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slave schedules

February 2013Created by Ian

 

Slave schedules allow us to get some information prior to 1870 (the first federal census that put names to people of color.) However, using slave schedules requires us to try and match known slaves with lists of unknown slaves grouped by slave owner. This is not a precise science, and matches are good guesses at best. However, this slave schedule information is often the only information available pre-emancipation.

In our case, we will start with the earliest known census where former slaves are named. The 1866 Alabama census provides us with a single line entry for each household, against which we can match known family members. To assist with the process, each name below is marked with a symbol as follows:

  • * = identified in the 1860 slave schedule below
  • ~ = not identified in the 1860 slave schedule
  • ^ = born after 1860 (from the 1870 federal census)
    Group 1
  • Dustin Lacey (~1824 - )
    1. Male 40-50; birth 1816-1826; matched to Dustin Lacey ~
    2. Female under 10; birth 1856-1866; matched to Martha (daughter) ^
    3. Female 20-30; birth 1836-1846; matched to Luecy (wife) *
  • Joseph Lacey (1844 - )
    1. Male 20-30; birth 1836-1846; matched to Joseph Lacey *
    2. Female under 10; birth 1856-1866; matched to Margaret (daughter) *
    3. Female 10-20; birth 1846-1856; matched to Saphronia (daughter) ^
    4. Female 30-40; birth 1826-1836; matched to Maria (wife) *
  • Samuel Lacey (1832 - 1918)
    1. Male under 10; birth 1856-1866; matched to George (son) *
    2. Male 30-40; birth 1826-1836; matched to Samuel Lacey *
    3. Female under 10; birth 1856-1866; matched to Louisa (daughter) *
    4. Female 20-30; birth 1836-1846; matched to Susan (wife) *
  • Burrell Lacey (1835 - )
    1. Male under 10; birth 1856-1866; matched to Ephram (son) ~
    2. Male 30-40; birth 1826-1836; matched to Burrell Lacey *
    3. Female 20-30; birth 1836-1846; matched to Amy (wife) *
  • Ben Lacey (~1820 - )
    1. Male under 10; birth 1856-1866; matched to Andrew (son) ^
    2. Male under 10; birth 1856-1866; matched to Sampson (son) ~
    3. Male 10-20; birth 1846-1856; match to unknown (son) ~
    4. Male 40-50; birth 1816-1826; matched to Ben Lacey *
    5. Female under 10; birth 1856-1866; matched to Francis (daughter) ~
    6. Female under 10; birth 1856-1866; matched to Lizzie (daughter) ^
    7. Female 20-30; birth 1836-1846; matched to Harriet (wife) ~
  • Jacob Lacey (~1836 - )
    1. Male under 10; birth 1856-1866; matched to Felix (son) ^
    2. Male 10-20; birth 1846-1856; match to Samuel (son) ~
    3. Male 30-40; birth 1826-1836; matched to Jacob Lacey *
    4. Female under 10; birth 1856-1866; matched to unknown (daughter) *
    5. Female under 10; birth 1856-1866; matched to unknown (daughter) ~
    6. Female under 10; birth 1856-1866; matched to Margie (daughter) ^
    7. Female 30-40; birth 1826-1836; matched to Pricella (wife) ~
  • Elliot Lacey (1830 - )
    1. Male under 10; birth 1856-1866; matched to unknown (son) ^
    2. Male 20-30; birth 1836-1846; matched to Elliot Lacey *
    3. Female under 10; birth 1856-1866; matched to unknown (daughter) ^
    4. Female under 10; birth 1856-1866; matched to unknown (daughter) ^
    5. Female 20-30; birth 1836-1846; matched to unknown (wife) ~
  • Ben Carrol (1840 - )
    1. Male under 10; birth 1856-1866; matched to John (son) ^
    2. Male 20-30; birth 1836-1846; matched to Ben Carrol *
    3. Female under 10; birth 1856-1866; matched to Sarah Lacey (daughter) ~
    4. Female 20-30; birth 1836-1846; matched to Hannah (wife) ~
  • Mariah Lacey (1795 - )
    1. Female 20-30; birth 1836-1836; matched to Mariah Lacey but age does not match ~
    Group 2
  • Lewis Lacey (1841 - )
    1. Male under 10; birth 1856-1866; matched to Peter (son) ^
    2. Male under 10; birth 1856-1866; matched to Green (son) ^
    3. Male 10-20; birth 1846-1856; match to unknown (could be Richard) (son) ~
    4. Male 30-40; birth 1826-1836; matched to Lewis Lacey ~
    5. Female under 10; birth 1856-1866; matched to Nancy (daughter) ^
    6. Female under 10; birth 1856-1866; matched to unknown (daughter) *
    7. Female 10-20; birth 1846-1856; matched to unknown (daughter) *
    8. Female 40-50; birth 1816-1826; matched to unknown (first wife?) ~
    9. Female 70-80; birth 1796-1806; matched to unknown (mother) *
  • Joseph Lacey (1830 - )
    1. Male under 10; birth 1856-1866; matched to unknown (son) ^
    2. Male under 10; birth 1856-1866; matched to unknown (son) ^
    3. Male 30-40; birth 1826-1836; matched to Joseph Lacey ~
    4. Female under 10; birth 1856-1866; matched to Louisa (daughter) ^
    5. Female 70-80; birth 1796-1806; matched to unknown (mother) ~
  • Dick Lacey (1830 - )
    1. Male 10-20; birth 1846-1856; matched to unknown (son) ~
    2. Male 30-40; birth 1826-1836; matched to Dick Lacey ~
    3. Female under 10; birth 1856-1866; matched to unknown (daughter) *
    4. Female 10-20; birth 1846-1856; matched to unknown (daughter) *
    5. Female 20-30; birth 1836-1846; matched to unknown (wife) ~
  • Jasper Lacey (~1835 - )
    1. Male 20-30; birth 1836-1846; matched to Jasper Lacey *
  • Jacob Lacey (1830 - )
    1. Male under 10; birth 1856-1866; matched to unknown (son) ~
    2. Male under 10; birth 1856-1866; matched to unknown (son) ~
    3. Male under 10; birth 1856-1866; matched to unknown (son) ~
    4. Male 30-40; birth 1826-1836; matched to Jacob Lacey ~
    5. Female under 10; birth 1856-1866; matched to unknown (daughter) ~
    6. Female 20-30; birth 1836-1846; matched to unknown (wife) ~

We can now turn our attention to the 1860 federal slave census, specifically Shelby County. Here we find that Jas P Lacey owns a number of slaves. Below, I have attempted to match each slave owned to name from the 1866 census list above:

  • Male age 60; est. birth 1800; unknown
  • Male age 56; est. birth 1804; Silva Lacey
  • Female age 50; est. birth 1810; mother Lewis Lacey
  • Male age 40; est. birth 1820; Ben Lacey
  • Male age 26; est. birth 1834; Elliot Lacey
  • Male age 26; est. birth 1834; Samuel Lacey
  • Male age 22; est. birth 1838; Burrell Lacey
  • Male age 24; est. birth 1836; Jacob Lacey
  • Male age 21; est. birth 1839; Jasper Lacey
  • Male age 20; est. birth 1840; Joseph Lacey
  • Male age 18; est. birth 1842; unknown (could be Richard Lacey)
  • Female age 25; est. birth 1835; wife Joseph Lacey
  • Female age 16; est. birth 1844; wife Samuel Lacey
  • Female age 15; est. birth 1845; wife Burrell Lacey
  • Female age 15; est. birth 1845; wife Dustin Lacey
  • Female age 10; est. birth 1850; daughter Lewis Lacey
  • Female age 16; est. birth 1844; daughter Joseph Lacey
  • Female age 14; est. birth 1846; wife Elliot Lacey
  • Female age 12; est. birth 1848; daughter Lewis Lacey
  • Male age 12; est. birth 1848; son Ben Lacey
  • Female age 10; est. birth 1850; daughter Dick Lacey
  • Female age 8; est. birth 1852; daughter Dick Lacey
  • Female age 4; est. birth 1856; daughter Jacob Lacey
  • Male age 4; est. birth 1856; son Samuel Lacey
  • Female age 1; est. birth 1859; daughter Samuel Lacey

These matches are by no means definitive. Other combinations are possible, and at best these matches are educated guesses. We note that there are many individuals listed in the 1866 census that are not on the federal slave census. These individuals may be family members that as slaves, were loaned or sold away, being reunited after emancipation.

We can now repeat this process with the 1850 federal slave census:

  • Male age 46; est. birth 1804; Silva Lacey
  • Male age 37; est. birth 1813; unknown
  • Female age 30; est. birth 1820; unknown
  • Female age 31; est. birth 1819; unknown
  • Male age 19; est. birth 1831; Elliot Lacey
  • Female age 17; est. birth 1833; wife Joseph Lacey
  • Male age 15; est. birth 1835; Samuel Lacey
  • Male age 15; est. birth 1835; Jacob Lacey
  • Male age 12; est. birth 1838; Burrell Lacey
  • Male age 12; est. birth 1838; Jasper Lacey
  • Female age 13; est. birth 1837; unknown
  • Male age 20; est. birth 1830; unknown
  • Male age 9 est. birth 1841; unknown (could be Richard Lacey)
  • Male age 8 est. birth 1842; unknown
  • Female age 7 est. birth 1843; daughter Joseph Lacey
  • Female age 5 est. birth 1845; daughter Joseph Lacey
  • Female age 4 est. birth 1846; daughter Lewis Lacey
  • Male age 2 est. birth 1848; son Ben Lacey
  • Female age 1 est. birth 1849; daughter Dick Lacey

Once again, these matches are all just educated guesses. A more general way to understand the relationships between Lacey slave owners and their slaves can be found here

We also find that William Nimrod Lacey owned one slave in the 1860 slave census in Shelby county. William was the nephew of Jas P Lacey. This slave was Dustin Lacey, this being established from a legal record recorded at the time. Given this, we can be quite certain that many of the Laceys listed in the 1866 Alabama are the emancipated slaves of Jas P Lacey. We also might note that S. W. Lacey owned several slaves in Pickens county. S. W. Lacey was the cousin of Jas P Lacey. It is worth noting that some of the Shelby county Laceys relocated to Pickens county about 10 years after emancipation. Click here to see more about slave schedules.

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