They Had Names:A Digital Archive
Looking for enslaved or free ancestors in coastal Georgia? The TheyHadNames.net digital project has transformed thousands of Liberty County probate records, deeds, and court cases from 1786-1865 into a searchable database—revealing individual names and stories of enslaved people rather than just property listings. Whether your roots trace to coastal Georgia or anywhere else in the South, the They Had Names project demonstrates specific record types and research strategies that help break through those stubborn family history roadblocks.
Stacy Ashmore Cole created the award-winning "They Had Names" digital project in 2018 after discovering her own family's connection to enslavement in Liberty County, Georgia. The project has earned the AAHGS Jean Sampson-Scott Meritorious Achievement Award, the Humanitarian Award from the Liberty County Martin Luther King Jr Observance Association, and the Georgia Historical Records Advisory County Award for Excellence in Documenting Georgia's History. Stacy has served on the boards of the Liberty County Midway Museum and the Georgia Genealogical Society, and is a past president of the Coastal Georgia Genealogical Society.
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