The Robert F.W. Allston Account Book, 1853-1855, records the numerous payments, receipts, debts and purchases and yearly crop information for Chicora Wood, Waverly and Nightingale Hall Plantations. Also included in the book are sections on births, deaths and marriages for enslaved people, writing down the first name of the men and women who married.
The last will and testament of Robert F.W. Allston contains additional provisions from a previous will surrounding new properties acquired by Robert Allston. He writes that he leaves his son Charles Allston, Chicora Wood Plantation. The enslaved persons are divided among the family and are listed as: Guy, driver Jack, Dido, driver Sam, Mary (faithful housekeeper), nurse Phebe, Bob, "Rochael," engineer Prince, Toby, blacksmith Anthony, Jacob, Henry, Emma, carpenter Gilbert, Minda, Phillis, blacksmith Sam, blacksmith Scotland, Jane, and driver Tommy. He leaves his overseer his "trusted servants" Boston, Venus and Hetty, "whose life he has, under Heaven, saved thus far." Robert Allston states that his servants James, Mary, and Milly be given fifteen dollars annually, Violet, Stephen and Auba ten dollars, and driver Sam and nurse Phebe five dollars as long as they live. The last page of the will states that the faithful servants James (who may choose his owner from any of the Allston children), Mary, and Milly "receive every proper kindness" from the Allston family as they "exhibited a trustful and abiding faith and by whom they have been justly appreciated, but never abused..."
A bill of sale for the enslaved man listed as "A negro male Slave named Caesar about forty years of age." The enslaved man was bought by James Adger from Abraham Tobias for $1,200.
Bill of sale for "sixteen negro slaves" for $5,800 sold by Edward North, executor of the estate of J.P Gough, to E.B. Means. The slaves are listed as Patty, Peggy, William, Mary, Tenah, Harriett, Willoughby, Jenn, James, Delia, Silvey, Toney, Sally, Henry, Kate and Caroline.
