Bladen County Online African American Resources

Thanks for accessing the Bladen County African American Genealogy Site. This site is dedicated to the struggle of African Americans who have paved the way for future generations. Its purpose is to document the names and faces of those who were enslaved and also those considered free slaves in order to preserve the remnants of history. It also serves as a medium to preserve family stories, journals, bibles, and family trees, in order to capture the influence that African Americans have in Bladen County. Even if you are a novice genealogy researcher to the most advanced, we welcome all contributions and have provided helpful links to get you started in your journey.. SANKOFA

Family Reunions

Every year, thousands of Black families get together to celebrate their reunions. Reunions are a time of laughter, getting together, and uniting since the end of slavery. We celebrate any family reunions or class reunions in the Bladen County area, whether yearly, or just getting together informally.

Partial Listing of African Americans Lynched in North Carolina

Lyman Purdee, Elizabethtown, May 3, 1892

SOURCE: 100 Years of Lynching, Ralph Ginzburg, Black Classic Press; Lynching in the New South, W. Fitzhugh Brundage, University of Illinois Press Lynching Home

Oakland Plantation

Oakland was built in 1781 in Carver's Creek Township by Revolutionary War Patriot General Thomas Brown. General Brown was married to first Sarah Bartram. Sarah fell ill and passed away in 1779. His second wife was Lucy Bradley Brown, who lived for a remarkable 84 years.

General Brown owned approximately 30 slaves in 1790, one of which was probably connected to this researcher.

It is assumed that he was probably one of the more wealthier land owners in the Carver's Creek region of Bladen County. General Brown was the owner to several plantations: Walker's Bluff, Drunken Run, and Sedgefield, to name a few.

Suggested Readings

The Free Negro of North Carolina By John Hope Franklin
North Carolina Freedman's Savings & Trust Company Records By Bill Reaves
Slave Genealogy: A Research Guide with Case Studies By David H. Streets
The Negro in North Carolina Prior to 1861 By James H. Boykin (1958)

DUNCAN KING CEMETERY SEARCH

Duncan King Cemetery search is currently underway and as the details unfold, we will keep you updated. Ruth King and several others are making an attempt to preserve history of the ancestral lineage of Duncan King, a former resident of Bladen County.

Please click here to take a look at some of the information regarding the Duncan King cemetery search.

Access the genealogy
report of
the

King, Spendlove, and Bowens families

of Carvers Creek

Bladen County family websites and other links of interest

Brown and Mear(e)s of Bladen and Columbus Counties, North Carolina - African American Genealogy that chronicles the life and times of two families bound by the sanctity of marriage. Site contains information on Bladen County census records, deeds, slave records, bills of sales, plantation history of Oakland plantation, and other various documents of Revolutionary War Patriot General Thomas Brown.
First Person Narratives of the American South - documents the American South from the viewpoint of Southerners. It focuses on the diaries, autobiographies, memoirs, travel accounts, and ex-slave narratives of relatively inaccessible populations: women, African Americans, enlisted men, laborers, and Native Americans. The texts for this project come from the Academic Affairs Library of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and the Editorial Board for Documenting the American South guides its development.
Free African Americans of North Carolina and Virginia - Lists numerous free slaves throughout various counties in North Carolina and Virginia. Provides in-depth explanation of information.
Free African Americans of Virginia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Maryland, Delaware -Researcher Paul Heinegg lists numerous free slaves throughout various counties in North Carolina and Virginia.
Harmony Hall Plantation - Located in White Oak, North Carolina. Bladen County.
Virginia Slaves from North and South Carolina - Slaves brought into Brunswick County, Virginia, from North and South Carolina, 1780 -1781
African Americans; Digital Library on American Slavery - many resources for researching enslaved ancestors
Race and Slavery Petitions - searchable database of slave records
Slavery Era Insurance Registry, CA Insurance Companies - searchable database
Slavery Era Insurance Registry, IL Insurance Companies - complete listing of slaves & slaveowners

Links for Researching African American Genealogy for Beginners

How to Research :

Basic Steps for Starting Genealogy Research

A Basic Guide to Start Researching Enslaved People

African American Obituaries

Facebook Group:

I've Traced My Enslaved Ancestors and Their Owners

Contact Information:

NCGenWeb African American Page

This page was created October 11, 2000
Thanks to former hosts
Sonya Brown Bolden and Prentice Autry for this wonderful website!

This page was last modified Friday, January 26, 2024 08:33:48 PM .
This page is NOT affiliated with the Bladen County Historical Society.

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