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This is a finding aid. It is a description of archival material held in the Wilson Library at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Unless otherwise noted, the materials described below are physically available in our reading room, and not digitally available through the World Wide Web. See the Duplication Policy section for more information.
This collection was rehoused under the sponsorship of a grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities, Office of Preservation, Washington, D.C., 1990-1992.
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Collection Overview
| Size | 2.0 feet of linear shelf space (approximately 350 items) |
| Abstract | Norfleet family of Bertie County, N.C. Correspondence, legal documents, land records, account books, plantation journals, and other records of the Norfleet family. Six of the volumes are diaries or account books of Stephen Andrews Norfleet (1822-1910), proprietor of several plantations in Bertie County. Accounts, 1844-1895, relate to slaves, debts, receipts, and expenditures. In his journals, 1856-1860 and 1870-1871, Stephen A. Norfleet recorded daily agricultural activities and the health of his slaves. He also kept notes on navigation on the Roanoke River. Two volumes are the diary, 1891-1892, of Ernest Norfleet (1851-1901), a U.S. Navy surgeon, on a voyage to China and Japan, including descriptions of travel and social life in the Far East and references to Norfleet's interest in Eastern art. Also included are family correspondence, 1820s-1900s and legal and business papers, early 1700s-early 1900s, of the plantations and of various family members. |
| Creator | Norfleet (Family : Bertie County, N.C.) |
| Curatorial Unit | University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Library. Southern Historical Collection. |
| Language | English |
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Information For Users
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Processing Information
Processed by: Rebecca Hollingsworth, May 1992; Adera Scheinker, September 1997
Encoded by: ByteManagers Inc., 2008
Updated by: Nancy Kaiser, May 2021
Part of this collection was rehoused under the sponsorship of a grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities, Office of Preservation, Washington, D.C., 1990-1992.
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Subject Headings
The following terms from Library of Congress Subject Headings suggest topics, persons, geography, etc. interspersed through the entire collection; the terms do not usually represent discrete and easily identifiable portions of the collection--such as folders or items.
Clicking on a subject heading below will take you into the University Library's online catalog.
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Biographical Information
In the 1820s, Thomas F. Norfleet (d. 1855) served as guardian for Antoinette and John A. Norfleet, following the death of their father, John Norfleet.
Stephen Andrews Norfleet (1822-1910) was the proprietor of several plantations in Bertie County, N.C., including Woodbourne, Indian Woods, Norfleet's Ferry, and Kelford.
Ernest Norfleet (1851-1901) was a United States Navy surgeon who served in China and Japan in 1891 and 1892.
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Scope and Content
Correspondence, legal documents, land records, account books, plantation journals, and other records of the Norfleet family. Six of the volumes are diaries or account books of Stephen Andrews Norfleet (1822-1910), proprietor of several plantations in Bertie County. Accounts, 1844-1895, relate to slaves, debts, receipts, and expenditures. In his journals, 1856-1860 and 1870-1871, Stephen A. Norfleet recorded daily agricultural activities and the health of his slaves. He also kept notes on navigation on the Roanoke River. Two volumes are the diary, 1891-1892, of Ernest Norfleet (1851-1901), a U.S. Navy surgeon, on a voyage to China and Japan, including descriptions of travel and social life in the Far East and references to Norfleet's interest in Eastern art. Also included are family correspondence, 1820s-1900s and legal and business papers, early 1700s-early 1900s, of the plantations and of various family members.
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Series Quick Links
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Series 1. Loose Papers, 1784-1865 and undated.
Bills, receipts, accounts, indentures, and other financial and legal items pertaining to members of the Norfleet family. Most items relate to the affairs of Thomas F. Norfleet as guardian for the children of John Norfleet, Antoinette and John. Other papers include a bill of sale, 1784, for a slave sold to Marmaduke Norfleet; a deed of gift, 1787, between Reuben Norfleet and his son James; and bills and accounts, 1856-1865, of Stephen A. Norfleet. Also included is part of a letter that appears to have been written by Jasper Charlton regarding a will made by William Perry.
| Folder 1 |
1784-1795Includes a slave bill of sale from 1784. |
| Folder 2 |
1806-1821 |
| Folder 3 |
1824-1827 |
| Folder 4 |
1829-1865 |
| Folder 5 |
Undated |
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Series 2. Stephen A. Norfleet Volumes, 1844-1895.
Plantation journals and account books of Stephen A. Norfleet. Account books include lists of the names and ages of slaves belonging to various members of the Norfleet family; Stephen A. Norfleet's accounts with his wife, Frances H. Norfleet, and with himself; family expenses; and receipts and expenditures pertaining to Woodbourne, Indian Woods, and Norfleet's Ferry plantations.
The plantation journals give details of daily farming activities, such as preparing ground, planting, cultivating, and harvesting crops. There are numerous notes about the weather, the health of the slaves, and navigation on the Roanoke River.
| Folder 6 |
Volume 1. Accounts, 1844-1895Contains lists of the names and ages of enslaved and formerly enslaved people between 1844-1895. |
| Folder 7 |
Volume 2. Accounts, 1852-1873Contains lists of the names and ages of enslaved and formerly enslaved people between 1844-1895. |
| Folder 8 |
Volume 3. Plantation journal, 1856-1857Includes information on health of enslaved people. |
| Folder 9 |
Volume 4. Plantation journal, 1858-1859Includes information on health of enslaved people. |
| Folder 10 |
Volume 5. Plantation journal, 1860Includes information on health of enslaved people. |
| Folder 11 |
Volume 6. Cash accounts, 1870-1871 |
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Series 3. Ernest Norfleet Diaries, 1891-1892.
Diary of Ernest Norfleet, United States Navy surgeon, kept on a voyage to China and Japan. Entries give details of social life in the Far East, list what Norfleet was reading, and frequently mention his interest in Eastern art. The second volume also includes lists of his books and curios.
| Folder 12 |
Volume 7. 1 January - 19 December 1891 |
| Folder 13 |
Volume 8. 20 December 1891 - May 1892 |
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Microfilm.
Reel M-549/1-3
M-549/1M-549/2M-549/3 |
Microfilm |
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Addition of March 1997 (Acc.97044), 1722-1929.
Correspondence, legal documents, land deeds, genealogy, and account information and ledgers of the Norfleet family.
Correspondence in the 1860s-1880 is primarily between Stephen Norfleet and North Carolina attorney P. H. Winston. Most of these letters concern a property dispute Norfleet had with William Slade Pugh of Louisiana. These letters also mention various other concerns such as money allocation, inheritances, and funds owed to the U.S. Internal Revenue. The letters from the 1880s-1900s were written by various family members to Stephen Norfleet requesting genealogical information and recounting family matters.
The legal documents are primarily wills and indenture contracts written by the Norfleet family beginning with Marmaduke Norfleet (the grandfather of Stephen) and Reubin Norfleet (the father of Stephen). There are also wills written by John, Thomas, and Stephen Norfleet.
The land deeds beginning in 1722 are of Marmaduke Norfleet and his descendants for land in Bertie County, N.C.
The account information and receipts are generally for dry goods, food, wages, slave purchases, duty taxes and luxury items such as carriages.
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Items Separated
Microfilm (M-549/1-3)
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