The Death Registers contain contents from 1853 to 1881, and recorded the deaths of every individual in the greater Roanoke area during this time frame, whether white, enslaved African American, or free African American. This would include the individual’s age at the time of their death and the manner in which they died. For enslaved people, their place of birth often was not listed or lacked specificity, and parents' names and occupations are not commonly listed. Nonetheless these records can be helpful for establishing an enslaved person’s date of birth and date of death, as well as where they lived.
Lewis Zirkle was listed in an indenture agreement: “...bind unto the said Lewis Zirkle a boy of colour named George Campbell until he arrives to the free age of twenty one which will be on the 25th day of June 1854.”
It is recorded in the second IAS book that Brown enslaved multiple unrecorded named individuals, on whom a value was placed of $1036.00 at the time of his death.
Joseph Campbell willed that the enslaved individuals be "hired out," along with their "future increases," and be allowed to pick their "masters." It is also stated in the will that the enslaved individuals be divided among Joseph Campbell's children. There is no further mention of names or the number of enslaved individuals in the will.