Ned Morgan (abt. 1800 - aft. 1870)

Born about 1800 in Georgia, United States

Died after 1870 after about age 70 in Jackson, Georgia, United States

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Biography

Ned Morgan is a part of US Black heritage.

Ned was born about 1800 in Georgia.^[1] He passed away about 1870, probably in Jackson Co., GA.

Ned first appeared in the last will and testament of William Morgan Jr., written 26 April 1809^[2] and proven 1 May 1809 in Jackson Co., GA.^[3] In his will, William Jr. bequeathed several enslaved individuals to his wife and children:^[4]

• To his wife, "Pricilla", a "negro woman Feriby & her increase"
• To his daughter, "Patsey Shepherd one negro girl named Minty which she has in possession"
• To his son, Blake Morgan, "one negro boy named Adam"
• To his son, William Morgan, Ned
• To his daughter, Joice Morgan, "one negro boy named Peter"
• To his son, Jesse Morgan, "one negro boy" Isham
• To his youngest daughters, Priscilla Morgan, Esther Morgan, and Mahala Morgan, "two negro girls Dilce, & Vina" and their increase

These other enslaved individuals may have been members of Ned's family.

All but the eldest of William Jr.'s children were underage when he passed away in 1809. His wife, along with Samuel Hay, were appointed executors of his estate^[5] and likely served as the minor children's guardians, controlling their interests in their father's estate.

In Jackson County's 1809 tax roll, William Jr.'s wife Priscilla was listed with eight enslaved individuals, likely the ones named in her husband's will.^[6]

Priscilla remarried before 6 February 1815 to George D. Lester when guardianship for the minor children shifted. Priscilla, along with her new husband, retained guardianship for her youngest three daughters. However, William III, being over 14, chose Joseph McLester as his guardian and Samuel Hay was appointed guardian of William Jr.'s son Jesse.^[7]

These gradual shifts of property from William Jr.'s control, to the control of his wife as executor of his estate and guardian of his children, to the control of his children's other guardians and, finally, to the control of the children themselves likely affected the disposition and well-being of Ned and the other enslaved individuals held by this family.

William III married ca 1825 to Orra Gathright. They were enumerated in Jackson Co., GA's 1830 US census. His household included two enslaved individuals, a female "of fifty-five and under one hundred" and a male "of twenty-four and under thirty-six."^[8] The man was most likely Ned. The woman may have been Feriby.

In 1840, William and Orra were again enumerated in Jackson County, this time with no enslaved individuals living in their household.^[9] They were enumerated a few households away from William's mother and stepfather, whose household did include several enslaved individuals; however, none of the males appeared to be the same age as Ned.^[10]

William and Orra's 1850^[11] and 1860^[12] Jackson County households included a Black man born ca 1800. This was very likely Ned, as a few short years later, on 17 October 1863, William wrote a will in which he bequeathed to his wife Orra "my faithful old negro man Ned abought [sic] sixty years old."^[13] William's will was proven on 19 January 1864 and recorded on 4 February 1864, a full year before the end of the American Civil War and the full legal cessation of slavery in the U.S.

Ned was enumerated two households away from Orra in 1870, along with a sixty-year-old Black woman named Charlotte,^[1] possibly his wife. The household between Ned and Orra was that of Charles Wilhite, a forty-five year old Black man; his apparent wife, Hannah, a fifty year old Black woman; and their apparent children. Charles may have been the Charles listed among the inventory of the estate of William M. Wilhite, whose first wife, Easter (Esther), was a daughter of William and Orra.

Ned passed away at an unknown date, likely in Jackson County where he lived the vast majority, if not all, of his life. Widow Charlotte was enumerated in the 1880 US census for Jackson County as a seventy-year old mulatto born in Virginia, along with her mother Matilda Teasley, an eighty-five year old Black woman born in Virginia.^[14] They were enumerated next door to Charles Wilhite's family and two households away from Orra Morgan.

Slave Owners

Known slave owners:

1. William Morgan (1765 - 1809), currently designated William Morgan Jr. to distinguish him from his father and son.
2. William Morgan (1797 - 1863), currently designated William Morgan III to distinguish him from his father and grandfather.
3. Orra (Gathright) Morgan, the wife of William Morgan III.

Sources

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1} "United States Census, 1870", Subdivision No. 71, Jefferson Post Office, Jackson County, Georgia, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MC3Z-YQ9 : Thu Oct 05 12:18:19 UTC 2023), Page 216, Dwelling 1540, Family 1540, Entry for Ned Morgan and Charlotte Morgan, 1870.
2. ↑ Poss, Faye Stone. Jackson County, Georgia, Will Abstracts, Books A & B, 1803 - 1888: 13-14; Fernandina Beach, FL: Wolfe Publishing (1995).
3. ↑ Poss, Faye Stone. Jackson County, Georgia, Early Court Records, 1796 - 1831: 38; Snellville, GA: Self-published, 2006.
4. ↑ Jackson County, Georgia, Will Book A, 1803 – 1860: 125 – 126; Probate Court, Jefferson.
5. ↑ Poss, Faye Stone. Jackson County, Georgia, Early Court Records, 1796 - 1831: 42; Snellville, GA: Self-published (2006).
6. ↑ Ancestry.com. "U.S., Property Tax Digests, 1793-1892" (database : accessed 31 December 2023), Jackson County, Georgia, entry for Presilla Morgan, Exrx. Estate of Wm. Morgan.
7. ↑ Poss, Faye Stone. Jackson County, Georgia, Early Court Records, 1796 - 1831: 150; Snellville, GA: Self-published (2006).
8. ↑ "United States Census, 1830", Jackson County, Georgia, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XHPL-2C4 : Fri Oct 06 11:09:21 UTC 2023), Page 327, Line 12, Wm. Morgan.
9. ↑ "United States Census, 1840", Jackson County, Georgia, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XHBN-WR3 : Tue Oct 03 23:41:31 UTC 2023), Page 19, Line 22, William Morgan.
10. ↑ "United States Census, 1840", Jackson County, Georgia, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XHBN-WR3 : Tue Oct 03 23:41:31 UTC 2023), Page 19, Line 19, George D. Lester.
11. ↑ "United States Census (Slave Schedule), 1850 ", Jackson County, Georgia, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MVHR-M5Y : Fri Oct 06 14:19:28 UTC 2023), Entry for Wm. Morgan. (Note: Incorrectly indexed on FamilySearch as "P.M. Morgan.") Individuals listed: a black female age 72; a black male age 50 [Ned?]; a black female age 43; a black female age 14; a mulatto female age 38; a mulatto male age 22; a black male age 25.
12. ↑ "United States Census (Slave Schedule), 1860", Jackson County, Georgia, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:WKVZ-MM3Z : Tue Oct 03 13:32:41 UTC 2023), Entry for William Morgan. Individuals listed: a black male age 60; a black male age 33; a black male age 42; a mulatto male age 8; a mulatto male age 10; a mulatto male age 7; a mulatto male age 6/12; a mulatto female age 55; a mulatto female age 22; a black female age 26; a mulatto female age 11; another mulatto female age 11. Slave houses: 3.
13. ↑ Poss, Faye Stone. Jackson County, Georgia, Will Abstracts, Books A & B, 1803 - 1888: 217 - 218; Fernandina Beach, FL: Wolfe Publishing, 1995. See also: https://www.ancestry.com/discoveryui-content/view/490728:8635.
14. ↑ "United States Census, 1880", Jackson County, Georgia, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M8GH-G5X : Fri Oct 06 05:01:54 UTC 2023), Entry for Charlette Morgan and Matilda Teasley, 1880.