Tallying and Tracing

Though we are now able to trace Hester's origin back to Georgia from Florida—and that, presumably, of her son, the man who eventually came to be known as King Stockton—that is not enough to explain where the rest of Sidney Tison McClellan's inheritance of slaves came from, nor what became of those listed in Job Tison's probate file after his passing in 1824.

Job's will stipulated that specific slaves were to go to specific descendants. Tom, Judy, Ned, and Maria were willed to Job's wife, Sidnah Sheffield Tison. Job's son Aaron received a slave named Ben, while his daughter Melinda received Phyllis, his daughter Susan received Clarissa, and his daughter Theresa received Lydia. Son William was to inherit Peter, and another son, John, was promised Joe. In addition, two of Job Tison's grandchildren were named in the will—for Eliza Carter was the slave called Patty, and to Job Carter went Frank.

One other enslaved person was mentioned by name in Job Tison's will: "My Negro Woman named Mary Ann and her future increase I wish left undivided until my youngest child shall become of age."

However, when looking at the "inventory" of all Job Tison's household goods—which included eighteen enslaved people—the names don't seem to agree with the listing in Job's will. The presumption would be that those specifically mentioned in his will were not to be included in this listing.

Though somewhat challenging to read, the list contained the following names: John, Jack, Sam, Harry, Jim, Rose, Caty, Mary, Mary Ann, Charlotte, Amy, Phoebe, Hannah, George, Rick [?], Moses, Dick, and Anak. With the exception of Mary Ann, for whom the stipulation provided that she and her "future increase" were to be "left undivided," no other name on the probate list matched those individuals mentioned in Job Tison's will, despite the fact that several of his children were still underage.

My question, then, seeing that Job's daughter Sidney had, at the time of her own death, several slaves considered to be her own—not her husband's—had any of those come, originally, from the Job Tison plantation, as had Hester?

Another question: if King Stockton came, as an infant, from the Job Tison Plantation, where was his father? There was no mention of another King in the listing for Job's own holdings, though that was the name of our King Stockton's father, according to his biography.


Above: Listing of eighteen enslaved people from the estate of Job Tison, deceased in 1824, from the probate file as found at Ancestry.com.