Origins of An Enslaved Woman Named Doll

The Early Colonial Virginia Landscape

This is a historic image circa 1670 highlighting land deeds and grants in Surry County, Virginia bound by the Upper Chippokes Creek, Blackwater River, and Lawne's Creek. Surry County was situated south of the James River between Charles City County and Isle of Wight County. Many of the European settlers to include the Chappell, Barrow, Heath, Gee, Wren, Boykin, Gilbert, Ruffin, Wimberly, Barksdale, Ivey, Felts, Hubert and other allied families that settled in the Charles City, Surry, Isle of Wight, Sussex (post 1753), Southampton, Nansemond, and Prince George counties in Virginia and later migrated south into North Carolina. Many of the families also migrated north into Maryland as well as westward into Kentucky and Tennessee. This picture also shows the close proximity to Jamestown and illustrates the close nit communities of the surrounding area as well as brings to light the migration patterns possible due to relying on water as the primary source of travel. Many of the families mentioned above also were intricately connected for several generations and enslaved many for generations often sharing Enslaved communities and allowing unions among the enslaved. In addition to the unions, many enslaved families were also split apart as a result of migrations and mainly due to separation resulting from the deaths of head of households (in this time mainly the men) and forcing widows to remarry bringing about new surnames and surname changes among the Enslaved.

The early settling of James river communities in the late 1600s were being settled and developed all over the are but maintained close proximity to the water ways as that was the main source of travel. One of my earliest known ancestors was a slave named Doll. She was an African Slave and identified as such with the name, Doll. Shel was identified as 1 of 8 slaves imported from Africa by Adam Heath in 1695. Their purchase was associated with Adam having been granted 386 acres in Surry County on the south side of the James River. Doll's birthdate is estimated based on historical context that she was brought to America as a teenage girl and then purchased by Adam Heath of Surry County, Virginia. In 1705, it is suspected Doll along with several other Heath slaves are still with Adam Heath in Surry County. Adam Heath has received several land grants in Surry, Charles City, and Prince George's County, Virginia. Adam Heath, enslaver of Doll and several other Heath slaves deeded land to his son, Adam Heath, Jr. in Surry County, Virginia. While enslaved by Adam, Doll had at least two daughters, Hannah who was often referred to as "Old Hannah" in the records and Jenny who is also described as "Negro Woman" in Adam's son, William Heath's will.

Finding Doll's Descendant

Finding the Heath slaves was not all that hard as the 1870 census was filled with black Heath families in all the counties named above and I'm certain, I have probably missed a few. Once again, the names repeated themselves in all the counties with Benjamin, Abraham, Peter, and William topping the list for the males and Harriett, Eliza, Ellen, Sylvia (Silvie), and Rachel/Rachael topping the list for the females. The children's names also were very repetitious and many families lived next door to one another, with some also living next door to the white Heaths which meant there was a clue to the slave and slave owner relationship. Bingo, it was time to dig deep!

My slave owner research began by tracing the white Heath families in order to establish connections as well as migration patterns. I began mapping which Heaths were present on the 1870 census and worked backwards from there. It seemed all roads lead back to a Heath named William and his parents as well as North Carolina back to Surry County, Virginia. William Heath was the son of Adam and Sarah Heath of Surry County, Virginia and husband of Elizabeth Gee-Heath. William and Elizabeth had a son named Thomas Heath who was married to a Sarah. Thomas and Sarah's sons Adam Heath, Abraham Heath, and Richard Heath were the original slave owners of many Heath slaves in Warren County, Georgia (but originally from or descendants of slaves from Halifax County, North Carolina) as well as our connection to the North Carolina to Georgia migration between 1782-1790. Thomas Heath received several of his slaves from his father William and ultimately passed down either as gifts or through his last will and testament, June 13, 1772 (Halifax County County NC) the slaves to his sons Adam, Abraham, and Richard. I am focusing this background story on the three sons for a reason and that is the North Carolina to Georgia migration. Thomas Heath died in Halifax County, North Carolina in 1773, Abraham Heath and Richard Heath died in 1807 in Warren County, Georgia. Many of the Virginia Heath slaves and their offspring were documented in the wills thereby providing a connection to one another as well as a connection to the white Heaths slave owners. The slaves born in Virginia moved along with their children to Halifax County, North Carolina not by choice but by obligation as servants to the white Heath familiies and subsequently some of the Heath slaves were born in Halifax County and then their offspring were born in Georgia.

The Will of William Heath

IN THE NAME OF GOD AMEN, I, William Heath of the County of Surry being sick in body but of sound and perfect and disposing mind and memory blessed be God do this eighth day of November in the year of our Lord Christ one thousand and seven hundred & forty five make and publish this my Last Will and Testament in manner following, viz. IMPRIMIS I give unto my grandson JOHN HEATH the son of ABRAHAM HEATH, deceased the plantation & land which I have at a place called Pigeon Swamp in the County aforesaid containing one hundred forty five acres more or less which I purchased of Thomas Hamblin & to the heirs of his body lawfully begotten and in case my said grandson should die without such issue I devise the remainder of the said land unto my son, John Heath & his heirs and assigns forever.

ITEM: I give and devise to my said grandson one _?_ which his father has possessed in his lifetime.

ITEM: I give unto my son JOHN HEATH one parcel or tract of Land in Pigeon Swamp containing two hundred eighty five acres & to his heirs and assigns forever.

ITEM: I give unto my daughter MARY HEATH two Negro girls called Pat and Poll as her proper slaves.

ITEM: I give unto my daughter MARY HEATH one feather bed and --?--, one rug & one pair of sheets, also two pewter dishes, two _?_ & six plates & one side saddle & bridle and one gold ring of twenty shillings value.

ITEM: I give unto my daughter REBECCA HEATH one Negro woman named Jenny as her proper slave & one feather bed & bolster, one rug, one pair of sheets, also two pewter dishes and two basins & six plates &one side saddle and bridle & one black leather trunk and one gold ring of twenty shillings value and one oval table after my wife death.

ITEM: I give unto my wife one Negro woman named Hannah as her proper slave also the labor of one Negro man named Will during her life or widowhood and after her death I devise the said Negro Will unto my son THOMAS HEATH as his proper slave.

ITEM: I give unto my daughter SARAH wife of Peter Tatum fifty two shillings and one gold ring of twenty shillings value.

ITEM: I give unto my daughter ELIZABETH wife of Roger Taylor one gold ring of twenty shillings value.

ITEM: I give unto my granddaughter, SARAH, daughter of ADAM HEATH one gold ring of twenty shillings value.

ITEM: I give unto my son WILLIAM HEATH two cows and for as much as I have more estate than is sufficient to pay all debts due from the same my desire therefore is that my estate may not be appraised nor my executrix obliged to give bond for her faithful administration one the same.

ITEM: All the rest and residue of my goods chattels & personal estate of what nature _?_I give to my said wife Elizabeth whom I make and ordain sole executrix of this my Last Will and Testament. IN WITNESS whereof I the said William Heath have to this my Last Will and Testament set my hand and seal the day and year aforesaid mentioned.

William M. Heath (seal)

 

Signed in presence of

James Gee

Henry Gee

James Gee, Jr.

*Names bolded, italicized, and highlighted from the will above in blue are slaves of William Heath, subsequently willed to his heirs.

** Names bolded and highlighted from the will above in black are the heirs of Willam Heath.

Doll's Legacy Continues
Finding Doll back in 2009 was an experience I cannot describe, but one so rewarding I shared with many family members. Doll is the first ancestor I can trace back to a ship from Africa and the arrival to Colonial Virginia. Following Doll through her known daughters has been even more rewarding as it showed the migration from Virginia to North Carolina int he 1700s and then from North Carolina to Georgia around 1772/1773. Doll's descendants are now spread our all over the United States and the common ground is not just Virginia and North Carolina, but of course Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, Texas, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Florida, California, and beginning with the great migration north to places in Ohio, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Delaware, New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, and Massachusetts. Doll survived the trans Atlantic journey, chattel slavery, and ultimately her descendants persevered over time. Her story is worth remembering as well as preserving for generations to come.

WE ARE BECAUSE OF AN ENSLAVED WOMAN NAMED DOLL!!!!

Humbly Submitted,

Dante' Eubanks