Barbara and all, Billie Jones sent me a great link to the SC archives: http://www.archivesindex.sc.gov/ By going in and searching their databases, I found the three references to Ned's possible manumission and I think I will send away for the eight pages to see what they say. It looks as if this process takes awhile. I am curious to know where Ned ended up? Possibly with Susanah and I wonder if she lived with Miles. All of the names mentioned were in the will and estate sales. Best regards, Gaila > 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

Hey Ray is home from hospital and is doing well. (He has me waiting on him.) This is so interesting about the freedom of slave, Ned. Does Dennis know about this current info? Darien