Slaves of James Dowdell, Georgia

Date: [unknown] [unknown]
Location: Harris County, Georgia, United States
Surnames/tags: black_heritage slavery Dowdell

Contents 1 Biography 2 Slaves from Will 3 Locations of Properties and Plantations from Will 4 1850 Census Slave Schedules 5 Sources

Biography

This page's purpose is to record the enslaved people owned by James Dowdell (1778-1855), and attempt to connect them to their families.

Slaves from Will

James Dowdell's will, signed 28 May 1855, lists a large number of enslaved persons:^[1]

• Left to his wife, Caroline (Smith) Dowdell (1807-1856), "all the property that came from her father and brother's estate", which consists solely of the following enslaved persons:
  • Nelson
  • Lucy
  • Eliza
  • Jerry
  • Joanna
  • Amey
  • Fanny
  • Harriet, daughter of Fanny
  • Rachael, daughter of Fanny
  • John
  • Patumee?
  • Eli
• Left to his wife, Caroline Smith (1807-1856), but to be divided equally divided among his children after her death:
  • Jesse
  • Sophia
  • Henry
  • Anderson
  • Mary
  • Bobb
  • Jess
  • Ivey
  • little Mary
  • Joe
  • Ann
  • Martha
  • Pomp
  • Jacob
  • Frances
  • Stepua?
  • Siller (female)
  • Shelby, child of Siller
  • Henry
  • Shelton
  • Maurion? (female)
  • Alice, child of Maurion
  • Jim
  • Caroline
  • Charity
  • little Jess
  • Mina
• James had previously given his daughter Elizabeth Myrick "Twenty one Negroes" (unnamed)
• James had previously given his daughter Catharine Smith, since deceased, and since her decease titles transferred to her husband Robert Smith:
  • Henry Albright
  • Frances, wife of Henry Allbright
• James had previously given his son Lewis F Dowdell "twenty one negroes" (unnamed)
• Left to his daughter Rebecca L Dowdell:
  • Sarah and her children
  • Surtha, child of Sarah
  • Frances, child of Sarah
  • Loyd, child of Sarah
  • Sarah, child of Sarah
  • Hilliard, child of Sarah
  • Pinckney, child of Sarah
  • Mary, child of Sarah
  • Bill
  • Sally, daughter of Bill
  • Charles
  • Fellis, wife of Charles
  • Jenny, child of Fellis
  • Allen, child of Fellis
  • Washington
  • Leasy, wife of Washington
  • Bartley, child of Washington & Leasy
  • Alvin
  • Toney
  • Beverly
• Left to his daughter Susan A Dowdell:
  • Owen
  • Harriet, wife of Owen
  • Matthew, child of Owen & Harriett
  • Adam, child of Owen & Harriett
  • Patsey, child of Owen & Harriett
  • Sharlott, child of Owen & Harriett
  • Fice, child of Owen & Harriett
  • Bashzoa?, child of Owen & Harriett
  • Catharine, child of Owen & Harriett
  • John
  • Clarissa, child of John
  • Jack, child of John
  • Harry?, child of John
  • Isaac, child of John
  • Jane, child of John
  • Betsy
  • Dennis, child of Betsy
  • Ben, child of Betsy
  • Shadrich
  • Mariah, wife of Shadrich
  • Cherry, daughter of Shadrach & Mariah
• Left to daughter Louisa J Dowdell:
  • Ellick
  • Mary, wife of Ellick
  • Chany, child of Ellick and Mary
  • Lowick, child of Ellick and Mary
  • Isbury, child of Ellick and Mary
  • Jim, child of Ellick and Mary
  • Clarissy, child of Ellick and Mary
  • Silvia, child of Ellick and Mary
  • Dick
  • Siller, wife of Dick
  • Alfred, child of Siller
  • Louis, child of Siller
  • Susan, child of Siller
  • Shadrick
  • Lucinda, wife of Shadrick
  • Eliza, child of Shadrick & Lucinda
  • Joe, , child of Shadrick & Lucinda
  • Henry, child of Shadrick & Lucinda
  • Silas, child of Shadrick & Lucinda
  • Dilly
  • Freeman, child of Dilly
  • infant child of Dilly
• Left to son Luther Martin Dowdell:
  • Maria Switzer
  • Malinda, child of Maria Switzer
  • Holly Ann, child of Maria Switzer
  • William, child of Maria Switzer
  • Caroline Isabel, child of Maria Switzer
  • infant child of Maria Switzer
  • Bobb
  • Bobb's wife
  • Hannah
  • Nancy, child of Hannah
  • Abram
  • Luisey, wife of Abram
  • Jacob, child of Abram & Luisey
  • Nat, child of Abram & Luisey
  • Aziah
  • Henrietta, wife of Aziah
  • Cabbel
  • Candice, wife of Cabbel
  • Matilda, child of Cabbel & Candice
  • infant child of Cabbel & Candice
  • Albert

Locations of Properties and Plantations from Will

James Dowdell's will, signed 28 May 1855, also gives an extensive list of properties and plantations. It does not specify which location(s) each enslaved person lived in. Most of the land is located either in Oak Bowery, Chambers County, Alabama or in Harris County, Georgia, although a few properties are elsewhere.

• Left to wife Caroline (Smith) Dowdell (1807-1856):
  • house & lot in "Oakbowery" (Oak Bowery, Chambers County, Alabama) where he currently resides
  • Tract of land number 10 purchased of Thornton
• Left to daughter Elizabeth Myrick:
  • House & lot near Talbotton, Georgia
  • two "Cherokee lots of Land"
  • nine quarter section of land in Mississippi
• Previously given to son Lewis/Louis F Dowdell:
  • "a settlement of land in Harris County, Georgia"
  • "two lots of land lying in Harris County Georgia adjoining the land hertofore given to him, being the two remaining lots of land undisposed of by me which I own in Harris County, Georgia, containing four hundred acres more or less"
• Left to daughter Rebecca L Dowdell:
  • "my uper [sic] plantation lying in Harris County, Georgia near the Pine Mountain containing about two thousand acres of land"
• Left to daughter Susan A Dowdell:
  • "my Settlement of land in Chambers County, Alabama, known as my White plains place or plantation, containing sixteen hundred acres of land"
  • "my piece of land near Oakbowery, containing one hundred and fifty acres which I purchased of J.W. Starr"
  • "a house + lot purchased of Isaac Parks in the village of Oak Bowery"
  • "one other lot in Oak Bowery, purchased of JW Starr"
• left to daughter Louisa J Dowdell and son Luther Martin Dowdell jointly & equally:
  • "my plantation in Macon County, [Alabama], South of Auburn, known as the Chewackly[?] [probably Chewacla] plantation, containing about twenty five hundred acres"
  • "two lots of land in Harris County Georgia"
  • "one lot known as the Meeting house lot purchased of Henry Lowe the other lot adjoining Copelanas Mills, both lots containing about four hundred acres

1850 Census Slave Schedules

Needs information listed out for enslaved persons. Based on the property listed in his will and the fact that a James Dowdell was only found in the 1850 census population schedule for one of these locations (Chambers County, Alabama, where James said he resided in his will), it is likely that all four of the following records from the 1850 census slave schedule belong to this James Dowdell. There are several other slave schedule records for a James F Dowdell; those likely refer to his son. The four records below list a total of 206 enslaved persons.

• Dowdell's District, Harris County, Georgia: "United States Census, 1850, Slave Schedule," Dowdell's District, Harris County, Georgia; images 33-34 of 98 for Harris County on FamilySearch, no page numbers; column 2, lines 36-42 (image 33) and column 1, lines 1-38 (image 34), slave owner James Dowdell, 45 enslaved persons; https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:HR76-KSN2
• Valley Plains District, Harris County, Georgia: "United States Census, 1850, Slave Schedule," Valley Plains District, Harris County, Georgia; images 53-54 of 98 for Harris County on FamilySearch, no page numbers; column 2, lines 6-42 (image 53) and column 1, lines 1-24 (image 54), slave owner James Dowdell, 61 enslaved persons; https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:HR7X-FK3Z
• District 21, Macon County, Alabama: "United States Census, 1850, Slave Schedule," District 21, Macon County, Alabama; image 154 of 186 for Macon County on FamilySearch, no page numbers; column 1, lines 7-37, slave owner James Doudell, 31 enslaved persons; https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:HRWT-C73Z
• District 19, Chambers County, Alabama: "United States Census, 1850, Slave Schedule," District 19, Chambers County, Alabama; images 37-38 of 154 for Chambers County on FamilySearch, no page numbers; column 2, lines 9-42 (image 37) and column 1, lines 1-36 (image 38), slave owner James Dowdle, 69 enslaved persons; https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:HRWR-362M

Sources

1. ↑ Georgia, Harris County, Will Records, 1850-1875 Volume 2, page 62-66, James Dowdell will, signed 28 May 1855, presented to Chambers County, Alabama probate court on 28 Dec 1855, admitted to probate 20 Mar 1856; image copy, FamilySearch, film #005765115, images 280-282 of 394 (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QSQ-G93R-XZGD?i=279 : accessed 29 Jun 2022).