The purpose of this continuing case study has been a demonstration of the use of online records to research an African-American family: Jefferson Clark of Leon County, Texas. In the eight parts of this case study published thus far, we have been able to identify a potential slave owner, George W. Tubb, who moved to Leon County, Texas from Noxubee County, Mississippi.
The following summary reviews the information examined to date. Please read these articles for demonstrations of several techniques of evidence analysis that will help to ensure accuracy in your own research.
- Part One: Explores several census records and vital records pertaining to a Jeff Clark living in Leon County, Texas in 1920. Uses the 1870 and 1880 federal census records to identify his likely father as a Jefferson “Jeff” Clark.
- Part Two: Examines the 1867-1869 voter registration list for Leon County to identify additional information on Jefferson Clark. Reconciles all available information thus far. Identifies implications relating to Jefferson Clark’s prior slave owner. Outlines steps to identify Jefferson Clark’s owner.
- Part Three: Identifies property owners in 1870 census in Leon County who were born in Alabama or Virginia. Identifies these same men in the 1867 voter registration.
- Part Four: Locates the potential slave owners in the 1860 population schedule and 1860 slave schedule. Using this information, identifies only two of those in Leon County in 1870 were slave owners in 1860.
- Part Five: Identifies these two slave owners in the 1850 population schedule and 1850 slave schedule.
- Part Six: Reviews evidence concerning Jefferson Clark family, and compares these facts to the slave schedules of the two potential slave owners.
- Part Seven: Reviews evidence concerning George W. Tubb, the potential slave owner of Jefferson Clark.
- Part Eight: Locates several transcribed probate records concerning the family of George W. Tubb in Noxubee County, Mississippi. Identifies George W. Tubb’s mother and siblings through these probate records.
This leads us to our current status in the resolution of this case study. In order to continue, we must reexamine our goals, and outline a new course of action.
We have identified a very likely candidate to have been the slave owner of Jefferson Clark prior to emancipation, but have not yet located any direct evidence of this fact. Our top priority is to identify any record of the names of slaves owned by George W. Tubb, in order to confirm that Jefferson Clark was among them.
George W. Tubb would have obtained all of his slaves in several possible ways:
- He could have inherited them from his father or his wife’s father.
- He could have purchased them from another slave owner through bill of sale.
- He could have purchased them from another slave owner’s estate through estate sale.
In order to address the first possibility, we must accomplish the following steps:
Step One: Identify George W. Tubb’s father.
Step Two: Locate probate records for George W. Tubb’s father.
If above probate records do not yield relevant evidence:
Step Three: Identify George W. Tubb’s wife.
Step Four: Identify George W. Tubb’s wife’s father.
Step Five: Locate probate records for George W. Tubb’s wife’s father.
Future columns will explore these steps.
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