Slaves of Richard Thomas Sr., Maryland

Date: [unknown] [unknown]
Location: Sandy Spring, Montgomery, Maryland, United States
Surnames/tags: slavery black_heritage Thomas

This page's purpose is to record the enslaved people owned by Richard Thomas Sr. (1728-abt.1806) and his descendants, and attempt to connect them to their families.

Contents 1 Working List of Enslaved Persons 2 Documents 3 Research Notes 4 Sources

Working List of Enslaved Persons

• Great Will (born c. 1731)^[1]
• Sook (born c. 1735)^[1]
• Cesar (born c. 1738)^[1]
• Nanny (born c. 1739)^[1]
• Cole (born c. 1740)^[1]
• Will Smith (born c. 1741)^[1]
• Pegg (born c. 1742)^[1]
• Jim (born c. 1760)^[1]
• Pegg (born before 1762)^[1]
• Harkless (born before 1762)^[1]

• Nan^[2]
• Billy (child of Nan, born March 20th, 1789)^{[1] [2]}
• Florah (child of Nan, born Jan 19th, 1797)^{[1] [2]}
• John (child of Nan, born April 5th, 1799)^{[1] [2]}
• Peggy (child of Nan, born May 1st, 1801)^{[1] [2]}

• Hannah^[2]
• Luck(y) (child of Hannah, born July 1795)^{[1] [2]}

• Margery^[2]
• Edward (child of Margery, born July 1st, 1805)^{[1] [2]}

• Kate^[2]
• Anna (child of Kate, born Nov 1st, 1792)^{[1] [2]}
• Harriet (child of Kate, born Jan 18th, 1797)^{[1] [2]}
• Richard (child of Kate, born June 14th, 1790)^{[1] [2]}
• Rose (child of Kate, born June 15th, 1807)^{[1] [2]}

• Darky^[2]
• Viney (child of Darky, born April 1st, 1793)^{[1] [2]}

• Rachel^[2]
• John (child of Rachel, born March 1st, 1800)^{[1] [2]}
• Nelly (child of Rachel, born May 1st, 1802)^{[1] [2]}

• Casa^[2]
• Beck (child of Casa, born Feb 1st, 1803)^{[1] [2]}
• Sam (child of Casa, born March 1st, 1804)^{[1] [2]}
• Betsey (child of Casa, born Sept 1st, 1806)^{[1] [2]}

• Dinah^[2]
• Sally (child of Dinah, born Dec 26th, 1797)^{[1] [2]}

• Fanny^[2]
• Minty (Araminta?) (child of Fanny, born Dec 10th, 1803)^{[1] [2]}
• Washington (child of Fanny, born Sept 20th, 1806)^{[1] [2]}

• Cloe^[2]
• David (child of Cloe, born Feb 12th, 1802)^{[1] [2]}
• Dorcas (child of Cloe, born June 18th, 1803)^{[1] [2]}
• Phoebe (child of Cloe, born March 9th, 1806)^{[1] [2]}

• Tamar^[2]
• Henny (child of Tamar, born March 1st, 1797)^{[1] [2]}
• Hester (child of Tamar, born April 1st, 1798)^{[1] [2]}
• Polly (child of Tamar, born Jan 1st, 1805)^{[1] [2]}
• David (child of Tamar, born July 1st, 1806)^{[1] [2]}

• Nanny^[2]
• Charles (child of Nanny, born Jan 16th, 1803)^{[1] [2]}
• Cloe (child of Nanny, born Feb 10th, 1805)^{[1] [2]}

• Jenny^[2]
• Betsey (child of Jenny, born March 10th, 1801) ^{[1] [2]}
• Alice (child of Jenny, born July 2nd, 1802)^{[1] [2]}
• Frank (child of Jenny, born April 1st, 1804)^{[1] [2]}
• Jerry (child of Jenny, born Jan 2nd, 1806)^{[1] [2]}

• Joe^[1]
• Isaac^[1]
• Debby^[1]
• Hannah^{[1] [2]}

• Nell^[1]

Documents

Richard Thomas Sr. enslaved many people, at least sixty-one according to an assessment of his property recorded in 1804.^[3]

In his will dated 1806, Richard instructed that the people he enslaved were to be freed upon his death if they were males above the age of 21 or females above the age of 18. No names of any enslaved people are given in his will.^[4]

Children who had not yet reached the age of maturity and those who were over the age of 45 were divided among the heirs of Richard Thomas as follows:

"List of the young negroes belonging to the estate of Richard Thomas deceased, as divided among the representatives agreeably to the appointment in 1807:"^[1]

Lot No. 1, to William Thomas:

• Florah
• John
• Luck
• Edward
• Billy

Lot No. 2, to Thomas & Sarah Robertson:

• Harriot
• Richard
• Rose
• Nelly

Lot No. 3, to Bernard Gilpin (1763-1847) husband of Sarah (Thomas) Gilpin (1764-1805)

• Anna
• Beck
• Sam
• Belsey
• Sally

Lot No. 4, to Roger Johnson:

• Viney
• Minta
• Washington
• David
• Dorcas
• Phebe

Lot No. 5, to the Representatives of Samuel Thomas 3, deceased:

• John
• Henny
• Hester
• Polly
• David

Lot No. 6

• Charles
• Cloe
• Betsey
• Allice
• Frank
• Jerry

Lot No. 7, to Richard Thomas:

• Joe
• Isaac
• Debby
• Hannah
• Peggy

"A Division of Negroes above the age of 45 years belonging to the estate of the late Richard Thomas of Montgomery County deceased made by the appraisement:"^[1]

• Cesar, aged 69, to the heirs of S. Thomas 3
• Jim, aged 47, to R. Johnson
• Will Smith, aged 65, To R. Thomas Jr.
• Nanny, aged 67, to R. Thomas Jr.
• Cole, aged 66, to B. Gilpin
• Sook, aged 71, to G. Brooke
• Great Will, aged 75, to Wm. Thomas
• Pegg & Harkless to be supported by a joint fund to be raised by the Heirs equally.

Also mentioned in this estate record is "one Negro woman, Nell", sold for $30.

Children's birth dates and the names of their mothers are given in probate documents:^[2]

Nan's Children:

• Billy, born March 20th, 1789
• Florah, born Jan 19th, 1797
• John, born April 5th, 1799
• Peggy, born May 1st, 1801

Hannah's Child:

• Lucky, born July 1795

Margery's Child:

• Edward, born July 1st, 1805

Casa's Children:

• Beck, born Feb 1st, 1803
• Sam, born March 1st, 1804
• Betsey, born Sept 1st, 1806

Kate's Children:

• Anna, born Nov 1st, 1792
• Harriet, born Jan 18th, 1797
• Richard, born June 14th, 1799
• Rose, born June 15th, 1807

Darky's Child:

• Viny, born April 1st, 1793

Rachel's Children:

• John, born March 1st, 1800
• Nelly, born May 1st, 1802

Tamar's Children:

• Henny, born March 1st, 1797
• Hester, born April 1st, 1798
• Polly, born Jan 1st, 1805
• David, born July 1st, 1806

Fanny's Children:

• Minty, born Dec 10th, 1803
• Washington, born Sept 20th, 1806

Cloe's Children:

• David, born Feb 12th, 1802
• Dorcas, born June 18th, 1803
• Phebee, born March 9th, 1806

Dinah's Child:

• Sally, born Dec 26th, 1797

Nanny's Children:

• Charles, born Jan 16th, 1803
• Cloe, born Feb 10th, 1805

Jenny's Children:

• Betsey, born March 10th, 1801
• Alice, born July 2nd, 1802
• Frank, born April 1st, 1804
• Jerry, born Jan 2nd, 1806

Research Notes

• 'Thomas Jr. took a lot of seven individuals, five of whom were under the age of seven.20 The whereabouts of these slaves in the following years are unclear, but one who had not yet reached the age of majority was still residing with Thomas up until Thomas's death in 1821, when a "Negro boy named Isaac" appears in the estate sale as having been purchased by Thomas's eldest daughter, Eliza. As a Quaker, Thomas was morally required to care for the under-aged Isaac, who continued working for Thomas up until the latter's death.21" MSA Biography of Richard Thomas, Jr.

Manumission documents referenced on MSA Biography of Henrietta Thomas Bentley:

• MONTGOMERY COUNTY COURT (Land Records) 18 Feb. 1801, Liber I, p. 363, Manumission, Henrietta Thomas to Negro Janny and others [MSA CE 148-10]; Montgomery County Court (Land Records) 24 March 1801, Liber I, p. 385, Manumission, Henrietta Thomas to Negro Andrew and others [MSA CE 148-10].

Sources

1. ↑ ^{1.00 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04 1.05 1.06 1.07 1.08 1.09 1.10 1.11 1.12 1.13 1.14 1.15 1.16 1.17 1.18 1.19 1.20 1.21 1.22 1.23 1.24 1.25 1.26 1.27 1.28 1.29 1.30 1.31 1.32 1.33 1.34 1.35 1.36 1.37 1.38 1.39 1.40 1.41 1.42 1.43 1.44 1.45 1.46 1.47 1.48} Will of Richard Thomas, Sr.: MONTGOMERY COUNTY REGISTER OF WILLS (Estate Record) "List of the Young Negroes belonging to the Estate of Richard Thomas deceased as divided among the representatives agreeably to the appointment in 1807," Liber L, p. 245 [MSA C1138-10] See: List of the Young Negroes belonging to the Estate of Richard Thomas deceased as divided among the representatives agreeably to the appointment in 1807
2. ↑ ^{2.00 2.01 2.02 2.03 2.04 2.05 2.06 2.07 2.08 2.09 2.10 2.11 2.12 2.13 2.14 2.15 2.16 2.17 2.18 2.19 2.20 2.21 2.22 2.23 2.24 2.25 2.26 2.27 2.28 2.29 2.30 2.31 2.32 2.33 2.34 2.35 2.36 2.37 2.38 2.39 2.40 2.41 2.42 2.43 2.44 2.45 2.46} Probate document: Will of Richard Thomas, Sr.: MONTGOMERY COUNTY REGISTER OF WILLS (Estate Record) "A Certificate of the births of all the young Negroes which were manumitted by the last Will and Testament of Richard Thomas late of Montgomery County deceased as ascertained by us the Subscribers agreeably to the directions of said Will, given under our hands this 21st day of the 4th Month 1813 - Richard Thomas & William Thomas," Liber L [MSA C1138-10] Image online
3. ↑ MONTGOMERY COUNTY COMMISIONERS OF THE TAX (Assessment Record), 1798-1812, Personal property of Richard Thomas Sr., Assessment for the year 1804 [MSA C1110-2].
4. ↑ Will of Richard Thomas, Sr.: MONTGOMERY COUNTY REGISTER OF WILLS (Wills, Original) Will of Richard Thomas Sr., 1806, MdHR 16,543-4-1/82 [MSA C1142-5, 01/17/08/042]. See: Transcribed Will of Richard Thomas, Sr.