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 Lewis Regarding Assault with Intent to Murder 9B Packet 155
3 pages: 100% complete (0% indexed, 100% transcribed)
State vs Miller Regarding Sale of Liquor to a Slave 37A Packet 10
3 pages: 100% complete (0% indexed, 100% transcribed)
State vs Nash Regarding Trade with a Slave 29A Packet 144
3 pages: 100% complete (0% indexed, 100% transcribed)
State vs Neighbors Regarding Cruelty to a Slave 54A Packet 11
4 pages: 100% complete (0% indexed, 100% transcribed)
State vs Oakley Regarding Cruelty to a Slave 31A Packet 76
3 pages: 100% complete (0% indexed, 100% transcribed)
State vs Oldham, Walker, Faust & Neighbors Regarding Assault of Slave 52A Packet 78
3 pages: 100% complete (0% indexed, 100% transcribed)
State vs Potter Regarding Theft of a Slave 37A Packet 121
15 pages: 100% complete (0% indexed, 100% transcribed)
State vs Robertson Regarding Sale of Liquor to a Slave 26B Packet 85
3 pages: 100% complete (0% indexed, 100% transcribed)
State vs Rushing and Moss Regarding Sale of Liquor to a Slave 30B Packet 280
3 pages: 100% complete (0% indexed, 100% transcribed)
State vs Satterfield Regarding Sale of Liquor to a Slave 31A Packet 102
9 pages: 100% complete (22% indexed, 100% transcribed)