Tamor, born about 1726
Born about 1726, arrived in Virginia 1739
“Tamor a negro girl belonging to Elias Newman is adjudged to be thirteen years old”
Essex County, Virginia Order Book 11, page 234
The purpose of this order book record was to determine her age for taxes. Tamor was judged to be age thirteen years old, and was identified as a girl. This helps us with considering possible ages of other enslaved females simply recorded as “girl”. We currently estimate “girl” was between the ages of nine and sixteen. This court record from the Essex County, Virginia court proceedings 20 November 1739 gives us a birth year for Tamor in 1726.
Henings Volume II, pg 480 at Internet Archives
According to the Laws of Virginia, enslaved and indentured individuals must have their age determined within three months of arrival to the Virginia colony. The order book record (above) means that Tamor has entered the Virginia colony within the last three months. There is no record of her entering from another colony, so she most likely arrived on a ship with other enslaved laborers between August and September 1739.
Tamor’s recent arrival means that she was probably not related to any of the enslaved laborers at Elias Newman’s plantation. Tamor was not listed as living or as part of Elias Newman’s estate, when he wrote his will in 1747/8. Tamar was age twenty one at the time of this will, it is unlikely Tamor would be the mother of Will (boy), Jenny (girl), Guy (boy), Moringgo (boy), Nette (girl). Doll, who was listed as a woman in 1728 is more likely to be their mother. Doll could not be the mother of Tamor because this court notation shows Tamor was not born in Virginia and at the time of Tamor’s birth, Doll was living at the Moseley estate in Virginia. We also do not believe Tamor was related to Thomas Armson (servant) who arrived in Virginia six years before Tamor, in 1733.
We have not yet seen a record of Tamor being “gifted” to one of Elias Newman’s older children, this is the only record we have for Tamor.
Recorded in records of these estates:
Newman Virginia Roots 