African American Ancestry

True Stories from Colonial North Carolina

True Stories from Colonial North Carolina

I was recently asked by Wake County Public Libraries to give a virtual Zoom presentation on fascinating but little known facts about colonial North Carolina history. In this presentation, I talked about the Lost Colony, the Tuscarora War and how it led directly to the...

Update on the William S. Morris family of New Bern

Update on the William S. Morris family of New Bern

Nearly five years ago I published a post for a will I had stumbled upon for a William S. MORRIS of New Bern in which he declares his wishes that his "negro woman Patty" and her "mulatto" children be freed and well-maintained after his death. The will was dated 1831...

Will of Willoughby MOORE – Beaufort County (Feb 1824)

Will of Willoughby MOORE – Beaufort County (Feb 1824)

The following is from Beaufort Orphans — 1808-1828. Willoughby Moore and this particular Moore family were listed as "Other Free" in the Beaufort County census. In 1810 Willoughby's household also lists one slave. North Carolina ) Beaufort County) In the name of God...

Researching Apprentice Records

Researching Apprentice Records

When researching one’s genealogy, an often neglected resource is a county’s apprenticeship bonds. At times, children apprenticed out were poor orphans. Many other times, the children being bound out simply had the misfortune of being born to non-white parents, or of...

North Carolina Slave Narratives

North Carolina Slave Narratives

Between 1936 and 1937, the Works Progress Administration conducted a series of interviews with men and women who were born in slavery. The unique collection of narratives recorded give us an unpolished look into the lives of former slaves, as well as their masters....

Free People of Color – by County – 1790 Federal Census

Free People of Color – by County – 1790 Federal Census

I originally compiled and published this list at CoastalCarolinaIndians.com for the purpose of helping people with their Indian ancestry research. The entries below have been taken from transcriptions of the 1790 Federal Census for several eastern North Carolina...