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
Case Regarding Theft of Multiple Slaves 39A Packet 96A
58 pages: 89% complete (3% indexed, 100% transcribed, 10% needs review)
Estate of Eli Cost Including Slave Names 08B Packet 52
Collaboration is restricted.
83 pages: 66% complete (6% indexed, 97% transcribed, 31% needs review)
Moore vs Spaight Regarding Lein on Negro 2A Packet 003
Collaboration is restricted.
4 pages: 25% complete (0% indexed, 25% transcribed)
State vs Bates Regarding Sale of Calico to a Slave 20A Packet 52
Collaboration is restricted.
7 pages: 28% complete (0% indexed, 29% transcribed)
State vs Brinker Regarding Sale of Liquor to a Slave 31A Packet 100
Collaboration is restricted.
5 pages: 0% complete (0% indexed, 40% transcribed, 40% needs review)
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 Dumas Regarding Trade with a Slave 11A Packet 24
Collaboration is restricted.
3 pages: 0% complete (0% indexed, 0% transcribed)
State vs Florey Regarding Murder of Charles, a Slave 11A Packet 070
Collaboration is restricted.
38 pages: 0% complete (0% indexed, 0% transcribed)
State vs Freeze Regarding Cruelty to a Slave 11B Packet 28
8 pages: 87% complete (0% indexed, 101% transcribed, 13% needs review)