Watson Family Papers: "Slave Notebook"

The Papers of the Watson family (MSS 530, Small Special Collections Library) of Louisa County, Virginia, is comprised of 10,000 items, including business and personal correspondence, ledger books, bank books, farm account books, and various memorandum books of this Louisa County family. Of particular interest is a slave notebook kept by Thomas Watson in which he records work performed by individual slaves (men and women) and payments for extra work or as a "reward."

Online access to the original and transcription of this primary source will provide insight into monetary transactions between the owner and the enslaved. This notebook is a virtual treasure trove for African American genealogists, whose ancestors were enslaved by this family.