Slaves of James Twyman, Virginia

Date: [unknown] [unknown]
Location: Madison County, Virginia, United States
Surnames/tags: slavery black_heritage

This page's purpose is to record the enslaved people owned by James Twyman (1781-1849), and attempt to connect them to their families.

Contents 1 Unnamed Slaves in 1810-1840 Census Records 1.1 1810 Census 1.2 1820 Census 1.3 1830 Census 1.4 1840 Census 2 James Twyman Will, 1849 and Ohio Deeds 3 Further Research Needed 4 Sources

Unnamed Slaves in 1810-1840 Census Records

1810 Census

• 5 slaves (no names, gender or ages specified)^[1]

1820 Census

14 people:^[2]

• 4 males under 14
• 2 males 14-25
• 1 male 26-44
• 4 males of 45
• 2 females under 14
• 1 female 26-44

1830 Census

26 people:^[3]

• 3 males under 10
• 7 males 10-23
• 3 males 24-35
• 3 males 36-54
• 5 females under 10
• 2 females 10-23
• 2 females 24-35
• 1 females 55-99

1840 Census

36 people:^[4]

• 4 males under 10
• 5 males 10-23
• 5 males 24-35
• 4 males 35-54
• 1 male 55-99
• 5 females under 10
• 4 females 10-23
• 6 females 24-35
• 1 females 36-54
• 1 female 55-99

James Twyman Will, 1849 and Ohio Deeds

James Twyman's will,^[5] (transcription here), originally signed on 1 Aug 1848 and amended by three codicils before being probated on 22 Mar 1849, mostly freed all of the people he had enslaved. There were essentially three groups of slaves mentioned in the will:

1. Three "invalid slaves", who were given their choice of whether they wanted to be freed and leave the state or remain enslaved in Madison County, Virginia.^[6] If they chose to remain in Virginia, $3000 was set aside to be used to provide for and care for them. See first and seventh provisions of the will.
   • Noah, chose to be freed and go to Burlington, Ohio with the others^[7][8]
   • Winney, chose to be freed and go to Burlington, Ohio with the others^[7][8]
   • Joe, chose to remain in Virginia^[8]
2. Three enslaved women who were freed and given most of Twyman's property, real and personal. Twyman's will requested that the state of Virginia allow them to remain in the estate. They were bequeathed (1) the use of about 200 acres of land which was to be held in trust for them, (2) $18,000 to be invested and the interest used for their support and maintenance, (3) all household furniture, other items, and some livestock, and (4) $800 each directly to Amanda and Frances Ann. See items 1-5 in will. By 1850, they had moved to Berne Township, Fairfield County, Ohio.^[9]
   • Jenny
   • Amanda, daughter of Jenny
   • Frances Ann, daughter of Amanda
3. The remaining 31 enslaved people named in the will, along with "all others not herein named, if any, together with all their future increase, whether born before or after my death", were freed and $10,000 was set aside to purchase homes for them and provide "provisions and clothing for one year for them, and all necessary tools to work the land on which they may be located". See items 1 and 9 in the will. All of these 31 people, except for James, are named on a deed in Burlington in Lawrence County, Ohio, where they settled. There were also five children born to people in the group in the late 1840's who were named on the deed.^[7] This group was known as the "Burlington 37". See the "Burlington 37" for more information about the group and their records in Ohio.
   • Simon
   • Violet, wife of Simon
   • Abraham, son of Simon and Violet
   • Ambrose, son of Simon and Violet
   • Walker
   • Charlotte, wife of Walker
   • Barbara
   • Horace
   • Susan
   • Short John
   • Maria, wife of Short John
   • Nancy
   • Julia
   • Jane
   • Beck
   • Henry
   • Elizabeth
   • Mary Ann
   • Ellen
   • Lucy Ann
   • Persiller
   • Eleanor
   • Charles
   • James
   • William
   • Lewis
   • Bob
   • Washington
   • Lawrence
   • Albert
   • Yellow John

The five children who were listed in the Lawrence County, Ohio deed but not in the will, who may have born enslaved by Twyman were:^[7]

1. Alexander
2. "Cilla", aka Eliza,
3. Daniel
4. Edmund
5. William

Further Research Needed

The sources page of James Twyman's FamilySearch profile has many deeds and family wills listed. These need to be looked at for more information about enslaved people.

Sources

1. ↑ "United States Census, 1810," Madison County, Virginia, USA; page 409, James Twyman;
   Ancestry: Ancestry Record 7613 #679433;
   FamilySearch: https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XH2Q-1WM.
2. ↑ "United States Census, 1820," Madison County, Virginia, USA; page 108 [stamped], James Twyman;
   Ancestry: Ancestry Record 7734 #145857;
   FamilySearch: https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XHLC-2CD.
3. ↑ "United States Census, 1830," Madison County, Virginia, USA; page 26, James Twyman;
   Ancestry: Ancestry Record 8058 #893097;
   FamilySearch: https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XH5H-3FW.
4. ↑ "United States Census, 1840," Madison County, Virginia, USA; page 324, James Twyman;
   Ancestry: Ancestry Record 8057 #3517979;
   FamilySearch: https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XHR1-STL.
5. ↑ Virginia, Madison County, Will Books, Volume 9, pages 13-26, James Twyman will with 3 codicils, will signed 1 Aug 1848, probated 22 Mar 1849; image copy, FamilySearch, film #7645474, images 234-241 of 500 (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-99P6-5C97?i=233 : accessed 13 Apr 2023).
   See transcription of will here.
6. ↑ There was a law in Virginia, passed in 1806, that required that freed slaves leave the state within one year of being freed.
7. ↑ ^{7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3} Deed for land in Lawrence County, Ohio for manumitted slaves:
   Ohio, Lawrence County, Deed Books, Volume 12, pages 137-139, Isaac and Jane Frampton to manumitted slaves of James Ferguson [sic, Twyman], 31 Oct 1849; image copy, FamilySearch, film #8141981, images 410-411 of 637 (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-CSKH-77MY-K?i=409 : accessed 13 Apr 2023).
8. ↑ ^{8.0 8.1 8.2} Virginia, Madison County, Chancery Court Records, 1852-019, Alfred I Twyman etc. vs. Exrs. of James Twyman etc.. page 2 of original complaint for the case; image copy, Library of Virginia, images 3, (https://www.lva.virginia.gov/chancery/full_case_detail.asp?CFN=113-1852-019#img : accessed 22 Jul 2023).
   "...that Noah and Winney elected to be free, and have voluntarily left the state of Virginia, and that the slave Joe declined his freedom, and is yet in the possession of the said Executors of James Twyman decd."
9. ↑ Ohio, Fairfield County, Deed Records, volume 17, pages 369-372, Hocking & Ann Hunter and Henry & Cecilia B Stanberry to Robert D. Twyman, Isaac S. Twyman, and James W. Twyman, 169.31 acres in section 4 of township 14, range 18, 23 Jan 1850; image copy, FamilySearch, film #8141950, images 189-191 of 759 (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-CSKH-QFHQ?i=188 : accessed 25 Jul 2023).