what came before

My ancestors were people of Christian faith - Quakers and Methodists. Their births and deaths were recorded in the family Bible which was brought to America from England. Yet, they were slave holders and were able to justify slavery in spite of (or, perhaps, because of) what their faith taught them.

Exploring the past using images of where my ancestors lived and were buried and documents that record their participation as slave holders, I will pass the word to my family about what came before.

The following is a transcript of a Freedmen’s Bureau document naming Nicy Stockton as a woman formerly enslaved by my great-great-grandfather:

State of North Carolina Forsyth County July 10 1867

This day I was called upon by Nicy Stockton colored woman to settle a difficulty between herself & her former Master Jno B Stockton said by her to be on order from … the agent of the Freedmen’s Bureau at Greensboro. After investigation to find that Nicy has 3 children the oldest a girl about 10 years old the youngest about 6 years old. I find that they have continual difficulties and that the whole matter seems to be frivolous, and that the said Stockton has provided for them very well up to this time and Nicy and her children have not more … a support, but I hereby declare and believe that the said Nicy must get her a house by next Saturday and that the said Stockton for Humanity sake shall hand her things when she moves and shall give her a reasonable quantity of provisions and clothing to start her to live to which both parties have agreed to, and do hereby obligate & oblige ourselves to comply & carry out the above it being in full settlement of all the difficulties subscribed two before me.

~ this document was signed by a representative of the Freedmen’s Bureau (signature illegible), by Jno B. Stockton, and with an ‘X’ for Nicy Stockton.