African-American Genealogy

Find Quaker books in the Quaker Quaker Archives Research Room (Room 116), Tuesday-Friday, 9am to noon and 2pm to 5pm. A number of these can be checked out with a valid Guilford ID. Books with Quaker Ref or Quaker Rare call numbers can be made available in the Research Room by request. With advanced arrangements, most books can be made available for you to use within the library outside of research room hours.

For manuscripts, ask the Quaker Archives librarian during Research Room hours. An appointment is recommended; call (336) 316-2264 or e-mail archives@guilford.edu.

North Carolina

Byrd, William L. III. North Carolina General Assembly Sessions Records: Slaves and Free Persons of Color, 1709-1789. Heritage Books, 2001. Quaker Ref E185.93.N6 B97 2001

Byrd, William L. III. In Full Force and Virtue: North Carolina Emancipation Records 1713-1860. Bowie, Md., Heritage Books, 1999. Chapters are organized by county.

Heinegg, Paul. Free African Americans of North Carolina, Virginia, and South Carolina, From the Colonial Period to About 1820, Vol I. Baltimore, Clearfield (Genealogical Publishing Co.), Fourth edition, 2001. Quaker Ref E185.96.H482 2001 v.1

Heinegg, Paul. Free African Americans of North Carolina, Virginia, and South Carolina, From the Colonial Period to About 1820, Vol II. Baltimore, Clearfield (Genealogical Publishing Co.), Fourth edition, 2001. Quaker Ref E185.96.H482 2001 v.2

Henry, Philip N. and Carol M. Speas, editors. The Heritage of Blacks in North Carolina, Vol. I, 1990. The North Carolina African-American Heritage Foundation, 1990. Quaker Ref E185.93.N6 H47 1990  Historical articles followed by submitted individual and family profiles.

Hilty, Hiram H. Toward Freedom for All: North Carolina Quakers and Slavery. Friends United Press, 1984. Quaker E445.N8 H55 1984

Hilty, Hiram H. By Land and By Sea: Quakers Confront Slavery and Its Aftermath in North Carolina. North Carolina Friends Historical Society, 1993. Quaker E445.N8 H54 1993 

Books by County

Byrd, William L. III. North Carolina Slaves and Free Persons of Color, Chowan County, Vol. I. Heritage Books, 2003. Quaker Ref F262. C44 B97 v1

Byrd, William L. III. North Carolina Slaves and Free Persons of Color, Chowan County, Vol. II. Heritage Books, 2004. Quaker Ref F262. C44 B97 v2

[Guilford] Coffin, Levi. Reminiscences of Levi Coffin, the Reputed President of the Underground Railroad. R. Clarke & Co., 1880. Quaker E450 .C65  Coffin’s autobiography mentions several slaves by name.

[Guilford] Coffin, Levi. Reminiscences of Levi Coffin, the Reputed President of the Underground Railroad. Friends United Press, 1991. Quaker E450 .C64 1991 

Hill, Jane Smith. An Annotated Digest of Will Book A, Guilford County, North Carolina, 1771-May Court 1816. Heritage Books, 2007. Quaker Ref F262.G9 H53 2007  Contains an index of slaves (first names) mentioned in the wills.

Byrd, William L. III. North Carolina Slaves and Free Persons of Color, Perquimans County. Heritage Books, 2006. Quaker Ref F262.P4 B97 2006 

Leonard (Snow), Carol J. and Agnes Mosley Wells. 1850 census of Surry County, North Carolina: Also Includes 1850 Slave Schedule, 1850 Mortality Schedule. A. M. Wells, 1983. Quaker F262.S9 L46 1850 and Quaker Ref F262.S9 L46 1983 

Wells, Agnes Mosley and Virginia Gentry Phillips. 1860 census of Surry County, North Carolina: Also Includes 1860 Slave Schedule, 1860 Mortality Schedule. A. M. Wells, 1983. Quaker Ref F262.S9 W45 1860

Mendenhall-Hobbs papers
(MS 332)

Series 5: George C. Mendenhall papers. George Mendenhall inherited slaves through his first wife and worked to emancipate them. When he died, his second wife, Delphina, continued working to move slaves to the free states. As executrix for George’s estate, she kept detailed records.

Browning, Mary. “G.C. Mendenhall had slaves taken to Ohio to be freed,” News and Record, Greensboro, Nov. 27, 2013.