Slaves in the Family, part 1

It Takes Time

Genealogy is a labor of love, but it is labor. It takes a lot of time, energy, money, effort, thoughtfulness, and dedication to really research your family history. It takes a desire for truth, even when it hurts. It takes love for people you have never met, and never will. It takes an acceptance that you won't make it to the end while hoping for the record that will take you one step farther. So, no one is finished with their family tree. And if they tell you they are, they're lying or confused.

As far as I can tell, most of my black ancestors were slaves when the Civil War ended. But, it's something I just assumed until I realized one branch of my family may have been free. Until this year, I only confirmed enslavement for my 3rd great-grandfather, Aaron Waldron. Oral history has been handed down that says the Waldrons were owned by the Penn family of Botetourt County, Virginia. Our families live extremely close to one another in 1870 and 1880. Then I found the will of Charles Burrus Penn and an inventory of his slaves that further prove their connection.

Aaron is valued at $500 in the will of Charles Penn. Source: Ancestry.

I have to say, I went through a range of emotions when I found the will. A burst of excitement when I finally got my hands on it. I had seen parts of the will before, but the inventory wasn't included. Inspecting the entire will was what I really wanted to do. Next, I moved to shock when I saw Aaron's name and "worth." I knew he would be listed with a dollar amount, I've seen that before. But Aaron is family. My family. And someone decided he was only worth $500. As I moved back through the will, I became annoyed that the "Walnut Wardrobe $800" and "286 volumes of Books" were listed on the inventory before the slaves. Because again, it says those items were more important than humans. They came first. Anger quickly followed when I looked over all of the 48 slave names. And finally, I felt frustrated. This inventory and records like it are where I have to look to find my ancestors' names. Everything about these wills, inventories, or bills of sale speak of pain. It is what it is.

That is where I can look when know or have an idea who the slaveholders are. But, when I don't have the oral history, how do I look for other branches of the family in wills? Search through wills from Botetourt County? To be honest, I've done a bit of that to no avail. Now I've found a database that is really helping me go further...