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Started By
Message
Slavery and sur name?
Posted on 2/11/17 at 3:05 pm
Posted on 2/11/17 at 3:05 pm
This is a honest, legitimate question:
My family is predominantly located in the Southeastern portion of the US (TN, MS, GA, and LA). We have somewhat of an unusual last name of Anglo-Saxon descent. However, upon Ancestry.com and basic Facebook searches, the majority of people that share our last name are African American - arguable 60/40.
Unfortunately, I really do not know much about my family's history more than a couple of generations down.
Does this potentially mean my ancestors were slave owners?
ETA: Is there a way to do research on this? My extended family is either deceased or useless for this question. I don't really have access to any family records (I'm located in Oregon).
My family is predominantly located in the Southeastern portion of the US (TN, MS, GA, and LA). We have somewhat of an unusual last name of Anglo-Saxon descent. However, upon Ancestry.com and basic Facebook searches, the majority of people that share our last name are African American - arguable 60/40.
Unfortunately, I really do not know much about my family's history more than a couple of generations down.
Does this potentially mean my ancestors were slave owners?
ETA: Is there a way to do research on this? My extended family is either deceased or useless for this question. I don't really have access to any family records (I'm located in Oregon).
This post was edited on 2/11/17 at 3:07 pm
37
Posted on 2/11/17 at 3:07 pm to Kid Charlemagne
somebody dabbled at at some point
Posted on 2/11/17 at 3:07 pm to Kid Charlemagne
Great question for the OT. I'm interested in this as well. Thanks for asking.
Posted on 2/11/17 at 3:07 pm to Kid Charlemagne
quote:
Does this potentially mean my ancestors were slave owners?
Worried about those reparation payments, huh?
Posted on 2/11/17 at 3:07 pm to Kid Charlemagne
Would help if you give the Sur name.
Posted on 2/11/17 at 3:07 pm to Kid Charlemagne
quote:
Does this potentially mean my ancestors were slave owners?
Good chance. Nbd really. Happened often.
I have a German surname. Have met both white ppl and people who share my skin tone with my name.
This post was edited on 2/11/17 at 3:09 pm
Posted on 2/11/17 at 3:08 pm to upgrayedd
quote:
Worried about those reparation payments, huh?
Well, upon searches, a lot of the African Americans with the last name were located in GA, AL, MS, and LA. I just never really given it much thought at all until I did a few basic searches.
Posted on 2/11/17 at 3:08 pm to Kid Charlemagne
Are you wealthy?
Yes...then yes.
No...great great grandma Charlemagne was dicked by a slave and disowned by her pops.
Yes...then yes.
No...great great grandma Charlemagne was dicked by a slave and disowned by her pops.
Posted on 2/11/17 at 3:10 pm to MrSpock
quote:
Are you wealthy?
Yes...then yes.
I work, so no.
Posted on 2/11/17 at 3:10 pm to Kid Charlemagne
Is your Sur name so uncommon that every white person with your sur name is part of your lineage....probably not.
So how does this suggest that it was your ancestors that had slaves?
So how does this suggest that it was your ancestors that had slaves?
Posted on 2/11/17 at 3:12 pm to Kid Charlemagne
Historically, I think former slaves adapted some common last names, probably in their area. Very few people actually owned a plantation, so I would guess your name was run of the mill during that time.
Posted on 2/11/17 at 3:16 pm to theenemy
quote:
Is your Sur name so uncommon that every white person
I don't think I've met a white person with my last name...
quote:
So how does this suggest that it was your ancestors that had slaves?
I don't know? I have no clue if they did or didn't. I don't know much about my ancestors other than they were scattered across Savannah, Natchez, Shreveport, and the Memphis area.
Posted on 2/11/17 at 3:17 pm to Kid Charlemagne
"Upon emancipation, freed slaves found themselves having to choose surnames since they'd most often never had any before. It was not at all uncommon to choose the surname of their last owners, or even famous historical figures, such as [George] Washington or [Thomas] Jefferson. Even "Freeman" became a popular surname choice among those recently emancipated."
Posted on 2/11/17 at 3:19 pm to Kid Charlemagne
I have a similar situation and have suspected this as well. I have however, done a good bit of research and have never found a single piece of evidence that any of my ancestors owned slaves.
Posted on 2/11/17 at 3:21 pm to WestSideTiger
quote:
"Upon emancipation, freed slaves found themselves having to choose surnames since they'd most often never had any before. It was not at all uncommon to choose the surname of their last owners, or even famous historical figures, such as [George] Washington or [Thomas] Jefferson. Even "Freeman" became a popular surname choice among those recently emancipated."
I get that. And honestly, that is the root of my question. Considering the location of where my ancestors came from (which is unfortunately all I know), and my uncommon Anglo-Saxon last name, is that a grounded guess? Is there anyway to research this more?
Posted on 2/11/17 at 3:23 pm to Spankum
quote:
I have a similar situation and have suspected this as well. I have however, done a good bit of research and have never found a single piece of evidence that any of my ancestors owned slaves.
How'd you search?
Posted on 2/11/17 at 3:24 pm to Kid Charlemagne
Grats on your relation to Thomas Jefferson.
Posted on 2/11/17 at 3:25 pm to Kid Charlemagne
Ask a Mormon for help
Posted on 2/11/17 at 3:25 pm to Kid Charlemagne
About twenty years ago, when Cox was still in the old Rebel shopping center on Florida, I went to pay my bill, and the black lady that was the clerk commented on us having the same last name. I don't have a very common last name for this area, so I didn't take long for the thought that you have recently had, to come into our minds. It wasn't an uncomfortable encounter, but it let me wondering.
I've since found out that my last name is very common in parts of the Carolinas.
I've since found out that my last name is very common in parts of the Carolinas.
Posted on 2/11/17 at 3:26 pm to Kid Charlemagne
Just because it was of Anglo-Saxon descent doesn't mean they were slave owners. Not all white people in the South owned slaves. If your family immigrated to the U.S. it would be crucial to know where they came in at, and it is possible that their last name was spelled how it sounded to the immigration officers versus how it was actually spelled. This was common in those days with people who did not speak English. In my research, I have found facebook to be very unreliable in doing geneology, as there are way to many spellings of the same last name to know if it is the same family.
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