Inresearching the Strode family in Mason Co., I came across birth records listed a Strode male as father, giving the name of the mother (sometimes designated slave, black,or mullato), and listing the name and dob of the child, also sometimes designated slave, black, or mullato. I am not sure exactly whose children these are. Are we to assume that these are the children of the slave owner named, or he was listed as father because he was the slave owner, or was he listed not only because he was the slave owner but was, in fact, the father. Are we to assume that the father Strode was even white. Only the race of the child, and sometimes the mother, is given. Now some records I've seen list child as black (making me think both parents are black) and some list them as Mullato (making me think that one parent is white or that the mother was a Mullato herself). I simply don't know how these births were recorded. I do know that a lot of slaves took the surnames of their masters and gave names to their children that were the same as in the master's family. ~ Just to confuse us, I guess. Can anyone with knowledge of how Mason County records were kept shed some light on this puzzel? Carol Carmichael Descendant of Samuel Strode, founder of Strode's Station, Mason Co., KY