Edgefield, South Carolina, U.S., Slave Records, 1774-1866

Gloria Ramsey Lucas compiled this collection of more than 28,000 entries extracted from various records over a period of six years. The records referenced are primarily at the Edgefield County Archives in Edgefield, South Carolina. Other sources of information include the National Archives at Atlanta, the Augusta Genealogical Society, the Augusta Public Library, and the South Carolina Department of Archives and History.

Entries include the slave’s name (typically only a given name), description (e.g., Negro woman, negro man, etc.), owner, new owner, date bought, value or sale price, and reference source.

Abbreviations used in the collection include:

• abt. about
• Acct. Account
• Adm. Administrator
• Bk. Book
• ch. child
• chn. children
• dgt. daughter
• Gdn. Guardian
• IA&S Inventory, Appraisals & Sales
• Misc. Box Miscellaneous records
• NVG No value given
• Pkg. Package
• SCA South Carolina Archives
• SSBK Sheriff’s Sales Book
• V Volume
• wm woman
• wmn women

Edgefield County Archives Resources:

• Inventory, Appraisal & Sales Books (Numbered, 33, 34, 36, 37, 40, & 43; Unnumbered 1826–1836, 1855–57)
• Sheriff Sale Books, 1840–53, 1844–1853
• Master Sale Book
• Conveyance/Deed Books 12–48
• Will & Estate Boxes, 1–133
• Misc. Papers, Boxes A–Z
• Will Books: A, B, C, D, & E
• Equity Court and Probate Court Records

Using This Collection
From the book’s forward by Gloria Ramsey Lucas, compiler:

The terms used to describe slaves varied with the person making the original record. In most cases, slaves were listed as Negroes. Rarely was the term “slave” used. Males were usually depicted as boys or men; however, on occasion the term “fellow” was used. The age range of boys or men cannot be determined definitively based on these records since ages were rarely listed.

Females were most frequently referred to as girls or women, although occasionally the term “wench” was used. Since ages were rarely listed we cannot be sure of the strict interpretation of the words “girl,” “woman,” or “wench.” In many instances no reference is made to sex, so it is left to the reader to determine the sex of the slave according to name. The use of the terms “husband,” “wife,” and “children” appear with regularity. In no instance in the table has a relationship been assumed.

Children were most often listed with the mother; however, a male with the same name as one of the children was sometimes listed above or below that entry. For example, “Little Joe” and “Big Joe” could imply a family relationship if they were listed together. Variant spelling of names is the rule in this collection. The name “Silvia” may appear as “Sil,” “Silva,” “Sylvy,” or “Silvey.” Flexibility and imagination are in order when dealing with names. I have tried to adhere to the spelling strictly as they appeared in the records; although difficulty in reading some of the old records have, at times, left me with no alternatives but to arrive at my own interpretation.

In perusing the records used in this book, a lot can be learned from the value placed on a slave. In the antebellum South, a prime male hand was the overriding measure for determining prices for enslaved workers. Hearty, prime women who were good breeders also had a high market value. Other factors that contributed to the sale price of a slave were gender, age, and skill. The very old, the sick or debilitated, and the very young were practically worthless.

When emancipation came in 1865, the freedmen were required to adopt a surname and were permitted to take whatever name they desired. It is in this area that African American researchers have the most difficulty in tracing their ancestry. Sometimes the freed person selected the surname of their last owner's family. Sometimes they chose the name of a previous owner who had treated them well. Sometimes they simply chose a name of which they liked the sound. Some chose surnames of prominent people, either nationally or locally known. Others created a derivation of a name. For example, Herrin could become Herring, or Smithfield could simply become Smith. To make matters more difficult, between 1865–1870, African Americans often changed their surname when they found one they liked better.

Updates:
1 Feb 2022: Additional records created though database improvements.