My family name is Troy. Samuel Troy was a slave on the Hunter's Hill Plantation owned by James Hunter, a Norfolk merchant. However his wife was a free woman, so all of the children were born free. They are listed in the registry of Free Negroes in Essex County. The dates are about 1846.

Their mother, Sarah Hollinger, is listed as a 9 year old in the earlier listing dated 1810 - 1843. The entire registry was transcribed into several issues of the "Tidewater Virginia Families: A Magazine of History and Genealogy" published by Virginia Lee Hutcheson Davis. I have those volumes and can look up for family names, if you think your family is from Essex County.

I also have a copy of the inventory of James Hunter's estate. It lists a number of slaves just by first name. There are several that turn up in later census as Troy's also, but I haven't been able to determine whether or not they are related to my Troy's.

Good luck with your search. Judith