Hi, I am no expert on this but I am currently reading "Slaves in the Family" it is a very well documented book. In the book the author talks about the Planter's dependence on Indian Slaves. Sincerely, Carol Clapshaw ----- Original Message ----- From: Randy Willis <randywillis@ev1.net> To: <WILLIS-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Tuesday, August 07, 2001 6:53 PM Subject: Re: Four Willis brothers > It was to a Indian slave of Agerton's that his only son, Joseph, was born. > The relationship of Agerton and Joseph's mother can only be speculation, but > under the North Carolina laws of 1741 all interracial marriages were > illegal. Since Joseph's mother was a slave he was born to a slave status. > It is clear that his father considered him as an only son and loved him as > one. This fact did not sit well with some other members of the family. > > In her book, North Carolina Indian Records, Donna Spindel writes about the > Indians of this area of the state: > > "The Lumbee Indians, most of whom reside in Robeson County, constitute the > largest group of Indians in eastern North Carolina. Although their exact > origin is a complex matter, they are undoubtedly the descendants of several > tribes that occupied eastern Carolina during the earliest days of white > settlement. Living along the Pee Dee and Lumber rivers in present-day > Robeson and adjacent counties, these Indians of mixed blood were officially > designated as Lumbees by the General Assembly in 1956. .Most of the Indians > have Anglo-Saxon names and they are generally designated as 'black' or > 'mulatto' in nineteenth-century documents; for example, in the U.S. Censuses > of 1850-1880, the designation for Lumbee families is usually 'mulatto." > > According to one of North Carolina's top genealogists and historians, the > late William Perry Johnson, " . . . In North Carolina, American Indians up > until Mid 1880's, were labeled Mulattos." Joseph's mother may have very well > been related to these Indians. > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "John" <longstrt@gs.net> > To: <WILLIS-L@rootsweb.com> > Sent: Monday, August 06, 2001 4:43 PM > Subject: Four Willis brothers > > > > Hi Randy, > > > > I can't let your last paragraph go unchallenged. The state coordinator > > for > > USGenWeb in NC said that there were no records of Indians being slaves. > > All the > > slaves were, at least partially, of African descent. > > > > Agerton had a bastard son Joseph, by one of his slave women. After > > Agerton's death, his nephew John, son of his brother Daniel, tried to > > emancipate Joseph and make him a free man. > > John > > -------------------- > > > > Randy Willis wrote: > > > > > From: Randy Willis > > > www.randywillis.org > > > randy@randywillis.org > > > > > > My research begins in Southeast Virginia in the Chesapeake Bay area, > > the > > > same area that the pilgrims first settled. There in the 1740's, in > > Isle of > > > Wight County and Nansemond County (now the city of Suffolk) was the > > place > > > that Joseph Willis' father, three uncles and one aunt called home. The > > > > > family had come to America from Devonshire, England. I believe, but I > > cannot > > > prove it beyond the shadow of a doubt, > > ........................Agerton, > > > Daniel, Benjamin, James, and Joanna were neighbors on the Northwest > > > Cape Fear River. The other brother, George Willis, came first to New > > > Hanover, obtaining a land grant on Widow Creek in 1761 and selling out > > in > > > 1767. He then moved to Robeson County (formerly part of Bladen County) > > not > > > very far west from the rest of the family. > > > > > > The four brothers were all well-to-do planters with large land > > holdings. As > > > a planter, Agerton owned slaves many of which were Indian. At this > > time in > > > North Carolina many slaves were Indian; in fact as late as the 1780's > > in > > > North Carolina a third of all slaves were Indian. Indians were made > > slaves > > > by the whites from the very beginning. > > > > > > > > > > ============================== > > Ancestry.com Genealogical Databases > > http://www.ancestry.com/rd/rwlist2.asp > > Search over 2500 databases with one easy query! > > > > > > > ============================== > Visit Ancestry's Library - The best collection of family history > learning and how-to articles on the Internet. > http://www.ancestry.com/learn/library >