Surf Diaries

Hello everyone this will be a very short blog.  I am just blogging to give everyone a quick re-cap of the progress of my research.   Since my trip out to Louisa County and the Sargenant Museum, I have been making a lot of connections with the information I received out at that location.  I have been able to find a few maps dated back in the 1830s and 1860s that show property associated with the Morris Family, along with more detailed information about some of the plantations/homes associated with the family.  I have even been able to update the Morris Family tree with critical information obtained from the Sargenant Museum.  This information coupled with the information obtained through other resources has helped to answer a lot of unanswered questions about the family and where certain members lived.  This information is important because it helps to identify the masters of certain large groups of slaves.  If I know which family members were at certain plantations, I can match up the slave records and list with the masters and the locations.  Furthermore, I can start to put slaves to certain plantations, which will help in creating somewhat of a history of not only Taylor’s Creek but the other plantations associated with the Morris Family. So keep your fingers crossed everyone…..until next time!

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Good evening everyone! Today my research took me out to Louisa County and the Sargenant Museum.  The Sargenant Museum is the home of the Louisa County Historical Society, which has not only great information about the county of Louisa but also a very great staff.  Like I stated in previous posts, the Morris family did have property out in Louisa County.  My research uncovered information that the Morris family owned a few plantations out in the Green Springs National Historic Landmark District of Louisa County.  Prior to heading out to Sargenant I did some preliminary research on the Green Springs district and uncovered that two plantations were associated with the Morris family.  I also contacted the person in charge of the Sargenant Museum prior to my visit and she gave me four more plantations and homes that were associated with the Morris family.  With this information, my goals heading out there were too: 1. Learn more about the plantations/homes associated with the Morris family 2. Retrieve any maps that maybe helpful in my research 3. Establish a relationship with the staff of the Sargenant Museum and 4. Find and trace some possible names of slaves who could have been on the individual properties.  The staff at Sargenant was very helpful in helping me to accomplish of a lot of my goals.  When I arrived at the Museum the staff already had resources pulled and allowed me access to other resources that would further my research.  I was able to get more information about the plantations/homes associated with the Morris family, as well as helpful maps.  I was also able to get more information on the Morris family that allowed me to put certain members at certain locations. With the help of the Sargenant staff I was able to get a lot of crucial information that will further my research.  I was also informed that the Sargenant Museum would love to have a copy of my research to put in their archives, which was very exciting. I would like to personally thank the staff at the Sargenant Museum for all of their help and I look forward to working with them throughout the rest of my SURF and even beyond.  Until next time!

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Hello everyone! My last blog post on was a bit of a downer; I was upset and discouraged because I did not receive the response that I had hoped for from the landowner.  The landowner informed me that she did not have family records that would further my research so she did not think a meeting would be necessary.  After having some time to myself to re-evaluate the current state of my research, I have dusted myself off and I am in higher spirits.  The next step in my research is to send a follow up later to the landowner asking if she can at least tell me some particulars about the cemetery.  For example, how large the area is, has she heard anything about the estimated number of bodies in the cemetery, and maybe the possible dates of use.  I feel that the information is common knowledge that comes with living on the land for as long as the landowner has.  If the landowner can provide this information it will go a long way in helping me throughout my research.  I also emphasized in the follow-up letter that I would like to come out and present my findings so that it is known exactly what my research is about.  This leads me to my next step in my research.  Before, I felt that I let the people of the Montpelier area down because it seemed that I would not be able to recognize and preserve the cemetery.  After deeper reflection, I have come to the realization that my research is just the beginning of something that could be very significant in the county of Hanover and the Montpelier area.  In order for this to be of importance and significance in the area, I have to present my findings and give my research to the people who as a collective unit can impact change.  I believe that I am now starting to find out the deeper goal and meaning of my research and that makes me feel so much better about the current state of my research.  It also makes me feel that all of my efforts have not been in vain.  Until next time!  

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Hello everyone. I received the response to my letter to the landowner asking for the opportunity to come out discuss my findings and to view the cemetery.  The landowner respectfully declined to meet stating that she had no family records that would further my research so a meeting would not be necessary.  Honestly, my first thought is to be both upset and discouraged because this meeting is crucial to the success of my research.  Without this meeting, and the opportunity to view the cemetery it is unclear to me how I can determine the success of my research.  I feel as though, all of the work to this point has been in vain because the ultimate goal will not be achieved.  Reflecting deeper, I feel as though I let the people of the Montpelier area down by not being able to recognize and preserve the cemetery.  I feel like this because I guess in a way I feel that the success of my research was the key to finding some missing pages of not only the history of Hanover but Black History along with family histories of those people associated with the T.C. cemetery. If the numbers are correct then countless families could trace their descendants back to T.C and other plantations associated with the Morris Family, thus providing the missing pages to their individual family histories. I am at a point now where my next step is unclear; the only thing that is clear is my ultimate goal will not be achieved.  Even though I am upset and discouraged, I do respect the position of the landowner and I appreciate her taking the time to even respond back to my letter.  Back to square one until next time!

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