4. Louisa County Wills and Estate Settlements Index 1742-1865

If you find an owner or informant in a birth or death record, or a tax record which indicates an employer, you have a clue to follow.  

Once you have identified someone who may have enslaved the person you are researching, you will want to see if the enslaver or his ancestors left a will and/or estate settlement in which your person of interest was named. You will need to find the “family tree” of the possible slave owner to identify the wills or estate records you want to examine.

For example: In the Death Records, Robert and Patsy Watson had an infant who died in 1867. Addison Nuckolls reported the death for them and lists himself as friend. Since Addison is living in 1867, you will want to look for the will or estate documents of either his father or his wife's father (in rare cases mother). Tracing the family tree back just one generation, using Addison and his wife's marriage record, we come to Charles Nuckolls. Charles died in 1858 and in his will and inventory of his estate is an enslaved man Bob given to Addison and his wife. Although we can’t be sure from this reference, the Bob in the estate could be Robert.  

Contact the Louisa County Historical Society or visit the Louisa County Court House to see the records found in the index.

Link to Accesss the Index to Louisa County Wills and Estate Settlements 1742-1865