The 1860 slave schedule is the only known surviving, contemporaneous list of the men and women who enslaved black people in Wilson County. It is not a list of the enslaved themselves, as none are named in that census. Rather, the schedule described people by “color” (black or mulatto), sex, and age.

Organized by township, this series will set forth these enslavers, the number of people they held in 1860, and the ages of the youngest and oldest people held. Where possible, I will also name people known to be enslaved by each person. They may or may not correspond to people described in the 1860 slave schedule. The paucity of such identifications is heartbreaking, and I continue to search.

Oldfields district was the southeast corner of Nash County prior to 1855. The 1860 slave schedule lists 47 enslavers in this section of Wilson County, the largest of whom — Bartley Deans, who traded enslaved people as a little sideline — held 44 people in bondage. Other than Deans, Oldfield township’s slaveholders were yeoman farmers, not plantation owners.

Phebe Boykin — 3, ages 1 to 62 years

• Peter, Watey and her three children

Garry Williamson — 8, ages 8 months to 31 years

• Jack

Bartley Deans — 44, ages 1 month to 55 years

• Hester, Jerry, Bunyan, Sithey, Zilley, Mosey, Hack, Ben, Isaac, Molley, Patty, Matey and her youngest child Amos, Creasy and her youngest child June, Mendy, Linda, Charity, Pashey, Lear and her child John, blacksmith Harry, Mingo, Virgil and Rachel and their children Henry and Louis, Thaney, Jason, Nisey, Louisa and Edmund, Darkes, Rhuben, Peter, Silvey and her children Louisa and Piety, Bryant, Ransom, Joseph, James, Randel

Stephen Boykin — 10, ages 8 months to 55 years

• Anthony, Nancy, Rose, Henry, Chaney, Thom, Jason

Willie [Wiley] Deans — 11, ages 2 months to 33 years

• Jack, Rena, Thomas, Lear and her son John, a blacksmith named Harry, Mingo 

William Haynes — 1, age 14 years

• Caroline

Jesse Haynes — 2, ages 11 and 36 years

• Easter

Bithel Haynes — 1, age 5 years

• girl

Jethro Harrison — 1, age 20 years

Bennett Flowers — 5, age 4 months to 70 years

• Grace, Henry

Temperance Eatmon — 2, ages 18 and 22 years

Elizabeth Simpson — 1, age 65 years

Bennet Bullock [Jr.] — 1, age 45 years

• Dave

William Peele — 5, age 3 to 30 years

Henry Stott — 6, ages 1 to 40 years

Nancy Flowers — 3, ages 7 to 90 years

• Barthena, Grace

Adam Flowers — 1, age 9 years

• Spencer,

Alfred Thompson — 5, ages 10 to 75 years

Alfred Thompson, in trust — 9, ages 1 to 35 years

Benjamin Parker — 3, ages 1 to 25 years

• Albert

Arthur Thompson — 4, ages 1 to 38 years

Hilliard Boykin — 8, ages 1 month to 33 years

Williamson Fulghum — 1, age 16 years

Dempsey Peele — 2, ages 1 and 32 years

Bryant L. Bunn — 1, age 35 years

John Morris — 3, age 3 months to 21 years

Theo Parker — 9, age 2 to 37 years

Stephen Peele — 1, age 17 years

James Boyett — 8, age 2 to 28 years

William Taylor — 7, age 6 to 80 years

Jarman Eatmon — 6, age 1 to 25 years

Thomas Eatmon — 1, age 50 years

Hackney High — 1, age 26 years

• Jincey

Ephraim Davis — 1, age 7 years

Peter Eatmon — 4, ages 11 to 30 years

John Peele — 1, age 50 years

Alison High — 1, age 26 years

Richmond Boykin — 2, ages 14 and 21 years

• Hannah

Stephen Morris — 1, age 56 years

Thomas Mercer — 2, ages 1 and 18 years

Josse Peele — 3, ages 7 to 50

Selitia Eatmon — 5, ages 7 to 60

John B. High — 6, ages 3 months to 28 years

Levi Bailey — 11, ages 1 to 60 years

Needham Bailey — 4, ages 3 to 27 years

Alfred Boykin — 5, ages 7 to 26 years

Robert Simpson — 1, age 70 years