Celebrating Black History Month: An African American Case Study
African American research presents unique challenges and requires creativity, persistence, and a broad research approach. While some obstacles are specific to this community, many of the strategies discussed here apply to any complex research problem.
As with all genealogical research, begin with the basics:
- Start with what you know
- Gather family documents and oral history
- Work from the present backward in time, moving from the known to unknown
- Track your research carefully
- Understand the place: study maps, county formations, and boundary changes
- Research associates, extended family, neighbors, and friends
Researching African American families often requires patience and flexibility. Enslaved individuals are difficult to trace prior to the 1870 census, and breakthroughs sometimes come through lesser-used sources such as probate records or other court records. Success depends on a thorough understanding of available records for the area and a willingness to explore records beyond those typically consulted.
Follow along as I demonstrate how to solve these problems with a unique case study.
Research objective: Identify the parents and grandparents of Lizzie, born about 1897 in North Carolina, the wife of Oscar McKinnon, and living in Biscoe, Montgomery, North Carolina in 1940.
Little was known about Lizzie when this research began.
First step: The 1940 Census
In 1940, Lizzie McKinnon, age 43, was living with her husband and two children in Biscoe, Montgomery, North Carolina.[1] This record served as the starting point for the research.
Lizzie’s Death Certificate
Lizzie died in 1979 in neighboring Moore County. Her death certificate identified the names of both of her parents and added more precise birth information.[2]
Updated family tree with the names of Lizzie’s parents:
The 1900 and 1910 Census Records
With her parents now identified, Lizzie was easily located as a child in both the 1900 and 1910 census records.[3,4] These census records add multiple siblings for Lizzie, plus more information about her parents.
Added information for both of Lizzie’s parents:
Newit Green’s 1881 Marriage Record
The next record sought was any document related to Newit Green and Narcisis Capel’s marriage. Here’s where the research started getting a little interesting. A marriage certificate was found for Newitt Chappell and Narseus Capel in 1881 in Richmond County, North Carolina.[5] Right location, right time frame, correct wife’s name, but the husband’s surname was different from later records: Newit GREEN vs. Newitt CHAPPELL. Was this the same family? His parents were identified as Abe and Fannie Chappell in this 1881 record.
Newit Green’s 1917 Marriage Record
A record that supports that this is the same family is the license and return from Newit Green’s second marriage in 1917.[6] In this marriage record, he is now Newit “Green,” with parents Abe and Fannie Green. His parents in both marriage records are Abe and Fannie, sharing the same surname.
There is no definitive way to determine how a formerly enslaved individual chose a surname after emancipation. For some, it may be the last name of the family that enslaved them; for others, it could be someone else who inspired their choice. Some individuals may identify with one surname and later change it, with no formal name change.[7] In this case, it appears that Newit also went by the last name of Chappell, at least at the point when he married in 1881.
Information added for Lizzie’s grandparents:
In 1880, Newit Green was a single man living with the white household of Joshua Chappell in Mineral Springs, Richmond, North Carolina.[8] This Chappell household may provide clues to Newit’s earlier life. At this point, though, the remainder of this article will focus on Newit’s wife’s family.
Turning to Narcisis Capel
Narcisis is spelled many different ways in the records. For consistency, her name will be spelled Narcisis going forward in this article unless quoting a record.
As a reminder, here’s what we know so far about Narcisis Capel’s family:
Researching the FAN Club
The FAN Club refers to Friends, Associates, and Neighbors. I like to extend the scope naturally to all family members, especially siblings of the subject. Oftentimes, we want to quickly extend our family back through time without fully researching each generation. In this case, I was looking for siblings for Narcisis. I hadn’t yet found Narcisis in the 1880 and 1870 census records and hoped that if I found a sibling, that would help.
One way to locate siblings is to search for just the subject’s mother and father – try just surnames or both first and last names. You’ll want to try all combinations of spellings, etc. I do this on both FamilySearch and Ancestry. Because I don’t know what records I’m looking for, I do this in a general record search. In this case, I searched for “Harry Capel” and “Jennie Baldwin” as mother and father, with no additional information included for either individual. I found three results with FamilySearch. You’ll get a lot more results with Ancestry, but there will be a lot more “noise.”
The second and third results are for the marriage record we’ve already examined.
Mary Capel’s 1878 Marriage Record
The first search result above is Mary Capel’s marriage to Freddy Baldwin.[9] According to this 1878 marriage record, Mary Capel was the daughter of Harry Capel and Jennie Baldwin — the same parents as Narcisis Capel. Harry was living, and Jennie was deceased. Mary’s parents align with the information found in Narcisis’s marriage. In both the 1878 and 1881 marriage records, Harry was alive, but their mother, Jennie, was deceased. So, in 1870 and 1880, Harry should be listed in the census, hopefully with his daughters, Narcisis and Mary.
The 1870 census
In 1870, Harry Capel lived in Mineral Springs Township, Richmond County, with his wife Judy and two young children.[10] There was no sign of Narcisis or Mary. Was this the right man?
Harry Capel’s 1869 Marriage Record
When Harry “Caple” married Judea McFadgen in 1869 in Montgomery County, his parents were identified as George and Norrie Baldwin.[11]
Harry Capel vs. Harry Capel
Whenever I stumble across two individuals of the same name in the same place, and I’m trying to determine if they are actually the same person, I create a table of known information about each. The goal here is to find clues that confirm or reject them as the same — determine how well they overlap and look for conflicts. It’s unlikely for two men to be married to two women and have children at the same time during this time and place.
| Harry Capel, father of Mary and Narcisis Capel | Harry Capel, married to Judea McFadgen |
| 1830 approximate birth in Richmond Co., NC [10] | |
| 1855 daughter Narcisis born in NC [5] | |
| 1858 daughter Mary born in NC [9] | |
| 1867 son Atlas born in North Carolina [10] | |
| 1869 marriage to Judea McFadgen in Richmond Co., his parents listed as George and Norrie Baldwin [11] | |
| 1869 daughter Jane born in North Carolina [10] | |
| 1870 daughters Mary and Narcissus “Baldwin” were living with George and Nora Baldwin; Steeles, Richmond, North Carolina; next to the white family of Mary Capel. [12] | 1870 Harry was living with Judy and two young children, Atlas and Jane in Mineral Springs, Richmond, North Carolina. [10] |
| 1878 Harry was living at the time of Mary’s Richmond county, NC marriage [9] | |
| 1880 census for “Narcissa” Capel in the white John L. McRae household in Mineral Springs, Richmond, NC, dwelling 14.[13] | 1880 living with his wife Judah and six children in Mineral Springs, Richmond, North Carolina, dwelling 12. [14] |
| 1881 Harry was living at the time of Narcisis’s Richmond county, NC marriage [5] |
Comments on the above:
- When Harry married in 1869, his parents were listed as George Baldwin and Norrie Baldwin.
- George Baldwin and Nora Baldwin had three young “Baldwin” children living with them in 1870 — Narcissus (age 13), Mary (age 10), and George (age 8), likely grandchildren.
- Mineral Springs and Steeles townships are adjacent to one another. [15]
- Narcisis Capel lived just two dwellings from Harry Capel’s family in 1880.
- Harry was approximately twenty years older than his wife, Judea or Judy, making an earlier marriage with children a distinct possibility.
The 1870 Census for George and Nora Baldwin is below.
There is no direct evidence that definitively proves that Narcisis’s father, Harry Capel, was the same man as the one who married Judea McFadgen and fathered several more kids, but this indirect evidence provides a good argument that they are likely the same man. One more piece of evidence includes the death certificate of Narcisis’s daughter, Fannie Green, identifying her parents as Newit Green and Narcisis Baldwin (rather than Narcisis Capel), both of Montgomery County.[16] This adds weight to the above argument that Narcisis Capel or Narcisis Green was also the same person as Narcisis Baldwin, found in the 1870 census referenced above.
| As a genetic genealogist, I would suggest testing two individuals descended from both families – a descendant of both of Harry’s wives. A Y-DNA test in combination with autosomal may be best. |
Cohabitation Certificate
The research has clearly moved into the realm of those who were once enslaved. Narcisis and her parents and grandparents were born into slavery. None is listed by name in any census before 1870. No marriage record exists for them before emancipation. But we don’t stop here.
Space doesn’t allow for all the research to be included here, but this project continued to have success. One exciting find was the cohabitation certificate for George Capel and Noah Baldwin, Narcisis’s grandparents.[17] Enslaved marriages were technically illegal before 1865 in North Carolina. The General Assembly validated marriages of the formerly enslaved by issuing a cohabitation certificate, documenting the period in which they cohabited together as man and wife “since 1822.” It’s interesting that the certificate lists their names as George Capel and Noah Baldwin. We’ve seen these surnames before, and these all help provide clues for this family.
An updated tree with Harry Capel’s parents:
The 1860 Slave Schedule
Finding individuals in the records of enslavers takes persistence. For this particular line, we lucked out. The Capel name that we’ve seen a lot in this article was the family that enslaved at least some of these individuals. A search of the slave schedules for the 1860 U.S. Federal census resulted in four Capel enslavers in Richmond County. One of the men will prove especially interesting in this case — William C. Capel. Also, on the same page of the slave schedule was Daniel Covington.[18] It turns out he was William’s son-in-law.[19]
In 1860, Noah/Nora/Norrie was about 55 years old. Her grandchild Narcisis may have been between 1-5 years old, and her sister Mary about 1-2 years old. Though William’s household does not have entries for enslaved female individuals in that age range, there are girls enumerated with Daniel Covington.
Dicey Capel Covington’s family tree:
The 1858 Will for William C. Capel
William C. Capel (1782-1872) wrote his will in 1858, several years before emancipation.[20] As a result, the document names the enslaved individuals who were considered his property at the time. Although William lived for another fourteen years and survived into the post-emancipation period, his will preserves the names of these individuals, providing valuable insight and offers important insight into this family’s composition.
William C. Capel’s will is four pages long. Those he enslaved and listed by name are:
Item 2 To his wife Sarah: Hary and Mary
Item 5 To his daughter Elizabeth Covington: Jack (in her possession)
Item 6 To his daughter Mary Bostick: Ase (in her possession)
Item 7 To his daughter Disey Covington: Compert, Noah, Sis, and Mary (in her possession)
Item 8 To his daughter Jane Mason: Jake, Martha’s 3 children (in her possession)
Item 9 To his daughter Emaline Gadd: Charles and Julia (in her possession)
Item 10 To his daughter Jula Crouch: Ann and four children (in her possession)
Item 11 To his son William Capel: Sandy and Dave (in his possession in another state)
Item 12 To his son Plesant R. Capel: Meredith and Enoc
Jesse Baldwin’s 1826 Will
Going back in time another generation, William C. Capel’s father-in-law was Jesse Baldwin (1768-1826). His 1825 will states, “I give and bequeath unto my daughter Anna Capell five negroes towit Norry and her four children which she has in her possession.”[21] Anna was William C. Capel’s wife, and Norry was very likely Narcisis’s grandmother, the same listed in William C. Capel’s 1858 will.
Conclusion
This case study demonstrates that African American research often progresses through indirect evidence, careful correlation, and persistence across multiple record types. The combined weight of census records, marriage documents, probate materials, cohabitation certificates, and enslaver records provides a strong and well-supported argument for Lizzie (Green) McKinnon’s grandparents and great-grandparents.
Success in African American genealogy frequently depends on expanding the research scope beyond the direct line to include extended family members, neighbors, and associates, as well as understanding the historical and legal context of slavery and emancipation. By applying genealogical research standards with flexibility and creativity, it is possible to reconstruct families whose identities were largely undocumented prior to 1870.
This project serves as a reminder that meaningful progress can be made even when traditional records are limited — and that each record, no matter how small, may play a critical role in telling a family’s story.
If you need help with your African American research brick walls, Lineages is here to help!
By Laura Hennessee
Additional Resources:
FamilySearch Wiki articles
Researching African American Genealogy
African American Resources for North Carolina
Websites
AfriGeneas: African Ancestored Genealogy
Center for African American Genealogical Research, Inc.
Facebook Groups
I’ve Traced My Enslaved Ancestors and Their Owners
Books
Genealogists Guide to Discovering Your African-American Ancestors: How to Find and Record Your Unique Heritage by Franklin Carter Smith & Emily Anne Croom
Finding a Place Called Home: A Guide to African-American Genealogy and Historical Identity, Revised and Expanded by Dee Parmer Woodtor, PhD
Black Roots: A Beginner’s Guide to Tracing the African American Family Tree by Tony Burroughs
Classes/Webinars
FamilyTree Webinar Library: African American ($)
How FamilySearch Tools Can Help with Post-1865 Resources
MidWest African American Institute
YouTube Channels
Documenting the Enslaved in your Family
Documenting the Enslaved in Your Family Tree | Ancestry
The Beyond Kin Project: Descendants of slave owners, do we still hold a key?
Images:
1874 North Carolina map in the public domain with inset created by the author, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:1874_Gray_Map_of_North_Carolina_-_Geographicus_-_NorthCarolina-gray-1874.jpg.
All other images were created by the author from cropped portions of original documents available through FamilySearch and Ancestry.
Sources:
[1] 1940 U.S. census, Montgomery County, North Carolina, population schedule, Biscoe, E.D. 62-1, Sheet 1B (penned), household 14, Oscar McKinnon; imaged, “United States, Census, 1940,” FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:KW3B-SY3 : accessed 31 January 2026).
[2] North Carolina Department of Human Resources, Division of Health Services, Vital Records Branch, death cert. no. 14441, Lizzie G. McKinnon, 27 April 1979, informant was her husband, Oscar; “North Carolina, Deaths and Burials, 1898-1994,” database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-C9PL-M7GJ : accessed 31 January 2026).
[3] 1900 U.S. census, Montgomery County, North Carolina, population schedule, Rocky Springs, ED 106, p. 14A (penned), dwell. 234, fam. 234, Newett Green household; imaged, “United States Census, 1900,” FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MSB7-H5W : accessed 31 January 2026).
[4] 1910 U.S. census, Montgomery County, North Carolina, population schedule, Biscoe, ED 56, sheet 18B (penned), dwelling 314, family 316, Newit Green household; imaged, “United States, Census, 1910,” FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:33S7-9RV7-G79 : accessed 31 January 2026).
[5] North Carolina, Richmond County, marriage, Chappell-Capel, 3 November 1881; imaged, “North Carolina, County Marriages, 1762-2011” FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-CSZH-D9MT-C : accessed 31 January 2026).
[6] North Carolina, Montgomery County, marriage, Green-Green, 22 December 1918; imaged, “North Carolina, County Marriages, 1762-2011” FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-CS4F-Z9PV : accessed 31 January 2026).
[7] Robyn N. Smith, “The Complexity of Slave Names,” blog post, Reclaiming Kin: Taking Back What Once Was Lost (https://reclaimingkin.com/the-complexity-of-slave-surnames/ : published 14 March 2017).
[8] 1880 U.S. census, Richmond County, North Carolina, population schedule, Mineral Springs, E.D. 166, sheet 249C (penned), dwelling 23, family 23, Newit Green in the household of Joshua Chappell; imaged, “United States, Census, 1880,” FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:33SQ-GYBG-PXM : accessed 31 January 2026).
[9] North Carolina, Richmond County, marriage, Baldwin-Capel, 12 December 1878; imaged, “North Carolina, County Marriages, 1762-2011” FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:Q21Y-XP88 : accessed 31 January 2026).
[10] 1870 U.S. census, Richmond County, North Carolina, population schedule, Mineral Springs, p. 14 (penned), dwelling 97, family 98, Harry Capel household; imaged, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MW8B-YML : accessed 31 January 2026).
[11] North Carolina, Montgomery County, marriage, Caple-McFadgen, 3 March 1869; imaged, “North Carolina, County Marriages, 1762-2011” FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QP95-M7HB : accessed 31 January 2026).
[12] 1870 U.S. census, Richmond County, North Carolina, population schedule, Steeles, p. 35 (penned), dwelling 284, family 279, Narcissus Baldwin in the home of George Baldwin; imaged, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MW8B-Q1K : accessed 31 Janaury 2026).
[13] 1880 U.S. census, Richmond County, North Carolina, population schedule, Mineral Springs, E.D. 166, sheet 248B (penned), dwelling 14 & 16, family 14 & 16, George and Narcisa Capel; imaged, “United States, Census, 1880,” FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MCXK-MCP : accessed 31 January 2026).
[14] 1880 U.S. census, Richmond County, North Carolina, population schedule, Mineral Springs, E.D. 166, sheet 248A (penned), dwelling 12, family 12, Harry Capel; imaged, “United States, Census, 1880,” FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MCXK-MHX : accessed 31 January 2026).
[15] “Steeles township, Richmond County, NC,” Census Reporter, (https://censusreporter.org/profiles/06000US3715393116-steeles-township-richmond-county-nc/: accessed 31 January 2026).
[16] North Carolina State Board of Health, Bureau of Vital Statistics, death cert. no. 422432, Fannie Green, 12 May 1917 , “North Carolina, U.S., Death Certificates, 19809-1976,” database with images, Ancestry (https://www.ancestry.com/imageviewer/collections/1121/images/S123_70-2338 : accessed 31 January 2026).
[17] North Carolina, Richmond County, cohabitation certificate, Capel-Baldwin, 1822; imaged, “North Carolina, County Marriages, 1762-2011” FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QP92-NYS8 : accessed 31 January 2026).
[18] 1870 U.S. census, Richmond County, North Carolina, slave schedule, Steeles, p. 14 (penned), line 37, William C. Capell; imaged, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:WK5Y-7N3Z : accessed 31 January 2026).
[19] FamilySearch Family Tree entry for Dicy Ann Capel, LZV5-641, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/en/tree/person/details/LZV5-641 : accessed 31 January 2026).
[20] North Carolina, Richmond County, will, William C. Capel, written 30 December 1858; digital image, “North Carolina, U.S., Wills and Probate Records, 1665-1998,” Ancestry (https://www.ancestry.com/imageviewer/collections/9061/images/007640059_01104 : accessed 31 January 2026).
[21] North Carolina, Richmond County, will, Jesse Baldwin, written 22 June 1825 ; digital image, “North Carolina, U.S., Wills and Probate Records, 1665-1998,” Ancestry (https://www.ancestry.com/imageviewer/collections/9061/images/007640059_00772 : accessed 31 January 2026).