▁their ▁E man cip ation ▁to ▁the ▁present ▁Day ▁none ▁of ▁them ▁have ▁been ▁su ed ▁in ▁Court , ▁or ▁brought ▁before ▁a ▁Mag istr ate ▁to ▁answer ▁a ▁compla int ▁against ▁them . ▁ ▁One ▁of ▁them ▁once ▁obtained ▁a ▁W arr ant ▁against ▁a ▁Person ▁who ▁had ▁assault ed ▁him , ▁who ▁begg ing ▁his ▁P ardon , ▁He ▁forg ave ▁Him ." ▁ ▁Currently ▁In ▁ 2 0 0 2 ▁the ▁Virgin ▁Islands ▁legisl ature ▁passed ▁laws ▁which ▁required ▁residents ▁of ▁the ▁estate ▁to ▁sell ▁their ▁land ▁to ▁other ▁residents ▁of ▁the ▁estate ▁if ▁they ▁were ▁prepared ▁to ▁pay ▁the ▁same ▁price , ▁to ▁preserve ▁the ▁cultural ▁her itage ▁of ▁the ▁area . ▁ ▁The ▁measure ▁was ▁not ▁univers ally ▁popular , ▁as ▁it ▁made ▁it ▁more ▁difficult ▁for ▁land - own ing ▁families ▁to ▁sell ▁their ▁property , ▁but ▁it ▁is ▁non eth eless ▁thought ▁to ▁be ▁an ▁important ▁step ▁in ▁se cur ing ▁the ▁historical ▁legacy ▁of ▁the ▁Territ ory . ▁ ▁The ▁fre ed ▁slaves ▁( as ▁was ▁common ▁at ▁the ▁time ) ▁took ▁the ▁surname ▁of ▁their ▁last ▁own ers , ▁and ▁went ▁by ▁the ▁family ▁name ▁of ▁Not ting ham . ▁ ▁Although ▁many ▁other ▁former ▁slave ▁own ers ' ▁descend ants ▁are ▁still ▁well ▁represented ▁within ▁the ▁Territ ory , ▁by ▁the ▁twenty - first ▁century ▁no ▁Not ting h ams ▁appeared ▁on ▁the ▁vot er ' s ▁roll ▁or ▁the ▁tele phone ▁directory . ▁ ▁See ▁also ▁Sug ar ▁plant ations ▁in ▁the