| First Name | Billy |
| Alternate Names | Billy Bedford Thomas Jefferson’s Farm Book, page 130 |
| Billy B. Thomas Jefferson’s Farm Book, page 154 |
|
| Surnames | |
| Gender | Male |
| Birth Information | Aug. 1799 Thomas Jefferson’s Farm Book, page 57 |
| Thomas Jefferson documents the people he enslaves in Bedford County from late 1798 to early 1799. | |
| Role | Enumerated |
| Listed With | Hannah (b. 1770)Lucinda (b. 1791)Reuben (b. 1793)Solomon (b. 1794)Sally Hubbard (b. 1797) |
| Sources | Thomas Jefferson's Farm Book, page 57 |
| Thomas Jefferson documents the people he enslaves in Bedford County. | |
| Role | Enumerated |
| Listed With | Hannah (b. 1770)Lucinda (b. 1791)Reuben (b. 1793)Solomon (b. 1794)Sally Hubbard (b. 1797)James (b. 1805) |
| Sources | Thomas Jefferson's Farm Book, page 60 |
| Thomas Jefferson documents people living at Poplar Forest. | |
| Role | Enumerated |
| Listed With | Hall (1767-1819)Hannah (b. 1770)Sally Hubbard (b. 1797)James (b. 1805)Phill (b. 1808)Edmund (b. 1809) |
| Sources | Thomas Jefferson's Farm Book, page 129 |
| Hats are distributed to people. | |
| Role | Receives Provisions |
| Sources | Thomas Jefferson's Farm Book, page 143 |
| Thomas Jefferson records schedule for “rotation” of blankets and beds to people between 1811 through 1819. Billy's name crossed out. On blanket list for "1813. 16. 19" | |
| Role | Receives Provisions |
| Sources | Thomas Jefferson's Farm Book, page 142 |
| Thomas Jefferson records the distribution of summer clothing to people. | |
| Role | Receives Provisions |
| Sources | Thomas Jefferson's Farm Book, page 139 |
| 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 |
| Thomas Jefferson records the distribution of hats to people. | |
| Sources | Thomas Jefferson's Farm Book, page 143 |
| Thomas Jefferson records the distribution of woollen, shirting, blankets, beds, and hats to people. Billy's name crossed out. | |
| Role | Receives Provisions |
| Sources | Thomas Jefferson's Farm Book, page 158 Thomas Jefferson’s Farm Book, page 159 |
| Bread is distributed to people living by the house at Monticello. | |
| Role | Receives Provisions |
| Sources | Thomas Jefferson's Farm Book, page 156 |
| Billy is assigned to work in the cooper’s shop. Thomas Jefferson directs that he return to Poplar Forest once he can make a good barrel, referring to his behavior as “too ungovernable.” | |
| Role | Laborer |
| Occupation: | Cooper |
| Listed With | Thomas Jefferson (1743-1826) |
| Sources | Thomas Jefferson to Joel Yancey, 11 Jan. 1818 |
| Thomas Jefferson records the distribution of woollen, shirting, blankets and beds to people at Tomahawk. | |
| Role | Receives Provisions |
| Listed With | Hannah (b. 1770)James (b. 1805)Phill (b. 1808)Edmund (b. 1809)George Welsh (b. 1812) |
| Sources | Thomas Jefferson's Farm Book, page 166 |
| Thomas Jefferson records schedule of blanket distributions to people between 1819 through 1821 at Poplar Forest. On 1820 list | |
| Role | Receives Provisions |
| Listed With | Lucinda (b. 1791)Reuben (b. 1793) |
| Sources | Thomas Jefferson's Farm Book, page 168 |
| An overseer ordered Billy to cut tobacco on a Sunday as almost everyone else was absent. Billy refuses and an altercation ensues, during which he bites the overseer and escapes. Joel Yancey presumes he is travelling to Monticello to lodge a complaint. | |
| Role | Rebel |
| Listed With | “overseer”Joel Yancey (d. 1833) |
| Sources | Joel Yancey to Thomas Jefferson, 14 Oct. 1819 |
| Billy is described attacking overseer William Gough and inflicting severe injuries with a knife. His mother Hannah and an unidentified person hold the wounds together until a doctor arrives. | |
| Role | Rebel |
| Listed With | William GoughHannah (b. 1770)[Name Omitted] |
| Sources | Elizabeth Trist to Nicholas P. Trist, 28 Nov. 1822 |
| Billy escapes from the neighborhood of New London, VA, and an advertisement is posted for his capture. Thomas Jefferson Randolph believes he is traveling to Richmond, Charlottesville, or Washington, D.C. Described as "a bright mulatto, about 22 years old, 5 feet 6 or 7 inches high" | |
| Role | Runaway |
| Listed With | Thomas Jefferson Randolph (1792—1875) |
| Sources | Thomas Jefferson Randolph’s Newspaper Advertisement for Billy, 19 Nov. 1822 |
| Gawen, Billy, and Hercules are charged with the stabbing of William Hough and for conspiring to rebel. Gawen and Hercules are found not guilty. Billy is found guilty and sentenced to be burned on the left hand and whipped. | |
| Role | Defendant |
| Listed With | Gawen (b. 1804)Hercules (1794-1823)William Gough |
| Sources | Bedford County Trial Proceedings for Poplar Forest Slaves Gawen, Billy, and Hercules
in Assault on William Gough, Overseer, 23 Dec. 1822 William Radford to Thomas Jefferson, 26 Dec. 1822 |
© 2026 Thomas Jefferson Foundation. Getting Word: African American History at Monticello is supported by the Mellon Foundation