Pine Hill Plantation, Leon County, Florida

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

Index of Plantations

Contents 1 Pine Hill Plantation 2 Slaves on Pine Hill Plantation 3 Slaves on Horseshoe Plantation 4 Sources

Pine Hill Plantation

Dr Edward Bradford (1798-1873) established Pine Hill Plantation in Leon County, Florida between 1829 and 1832. His family moved to Leon County, Florida around 1832. There were the four brothers, and his nephew, William, who each developed a plantation near the others, in an area now called Bradfordville. According to a Wikipedia article on Bradfordville:

"The Bradfords were direct descendants of William Bradford, governor of the Plymouth Colony (Massachusetts). William's great great grandson, John Bradford, received a land grant located in Halifax County, North Carolina from King George III of Great Britain. The mother of the Bradford sons, Sarah Cromwell Bradford, was a direct descendant of Oliver Cromwell. [This last statement is in dispute]

Bradfords and plantations

• Thomas Anderson Bradford, born February 13, 1790 founded Walnut Hill Plantation
• Dr. William H. Bradford established Edgewood Plantation and became the doctor for Pine Hill Plantation's slaves
• Henry B. Bradford born October 30, 1791 lived a little further south on what is now Thomasville Road in the same area as brother Thomas.
• Dr. Edward Bradford born August 2, 1798 founded Pine Hill Plantation. The most successful brother, he later founded Horseshoe Plantation east-southeast of Lake Iamonia. The plantation is still in existence today as a privately run hunting plantation.
• Richard Henry Bradford born November 15, 1800 founded Water Oak Plantation near Lake McBride"^[1]

Pine Hill Plantation was a large cotton plantation of 3,270 acres. The Leon County Florida 1860 Agricultural Census stated that Pine Hill had 130 slaves working about 1500 acres growing cotton and corn.^[2]

The plantation also housed a 24 ft single room building that served as Dr. Bradford's office, and was used as a hospital for Confederate soldiers during the Civil War.

The following quote was found in Slavery and Plantation Growth in Antebellum Florida: 1821-1860, pp 73-74, by Julia Floyd Smith:

On Edward Bradford's Pine Hill plantation, Christmas was quite a festive occasion and celebrated for a full week. Preparations for Christmas began in the fall of the year when the cotton crop was moving to northern markets. Bradford's wife made her list of gifts to be purchased for "the black folks" at this time. When the list was completed, Bradford forwarded it to his commission merchants in New York. In due time, as the orders were filled, boxes of goods began to arrive in Tallahassee to be taken to the Bradford plantation. On Christmas day the Bradford slaves gathered around the "big house" to receive their gifts of clothing such as shawls, brightly colored printed dresses and bandannas, new hats, Sunday shoes, or vests. The foremen on the plantation, "Alfred," "Ned," "Henry," and "Randall" received special gifts of overcoats and boots. Such was Christmas on the Bradford plantation, and quite different from Christmas on Chemonie where there was no celebration. The holiday was not ended for the Bradford slaves. All week was "kept," no chores being done except the necessary ones.^[3]

The book mentions the slave quarters on the plantation on p.89, which apparently were above general standards of quality:^[4]

The slave quarters on Edward Bradford's plantation were single frame units, each housing a family. They were whitewashed with brick chimneys, built well off the ground, with windows for ventilation and overhanging roofs to protect against rain.

Slaves on Pine Hill Plantation

Edward's daughter Susan, his youngest child, wrote two books which greatly details the family's life on their plantations, their relationships with other families, relatives, and their slaves, as well as their experiences before, during, and after the Civil War.

The following were slaves mentioned in Susan Bradford Eppes' book, The Negro of the Old South, as being on Pine Hill Plantation:^[5]

1. Aunt Dinah, wife of Uncle Henry, ran the day nursery
2. Uncle Henry, husband of Aunt Dinah, foreman, possibly a cooper, one arm was cut off above the elbow in a shingle mill accident in 1862
3. Dick, son of Uncle Henry, a cooper
4. Bob, son of Uncle Henry, a cooper
5. Mammy Feriby
6. Lula, Susan Bradford's mammy, married to Jim, then Jesse Dennis
7. Jim, Lula's first husband
8. Jesse Dennis, Lula's second husband, possibly a freedman
9. Allen, Jim and Lula's son
10. Edward, Jesse Dennis and Lula's son
11. Dave
12. Minnie
13. Journey
14. Tinnie
15. Uncle Alfred, foreman
16. Uncle Ned, foreman, waited tables as a boy at Dabney home in Richmond
17. Uncle Randall (aka Randal), foreman, came from Savannah, (possibly Randall Footman, driver of mule team hauling goods to and from seaport, p 89), husband of Julianne
18. Julianne, Uncle Randall's wife
19. Uncle Wiley, blacksmith, played fiddle
20. Uncle Caesar, supervisor of barbeques
21. Aunt Ginnie, housekeeper and cook, wife of Uncle Tony, they had no children. She died from measles on 9 Mar 1857.
22. Uncle Tony, former brickmason, tended sheep in later years; father of Lula, had "stroke of paralysis" in 1858
23. Fanny
24. Abb
25. Uncle Davie, head gardener, Sexton of Mount Zion (white peoples' church), supervisor of meats for parties and slaves, died at age 98
26. Granny Violet, housekeeper, candlemaker, supervised handing out of milk to the slaves, sister of Granny Anneke
27. Granny Anneke, housekeeper, made candle moulds, sister of Granny Violet
28. Cindy, assists Granny Violet with the milk
29. Kernal (Colonel?) Jordan Ashe, called Jordan, named after previous NC owner, carriage driver for Mrs. Bradford, husband of Melissa, then later Adeline, 4 kids with Melissa
30. Melissa Ashe, first wife of Jordan
31. Adeline Ashe, second wife of Jordan, she was part Indian (father was Indian), she was a cook
32. William "Bill", son of Jordan
33. Fanny (aka Fannie), servant to the Mistress, nanny of one of the daughters, had 4 husbands: unknown butler, Essex Decatur (different plantation), Davy Bullock, Henry Fort
34. Davy Bullock
35. Henry Fort, ran engine at the mill
36. Robert, son of Essex Decatur and Fannie) (her only child), born 1848
37. Amy, maid to the Mistress
38. George, butler
39. Randal, possibly Uncle Randall's son
40. "Chicken Sam", a wheel-wright)
41. Milly
42. "Carolina Bill", wheel-wright
43. Peter, carpenter, miller
44. Mac, carpenter, miller
45. Bill, carpenter

Slaves (not mentioned above) who were mentioned in Through Some Eventful Years by Susan Bradford Eppes:^[6]

1. Nan, dyed skeins
2. Lyddy, dyed skeins
3. Ben Tesh, known as Uncle Ben, volunteered to go to war for the Confederacy
4. Emeline, cook
5. Aunt Polly
6. Uncle Alick
7. Frances, maid to Susan Bradford, given to Susan when both were children in 1854 by Susan's grandfather via a deed., granddaughter of Uncle Kinchen and Aunt Amy, mother was Ann (in NC - slave of Gov Branch).
8. Bethiah, daughter of Aunt Dinah and Uncle Henry
9. Peggy
10. Pat
11. Ellen
12. Lavinia, 7 month old baby in Jul 1855, daughter of Aunt Dinah and Uncle Henry
13. Jane, died from measles on 9 Mar 1857
14. Isaac, died from measles on 9 Mar 1857
15. Aunt Morea
16. John, b 1848, brother of Nathan and David, worked in the tannery, son of a shoemaker, no mother
17. David, b 1850, brother of John and Nathan, worked in the tannery, son of a shoemaker, no mother
18. Nathan, b 1853, brother of John and David, worked in the tannery, son of a shoemaker, no mother
19. Uncle Kinchen, husband of Aunt Amy, 1863 given to Mrs. Bradford after her father died, valet to Governor Branch prior to his death
20. Aunt Amy, wife of Uncle Kinchen, 1863 given to Mrs. Bradford after her father died, previously maid to Mrs Branch (Governor Branch's wife)
21. Luke
22. Tup
23. Hannah, Lula's daughter
24. Emperor Dulan (1832-aft.1870), Nellie's husband
25. Nelly (Bradford) Dulan (abt.1835-aft.1870), wife of Emperor Dulan, possibly daughter of Aunt Dinah and Uncle Henry
26. Ike

Slaves at Pine Hill Plantation mentioned in The Red Hills of Florida, 1528-1865 by Clifton Paisley:^[7]

1. Laurence (aka Lawrence), ran away one time when feared being hired out
2. Affie, a conjure woman who disappeared for months into the woods and returned with herbs periodically

Slaves on Horseshoe Plantation

The Bradford's owned a second plantation nearby Pine Hill on the shores of Lake Iammonia called Horseshoe Plantation.^[8] The land formed around the lake in the shape of a horseshoe, hence the name. This was a large cotton plantation of about 11,000 acres established by Edward Bradford in 1840. It is as yet unknown how many slaves lived and worked there. Susan Bradford Eppes' books mentioned a few of the slaves that worked on Horseshoe Plantation:

1. Aunt Rachel, head nurse, ran the day nursery, washerwoman, wife of Uncle Tom. Previous owner was Marshall of VA. Granddaughter of an African Chieftain.
2. Uncle Tom, husband of Rachel, kept fires going in fireplaces
3. Agnes, Rachel's granddaughter and her assistant in the nursery
4. Uncle Ellick, driver of log cart for saw mill, preacher, previous owner was Tom Maner of SC
5. Aunt Pendar, took care of the geese

Sources

1. ↑ Bradfordville, Florida for a history of the Bradford brothers and their plantations (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bradfordville,_Florida)
2. ↑ Wikipedia article on Pine Hill Plantation(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pine_Hill_Plantation)
3. ↑ SLAVERY IN ANTEBELLUM FLORIDA, Slavery and Plantation Growth in Antebellum Florida: 1821-1860, pp 73-74, by Julia Floyd Smith (https://ufdcimages.uflib.ufl.edu/AA/00/06/19/96/00001/9781947372627_Smith.pdf)
4. ↑ SLAVERY IN ANTEBELLUM FLORIDA, Slavery and Plantation Growth in Antebellum Florida: 1821-1860, p 89, by Julia Floyd Smith (https://ufdcimages.uflib.ufl.edu/AA/00/06/19/96/00001/9781947372627_Smith.pdf)
5. ↑ "The Negro of the Old South, A Bit of period History" by Mrs. Nicholas Ware Eppes , 1925, Joseph G. Branch Publishing Company, Chicago.(https://www.google.com/books/edition/The_Negro_of_the_Old_South/wXwbAAAAIAAJ?hl=en) This book was written by Dr. Edward Bradford's daughter, Susan Branch Bradford Eppes, who claimed the book was totally factual.
6. ↑ Through Some Eventful Years by Susan Bradford Eppes. (https://quod.lib.umich.edu/m/moa/AFJ8883.0001.001?rgn=main;view=fulltext)
7. ↑ The Red Hills of Florida, 1528-1865 by Clifton Paisley, copyright 1989, The University of Alabama Press, Tuscaloosa and London, pp 179-180
8. ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "Horseshoe Plantation," Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Horseshoe_Plantation&oldid=1030880776 (accessed April 10, 2022).

• Bradfordville, Florida - a history of the Bradford brothers and their plantations (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bradfordville,_Florida)
• Dr. Edward Bradford Papers, Special Collections & Archives, Florida State University Libraries, Tallahassee, Florida.(https://archives.lib.fsu.edu/repositories/10/resources/1366)
• Leon County 1860 Agricultural census (http://files.usgwarchives.net/fl/leon/census/1860agri.txt)
• LARGE SLAVEHOLDERS OF 1860 and AFRICAN AMERICAN SURNAME MATCHES FROM 1870 by Tom Blake, 2001-2005 (http://freepages.rootsweb.com/~ajac/genealogy/)
• Edward and Martha Bradford, Bradford Denton House, photos and brief history(https://bradforddenton.com/bradford-family-history/historical-marker-and-names/85-edward-and-martha-bradford.html)