AFRICAN AMERICAN FLYTHES

By Mary Catherine Flythe
& Rev. Norman Flythe
 

John, who died in 1804, purchased an African American woman named Leah and her son Bedford in 1794. He also owned Ryke. John's son Enos owned slaves but had none in 1840. Solomon, son of Enos, sold Maria and Andrew in 1858 to his daughter Louisa T. Flythe. Solomon's brother Etheldred owned no slaves according to the 1840 Census. Sarah the widow of William Flythe son of John (d. in 1804) owned one slave in 1840.

John Allman Fly bought his first slave Penny in 1806 from his wife's stepfather Richard Sumner. The 1840 census shows John Allman with eight slaves. In 1850, his will names the following: Lucy, Martha, Susan, Green, Ett, Drew, Mary, Caroline and Jane. John Allman Flythe’s sons Elisha, James Sikes, John Washington and Jesse all owned slaves. Jesse inherited a number of Grant slaves through his wife Lucy Ann Grant.

Aaron, the brother of John Allman, had no slaves in 1840, according to the census record.

Today’s African American Flythes are probably descended from these slaves and the lineages go back to people freed in 1865 in North Carolina and Virginia. Mr. William Flythe has been able to trace his lineage to Drew, a slave belonging to John Allman Flythe. Numerous records are available to aid in such a search. Some of these records have been summarized in the paper African American Flythes of Northampton Co., NC by Norman Flythe and Mary Catherine Flythe. This paper is available to anyone interested in the topic.