Kirbys enslavers.

The 1860 slave schedule is the only known surviving, contemporaneous list of the men and women who enslaved black people in Wilson County. It is not a list of the enslaved themselves, as none are named in that census. Rather, the schedule described people by “color” (black or mulatto), sex, and age.

Organized by township, this series will set forth these enslavers, the number of people they held in 1860, and the ages of the youngest and oldest people held. Where possible, I will also name people known to be enslaved by each person. They may or may not correspond to people described in the 1860 slave schedule. The paucity of such identifications is heartbreaking, and I continue to search.

Kirbys district was essentially present-day Cross Roads and Springhill townships and was part of Wayne and Johnston Counties prior to 1855. The 1860 slave schedule lists 29 enslavers in this section of Wilson County, the largest of whom held 16 people in bondage. Southwestern Wilson County consisted predominantly of yeoman farmers, not plantation owners, in contrast to county’s eastern districts.

Jacob Rentfro — 2, ages 67 and 72 years

Kinchen Crumpler — 3, age 1 to 49 years

Joseph Raper — 1, age 13 years

Thomas Woodard — 2, ages 50 and 67 years

John Revell — 3, age 10 to 27 years

Ashley Atkinson — 1, age 8

Pitts Kirby — 2, ages 17 and 19 years

Dempsey Watson — 2, ages 9 and 11

Geraldus Sullivant — 1, age 67

Mabry Rentfro — 4, ages 3 to 30 years

Lovett Atkinson — 9, ages 1 month to 30 years

Matthew Peel — 1, age 59 years

  • Sampson

Rufus Rentfro — 1, age 12 years

J.T. Rentfro — 1, age 48 years

Hinyard Rentfro — 2, ages 7 and 17 years

Simon Barnes and 7 others — 4, ages 5 to 40 years

Simon Barnes, in trust — 12, ages 6 months to 48 years

Ransom Hinnant — 5, age 5 to 53 years

Sallie Hinnant — 3, age 14 to 46 years

John H. Barnes — 8, ages 3 months to 34 years

Sarah Boykin — 1, age 14 years

M.M. Godwin — 1, age 18 years

Roberson Raper — 1, age 19 years

Nelson Kent — 7, age 6 months to 40 years

William Hinnant — 9, age 2 months to 53 years

W.H. Hinnant in trust — 16, age 3 to 50 years

Andrew Scott — 5, age 2 to 55 years

David A. Scott — 2, ages 7 and 10 years

John D. Adams — 3, age 13 to 80 years

 

Jacob Jones conveys 171 acres to his sureties.

Benjamin and Robert Simpson stood surety for Jacob Jones on two notes for debts Jones owned Robertson H. Baker totaling $557.37. On 2 April 1855, “desirous that the said Benjamin & Robert should not suffer any loss,” Jacob Jones conditionally conveyed to them a 171 1/2 acre tract that Jones had bought from Baker. However, if Jones paid off his notes, the deed would be void.

Deed Book 1, page 32, Wilson County Register of Deeds Office, Wilson.

The estate of Benajah Scott (1856).

Benajah Scott died intestate in 1856. His son David A. Scott was appointed administrator of an estate that included seven enslaved people — Will, Lucinda, Tempy, Maria, Chaney, Kedar, and Gideon. In late December 1856, David Scott arranged for Chaney, Lucinda, Tempy, and Will to be hired out for a year to kin and neighbors. Maria, Kedar, and Gideon (described as “parish Negroes,” a term I’m not familiar with) could not be placed — too young, too old, pregnant or postpartum, or disabled — so remained with widow Zilpha Scott, who received $15 for their care.

Estate of Benajah Scott, Probate Estate Case Files 1854-1959, http://www.familysearch.org.

Tarrell Parker binds himself.

In 1855, when he was about 18 years old, free man of color Tarrell Parker voluntarily apprenticed himself to Gilbert Parker for six months. What could have driven him to this arrangement?

Know all men by these presents that I Terril Parker of the County  and State aforesaid for and in consideration of the Sum of Fifty Dollars to me in hand paid do bind myself to Gilbert Parker until the first day of January next given under my hand & my seal June 15th 1855    Terril (X) Parker Witness L.J. Sauls

Deed Book 1, page 31, Wilson County Register of Deeds, Wilson.

Fire halts school year.

Journal and Guide (Norfolk, Va.), 23 March 1940.

With the destruction by fire of Elm City’s black high school in 1940, the education of local children slammed to a halt. Amanda Mitchell Cameron was in the eighth grade at the time. She recalls that, rather than delay their high school studies, two of her older siblings carpooled to Wilson with a neighborhood boy to attend Darden High School. Most children, however, stayed home until the newly built school opened in 1941.

Lane Street Project: paying respects.

I’m back in Wilson. My first stop is always Rest Haven to pay respects to my father. From there, Vick Cemetery is literally just around the corner.

I placed flowers on the grave of the Unknown Ancestor and made a prayer of thanks.

I turned to get back in my car and nearly stepped on this bit of marble.

It appeared to be a piece of the marble “box” that was once surrounded the Unknown Ancestor’s grave. I placed it inside the orange cones guarding the site.

There was also this a few feet away. It’s hard to see in this low-contrast image, but it’s comprised of shards of granite imbedded in concrete and is a little over a foot long. It appears to be a section of grave border, or maybe even a headstone base. I’ll alert the City in the morning.

Whew. This GPR survey can’t happen soon enough.

Photos by Lisa Y. Henderson, March 2026.

The apprenticeship of Wright Mitchell.

Fourteen year-old Wright Mitchell, a free boy of color, was apprenticed to serve John A. Lane until age 21. Lane had married Sarah Applewhite in 1852 and likely lived in the Stantonsburg area.

Minute Docket, Wilson County Court of Pleas and Quarter Sessions, October Term 1858, Wilson Court Dockets 1855-1868, http://www.ancestry.com