Lucy Ann Toms (abt. 1841 - bef. 1870)

Born about 1841 in Virginia, United States

Biography

Lucy Toms is a part of US Black heritage.

Lucy was born about 1841 in Virginia.^[1] She was the daughter of John and Maria Toms.^[2][1] Lucy and her family were enslaved by James Twyman of Madison County, Virginia at the time of his death in 1849. His will freed all of his slaves, left them money, and directed that land be purchased for them in a free state.^[3] The freed slaves purchased land together in Burlington, Ohio (located in Fayette Township in Lawrence County) in late 1849.^[4] By 1850, the Toms family was living in Burlington.^[1] This group that migrated to Burlington together was known as the "Burlington 37". See the Burlington 37 page for more details about the group and their migration to Ohio.

Lucy has not been found in any records after the 1850 census. She probably died before 1870. In 1870, a lawsuit was filed to partition the land of the Burlington 37. It named living members of the group and the heirs of the deceased members as defendants. Defendants included people who had left Lawrence County and the state of Ohio. Lucy was not listed as a defendant, which suggests she was deceased.^[5]

Slave Owners

• James Twyman, see Slaves of James Twyman, Virginia

Sources

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1 1.2} "United States Census, 1850," Fayette Township, Lawrence County, Ohio, USA; page 448a [stamped], family 199, line 7, Lucy Toms in John Toms household; NARA microfilm publication M432; FamilySearch, https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MXQJ-672.
2. ↑ Ohio, Lawrence County, Deed Books, Volume 12, pages 343-344, receipt of funds for the emancipated slaves of James Ferguson [sic, James Twyman]; image copy, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-CSKH-77MP-S : accessed 21 Apr 2023).
   "Short John and Maria his wife in our own right and in right of our children Jane, Beck, Henry, Elizabeth, Mary Ann, Ellen, Lucy Ann, Priscilla, Elleanor, Edmund and Daniel infants, and for our Grand children James infant child, and Beck infant child."
3. ↑ 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).
4. ↑ Ohio, Lawrence County, Deed Books, Volume 12, pages 137-139, Isaac and Jane Frampton to emancipated 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).
5. ↑ Sharon M. Kouns, Transcriptions of Nancy Smith and William Smith's Sep 1870 legal notices on "Burlington" page, http://www.miles-shute-kouns-families.com/histories/Burlingtons%20History.htm : accessed 17 Apr 2023.
   Note: It may be helpful to search for "Twyman" on the page to find it. It's about halfway down the page.