Many researchers are aware of the need to search for estate inventories and bills of sale when looking for their enslaved ancestors. Another record group that many researchers often neglect are mortgages. Often recorded in deed books, slave owners would often mortgage their slaves as security for large debts or loans, including loans to purchase land. Later mortgages may be recorded in separate registers covering only mortgages.
On 24 January 1824 Nicholas Wilson of Iberville Parish, Louisiana, mortgaged property to secure a debt of over twenty-four thousand dollars to The Life and Fire Insurance Company of New York City. The property that he mortgaged was described as:
All that plantation or tract of Land designated and known by the Name of the Evergreen situate laying, and being in the Parish of Iberville in this State on the right bank of the River Mississippi about one league below the Bayou Plaquemine measuring twelve arpents in front on the river by eighty arpens in depth be the Same more or less, bounded on one side by the land belonging unto Joseph Erwin and on the other side by land belonging unto Mistress Pauline Patile wife of Antoine Leonard, together with all the buildings and improvements on said Land and appurtenances thereunto belonging, being the same plantation or tract of land and tenements which he the said Nicholas Wilson acquired in the manner following viz:
The undivided half by purchase from Joseph Erwin by act passed before the Judge of the Parish of Iberville on the 17th of April 1816, and the undivided half by Purchase from Christopher Adams by act passed before the Same Judge on the 29 January 1817.
Also thirty five Slaves now on and belonging to the said Plantation viz:
Ben 30 years, Rixon, 30 years, Big Charles 28 years, little Charles 28 years, John Grigg 30 years, Dick 30 years, Isaac 40 years, Nathan 30 years, Bill 25 years, Yellow Joe 30 years, Black Joe 45 years, Jenny 30 years, fanny 25 years, Hannah 30 years, Sally 27 years, Sal 27 years, Rachel 22 years, felicite 22 years, with her child Nancy 4 years, Yellow Isaac 18 years, Kezzy 25 years, Harriet 20 years, Hester 22 years, Washington 7 years, John Carrol 7 years, Mary 7 years, Yellow Harriet 6 years, Dave 3 years, Peter 7 years, and Hester 2 years, warranted free from the vices and maladies prescribed by the law (all which land and Slaves being free from incumbrance as appears by the certificate of the Conservator of mortgages in this City dated this day) are so to remain mortgaged until the full and entire payment of all and singular the said aforedescribed promissory notes and all and every part thereof according to their tenor.[1]
Nicholas Wilson died in 1825, and his wife controlled Evergreen plantation until her own death. Though her succession [estate] file has been lost, the division of slaves owned by her succession was also copied into the deed books. Many of the same slaves identified in 1824 also appear, years older, in the division:
A list of Slaves on the Evergreen Plantation
Lot No. 1
Mr. Chesnut
Old Manuel age & apprd.
60
$250
Ben
45
500
Rachel & child 9
35
700
John Mitchell
45
700
Harriet Mitchell & her 4 children
35
1100
John Joyce
16
600
Hester
40
350
Molly
50
300
$4500
No. 2
Caroline Wilson
Rixam
59
$300
Big Anthony
30
1000
Minty & four children
28
1700
Peter
18
800
Margaret
16
600
Little Joe
14
200
Sally
45
100
$4700
No. 3
Mr. Chesnut
Joe Coon
70
100
Dick
50
750
John Terrell
28
900
Nicholas
18
600
Albert
15
600
Jenny
70
200
Felicity & her 2 children
40
1100
Biddy Ann
11
100
$4350
No. 4
A. Wilson
Big Isaac
55
$400
Charles Guinn[?]
40
650
Joe Bullinger
50
50
George
19
800
John Hunter
14
600
Maria & her 2 children
35
600
Prisey & her child
23
900
Kize[?]
40
400
$4400
No. 5
A. Wilson
Levi
30
1000
Charells Carroll
50
500
Martin
19
800
John Beaver
28
750
Charls Beaver
8
250
Fanny
35
300
Charity
40
300
Mary & her children
22
900
$4800
No. 6
Jno N. Wilson
Blind Isaac
35
100
Nathan
40
550
Ralph
30
650
Little Anthony
23
1000
Alex Mitchell
12
450
Susan
45
300
Little Harriet
25
700
Marcelline
19
800
$4550
The six lots fell to four of Nicholas and Eliza's surviving children: Catherine Wilson ("Ms. Chesnut"), widow of Rev. David D. Chesnut; Caroline Eliza Wilson, their youngest daughter who was born mere months prior to Nicholas's death; Alexander Wilson; and John Nicholas Wilson. Another son, Joseph Erwin Wilson, had died before Eliza.
SOURCES:
[1] Iberville Parish, Louisiana, Conveyance Records, Volume K, pages 65–69, entry no. 84, Wilson to Eckford (1824); Family History Library microfilm no. 336,717.
[2] Ibervill Parish Conveyance Records, Volume V, pages 199–202, entry no. 134, Wilson division (1843); FHL microfilm no. 336,727.
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