| Name | Age | Color or Race | Sex | Role in document |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| David M. Lewis | Male | trustee of owner | ||
| John Gill | Male | security for owner | ||
| John E. Thomas | Male | security for owner | ||
| Washington Branch | Male | owner | ||
| Nancy | Black ("negro") | Female | enslaved | |
| old Gilford | Black ("negro") | Male | enslaved | |
| Blacksmith | Black ("negro") | Male | enslaved | |
| Norfleet | Black ("negro") | Male | enslaved | |
| Ben | Black ("negro") | Male | enslaved | |
| Joe | Black ("negro") | Male | enslaved | |
| Rhoda | Black ("negro") | Female | enslaved | |
| Emily | adult | Black ("negro") | Female | enslaved |
| Leuisaana | Black ("negro") | Female | enslaved | |
| Clancy | Black ("negro") | Male | enslaved | |
| Hilere | Black ("negro") | Female | enslaved | |
| Nancy | Black ("negro") | Female | enslaved | |
| Sarah | Black ("negro") | Female | enslaved | |
| Olive | Black ("negro") | Female | enslaved | |
| Melissa | Black ("negro") | Female | enslaved | |
| Andrew | Black ("negro") | Male | enslaved | |
| Alfred | Black ("negro") | Male | enslaved | |
| Frank | Black ("negro") | Male | enslaved | |
| Gilford | Black ("negro") | Male | enslaved | |
| Celistia | Black ("negro") | Female | enslaved | |
| William | Black ("negro") | Male | enslaved | |
| Ella | Black ("negro") | Female | enslaved | |
| Henry | Black ("negro") | Male | enslaved | |
| Caplain | Black ("negro") | Male | enslaved | |
| Emily's child [unnamed] | """child""" | Black ("negro") | Unknown | enslaved |
| Calyon | Black ("negro") | Female | enslaved | |
| Wood T. Johnston | Male | creditor of owner | ||
| Richard Ward | Male | creditor of owner | ||
| Yarbrough & Perry | creditor of owner | |||
| Richard T. Yarbrough & Co. | creditor of owner | |||
| Willie Perry | Male | creditor of owner | ||
| Joseph Lewis | Male | creditor of owner | ||
| Joseph Sims | Male | creditor of owner | ||
| Nicholas B. Massenburg | Male | creditor of owner | ||
| J. J. Jones | Male | creditor of owner | ||
| Shaw & King | creditor of owner | |||
| A. H. Davis | Male | creditor of owner | ||
| Ellis Malone | Male | creditor of owner | ||
| A. H. Arington | Male | creditor of owner | ||
| James Collins | Male | creditor of owner |
Washington Branch of Franklin County, NC has accumulated over $6600 in debts to about 15 people, and has involved several men as his securities. In order to reassure his creditors and securities, in this document Branch places two large properties and at least 23 enslaved people in Trust with David M. Lewis. In the main list, the enslaved are named: “…Nancy (old Gilford( Blacksmith Norfleet Ben Joe Rhoda Emily Leuisaana Clancy Hilare Nancy Sarah Olive Melissa Andrew Alfred Frank Gilford Celistia William Ella Henry and Caplain and there [sic] increase…”. If Branch does not pay his debts before February 1, 1845, Trustee Lewis is authorized to sell the enslaved at public auction and make payment. The document contains a second list of nine enslaved people who were definitely in McDowell County, and were eligible for “private sale” by Lewis: “… Norfleet Ben Joe Lusaeana Sarah William Emily & child & Calyon…”. A later sentence allows Lewis to sell “Negro slaves Gilford Blacksmith” at private sale. The implication is that these people might be sold before the Feb. 1, 1845 deadline. Emily’s child is not specified in the larger list, and I don’t think the person I called “Calyon” was included. Washington Branch had connections to at least McDowell, Burke and Franklin Counties, and except as noted, it’s not specified where the enslaved actually are.
