From: heath@athena.cs.uga.edu (Terrance Heath)
Subject: African-American Genealogy
Organization: University of Georgia, Athens
Distribution: usa
Date: Tue, 10 Nov 1992 00:04:59 GMT


	I've never posted to this group before, but I thought I'd give
it a try. I'm an African-American student, just beginning to trace my
family history. I mention being African American because doing
research on black families presents some obstacles not encountered in
other research.  I've gotten off to a good start, and basically I'd
like to know what to do next.
	With a simple trip to the library on campus, armed only with
the knowledge of my grandparents' names and some knowledge of family
history, I've already had some success. I managed to locate my
great-grandfather in the 1910 Census Index. I was clued in  by the
fact that his first name was the same as my grandfathers middle name.
He had an adopted son at the time (my grandfather was adopted, and I
do also have the name of his birth mother).  I took down his name, and
his wife's as well as the information on their two adopted children. I
then went back ten years to the previous census and found my great
grandfather again, but also stumbled upon my great-great grandfather
(My great GF was a Jr. and my great-great GF was the Senior) with a
wife and a whole passel of children.
	According to the Census Index information, my great-great
grandfather was born in Georgia in 1847.  He and my great grandfather
lived in the same county in South Georgia, and both of them were
listed as farmers in the 1900 Census Report. I've a feeling they were
slaves, at least my great-great grandfather, and probably stayed on or
near the plantation after emancipation, to farm on shares.  I also
checked a book on the history of that county and found one of the
major property owners in that county had the same last name as my
grandfathers. I figure if he owned property, he likely owned slaves
to, and if he did then there might be some record. 
	In the 1870 Census Index I found a lot of black and a few
white citizens all bearing my last name, so I think that there my well
have been a wealthy white family who owned slaves before the war, and
passed on that name which my ancestors obviously decided to keep.  I
also found a black woman with my family name who was 105 years old at
the time of the 1870 Census. Even though she was born in Virginia, I
have a feeling she is a relative, and if she is that will take my
family back to 1765.
	The question is, what do I do now?  Have I exahausted what the
Census reports can tell me?  I've looked for the 105 year old woman in
the 1870 reports, but the page on which the index says her name is
written is not in the report. I've no idea why, except that perhaps
that part of the microfilm was damaged and had to be removed.  I am
also thinking of getting my great-great grandfathers death certificate
(if that is possible). I noticed that he seemed to disappear between
1900 and 1910.   It may or may not exist. I'm afraid there may not be
any extant marriage certificates or records, especially for those
ancestors of mine who were married during slavery. I know there are
probably not any birth certificates either since most of my ancestors
were born outside of hospitals (Hell, even my parents were born at
home. I'm a part of only the second generation to be born in a
hospital).
	If anyone has any suggestions I would greatly appreciate them.
Also if anyone is doing research on a black family named Heath (or
even a white family named Heath) who lived in Talbot County Georgia, I
would really appreciate hearing from you.
-- 
"Black men loving black men is THE revolutionary act!"
			-Joseph Beam_
Terrance Heath 
heath@athena.cs.uga.edu
Newsgroups: soc.roots