Welcome to the Free African Americans in NC Blog

Welcome to the revised blog. I can log into blogger, but can not add new posts or update anything, so I decided to create a new one from scratch. Most posts from blogger have been moved over, however, I decided to not bring over posts that are specifically transcriptions of records that are already on the site, nor posts about the then-new website. Initially, the blog is where the transcriptions lived, but not so anymore. A few were renamed due to the content not really mathing the blog title. I also brought over the original comments from the blog as well. Enjoy!

Resource for Colonial Research

18 April 2021

It's been a loooong time since I have added anything to the blog. Part of that is because I haven't been able to figute our how to add new posts or edit old ones. To get right to it, the is a great resource online to help with colonial research, whether your ancestors were free people of color or white. It's my go-to resource for anything before 1790. What is it?...

Correction to 1861 Law

25 March 2011

Hi all! This past week I was contacted by a student who is doing research on free blacks who petitioned to become slaves in the late 1850s and early 1860s. I wanted to let you know I made an error on something that was actually never a law. I had stated in an earlier post that there was a law passed in 1861 that allowed free blacks to petition the court to become slaves and choose their masters...

Tale of Two Edmunds

30 January 2011

I get asked a lot about Edmund Pettiford in Guilford County who his parents were by researchers that are trying to tie him into George Pettiford, the Revolutionary War Vet in order to join DAR. I am sorry to inform you that ...

Southern Claims Commission

9 November 2010

I added information on Judy Artis who married Reuben Pettiford and resided in Washington County and also her son Alfred Artis Pettiford, both of which filed claims with the Southern Claims Commission (SCC). Actually, this is one of the untapped resources I've recently discovered! The records for the SCC have been indexed and the records available on...

My Pettiford Research

6 May 2010

Well, I'm sure some of you are wondering what I've been doing with the research. I have spent the past year doing indepth research specifically on the Pettiford family in NC. The Pettiford family is a prolific group! I have traced over 500 Pettifords who all descend from 3 Pettifords (George, Lawrence, and Lewis) who were first recorded in Granville County in the 1740s and 1750s. George, Lawrence, and Lewis are all likely brothers, but...

About Me

Erin Bradford wearing a red sweater

Researching Free African Americans since Fall 2000. Surname focus: Pettiford, Chavis, Carter, Spelman

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