Gincy Charity’s Family

In 1860, members of the Charity family occupied neighboring households in Southampton County, Virginia.

In 1850, a Southampton County, Virginia family included Gincy Charity, head of household and presumptive mother of six children, and an adult male. All persons were free African Americans:*

Gincy Charity, 32yo
Robert, 12yo
Louisa, 9yo
Mary, 7yo
Henry, 5yo
Friday, 4yo
Thomas, 2yo
Absalom Artis, 35yo


By 1860, the situation had changed dramatically.** Several of the Charity children shared a home with individuals named Woodson, Whitfield, and Reid. The neighboring household was occupied by an adult female named Jane Charity and a 15-year-old female named Mary Charity. All were ‘free Negroes.’ Nearby residents included farmers Herrod Pope and George Fog (both White). The latter had personal property valued at $1,500.***

*”United States Census, 1850,” database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/) : 9 April 2016), Virginia > Southampton > Southampton county, part of > image 174 of 188; citing NARA microfilm publication M432 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.)

**”United States Census, 1860,” database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/) : 24 March 2017), Virginia > Southampton > West Side Nottoway River > image 24 of 80; from “1860 U.S. Federal Census – Population,” database, Fold3.com (http://www.fold3.com : n.d.); citing NARA microfilm publication M653 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.).

***Per WolframAlpha.com, $1,500 (1860) has an estimated equivalence of $49,390 (2021).