slaveryto
freedom
A series of pages exploring
various aspects of enslavement in Pennsylvania
Enslavement in Pennsylvania
Slaveholders Enumerated in Cumberland County Tax List, 1781
Listing of Slaveholders, Extracted from the "Cumberland County Returns -- 1781."
The County of Cumberland's Tax List for 1781 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 "Transcript of Taxables of the County of Cumberland, for the Year 1781" follows the 1778 tax list, the 1779 Supply Rates list and the 1780 Supply Rates list in Volume 20. It provides a snapshot of slaveholding in the county in the year following 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 1781 tax list adds important data to that landmark legislation and allows us to track individual slaveholding through the years after the registration process.
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.
The list below is extracted data and shows only those property holders that had at least one enslaved taxable person in the year 1781. 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. This number of taxable enslaved persons shown in this list for a specific slaveholder may not match the number of enslaved persons registered by that slaveholder at Carlisle in the fall of 1780, since the Gradual Abolition law required the registration of all enslaved Blacks regardless of age.
Slaveholders in 1781 are listed below in the order published, roughly alphabetical, by township. It must be remembered that Cumberland County in 1781 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 1781 records with corrections occasionally noted and most abbreviations spelled out. Misspellings of surnames is rampant in these records. The extracted data below is formatted as Last name, First name, notes or occupation, and number of "Negroes."
Listing of Slaveholders
Antrim Township
Allison, John, Esq'r, gristmill, 3
Allison, William, 2 stills, 3
Brown, George, gristmill, 2 old stills, 6
Crunkleton, John, 4
Cook, William, 1
Davison, Robert, 3
Davison, Elias, 2 stills, 4
Downey, William, 1
Erwin, John, 1
Fullerton, Humphrey, gristmill, 2 stills, 2
Gordon, Henry, 1
Gibson, Andrew, 2
Johnston, Thomas, 2 stills, 2
Jack, Andrew, 2
McClenahan, Rebecca, 3
McClenahan, James, 6
Neisbit, William, 1
Poe, James, still, 1
Pawling, Henry, 2 stills, 5
Rannels, John, Esq'r, still, 2
Rankin, William, 2
Widener, Christopher, gristmill, sawmill, 2 stills, 1
Allen Township
Black, Wiliam, 1
Brooks, William, gristmill, still, 1
Cook, Hugh, 2
Gregory, James, still, 1
Galbreath, Robert, gristmill, 2 stills, 2
Harkness, William, still, 1
McTeer, William, 1
Quigley, Henry, still, 1
Williams, John, 1
Armagh Township
Beats, Edward, 2
Brown, Thomas, 1
Brotherton, Robert, 1
Campbell, John, 1
McKibben, Joseph, 2
McKnitt, William, 1
Richardson, Edward, 1
Reed, James, 1
Carlisle
Armstrong, John, General, 3
Agnew, John, Esq'r, 1
Blain, Alexander, 1
Barker, William, tavernkeeper, 1
Blair, William, shoemaker, 1
Buchannon, John, 1
Brown, William, 2
Creigh, John, Shopkeeper, 1
Carson, John, Com'r, 1
Calhoon, Andrew, Carpenter, 1
Duncan, Stephen, shopkeeper, 1
Davis, James, tavernkeeper, 1
Davis, John, quartermaster, 3
Gibson, Robert, still, 1
Holmes, William, forage master, 2
Harwick, Anthony, 1
Irvin, William, General, 1
Kenedy, Thomas, mason, 1
Lyon, William, Esq'r, 2
Lindsey, David, Senior, 1
Loughrage, Abraham, shopkeeper, 1
McGaw, Robert, Attorney, 2
Montgomery, John, 3
McDowel, Sarah, widow, 5
McKinsey, Dorothy, widow, 2
Miller, Robert, tanyard, 3
McDonald, Sarah, widow, 1
McKinly, Henry, 1
Pollock, James, tavernkeeper, 3
Postleweight, Samuel, 1
Spear, Joseph, 1
Stevenson, George, Attorney, 1
Sabol, Joseph, barber, 1
Derry Township
Buchannon, Arthur, still, 1
Bratten, William, Captain, 1
Bratton, John, 1
Buchannon, Robert, 2
Coulter, Richard, still, 1
Carmichael, John, 2 stills, 1
Chambers, Robert, still, 1
Daniel, Samuel, 1
Elliot, John, 2
Gammil, John, still, 2
Holliday, Samuel, mill, still, sawmill, 3
Huston, James, 1
East Pennsbro (Pennsboro) Township
Culbertson, William, 1
Ginkings, Febey, 3
Galbreath, James, 2
Galbreath, Andrew, 1
Galbreath, John, 2
Hoge, David, 2 stills, 2
Rees, Jeremiah, 3
Loudon, Mathew, 2 stills, 2
McGuire, Francis, 1
Mann, Samuel, 1
Nillson, Nathaniel, 1
Orr, John, 2 stills, 1
Patterson, Robert, 1
Patterson, William, 1
Quigley, John, 1
Sample, John, Senior, 1
Whitehill, Robert, 1
Fermanagh Township
Harris, John, 1
Hanson, John, 1
Hamilton, John, gristmill, 2
Kipler, Benjamin, 1
Paterson, Widow, gristmill, 1
Fannet Township
Alexander, Randle, 1
Anderson, Joshua, 1
Bryans, Nathaniel, 2
Brown, Allen, 1
Coulter, Samuel, 1
Dougall, Samuel, Rev. 1
Elder, David, 1
Elder, John, 1
Elliott, John, still, 1
Elliott, William, gristmill, sawmill, still, 1
Elder, David, Esq'r, 1
Gammill, Samuel, 1
Holliday, John, 1
McKibben, William, 1
McCurdy, Hugh, 1
McGuire, Robert, 6
Moore, Samuel, 1
Taylor, William, 1
Guilford Township
Adams, David, still, 2
Andrew, John, still, 1
Alexander, John, 1
Boggs, John, 1
Chambers, Benjamin, Colonel, gristmill, sawmill, still, 3
Crawford, Hugh, still, 2
Gass, William, fulling mill, 2
Kirby, William, 1
Kerr, John, 2
Lindsay, John, 1
Long, William, Captain, 2
Long, William, "road," 1
McConkey, Jacob, 4
McWilliams, James, 1
Skiles, James, 1
Vance, John, 2
Watt, John, 2 stills, 2
Willson, Mathew, Esq'r, still, 1
Young, James, 3
Greenwood Township
Craine, John, 1
Fulton, James, 1
Hamilton Township
Armstrong, Joseph, 2
Barnett, Thomas' heirs, 1
Chesnut, Thomas, 1
Dixon, Robert, 1
Dixon, William, "mountain," 1
Eatten, John, 1
McLean, John, 1
Moore, John, wheelwright, 1
Peoples, Robert, 1
Rannells, William, 1
Thompson, William, miller, 2 mills, 1
Hopewell Township
Blyth, Benjamin, 2
Calhoon, James, 1
Campbell, Francis, 2
Cesna, John, 2
Cowan, William, 1
Colwell, James, 1
Culbertson, Robert, 2
Culbertson, John, 1
Clark, Robert, 3
Duncan, Daniel, 1
Dunlap, James, Colonel, 4
Duncan, William, 1
Hammel, Robert, 1
McCune, Samuel, Esq'r, gristmill, 2 stills, 4
Mahan, David, sawmill, still, 5
Moorhead, William, still, 1
McKenny, Joseph, 1
Rippey, Samuel, tanner, 1 1/2 tanyards, 2
Rodgers, Richard, 1
Rannells, John, 3
Scott, Mathew, 1
Lurgan Township
Barr, Thomas, 4
Campbell, William, 1
Cox, Samuel, 1
Greenbee, William, 1
Herron, John, 1
Herron, James, 1
Irwin, William, still, 1
Irwin, William, Junior, 1
Johnston, John, "road," 1
Linn, William, 1
McKibbens, James, 2
Mailay, Samuel, 1
Mahan, Abel, 1
McCombe, John, 2
Nevans, Daniel, 1
Pumroy, Thomas, 2 stills, 1
Porter, David, 2
Rippey, William, 2 stills, 3
Rippey, Samuel, 2
Weir, Aaron, mill, 1
Young, William, 1
Letterkenny Township
Beard, John, M't, 2
Beard, William, Rock, S, 1
Culbertson, Joseph, still, 2
Culbertson, Samuel, Colonel, 1
Clark, James, 1
Culbertson, Samuel, Senior, 3
Cummins, Charles, 1
Finley, James, 2 stills, 4
Finley, John, 1
McCammont, James, Major, 1
Shields, Mathew, 1
Torrance, Hugh, 2
Torrance, James, 1
Wiley, Hugh, black, 1
Middleton Township
Callender, Francis, sawmill, 2 stills, gristmill, 1
Chambers, William, still, 2
Davis, John, Colonel, 3
Egue, Michal, forge, 1
Fleming, William, 1
Holmes, Andrew, 2 stills, 3
Holmes, Jonathan, 1
Irwin, James, 1
Irwin, Samuel, 2
Leard, Mathew, gristmill, 2 stills, 1
Lamb, Samuel, 1
Moor, William, 2 stills, gristmill, sawmill, 2
McClure, Charles, 2 stills, 4
Miller, Mathew, 2
Mitchel, Ross, 2 stills, 1
Semple, Joseph, 1
Sanderson, Robert, gristmill, 3 stills, 2
Sanderson, John, 1
Thompson, William, 4
White, David, still, 2
Young, James, 1
Millford (Milford) Township
Campbell, Robert, gristmill, still, 1
Lyon, John, 1/2 still, 1
Lyon, Samuel, still, 1
Stuart, George, 3
Willson, Thomas, still, 1
Montgomery Township
Cross, James, 2
Davis, David, Senior, 2
Davis, Samuel, Junior, 1
Davis, Dia, 3
Davis, Samuel, Senior, 1
Elliott, Johnston, 1
Huston, David, 1
Huston, William, mill, 3
Irwin, Archibald, mill, 3
Kennedy, David, 1
McKee, Alexander, 1
McClelland, John, still, 2
Maxwell, Patrick, still, 3
Maxwell, James, 2 stills, 3
Rankin, James, Senior, 1
Scott, William, fuller, 3
Smith, Robert, 1
Starrett, Cairns, 2
Tagert, Robert, 3
White, Alexander, 2
Work, Henry, 1
Newtown (Newton) Township
Gillispie, Robert, 1
Guy, Thomas, 1
Laughlin, Charity, 3
Laughlin, Hugh, 1
Mickey, Robert, Senior, still, 1
McCune, John, 4
McCrackin, William, tavernkeeper, 1
McGuffog, Robert, 1
Nicholson, James, 2
Starret, David, gristmill, 2
Thompson, William, 1
Williamson, David, 2
Weir, Samuel, 1
Peters Township
Beard, Richard, 3
Brawnson, Richard, 3
Campbell, Patrick, 1
Findley, Samuel, still, 1
Holaday, Adam, 3
Hays, William, 1
Harris, Roland, sawmill, tanyard, 1
Irwin, James, 2
Irwin, Joseph, 1
McDowel, Nathan, still, 1
McKinne, Josiah, 1
Montgomery, William, tanyard, 1
McFarling, Robert, 2
King, John, Rev., 1
Welch, John, 1
Rye Township
Bull, Henry, sawmill, 1
English, David, Senior, gristmill, 2 stills, 1
Starrett, Ralph, still, 2
Watts, Frederick, 1
Tyrone Township
Fisher, James, 1
Nielson, William, still, 1
Sanderson, John, gristmill, still, 1
West, Francis, gristmill, 2 stills, 3
Teboyne (Toboyne) Township
Blaine, James, gristmill, still, 1
Miller, James, gristmill, still, 2
West Pennsboro Township
Bush, Michal, 1
Buchanan, Thomas, 1
Carrothers, James, 3
Davidson, John, 1
Erwin, Agness, 1
Erwin, James, 2 stills, 1
Gillespie, William, 1
Gettis, William, 1
Hays, Adam, 2 stills, 2
Jerman, Jacob, 1
King, David, 2 stills, 1
Love, William, 1
Moore, John, still, 2
McCallister, Andrew, 1
McFarlan, Robert, 1
McFarlan, Margret, widow, 4
Patterson, James, still, 1
Pierce, Paul, still, 3
Smith, James, 2 stills, 3
Sample, Robert, still, tavernkeeper, 2
Thornberry, Joseph & Co'm, iron furnace, gristmill, sawmill, 1
Woods, William, 1
Young, John, 1
Washington Township
Dull, Joseph, 5
Erwin, William, 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. 387-532.