Sam Brodie Plantation, Wake County, North Carolina

Date: [unknown] [unknown]
Location: Franklin, North Carolina, United States
Surnames/tags: Brodie Slavery Black_History

Index of Plantations

Plantation Owner: Sam Brodie

Research Note: This plantation was most likely in Franklin County, North Carolina, not Wake County.

From SANKOFA'S PLANTATION DATABASE^[1]

Contents 1 History 2 Family of Sam Brodie 3 Property 4 Slaves of Sam Brodie 5 Agriculture 6 Architecture 7 Landmarks 8 Sources

History

Mary Brodie Anderson was born a slave in 1851 on Sam Brodie's plantation. In her narrative ^[2] Mary recalls that the plantation consisted of 200 acres of cleared land that was farmed each year, a pond from which ice was gathered, and several buildings. Unruly slaves were never whipped, but often sold away. Mary notes that there were two horse wagons used to carry the slaves away, and that she witnessed several loads leave. Mary describes in great detail the day the news of surrender and the coming of the Yankee troops reached Brodie's Plantation. When the Yankees arrived, the Brodie estate was spared heavy damage. The slaves all gathered for a mass exodus and marched off after the lead of the Union soldiers, leaving the plantation nearly abandoned. Soon after, some of the slave families found life away from the plantation too much to bear, so they returned to farm for Sam and Evaline Brodie.

Family of Sam Brodie

• Evaline Brodie: wife of Sam Brodie
• Dallas Brodie: son of Sam and Evaline Brodie
• Bettie Brodie: daughter of Sam and Evaline Brodie
• Carrie Brodie: daughter of Same and Evaline Brodie

Property

Plantation and enslaved persons for sale in 1846. Unknown at this time if he actually sold it. "The tract of land where Sam Brodie resides, situated on the waters of Tar River, 10 miles southeast of Louisburg in the County of Franklin, containing 1100 acres, also 32 negros..." ^[3][4]

Slaves of Sam Brodie

• Alfred Brodie: and wife Bertha Brodie, daugther Mary Brodie Anderson: b. 5/10/1851
• John Brodie: one of the ex-slaves who returned (with family) to Brodie's Plantation after post war slave exodus
• Lorenze Brodie: one of the ex-slaves who returned (with family) to Brodie's Plantation after post war slave exodus.

• The 1850 Slave Schedule enumerated Samuel Brodie as owning 26 slaves. ^[5]
• The 1860 Slave Schedule enumerated Samuel Brodie as owning 34 slaves. ^[6]

• Note: Mary Anderson recalls one instance when Sam Brodie bought slaves. He purchased two boys and three girls from the slave market.^[7]

Agriculture

• Orchards: plums, peaches, cherries, quinces, grapes, and an apple orchard located in the Tar River low grounds

Architecture

• Note: Mary Anderson mentions in her narrative that both slave and white dwelings were located in a large grove of one square mile covered with oak and hickory nut trees.
• The Great House: twelve room home of the owner and his family
• The Quarters: the slave houses, which had two rooms each
• Ice House: storage place for brandy, pickles, preserves, and cider
• Brandy Still
• Grist Mill
• Tannery
• Shoe Shop
• Blacksmith Shop

Landmarks

• Main Louisburg Road: located one mile away from the Great House
• Maple Springs Baptist Church: attended by Sam and Evaline Brodie; also attended by the ex-slaves after they returned to Brodie's Plantation

Sources

1. ↑ https://sites.rootsweb.com/~afamerpl/plantations_usa/NC/brodie.html
2. ↑ Voices From Slavery: 100 Authentic Slave Narratives. Edited by Yetman, Norman R. 2000. pp 111-116.
3. ↑ https://www.newspapers.com/clip/101248507/1843-brodie-property-sale/
   • The Weekly Standard, Raleigh, North Carolina 18 Jan 1843, Wed, Page 3
4. ↑ Deed records or real estate conveyances, 1779-1951, and index, grantor and grantee, 1776-1949: "Deed records or real estate conveyances, 1779-1951, and index, grantor and grantee, 1776-1949"
   Catalog: Deed records or real estate conveyances, 1779-1951, and index, grantor and grantee, 1776-1949 Index, grantor, A-G 1776-1895
   Film number: 007559911 > image 132 of 479
   FamilySearch Image: 3QS7-996S-Q9KC (accessed 6 May 2022)
   • Index, 1844, Deed Bk 28 p.373. The sale most likely happened. Researched Deed Bk 28 not available on Family Search
5. ↑ 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 #91536620 (accessed 25 February 2022)
   Saml Broddie in Louisburg, Franklin, North Carolina, USA.
6. ↑ 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 #90013506 (accessed 25 February 2022)
   Samuel Brodie in Franklin, North Carolina, USA. (Slaves: 34)
7. ↑ Voices From Slavery, Mary Anderson interview, edited by Norman R. Yeoman