This is some information I found today at Washington Memorial Library in Macon, Ga. In a book entitled "In My Father's House Are Many Mansions-Family and Community of Edgefield County, S. C. by Orvill V. Burton pg. 393. Subject: manumission of slaves. "Between 1820 and 1840 manumission could be granted only by the state legislature. Very few blacks were freed in this 20 year span. Even before 1820, records suggest that manumission was difficult. Between 1815 and 1823, six separate petitions were presented to the General Assembly on behalf of certain slaves by two Edgefield slaveowners and later by their excutors. All petitions were denied. For example, the petitions on behalf of a slave of Benjamin Busbee dated 1 Jan. 1815, 29 Nov. 1815 and 5 Dec. 1815 and for the slaves of Benjamin Ryan dated 12 Dec. 1816, 15 Nov. 23, and Dec. 1823". So it looks as if Ned, the slave of Benjamin Busbee, did not obtain his freedom after all. Does anyone on the list have access to some of these old legislature records of South Carolina? Maybe some more information can be gleaned from them. Barbara Grizzle

Hi Barbara, Thanks so much for this. I will see what I can find out. Poor Ned, it must have been horrible to know your owner wanted you free and then the government would not let him do the right thing. I wonder what happened to Ned? I will see if I can find any information, but it may be next month. Thanks again, Gaila ----- Original Message ----- From: <[email protected]> To: <[email protected]> Sent: Wednesday, July 16, 2003 9:24 AM Subject: [Busbee Busby] Will of Benjamin Busbee: Freedom for Ned > This is some information I found today at Washington Memorial Library in > Macon, Ga. In a book entitled "In My Father's House Are Many Mansions-Family and > Community of Edgefield County, S. C. by Orvill V. Burton pg. 393. Subject: > manumission of slaves. "Between 1820 and 1840 manumission could be granted only > by the state legislature. Very few blacks were freed in this 20 year span. > Even before 1820, records suggest that manumission was difficult. Between > 1815 and 1823, six separate petitions were presented to the General Assembly on > behalf of certain slaves by two Edgefield slaveowners and later by their > excutors. All petitions were denied. For example, the petitions on behalf of a > slave of Benjamin Busbee dated 1 Jan. 1815, 29 Nov. 1815 and 5 Dec. 1815 and for > the slaves of Benjamin Ryan dated 12 Dec. 1816, 15 Nov. 23, and Dec. 1823". > So it looks as if Ned, the slave of Benjamin Busbee, did not obtain his > freedom after all. Does anyone on the list have access to some of these old > legislature records of South Carolina? Maybe some more information can be gleaned > from them. > > Barbara Grizzle > > > ==== BUSBY Mailing List ==== > To Unsubscribe: > Send an email to [email protected] with ONLY the word unsubscribe in the subject and/or body of the email. > Listowner: Farrell Busbee [email protected] or [email protected] > >