Reverend Robert Troup Obituary

Abstract

Reverend Robert Troup was a respected African American landowner, minister, and community member in Lowndes County, Georgia. Born around 1828, he originally came from Laurens County, Georgia, and later moved to Lowndes County, where he became well known throughout the region. According to his 1908 obituary, Troup had lived on a six-acre tract of land for approximately thirty-six years, property he purchased from W.H. and T. S. McKey. The obituary also states that he had formerly belonged to Governor George M. Troup, indicating that he had been enslaved before emancipation. Despite the hardships of slavery, Troup acquired land after the Civil War and established himself as an independent property owner and respected citizen.

On September 10, 1878, a deed recorded in Lowndes County confirmed Robert Troup's ownership of a six-acre parcel purchased from W.H. and T. S. McKey. His ownership of this property represented a significant achievement during Reconstruction, as African Americans increasingly sought economic independence through land ownership. Troup lived on this property for the remainder of his life.

Robert Troup died in December 1908 at approximately eighty years of age after suffering from paralysis for some time. His obituary described him as a man of "good character and strict honesty" who was well-liked by all who knew him. His wife had preceded him in death by about fourteen years, and he was survived by numerous relatives who were themselves respected members of the community. His life reflects the remarkable transition from enslavement to landownership and community leadership in post-Civil War South Georgia.