Timbuctoo History and Genealogy

Antebellum Black history in Burlington County, New Jersey, has several fascinating historic figures that can become interesting classroom lessons. These include soldiers who fought in the Revolutionary War, a clockmaker born before the Revolutionary war who owned a successful clockmaking business, a man who became so fascinated with Quakerdom that he pleaded throughout his life to become a member of the group, only to be rebuffed until he was seventynine, two settlers from an antebellum free Black community called Timbuctoo who were influential in their community’s development, a physician, a prominent Underground Railroad operative, and others. Many were born enslaved, but some were born free. Many were assisted by Quakers, who clearly facilitated emancipation in many cases, even while clearly limiting their association with Black people in certain circumstances. This article describes the lives of eight men whose lives contribute to our understanding of Burlington County during enslavement and emancipation.

Written by Guy Weston 

 Even officials sources sometimes promote the misconception that Black people did not appear by name in census records before 1870. In fact, free Black people have appeared by name in every US census, beginning with the first census in 1790. This paper will look at the distribution of enslaved and free Black populations by region, some characteristics of each population, as well as how freedom was experienced in each region. In addition, we will discuss ideas for future research on these topics. This research was motivated, in part, by a need to determine the extent of other free Black communities and their similarities to Timbuctoo.

Written by Guy Weston 

This was my first serious attempt to document the journey of identifying my mother's maternal family history, beginning in Timbuctoo. This research was faciliated by a number of seemingly unique databases, such as the New Jersey Births and Christenings Index, where I found ancestors as early as 1850, and the New Jersey Deaths and Burials Index, which had ancestor deaths as early as 1872. Southern New Jersey genealogy resources described here are available in other Northern states that passed manumission laws in the late eighteenth century and early nineteenth century, as well.

Written by Guy Weston 

Since all Northern states had taken some action to “begin the end” of enslavement by 1804, substantial numbers of “free colored persons” lived through much of this region in the early nineteenth century. My 4x great grandmother Ann was born in Philadelphia, which had the largest population of Black people outside of the Southern states in the decades leading up to the Civil War. A majority of Black people living in Philadelphia and the adjacent New Jersey region where she migrated were classified as “free colored persons” during this period. As a result, sources for genealogy research can include landrecords, newspaper obituaries, birth and death records, and other documents frequently dismissed as non-existent for Black populations in the antebellum era. This paper describes lessons learned about my grandmother and her contemporaries, most of whom lived in Timbuctoo.
Written by Guy Weston 

 Defined as “the study of human history through the excavation of sites and the analysis of artifacts and other physical remains,”archaeology can be an important and enlightening tool for studying community history. However, archaeological excavations are typically too expensive for consideration in community-based history projects. Moreover, unlike history, which is widely appreciated as a topic of study in any public school, community historical society members may not be familiar with archaeological findings and the insights they provide regarding the history and culture of a community. This paper describes how this author and the Timbuctoo Historical Society, a small community-based organization, became familiar with archaeology and is using it to learn more about family history as well as the history of Timbuctoo.
Written by Guy Weston 

Teaching the history of African Americans before the Civil War typically focuses on enslavement in the South without acknowledgment of the free Blacks in the North who established institutions, were covered in “white” newspapers, and sometimes owned their homes. This article discusses a curriculum development project designed to expand teaching of African American history to include these perspectives. The project is ongoing and continues to add new elements to address issues that arise during engagement with local teachers. 

Written by Cheryl Cliver, JoAnn Donnelly, Kevin Risley, and Guy Weston 

 Timbuctoo is an unincorporated community in Westampton Township, Burlington County, New Jersey. It was settled by formerly enslaved and free Black people beginning in 1826, reaching approximately 125 residents by 1860. The community also included at least two churches, two schools, and a benevolent association that helped people in the community in need. A vast collection of documentation of Timbuctoo’s founding and early development is available for research, including more than 100 years of deed and legal documents in a single PDF file; deeds and certificates of incorporation for churches, schools, and the benevolent association; newspapers that include death notices and feature articles as early as 1851; as well as vital records. The vital records are found in the New Jersey Births and Christenings Index and the New Jersey Deaths and Burials Index, with Timbuctoo resident listings as early as the 1850s. Prompted by recent emphasis on celebrating the end of slavery with the establishment of Juneteenth as a national holiday, this article explores what emancipation meant for an antebellum free Black community in southern New Jersey, drawing substantially from the primary sources above to provide a unique contemporaneous perspective. Questions for future research are mentioned throughout the narrative to illuminate compelling potential research projects 

 Timbuctoo was settled by formerly enslaved and free Black people, beginning in 1826, and was a very visible Black community in Burlington County, New Jersey during the Nineteenth Century. Today the only visible remanent of Timbuctoo’s historic past is the cemetery, which was established c.1840s. This paper discusses efforts to preserve and protect the cemetery.

Written by Guy Weston 

 Timbuctoo is an unincorporated community in Westampton Township, Burlington County, New Jersey. It was settled by formerly enslaved and free Black people beginning in 1826, reaching approximately 125 residents by 1860. The community also included at least two churches, two schools, and a benevolent association that helped people in the community in need. A vast collection of documentation of Timbuctoo’s founding and early development is available for research, including more than 100 years of deed and legal documents in a single PDF file; deeds and certificates of incorporation for churches, schools, and the benevolent association; newspapers that include death notices and feature articles as early as 1851; as well as vital records. The vital records are found in the New Jersey Births and Christenings Index and the New Jersey Deaths and Burials Index, with Timbuctoo resident listings as early as the 1850s. Prompted by recent emphasis on celebrating the end of slavery with the establishment of Juneteenth as a national holiday, this article explores what emancipation meant for an antebellum free Black community in southern New Jersey, drawing substantially from the primary sources above to provide a unique contemporaneous perspective. Questions for future research are mentioned throughout the narrative to illuminate compelling potential research projects. 

Written by Gail Astle and Guy Weston