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Unidentified Iron Furnace Negro Book, 1847-1848. Local Government Records Collection, Lunenburg County Court Records, The Library of Virginia, Richmond, Virginia.
This item came to the Library of Virginia in shipments of court papers from Lunenburg County.
The account book was maintained by Washington F. Plunkett, an ironmaster who lived in Appomattox County. The iron furnace where the slaves worked may have been Stonewall Furnace located in Appomattox County.
Lunenburg County was named for George II, duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg, a German possession of the Hanoverian kings of England. It was formed from Brunswick County in 1745.
Unidentified Iron Furnace Negro Book, 1847-1848, is an account book that records purchases at the ironmaster's store made by slaves who worked at the iron foundry. Slaves who performed work beyond their required tasks were compensated in cash or in goods from the ironmaster's store. Each entry is made under the name of the slave and records the goods purchased, the money owed or paid, or if paid in labor what labor was done. Examples of goods purchased include sugar, clothing, shoes, tobacco, cloth, molasses, etc. Examples of extra work performed by slaves for payment of goods include stocking coal, wheeling dust, cording wood, stripping wood, working on Sunday and holidays. The account book includes and index listing names in alphabetical order and page number where their accounts can be found.
Account book also includes lists that record clothing furnished slaves who worked the iron furnace. Information found in lists includes name of slave and type of clothes he or she received (pants, coats, shoes, hats).