Slaves of James Webb Smith, Jackson County, Tennessee

Location: Beech Hill, Jackson, Tennessee, United States
Surnames/tags: Slavery Black_Heritage Smith

This page's purpose is to record the people enslaved by James Webb Smith and attempt to connect them to their families.

Contents 1 Biography 2 1800 Census 3 Enslaved People Inherited in 1828 4 1830 Census 5 1850 Census 6 Enslaved People Named in 1854 Will 7 1860 Census 8 Sources

Biography

James Webb Smith was born in 1770 in Granville County, North Carolina, at the Abram's Plains plantation owned by his parents. Around 1810 or 1811, he relocated to Jackson County, Tennessee, and established the Beech Hill plantation on the Cumberland River near the town of Granville, about 50 miles upstream from Nashville.^[1]

1800 Census

In the 1800 census, James Webb Smith was enslaving 27 people in Hillsboro, Granville County, North Carolina.^[2]

Enslaved People Inherited in 1828

On 10 January 1825, James Webb Smith's mother Mary (Webb) Smith wrote her will. Mary died on 20 November 1827 and her will was probated in February 1828. James inherited four enslaved people: Martha (age 36), Reuben (age 18), Peggy (age 12) and Rose (age 10).

For more information on the people enslaved by Mary, please see: Slaves of Mary (Webb) Smith, Granville County, North Carolina. Note that James had a mother and wife with the same name, which can be confusing.

1830 Census

In the 1830 census, James Webb Smith was enslaving 59 people in District 15 in Jackson County, Tennessee.^[3]

Slaves - Males - Under 10: 12

Slaves - Males - 10 thru 23: 9

Slaves - Males - 24 thru 35: 4

Slaves - Males - 36 thru 54: 6

Slaves - Males - 55 thru 99: 2

Slaves - Females - Under 10: 11

Slaves - Females - 10 thru 23: 8

Slaves - Females - 24 thru 35: 2

Slaves - Females - 36 thru 54: 2

Slaves - Females - 55 thru 99: 3

Total Slaves: 59

1850 Census

In the 1850 census, James Webb Smith was enslaving 59 people in Jackson County, Tennessee.^[4]

Age	Sex	Color
81	Male	Black
75	Male	Black
55	Male	Black
55	Male	Black
55	Male	Black
45	Male	Black
28	Male	Black
28	Male	Black
28	Male	Black
28	Male	Black
14	Male	Black
14	Male	Black
10	Male	Black
10	Male	Black
10	Male	Black
10	Male	Black
10	Male	Black
10	Male	Black
7	Male	Black
7	Male	Black
7	Male	Black
5	Male	Black
5	Male	Black
5	Male	Black
5	Male	Black
5	Male	Black
1	Male	Black
1	Male	Black
1	Male	Black
1	Male	Black
55	Female	Black
55	Female	Black
55	Female	Black
45	Female	Black
45	Female	Black
35	Female	Black
25	Female	Black
25	Female	Black
25	Female	Black
25	Female	Black
25	Female	Black
15	Female	Mulatto
15	Female	Black
15	Female	Black
15	Female	Black
10	Female	Black
10	Female	Black
1	Female	Black
1	Female	Black
1	Female	Black
1	Female	Black
1	Female	Black
1	Female	Black
1	Female	Black
1	Female	Black
1	Female	Black
28	Male	Black
2	Female	Black
25	Male	Black ("Idiotic")

Enslaved People Named in 1854 Will

James Webb Smith wrote his will on 20 February 1854 and died on 22 May 1856. His will named 71 enslaved people and included a number of unnamed children.^[5]

NAME	Enslaver who inherited in 1856	Notes
Old Adam	Mary (Webb) Smith, wife
Old Martha	Mary (Webb) Smith, wife
Dilsy	Mary (Webb) Smith, wife	Daughter of Kitty
Jinny	Mary (Webb) Smith, wife
Horris	Mary (Webb) Smith, wife
Tony	Mary (Webb) Smith, wife	Husband of Mary
Mary	Mary (Webb) Smith, wife	Wife of Tony
Sydney	Mary (Webb) Smith, wife	Child of Mary
Julia	Mary (Webb) Smith, wife	Child of Mary
William	Mary (Webb) Smith, wife	Child of Mary
Frederick	Mary (Webb) Smith, wife	Child of Mary
Granville	Mary (Webb) Smith, wife	Son of Syntha
Alfred	Mary (Webb) Smith, wife	Son of Kitty
Old Amy	Mary (Webb) Smith, wife	Mother of Tempy
Gloster	Mary (Webb) Smith, wife	Son of Tempy. Grandson of Old Amy.
Beaverly	James Webb Smith Donnell, grandson	Son of Mandy
Bazley	Frances (Smith) Hawkins, daughter	Husband of Nanny
Nanny and all her children	Frances (Smith) Hawkins, daughter	Wife of Bazley
Anique (Mank) and all her children	Frances (Smith) Hawkins, daughter
Little Martha and all her children	Frances (Smith) Hawkins, daughter
Philip	Frances (Smith) Hawkins, daughter
Wilson	Frances (Smith) Hawkins, daughter
John	Frances (Smith) Hawkins, daughter
Clayburn	Frances (Smith) Hawkins, daughter
Little Jordan	Frances (Smith) Hawkins, daughter
Jackson (Jack)	Frances (Smith) Hawkins, daughter
Billy	Frances (Smith) Hawkins, daughter	Husband of Phillis
Phillis	Frances (Smith) Hawkins, daughter	Wife of Billy
Old Jordan	Frances (Smith) Hawkins, daughter	Husband of Susan. Father of Elexander
Susan	Frances (Smith) Hawkins, daughter	Wife of Old Jordan
Alfred	Frances (Smith) Hawkins, daughter	Child of Susan
Gabriel	Frances (Smith) Hawkins, daughter	Child of Susan
Mary	Frances (Smith) Hawkins, daughter	Child of Susan
Ann	Frances (Smith) Hawkins, daughter	Child of Susan
Arabella	Frances (Smith) Hawkins, daughter	Child of Susan
Kizy	Frances (Smith) Hawkins, daughter	Child of Susan
Berry	Frances (Smith) Hawkins, daughter	Child of Susan
Rachel	Mary Eliza Smith, granddaughter	Mother of infant Ridley
Ridley	Mary Eliza Smith, granddaughter	Child of Rachel (infant)
Phill	Mary Eliza Smith, granddaughter	Son of Syntha
Rock and all her children	Thomas Smith, in trust for grandsons James Webb Smith and Hugh Brown Smith
Ibby and all her children	Thomas Smith, in trust for grandsons James Webb Smith and Hugh Brown Smith
Judah	Thomas Smith, in trust for grandsons James Webb Smith and Hugh Brown Smith
Kitty	Thomas Smith, in trust for grandsons James Webb Smith and Hugh Brown Smith	Mother of Dilsy, Alfred, and Roanna
Roanna	Thomas Smith, in trust for grandsons James Webb Smith and Hugh Brown Smith	Youngest child of Kitty
Elexander	Thomas Smith, in trust for grandsons James Webb Smith and Hugh Brown Smith	Son of Jordan
Lewis	Thomas Smith, in trust for grandsons James Webb Smith and Hugh Brown Smith	“Idiot and old”
David	Thomas Smith, in trust for grandsons James Webb Smith and Hugh Brown Smith
Harriet & two children	Sydney Smith, son
Mandy	Sydney Smith, son	Mother of Beaverly, Tom, Webb, and Helen
Tom	Sydney Smith, son	Child of Mandy
Webb	Sydney Smith, son	Child of Mandy
Helen	Sydney Smith, son	Child of Mandy
Tempy	Sydney Smith, son	Daughter of Old Amy. Mother of Gloster, Sydney, Lawson, and Webb
Sydney	Sydney Smith, son	Child of Tempy
Lawson	Sydney Smith, son	Child of Tempy
Willis	James Webb Smith Ridley, grandson
Susan	James Webb Smith Ridley, in trust for his sister Mary Ann Smith (Ridley) Connor	Mother of Emeline, Eliza, and Alvira
Emeline	James Webb Smith Ridley, grandson	Child of Susan
Eliza	James Webb Smith Ridley, grandson	Second child of Susan
Alvira	James Webb Smith Ridley, in trust for his sister Mary Ann Smith (Ridley) Connor	Youngest child of Susan
Webb	Thomas Smith, son	Child of Tempy
Massy	Thomas Smith, son	Mother of Manville, Andrew, George, Jane, and Arabella
Manville	Thomas Smith, son	Child of Massy
Andrew	Thomas Smith, son	Child of Massy
George	Thomas Smith, son	Child of Massy
Jane	Thomas Smith, son	Child of Massy
Arabella	Thomas Smith, son	Child of Massy
Moses	Thomas Smith, son	Son of Syntha
Syntha	Thomas Smith, son	“My old crippled woman” - Mother of Granville, Phill, Moses, and Jack.
Jack	Thomas Smith, son	Son of Syntha

1860 Census

In the 1860 census, the estate of the deceased James Webb Smith was being managed by his grandson Hugh Brown Smith (acting as agent for James's son Thomas Smith) and included 58 enslaved people in District 15 south of the Cumberland River in Jackson County, Tennessee. While this census record does not name the enslaved people, it does divide them into apparent family groupings by designating a "slave house" for each group. I have marked these groups with different background colors, with the exception of the first woman whose status was unclear.^[6]

Age	Sex	Color
60	Female	Black
78	Female	Black
70	Male	Mulatto
40	Male	Black
35	Female	Black
7	Male	Black
5	Female	Black
3	Male	Black
50	Female	Black
21	Female	Black
3	Male	Mulatto
1	Female	Mulatto
60	Female	Black
24	Male	Black
30	Male	Black
30	Female	Black
8	Female	Black
6	Male	Mulatto
3	Female	Mulatto
10 Months	Female	Black
10	Female	Black
60	Male	Black
40	Female	Mulatto
24	Male	Mulatto
21	Male	Black
20	Male	Mulatto
17	Female	Mulatto
10	Male	Mulatto
3	Female	Mulatto
12	Female	Mulatto
14	Female	Mulatto
40	Female	Mulatto
18	Male	Black
13	Male	Black
11	Male	Black
8	Female	Black
4	Female	Black
3	Female	Black
2	Female	Black
6 Months	Male	Black
76	Female	Mulatto
35	Female	Black
16	Male	Mulatto
15	Male	Black
12	Male	Mulatto
4	Male	Black
70	Female	Mulatto
35	Female	Black
14	Female	Black
12	Male	Mulatto
2	Female	Black
33	Male	Black (“Idiot”)
75	Male	Black
24	Female	Mulatto
6	Female	Mulatto
5	Female	Mulatto
12	Male	Black
12	Female	Black

Sources

1. ↑ Our Webb Kin of Dixie book: “Our Webb Kin of Dixie” by William James Webb, published 1940, Oxford, Granville County, North Carolina. Page 124 (148 of 232 in page viewer). FamilySearch Link
2. ↑ 1800 Census: "United States Census, 1800", database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XHR7-Y4V : Fri Oct 06 03:42:16 UTC 2023), Entry for James W Smith, 1800.
3. ↑ 1830 Census: "United States Census, 1830", database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XHG2-X2W : Sat Oct 07 00:52:28 UTC 2023), Entry for Jas W Smith, 1830.
4. ↑ 1850 Census - Slave Schedule: "United States Census (Slave Schedule), 1850 ", database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MVH8-SMD : Mon Jul 03 15:33:53 UTC 2023), Entry for and Jas W Smith, 1850.
5. ↑ Will of James Webb Smith - U.S. Wills and Probate Records, 1779-2008. Tennessee, Court Transcripts of the County, Chancery and Circuit Courts, 1839-1915; Tennessee Courts (Jackson County). Court Transcripts, Sircy, D-Smith, M. Image 636 of 1543. Ancestry Sharing Link
6. ↑ 1860 Census - Slave Schedule: "United States Census (Slave Schedule), 1860", database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:WKTL-BTN2 : Wed Oct 04 04:46:36 UTC 2023), Entry for Thomas Smith and , 1860.