My DNA analysis consistently shows a small percentage, less than one percent, of African DNA from my mother's line. My research led me to colonial Virginia, and a freed slave known as Richard Nickens, my 8th great grandfather. The mixed race descendants of Richard Nickens from my ancestral line migrated southward into North Carolina and settled in communities between Albemarle Sound and Great Dismal Swamp. Later, some of these Nickens families would relocate to Middle Tennessee.
Biography of Richard Nickens and His Descendants
Richard Nickens, also known as "Black Dick," "Free Dick," or "Free Richard," was born around 1660 in colonial Virginia, likely into slavery on the Corotoman plantation in Lancaster County, owned by the prominent Carter family. He was enslaved by John Carter II, son of the wealthy planter John Carter I, who had established large tobacco holdings in the area during the 1650s. The site of the plantation was the north bank of the Rappahannock River, between Carter's Creek and Corrotoman River. Richard's time as a slave ended with John Carter II's will, dated June 4, 1690, which granted freedom to Richard, his wife Chriss (also spelled Chris or Christian), and one of their unnamed children after the completion of the current crop—effectively around 1691. The will also stipulated that two other daughters, Diana and "Little Chriss," would be freed upon reaching age 18, while remaining under the care of Carter's wife in the interim. In addition to freedom, the family received practical support: a cow and calf each for Richard and Chriss, three barrels of corn apiece, and lifetime use of land from Carter's holdings (purchased from Nicholas Wren and "old Clapham"), including provisions for housing and timber.
This act of manumission was unusual for the time, as Virginia's laws increasingly restricted freedoms for people of African descent, but it aligned with a small number of early colonial emancipations. The family's surname evolved over time from Yoconohawcon (or variants like Yoconohawckon, Yoconhawkon, or Yockohoc) to Nicken, Nickon, and eventually Nickens by the mid-18th century. The origin of "Yoconohawcon" remains unclear, but it may derive from an indigenous or African name adopted post-freedom. Records from Lancaster County tax lists track Richard's transition: he appeared as "Black Dick" in 1699, "Free Dick" from 1701 to 1702, "Free Richard" in 1703, and "Richard Yoconohawcon" in 1704, with two tithables (indicating a growing household). He was involved in minor community affairs, such as receiving a bequest of 500 pounds of tobacco or a cow in the 1698 will of neighbor Robert Bennett. Richard sued Thomas Gilchrist in July 1706 but died shortly after, between July and November that year, with no estate inventory recorded. His widow, Chriss, was granted administration of his estate on November 13, 1706.
Chriss continued to navigate life as a free woman of color, facing legal challenges typical for freed families in colonial Virginia. She pursued the lawsuit against Gilchrist until its dismissal in August 1707 and was ordered to pay court costs in October 1707. In January 1708, she successfully petitioned for 200 pounds of tobacco from an estate to cover funeral expenses. However, she encountered debt suits, including one from Robert Gibson in 1709 for 1,800 pounds of tobacco, leading to the attachment of her household goods and livestock. In March 1709, she confessed to receiving stolen goods from Robert Carter's servants and was sentenced to 30 lashes, though the punishment was remitted at Carter's request in exchange for good behavior. The Gibson suit dragged on until 1714. Chriss was last recorded alive around 1713-1714, and by 1716-1717, court records referred to her as deceased when binding out her younger daughters. Her life highlights the precarious freedom of early African American families, marked by poverty, legal scrutiny, and community ties, and opportunities not afforded to ancestors in the old world.
Richard and Chriss had at least five children by the time of their freedom, with evidence suggesting mixed African, European, and possibly Native American ancestry, as later descendants were often classified as "Mulatto" or "free people of color." Their immediate family lived on the provided land near neighbors like the Wale family and Peter Kilgore. Key children included:
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| Historical marker in Lancaster County, Virginia |
This act of manumission was unusual for the time, as Virginia's laws increasingly restricted freedoms for people of African descent, but it aligned with a small number of early colonial emancipations. The family's surname evolved over time from Yoconohawcon (or variants like Yoconohawckon, Yoconhawkon, or Yockohoc) to Nicken, Nickon, and eventually Nickens by the mid-18th century. The origin of "Yoconohawcon" remains unclear, but it may derive from an indigenous or African name adopted post-freedom. Records from Lancaster County tax lists track Richard's transition: he appeared as "Black Dick" in 1699, "Free Dick" from 1701 to 1702, "Free Richard" in 1703, and "Richard Yoconohawcon" in 1704, with two tithables (indicating a growing household). He was involved in minor community affairs, such as receiving a bequest of 500 pounds of tobacco or a cow in the 1698 will of neighbor Robert Bennett. Richard sued Thomas Gilchrist in July 1706 but died shortly after, between July and November that year, with no estate inventory recorded. His widow, Chriss, was granted administration of his estate on November 13, 1706.
Chriss continued to navigate life as a free woman of color, facing legal challenges typical for freed families in colonial Virginia. She pursued the lawsuit against Gilchrist until its dismissal in August 1707 and was ordered to pay court costs in October 1707. In January 1708, she successfully petitioned for 200 pounds of tobacco from an estate to cover funeral expenses. However, she encountered debt suits, including one from Robert Gibson in 1709 for 1,800 pounds of tobacco, leading to the attachment of her household goods and livestock. In March 1709, she confessed to receiving stolen goods from Robert Carter's servants and was sentenced to 30 lashes, though the punishment was remitted at Carter's request in exchange for good behavior. The Gibson suit dragged on until 1714. Chriss was last recorded alive around 1713-1714, and by 1716-1717, court records referred to her as deceased when binding out her younger daughters. Her life highlights the precarious freedom of early African American families, marked by poverty, legal scrutiny, and community ties, and opportunities not afforded to ancestors in the old world.
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| Corotoman site near modern day Weems, Virginia |
Richard and Chriss had at least five children by the time of their freedom, with evidence suggesting mixed African, European, and possibly Native American ancestry, as later descendants were often classified as "Mulatto" or "free people of color." Their immediate family lived on the provided land near neighbors like the Wale family and Peter Kilgore. Key children included:
- Edward Nickens (born ca. 1680): The eldest son, taxable as a free person from 1709 to 1720 in Lancaster and Northumberland Counties. He faced lawsuits over debts and property from 1712 to 1731, bought and sold land, and left a 1735 will naming his wife Mary and children Tun, Sarah, John, Robert, Aner, Edward, Richard, and James. He was a relatively prosperous landowner for his status.
- Elizabeth Nickens (born ca. 1685): Likely the unnamed daughter freed with her parents. Taxable in 1707, she bound out her son Richard in 1709 and was presented for an illegitimate child in 1715. Children included Richard (born 1705), Catherine (ca. 1710), and William (ca. 1727).
- Christian (Little Chriss) Nickens (born ca. 1687): Freed at 18; bound out her son Robin in 1709; presented for illegitimate children in 1713 and 1727. Children: Robert/Robin (ca. 1707), Elizabeth (ca. 1711), and Christian (ca. 1727).
- Betty Nickens (born ca. 1712): Bound out in 1716-1717; possibly Chriss's child from after Richard's death.
- Martha Nickens (born ca. 1709): Bound out in 1717; petitioned for freedom in 1726 and won her case, highlighting early legal fights for rights. She used the surname Yockonhawcon.
- John Nickens (ca. 1720): Purchased property in 1763; taxable until 1801; obtained a freedom certificate in 1796. Father of John Jr. (Revolutionary Navy service; married Ann Mills in 1791), Benjamin (married Mary Nickens in 1796), Bridger, Bartley, and Armstead (married Polly Weaver in 1819; Lancaster County households 1820-1830).
- Robert Nickens (ca. 1721): Involved in land transfers; taxable 1782-1800. Possible father of James, Nathaniel, Benjamin, and Daniel.
- Edward Nickens (ca. 1725): Sued for trespass in 1754; children bound as apprentices in 1757, including Edward Jones and Lucy.
- Richard Nickens (ca. 1727): Taxable in Northumberland 1782; possible father of Amos (will in 1807; children Amos Jr. and Mary), Limas/Elimaleck (migrated to Ohio ca. 1804; children William, James, Agnes, Lot, Jacob, Easter, Amlick, Moses), Moses, Edward, Abraham, Jacob, and Isaac.
- James Nickens (ca. 1729): Bound apprentice in 1736; received land in Bertie County, NC (now Hertford) in 1750 from in-laws Edward and Margaret Carter; taxable 1768-1784; Revolutionary service. Married Margaret Carter; possible father of Carter, William, Edward, Richard, Malachi, and Willis.
- Richard Nickens (born 1705): Apprenticed 1711; owned land in Currituck/Pasquotank Counties, NC 1751-1771; 1774 will named children Edward, Leah, Margaret, Rachel, Philip, Roland, and Proskate.
- Catherine Nickens (ca. 1710): Presented for bastard child in 1728; possible mother of Stephen and Frances.
- William Nickens (ca. 1727): Involved in lawsuits 1763-1773; children bound 1772-1773; possible father of Richard, James, Leroy, Sarah Ann, and William.
- Robert/Robin Nickens (ca. 1707): Bound apprentice in 1709.
- Elizabeth Nickens (ca. 1711): Bound 1716; received poor relief as blind in 1788; possible mother of Martha.
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Armstead
S. Nickens |
LinksFollow the Nickens migration from North Carolina to Tennessee here: Nickens Migration to Middle TennesseePrimary and Archival Sources
- John Carter Jr.'s Will (dated June 4, 1690; probated 1690), Lancaster County Will Book 8:5. This is the foundational document granting freedom to "Black Dick," his wife Chriss, and their children, along with provisions for land, livestock, and corn. Excerpts and transcriptions appear in multiple secondary sources below.
- Lancaster County Court Records (tax/tithable lists, orders, and deeds, 1699–1720s), including entries identifying Richard as "Black Dick," "Free Dick," "Free Richard," and "Richard Yoconohawcon" (various spellings), and later references to Chriss and children like Edward Nicken.
- Nickens One-Name Study (Guild of One-Name Studies). Comprehensive family history site detailing origins, name evolution from Yoconohawcon to Nickens, and generations.
- Main page: https://nickens.one-name.net/
- First Generation (Richard and Criss): https://nickens.one-name.net/first-generation-richard-and-criss-yoconohawcon
- Origins of the Nickens Family and Name: https://homepages.rootsweb.com/~nickens/NickensOrigins.html (mirrored on RootsWeb).
- Paul Heinegg, Free African Americans of North Carolina, Virginia, and South Carolina from the Colonial Period to About 1820 (multiple editions, including 6th ed. framework). Discusses the Nickens family's origins in Lancaster County and migration patterns.
- Introduction and relevant sections: https://freeafricanamericans.com/introduction.htm
- Framework for 6th Edition: https://genealogical.com/2021/08/09/framework-for-6th-edition-of-free-african-americans-of-nc-va-sc/
- WikiTree Profile for Richard Nickens (abt. 1660–abt. 1706). Community-sourced genealogy with citations to Lancaster records and the Carter will.
https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Nickens-181 - Find a Grave Memorial for Richard “Black Dick, Yockenhawken, Yoconohawcon” Nickens (ca. 1660–1713). Summarizes biography and manumission details.
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/254062030/richard-nickens - Encyclopedia Virginia entry on Armistead S. Nickens (1836–1906). Covers a prominent descendant, linking back to the free people of color family origins in Lancaster County.
https://encyclopediavirginia.org/entries/nickens-armistead-s-1836-1906 - Lancaster Virginia Historical Society – Black History Focus. Local history overview, including Armistead Nickens and Revolutionary War veterans in the family.
https://lancastervahistory.org/blackhistory/
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