Will books are a good source in the search for slaves only if the owner named the slave(s). Many times, a will lists property without specifying if it includes slaves. For example: "I will and bequeath to my (wife, son, daughter, etc.) all my estate both real and personal of every sort;" or, "...the property I have already given to my (wife, son, daughter, etc.) ..." The documents often do not include the slave's name, sometimes only girl, runaway, boy, etc.
The documents in this manuscript include wills, administrator's estate accounts, executor accounts, and inventories and appraisals. Each slave owner is listed first followed by the page number, date and type of document. The list of slaves follows below. The new owner is listed if known. Surnames of the owner's children are indexed only if noted in the document. A full-name index adds to the value of this work.