New Hope Plantation, Leon County, Florida

Date: [unknown] [unknown]
Location: Leon, Florida, United States
Surnames/tags: Shepard Slavery Black_Heritage

Plantation Index

Slaves of Alfred Moore Gatlin, Leon County, Florida

Contents 1 History 2 Slave Owners 2.1 Slaves 3 Sources

History

Alfred Moore Gatlin (1790-1841) had been a lawyer and Congressman in North Carolina, then relocated to Tallahassee, Leon County, Florida after 1835. He owned New Hope Plantation in Leon County, Florida. "Gatlin is listed as having only about 1,000 acres in 1839 and thirty-five slaves, but by the time of his death in 1841, he had considerably increased his holdings. His widow, Sarah Ann, petitioned the court for one-third of his estate because she preferred the division made to her by law, rather than the share left under her husband’s will. In addition to his plantation and about seventy slaves, Gatlin had a house and property in Tallahassee. His personal property was reported as including two carriage horses, five mules, twenty-six head of hogs, twentyone head of cattle, 514 bushels of corn, 3,000 lbs. of fodder, as well as other items. Like so many of the other planters in Leon County, Gatlin’s property was mortgaged to the Union Bank which took fifty-three of his slaves in payment of his indebtedness."^[1]

In 1845 John Swann Shepard purchased at auction^[2] land that used to belong to Alfred M. Gatlin, called New Hope (see Gatlin's will).^[3]

Slave Owners

• Alfred Moore Gatlin (1790-1841)
• John S. Shepard

Slaves

in 1845, John S. Shepard also purchased 45 enslaved persons from New Hope Plantation, Leon County, Florida at auction.^[4]

• Sam
• Cud
• Jack
• Jim
• Lewis, not same person as Lewis
• Peter Copeland
• Peter Nixon
• Mathew
• Benona
• Peter Calloway
• Hughy
• Allen, not the same person as Allen
• Nelson
• Cornelius
• Joe Toms
• Henry
• Hamlet
• Howet
• Ichabod
• Hannah, not the same person as Hannah

• Sally and her 3 children
• Gilbert
• Solomon
• Wilson

• Mary
• Bryant, child of Mary

• Julia and her 2 children
• Charles
• Lucinda

• Matilda
• Sally Ann, child of Matilda

• Rose

• Penny and her 2 children
• William
• Lucy

• Isabel
• Ellen, child of Isabel

• Siller
• Nancy

• Harriett Gatlin
• Charlotte, child of Harriett Gatlin

• Harriett Nixon

• Dinah and her 2 children
• Elizabeth
• Mary

In 1856 John's estate was divided. Some of the enslaved came from Shepards Place Plantation, Leon County, Florida and some came from New Hope Plantation, Leon County, Florida. The paperwork did not state which plantation each came from. There were at least 26 families, divided as follows:^[5]

Widow's Dower - Mrs Shepard

• Hannah age 47, possibly Hannah or Hannah
• Priscilla age 20
• Peter Nixon age 30
• Matilda age 15

• Britton age 46
• Harriet William age 36
• Anthony age 19
• William age 11
• Chloe age 8
• Fanny age 4

• Glass age 40, possibly the same person as Glasgow
• Margaret age 35
• Caroline age 12
• Hezakiah age 7
• LaFayette age 4
• Jefferson age 3

• Jack Akis age 47
• Rose age 37
• Cornelius age 22

• Jim Gatlin age 42, possibly the same person as Jim
• Isabel age 52
• Ben Gillet age 20
• Ellen, child of Isabel age 12

• Mathew age 47
• Lizzie age 32
• Maria age 2, child of Lizzie
• Dinah age 14
• Mary age 15
• Isaiah age 4
• Timothy age 3

• Howeth age 24
• Jim age 32, may be the same person as Jim
• Julia Ann age 32
• Mary age 11
• Fanny age 12
• Allen age 20
• Patience 42
• Jacob age 4, child of Patience
• Francis age 20
• Anthony, infant of Francis

Lot No. 2 to Robert Shepard

• Andrew age 30
• Rose Sheppard age 27
• Hagar age 15 months, child of Rose Sheppard
• Susan age 7

• Ichabod age 24
• Silvia age 22
• Seth age 2

• Simon age 25, possibly same person as Simeon
• Harriett Gatlin age 27
• Clara age 4
• Neverson age 3

• Charles age 57
• Harriet age 52, possbily Hannah
• Robert (dwarf) age 27
• Edmund age 21
• Hamlet age 24
• Lucinda age 20
• Sophia age 2

Lot No.3 to Mrs.Julia Pettes

• Penny age 34
• Bill age 19
• Mahala age 8
• George age 4
• Louisa age 3

• John Long age 46
• Jane age 37
• John age 9 months, child of Jane, and probably John Long.
• Julia age 15
• Henry age 13
• Austin age 8
• Millard age 5
• Josiah age 2

• Lewis age 22, may be Lewis or Lewis
• Hughy age 27
• Ned age 37

Lot No.4 to Mrs. Alice Gibbon

• Nancy age 47

• Allen age 24

• Maria age 47, may be the same person as Mary who has a son, Bryant
• Bryant age 18

• Nelson age 24

• Charles age 15, appears to be son of Julia
• Lucinda age 17, appears to be daughter of Julia

• Jo Tom age 20, probably same person as Joe Toms
• Lavinia age 19

• Pink age 40
• George age 17
• Nathan age 4

• Caesar age 47
• Hasty age 42
• Dick age 21, may be Dick or Dick

Lot No.5 to Miss L. Shepard

• Wiley age 42
• Mary Hunt age 37
• Jim Branch age 17
• Patsey age 7
• Albert age 5

• Henderson age 32
• Kathy age 27
• Virginia age 1 year, child of Kathy
• Jourdan age 10
• Emily age 8
• Adaline age 4

• Benoni age 30, probably the same person as Benona, not sure if male or female
• Sally age 26
• Butler age 1 year, child of Sally
• Gilbert age 13
• Lewis age 8
• Shaley age 3

• Daniel age 32

Lot No.6 to M. A. Chaires

• Henry Sawyer age 25
• Marion age 20
• Melvina age 6 months, child of Marion
• Alfred age 3

• Jerry age 27
• Harriett Nixon age 29
• Celie age 9
• Fred age 7

• Lewis age 22, may be Lewis or Lewis
• Eliza age 30, may be Gamble-4012 or Gamble-4016

• Peter Copeland age 32
• Betsey age 20
• Katy age 2 months, child of Betsey

• Charlotte age 52

• Joe Goodall age 62

• Moses age 52

For more information please see:

• Shepard's Place Plantation page

Sources

1. ↑ Plantation Economy in Leon County 1830-1840 by Julia Hering
2. ↑ Deed: "Deeds, 1825-1886; index, 1825-1940"
   Catalog: Deeds, 1825-1886; index, 1825-1940 Deeds, v. H 1842-1845
   Film number: 008190674 > image 276 of 346
   FamilySearch Image: 3Q9M-CSL6-Q5NV (accessed 9 April 2022) Deed Bk H p.406-407
3. ↑ Probate records, 1839-1935: "Florida Probate Records, 1784-1990"
   Catalog: Probate records, 1839-1935 Wills, v. A-B 1839-1912
   Image path: Florida Probate Records, 1784-1990 > Leon > Wills 1839-1912 vol A-B > image 44 of 761
   FamilySearch Image: 3QS7-89QY-B9JX (accessed 10 April 2022)
   • Alfred Gatlin's will, Will Bk A p.26-29
4. ↑ Deed: "Deeds, 1825-1886; index, 1825-1940"
   Catalog: Deeds, 1825-1886; index, 1825-1940 Deeds, v. H 1842-1845
   Film number: 008190674 > image 323 of 346
   FamilySearch Image: 3Q9M-CSL6-Q5FP (accessed 9 April 2022) Deed Bk H p.493
5. ↑ Chancery order books, 1829-1889: "Chancery order books, 1829-1889"
   Catalog: Chancery order books, 1829-1889 Chancery order book, v. 1 1841-1878
   Film number: 008683673 > image 74 of 414
   FamilySearch Image: 3QHV-F3ZK-TGRW (accessed 9 April 2022)