William Watts

Name

William Watts

Alternate Names

Wm. Watts
Col. William Watts

Race

White

Location

RR: Roanoke County; Big Lick
CC: Roanoke County
RoC: Roanoke County

Record(s) Seen In

Will Book 1-1: 1839-1885

Birth Register - 1853-1885 - pp. 1-66

Inventory, Appraisements, and Sales Book 3

Inventory, Appraisements, and Sales Book 4

Settlement of Estates - 1

Death Register - 1853-1881

Freedmen's Bureau Census - Roanoke County

Confederate Slave Payrolls

Common Law Orders - D - July 1848 - May 1856 - pgs. 1-400

Roanoke County Slave Requisition Records

Cohabitation Records of 1866

Register of Children of Roanoke County 1866

Common Law Orders - E - June 1856 - November 1864 - pgs. 1-353

Page and Line Number

BR: PP. 10, L. 135; PP. 17, L. 200-202; PP. 19, L. 89; PP. 27, L. 215-216; PP. 48, L. 18; PP. 42, L. 26-30
IAS3: PP. 338
IAS4: PP. 15-16
SoE: PP. 113

DR: PP. 2, L. 36; PP. 7, L. 82-83; PP. 15, L. 61-62
FB: PP. 309-310, 313, 346-347, 353-354, 361-362
CLD: PP. 85

CC: PP. 1, L. 32; PP. 2, L. 6, 10-11, 25; PP. 3, L. 10, 12; PP. 4, L. 6; PP. 5, L. 27, 38; PP. 6, L. 27
RoC: PP. 1, L. 10; PP. 2, L. 14-16
CLE: PP. 301

Date(s) Seen in Records

Will Book 1: May 1877
IAS 4: January 17, 1863
BR: February 1855; June 1, 1856; September 29, 1856; October 20, 1856; August 1857; April 1858; June 1858; 1861; 1862
SoE: June 1871

DR: June 1853; February 1855; October 1855; April 1858, December 1858
CSP: December 1862 - January and February 1863; September, October, and November 1863

RR: December 19, 1862; January 17, 1865

People Enslaved

Edmund Rideout

Nannie Rideout

Tom M. Comb

Maurice

Tom Jr.

Jim Whale

George Booker

Louisa

Harriet

Henry

Louis

Amy

Unrecorded Named Man

Ishmael

Mary Sims

Ben

Jimmy

Laura

Baldwin

Lewis

Mary

Edward

Janetta

Carter

Corbin

Alexander

Unrecorded Named Boy

Unrecorded Named Boy

Unrecorded Named Boy

Unrecorded Named Boy

Unrecorded Named Girl

Unrecorded Named Boy

Unrecorded Named Boy

Unrecorded Named Boy

Unrecorded Named Boy

Unrecorded Named Child

Unrecorded Named Child

Unrecorded Named Child

David

Wesley

Martha

Malinda

Mary

Jenette Nickolas

E. Calloway

Grace Sanders

Kate Savage

Nancy Pate

J. Whales

Polly Scott

Lewis Fleming

Susy Ball

Mat Beven

Jerry Nicklass

Ellen Sanders

Ishmael Sims

Mary Lewis

Jack Finley

Harry Ridout

Preston Burrell

Phillis Sanders

Henry Langhorn

Lewis Booker

Louisa Kently

David Hannah

Becky Lewis

Allen

Allen

Robert

Lucy

Malinda

Thrasher

Dugan

Boman

Ephrem

Trout

Elias

Dirk

Susan

Bird

Mary

Emma

George

Peggy

William

Henry

Thomas

Mary

Mary

John

Martha

Albert

Anny

Francis

James

Silley

Sally

Grace

Jenny

Grace Monns

Filliy

Jenny B.

Jesnert

Janey

Polly

Beckey

Luson

Judy Ann

Elcey

Geet

Dolly Ann

Lucy

Harry Rhodes

Gallena

Baldy

Lewis

Thomas

Elis White

Polly White

Mary Grimes

Jenny Grimes

Laura Horn

Mera Carris

Louisa

Malina

Sally Braus

Ellen

Chaney

James

Caroline

Becky

John

Moses

Bill

Aly

Malinda

Samuel

Malinda

Maria

Harriett

George Johnson

Preston

Jack

David

Jonas

George Burke

George

Preston

Allere Stephen

Henry Lodger

Welch

Malbi Berer

Louis Berril

Benjamin Grimes

E. Shiner

Edwin Carnes

Sealy

Watts

Hector

Patterson

Granville

Harrison

Jim 1st

John

Jim 2nd

Sukey

Dolly Ann

Henry

Unrecorded Named Child

Unrecorded Named Woman

Additional Information

Son of Edward Watts and Elizabeth Breckinridge Watts. Brother of Ann Watts Holcombe, Alice Watts Morris, Henrietta Carter Watts, Letitia Gamble Watts, James Breckinridge Watts, Mary Scott Watts, Edward Watts Jr., and Emma Gilmer Watts.

Edward Watts

Elizabeth Breckinridge Watts

Ann Watts Holcombe

Alice Watts Morris

Henrietta Carter Watts

Letitia W. Rives (Mrs. Rives)

Note that William Watts was the grandfather of Col. William Watts. He was mentioned in Inventory, Appraisements, and Sales Book 2 in a complaint filed against his son, Edward Watts, involving his daughter, Martha Watts.

Martha Watts

William Watts' will stipulated that his "servants" Edmund Rideout and Nannie be "comfortably maintained" via his estate and that his “other servants” are able to provide for themselves.

In Inventory, Appraisements, and Sales Book 4, the partition of the property of Edward Watts was outlined. William Watts’s share was valued at $20,150. Other personal property and plots of land were included in his share, but the rest was split between William and four of his sisters. Specifically, in Inventory, Appraisements, and Sales Book 3, Edward Watts discussed the passing of property to his son, William, stating, "...also all of the slaves which may be on the land at that time except Robert, in whose place I give him [William] Henry, the son of Anthony..."

Henry

In the Settlement of Estates Book, David S. Read was charged with two additional items, and one was placed at a value of $285.00, which was collected by William Watts.

David S. Read

In Inventory, Appraisements, and Sales Book 4, an entry from an appraisement involving William Watts recorded the hiring of seven enslaved people who worked on Richmond Defenses. No other information was listed about the enslaved individuals other than their transportation to Richmond in this record. However, other sources confirm that David and Wesley were two of the seven men who labored. They did so for 60 days at a pay rate of $16.00 per month, but William Watts collected all the money they earned, which was $64.00. Later, David worked again and William Watts collected all $41.33.

In Common Law Book D was an application of William Watts and Edward Saunders, who were the committee serving for Martha Watts, to have two enslaved people, Hector and Isabel, be exempted from taxation due to age and infirmity. In Common Law Book E, William Boutt left a "negro woman and child" to William Watts.

Edward Saunders

Hector

Isabel

William Boutt

Unrecorded Named Child

Unrecorded Named Woman