William Rowland's Slaves

Feeling...

There is always something to learn about an ancestor. You can go back over records or documents and see something new. It was always there, but you didn't notice or pay attention to it. Maybe additional research has shined a light on something you didn't realize was important. None of those things happened to me today. Today I found something completely new.

The Assignment of the Late William Rowland's Slaves. This is my humble attempt at a transcription. ...

• In obedience of an Order of Botetourt Court, we the undersigned have divided the negroes of the Late William Rowland between Sarah Rowland widow of the said William Rowland, Elizabeth & William Robert Rowland the children and legal heirs of the said, William Rowland, deemed $ submit the following report oig?
• To Sarah Rowland, we allot Hetty Claibourne Jerry and Mary & to pay William Robert Rowland her son thirty dollars within five years from this time. To Elizabeth Rowland, we allot Fanny Randle Harry Matlida. To William Robert Rowland we allot Phebe Thornton Schedrick Sharlotte Jane & alay & to waive from Sarah Rowland thirty dollars within five years from this time, this 2nd day of January 1827.
• George Poage?
• Madion Gilmore?
• John Thikey?
• At Botetourt September Court 1827
• This report of the division of the slaves of William Rowland dead? amongst the heirs & was returned to court and ordered to be recorded

My 3rd great-grandfather is Thornton Coleman, born in Virginia about 1830. I do not have a death record for him. Nor do I have a birth record., marriage record, or anything other than the 1870 and 1880 censuses. But I think the Thornton listed above is my Thornton. I am so happy to see this! I may get annoyed about it later, but right now I'm ecstatic. I don't know Thornton's exact birth, but this could be him. I'm still looking into the Davis and Rowland families. Hopefully, I will find more wills and records soon.