An archive of 23 financial documents, presumably once part of a personal property tax list or tax survey, from King and Queen County, Virginia, n.d. but ca. 1853-1854. The collection consists of double-sided slips of pale blue paper inscribed in a secretarial script and trimmed to an average size of 5" x 2.125." Expected wear including minor scattered discoloration or fading, isolated mounting traces or glue residue, and uneven or chipped edges. Else very good to near fine. The largest slip measures 5.625" x 3.625." Provenance: Accompanied by a photocopy of an autograph letter signed dated July 15, 1879 written by a King and Queen County legal functionary named John B. Watkins.

The tax documents list approximately 38 King and Queen County residents, and what assets they possessed, if applicable: slaves more than 16 years old; livestock (horses, cattle, sheep, hogs); transportation: (gig, buggy, carriage); household goods: (furniture, clock, watch, silverplate, gun); or other assets, such as "bonds." The surnames of county residents featured here--Acre, Alexander, Anderson, Bland, Cardwell, Carr, Collins, Cooke, Jeffries, Jones, Mahon, Mitchell, Moore, Newcomb, Rowe, Simpkins, Tucker, Vaughan, Walker, Williams, Wright, Wyatt--were of long standing in the community, also appearing in the 1810 census of King and Queen County. Located in the Middle Peninsula or Tidewater region of Virginia, King and Queen County was formed in 1691. The region's historic source of wealth was from slave-produced tobacco crops.

One of these records is of especial interest: the largest slip in the group listing the personal property of John W. Street. This slip is unusual among those in this group because it lists the county resident's slaves individually by name. Street is associated with "slaves over 16. Buck, Wm., Chas., Frank, Mariah, Lucinda…6" as well as five younger slaves, itemized as "12 + 16…5." Street's other personal property showed that he was a wealthy man: he owned three horses valued at $200; over 70 livestock valued at $205; a "buggey" and gig; and $10 worth of timepieces as well as over $100 of household goods.

Street's listing also deserves more research because he may have been a free Black who either owned or managed someone else's slaves. John W. Street is listed in a study compiled by editor Carter G. Woodson entitled "Free Negro Owners of Slaves in the United States in 1830, Together With Absentee Ownership of Slaves in the United States in 1830 (Washington, D.C.: The Association for the Study of Negro Life and History, 1924), p. 75. Street's entry is listed under King William County (previously redistricted from King and Queen County) as: "Geo. W. Bassett by John W. Street" with the column "Slaves" marked as 47. It is unclear if Street actually owned these slaves or if he only managed them. Definitely meriting further exploration!

This item comes with a Certificate from John Reznikoff, a premier authenticator for both major 3rd party authentication services, PSA and JSA (James Spence Authentications), as well as numerous auction houses.

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