The county Birth Registers altogether range from 1853 to 1885, and record the birth of every individual in the greater Roanoke area during this time frame, whether white, enslaved African American, or free African American. Typically, less information for enslaved people was recorded. Only first names were recorded and place of birth was recorded with much less specificity. Moreover, the birth registers had a category for “Father’s Name or Owner if Enslaved,” meaning in the case of most enslaved people, the enslaver’s information would be given instead of the child’s father. Nonetheless these records are an important source for connecting enslaved children to their mothers, and providing information about their births that is otherwise not found in other records.
Coleman's mother was hired out to Samuel P. Holt. The record says that Holt "hires" the mother, which means that she was hired by him and gave birth while she was hired by Holt.
In the IAS Book 4, Charles Lunsford is the executer for the appraisement of Thomas Lunsford. Charles was most likely Thomas Lunsford's son but this record does not list their relationship. There are multiple entries involving the hiring out of enslaved individuals that included Charles hiring out Everett in 1861 and 1862 three times for a value of $100.00, $6.00, and $100.00