Researching the family history of potential slave owners, part one

This article is part of the continuing case study into the roots of former slave Jefferson Clark of Leon County, Florida. To catch up on the previous articles, read “Summary of the Jefferson Clark online case study.”

Using records concerning Jefferson Clark and his family from 1867 through 1920, in Leon County, Texas, we have identified a possible slave owner, George W. Tubb. However, we have not yet located any direct evidence to confirm this possibility. Whether through inheritance or purchase, the record of transfer of slaves to George W. Tubb would be the most likely source of this direct evidence. As discussed in the Summary, it will be necessary to identify George’s father in order to determine whether George inherited the slaves, including possibly Jefferson Clark or his parents.

We have already collected some information that will help us in this task. The probate records of George’s mother Elizabeth and his brother William F. Tubb both name George and his siblings, including the husbands of George’s sisters, and their places of residence. Review the information and chart in “The Jefferson Clark family of Leon County, Texas: an online case study (part eight),” to see the previous conclusions about George W. Tubb’s siblings. Using the federal census records of 1850 and 1860, we can obtain additional information about this family group.

Elizabeth (--?--) Tubb

1850: age 73, b. ca. 1777, S. C.[1]
1860: deceased

Mary (Tubb) Petty

1850: age 50, b. ca. 1800, S. C.[2]
1860: age 63, b. ca. 1797, S. C.[3]

Jane (Tubb) Nunn

1850: age 49, b. ca. 1801, S. C.[4]
1860: age 58, b. ca. 1802, S. C.[5]

Sarah (Tubb) Moore

1850: illegible[6]
1860: age 56, b. ca. 1804, S. C.[7]

Elisha F. Tubb

1850: age 43, b. ca. 1807, S. C.[8]
1860: age 55, b. ca. 1805, S. C.[9]

Elizabeth (Tubb) Williams

1850: age 40, b. ca. 1810, Tenn.[10]
1860: unidentified

Lucinda (Tubb) Cole

1850: age 36, b. ca. 1814, Tenn.[11]
1860: unidentified

George W. Tubb

1850: age 32, b. ca. 1818, Ala.[12]
1860: age 41, b. ca. 1819, Ala.

Isabella (Tubb) Ikard

1850: age 30, b. ca. 1820, Tenn.[13]
1860: unidentified

Susan Tubb

1850: age 29, b. ca. 1821[14]
1860: unidentified

Lydia (Tubb) Moore

1850: unidentified
1860: unidentified

David A. Tubb

1850: unidentified
1860: unidentified

Rebecca (Tubb) Williams

1850: unidentified
1860: unidentified

Richard Tubb

1850: deceased
1860: deceased

William F. Tubb

1850: deceased
1860: deceased

While I was unable to locate the federal census records for some of the children in one or both years, enough records were located to make at least a partial reconstruction of the family. The places of birth recorded for each child also reveal a migration pattern for the family. Until ca. 1807-ca. 1810, the Tubb family lived in South Carolina, then from ca. 1810 until after 1820, the family lived in Tennessee. This contradicts the place of birth of Alabama reported for George W. Tubb, but a mistake may have been made, either by the person reporting the information, or by the enumerator himself.

The next installment of this case study will use this information to continue the search for George W. Tubb’s father.

[1]1850 U. S. Census, Noxubee County, Mississippi, population schedule, no town stated, page not numbered [identified as “237B”], dwelling 690, family 690, Susan [Tubbs] household; digital images, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 3 Sep 2010); citing NARA microfilm publication M432, roll 379.

[2]1850 U. S. Census, Noxubee County, Mississippi, population schedule, no town stated, stamped page 236, dwelling 668, family 668, Mary [Petty] household.

[3]1860 U. S. Census, Leon County, Texas, population schedule, Leon Division, Centerville post office, page 54, dwelling 382, family 382, Mary Petty household; digital images, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 3 Sep 2010); citing NARA microfilm publication M653, roll 1299.

[4]1850 U. S. Census, Noxubee County, Mississippi, population schedule, no town stated, page not numbered [identified as “237B”], dwelling 691, family 691, John Nun household.

[5]1860 U. S. Census, Noxubee County, Mississippi, population schedule, District No. 4, Summerville post office, page 12, dwelling 878, family 858; digital images, Ancestry.com (http://www.hotmail.com : accessed 3 Sep 2010); citing NARA microfilm publication M653, roll 588.

[6]probably 1850 U. S. Census, Perry County, Alabama, population schedule, Polecat Beat, stamped page 303, dwelling not clear (possibly 1), family not clear (possibly 2), William “Moree” [sic] household; digital images, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 3 Sep 2010); citing NARA microfilm publication M432, roll 12.

[7]1860 U. S. Census, Perry County, Alabama, population schedule, Pole Cat Beatt, Morgan Spring post office, page 41, dwelling 267, family 267, Wm. Moore household; digital images, Ancestry.com (http://www/ancestry.com : accessed 3 Sep 2010); citing NARA microfilm publication M653, roll 20.

[8]1850 U. S. Census, Noxubee County, Mississippi, population schedule, no town stated, stamped page 248, dwelling 857, family 857, Elisha F. Tubbs household.

[9]1860 U. S. Census, Leon County, Texas, population schedule, Leon Division, Centerville post office, page 57, dwelling 405, family 405, E. F. [Tubb] household.

[10]1850 U. S. Census, Union Parish, Louisiana, population schedule, town not stated, handwritten page 768 [identified as “385B”], dwelling 521, family 521, Job M. Williams household; digital images, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 3 Sep 2010); citing NARA microfilm publication M432, roll 241.

[11]1850 U. S. Census, Choctaw County, Alabama, population schedule, no town stated, page not numbered [identified as “202B”], dwelling not stated (“Marshal says the Dwellings are the same as the Families.”), family 757, Thos. G. Cole household; digital images, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 3 Sep 2010); citing NARA microfilm publication M432, roll 3.

[12]1850 U. S. Census, Noxubee County, Mississippi, population schedule, no town stated, page not numbered [identified as “237B”], dwelling 689, family 689, George W. Tubbs household.

[13]1850 U. S. Census, Union Parish, Louisiana, population schedule, town not stated, stamped page 352, handwritten page 701, dwelling 55, family 55, Milton Ikard household.

[14]1850 U. S. Census, Noxubee County, Mississippi, population schedule, no town stated, page not numbered [identified as “237B”], dwelling 690, family 690, Susan [Tubbs] household.