Posted on: Wilkes Co. Ga Queries Reply Here: http://cgi.rootsweb.com/~genbbs/genbbs.cgi/USA/Ga/Wilkes/10834 Surname: Gartrell, McElroy ------------------------- Hello Marilyn, I have tentatively entered Caroline Gartrell in my database as the daughter of Joseph Gartrell Jr. and his unnamed black cook based on the following messages posted on the Gartrell genforum by Charlene Lewis: "Could Joseph Gartrell Jr. have fathered children by slaves? According to our family's oral tradition, my ancestor, Caroline Gartrell McElroy, was born on the Gartrell plantation in Wilkes Co., GA in 1832. She was rumored to be the daughter of the slave owner and his cook, a slave. (Gartrell genforum, Charlene Lewis ([email protected]), Jan. 13, 2001, Messages 212, 214.) Joseph would have been about 44 years old when Caroline was born (Joseph's oldest son, Lucius, was only 11 years old in 1832). In addition, the 1850 slave schedule indicates that Joseph Gartrell Jr. had 62 slaves in October 1850. This included four female slaves who were 18 years old; that is, were born in 1832. One of these four could be Caroline. (1850 Slave Schedule (M432), National Archives, Seattle, Entry for Joseph Gartrell, Subdivision 94, Wilkes Co., GA, Roll 96, p. 67.) Do you have any family traditions or other information regarding the parents of Caroline Gartrell? Do you know her mother's name? Do you have any information regarding the Gartrells or their plantation. All I know is that it was called Mt. Sylvan and was located 12 miles from Washington. By the way, I am descended from Louisa Gartrell, Joseph and Elizabeth Gartrell's third child. Short of DNA testing, it is a daunting task to prove these kinds of relationships, but not impossible. I just read an interesting book called "Slaves in the Family" by Edward Ball in which he, a descendant of the slaveholding Ball family of South Carolina, tracked down some of the descendants of former slaves that had been held by his family. The author goes into some detail in revealing his investigative methods, but in large part, he relied on 18th and 19th century plantation records that were preserved by the Ball family. Unfortunately, I do not know of any comparalbe repository of Gartrell plantation records. Do you? The Ball book is on sale at Half-Price Books for $5 if you want me to pick up a copy for you. Best regards, Bob Cummings of Seattle ([email protected])