West Feliciana Parish Slaves from Plantations Owned by Richard Haile & Sarah Rucker Haile

The following is a list of slaves recorded on the succession record of Sarah Rucker Haile, wife of Richard H. Haile, dated May 13, 1859 in West Feliciana Parish, Louisiana.  For more information on this list click here.

Separate Property owned by Sarah Rucker Haile
Name	Approximate Age
Lige	aged 50 years
Betsey	aged 50 years
Lewis	aged 12 years
L. Bob	aged 35 years
Susan	aged 20 years
Louisa	aged 2 years
Pharis	aged 3 years
Francis	aged 28 years
Sam	aged 9 years
Judy	aged 55 years
Dave	aged 25 years
Henrietta	aged 22 years
Old Maria	aged 60 years
Alfred	aged 30 years
John	aged 23 years
Moses	aged 18 years
Isaac	aged 24 years
Taylor	aged 13 years
Community Property owned by Richard H. Haile & Sarah Rucker Haile
Name	Approximate Age
Clarrisa	aged 50 years
Jim	aged 18 years
Eliza	aged 13 years
Isabel	aged 18 years
Sylvester	aged 4 years
Kelly	aged 30 years
Ellen	aged 3 years
Hannah	aged 10 years
Anna	aged 10 years
Austin	aged 9 years
Patrick	aged 50 years
Ann	aged 45 years
Milly	aged 35 years
Mati?a	aged 15 years
Kitty	aged 50 years
Little Lize	aged 9 years
Lucy	aged 8 years
Phillip	aged 6 years
Noah	aged 4 years
Jacob	aged 1 year
Amelia	aged 15 years
Marinda	aged 12 years
Willis	aged 8 years
Lily	aged 6 years
Doctor	aged 24 years
Chaney	aged 20 years
Delphine	aged 2 years
Charles	aged 45 years
Clarice	aged 45 years
Muse	aged 1 year
Dick	aged 40 years
Ned	aged 23 years
Susan	aged 17 years
Lindy	Infant
Big Nelson	aged 45 years
Lizzy	aged 35 years
Mary Ann	aged 17 years
Mira	aged 12 years
Nelson	aged 10 years
Isaac	aged 6 years
Rachael	aged 2 years
Horace	aged 40 years
Laura	aged 8 years
Horace	aged 4 years
Israel	aged 1 year
John	aged 25 years
Isaac	aged 35 years
Old Billy	aged 60 years
[Tower?]	aged 22 years
L. George	aged 31 years
Judy	aged 40 years
Olivia	aged 16 years
Robert	aged 8 years
Kate	aged 4 years
Temple	aged 1 year
Old George	aged 75 years
Wilson	aged 30 years
Nelly	aged 45 years
Julia	aged 35 years
Mary	aged 15 years
Jim	aged 12 years
Tom	aged 8 years
Corean	aged 6 years
William	aged 4 years
William	aged 4 years
Jack	aged 40 years
Patty	aged 40 years
Tempy	aged 13 years
Minty	aged 10 years
Eleven	aged 31 years
Margaret	aged 35 years
Dennis	aged 16 years
Jenny	aged 55 years
Willis	aged 35 years
Comfort	aged 45 years
Mary Pete	aged 20 years
Julia	aged 23 years
Anthony	aged 30 years
Henry	aged 35 year
Property now in possession of Benjamin Franklin Haile (Son)
Name	Approximate Age
Martha	aged 24 years
Amelia	aged 21 years
Catharine	aged 2 years
Paris	aged 1 year
George	aged 35 years
Caroline	aged 40 years
Louisa	aged 27 years
George	aged 22 years
Ann	aged 24 years
Maria	aged 50 years
Spencer	aged 54 years
Ersy	aged 20 years
Harriet	aged 12 years
Rachael	aged 24 years
Sam	aged 25 years
Leah	aged 2 years
Eliz	aged 22 years & Infant aged 6 months [?]
Rose	aged 17 years
[Illegible]	aged 28 years
Property previously given to Benjamin Franklin Haile (no real title made to him)
Name	Approximate Age
Edmund	aged 27 year
Henry	aged 27 years
Amy	aged 40 years
Emily	aged 20 years
Gabriel	aged 25 years
Harriet	aged 30 years
Betsy	aged 40 years
Ned	aged 13 years
Levy	aged 8 years
Mahala	aged 22 years & two children
[Illegible]	aged 22 years
Property previously given to Ann Haile Stewart (Daughter) & W.M. Stewart (no real title made to them)
Name	Approximate Age
Catharine	aged 35 years
Betsy	aged 5 years
Fanny	aged 3 years
Bell	aged 16 years
Infant
Jeff	aged 30 years
Harry	aged 35 years
Dick	aged 16 years
Jule	aged 8 years
Old Jane	aged 60 years
Ellen	aged 14 years
Property previously given to Mary Eliza Haile Harbour & PleasantJ. Harbour (no real title made to them)
Name	Approximate Age
Nelson	aged 38 years
Able	aged 30 years
Alphonse	aged 18 years
Mary	aged 45 years
Amelia	aged 22 years
Kitty	aged 20 years
Nancy	aged 30 years
Hannah	aged 5 years
Will	aged 4 years
Martin	aged 1 year
Property previously given to Laura Haile Wilson & Alexander Wilson (no real title made to him)
Name	Approximate Age
Sally	aged 20 years
Cornelius	aged  4 years
Mary Jane	aged 40 years
Cyrus	aged 4 years
Lizzy	aged 35 years
Demps	aged 28 years
Sara Jane	aged 7 years
Catharine	aged 5 years
Dorcas	aged 3 years
Eliza	aged 2 years
Julia	aged 40 years
Delia	aged 15 years
Arm[?]n	aged 17 years
Manuel	aged 35 years
Mariah	aged 27 years

Source: West Feliciana Parish Probate Records, Inventory Book G, pp. 384-389 (WFP Courthouse)

Finding your Ancestors in Probate Records - The Slaves of Richard Haile & Sarah (Rucker) Haile

In July of 2013, I went to the Louisiana State Archives for genealogical research.  Fortunately, I happened to run into Judy Riffel, notable Professional Genealogist, Author, Researcher and Lecturer who I met a year or so prior through my cousin, Patricia Bayonne-Johnson.

While looking for information about my ancestors who were slaves on Laurel Hill Plantation, owned by Richard Haile & his wife, Sarah Rucker Haile, Judy helped me discover an incredible five-page document that not only linked me to ancestors I found in the 1870 Census, but also confirmed my relationship with one of my DNA cousins on 23andme.  

Judy explained when researching ancestors born during slavery, if you know the name of the slave owner, a great source of information could be a succession, or probate record for the deceased slave owner and/or his/her family members.  Prior to the Civil War, slaves were listed as inventory in these records when estimating the value of a person's estate.  Naturally, the only way these records are beneficial to researchers looking for slave names is if the slave owner, or his family members died prior to the end of the Civil War.  First, Judy and I checked the 1870 & 1880 Census for the Haile Family, Sarah was not listed in 1870 and in 1880, but Richard was listed as a widower.  We found her in 1850, but not 1860 so it was plausible that she died within that decade.  We searched the microfilm and found an 1859 West Feliciana Parish Succession Record for Sarah Rucker Haile.  

These first 6 images posted are copies from the original microfilm:

Page1

Page 2

Page 3

Page 4

Page 5

Page 6

These next 6 images are my transcriptions of each page for easier reading:

Page 1

Page 2

Page 3

Page 4

Page 5

Page 6

Near the bottom of page 3, my ancestors are listed starting with my 4^th great-grandmother, Julia Lee, and her children: Mary, Jim Tom, Corean & William.  One of my 23andme DNA Relatives told me her 2nd great grandfather was named Thomas Lee from West Feliciana Parish.  This document confirmed our relationship. Her DNA matched me and several of my known cousins.  We are all descendants of Mary Lee.

1880 Census with Julia Lee and Richard Haile

This 1880 Census now makes more sense to me.  At the top, my 4x GGM Julia Lee is listed as head of household (the surname "Lee" is still a mystery to our family).  Next is her son Jefferson, a child not listed in the probate, but looking at his age (20 yrs old), she may have been pregnant with him when the probate was recorded.  Jefferson is listed as being born in Louisiana by the notation "La," his father born in South Carolina by the notation "S.C." and his mother born in Maryland by the notation "Md."  I highlight this fact because it is my strong belief that Richard Haile is Jefferson's father.  On line 25, 5 rows down from Jefferson, is "R. H. Haile," which is Richard at 83 years old.  The census shows he was also born in South Carolina.  

In 1992, my great-grandmother told me that her mother, Lizzie, was the daughter of "Colonel Haile."  Studying the Haile family, I know that Richard and his son Richard, Jr. both carried the title of "Colonel" so I can't say for sure which is her father. There is a possibility that it could be another male Haile child.  On Lizzie's death record, her mother's (Mary Lee) maiden name is listed as "Hail."  Sadly, this was an unfortunate, yet common occurrence on slave plantations where generations of slave owning males reproduced children with their female slaves.  Apparently, Richard fathered all of Julia's children because all of them list their father as being born in South Carolina.

Thanks to the probate record, I now know that Haile's daughter who is listed below him, "M.E. Harbour" is Mary Eliza Harbour.  Also, the next head of household listed, "M.W. Stewart" and his wife, "A.C.," are Richard's daughter (Ann Haile Stewart), son-in-law and their children.

Click here for an internet searchable list of all the slaves' names in Sarah Rucker Haile's Succession record for those looking for ancestors in West Feliciana Parish.