Identifying the possible Slave Owner...

For the past few years, I have been trying to determine who owned my ancestor Mary Travick during slavery. Sometime after emancipation, Mary met and married Frank Travick (Travis/Trevic/Travic). Frank and Mary purchased the property from William H. Whitworth which was in the Piney Creek Area apart of the Thomas Bell League and not too far from R.W. Whitworth (brother of William). While looking at the 1860 slave schedules I noticed that R.W. Whitworth owned a 26-year-old enslaved female and a 4-year-old female.

Slave schedules and tax records show that the Whitworth slaves are likely a family group consisting of a mother and her two children, whom I believe to be my ancestor Mary Travick and her oldest two daughters Lucy Bankett-Bivins and Jane Wade-Garnett (my ancestor). More research needs to be done in order to confirm my theory.

¹ 1854 Tax Rolls [Austin County, Texas]- R.W. Whitworth, Negroes: 1 valued at $700 (Mary)
[Image: 22, pg. 327]

² 1855 Tax Rolls [Austin County, Texas]- R.W. Whitworth, Negroes: 1 valued at $600 (Mary)
[Image: 25, pg. 357]

³ 1856 Tax Rolls [Austin County, Texas]- R.W. Whitworth, Negroes: 2 valued at $800 (Mary and Lucy)
[Image: 27, pg. 391]

⁴ 1857 Tax Rolls [Austin County, Texas]- R.W. Whitworth, Negroes: 2 valued at $900 (Mary and Lucy)
[Image: 26, pg. 427]

⁵ 1858 Tax Rolls [Austin County, Texas]- R.W. Whitworth, Negroes: 2 valued at $900 (Mary and Lucy)
[Image: 39, pg. 475]

⁶ 1859 Tax Rolls [Austin County, Texas]- R.W. Whitworth, Negroes: 2 valued at $900 (Mary and Lucy)
[Image: 39, pg. 532]

⁷ 1860 Tax Rolls [Austin County, Texas]- R.W. Whitworth, Negroes: 2 valued at $1000 (Mary and Lucy)
[Image: 50, pg. 590]

1860 Slave Schedule - R.W. Whitworth

⁸ 1860 U.S. Federal Census Slave Schedule [Austin County, Texas]- R.W. Whitworth,
[Slaves: 26 yr old, blk, f and 4 yr old, blk, f]

⁹ 1861 Tax Rolls [Austin County, Texas]- R.W. Whitworth, Negroes: 2 valued at $1000 (Mary and Lucy)
[Image: 47, pg. 650]

¹⁰ 1862/1863 Tax Rolls - Not listed for these two years

¹¹ 1864 Tax Rolls [Austin County, Texas]- R.W. Whitworth, Negroes: 3 valued at $1000 (Mary, Lucy, and Jane) [Image: 31, pg. 747]

I have been to the courthouse to research information on Robert Walton Whitworth, but have found no mention of his slaves by name. Robert's first wife Rosa died in 1865 after emancipation so her will did not list any slaves.

Photograph of R.W. Whitworth

I've checked the following volumes at the courthouse:

1. Bill of Sales 
2. Civil Court minutes 
3. Stray Records 
4. Probates/Successions books 
5. Deed Records

It's possible there is no record left concerning the purchase of this female slave. In February of 2013, descendants of R.W. Whitworth informed me that he did have a diary that was published (which they did not have in their possession). A Google search shows that the California State Library has a copy of this journal, so I've sent them an email inquiry regarding this particular item. Hopefully, this journal will yield some clues.

UPDATE: Response received on Nov. 24, 2014

"Hi Terrence,
My name is Elena Smith, I am a reference librarian in the California Room. What an interesting, albeit challenging research project. I have read through the document that you referred to and found no mention of a female slave that he owned although he did talk about hiring either a slave or a free African American man to carry his luggage across the Isthmus at the tail end of his journey. I am very sorry. Another place you might check since Whitworth came to California with them, is any Company E Mormon Battalion records. While it is a bit of a long shot, it is possible that they listed slaves in their records. If you have any follow-up questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact me, my information is below. Thank you so much for your question and have a happy Thanksgiving."

Terrence A. Garnett
[November 23, 2014]

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 Source Citations

1. Texas County Tax Rolls, 1846 - 1910 -- (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/1827575). Citing Comptroller's Office. State Archives, Austin.
2. Photo of Robert Walton Whitworth emailed to me by Andy Crews (descendant of R.W.)