Browse Items · Last Seen: Finding Family After Slavery

James R. Starkey searching for his son Alexander Starkey

The Elevator (San Francisco, CA)

October 6, 1865

Information Wanted

OF ALEXANDER STARKEY, about 17 years
of age. He formerly lived with Jacob Goodridge,
of Newburn, North Carolina, and was taken
to Richmond in 1864 and sold to a Southern trader,
--since which time nothing has been heard from
him. Any information respecting him will be
thankfully received by his father, JAMES…

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Preston Pagitt searching for his wife Ann Pagitt and children John Alexander Calhoun, Casandra Jane McDaniels, and Mary Lydia Frances

Livingston Journal (Livingston, AL)

May 11, 1867

Information Wanted.--We have received
a letter from a freedman named
Preston Pagitt, residing in Liberty,
Bedford Co., Virginia, who desires information
regarding his wife and three
children, who were taken from near
that place to Alabama, some ten years
ago. His wife's name was Ann Pagitt,
and the children's--John Alexander…

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Jeff Frierson and Mary Burt reunited and remarried after 44-year separation

The Nashville American (Nashville, TN)

September 25, 1903

AFTER FORTY-FOUR YEARS

Jeff Frierson and Mary Burt Are Reunited
in Marriage.

Special Dispatch to The American.

SHELBYVILLE, Tenn., Sept. 24. --
A somewhat romantic marriage occurred
in colored circles last night. The
facts about it are these: Before the
Civil War, and in slave times, Jeff
Frierson, a slave belonging to the…

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Henry Brady searching for Frank Brady

Weekly Journal (Mercersburg, PA)

June 30, 1871

INFORMATION WANTED.--The undersigned
desires information concerning
Frank Brady, colored. He left
his home in Woodville, Rappahannock
county, Virginia, about eighteen
years ago. He has been heard of once
since, at which time he was at Charleston,
South Carolina. Any information
concerning him will be thankfully
received by Henry…

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Eliza Montgomery searching for her brother Dick Bush

The Baptist Times (Garnett, KS)

March 1892 [published in a monthly newspaper]

Lost.

I wish to find my brother, Dick
Bush. who was born in Tennessee,
and wae the slave of Edward Bush, a
negro trader, who was our father.
My mother, Fannie Bush, was sold to
Thompson, a negro trader, who sold
her and left us two very small children
alone. I was then sold, in or near
Nashville, Tenn. to a Mr. Holiway
who…

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Mrs. Milla Dawsey (formerly Milla Bond) searching for her son and her brothers

Boston Globe (Boston, MA)

April 10, 1898

LAST SAW SON WHEN HE WAS SOLD.
Aged Negro of East Boston Advertising
for News of Brothers and Son, Who
Were Sold Before the War.
In one of the weekly papers devoted
to the interests of the colored people,
and published widely throughout the
country as a religious paper, recently
appeared a peculiar advertisement, which
reads…

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Alexander Foley and his wife reunited and remarried after forty years

The Evening Bulletin (Maysville, KY)

November 27, 1891

REUNITED.

Slaves of Over Forty Years Ago Meet and
Will Be Remarried.

CARROLLTON, Ky., Nov. 27.—Alexander
Foley, of Natchez, Miss., a former
slave, arrived here a few days ago to
visit Dr. Goslie, who used to be his old
master. His surprise could be imagined
when he was told by Dr. Goslie that his
wife who was sold from him…

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John Easton found his mother after decades of searching

The Sun (New York, NY)

July 3, 1892

AFTER YEARS OF SEARCH.
A Former Slave Finds His Mother, and Proves His Identity by a Strange Mark.
From the Indianapolis Sentinel.
John Easton, a colored fireman at the Nordyke-Marmon Works, has been for more than twenty years trying to find his mother, and about two weeks ago got traces of her whereabouts. They were separated when he was 7…

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Henry Anderson searching for mother Peggy, brothers Chas, Horace, and Alex, and sisters Sarah Ann and Malinda

The Freeman (Indianapolis, IN)

December 7, 1895

LOST RELATIVES.
I would like to find my relatives. I was born
in Somerset County, Maryland. My name is
Henry Anderson, my Master was John Ander-
son [Anderson] of Eastern Shore M. D., I left about six
years before the war. Mothers name was Peg-gy [Peggy] and my brothers were named Chas, Horace,
Alex, and Sandy I left two sisters in…

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John Wesley searching for his brothers Tom, Daniel, and Manual Nowlan

The Southern Argus (Selma, AL)

December 13, 1872

INFORMATION WANTED.

INFORMATION IS WANTED AS TO THE
whereabouts of Tom, Daniel, and Manual
Nowlan (colored), who moved from Virginia to
Alabama with Matthew B. Nowlan since the war.
Your brother, John Wesley, who lives near
Glennville, Panola county, Mississippi, would
like to hear from you. If either one of you see
this, write to…

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Robert Hubbard searching for parents Camilla and Robert and siblings Charlotte, Mary, Frank, and Charles

New National Era (Washington, DC)

July 6, 1871

Robert Hubbard is anxious to hear from his
relatives, whom he left at Washington city sixteen
years ago, living between Sixth and Seventh
streets, and belonging to William and Townsend
Jackson. Camilla and Robert were the names
of his parents; Charlotte, Mary, Frank, and
Charles, were the names of his sisters and
brothers. Any…

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Daniel West (formerly Daniel Cooper) looking for his father Jeff Cooper, his mother Susie Cooper, and his siblings

The Freeman (Indianapolis, IN)

June 25, 1892

LOST RELATIVES.
I would like to know the whereabouts of my
lost relatives who were separated from me in
slavery. I was taken from Scriven county, Ga.
My father's name was Jeff. Cooper, and moth-
er's [mother's] name was Susie Cooper, my sisters' names
were Anna Cooper, Siler Cooper, Katie Cooper
and Sallie Cooper. My brothers' names…

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Eliza Husher (formerly Eliza Clark) searching for her mother Sallie Clark and siblings

The Freeman (Indianapolis, IN)

May 16, 1891

Wanted to know the whereabouts of Sallie
Clark, if living, also her children, my brothers
and sister, Nancy, Caroline, Robert, Tip, Tobe,
Frank, Samuel and Aaron Clark, all of whom
were taken South by Negro-traders from this
county in 1862 and 63. Address Mrs. Eliza
Husher, (formerly Eliza Clark,)

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Brown Jones searching for his mother Frankie Hightower and brothers Bruce and Car Hightower

The Christian Recorder (Philadelphia, PA)

April 28, 1887

INFORMATION WANTED OF MY
mother and two brothers. My name is
Brown Jones, I belonged to Hightower. I
came from North Carolina when about six
years of age. Mr. Hightower sold me to
Jones. My mother's name was Frankie
Hightower. She came to Missouri also. I
was taken to Texas during the war. I left
my mother in Webster county,…

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Tally Miller seeking information about his daughters Caroline and Sarah Williams

Southwestern Christian Advocate (New Orleans, LA)

February 7, 1884

MR. EDITOR––I wish to inquire
through your paper for my two
children that I left near Chester
village, Chester county. South Car-
olina [South Carolina], about 1837. I left them on
Jesse William’s place, about five
miles from Chester village, on a lit-
tle [little] creek called Pea Ridge. Both
my children were girls, named Car-
oline…

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George Peden seeking his mother Serlena and sister

Southwestern Christian Advocate (New Orleans, LA)

March 3, 1884

Mr. Editor - I wish to inquire
for my people who I left in Peters-
burg, Va. I left at that time my
sister with Henry Thornton. My
name was George Thornton. I left
my sister in the morning in the care
of Henry Thornton. I left my
mother in the evening at Peters-
burg, her name was Serlena. My
father was Jasper. I was there
sold to…

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Robert Reed wishes to inquire for his relatives

Southwestern Christian Advocate (New Orleans, LA)

March 6, 1884

MR. EDITOR––Please allow me
to inquire for my relatives. My
mother's name was Tina; she be-
longed [belonged] to a man named Thompson D.
White, who lived near Brownsville,
Tenn. She had six children, viz:
Phoebe, Judy, Mary Eliza, William,
Elijah and myself, Bob––three girls
and three boys. Sister Phoebe, the
eldest, was sold in…

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Mr. Goosland [Rev. Matthew Goosland], sold in 1847, finds his sister

New National Era (Washington, DC)

April 11, 1872

Story of a Slave Family.
The following is the story of a Mr. Goos-
land [Goosland], now a resident of Oberlin:
In 1847 he was sold from his wife and chil-
dren [children] in Wytheville, Virginia, and taken to
Mobile Alabama, where, after seven years
of great economy, he purchased his freedom
for the sum of $750. Soon after gaining his…

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Mrs. Woodsen finds sister Mrs. Culton after 42-year separation

Pittsburgh Dispatch (Pittsburgh, PA)

July 12, 1891

WERE SOLD IN SLAVERY.

Story of Two Sisters Who Were Reunited
After Forty-Two Years.

BONNE TERRE, Mo., July 11.--An event
rather out of the usual line occurred here
this week in the meeting of two sisters,col-
ored women, who under the operation of the
old slavery regime were separated 42 years
ago, when both were children, and had…

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Melinda Robinson searching for her mother Frances Woodson (Frances Bowles)

Richmond Planet (Richmond, VA)

April 19, 1902

Do You Know Them.

I desire to know the whereabouts of
my mother, Frances Woodson, who
sometimes went by Frances Bowles,
which was her owner's name. She was
born in and sold from Goochland Coun-
ty, Va. into Florida, at which place she
was when last heard of. She then had
two daughters with her. Any informa-
tion will be gladly…

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Emmanuel Jacobs and Caroline Jacobs searching for their son Solomon Jacobs

National Republican (Washington, DC)

May 20, 1875

WANTS.
WANTED-INFORMATION IS WANTED
of the whereabouts of Solomon Jacobs, who,
prior to the war, was a slave of Daniel R. Mc-
Neal [McNeal], of Hardy county, Virginia, and sold to
Southern traders. Any person having informa-
tion [information] on the subject will favor his parents by ad-
dressing [addressing] EMMANUEL and CAROLINE…

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Martha Ward searching for her sister Rosetta McQuillin

New National Era (Washington, DC)

September 29, 1870

Information Wanted.
Martha Ward wishes information concerning
her sister, Rosetta McQuillin, who was sold
from Norfolk, Va., about thirty years ago to a
Frenchman in Mobile, Ala. She is about forty-
nine years of age, light complexion, and much
freckled. Her former master was Mr. McQuil-
lin [McQuillin], who resided on Brigg's Point.
Any…

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Virginia Rice searching for her mother's relatives

Richmond Planet (Richmond, VA)

April 12, 1919

DO YOU KNOW THEM?

Was born in Richmond Virginia
Wanted to find a remanant of
fifty years ago, who knows anything
about the relation of Lucy Fisher,
whose mothers name, was Harriet
Fisher, her father's name was Bob
Fisher, grandmother's name was Kate
Winfrey, (white owners were Win-
freys.)
Bob Fisher had two children, Lucy
and William…

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J. Wofford White searching for his brother Harvey

The Southwestern Christian Advocate (New Orleans, LA)

October 1, 1885

MR. EDITOR--I wish to inquire
for my brother, sold in the year
1856. He belonged to Mrs. Sarah
McDonald, the widow of 'Big
Jack," near Lynchburg, Sumpter
district, South Carolina. His
father was Gabriel, his mother Ma
ria; his eldest brother Joseph and
eldest sister Caroline. The name
of the one I am inquiring for is
Harvey,…

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Fredrick Pryor searching for his father, mother, sister, and brother

Southwestern Christian Advocate (New Orleans, LA)

May 7, 1885

I wish to inquire for my people
through your paper. I left my
father in McGavelia county, Va.,
near Richmond. His name was
Frederick Pryor. My mother's
name was Betsey Pryor. I had a
sister named Edward. I do not re-
member [remember] who my brother was sold
to. I was sold to a man named
James Makel, in 1834, and he
brought me…

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