Washington DC Early Records

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Recently there have been several messages relating to a slave, Luke Goins, of the Harpers Ferry area. While reviewing some records of Washington, DC, I came across the following:

http://www.historydc.org/pdf/DCemancipation.pdf

This document (placed on the web by the Washington DC Historical Society) relates to the emancipation of slaves in Washington, DC - and the calculation of their value by a commission set up for that purpose. This value was to be paid to the former owners (or their heirs) as compensation for the emancipation of their slaves. Some 966 petitions for compensation were filed by former owners; these petitions named some 3,100 former slaves. The majority of these claims (909) were allowed; the others were fully or partially disallowed.

Three of the slaves named were surnamed GOINS:

Malinda Goins, valued at $350.40

Rose Goins, valued at $350.40

and

George Goins, valued at $328.50

These slaves were three of the seven named by petitioner Milton Garrett, acting on his own behalf and on behalf of an estate (W. C. Caldwell, Sarah Caldwell, John H. Caldwell, A. M. Caldwell, et al). Milton Garrett is claimant 130 (see page 23).

Milton Garrett was a prosperous merchant of Washington, DC - but was originally of Harpers Ferry. Born 06 April 1813, Milton was the eldest son of Johnson and Mary (Doyle) Garrett of Harpers Ferry (and, later, Bolivar). Milton married Mary L. Caldwell about 09 November 1839 (date of license issued at Frederick county, MD). In adulthood, Milton moved to Washington; his brother, Mortimore (a blacksmith), moved to Georgetown; and his youngest sister, Mary Arnett Garrett, married Dr. John Ben Johnson of Alexandria, VA (just across the Potomac from DC).

At the 1860 census of Washington, DC (Series M653, Roll 102, page 384) - i.e. two years before the emancipation claims - the household of Milton Garrett includes his wife, Mary (nee' Caldwell) and their children. Also in the household are Melinda (no surname given, ae 40) and Rose (ae 6); George (Goins) is not in the Garrett household, however.

Given the Harpers Ferry roots of Milton Garrett, it seems probable that Malinda, Rose and George Goins were related in some manner to Luke Goins of Harpers Ferry.

I hope this will provide some useful additional information about your GOINS family.

Richard Irwin

gen-roots@comcast.net