Richard Eskridge Plantation

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OVERVIEW

Location: Carroll County, Mississippi; Eskridge, near Duck Hill
Date Constructed/ Founded: ca. 1834
Associated Surnames: Eskridge, Butler, Hanks, Love, Swift, Weed
Historical Notes: Richard “Dick” Edmund Eskridge (referred to as Richard Eskridge) was born in South Carolina in 1775. By age 25, he had a family (a wife, Nancy Livingston Eskridge, and two children) and enslaved 7 people, perhaps on land associated with his father’s estate, the Burdett Eskridge Plantation. Between 1811 and 1830, Richard and his family (which grew to include 8 children), and the the people he enslaved (up to 14 total) migrated from Richard’s father’s plantation in South Carolina to Perry County, Alabama. By 1834 the group had moved to Mississippi in an area previously settled by John C. McKenzie (1833), near Duck Hill. There, Richard Eskridge purchased several hundred acres and established a large slaveholding estate. The resulting town of Eskridge was named after him.

His son Taliaferro “Tollivar” Eskridge lived with him (1860 Census), and may have helped him to manage his large plantation. Marion Hanks, an overseer for Richard Eskridge, migrated from Alabama to Carroll Co., MS in 1846 and started working at the plantation ca. 1858. In the 1850’s Richard Eskridge had begun distributing his estate to his heirs, which may have become complicated by the fact that he outlived two of his sons. Richard’s son Thomas L. Eskridge died in 1838, passing his property to his widow and children (see T.L. Eskridge Plantation). Richard’s son Samuel B. Eskridge was entitled to land and slaves, but he died in 1842. In a final amendment to his will, in 1860 Richard bequeathed at least 12 enslaved persons to his grandson Burdett Eskridge (age 25, son of Taliaferro Eskridge), which prompted the family to dispute this ownership in court.

Associated Pages: Burdett Eskridge Plantation (Edgefield Co., SC), T.L. Eskridge Plantation (Carroll Co., MS), Richard E. Eskridge Plantation (Carroll Co., MS)
Accession: MScarro00001

ASSOCIATED ENSLAVED PERSONS

Eskridge family: Jefferson Eskridge (b.1829-d.1878); Eliza “Lucy” Eskridge (b.1829-d.1878) – wife (m.?); William Hanks (b.1847-d.1918) – son of J. and E. Eskridge; Tom Hanks (b.1859-d.1920) – son of M. Hanks (overseer) and E. Eskridge

Eskridge family: Mitchel Eskridge (b.1840-d.?) – from Mississippi; Sabo Eskridge (b.1845-d.?) – wife, from Mississippi; Sally Eskridge (b.1870-d.?) – dau.

Eskridge family: William B. Eskridge (maybe “Luke”) (b.1832-d.?) – from North Carolina; Amanda Eskridge (b.1829-d.?) – wife, from Alabama; Nelson Eskridge (maybe “N.E.”) (b.1853-d.?) – son; Elias Eskridge (maybe “E.J.”) (b.1853-d.?)

Information from Antebellum Census & Estate Records

1800: 7 slaves [1800 U.S. Federal Census, Abbeville Co., SC, Richard Eskridge, 7 slaves]

1810: 5 slaves [1810 U.S. Federal Census, Abbeville Co., SC, Richd Eskridge, 5 slaves]
Note: Probably Richard’s uncle, Richard Eskridge (b.1739-d.1816)

1830: 14 slaves – 2 boys under age 10 (b.1821-1830); 1 male, age 10 – 23 (b.1807-1820); 2 men, age 24 – 35 (b.1795-1806); 1 man, age 55 – 99 (b.1731-1775); 6 girls under age 10 (b.1821-1830); 2 women, age 24 – 35 (b.1795-1806) [1830 U.S. Federal Census, Perry Co., AL, Richd Eskridge, 14 slaves]
Note: also 2 free colored persons: 1 male under age 10 (b.1821-1830); 1 male, age 10 – 23 (b.1807-1820)

1840: 9 slaves – 3 boys under age 10 (b.1841-1840); 1 man, age 36 – 54 (b.1786-1804); 2 girls under age 10 (b.1841-1840); 1 female, age 10 – 23 (b.1817-1830); 1 woman, age 24 – 35 (b.1805-1816); 1 woman, age 55 – 99 (b.1741-1785) [1840 U.S. Federal Census, Carroll Co., MS, Richard Eskridge, 9 slaves]

1850: Group 1 – Male age 60 (b.1790), Male age 60 (b.1790), Male age 40 (b.1810), Male age 40 (b.1810), Female age 45 (b.1805), Female age 45 (b.1805), Male age 25 (b.1825), Male age 13 (b.1837), Male age 13 (b.1837);  Group 2 – Male age 32 (b.1818), Female age 22 (b.1828), Female age 9 (b.1841), Male age 6 (b.1844), Male age 4 (b.1846); Group 3 – Male age 25 (b.1825), Male age 32 (b.1818), Male age 28 (b.1822), Male age 25 (b.1825), Male age 25 (b.1825), Male age 22 (b.1828); Group 4 – Male age 27 (b.1823), Female age 22 (b.1828), Female age 24 (b.1826), Female age 3 (b.1847), Female age 3 (b.1847), Male age 1 (b.1849);  Group 5 – Male age 27 (b.1823), Female age 22 (b.1828), Female age 24 (b.1826), Female age 3 (b.1847), Female age 3 (b.1847), Male age 1 (b.1849); Group 6 – Male age 23 (b.1827), Male age 25 (b.1825), Male age 22 (b.1828) [1850 U.S. Federal Census – Slave Schedule, Carroll Co., MS, Richard Eskridge, 29 total]

1853: Will of Richard E. Eskridge: to Julia Eskridge (daughter-in-law, widow of Thomas Eskridge) – Moses Jr., Bill, Mitch; to Rebecca Weed (daughter) – Rich, Martha and son Jim; to Mary A. Swift (daughter) – Luke, his wife Amanda, their child Nelson, and Elias, Abram; to Julia A. Bamburg (?) – after the death of Mary A. Swift, Luke, his wife Amanda, their child Nelson; to Beloved Blewett Love – after the death of Mary A. Swift, Elias, Abram

1860: Group 1 – female age 17 (b.1843), female age 16 (b.1844), female age 13 (b.1847), female age 11 (b.1849), male age 8 (b.1852), female age 3 (b.1857), female age 3 (b.1857); Group 2 – male age 30 (b.1830), female age 28 (b.1832), female age 14 (b.1846), male age 12 (b.1848), male age 10 (b.1850), male age 8 (b.1852), female age 3 (b.1857), female age 1 (b.1859); Group 3 – female age 24 (b.1836), male age 1 (b.1859); Group 4 – male age 37 (b.1823), male age 36 (b.1824), female age 26 (b.1834), male age 9 (b.1851); Group 5 – male age 28 (b.1832); Group 6 – male age 38 (b.1822), male age 34 (b.1826), male age 30 (b.1830); Group 7 – male age 63 (b.1797), male age 41 (b.1819), male age 21 (b.1839); Group 8 – female age 70 (b.1790), female age 16 (b.1844); Group 9 – male age 64 (b.1796), male age 24 (b.1836), male age 20 (b.1840), male age 16 (b.1844); Group 10 – male age 36 (b.1824), female age 35 (b.1825), male age 13 (b.1847), female age 2 (b.1858); Group 11 – male age 16 (b.1844), male age 14 (b.1846), female age 8 (b.1852); Group 12 – male age 60 (b.1800), female age 60 (b.1800), male age 50 (b.1810), male age 21 (b.1839), female age 20 (b.1840), female age 14 (b.1846)  [1860 U.S. Federal Census (Slave Schedule), Carroll Co., MS, Richard Eskridge, 49 total, 9 houses]
Note: There are two Richard Eskridge households near each other in October 1860 [US Federal Census, Carroll Co., MS], Richard (age 85, with son Tollivar et. al., estate value = $92,000) and Richard E. (age 34, with wife Louisa et. al., estate value = $5,000). The larger enslaved persons list may be associated with the elder Richard.

1860: Codicil to the Will of Richard E. Eskridge
To Burdett Eskridge (grandson, son of Taliaferro Eskridge) – Moses Jr., Bill, Mitch, Jim age 22, Luke, Amanda (and all children and descendants), Nelson, Elias, Abram, Richard, Martha and her son Jim (Akee Tree)

1860: Group 1 – Female age 33 (b.1827), Male age 21 (b.1839), Male age 19 (b.1841), Male age 18 (b.1842), Male age 16 (b.1844), Male age 14 (b.1846), Male age 12 (b.1848), Male age 8 (b.1852), Female age 5 (b.1855), Male age 4 (b.1856), Female age 2 (b.1858), Female age 1 (b.1859); Group 2 – Male age 38 (b.1822), Female age 16 (b.1844) [1860 U.S. Federal Census – Slave Schedule, Carroll Co., GA, Tollivar Eskridge, 14 total, 4 houses]

1860: Male age 13 (b.1847) [1860 U.S. Federal Census – Slave Schedule, Carroll Co., GA, Marion Hanks, 1 total, 1 house]

ASSOCIATED FREE PERSONS

Eskridge family: Richard “Dick” Edmund Eskridge (b.1775-d.1860) – owner, son of Burdett Eskridge who owned the Burdett Eskridge Plantation in SC; Nancy Livingston Eskridge (b.1782-d.1821) – wife of R.E. Eskridge (m.?); Burdit Mark Eskridge (b.1798-d.?) – son; Julia Ann Eskridge (b.1800-d.?) – dau.; Mary Ann Eskridge (b.1800-d.1860) – dau.; Thomas Livingston Eskridge (b.1801-d.1838) – son; Taliaferro “Tollivar” Eskridge (b.1803-d.1864) – son; Samuel Burdett Eskridge (b.1809-d.1842) – son; Richard Ringold Eskridge (b.1807-d.?) – son; Savannah Rebecca Eskridge (b.1811-d.1880) – dau.

Eskridge family: Thomas Livingston Eskridge (b.1801-d.1838) – son of R.E. and N.L. Eskridge, owner of T.L. Eskridge Plantation (Carroll Co., MS); Julia A. Lilly Eskridge (b.1805-d.1869) – wife (m.1824); Richard Edmund Eskridge (b.1826-d.1896) – son; David Lilly Eskridge (b.1831-d.?) – son; William Chiles Eskridge (b.1833-d.1878) – son; Sarah Rebecca Eskridge (b.1836-d.?). – dau.; Mary Tabitha Eskridge (b.?-d.?) – dau.

Love family (Carroll Co., MS): Friend Ovid Love (b.1795-d.1836); Mary Ann Eskridge Swift Love (b.1800-d.1860) – wife (m.1821), widow of William Archibald Swift (b.1796-d.1821, m.1817), dau. of R.E. and N.L. Eskridge; William Archibald Swift Jr. (b.1818-d.1891) – son of W.A. and M.A.E. Swift Love

Eskridge family: Taliaferro “Tollivar” Eskridge (b.1803-d.1864) – son of R.E. and N.L. Eskridge; Sophia Bonhan Butler Eskridge (b.1807-d.1859) – wife (m.1829); Julia Emma Eskridge (b.1838-d.?) – dau.; Nancy L. “Nannie” Eskridge (b.1840-d.?) – dau.; Pierce Millege Eskridge (b.1848-d.?) – son; Mary R. “Mollie” Eskridge (b.1845-d.?) – dau.; Susan P. Eskridge (b.1851-d.?) – dau.; Samuel B. Eskridge (b.1843-d.?) – son; James L. Eskridge (b.1830-d.) – son; Elizabeth Eskridge (b.1832-d.?) – dau; Burdett R. Eskridge (b.1835-d.?) – son; Robert Eskridge (b.1839-d.?) – son; Thomas Eskridge (b.1834-d.?) – son; Richard Eskridge (b.1841-d.?) – son

Eskridge family: Samuel Burdett Eskridge (b.1809-d.1842) – son of R.E. and N.L. Eskridge; Hartwell Grantham Eskridge (b.?-d.?) – wife; Thomas R. Eskridge (b.?-d.?) – son; Sarah “Sally” Rebecca Eskridge (b.1836-d.?) – dau.; Robert J. Eskridge (b.1839-d.?) – son; Richard S. Eskridge (b.1841-d.?) – son

Weed family: James Cooper Weed (b.1801-d.~1860); Savannah Rebecca Eskridge Weed (b.1811-d.1880) – wife (m.1828), dau. of R.E. and N.L. Eskridge; Samuel Weed (b.1837-d.?) – son; Mary J. Weed (b.1830-d.?) – dau.; William H. Weed (b.1841-d.) – son; Richard Weed (b.1828-d.?) – son; Nancy E. Weed (b.1830-d.?) – dau.; Taliaferro Weed (b.1835-d.?) – son; Martha A. Weed (b.1843-d.?) – dau.; Ira G. Weed (b.1849-d.?) – son; Nathaniel Weed (b.1832-d.?) – son; Thomas B. Weed (b.1834-d.?) – son; Francis M. Weed (b.1854-d.?) – son; John D. Weed (b.1845-d.?) – son; Dabney L. Weed (b.1847-d.?) – son

Hanks family: Marion Hanks (b.1827-d.1864) – overseer for Richard Eskridge; Elizabeth Miers Hanks (b.?-d.?) – wife (m.1846)

HISTORICAL RECORDS AND DATA

  • Digital family tree: Raper, Vanderford, Kingsland, Wilkins and Connecting Branches (ID 131619), Richard Edmund Eskridge (ID I75469) (RootsWeb WorldConnect)
  • Digital family tree: Richard Eskridge (1775 – 1860), https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Eskridge-267 (Wikitree)
  • 1800 U.S. Federal Census, Abbeville Co., South Carolina, USA (Ancestry.com) – Richard Eskridge (Series: M32; Roll: 47; Page: 5)
  • 1810 U.S. Federal Census, Abbeville Co., South Carolina, USA (Ancestry.com) – Richd Eskridge (Roll: 60; Page: 118)
  • 1830 U.S. Federal Census, Perry Co., Alabama, USA (Ancestry.com) – Richd Eskridge (Series: M19; Roll: 3; Page: 77)
  • 1840 U.S. Federal Census, Carroll Co., Mississippi, USA (Ancestry.com) – Richd Eskridge (Roll: 215; Page: 50); Taliaferro (Tolider) Eskridge (Roll: 215; Page: 50); Julia Eskridge (Roll: 215; Page: 50)
  • 1850 U.S. Federal Census, Carroll Co., Mississippi, USA (Ancestry.com) – Julia Eskridge (b. 1806), no occupation, household 17 (Roll: 369; Page: 254b); Taliaferro (Taleferd) Eskridge (b.1803), farmer, household 73 (Roll: 369; Page: 259a); Richard Eskridge (b.1775), farmer, household 628 (Roll: 369; Page: 297b)
  • 1860 U.S. Federal Census, Carroll Co., Mississippi, USA (Ancestry.com) – Richard Eskridge (b.1775), farmer, household 167 (Page: 840); Taliaferro (Tollivar) Eskridge (b.1803), farmer, household 167 (Page: 840); Marion Hanks (b.1827), overseer, household 168 (Page: 840)
  • 1870 U.S. Federal Census, Carroll Co., Mississippi, USA (Ancestry.com) – Mitchel Eskridge (b.1840), black, farmer, household 17 (Roll: M593_723; Page: 691B); Wm. B. Eskridge (b.1832), black, farmer, household 101 (Roll: M593_723; Page: 698B)
  • Richard Edmund Eskridge, memorial ID 23101268 (Find a Grave)
  • Chief Duck Statue – Duck Hill is named for a large hill northeast of the town, where a Choctaw chief named “Duck” held war councils. Chief Duck was also a medicine man or shaman. A statue of Chief Duck is located on U.S. Route 51 in Duck Hill. Information from Chief Duck Statue, entry ID 52473 (Roadside America), and Duck Hill, Mississippi (Wikipedia.com).
  • 1853 Will of Richard E. Eskridge – Last Will and Testament of Richard Eskridge, 1853 (October 7), and Codicil, 1854 (September 24). Carroll County, Mississippi, USA, Will book A, page 406. Obtained from Ancestry.com, Public Member Photos and Scanned Documents.

NOTABLE DESCENDANTS

  • Stephen Hanks – Author of “Akee Tree”; great-great grandson of Marion Hanks (b.1827-d.1864) and Eliza Eskridge (b.1829-d.1878)

REFERENCES

  • Ancestry.com. 1800 United States Federal Census [database on-line]. http://ancestry.com. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2010. Second Census of the United States, 1800: Population Schedules, Washington County, Territory Northwest of the River Ohio; and Population Census, 1803: Washington County, Ohio. NARA microfilm publication M1804 (1 roll).
  • Ancestry.com. 1810 United States Federal Census [database on-line]. http://ancestry.com. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2010. Third Census of the United States, 1810. (NARA microfilm publication M252, 71 rolls). Bureau of the Census, Record Group 29. National Archives, Washington, D.C.
  • Ancestry.com. 1830 United States Federal Census [database on-line]. http://ancestry.com. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2010. Fifth Census of the United States, 1830. (NARA microfilm publication M19, 201 rolls). Records of the Bureau of the Census, Record Group 29. National Archives, Washington, D.C.
  • Ancestry.com. 1840 United States Federal Census [database on-line]. http://ancestry.com. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2010. Sixth Census of the United States, 1840. (NARA microfilm publication M704, 580 rolls). Records of the Bureau of the Census, Record Group 29. National Archives, Washington, D.C.
  • Ancestry.com. 1850 U.S. Federal Census – Slave Schedules [database on-line]. http://ancestry.com. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2004. United States of America, Bureau of the Census. Seventh Census of the United States, 1850. Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1850. M432, 1,009 rolls.
  • Ancestry.com. 1860 U.S. Federal Census – Slave Schedules [database on-line]. http://ancestry.com. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2010. United States of America, Bureau of the Census. Eighth Census of the United States, 1860. Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1860. M653, 1,438 rolls
  • Ancestry.com. 1870 United States Federal Census [database on-line]. http://ancestry.com. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2009. 1870 U.S. census, population schedules. NARA microfilm publication M593, 1,761 rolls.
  • Wikitree.com. [database online] http://www.wikitree.com/.
  • Ancestry.com. Public Member Photos and Scanned Documents: Richard Eskridege: Will, MS Will Book A p. 406 [database online]. http://ancestry.com.
  • Find a Grave. [database online]. http://findagrave.com.
  • Roadside America. Duck Hill, Mississippi: Chief Duck Statue [database on-line]. https://www.roadsideamerica.com/.
  • Wikipedia. Duck Hill, Mississippi [database on-line]. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duck_Hill,_Mississippi
  • Hanks, S. (2013). Akee Tree: A Descendant’s Quest for His Slave Ancestors on the Eskridge Plantation. American History Press.
  • Brieger, J.F. (1997). Hometown Mississippi. Town Square Books, Inc.
  • Wiltshire, B.C. (1997). Carroll County, Mississippi Estate Records 1840 – 1869 with Freedmen Apprenticeships. Pioneer Publishing Co.
  • Carroll County MSGenWeb Project. Early County Settlements of Carroll County, Mississippi. [webpage online] http://theusgenweb.org/ms/carroll/history/townhist.htm
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