About
The Shelby County Museum & Archives houses over twenty thousand packets of Loose Court Case Records. Following a meticulous page-by-page examination of these cases, we have curated a collection focusing on cases involving enslaved individuals.
The next phase of our project involves transcribing these documents to make our collection accessible online. This initiative aims to overcome the "1870 Brick Wall," a barrier often encountered by black individuals seeking information about their ancestry prior to the 1870 Census. By making the transcribed records available on our website for public access, we aim to level the playing field, providing black individuals with improved opportunities to trace their family history.
Loose Court Records offer valuable insights into the treatment of slaves within our justice system. These documents feature a range of offenses, from trading goods with a slave to more serious crimes such as rape and murder. Additionally, the collections frequently include cases concerning disputes over emancipation and documents pertaining to the ownership of slaves.
Works
State vs Carden Regarding Trade with a Slave 37A Packet 26
3 pages: 66% complete (0% indexed, 100% transcribed, 33% needs review)
State vs Cinda (Lucinda), a Slave, Regarding Assault and Battery 11B Packet 133
3 pages: 66% complete (0% indexed, 100% transcribed, 33% needs review)
State vs Comer Regarding Murder of Negro Convict 49A Packet 8
Collaboration is restricted.
5 pages: 0% complete (0% indexed, 0% transcribed)
State vs Daughton Regarding Sale of Liquor to a Slave 29A Packet 64
Collaboration is restricted.
3 pages: 66% complete (0% indexed, 67% transcribed)
State vs Dumas Regarding Trade with a Slave 6B Packet 129
Collaboration is restricted.
3 pages: 0% complete (0% indexed, 0% transcribed)
State vs Dye Regarding Trade with a Slave 29A Packet 166
Collaboration is restricted.
5 pages: 80% complete (0% indexed, 80% transcribed)
State vs Dye Regarding Trade with a Slave 48A Packet 16
Collaboration is restricted.
5 pages: 0% complete (0% indexed, 0% transcribed)
State vs Finley Regarding Sale of Liquor to Slave 5B Packet 68
Collaboration is restricted.
6 pages: 0% complete (0% indexed, 0% transcribed)
State vs Florey Regarding Murder of Charles, a Slave 11A Packet 070
Collaboration is restricted.
38 pages: 15% complete (0% indexed, 16% transcribed)
State vs Freeze Regarding Cruelty to a Slave 11B Packet 28
8 pages: 87% complete (0% indexed, 101% transcribed, 13% needs review)