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Records of African Americans in the Berks County Poor House
1825-1857
The following
records were extracted from microfilm at the State Archives of
Pennsylvania. These records document the deaths and pregnancies of
African Americans living at the Berks County Alms House in Cumru Township,
located near present-day Shillington. They are recorded in chronological
order.
Deaths |
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| Name/ Description | Date/Cause of Death | Place of Burial | Notes |
| James Dunlap (Negro) | November 23, 1825 | Poor House | |
| John Gibs (Negro) | December 11, 1825 | Poor House | |
| Willeby Jones (Negro) | April 2, 1826 | Poor House | |
| Daniel Clymer (Negro) | November 22, 1826 | Poor House | |
| Eliza Henderson (Negris) | November 20, 1827 | Poor House | |
| Elijah Anderson (Negro) | January 4, 1829 | Poor House | |
| Henry Talbert (Negro) | May 16, 1829 | Poor House | |
| Basil Smith (Negro) | October 10, 1829 | Poor House | |
| Jacob Barrington (Negro) | November 19, 1829 | Poor House | |
| King Herod (Negro) | November 27, 1829 | Poor House | |
| Margarett Dillen (Negres) | June 10, 1830 | Poor House | |
| Samuel Hageman (Negro) | June 17, 1830 | Poor House | |
| Johnathan Jones (Negro) | August 23, 1830 | Poor House | |
| George Murry (Negro) | October 27, 1830 | Poor House | |
| Richard Adams (Negro) | December 1, 1830 | Poor House | |
| William Hartley (Negro) | February 21, 1831 | Poor House | |
| Sarah York (Negro) | February 26, 1831 | Poor House | |
| William Ross (Negro) | May 26, 1832 | Poor House | |
| John Corsey (Negro) | August 16, 1836 | Poor House | |
| Jesse Litney (Negro) | February 15, 1840/Old Age | Poor House | |
| Strainger [sic] (Negro) | March 23, 1842/ Cause Unknown | Poor House | |
| Joseph Johnson (Negro) | August 20, 1842/Old Age | Poor House | |
| Pompey Feager (Negro) | February 2, 1847/Old Age | Poor House | |
| James Smith (Negro) | February 15, 1847/ Consumption | Poor House | |
| George Anderson (Negro) | April 20, 1847/ Cause Unknown | Poor House | "Brought Dead" |
| James Darrah (Negro) | March 31, 1848/ Chronic Diarrhea | Poor House | |
| John Gibbs (Negro) | May 15, 1848/ Consumption | Poor House | |
| Simon Bell (Negro) | July 4, 1849/ Chronic Enteritis | Poor House | |
| Stephen Gilbert (Negro) | July 9, 1849/ Consumption | Reading | |
| Francis Grim (Negro) | February 4, 1850/ Hydrothorax | Age "18 years" | |
| Jane Williams (Negris) | April 20, 1850/ Gangrene | Poor House | Age 40 years |
| Isaac M. Curdy (Negro) | July 11, 1850/ Dropsy | Poor House | Age 58 years |
| A female child (Negris) | October 25, 1851/ Unknown | Poor House | Age "not known" |
| Silva Moore (Negris) | January 14, 1852/ Old Age | Poor House | Age 110 years, 8 months. Where from: Earl Township, Bucks County |
| James Walker (Negro) | November 28, 1852/ Consumption | Poor House | Age 30 years |
| William Herkelus (Negro) | March 6, 1853/ "Maniacal Po???" | Age 60 years | |
| J. James (Negro Boy) | November 21, 1853/ "Drowned in Schuylkill" | Poor House | |
| Rebecca Johnson (Negris) | March 5, 1854/ Unknown | "Brought Dead" | |
| Peter Kelly (Negro) | August 13, 1854/ Old Age | Age 71 years. Pauper Book #5474 | |
| Peter Gilbert (Negro) | November 12, 1854/ Mania a Poter" | Age 57 years. Pauper Book #5832 | |
| Stephen Brown (Colored) | September 3, 1855/ Phthisis pulmonalis" | Poor House | Age 72 years. From Reading. Pauper Book #5930 |
| Joseph Glasgow (Colored) | September 10, 1855 | Poor House | Age 50 years. From Reading. Pauper Book #6082 |
| Isaac Williams (Colored) | June 6, 1856/ Dropsy | Age 39 years. From Birdsboro. Pauper Book #9101 | |
Pregnancies and Births |
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| Mother's Name/Description | Date of delivery | Sex of child | Notes |
| Catharine Beckerman (Negris) | February 18, 1836 | "not known" | Where from: Unknown |
| Eliza Jennings (Negris) | April 20, 1839 | Female | |
| Mary Ann Hamilton (Negris) | May 4, 1839 | Female | |
| Elizabeth Collins (Negris) | October 21, 1850 | Male | |
| Martha Jackson (Negris) | November 20, 1850 | Female | "Still born. Born out of wedlock." |
| Mary Thorn (Negris) | January 5, 1851 | Male | |
| Mary Holland (Negris) | May 16, 1851 | Male | |
| Julia Baker (Negris) | December 28, 1857 | Female | Where from: Reading |
Source: RG-47, Berks County, Pennsylvania, Records of County Governments, Board of County Commissioners -- Directors of the Poor. Death Register, 1825-1892. Microfilm roll 9367. State Archives of Pennsylvania, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.