Slavery in Kanawha county, charleston, west virginia

West Virginia is the state that I find the earliest record of the surname, Brittentine, one of my family lines. Although, my ggg-grandfather, Monroe Brittentine was born a slave in the neighboring state of Kentucky but later relocated to Plain Dealing, Louisiana.

My research revealed that farming and livestock operations in Western Virginia mainstrem and required the use of slave labor. However, there were many parts of the region that did not employ slave labor.

The region where I find Brittentines is the Kanawha County, Charleston area. This region consisted of valleys and of larger farms of tobacco and other cash crops which used slaves. You can click on the map above to view Kanawha county if you want to get a sense of where it is located in the state.


My research further revealed that in 1860, there were 490,308 slaves which represented almost 1/3 of the population in West Virginia. A substantial slave population existed in the Kanawha Valley. Due to the decline of plantation agriculture in the 1800s, slavery was no longer as profitable in the east and slaves were frequently hired out or sold. The salt industry was driven by poor white transients and slave labor, often leased from eastern Virginia. This was the first significant introduction of slavery into western Virginia because salt was the first major industry to develop. Of the slaves in the Kanawha Valley, half were owned or hired by salt firms. About 40% percent of these slaves were used to mine coal for the salt works because they could be hired from their owners for much lower wages than white laborers demanded. These slaves were usually leased and insured rather than bought due to the risk of death or injury in the coal mines.

Based on the above, it is highly probable that the Brittentines I located in this area were held as slaves on farms or salt/coal mines.

Possible Brittentine connection?

I recently ran across another possible surname, Brizendine which could be the origin of my Brittentine Line. These slaveowners are from Virginia and Kentucky where my Brittentine line came from. It may be a stretch but it is one of the closest surnames that I found to my Brittentine line. Variations of the name include Brizendine/Brisendine information, consider a variety of spellings including Bresendine, Brisendine, Brezentine, Bresentine, Brasentine, Brigindine, Briginden. I will explore more since that family has a website but here is a 1850 slave schedule as follows:

The names in the middle are the slaveowners and the slaves are mentioned at the beginning only by age gender and race.

27 Female Black Austin Brizendine Essex, Virginia
26 Male Black Austin Brizendine Essex, Virginia
8 Female Black Austin Brizendine Essex, Virginia
7 Male Black Austin Brizendine Essex, Virginia
5 Female Black Austin Brizendine Essex, Virginia
3 Female Black Austin Brizendine Essex, Virginia
0 Female Black Austin Brizendine Essex, Virginia
0 Male Black Austin Brizendine Essex, Virginia
46 Female Black Elizabeth Brizendine Essex, Virginia
5 Male Black Elizabeth Brizendine Essex, Virginia
3 Female Black Elizabeth Brizendine Essex, Virginia
2 Male Black Elizabeth Brizendine Essex, Virginia
0 Female Black Elizabeth Brizendine Essex, Virginia
45 Female Black Wiley Brizendine Essex, Virginia
20 Male Black Wiley Brizendine Essex, Virginia
20 Male Black Wiley Brizendine Essex, Virginia
20 Male Black J Brisendine District 1, Todd, Kentucky
30 Female Black Mary Brisendine Essex, Virginia
10 Female Black Mary Brisendine Essex, Virginia
4 Male Black Mary Brisendine Essex, Virginia
2 Female Black Mary Brisendine Essex, Virginia
2 Female Black Mary Brisendine Essex, Virginia
41 Male Black John C Brisendine Essex, Virginia
40 Female Black John C Brisendine Essex, Virginia
10 Male Black John C Brisendine Essex, Virginia
24 Female Black Temple Brisendine Essex, Virginia
14 Female Black Temple Brisendine Essex, Virginia


Also, here is the will of a John Brizendine of Essex virgina but no slaves mentioned

The Will of JOHN BRIZENDINE Will written on 9/15/1777
Essex County, Va. Wills # 3 - 1775-1785 Page 314-315, 341-342

In the name of God, Amen. I, JOHN BRIZENDINE of the parish of South Farnham in the county of
Essex, beinng very sick and weak, but of perfect sence and memory, do make this my last will
and testament, revoking all other wills in my name whatsoever.

First, I bequeath my soul to Jesus Christ that gave it in share of sartain hope of the
resurrection of both body and soul at the last day, and my body to be buried according
to the direction of my Executors; and for what estate it hath pleased God to bestow upon
me, I bequeath as
followeth ----

Item - I do give to my daughter, NANA BRIZENDINE my ---- harnesses and stays to she and
her heirs forever.

Item - I do lend all the rest of my real estate both real and personal to my loving wife,
SUSANAH BRIZENDINE during her natural life or widowhood and afterwards I give it as followeth:

Item - I do give to my son, RICHARD BRIZENDINE, twenty five acres of land joininng WILLIAM
COLE on the great swamp beginning at a black oak tree between my land and THOMAS DOBBINS to
he and his heirs forever.

Item - I do give to my son, ABNER BRIZENDINE all the rest of my land and houses to he and
his heirs forever. And if he should die under age or without heir lawfully begotten I do
leave it to be equally divided between my two sons RUBIN BRIZENDINE and BARTELET BRIZENDINE.

Item - I do leave all the rest of my whole estate not yet mentioned to be equally divided
among all my chhildren.

Lastly, I do ordain, constitute and appoint my loving wife, SUSANAH BRIZENDINE and my son,
WILLIAM BRIZENDINE holely and soally Executors of this my last will and testament, revoking
all other wills in my name whatsoever. This is the 15th day of September in the year of our
Lord, one thousand seven hundred seventy seven.

Signed, sealed in the JOHN X BRIZENDINE
presence of His mark

THOMAS BUSH
THOMAS BRIZENDINE
ARMSTED BRIZENDINE

Will proven in court 8/27/1780.

Submitted by
Carol Bush Sikes
csikes@montana.com

Brittentine +Rest in Peace+

This article ran Tuesday, March 24, 1936 in Lima, Ohio.

Charles Brittentine 47 who died of acute alcoholism in city prison Sunday will be held at the Patterson funeral home at 2 p m Wednesday by the Rev Harvey Beasley Burial will be in Fletcher cemetery.

I had a while ago remember running across a document for regarding this same person who had been hospitalized twice for alchool recovery. Sadly, this poor gentleman lost his battle.

I am wondering whether he was related to my Brittentine line since as mentioned in an earlier blog, that the surname, Brittentine was uncommon. I only found it in Ohio, Virginia and Kentucky where my ggg-grandfather, Monroe Brittentine was born.

If anyone knew of this gentlemen or his family line, please let me know. Thanks

In Search of Brittentines

For years I have been trying to connect my ggg-grandfather, Monroe Brittentine with other relatives. He was born a slave in Kentucky according to census records as were his parents whose names I do not know.

That is only part of the problem. The other is that I cannot connect him with any other relatives. The surname Brittentine is virtually non-existent prior to 1870 and it only worn by African american with the exception of 1 white female by the name of Mary Brittentine in Arkansas. The only other Brittentine I find in the country period is a large family of african americans some former slaves in Ohio and West Virginia. Now Ohio and West Virginia are very close in proximity to Kentucky so I have been thinking maybe they relocated there.



My grandfather, Monroe Brittentine was the only Brittentine in Louisiana in 1870 and all the individuals wearing that name presently in that area are his descendents. My guess is that he was brought from Kentucky to Louisiana as a slave. I have found him and his family on this 1870 and 1880 census and have a near complete chart of the lineage beginning with him.

Now, some of the older Ohio Brittentines bear similar or the same name as some of his children which might indicate that they are his relatives. There was one other black man by the name of Clem Brittentine who I found in an old obituary residing in Texas.

There are some closely related names such as, Britten, Brittain and Britton that I have long suspected might have been the actual origin of my family name. In fact, one of my cousins entire line changed their name to Brittine. The name, Britton is of English origin and was originally given to a person who was a Briton (a Celt of England) or a Breton (an inhabitant of Brittany, France which is in close proximity to England). Hence, those spellings are very common all over England and US

It is possible because of the slave dialect the name inadvertenly became Brittentine or was maybe intentionally changed to differentiate the former slaves from the previous white owners. I just don't know. But being the sleuth that I am, I am bound and determined to find out.

One thing is certain, the name is often spelled wrong on almost every census at least in the case of my known Brittentine ancestors.

Here are some of the Brittentines that I found on the census:
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1870 census
Mary Brittentine Hot Springs, Hot Spring, AR abt 1848 Arkansas White Female

John Brittentine Salisbury, Meigs, OH abt 1828 West Virginia Black Male

Susan Brittentine Salisbury, Meigs, OH abt 1825 West Virginia Mulatto Female

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1880 Census
Margera Brittentine Charleston, Kanawha, WV abt 1850 West Virginia Self (Head)

Cornelia Brittentine Margera Charleston, Kanawha, WV abt 1861 West Virginia Daughter

William Brittentine Margera Charleston, Kanawha, WV abt 1866 West Virginia Son

Cuba Brittentine Margera Charleston, Kanawha, WV abt 1874 West Virginia Son

Bettie Brittentine Margera Charleston, Kanawha, WV abt 1876 West Virginia Daughter

Virgie Brittentine Margera Charleston, Kanawha, WV abt 1878 West Virginia Daughter

Lewis Brittentine Margera Charleston, Kanawha, WV abt 1879 West Virginia Son

Adalphry Brittentine Rutland, Meigs, OH abt 1835 Virginia Self (Head)

Silas Brittentine Adalphry Rutland, Meigs, OH abt 1866 Ohio Son

Franklin Brittentine Adalphry Rutland, Meigs, OH abt 1872 Ohio Son

Judson Brittentine Rutland, Meigs, OH abt 1879 Ohio Grandson

Aaron Brittentine Mary Rutland, Meigs, OH abt 1835 West Virginia Self (Head)

Mary Brittentine Aaron Rutland, Meigs, OH abt 1855 Ohio Wife

Ella Brittentine Pittsburgh, Allegheny, PA abt 1856 Minnesota Something other than a direct relationship
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1900 Census

Nancy Brittentine Gallipolis, Gallia, Ohio abt 1802 West Virginia Black Aunt


Charles Brittentine Butler, Mercer, Ohio abt 1881 Ohio Black Servant
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1880 Census (These are all my Lousiana ancestors)

Monroe Brittenten Sophia 5th Ward, Bossier, LA abt 1842 Kentucky Self (Head)

Sophia Brittenten Monroe 5th Ward, Bossier, LA abt 1847 Louisiana Wife

Robert Brittenten Monroe,Sophia 5th Ward, Bossier, LA abt 1865 Louisiana Son

Sidney Brittenten Monroe,Sophia 5th Ward, Bossier, LA abt 1867 Louisiana Son

Esther Brittenten Monroe,Sophia 5th Ward, Bossier, LA abt 1868 Louisiana Daughter

Ella Brittenten Monroe,Sophia 5th Ward, Bossier, LA abt 1870 Louisiana Daughter

Eva Brittenten Monroe,Sophia 5th Ward, Bossier, LA abt 1872 Louisiana Daughter

Lizzie Brittenten Monroe,Sophia 5th Ward, Bossier, LA abt 1874 Louisiana Daughter

Jones Brittenten (Actually James) Monroe,Sophia 5th Ward, Bossier, LA abt 1879 Louisiana Son
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In 1880 the following related names are listed both born in Louisiana:

Sam Britten Bossier, LA abt 1832 Louisiana Self (Head)

Willie Britten Sam Bossier, LA abt 1870 Louisiana Son
---------------------------------------------------------

In 1900 the following related names are listed in Bossier
Parish,Louisiana:

Richard Bretten 58 (born in Louisiana but parents born in
Virginia)

Fellis Bretten 60
Savanah Bretten 23
Geneve Collins 13


I would appreciate help from anyone knowing a connection between Monroe and Ohio/West Virginia Brittentines.