Lucy Black

Lucy was the spouse of Randall Black, listed in his household in the 1870 Census for Charles City. Her age is reported as 67. [1] She may have been enslaved with Randall at Sherwood Forest, since “Randall’s wife” is mentioned in a letter from Tyler’s neighbor, James A. Semple. [2] In 1864, David Gardiner Tyler mentioned that “Burwell Jr and his wife together with Claiborne Randolph and Lucy are at Sherwood.” [3] It is possible that there might have been multiple people named Randall/Randolph and Lucy at Sherwood Forest.

Lucy is also listed on the Creek Plantation section of the inventory created upon the death of John Minge, Sr. in 1829. Collier Minge inherited the Creek Plantation and later sold it (and other properties) to John Tyler, who renamed the land Sherwood Forest. It is likely that John Tyler purchased some of the remaining enslaved folks from Collier Minge, including Randolph and Lucy. [4]

[1] 1870 U.S. Census, Charles City County, Virginia, retrieved from FamilySearch.org, https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MFLL-SP6.

[2] James A. Semple to Julia Gardiner Tyler, 1864, Transcripts of Tyler Family Papers, Sherwood Forest Plantation Foundation, Charles City County, Virginia.

[3] David Gardiner Tyler to Julia Gardiner Tyler, 6 Sep. 1864, Transcripts of Tyler Family Papers, Sherwood Forest Plantation Foundation, Charles City County, Virginia.

[4] Copy of John Minge, Sr.’s 1829 Inventory, Richard M. Bowman Center for Local History, Charles City County, Virginia. John Minge, Sr. died in 1829: https://ancestors.familysearch.org/en/LZN5-RG8/john-minge-1770-1829.