Slaves Ginney, Randall, Lizar, & David given to Zilphy Dunn Beaird 

Submitted for the Union Parish Louisiana USGenWeb Archives by T. D. Hudson, 8/2004


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Stephen Dunn gives slaves Ginney, Randall, Lizar, & David to daughter Zilphy Beaird

Union Parish Louisiana Deed Book A-1, pp. 54 – 55
and also recorded in 
Bibb Co AL Deed Book E, pp. 263 – 264

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29 Mar 1843

State of Alabama, Bibb County.
Know all men by these presents that I Stephen Dunn of the County and State aforesaid 
for and in consideration of the Love and affection that I have for my daughter Zilphia
[Zilphy] Beaird do this Day Grant unto my Grand Son John W. Beard in trust for the Sol [sic] 
Benefit and use of my Daughter forever certain negres [sic] to wit: Ginney a woman about 
twenty three years old Randal a Boy about three years old Lizar a Girl about two years 
old David a boy about one year old to have and to hold the said Negroes to her and her 
heirs forever. In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand and Seal this the 29th 
day of March 1843…

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Comments: 

#1
In the Bibb County Alabama version of the deed, Stephen's daughter was named 
"Zilphy", but in the Union Parish Louisiana version, it was recorded as "Zilphia". 

#2
Zilphia Dunn was born about 1794, we think in Edgecombe County North Carolina. 
As this record indicates, she was the daughter of Stephen Dunn, who we think 
moved from Edgecombe County North Carolina to Baldwin County Georgia about 1805 
or 1806. Between 1810 and 1811, he moved to Jasper County Georgia. Zilphia 
married William Beaird, Sr. (1794-1885+) there in 1816. In 1818, William & 
Zilphia followed his father Edmund Beaird to Bibb County Alabama. Stephen 
followed them there sometime after 1820. In 1846, a few years after Dunn 
gave these slaves to his daughter, Zilphia & her family moved to Union Parish 
Louisiana. Once there, they had the slave deed above recorded there also.

#3
I do not know what happened to Ginney, but she is undoubtedly the older 
female slave living in William Beaird's household in Union Parish in both 
1850 and 1860. However, at the end of slavery Randall chose the surname 
"Beaird" and continued to live near William Beaird’s plantation for several 
years; he worked on the farm of William Beaird’s nephew Francis Marion Tucker 
during the war, and in 1870 was next door to Tucker. He became a rather prosperous 
farmer and in the 1870s bought his own farm next to William Beaird’s. It was rather 
unusual for a black man to own his own land for an extended period of time in that 
era. On 23 December 1882, Randall purchased an additional 240 acres adjoining his 
existing 80 acres in the Zion Hill community for $200 in cash (Union Par LA Deed 
Book T, p. 228 – the legal description of this land was W½ of NE¼ and the SE¼ of 
Section 6, Township 21 North, Range 1 West). Possibly in anticipation of his death, 
on 5 January 1884 Randall Beaird sold 120 acres to his neighbor Thomas Jefferson 
Price. This record shows that he could not sign his name (Union Par LA Deed Book U, 
p. 106 – Randall Beaird sold Price the E½ of SE¼ and the SW¼ of SE¼ of Section 6, 
Township 21 North, Range 1 West). Randall died later that month at his residence 
in Union Parish. He left a widow, Ellen Beaird, and three children: Willis, Jane, 
and Richard Beaird and 280 acres of land (Union Par LA Succession Book A-1, 
pp. 129 – 132). The inventory of Randall Beaird’s estate indicated that his land 
was worth $350 and one black mare was worth $75, which, together with other livestock 
and household property was worth a total of $908.45. This property is far more 
valuable than that owned by many middle-class white people during this period. 
Unfortunately, Ellen was apparently unable to manage the farm and pay the taxes on 
it after Randall’s death. On 30 August 1886, the sheriff seized and sold Mrs. Ellen 
Beaird’s 280-acre farm to J. R. Kilgore to pay her taxes (Union Par LA Deed Book V, 
p. 392).  Ellen Beaird remarried on 3 February 1887 to Lewis Jones (Union Par LA 
Marriage Book 7, p. 634). Willis and Jane Beaird married in 1885, and Richard 
married in 1898, all in Union Parish. I have no further information on the 
descendents of Randall Beaird.


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