Paul,

I don't know research, it is sorta what I've heard from descendents, that 
the one or two slaves were considered members of the family. Perhaps the 
most recent is a man who used to be married to my husband's cousin who lives 
on the "family farm", which still has standing the slave cabins for their 
two slaves, who, when slavery was ended were each given parcels of land on 
the edge of the farm, to support them as free persons. My husband's 
grandmother used to tell of her "nannie", a black woman who was a slave and 
was later paid wages to be the "nannie" of the children. So, my knowledge is 
not extensive, and does not go into how the slaves were distributed when the 
owner died, but it is enough to suggest to me that there were distinctions.

Anne

Anne Pemberton
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http://www.erols.com/apembert
http://www.educationalsynthesis.org 

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