Tuesday, March 3, 2015

Slaves of Harvey Claytor (1800-1871) of Franklin County, Virginia

Harvey Claytor reportedly owned 3,000 acres of land in Franklin County, Virginia, and perhaps as many as 100 slaves. He was my first cousin five times removed and according to a DNA match was the father of William Armstead Claytor, with the family slave cook Letitia. After the Civil War William Armstead Claytor moved to Floyd County, Virginia, with his mother and several siblings. That information led me to the a record collection held by the Library of Virginia called the Register of Colored Person...cohabiting together as Husband and Wife on 27 February 1866. I could not find Letitia and her husband Henry in the register, but I did find three other slaves who were formerly owned by Harvey Claytor.

Husband: SAM CLAYTOR, 20, Farmer, born in Franklin County, Virginia, residing in Floyd County, Virginia, last owned by H. Claytor in Franklin County
Wife: ADALINE LEMONS, 17, born in Franklin County, Virginia, residing in Floyd County, Virginia, last owned by Creed Lemons in Franklin County
No children
Began cohabiting in January 1866

Husband: JOHN CLAYTOR, 51, Farmer, born in Bedford County, Virginia, residing in Floyd County, Virginia, last owned by H. Claytor in Franklin County
Wife: MILDRED CLAYTOR, 34, born in Bedford County, Virginia, residing in Floyed County, Virginia, last owned by H. Claytor in Franklin County
Children: FRANCES, AMANDA, SUSAN, BIRD (13), MATILDA (12), LUCY (10), SARAH (5)
Began cohabiting in 1847

Husband: ENNIS LEMONS, 43, Farmer, born in Franklin County, Virginia, residing in Floyd County, Virginia, last owned by Creed Lemons in Franklin County
Wife: JANE CLAYTOR, 32, born in Franklin County, Virginia, residing in Floyd County, Virginia, last owned by H. Claytor in Franklin County
Children: TAS (10), SARAH (9), MONROE (17), EDMUND (14), KITTY (12)
Began cohabiting in October 1835

Prior to the close of the Civil War, Virginia law provided no legal recognition for slave marriages. On 27 February 1866, the General Assembly enacted a law that entitled formerly enslaved people who had married during slavery to all of the rights and privileges as if they had been duly married by law and declared all of their children legitimate, whether born before or after the passage of this act.

Cohabitation Registers held by the Library of Virginia

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In Celebration of Black History Month (or More DNA Discoveries)

11 comments:

  1. Thank you Schalene for this new to me database at the Library of Virginia! ~ Cathy

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  2. Replies
    1. I'm not sure how interested you are in family history, but my tree is public and available on Ancestry here:http://person.ancestry.com/tree/11910416/person/26104772645/facts

      If you don't have an account you can leave me your email address in a private message on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TangledRootsAndTrees/

      and I will send you what I have on the Claytor family.

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  3. Replies
    1. Lamar, I need some way to contact you. Could you provide an email address? Also, you could click the Claytor link in the Labels box to the right.

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  4. Some time back, I did receive a slave list from the Claytor plantation from a white Claytor who wishes to remain anonymous. This list consist of birth years both before and after slavery that lived on the plantation.

    1853 Bob Claytor B-Slave
    1853 Maria Claytor B-Slave
    1853 Rose Claytor B-Slave
    1853 Susan Claytor B-Slave
    1853 Unnamed Claytor B-Slave Female
    1854 Adaline Claytor B-Slave
    1854 Betsey Claytor B-Slave
    1854 Unnamed Claytor B-Slave Male
    1855 Harriett Claytor B-Slave
    1855 Unnamed Claytor B-Slave Female
    1855 Unnamed Claytor B-Slave Female
    1855 Unnamed Claytor B-Slave Female
    1855 Unnamed Claytor B-Slave Male
    1856 Luke Claytor B-Slave
    1856 Maria Claytor B-Slave
    1856 Oscar Claytor B-Slave
    1857 Unnamed Claytor B-Slave Female
    1858 Roland Claytor B-Slave
    1858 Unnamed Claytor B-Slave Female
    1858 Unnamed Claytor B-Slave Male
    1859 Unnamed Claytor B-Slave Male
    1859 Unnamed Claytor B-Slave Female
    1860 Alexander Claytor B-Slave
    1860 Unnamed Claytor B-Slave Male
    1861 Caroline Claytor B-Slave
    1861 Henry Claytor B-Slave
    1861 Martha Claytor B-Slave
    1861 Sallie Claytor B-Slave
    1861 Willis Claytor B-Slave
    1862 Unnamed Claytor B-Slave Female
    1863 George Claytor B-Slave

    1864 Luke Claytor Black
    1864 William Claytor Black
    1866 Unnamed Claytor Black Female
    1870 John F. Claytor Black
    1871 James Claytor Black
    1871 Pleasant Claytor Black
    1872 Drucilla C. Claytor Black
    1872 James H. Claytor Black
    1872 Mary E. Claytor Black
    1873 Maria Z. Claytor Black
    1873 Susan Claytor Black
    1873 Unnamed Claytor Black Female
    1873 Unnamed Claytor Black Male
    1880 Unnamed Claytor Black Male
    1883 Unnamed Claytor Black Female
    1886 Mary R. Claytor Black
    1887 Sallie E. Claytor Black
    1891 Robert Claytor Black
    1896 John Claytor Black

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    Replies
    1. Bill, thank you for these additional names. I'm so glad they were given to you. I will add a link to this comment to the Slave Name Roll Project.

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    2. So my grandma Ruby Claytor was born in Floyd County, VA in 1918 to the late Maurice and Lily Claytor. I am trying to find out if they may be one of the unname. I found a document that has the blacks that are buried in Claytor Cemetery in floyd county and Maurice w. claytor was born 1868 and lilly a claytor born 1876. But the Claytor Cemetery only has a few names listed.

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  5. do the claytors hail from the isle of man?

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  6. Can anyone locate the 3,000 acre, Harvey Claytor farm in Franklin County, VA.

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