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various aspects of enslavement in Pennsylvania
Enslavement in Pennsylvania
Slaveholders Enumerated in Cumberland County Supply Tax List, 1779
Listing of Slaveholders, Extracted from the "Cumberland County Supply Rates, 1779."
The County of Cumberland's Supply Rates List for 1779 was transcribed and edited for use in the official state publication titled simply Pennsylvania Archives. Editor and historian William Henry Egle edited the series, published in 1897, and it remains a vital original research tool. The "Cumberland County Supply Rates, 1779" follows the 1778 tax list in Volume 20. It provides a snapshot of slaveholding in the county the year prior to passage of the Gradual Abolition Act of 1780. The 1780 law required all slaveholders to travel to the county seat of Carlisle to register all Black persons held as slaves, so this 1779 list adds data to that provided a year later.
The transcribed information in the published list provides no details on the enslaved persons themselves. It merely reports the number of taxable enslaved persons held by the named propertyholder, along with numbers of acres owned, number of horses owned and number of cattle owned. If the property owner had a still or other valuable operation such as a sawmill, it was also noted. Unlike previous year's tax lists, the total assessed tax was not reported for the property owners. The Supply Tax was a wartime "resolve" from the Continental Congress to fund the war against Great Britain. Pennsylvania authorized the tax on 03 April 1779 and sent proceeds to Congress for the purchase of wartime supplies, muntions and other expenses. The Congress itself, per the Articles of Confederation, had no taxing authority.
The list below is extracted data and shows only those property holders that had at least one enslaved taxable person in the year 1779. Excluded from that category and not enumerated or taxed were enslaved persons younger than age 12 and older than age 60, indentured servants or other workers, bound or free. Only Black enslaved persons between the ages of 12 and 60, designated in the enumeration as "Negroes," were enumerated and taxed, along with acres of land, horses, and cattle.
Slaveholders in 1779 are listed below in the order published, roughly alphabetical, by township. It must be remembered that Cumberland County in 1779 encompassed territory and townships that would later form the counties of Franklin, Mifflin and Perry. The spelling of slaveholders' names below is mostly preserved from the original 1779 records with corrections occasionally noted and most abbreviations spelled out. It is formatted as Last name, First name, notes or occupation, and number of "Negroes."
Listing of Slaveholders
Antrim Township
Allison, John, mill, 2
Allison, William, 2 stills, 2
Brown, George, 2 stills, 5
Conckleton, John, 4
Cook, Joseph, s, 2
Davison, Robert, 2
Davis, Elias, 2 stills, 3
Downey, William, 1
Erwin, John, 2
Fullerton, Humphrey, 2 stills, 1
Gordon, Henry, 1
Gibson, Andrew, 2
Johnson, John, 2
Jack, John, 2
Johnston, James, 1
Johnston, Thomas, 2
McClenahen, James, 3
McClenahan, Rebeccha, 2
Niesbit, William, 1
Poo, James, 1
Pawling, Henry, mill, 5
Rannells, John, Esq'r, 2 stills, 2
Rankin, William, 2
Allen Township
Galbraith, Robert, grist mill, saw mill, 1
Harkness, William, 1
McTeer, William, 1
Quigley, Henry, 1
Starr, Moses, 1
Armagh Township
Brown, William, Esq'r, gristmill, 1
Baird, William, 1
McKnit, John, 1
McKibbins, Joseph, 1
Taylor, Mathew, 1
Carlisle
Armstrong, John, General, 3
Blair, William, shoemaker, 1
Buchanan, John, 1
Brown, William, carpenter, 2
Chreigh, John, storekeeper, 1
Cummins, Widow, 1
Duncan, Stephen, 1
Davis, James, tavernkeeper, 2 stills, 2
Glenn, John, 2
Holmes, William, quartermaster, 2
Herwick, Anthony, baker, 1
Irwin, William, General, 1
Kerr, John, smith and cutler, 1
Kennedy, Thomas, mason, 1
Lyon, William, Esq'r, Prothonotary, 2
Lindsay, David, tavernkeeper, 1
McDowel, Sarah, 3
Miller, Robert, tanner, tanyard, 3
McKinzie, Dorothy, 1
Montgomery, John, 2
Pollock, James, tavernkeeper, 2
Spear, Joseph, 1
Stevenson, George, attorney, 4
White, Robert, 1
Derry Township
Buchannan, Arthur, Colonel, 1
Buchannan, Robert, 2
Bratton, William, Captain, 1
Bratton, Andrew, 1
Coulter, Richard, 1
Chambers, Robert, 1
Elliott, John, 1
Gammel, John, 1
Gusty, Adam, 1
Holliday, Samuel, Captain, gristmill, sawmill, 2
Huston, James, 2
Igoe, David, 1
Parshal, Jonathan, 1
East Pennsburgh (Pennsboro) Township
Barker, William, 1
Culbertson, William 1
Galbraith, James, 1
Huling, John, gristmill, 1
Hoge, David, 2
Loudon, Mathew, 2
Hendricks, Widow, 5
Nielson, Nathaniel, 1
Orr, John, malster, 2
Patterson, William, 1
Quigley, John, 1
Rees, Jeremiah, 5
Semple, John, 3
Whitehill, Robert, 1
Waugh, John, 1
Fermanagh Township
Galloher, James, 1
Hamilton, John, gristmill, sawmill, 1
Keplar, Benjamin, 1
McCartney, William, 1/2 (Typo, or possibly co-enslaver with another propertyholder)
Patterson, Widow, gristmill, 2
Fannet Township
Alexander, Randle, 1
Bryan, Nathaniel, 3
Brown, Allen, 1
Coulter, Samuel, 1
Dougall, Samuel, Rev., 1
Elliott, John, sawmill, 1
Elliott, William, gristmill, sawmill, 1
Elder, David, Esq'r, 1
Elder, David, Junior, 1
Holliday, John, 1
Moore, Samuel, 1
McKibbin, William, 1
Guilford Township
Adams, David, 2
Andrew, John, gristmill, 1
Aston, Owen, 1
Boggs, John, merchant, 1
Chambers, Benjamin, 2 mills, 2
Calhoon, John, Doctor, 1
Crawford, Hugh, 2
Glass, William, fuller, fulling mill, 2
Kerr, John, 2
Kirby, William, 2
Long, William, 2
McWilliams, James, 1
Rinnix, Samuel, 1
Willson, Mattew, 1
Willson, Alexander, 1
Young, James, 2
Long, William "road," 1
Greenwood Township
No taxable slaveholders were enumerated in Greenwood Township for 1779.
Hamilton Township
Armstrong, Joseph, 1
Chesnut, John, 1
Dixon, Robert, gristmill, 1
Dixon, William, "mountain", 1
Eatton, John, Junior, 1
McClean, John, 1
Mairs, Alexander, 1
McDowell, Matthew, 1
Stull, Richard, 2
Steel, William, 1
Thompson, William, grist and sawmill, 1
Hopewell Township
Blythe, Benjamin, 2
Brownfield, John, 1
Clark, Robert, 2
Culbertson, Robert, 2
Cowan, William, 1
Calhoon, James, 1
Campbell, Francis, 2
Calwall, James, 1
Dunlap, James, 2
Duncan, William, 1
Duncan, Daniel, 1
Hammill, Robert, 1
Mahon, David, 3
McCune, Samuel, Esq'r, 4
McKinney, Joseph, s, 1
Moorhead, William, 1
Rippey, Samuel, 1
Rodgers, Richard, 1
Sisney, John, 2
Lurgan Township
Barr, Thomas, 2
Brackenridge, James, 1
Campbell, William, 1
Cox, Samuel, 2
Greentree, William, 1
Herron, John, 1
Herron, James, 1
Irwin, William, 1
Irwin, William, 1
Johnston, John, 1
Linn, William, 1
McComb, John, 2
Mitchell, James, 2
McKibben, James, 2
Mahon, Abell, 1
Porter, David, 2
Pumroy, Thomas, 1
Rannells, John, gristmill, 2
Rippy, William, 2
Rippy, Samuel, 2
Weer, Aaron, 1
Letterkenny Township
Beard, William, 1
Beard, John, 2
Culbertson, Joseph, Senior, 1
Culbertson, Samuel, Colonel, 1
Culbertson, Samuel, Senior, 4
Cummins, Charles, 2
Finlay, John, 1
Finlay, James, 3
McCamont, James, 1
Reed, James & John, 1
Shields, Mathew, 1
Torrance, Hugh, 2
Torrance, James, 1
Middleton Township
Callender, Frances, widow, mills, 1
Chambers, William, 2
Davis, John, Quartermaster General, 2
Holmes, Andrew, 2
Holmes, Jonathan, 1
Irwin, James, 1
Irwin, Samuel, 1
Johnston, Jonathan, 1
McKinley, Henry, 1
Mitchell, James, 1
Miller, Matthew, 2
McClure, Charles, Comm'y, 2 stills, 2
Moore, William, mills, 2
Sanderson, Robert, mills, 3 stills, 2
Sanderson, John, 1
Sample, Joseph, 1
Thompson, William, 2
White, David, 2 stills, 2
Young, James, 1
Millford (Milford) Township
Campbell, Robert, miller, mill, 1
Lyon, Samuel, 1
Lyon, John, Junior, 1
Stewart, George, 3
Wilson, Thomas, 1
Newtown (Newton) Township
Carnahan, James, 1
Gillespie, Robert, 1
Laughlin, Alexander, 1
Laughlin, Hugh, 2
McKracken, William, 1
MIkey, Robert, 1
McCune, John, 1
Nicholson, James, 2
Starrett, David, mill, 2
Thompson, William, 1
Wear, Samuel, 1
Peters Township
Baird, Richard, 3
Brownson, Richard, 2
Campbell, James, 2 stills, 3
Campbell, William, 1
Cross, James, tanner, 2
Campbell, Patrick, 1
Davis, David, 3
Davis, David, M.H., 2
Davis, Samuel, 2
Dunwoody, Thomas, 2
Erwin, Archibald, gristmill, 2
Erwin, James, 2
Erwin, Joseph, 2
Elliott, Johnston, 1
Finlay, Samuel, 2
Holliday, Adam, 2
Harris, Rowland, 2
Huston, David, 1
Huston, William, 2
Huston, James, 1
Hays, William, 1
Hoge, Michael, 1
Kennedy, John, 2 stills, 1
Kiing, John, Rev., 1
Kennedy, David, 1
Maxwell, Patrick, 2
Maxwell, James, Esq'r, 2 stills, 3
McClelland, John, Captain, 2
McClelland, John, 1
McKee, Alexander, 1
McFarland, Robert, 1
McDowell, John, saw and grist mill, 1
McMichael, ?, 2
Scott, William, fuller, fulling mill, saw mill, 3
Smith, Robert, M.H., 1
Starrett, Kairns, 2
Taggartt, Robert, 3
White, Alexander, 2
Work, Henry, 200 (obvious typo. Henry Work was enumerated with 200 acres, but in lists from other years had one or two enslaved persons.)
Rye Township
Bull, Henry, 1
English, David, Senior, 2 mills, 2
Miller, David, 2 stills, 1
Starrett, Ralph, 2
Watt, Frederick, Esq'r, 1
Tyrone Township
Fisher, James, 1
Neilson, William, 1
Sanderson, William, blacksmith, 1
Sanderson, John, distiller, gristmill, 1
West, Francis, gristmill, 3
Teboyne (Toboyne) Township
Blaine, James, mills, 1
Miller, James, mills, 1
Miller, John, 1
West Pennsboro Township
Carrothers, James, Junior, 2
Erwin, Alexander, 1
Erwin, James, 2 stills, 1
Gettis, William, 1
Gillespie, Widow, 1
Guy, Thomas, 1
Hays, Adam, 2 stills, 2
Jacobs, Joseph, 1
Killgore, Widow, 1
Little, James, 1
Laughlin, William, 1
McCallister, Andrew, 1
McFarlin, William, 1
Moor, John, mill, 2 stills, 3
McFarlin, Widow, 3
McFarland, Robert, 1
Patterson, James, 1
Pierce, Paul, brewery, 3
Parker, Widow, the elder, 1
Smith, James, comm'y 2 stills, 3
Semple, Robert, 2
Woods, William, Senior, 1
Young, John, 1
Washington Township
Erwin, William, 1
Moorhead, James, 1
Source
"Provincial Papers: State and Supply Transcripts of the County of Cumberland, for the Years 1778, 1779, 1780, 1781, 1782 and 1785, " Pennsylvania Archives, Third Series, Vol. 20, William Henry Egle, M.D. Editor, Harrisburg, PA 1897, pp. 116-248.