Sarah Randolph

Sarah Randolph first came to my attention in 2007 when Earnestine Myers of California called the research center for information about her ancestor, great-great-great grandmother Sarah Randolph. I was told she was a slave of a Y. W. Randolph who came to Trinity County about 1858 or 1859. At that time, little else was known about Sarah and her life. Please contact me at tchcmuseum@windstream.net if you have any questions regarding the research I have included below.

Sarah is first found in the 1870 US Census for Trinity County, Post Office, Pennington, page 28. She was enumerated as being age 48, [born 1822], keeping house, and being born in Georgia. In the household is her daughter, Nancy, age 21 [born 1849], at home, and being born in Alabama. Also shown are Nancy's children; Alice [Sarah Alice] age 3 [born 1867], born in Texas, and Lee, born in January of 1870. Three households away from Sarah shows Sarah's other grown daughter , Celie [born 1848 in Alabama], [not proven, see "Notes for Celie" in the Family Group Sheet below] in the household of Sarappa, Garcenie [Sarapsas Garcia] and their children, Margaret, age 4, Thomas, age 2, and Susan, age 1 month.

You will find further information collected for Sarah Randolph below that was compiled from Perry County, Alabama, Probate Records. Though Sarah enumerated in 1870 that her place of birth was in Georgia, no further evidence of that has been found as of this writing.

The quest for the genealogy of Sarah Randolph has been an on going, seven year process. It took searching, reading of hundreds of pages of census, probates and following every clue available, but after seven years, in May of 2014, the probate records were found and there appeared Sarah and Nancy. Joy filled my heart to have found them.

Sarah Randolph died, 30July1886 and is buried in the Randolph Family Cemetery. "Sarah Randolph, died July 30, 1886, age 65, A Tender Mother, Faithful Friend" (Photo courtesy of Find a Grave)

Nancy Randolph died 9June1902 and is buried in the Randolph Family Cemetery. "June 8, 1848, Died June 9, 1902, A Precious One From Us is Gone". (Photo courtesy of Find A Grave)

The search for more information about Sarah Randolph began with the fact that she and daughter Nancy, were buried in the family cemetery of the Young William, Y.W. Randolph, previously the owner of Sarah and Nancy. There is mention in the editions of Trinity County, Texas Cemetery book, that Mrs. Elaine Lockhart states "two of Mrs. Randolph slaves are buried in this cemetery" led to the fact that Sarah and Nancy must have been held in high regard by the Randolph's to be buried in the family cemetery. So research began in finding more information about the Randolph's.

To further validate the fondness that the Randolph's held for Sarah, a deed was found in the Trinity County Deed Records, Book H, page 361, [1886] where Y. W. and his then wife Mary, deeded Sarah Randolph, 40 acres of land "in consideration of $200.00 and love and affection Dollars, to us paid by Sarah Randolph".

Y. W. Randolph was born 10March1817 in Warren County, Tennessee. He died in 1891 and is presumably buried in the Randolph Family Cemetery, but no stone for him is found there.

Y.W. Randolph left Tennessee sometime before 1839 because he married Meercy Gibbs, on 24Nov1839, in Perry County, Alabama. It is not known what happened to Meercy Gibbs Randolph, but marriage records show that on 22Mar1844 Y.W. Randolph marries Jane T. Welch-Shields, widow of Richard Singleton Shields. After further research, it was found that Jane was the daughter of John Welch, Perry County, Alabama. According to Alabama Estate files 1830-1976 for the estate of Singleton Shields, Y.W. Randolph is named guardian of child Harriet Shields, daughter of Jane Welch-Shields. Harriet later marries Dr. Dolphus Sanford Hunsaker in about 1858-1859 and they move to Trinity County, Texas in about 1858-1859. In a document found in the Guardianship papers, that on 1Feb1859, Corpus Christi, TX, Harriet S. Shields, now Mrs. Hunsaker, received from Y.W. Randolph, guardian, one negro and her two children, Early and Alabama together with $550.00 in cash. [Evidently the estate settlement.]

Y.W. Randolph is found in the 1850 US Census for Dallas County, Town of Selma, Alabama, and with him are shown wife Jane, daughter Cally, age 4, and H. S. [Harriet] Shields, age 10. In the 1850 Dallas County Schedule 2, Slave Schedule, Y.W. is shown owning 16 slaves. Later in the year 1854 Y.W. Randolph is shown owning 9 slaves in the Alabama State Census, Perry County. In the 1860 US Census for Trinity County, Texas Y.W. is found with wife Jane and daughter Virginia, age 13. The 1860 Trinity County Slave Schedule for Y.W. Randolph shows him owning 9 slaves.

The Randolph's arrive in Trinity County about 1858 or 1859 and begin farming in the Apple Springs area. He was a well respected man of the community and served as Justice of the Peace in the 1870's, and according to old commission's court records, court was held at his house. He was also found in early Trinity County Marriage records as a Minister of God, and performed many marriages, including many of the African American marriages from that time period.

Jane Randolph died in 1860. Mrs. Elaine Lockhart was stated in the Trinity County Cemeteries book as saying that the Randolph slaves belonged to Mrs. Jane Randolph and that they were buried in the Randolph family cemetery. It was from that statement the research began to find how Mrs. Jane Randolph acquired the slaves. After researching the Perry County Records and Probates the acquisition was revealed. Jane inherited [bought] 5 slaves from the estate of her mother, Sarah Welch and deceased sister Caroline P. (Patsy) Welch in 1853. It was also found that in 1853, the heirs listed her sister, Amanda Chandler, and stated her residency was Trinity County, Texas. From the estate, Carroll T. Chandler, husband of Amanda, inherits slave girl named Kiziah. This evidence shows the Chandler's were in Trinity County prior to 1853, when the probate began.

The following is a compilation of the slave transactions of the John Welch as noted in the Probate Records of Perry County, Alabama, for John Welch, who passed in about 1846. No will has been found for John Welch.

"Alabama, Estate Files, 1830-1976," index and images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/VNTJ-TVD : accessed 15 May 2014), John (Sr) Welch, 1855; citing Perry County; FHL microfilm 1543549.

Telitha Haynes, wife of Wm. J. Haynes and daughter of dec’d. Dallas Co., Alabama

Sophia Peeples, wife of Jesse H. Peeples daughter of dec’d, Perry Co., Alabama

Jane Randolph, wife of Y.W. Randolph and daughter of dec’d, Perry Co., Alabama

Amanda Chandler, wife of Carroll T. Chandler and daughter of dec’d, Trinity Co., Texas

Darius S. Welch, son of dec’d, under the age of twenty one, residing in Dallam(sp?)

James F. Welch, son of dec’d, under the age of twenty one, residing in Shelby Co., Alabama

“An inventory of personal property sold by W.H. Welch, and Jesse H. Peeples, Adm. of the estate of John Welch deceased on the 20^th December 1849.”

1 girl Lizie, 450.00-Martha A. Brodnaux(sp), 727.00 [daughter of John Welch, Jr.]

1 girl Kiziah, 450.00-C.T. Chandler, 700.00 [son in law to John Welch, Jr. wife Sarah Amanda]

1 woman Liz and child, 400.00-Caroline P. “Patsy” Welch 693.00 [daughter of John Welch, Jr.]

Sarah Welch Caroline P. Welch Darius Welch J.F.M. Welch Wm. H. Welch C.T. Chandler
Abram Liz and child Emily Ephraim Joanna and child Kiziah
Jacob

Sam                  Lizie                            Wash                 Jim                    Dick          Joseph

                                                              Ned                   Katy

                                                               Ann and Child

*These people were later found in the estate files of Sarah Welch, February 9, 1853

The following is the slave transactions for the Estate of Sarah Welch, 1853.

Source:
"Alabama, Estate Files, 1830-1976," index and images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/VNTJ-TVX : accessed 15 May 2014), Sarah Welch, 1852; citing Perry County; FHL microfilm 1543549.

Telitha Haynes, wife of Wm. J. Haynes and daughter of dec’d. Dallas Co., Alabama

Sophia Peeples, wife of Jesse H. Peeples daughter of dec’d, Perry Co., Alabama

Jane Randolph, wife of Y.W. Randolph and daughter of dec’d, Perry Co., Alabama

Amanda Chandler, wife of Carroll T. Chandler and daughter of dec’d, Trinity Co., Texas

Darius S. Welch, son of dec’d, under the age of twenty one, residing in Dallam(sp?)

James F. Welch, son of dec’d, under the age of twenty one, residing in Shelby Co., Alabama

“First I give to my daughter Patsy Welch, a slave named Sarah, about twenty one years of age, and her youngest child named Nancy, about four years of age.” It appears that Patsy must have passed between 1852 and 1853 when Sarah’s estate was settled. In the estate files there is documentation pertaining to the “Estate of Caroline P. Welch, naming the transaction listed below to Y.W. Randolph.

From the Estate of Sarah Welch, it is shown that Y.W. Randolph also purchased, on the same date, the man named Abram.

*Note: Augustus was not found on any prior estate documents before February 3, 1953 when sold to Y.W. Randolph, and no other documentation was found after this transaction for Augustus.

Submitter:		Susanne Waller, Trinity County Historical Commission

Husband:		Unknown
Born:			Place:
Married:			Place:
Died:			Place:
Cemetery:			Place:
Father:
Mother:
Other Spouses:

Wife:		Sarah Welch-Randolph
Born:		Abt. 1822		Georgia (1870 US Census, Trinity County)
Died:		30July1886 (age 65)		Nigton, Trinity County, TX
Cemetery:		Randolph Family Cemetery	Place:	Apple Springs, Trinity County, TX
Father:		Unknown
Mother:		Unknown
Other Spouses:

Children:

1 Name:	F	Nancy Randolph
Born:		Abt. 18June1848	Place:	Perry County, AL
Died:		9June1902	Place:	Nigton, TX
Cemetery:		Randolph Family Cemetery	Place:	Apple Springs, Trinity County, TX
Spouse 1:		Unknown
Married:			Place:

2 Name:	F	Celie (Celia) (See Notes listed below for Celie Randolph)
Born:		Abt. 1847	Place:	Perry County, AL
Died:			Place:	Nigton, Trinity County, TX
Cemetery:		Unknown	Place:
Spouse 1:		Sarrapsas Garcia (died about 1872 in Sumpter, Trinity County, TX)
Married:			Place:


Sources: 1870 US Census, Trinity County, Texas, pg. 28 Alabama Wills, Sarah Welch, "Alabama, Probate Records, 1809-1985," images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-1-17902-10535-84?cc=1925446 : accessed 29 May 2014), Perry > Wills 1821-1864 vol A-B > image 180 of 371. Probate for John Welch; "Alabama, Estate Files, 1830-1976," index and images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/VNTJ-TVZ : accessed 29 May 2014), John Welch, 1855; citing Perry County County; FHL microfilm 1543549. Probate for Sarah Welch; "Alabama, Estate Files, 1830-1976," index and images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/VNTJ-TVX : accessed 29 May 2014), Sarah Welch, 1852; citing Perry County County; FHL microfilm 1543549.

Notes: On 9Feb1853 Y.W.. Randolph bought slaves from Estate of Caroline P. (Patsy) Welch. Note: Celie Randolph. It is believed that Celie is another daughter of Sarah Randolph, but not proven. Celie was sold to Y.W. Randolph (wife Jane Welch Randolph) from the estate of Caroline P. Welch. Purchase from the Estate included: "Sarah and child Nancy, Celie and Augustus, and man, Abram. In the will of Sarah Welch, it states "First I give to my daughter, Patsy Welch, a slave named Sarah, about 21 years of age, her youngest child named Nancy, about 4 years of age." The statement "youngest" child leads me to believe Sarah had other children. It is "possible" that when the transaction in 1853 where Y.W. Randolph purchases slaves from the Sarah Welch estate that the "family unit" of Sarah was intentionally kept together by the Randolph's, but one can only speculate.

Compiled by:
Susanne Waller
Trinity County Historical Commission
C/o Trinity County Museum
PO Box 123
Groveton, TX 75845