The name "Nowlin" rang a loud bell with me. Samuel Nowlin bought and sold tobacco in Lynchburg and handled general merchandise. I came across him in the papers of the Hairston family. Nowlin and the Hairstons did business at least from 1833 (perhaps earlier -- 1833 is the earliest date I found) until 1853 when there was a break alluded to in a letter of July 24, 1853 to Ruth S. Hairston ("Dear GrandMa") from George Hairston in Lynchburg -- "Mr. Samuel Nowlin has been turned out the Church since you dismissed him from your business." Much of the correspondence regards tobacco sales and involves very large sums (S. Nowlin & Sons statement to Samuel Hairston for his tobacco sales July 13 to December 31, 1839 -- $14,795.28.). But there is no mention of slave trading. It has been rumored that Samuel Hairston sold many slaves from his plantations near Danville but I never found any evidence of it. I'd be curious to know if the name Hairston turns up in those Nowlin slave trading letters. The Nowlin letters are a very important discovery and I hope the VHS makes them available soon. Henry Wiencek Charlottesville To subscribe, change options, or unsubscribe please see the instructions at http://listlva.lib.va.us/archives/va-roots.html