Someone told me my 5th great grandmother maiden name maybe began with an E??

Question

I forgot who told me that Martha Duncan in SC married to Henry duncan but i really need to find most common african american surnames used during the 1800's that begin with a E.

Answer 1

Any of these?

Evans

Edwards

Eades

Earl

Answer 2

Is this the Henry and Martha who lived in Amelia Twp, Orangeburg Co, SC? I think you're searching for a needle in a haystack looking for "any name starting with an 'e'". Slaves didn't have surnames until they were emancipated, and that wasn't until she wasn't until she was at least 12 years old. What if we look for an actual marriage record that gives you her maiden name?

BTW if that is her, this is probably her census record from the 1860 Federal Slave Census. It's the only slave named Martha in Orangeburg Co born +/- 1 year of the age on the 1880 Census.

5 Female Black Martha Gardner Orangeburg, Orangeburg, South Carolina

1880 United States Federal Census

about Martha Duncan

Name: Martha Duncan

Home in 1880: Amelia, Orangeburg, South Carolina

Age: 26

Estimated Birth Year: abt 1854

Birthplace: South Carolina

Relation to Head of Household: Wife

Spouse's Name: Henry

Father's birthplace: South Carolina

Mother's birthplace: South Carolina

Neighbors: View others on page  

Occupation: Keeping House

Marital Status: Married

Race: Black

Gender: Female

Household Members: Name Age

Henry Duncan 36  

Martha Duncan 26  

Hester Duncan 9  

Mariah Duncan 7

  



I think they grabbed the idea of her maiden name starting with an "e" because there's a death record for someone named Martha E Duncan with the right year of birth in the SC Death Index. I wouldn't put a lot of stock in that, though. There isn't anything tying your Martha to this record and there isn't anything in the record saying she's African-American. Unless she died in Saluda Co in April 1928, take the "e" thing with a grain of salt.