Bess Dodson (abt. 1719 - aft. 1784)

Born about 1719 in Richmond, Virginia [uncertain]

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Biography

Bess Dodson is a part of US Black heritage.

Bess Dodson was born into slavery before 1739, when her name appeared on a list of enslaved people being willed by her enslaver, Thomas Dodson Sr, to his children.^[1] She was called a "Negroe woman," but her age was not recorded. Given that she was called a woman, and that she was listed in the inventory papers for Daniel Shumate in 1784, it can be supposed that she was born about 20 years prior to her first mention in 1739. Therefore her birth year is estimated to be 1719.

It is estimated but not verified that she was born in Richmond County, Virginia. She appeared still to be alive on June 1, 1769, when she was named in Abraham Dodson's Fauquier County Virginia will.^[2] Bess was named again in the 1784 inventory documents of Tabitha (Dodson) Shumate's husband Daniel Shumate. At that time, given the valuation in the inventory, it is possible she was an older woman.

No further details have been found about what happened to Bess.

Slave Owners

It appears that Bess was enslaved by members of the Dodson family for her entire life, if not for the majority of it. Documents recorded that Bess was enslaved by Thomas Dodson Sr., then his son Abraham Dodson, then Abraham's "beloved daughter Tabitha Dodson" and finally by Tabitha's husband Daniel Shumate. This last transfer occured when Daniel Shumate's estate was inventoried in 1784. Bess was valued at £5.

Tabitha outlived her husband my many years, but it is unclear if Bess stayed with Tabitha or was transferred to another family member. Bess was not mentioned in the 1803 will documents of Tabitha (Dodson) Shumate, so she might have died by then.^[3]

Research Notes

Was the 1739 "negroe boy" Joe Dodson Bess's son? Were they kept together when Thomas Dodson Sr transferred ownership of the two of them to his son Abraham in 1739 (or 1740/1 at the time of probate)? If this hypothesis is true, then by 1769, Joe (named "my Negroe man Joseph" - clearly an adult by that time - by Abraham) was separated from his mother Bess when he was given to Milly (Dodson) Holtzclaw, while his mother was sent to the household of Tabitha (Dodson) Shumate.

More research needs to be done to verify this hypothesis.

Sources

1. ↑ Wills and inventories, 1699-1879; general index to wills, 1699-1950: "Wills and inventories, 1699-1879; general index to wills, 1699-1950"
   Catalog: Wills and inventories, 1699-1879; general index to wills, 1699-1950
   Film number: 007646141 > image 211 of 687
   FamilySearch Image: 3Q9M-C9PF-H2L2 (accessed 4 August 2023)
2. ↑ Probate: "Virginia, U.S., Wills and Probate Records, 1652-1900"
   Fauquier > Will Books, Vol 1-2, 1759-1796 > image 83 of 711
   Ancestry Image (accessed 6 August 2023)
   Abraham Dodson.
3. ↑ Probate: "Virginia, U.S., Wills and Probate Records, 1652-1900"
   Fauquier > Will Books, Vol 3-4 1796-1808 > image 306 of 583
   Ancestry Sharing Link - Ancestry Image (accessed 6 August 2023)
   Tabitha Shumate.