Belmont Mansion, Davidson, Tennessee
Location: Nashville, Davidson, Tennessee, United States
Surnames/tags: Acklen Slavery Black_Heritage
Index of Franklin-Acklen Plantations
See also: Fairvue Plantation
Contents |
Introduction
Belmont Mansion revolves around the life of one woman, Adelicia Hayes Franklin Acklen Cheatham, the widow of Isaac Franklin, noted slave trader. She was born on 15 March 1817, into a prominent Nashville family. After Franklin's death she married Joseph Acklen on May 1849. In the 1850 Slave Schedule he is listed as owner.
Belmont Mansion, or Belle Monte as it was known in the 19th century, was not a plantation, but rather an estate that required a large number of enslaved people to maintain it.
1850 Slave Schedule
The Slave Census for 1850 was enumerated on October 24 & 25, 1850
- Owner: Joseph Acklen
- Enslaved: 13[1]
- Age Gender Complexion
- 30 Male Black
- 25 Male Black
- 25 Male Mulatto
- 20 Male Black
- 25 Male Mulatto
- 20 Female Black
- 20 Female Black
- 12 Male Black
- 10 Male Black
- 8 Female Black
- 4 Male Black
- 3 Female Black
- 4/12 Female Black
1860 Slave Schedule
- Owner: Jos A S Acklen [2]
- Enlaved: 32 at Belmont Mansion
- Age Gender Complexion
- 45 Female Mulatto
- 30 Female Black
- 30 Male Black
- 30 Male Black
- 25 Female Mulatto
- 25 Female Black
- 25 Male Black
- 25 Male Black
- 24 Female Mulatto
- 24 Male Black
- 22 Female Black
- 22 Male Mulatto
- 20 Female Black
- 20 Male Black
- 20 Male Black
- 18 Female Mulatto
- 18 Male Black
- 18 Male Black
- 16 Female Black
- 15 Female Black
- 13 Male Black
- 12 Male Black
- 11 Male Black
- 10 Female Mulatto
- 8 Female Black
- 6 Female Black
- 5 Male Black
- 4 Male Black
- 3 Male Black
- 3 Male Black
- 2 Male Black
- 1 Female Black
See also:
- Owner: Jos A S Acklen[3] The 1860 Slave Schedule reference is for West Feliciana property, formerly Isaac Franklin's. Jos A S Acken is enumerated with 659 enslaved people.
Enslaved Families
The following information is taken from the Belmont Mansion website: https://www.belmontmansion.com.
There were several extended families, along with individuals, who lived in slavery for multiple generations at Belmont Mansion in Nashville and the Franklin home of Fairvue Plantation in Sumner County, Tennessee. Below is a list of the African Americans who are recorded as having lived at either home, as enslaved people prior to the war and others after the war as freed and paid servants. [4]
Betsy and Children
Betsy aka Betsey Baker, married to John Baker. (see below)
Alexander was the son of Betsy. He is listed in the September 1847 inventory of Isaac Franklin’s estate.[5]
Amanda was the daughter of Betsy. She is listed in the September 1847 inventory of Isaac Franklin’s estate
Harriet was the daughter of Betsy. She is listed in the September 1847 inventory of Isaac Franklin’s estate.
Ive was the daughter of Betsy.
James was the son of Betsy and was possibly known as James Alexander. He is listed in the September 1847 inventory of Isaac Franklin’s estate.
Joseph was the son of Betsy. He was born about 1845. He is listed in the September 1847 inventory of Isaac Franklin’s estate.
Baker and Snowden Families
John Baker was born ca. 1820. He was a slave at Fairvue and listed as being 27 years old at the time. He was married to Betsy or Bettie Baker.
Betsy or Bettie Baker was born ca. 1825 at Mount Vernon, Virginia, and was purchased by Isaac Franklin from John Park Custis,
Mark Baker, born in 1847 or 1853. He married Fannie who lived from 1861 to before 1900.
Ruffin Baker was most likely the son of Bettie/Betsy and John Baker and was listed as being two years old on a September 28, 1847, inventory. He was born ca. 1846.
Aggie was the personal maid to Adelicia and sometimes took care of the children.
Eva Snowden Baker was born ca. 1856, and died in 1939.
Brutus and Fanny
Brutus was Isaac Franklin’s valet. Following Adelicia’s marriage to Joseph Acklen, he became Joseph’s valet. Brutus was sold in New Orleans from Angola Plantation. He was jailed on several occasions. He was sold again this time to a General Pike who brought him to Little Rock, Arkansas. Brutus died on December 22, 1869, having by this time taken the last name of Jackson.
Fanny/Frances was married to Brutus and served as a house slave. She came to Adelicia through Isaac Franklin's will.
Maria and her children
Maria was a house slave. She was listed in September 1847 inventory of Isaac Franklin’s estate. Maria was mother to Ezekiel, William, and Mary Ann.
Ezekiel was the son of Maria and came to Adelicia with his mother in 1839. He is listed in the September 1847 inventory of Isaac Franklin’s estate.
Mary Ann was the daughter of Maria and came to Adelicia with her mother Maria in 1839. She is listed in 1847 inventory of Isaac Franklin’s estate.
William Acklen was born between September 1847 and May 1849. William was the son of Maria, While not listed on the 1847 inventory of Isaac Franklin’s estate, he is listed in the May 1849 Joseph Acklen marriage contract as belonging to Adelicia.[6]
Individual Slaves
- Frances The children’s nurse.
- Fred
- Ben Gant/Grant
- George
- Georgiana
- Rena Gibbs
- Julia Ann
- London
- Manuela
- Marcius
- Mortimer
- Randolph
- Rose
- Salley
Sources
- ↑ 1850 Census:"1850 U.S. Federal Census - Slave Schedules"
The National Archive in Washington DC; Washington, DC; NARA Microform Publication: M432; Title: Seventh Census Of The United States, 1850; Record Group: Records of the Bureau of the Census; Record Group Number: 29
Ancestry Sharing Link - Ancestry Record 8055 #92218939 (accessed 8 July 2022)
Joseph Acklen in Davidson, Tennessee, USA. - ↑ 1860 Census:"1860 U.S. Federal Census - Slave Schedules"
The National Archives in Washington DC; Washington DC, USA; Eighth Census of the United States 1860; Series Number: M653; Record Group: Records of the Bureau of the Census; Record Group Number: 29
Ancestry Sharing Link - Ancestry Record 7668 #94139394 (accessed 8 July 2022)
Joseph Acklen in District 10, Davidson, Tennessee, USA. - ↑ 1860 Census:"1860 U.S. Federal Census - Slave Schedules"
The National Archives in Washington DC; Washington DC, USA; Eighth Census of the United States 1860; Series Number: M653; Record Group: Records of the Bureau of the Census; Record Group Number: 29
Ancestry Sharing Link Ancestry Record 7668 #91824921 (accessed 9 January 2022)
Jos A S Acklen in Ward 7, West Feliciana, Louisiana, USA. (Total enslaved 659 - ↑ https://www.belmontmansion.com/enslaved-families
- ↑ https://teva.contentdm.oclc.org/digital/collection/p15138coll18/id/1486
- ↑ https://www.belmontmansion.com/enslaved-families
- Tennessee Virtual Archive. Inventory of the estate of Isaac Franklin: https://teva.contentdm.oclc.org/digital/collection/p15138coll18/id/1486
- Belmont Research by Family Groups and chronology research by Erica Hayden, Ph.D., Trevecca Nazarene College and Mark Brown, Belmont Mansion; *https://www.belmontmansion.com/copy-of-slavery-at-belmont
See also:
- Freedom Plaza Memorial Dedication at Belmont University video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fXyc7n0vZ4E
- Belmont Returns by Louise Davis; feature article in The Tennessean, 7 May 1978: https://www.newspapers.com/image/111836807
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Gina (Pocock) Jarvi