D. Overton.
Immediately after his business venture, it came to his mind that he would like to become one of the guardians of the city and he entered the civil service examinations …. He attained 76 ½ percentage, standing 58 on a list of 164 eligibles. It was thought that Mr. Overton’s color would be a barrier to his appointment …. Commissioner Hayden, however, … said: “He passed a good examination, and, as the law makes no distinction in regard to color, I do not see why there should be any question as to my duty in the matter.”
Mr. Overton is nearly six feet high, of fine athletic build and of dark complexion. He has been assigned to Post 5 of the First Precinct, bounded by Pierpont, Joralemon, and Clinton streets and Columbia Heights. … Mr. Overton is a devoted member of Bridge Street A.M.E Church and has been been a member of the Trustee Board for several years. He has a charming wife and two beautiful daughters to cheer him at his fireside.
In the 1860 census of Pasquotank County: Jeffry Overton, 62, farmer, Juley, 31, Jeffry, 29, Haywood, 18, Ruben, 10, Margaret, 9, Mary, 6, John, 4, George, 2, and Wiley, 8 months.
The New York Age, 21 March 1891.
… Mr. George W. Brooks, of Atlanta, recalls [free negroes who owned slaves] when he was a youth in the county of Person, which lay immediately on the Virginia line. There was there quite a colony of free negroes, many of them named Epps, and supposed to be descendants of the slaves set free by Mr. Epps, the brother-in-law of Thomas Jefferson. In Person County there was a free negro named Billy Mitchell, an honest man of genial disposition, who being without means, often hired himself to work for Mr. Brooks’ father on his tobacco farm. Mr. Brooks remembers hearing Mitchell telling his father of his trip to Mecklenburg, about thirty miles away, when and where he went courting, and told of the lands and slaves which were owned by his girl’s father. He told with much humor of an incident which occurred while he was there. He went out one morning with the girl’s brother to the pig pen to look at the fattening swine. He said that one of the slave boys came and got upon the pen with them; that soon he heard the girl calling her mother to “look at Jim perched up on the hog pen with the white folks.” Billy said that he looked at them all and he could not see but Jim was about as white as any of them. Billy went back and married the girl, took up his abode with them, became interested in the estate and became a slave owner himself.
From Calvin D. Wilson, “Negroes Who Owned Slaves,” Popular Science Monthly, vol. LXXXI (1912).
Killed with an Axe.
Liberty, N.C. – Alex Heath, an old colored man who lived about 2 ½ miles east of here, just over in Alamance County, was found dead in bed on the morning of Feb. 7th. Someone had gone there the night before and killed him with an axe. He was struck right over the eyes and his skull broken in. It appeared that the old man had gone to bed and was asleep when he was killed. Uncle Alex, as we all called him, was a good, honest old man, and his word was his bond. He had many friends among his white neighbors. He had always been a free negro. Quite a number of Liberty people went down to see him last Sunday and they say he was the most pitiful sight they have ever seen. He had a negro man and his wife living in the house with him and they had some words the morning before and the man and his wife spent the night at a neighbor’s house about ¼ of a mile distant. He was away from the house two hours or more and suspicion was so strong he was put under arrest.
I have thought for some time that the meanest man on earth was the one who wrote letters and signed no name to them and slipped them under doors at night with the purpose of causing hard feelings among neighbors, but I reckon the man who killed Alex Heath was just a little meaner, and if we had the right man I think he ought to be beheaded and let the devil get him before his feet get cold.
… — Liberty correspondent.
Asheboro Courier, 12 February 1903.
On 13 June 1810, Joseph Long, a free boy of color aged 16 years on 30 June 1810, was bound to Andrew Worron as a Taylor and habit maker.
On 10 September 1810, Jacob Lewis, a free boy of color aged 8 years, was bound to Joseph Robeson as a pilot and mariner.
On 10 September 1810, Smith Lewis, a free boy of color aged 10 years, was bound to Joseph Nelson as a pilot and mariner.
On 14 September 1810, William Manning, a boy of color aged 16 years on 30 June 1810, was bound to Andrew Worron as a tailor and habit maker.
On 10 December 1810, Jesse Gaudet, a free boy of color aged 3 years, was bound to William Physioc as a cooper.
On 12 December 1810, London Howard, 13, and John Gaudett, 10, free boys of color, were bound to Horatio Dade as coopers.
John Reed, 4, Isaac Reed, 2, and Patty Reed, 6, were bound to Jesse Bogue in 1830; John as a shoemaker, Isaac as a farmer, and Patty as a spinster.
In the 1850 census of North Side of Neuse, Wayne County: Rhody Read, 60, and children John, 27, and Isaac, 22, farmers, and Zana Reid, 21.
Betsey Burnet and Micajah Burnet, both age 9, were bound to Lovet Stephens in 1830.
George Ward, 12, was bound to Nathan Davis, in 1830.
John Hagans, 2 ½, was bound to James Martin in 1831.
James Wiggins, 6 months, and Jordan Wiggins, 2, were bound to Robert Langston in 1831.
In the 1850 census of North Side of Neuse, Wayne County: Jorden Wiggins, 23, farmhand, wife Pricilla, 28, and Zilpha, 6. In the 1860 census of Goldsboro, Wayne County: Jordan Wiggins, 30, stiller, wife Priscilla, 35, washwoman, Mary, 18, Robert, 8, George P., 7, Francis, 5, Wm. Jordan, 3, and Bettie, 1. But also, in Nahunta, Wayne County: Jordan Wiggins, 35, laborer, in the household of W.W. Barnes, turp’t distiller.
Rufus Lane, 5, was bound to James Forehand in 1831.
In the 1850 census of North Side of Neuse, Wayne County: Rufus Lane, 22, farmhand, in the household of Lucy Hall, 45, a free woman of color.
Willie Hagans, 9, was bound to Stephen Woodard in 1831.
Phereba Hagans, 5, was bound to Matthew Copeland in 1831.
Lawrence Hagans, 12, was bound to Edwin Bryan in 1831.
Apprenticeship Records, Wayne County Records, North Carolina State Archives.
CHAPTER XXXV.
An Act to Emancipate Certain Negroes Therein Mentioned.
Whereas, it hath been represented to this General Assembly, that Robert Shaw, in his life-time, did receive a valuable consideration for the further services of a certain negro woman named Amelia, and has certified the same and declared her to be free: And by petition of Thomas Lovick, it appears to be his desire that a certain negro woman by the name of Betty, belonging to him, should be set free; also a petition of Monsieur Chaponel, desiring to have set free a mulatto slave belonging to him, by the name of Lucy, of three and half years old: And whereas, it appears by the petition of Ephraim Knight, of Halifax county, that he is desirous to emancipate two young mulatto men, called Richard and Alexander, the property of said Ephraim: And it hath also been represented to this Assembly by John Alderson, of Hyde County, that it is his desire to set free a mulatto boy belonging to him, called Sam: And whereas, it hath been made appear to this Assembly by the petition of Thomas Newman, of Fayetteville, that he hath a mulatto boy belonging to him, which he is desirous to emancipate, and known by the name of Thomas:
I. Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of North Carolina, and it is hereby enacted by the authority of the same, That the said negro women called Amelia and Betty, and the mulatto girl Lucy, and the said mulatto men Richard and Alexander, and the said mulatto boy called Sam, and the negro boy named Thomas Clinch, shall be, and each of them are hereby emancipated and declared free; and the said Richard and Alexander shall take and use the surname of Day, and the mulatto boy Sam shall be known and called by the name of Samuel Johnson; and the said slaves so liberated, and each of them, are hereby declared to be able and capable in law to posses and enjoy every right, privilege and immunity, in as full and ample manner as they could or might have done if they had been born free.
Acts of the North Carolina General Assembly, 1789, Colonial and State Records of North Carolina.
In 1860, Wayne County Court of Pleas & Quarters Sessions bound James Newsom, 7, and Norfleet Newsom, 5, to Barny D. Yelverton to serve as apprentices.
But, in the 1860 census of Davis, Wayne County: Barney Yelverton’s household includes Nervy Artis, 27, and sons James Artis, 6, and Norphlet Artis, 4.
Fourth Generation Inclusive 