1867 Estate Inventory of John Raven Mathews: List of Enslaved People Freed in 1865

The estate inventory of John Raven Mathews, filed May 8, 1867, includes a list of more than 170 enslaved people who were freed by the United States government in 1865. Although the enslaved community held by Mathews had been freed two years before Mathews’ death in 1867, appraisers of his estate listed the names, ages and occupations of those he formerly held in bondage. In the list below, brackets around groups of names may denote family groupings.

The list may not include the names of all enslaved people held by Mathews, as a note at the bottom of the list (entitled “Negro Slaves Owned by John Raven Mathews 1st of May 1865,” submitted by the estate Executor) states, “and others whose names I have not been able to procure³.”

John Raven Mathews

 

John Raven Mathews (1788-1867¹) owned a plantation in Colleton County, South Carolina, a town home in Charleston, and land in Habersham County, Georgia².  

Will of John Raven Mathewes

In his will, John Raven Mathews (rendered Mathewes in the will) bequeathed property to sons J. Fraser Mathews and William R. Mathews⁴.

Estate Inventory

The table below is searchable. You may also select how many names to view per page.

Name	Age	Remarks
Ned	38	Brakets around Ned, Tenah and Sam
Tenah	25
Sam	14
Sharper	40	Brackets around Sharper and Betsy
Betsy	37
Frank	25
Peggy	20	Brackets around Peggy and Infant
Infant
Tenny (?)	30	Brackets around Tenny and Infant
Infant
Ansel	28	Brackets around Ansel, Nan and 2 Infants
Nan	22
Infant
Infant
Joe	35
Tyrah	28	Brackets around Tyrah and two Infants
Infant
Infant
John	43	Brackets around John, Phid, Binah and Infant
Phid (?)	45
Binah	26
Infant
John Small	58
Rose	55
John	27
Venus & three children from 1 year old & up to 8 yrs.	25
Mary	23
Children 2 yrs. Old up to 6
Lydia	30
Amy	22
Ned	26
Hagar	18
Betty C[illegible]	41
Humphreys	15
Amy	47	Brackets around Amy, Sabrina, Katy, Lucy and Henry
Sabrina	43
Katy	23
Lucy	20
Henry	18
Dennis	37
Amy	34
George	8
Infant
Albert	32	Brackets around Albert, Sarah and Ansel
Sarah	30
Ansel	10
Neptune	27	Brackets around Neptune and Clarinda
Clarinda	28
Sally Carr	35
3 children from 3 to 12 yrs. Old
Tim	52	Brackets around Tim, Hannah and Charity
Hannah	43
Charity	3
Sam Graham	45
Martha	40	Brackets around Martha, Daniel and Mary
Daniel	10
Mary	8
William	35	Brackets around William, Hannah and Mary
Hannah	32
Mary	10
Infant
Jolly	28	Brackets around Jolly, Patty and Mary
Patty	25
Mary	6
Domo	43	Brackets around Domo, Sylla, York and Hetty
Sylla	40
York	12
Hetty	8
Phoebe	50
Hagar	24	Brackets around Hagar and Infant
Infant
Phillis	26
Nelly	20
Charley	23	Brackets around Charley, Mary and Infant
Mary	20
Infant
Jack	27
Christianna	23
Infant		Brackets around Infant, Stephen, Katy Moore, Sue, Juno and Tenah
Stephen	46
Katy Moore	44
Sue	14
Juno	12
Tenah	8
Cuffee	33
Beck	51
Tenah	18
Ned	27
Martha	20
Katy	48
Toney	17
Rhina	20
Infant
Charles	24
Minia(?)	19
Caesar	36
Sally	32
Isaac	44
Hester	37
Dick	14
2 children 2 to 6 yrs. Old
Marcus	45
Dianna	43
Dick Aiken	43
Betty	40
Cudjo	34
Christy	32
Katy	14
Chloe	20
Susy	40	Brackets around Susy, Christy, Limus, Robert and Infant
Christy	14
Limus	8
Robert	6
Infant
Will	47	Brackets around Will and Sally
Sally	44
Stephney	42	Brackets around Stephney, Minia, Lindy and Nancy
Minia	38
Lindy	16
Nancy	12
Silvia blind	47
Old Amy	70
Grace	40
Cely	56
Shem	40
Jane	28
Parin(?)	17
Infant
Tim	52
Doll	50
Nannie	26
Sam	16
Sharper	18
Hannibal	20
George	18
Simon	15
Sam	20
Crosby	10
Rose	14
Frank	50
Adam	44
Thomas	47
July	28
Harry	30
Lucy	25
Jim Heyward	38
Sam Pinckney	40
William	32
Toby	35
Cyrus	43
Jack	24
Tom	41
Wyatt	34
Alec	36
Quash	30
Daniel	24
Frank Edward	46
Mary	40
York	52
Primus	43
Cuffee	25
Neptune	28
Frederick	24
Joe	22
[overwritten and illegible]	20
Tom	26
Joe	54
Maria	60
Rachel	35
[Additional note below list: "and some others whose names I have not been able to procure"]

Please click the thumbnail images below to view the document images.

Bills of Sale

On 7 April 1843, John R. Mathews purchased 49 enslaved people from the estate of John Heyward⁵.

On 16 June 1848, John R. Mathewes purchased 38 enslaved people from Edward W. Mathewes⁶.

Suggestions for Further Research

The John Raven Mathewes Papers, 1802-1851, are held at the South Caroliniana Library, University of South Carolina. You can view the collection description here. The collection appears to consist of bills and correspondence concerning the rice trade. 

A diary which may be attributable to John Raven Mathewes is held by the Medical University of South Carolina Library, and contains lists of provisions to enslaved people that include names, ages and family groupings. 

References Cited

[1] Ancestry.com. Web: South Carolina, Find A Grave Index, 1729-2012 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2012. Original data: Find A Grave. Find A Grave. http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi: accessed 16 March 2017.

[2] “South Carolina Probate Records, Bound Volumes, 1671-1977,” images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:939L-JWSW-WC?cc=1919417&wc=M6N4-VM9%3A210905601%2C212195101 : 21 May 2014), Charleston > image 215 of 460; citing Department of Archives and History, Columbia.

[3] “South Carolina Estate Inventories and Bills of Sale,” online database at Fold3 (https://www.fold3.com/image/256/308409945), Estate Inventories, Book G (1864-1867), Pp. 630-634, accessed 18 Mar 2017. [It is not unusual to see lists of formerly enslaved people in estate inventories filed in Charleston District after 1865. Volumes F (1860-1864) and G (1864-1867) each contain several.]

[4] “South Carolina Probate Records, Bound Volumes, 1671-1977,” images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:939L-JWSW-WC?cc=1919417&wc=M6N4-VM9%3A210905601%2C212195101 : 21 May 2014), Charleston > image 215 of 460; citing Department of Archives and History, Columbia.

[5] “South Carolina Estate Inventories and Bills of Sale,” online database at Fold3 (https://www.fold3.com/image/256/308409945), Bills of Sale, Book 6a (1843-1846), P. 15, accessed 18 Mar 2017.

[6] “South Carolina Estate Inventories and Bills of Sale,” online database at Fold3 (https://www.fold3.com/image/256/308409945), Bills of Sale, Book 6b (1846-1849), P. 419, accessed 18 Mar 2017.