r/BlackGenealogy

I'm African, and I consider myself part of the global Black diaspora.

Whenever I see videos or posts celebrating "Black excellence" or Black achievements, I sometimes wonder whether they're meant to include all Black people (Africans, African Americans, Afro-Caribbeans, Afro-Latinos, etc.) or whether they're specifically about African Americans.

For example, if I see a post celebrating Black scientists, artists, athletes, or historical figures, is it fair for me, as an African, to feel represented and take pride in those achievements? Or is "Black excellence" usually understood as an African American movement unless stated otherwise?

I'm not trying to start a diaspora debate. Im just curious i would love to hear ypur perspectives

Ps: This is a repost

Part 1 is here: https://www.reddit.com/r/BlackGenealogy/comments/1ugyk7f/finding_the_parents_of_my_enslaved_ancestors_from/

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Update:
So, I posted awhile ago about 2 of my enslaved ancestors (Cato, born in 1750 & his girlfriend Diana, born in 1752), a couple, both born in Prince George’s County, Maryland, British Colonial America (they were brought to Bermuda between 1768 and 1775), who were brought to Sandys Parish, Bermuda between the late 1760s & mid-1770s.

Well, I recently figured out the man who transported them (and who became their second enslaver).

Their first enslaver in Prince George‘s County/PGC, Maryland (from 1750/1752 to 1760), then Frederick County, MD (from 1760 to 1768) and later in Amwell, Pennsylvania (from 1768 until they were brought to Bermuda in the 1770s) was Jeremiah Virgin (born in 1724, PGC, Maryland - died in 1791, Maysville, Mason County, Kentucky).

However, their second enslaver was, also from Sandys Parish, Bermuda: Richard Fowle (1752-1783 - enslaved them until he died in 1783), and his older brother, John Fowle, Sr. (1749-1799 - enslaved them from 1783 until his 1799 death).

Also—Cato & Diana both died between 1788 and 1799.

The most recent records I found were, Richard Fowle’s 1783 probate record & estate division, and Cato’s (under his enslaver, John Fowle, Sr., of course) later 1788 taxation record, from Sandys Parish.

After John’s 1799 death, my ancestors, their daughter (Hanna Virgin, 1775-1856) and their maternal grandson (Richard Bean, 1800-1892, also my ancestor) were—from 1799 until 1830–enslaved by John Fowle, Sr.’s wife, Elizabeth Fowle (née Tucker, 1755-1830), until Elizabeth’s 1830 death.

After Elizabeth’s death, Cato (either aged 80 or deceased), Diana (either aged 78 or deceased), Hanna (aged 55) & Richard (aged 30) were all passed down to & enslaved by 2 of John Fowle’s sons, Capt. William Fowle & John Fowle, Jr.

The issue I’m having now is, I can’t seem to find either a bill of sale from Jeremiah Virgin, in Pennsylvania or Virginia; and, I also haven’t found a Bermudian bill of sale, from the Fowle brothers, either.

I also looked in FamilySearch’s Kentucky probate records section, and Kentucky‘s will section, for both wills and probates from Jeremiah Virgin, and nothing resulted.

I’d say, that discovery of Jeremiah means, either one of two things is true: 1. He died intestate in 1791; or: 2. He has both a will & a probate record, that FamilySearch has not added to their record collections, yet.

However, since my ultimate research goal is finding Cato & Diana’s parents (who were also possibly from Western Maryland), I don’t know where else to research now. What else can I do, to find their parents (whether their parents were enslaved, free or their enslaver)? I’ve only found half the story, as of late.

Greetings!
My sister tested on Ancestry, and we have a paternal DNA match sharing 35 cM across 1 segment. Ancestry estimates the relationship as Half 3rd cousin once removed or 4th cousin.
The match’s family tree is documented in Port-au-Prince, Haiti for multiple generations (Jean-Louis, Jean-Jacques, Pierre-Louis lines). Our paternal family, however, is documented in Georgia, Alabama, and Arkansas, South Carolina and family connections to Louisiana that are little known
My questions are:
1. Given a 35 cM paternal match, what are the most likely relationship scenarios?
2. If the Haitian cousin doesn’t know how we’re connected, what would be the next best steps to identify the shared ancestor?
3. Historically, would it be more likely that:
◦ a shared ancestral line was established in Haiti and one branch eventually became part of my Southern African American family,
◦ the shared ancestor lived elsewhere in the Caribbean or Atlantic world and the family later split,
◦ or is there another explanation I should be considering?
4. Besides asking my father or one of his sisters to test, what records or DNA tools would you recommend next? (Shared Matches, Leeds Method, chromosome browsers on other platforms, etc.)

Update: I’m getting one step closer to solving my brick wall! The enslaver & trader who brought Cato & Diana to Bermuda from Amwell, Pennsylvania was actually 2 brothers—John Fowle, Sr. (1749-1799) & Richard Fowle (1752-1783). So, after Richard died, John enslaved them from 1783 until 1799; then, John’s wife, Elizabeth Tucker (later Fowle), enslaved them from 1799 until her death in 1830; between 1830 until British emancipation in 1834, the 4 of them were split up: Cato & Diana had most likely died by 1834, so Hanna was then enslaved by Elizabeth‘s son, Capt William Fowle; and Richard Bean (Hanna’s son & Cato and Diana’s grandson), was then enslaved by Elizabeth’s other son, John Fowle, Jr.

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Original Post:
I’m trying to figure out the parents (whether enslaved or enslaver) of my 2 enslaved ancestors, both born in Prince George’s County, Maryland, later moving to Pennsylvania & being sold in either Washington County, PA or Virginia, to a Sandys Parish, Bermuda-based enslaver/slave trader.

1. My Ancestors’ Names: 1. Cato (born in 1750 in Prince George’s County, Maryland); and: 2. Cato‘s girlfriend, Diana (born in 1752).
2. Their enslaver: Jeremiah Virgin (born in 1724, Prince George’s County, MD - died in 1791, Maysville, Mason County, Kentucky).
3. Where did Jeremiah live, between 1750-1773?: 1. Prince George’s County, MD, near the Patunxent River (from 1744 until 1760). 2. He moved to Frederick County, Maryland, living there between 1760 to 1768. He moved from MD to Amwell Township, PA in 1768 - living there until 1785 - but, Cato & Diana were sold in or before 1773 by Jeremiah (while living in Amwell, Washington County, PA), to a Sandys Parish, Bermuda-based enslaver & slave trader.
4. Do bills of sale survive for Jeremiah, to said slave trader/enslaver, for Cato & Diana?: I don’t know. I‘m still researching that.
5. Cato & Diana were already sold & living in Sandys Parish, Bermuda in 1774 and 1775 - their daughter, Hanna Virgin, was born in Sandys in 1775. She died in June 1856 and was buried in a parish church in Sandys.
6. Who could be the enslaver/trader who purchased Cato & Diana from Jeremiah Virgin?: In the 1770s, there were 6 Sandys families who were enslavers & traders, at that time & their ships frequented Virginia, New York, and other Caribbean countries. 1. The family of Ephraim Gilbert (1695-1760) & his son, Joseph Gilbert (1738-1812/1814); 2. The family of Colonel, Henry Tucker (1713-1787) (who could be the one, since his relatives immigrated to Virginia and he owned second properties in Virginia, aside from his property in Bermuda); 3. The family of John Fowle (1749-1799) & Richard Fowle (1752 - died after October 1784); 4. The family of Daniel Hinson (born before 1660 - died in 1707/1709) & his relative, John Hinson (1680 - died after 1745); 5. The family of Robert Hunt (1740-1814); and: 6. The family of Thomas Morgan (born in Bermuda, 1725 - died in Virginia, 1796).
7. Is there a baptismal record for Hanna Virgin (1775-1856)?: I don’t know. I’m still researching that.
8. The only possible enslavers/traders who could’ve bought Cato & Diana, between 1769 & 1774: Only Col. Henry Tucker (1713–1787), Robert Hunt (1740–1814), Joseph Gilbert (1738–1812), John Fowle (1749–1799), Thomas Morgan (1725-1796), and Richard Fowle (1752–1784) were alive, operating deep-water shipping vessels, and actively issuing financial/human property bonds.
9. Part 1, the deceased (not traders/enslavers when Cato & Diana were alive):

• Daniel Hinson (d. 1707): Died over 60 years before this window opened.
• Ephraim Gilbert (1695–1760): Died roughly nine years before Cato and Diana were sold out of the Chesapeake. He could not execute or co-sign a 1769–1774 bond.
• Part 2, the Inactive / Dead-Ends (Highly Unlikely): John Hinson (c. 1680–after 1745): Though alive during the mid-1700s, his active merchant records fade long before 1769. There is no evidence connecting his later estate directly to these specific individuals.

 

So, now that I’ve explained everything I currently know about Cato and Diana, my goal is to find their parents (whether their parents were enslaved or the enslaver). Where can I go from here?

His specific Y Chromosome dates back over 300,000 years. This pretty much changes everything you were taught in school about the human history.