| First Name | Edwin |
| Surnames | Colbert Siblings’ surname. Getting Word African American Oral History Project Archive, Family Groups series, Box 12 (Charlottesville, VA: Thomas Jefferson Foundation). |
| Gender | Male |
| Birth Information | 2 Nov. 1793, Monticello Thomas Jefferson’s Farm Book, page 30 |
| Thomas Jefferson documents the people he enslaves across his properties and where they will be settled the following year. 64 people are recorded at Monticello. | |
| Role | Enumerated |
| Listed With | Betty Brown (1759-1831)Wormley Hughes (1781-1858)Burwell Colbert (1783-1862)Brown Colbert (1785-1833)Melinda Colbert Freeman (1787-1865) |
| Sources | Thomas Jefferson's Farm Book, page 30 |
| Thomas Jefferson calculates alottments for clothing and other supplies to people, with quantity determined by age and size. This includes linen, cloth, thread, stockings, blankets, beds, and shoes. | |
| Role | Receives Provisions |
| Listed With | Betty Brown (1759-1831)Melinda Colbert Freeman (1787-1865) |
| Sources | Thomas Jefferson's Farm Book, page 43 |
| Clothing and textiles are distributed to enslaved and hired persons, inlucding linen, wool, cotton, stockings, shoes, blankets, and beds. | |
| Role | Receives Provisions |
| Listed With | Betty Brown (1759-1831)Melinda Colbert Freeman (1787-1865) |
| Sources | Thomas Jefferson's Farm Book, page 49 |
| Bread is distributed to enslaved people and hired workers. The source material organizes people into lists by overseer. Listed under Tom Shackleford. | |
| Role | Receives Provisions |
| Listed With | Betty Brown (1759-1831)Wormley Hughes (1781-1858)Burwell Colbert (1783-1862)Brown Colbert (1785-1833)Melinda Colbert Freeman (1787-1865) |
| Sources | Thomas Jefferson's Farm Book, page 43 |
| Thomas Jefferson records distribution of fish. | |
| Role | Receives Provisions |
| Listed With | Betty Brown (1759-1831)Melinda Colbert Freeman (1787-1865) |
| Sources | Thomas Jefferson's Farm Book, page 53 |
| Bread is distributed to enslaved people and hired workers. The source material organizes people into lists by overseer. | |
| Role | Receives Provisions |
| Listed With | Betty Brown (1759-1831)Wormley Hughes (1781-1858)Burwell Colbert (1783-1862)Brown Colbert (1785-1833)Melinda Colbert Freeman (1787-1865) |
| Sources | Thomas Jefferson's Farm Book, page 50 |
| Fish and other rations are distributed to people living by the house at Monticello. | |
| Role | Receives Provisions |
| Listed With | Betty Brown (1759-1831)Melinda Colbert Freeman (1787-1865) |
| Sources | Thomas Jefferson's Farm Book, page 51 |
| Linen, wool, stockings, blankets, beds, and shoes are distributed to 134 people enslaved or hired by Thomas Jefferson. | |
| Role | Receives Provisions |
| Listed With | Betty Brown (1759-1831)Melinda Colbert Freeman (1787-1865) |
| Sources | Thomas Jefferson's Farm Book, page 52 |
| Bread is distributed to people living by the house at Monticello. | |
| Role | Receives Provisions |
| Listed With | Betty Brown (1759-1831)Melinda Colbert Freeman (1787-1865) |
| Sources | Thomas Jefferson's Farm Book, page 52 |
| Thomas Jefferson documents the people he enslaves at Monticello from late 1798 to early 1799. | |
| Role | Enumerated |
| Listed With | Betty Brown (1759-1831)Wormley Hughes (1781-1858)Burwell Colbert (1783-1862)Brown Colbert (1785-1833)Robert Colbert (b. 1799) |
| Sources | Thomas Jefferson's Farm Book, page 57 |
| Thomas Jefferson records the distribution of fish and beef to people at Monticello House. | |
| Role | Receives Provisions |
| Listed With | Betty Brown (1759-1831)Wormley Hughes (1781-1858)Burwell Colbert (1783-1862)Brown Colbert (1785-1833) |
| Sources | Thomas Jefferson's Farm Book, page 56 |
| Thomas Jefferson records the distribution of fish and beef rations. | |
| Role | Receivies Provisions |
| Listed With | Betty Brown (1759-1831)Wormley Hughes (1781-1858)Burwell Colbert (1783-1862)Brown Colbert (1785-1833)Melinda Colbert Freeman (1787-1865) |
| Sources | Thomas Jefferson's Farm Book, page 57 |
| Linen, wool, stockings, blankets, beds, and shoes are distributed to people enslaved or hired by Thomas Jefferson | |
| Role | Receives Provisions |
| Listed With | Betty Brown (1759-1831) |
| Sources | Thomas Jefferson's Farm Book, page 55 |
| Thomas Jefferson records the distribution of linen, wool, stockings, blankets, beds, and shoes to people. | |
| Role | Receives Provisions |
| Listed With | Betty Brown (1759-1831)Robert Colbert (b. 1799) |
| Sources | Thomas Jefferson's Farm Book, page 58a |
| Thomas Jefferson documented who remained after leasing 47 people to John Craven. | |
| Role | Enumerated |
| Listed With | Betty Brown (1759-1831)Robert Colbert (b. 1799) |
| Sources | Thomas Jefferson's Farm Book, page 60 |
| Thomas Jefferson records a schedule for the distribution of blankets to people from 1808 through 1810. On 1809 list. | |
| Role | Receives Provisions |
| Sources | Thomas Jefferson's Farm Book, page 137 |
| Total pounds, possibly of ham, distributed as rations for people at Monticello House in 1810. | |
| Role | Receives Provisions |
| Sources | Thomas Jefferson's Farm Book, page 135 |
| Thomas Jefferson documents people living by the Monticello house. | |
| Role | Enumerated |
| Sources | Thomas Jefferson's Farm Book, page 128 |
| Bread is distributed to people living by the house at Monticello. | |
| Role | Receives Provisions |
| Listed With | Betty Brown (1759-1831)Robert Colbert (b. 1799)Mary Colbert (1801-1843) |
| Sources | Thomas Jefferson's Farm Book, page 134 |
| Thomas Jefferson calculates alottments for clothing and other supplies to people, with quantity determined by age and size. This includes Irish linen, coats, overalls, callimanco, flannel, bearskin, and stockings. | |
| Role | Receives Provisions |
| Sources | Thomas Jefferson's Farm Book, page 136 |
| Thomas Jefferson records schedule for “rotation” of blankets and beds to people between 1811 through 1819. Edwin's name crossed out. On blanket list for "Dec. 1811. 14. 17" | |
| Role | Receives Provisions |
| Sources | Thomas Jefferson's Farm Book, page 142 |
| Thomas Jefferson records the distribution of linen, wool, blankets, beds, hats, and sifters to people. | |
| Role | Receives Provisions |
| Sources | Thomas Jefferson's Farm Book, page 139 Thomas Jefferson's Farm Book, page 140 |
| Thomas Jefferson records the distribution of shirts, plains, woolen, blankets, hats, beds, and socks to people. | |
| Role | Receives Provisions |
| Sources | Thomas Jefferson's Farm Book, page 144 Thomas Jefferson's Farm Book, page 145 |
| Thomas Jefferson records the distribution of shirting, woolen, blankets, beds, hose, and hats to people. | |
| Role | Receives Provisions |
| Sources | Thomas Jefferson's Farm Book, page 146 Thomas Jefferson's Farm Book, page 147 |
| Bread is distributed to people living by the house at Monticello. | |
| Role | Receives Provisions |
| Sources | Thomas Jefferson's Farm Book, page 148 |
| Thomas Jefferson records the distribution of wool, shirts, socks, blankets, and beds to people. | |
| Role | Receives Provisions |
| Sources | Thomas Jefferson's Farm Book, page 150 Thomas Jefferson's Farm Book, page 151 |
| Thomas Jefferson records the distribution of woollen, shirting, blankets, beds, socks, and hats to people. | |
| Role | Receives Provisions |
| Sources | Thomas Jefferson's Farm Book, page 154 Thomas Jefferson's Farm Book, page 155 |
© 2026 Thomas Jefferson Foundation. Getting Word: African American History at Monticello is supported by the Mellon Foundation