In addition to the land and other property donated by James Graham, Sr., to his children, he also gave to each one or more negro slaves.
To his descendants (for whom this book is especially written) it may not be uninteresting to know the names of the slaves and to whom they were given, especially to the younger generation, to whom may have been handed down the names of slaves owned by their immediate ancestors, without the accompanying information of from whence they came. To such it is hoped that a very brief sketch of his slaves and to whom, they descended will be fully pardonable and even appreciated.
To his son, William, he gave a negro man named Bob, who died while in his (William’s) possession.
To his son, David, was given a negro man named Neese, and also a negro woman, whose [115] name was Phillis. David also owned several other slaves.
A negro man named Plim was given to his son, James, Jr., at whose death he fell to his widow, who kept him till she moved west in 1827, when he was sold to James Jarrett of Muddy Creek. Jarrett was a brother of the widow.
To his son, Samuel, was given a negro man named Caesar, who remained in the family until about the year 1836, when he was sold, the widow of Samuel having about that time moved to Tennessee. Caesar spent the remainder of his days at Union, Monroe county.
To the youngest son, Lanty, descended a negro named Ben, who, at the moving away to the west of Lanty’s widow in 1841, passed into the hands of Joel Stodghill, as did also the negress, Phillas, who belonged to David. Ben and Phillis were man and wife, after the manner of such relations as existed among slaves.
To Elizabeth Stodghill, his oldest daughter, he gave a negro servant whose name cannot now be recalled.
[116] To his second daughter, Jane Jarrett, he gave a negro names Rose. Rose lived a a very old age and died in the Jarrett family about 1850 to 1860.
To his third daughter, Rebecca, descended a negress named Dianna, which name was always abbreviated to “Dine”. “Dine” lived to see slavery abolished and died only a few years ago.
His fourth daughter, Florence Taylor, fell heir to a negro woman named Clara, who, when Florence moved to Indiana, was sold to Peter Miller of Monroe county.
After thus providing for his children by giving each a slave as named, there were other slaves disposed of at his death.
There are a few names in these pages that are spelled different, but are intended for the same names, viz: Ann, Anne and Anna, and Elizabeth, Bettie and Betsy. if you will notice in John Graham, Sr.’s will, in these pages, his wife was named Elizabeth, his daughter’s name was Betty. In said will he bequeathed some legacies to his [117] daughter, Florence, and in the same will he gave some property to his daughter, Flora. Of course, Florence and Flora was the same person. To illustrate, in my early manhood days, a Mr. S. courted a Miss Patsy S., and when her father gave a certificate to the Clerk to issue license for his daughter Martha to marry James S., James S. said that was not the girl he courted, it was Miss Patsy he wanted.
I am a descended from john and elizabeth graham. My grandfather is Earl Graham i would like to know more so would the rest of my family
hi crystal did you find any other information on the grahams, earl graham do you know his father was an where they lived in virginia my grandmother was a graham from radford va her father carl graham his father allen graham then asa graham an I think asa had a son earle so they might be the same not sure let me know.….…Vicky
My mother was Margaret Ballengee Pavlick. Her grandmother was a Graham. I asked my cousins if they knew anything about slaves in the family.
John LeMasters of Goshen IN said that he remembers his grandparents having “Aunt Di” living with them. He only knew she was “different”, meaning color.