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Enslavement in Pennsylvania

Enslaved Persons in the Dauphin County Septennial Census of 1800 and 1807

The State of Pennsylvania took an enumeration of taxable inhabitants every seven years. Known as the Septennial Census, this enumeration also listed enslaved persons in each county, by township, for some of the years. The amount of information on the slaves varies greatly. Names of slaveholders are not always given in these tax listings. Enslaved persons are listed by township with their gender and age. Many listings include the name of the enslaved person.

Few slaves younger than 20 are listed, indicating that only the persons born in slavery before November 1780 were enumerated, they being considered "Slaves for Life." Children of slaves born after that date were to be freed upon their 28th birthday, according to the Gradual Emancipation Act of 1780. These children, although held in bondage for 28 years, were often officially referred to as "servants," and not counted in tax and census listings as slaves. There are some exceptions. Harrisburg, in 1800, categorized it's enslaved persons according to term status.

Townships and Locations Reporting Slaves in 1800 or 1807

Dauphin County, Pennsylvania

Middle Paxton Township, 1800

  1. Ish, age 24
  2. Nance, age 35
  3. Rachael, age 24

Middle Paxton Township, 1807

IMAGE
  1. Rachel, female, age 36
  2. Ishmael O'Brian, male age 32

Lower Paxton Township, 1800

IMAGE
  1. Sambo, male, age 60, owner James Cowden
  2. Sarah, female, age 60, owner Josiah Espy
  3. Cuff, male, age 44, owner, John Wilson
  4. Nance, female, age 20, owner John Wilson
  5. Peter, male, age 24, owner Sarah Awl
  6. Casteel, male, age 27, owner James Caldwell
  7. Isaac, male, age 20, owner, David Montgomery
  8. Aff, female, age 26, owner David Montgomery
  9. Tob, male, age 36, owner John Gilgrist (Gilchrist)
  10. Rachael, female, age 36, owner John Carson
  11. Hagor, female, age 24, owner David Patton
  12. Hector, male, age 28, owner James Wiggins
  13. Nance, female, age 25, owner James Wiggins
  14. Betty, female, age 40, owner Jean Duncan
  15. Ruth, female, age 50, owner Elizabeth Wallace
  16. Nat, male, age 60, owner Archibald McAllister
  17. Sally, female, age 40, owner Archibald McAllister
  18. Nance, female, age 35, owner Archibald McAllister
  19. Ambroce, male, age 44, owner Cornelius Cox
  20. Eve, female, age 41, owner Cornelius Cox

Lower Paxton Township, 1807

IMAGE
  1. Peter, male, age 46
  2. Catto, male, age 36
  3. Net, male, age 90
  4. Ambrose, male, age 60
  5. Sambo, male, age 80
  6. Hector, male, age 40
  7. Sarah, female, age 40
  8. Eve, female, age 50
  9. Hannah, female, age 50

Harrisburg, 1800

IMAGE

Recorded as "Slaves for Life"

  1. Jack, male, age 18
  2. Charles, male, age 32
  3. Cato, male, age 21
  4. Sarah, female, age 50
  5. Jack, male, age 24
  6. Hega, female, age 45
  7. Caty, female, age 20
  8. Hanna, female, age 2
  9. Phillis, female, age 32
  10. Abigail, female, age 21
  11. Elenor (or Allena), female, age 42
  12. Jack, male, age 49

Recorded as "Slaves for a Certain Time"

  1. Sarah, age 20
  2. Bet (?), age 17
  3. Dick, age 10
  4. Pett, age 8
  5. Becka, age 6
  6. Daina, age 10
  7. Jack, age 15
  8. Ruth, age 6
  9. Sarah, age 15
  10. Caty, age 5
  11. Febb, age 3
  12. Hetty, age 17
  13. Deina, age 16
  14. Ceasor, age 11
  15. Sam'l, age 20

Harrisburg, 1807

Recorded as "Slaves"

IMAGE
  1. Female, age 30
  2. Female, age 45
  3. Male, age 24

Swatara Township, 1800

  1. Charles, male, age 26
  2. Archy, male, age 40
  3. George, male, age 25
  4. John, male, age 34
  5. Jack, male, age 20
  6. Peter, male, age 34
  7. Phebe, female, age 24
  8. Lucy, female, age 40
  9. Mary, female, age 48
  10. Nance, female, age 23

Swatara Township, 1807

IMAGE
  1. Peter, a male, about 40
  2. George, a male, about 34
  3. Ishmael, a male about 55
  4. Phillis, a female, about 100
  5. Jug, a female, about 60

West Hanover Township, 1800

  1. Andrew, male, age 50
  2. Charles, male, age 23
  3. James, male, age 35
  4. Pompey, male, age 28
  5. Sam, male, age 26
  6. Abigail, female, age 50
  7. Barbara, female, age 30
  8. Dina, female, age 21
  9. Dina, female, age 27
  10. Dina, female, age 23
  11. Peggy, female, age 26
  12. Polly, female, age 26
  13. Jenny, female, age 21
  14. Sib, female, age 21

West Hanover Township, 1807

IMAGE
  1. Black Man, aged 56
  2. Black Woman, aged 30
  3. Black Woman, aged 28

Derry Township, including Hummelstown and Port Royal, 1800

  1. Dina, female, age 36
  2. Dina, female, age 24
  3. Eve, female, age 45
  4. Suse, female, age 42
  5. Forgy, male, age 24

Derry Township, only, 1807

  1. Eve, Slave to Jno Fox, Age 45 yrs.
Note: There are two persons named John Fox in the 1807 listings for Derry Township. John Fox is listed as an innkeeper, and John Fox, Jr. is also listed as an innkeeper. Either one could be the owner of Eve.

East Hanover Township, 1800

  1. Dina, female, age 21
  2. Nance, female, age 38
No enslaved persons were reported in East Hanover Township in the 1807 Septennial Census.

Lebanon Township, 1800

IMAGE
  1. Cato, male, age 50, property of Robert Coleman
  2. Dick, male, age 40, property of Robert Coleman
  3. Tony, male, age 50, property of Robert Coleman
  4. Abraham, male, age 10, property of Robert Coleman
  5. Isaac, male, age 6, property of Robert Coleman
  6. Beck, female, age 50, property of Robert Coleman
  7. Harriet, female, age 2, property of Robert Coleman
  8. Jane or Jenny, female, age 22, property of Henry Beiler (Buehler)

Lebanon Township, 1807

IMAGE

"Slaves at Cornwall"

  1. Dick, age 50
  2. Toney, age 50
  3. Cato, age 45
  4. Peg, age 50

"Buehler's Slave"

  1. Fan, age 25

Annville, 1800

  1. Pompy, male, age 20
  2. Frank, male, age 30

Annville, 1807

IMAGE
  1. "Pompy, One Negro Male, 38 year of age"

Londonderry Township, 1800

  1. Jonathan, male, age 22
  2. Violet Moore, female, age 23
  3. Polly Grimes, female, age 22
  4. Rosanna, female, age 30
  5. Nell, female, age 8
  6. Pink, female, age 8
  7. Jane, female, age 2
  8. Rachael, female, age 30
  9. Peggy, female, age 40

Halifax, 1807

IMAGE
  1. "Ruth a Molattoe age 13, Female, owner Davie Elon"
  2. "Luke a Negroe, age 4 year, owner Adam Bender"
No enslaved persons were reported in Halifax in the 1800 Septennial Census.
Statistics

Townships and towns with no slaves enumerated in 1800: Upper Paxton Township, Bethel, Jonestown, Stums Town, Heidleberg.
Total number of slaves in county (1800): 85
Taxable enumerated heads of household in county (1800): 3,982
1800 Final Enumeration dated 10 November, 1800

Sources

Septennial Census Returns, 1779-1863, Roll No. 2, Dauphin County, 1786-Franklin County, 1821. Reel No. 243, "Enumeration of the taxable Inhabitants and Slaves in the County of Dauphin." Microfilm in the Pennsylvania State Archives, Harrisburg, PA.

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