Slaveholders Listed on this Page
- Buyers, John (Enslaved persons listed: Un-named young woman)
- Hambright, John (Enslaved persons listed: Jeremiah Clark, a.k.a. Jerry)
- Loudon, John (Enslaved persons listed: Sil)
- Montgomery, David (Enslaved persons listed: Sam Williams)
- Morrison, John, Gaoler (Enslaved persons listed: James Hays, Richard Lincoln, Will, Ben)
About the information in this list
Each listing represents a record of one Black slave or indentured servant (more on terminology below). The list is sorted alphabetically according to the slaveholder's surname. I felt that this order would be the most useful for several reasons. It groups slaves together who would have lived with the same owner, and increases the likelihood of finding persons related to each other. Records of slave surnames are rare, many being identified only through their given name. You can search this listing for a specific slave given name by using your browser's Find feature (Netscape Navigator and Internet Explorer use Ctrl + F).
Dates of birth for the enslaved persons, unless specified in the original documents, have been calculated by subtracting their given age from the date of the record. Very often, their ages as reported in the original records are given as approximations (such as "about 25 years of age"), which is indicated by a lower case "a" following their age. The term Status refers to the slave's relative freedom. Unless specified otherwise, slaves served "for life" prior to Pennsylvania's Gradual Emancipation Act of 1780. Children born to slave mothers after the passage of that legislation were to serve until age 28, which was much of their productive lives.
The term Description refers to the main description of the slave as given in the original source (including misspellings). This is often a means by which slaves were put into certain categories according to race and relative age.
The terms "slave" and "servant" were often used interchangeably, especially in the earliest years of the time period covered in this study. After the Gradual Emancipation Act of 1780 was passed in Pennsylvania, the term "servant" frequently came to mean either someone in indentured servitude or someone employed by the head of the household. The passage from slave to servant was often indistinct for many Blacks, many of whom remained with their former owners after being legally emancipated. For simplicity I have used the term "slave" to represent these people whom I believe were truly in bondage, even though some records list them as "servants." This list does not include white indentured servants, who were an entirely different class of labor from Black slaves and Black "indentured servants."
The locations listed for the owners, especially City or Township are greatly mixed, and represent the location listed in the original record. As township boundaries shifted and new townships and counties were created, the original listing may be misleading.
Enslavement Data
- Slaveholder Name: Buyers, John
City or Township: Sunbury
County: Northumberland
Occupation: Carpenter, Justice of the Peace, Merchant
Notes:
- Enslaved Person's Name: Name not given in ad
Sex: Female
Age: Age not given in ad, but described as a "young wench"
Slave Date of Birth: Not known
Slave Status: Self-emancipated in November 1806
Slave Description: "Young Negro wench"
Slave Notes: This person escaped from Buyers on 08 November 1806. About two weeks later he advertised in the Harrisburg Oracle for her return:
Ran away from the subscriber, (in Sunbury,) on Saturday night last, 8th inst. a young Negro wench, of a midling size and regularly featured; a very polite and well speaking girl. Had on and took away, two short gowns, one linsey, the other a striped cotton; a bonnet and hat, both black, with other articles not recollected. A handsome reward and all expences paid to any one giving information or securing said wench, so that her master may get her again.
JOHN BUYERS.
Sunbury, Nov. 15, 1806.
Date of Record: 15 November 1806
Source: Oracle of Dauphin and Harrisburgh Advertiser, 15 November 1806.
- Slaveholder Name: Hambright, John
City or Township: Turbot Township
County: Northumberland
Occupation:
Notes:
- Enslaved Person's Name: Jeremiah Clark, also called Jerry
Sex: Male
Age: The 1771 jailor add puts him at about 26 years old.
Slave Date of Birth: circa 1745
Slave Status: "Indented servant"
Slave Description: "Mulatto"
Slave Notes: Appears to have been imprisoned in Lancaster, possibly as a suspected fugitive slave. If not claimed, such prisoners were commonly sold to pay the costs associated with their imprisonment. Hambright possibly obtained Jeremiah about May 1773 by paying his costs and having an indenture drawn up for a specific term of years. Jeremiah escaped from Hambright in late summer 1774.
FIVE POUNDS REWARD.
RAN AWAY from the subscriber, living in Turbut township, Northumberland county, an indented mulatto servant, called JERRY, a stout, impudent, talkative fellow, speaks very plausible, is addicted to drinking, and is a great liar; Had on when he went away, a spotted flannel jacket, striped trowsers, and a check shirt; had also some white shirts and trowsers, and took with him a powder-horn and shot-pouch, and will, if possible, procure a gun, as he boasts much of his hunting. He was sold and indented about sixteen months ago out of the prison of Lancaster, by the name of JEREMIAH CLARK. Whoever takes up and secures said servant, if in the county, shall have FOUR DOLLARS, and if out of the county, the above Reward, and reasonable charges, paid by JOHN HAMBRIGHT.
Three years prior, in September 1771, Jeremiah Clark was imprisoned in the jail of Burlington, New Jersey. The jailor there provided these extra details:
Burlington, October 21, 1771.
THIS is to give notice, that on the 20th day of September last, was committed to the goal of Burlington, a Mulattoe man, aged about 26 years, says he was born in New England, and brought up to the seas, he calls himself by the name of Jeremiah Clark, and says he is a servant to one Robert Robertson, in Brandywine Hundred, New-Castle county, about 4 miles from Wilmington; had on, when commmitted, a dark brown double breasted jacket, with brass and metal buttons; ans says he left him in June last; his master, if any he has, is desired to come, or send, by the 12th day of November next; otherwise I shall apply to the court, to get him sold out for his charges. EPHRAIM PHILLIPS, Goaler.
Date of Record: 12 September 1774
Source: Pennsylvania Packet, 12, 26 September 1774; Pennsylvania Gazette, 31 October 1771
- Slaveholder Name: Loudon, John
City or Township:
County: Northumberland
Occupation:
Notes: The enslaved girl Sil was registered at Lancaster and recorded by the clerk there as "Louden, John of Northumberland County, by his Attorney Nathaniel Barber of" Northumberland County. It is not explained why John Loudon's enslaved person is registered in Lancaster County. Registration is "by his Attorney Nathaniel Barber."
- Enslaved Person's Name: Sil
Sex: Female
Age: 13a
Slave Date of Birth: 1767 (calculated)
Slave Status: Slave for life
Slave Description: "Negro girl"
Slave Notes: 1780 Slave Registration specifies status as "slave during life."
Date of Record: October 25, 1780
Source: "Slaves in Lancaster County in 1780"
- Slaveholder Name: Montgomery, David
City or Township:
County: Northumberland
Occupation:
Notes:
- Enslaved Person's Name: Sam Williams
Sex: Male
Age: "about eighteen or nineteen years of age"
Slave Date of Birth: circa 1792 or 1793
Slave Status: Slave to age 28; escaped from prison
Slave Description: "Mulatto man"
Slave Notes: Williams was convicted in November 1810 of arson and imprisoned in Sunbury. He escaped from prison on July 4, 1811 and County Sheriff Daniel Lebo placed the following escape and reward notice in local newspapers:
TWENTY DOLLARS REWARD.
ESCAPED from the jail in Sunbury, in the county of Northumberland, on the fourth day of July instant, a mulatto man who was lately the property of Mr. David Montgomery of this county -- convicted at the last November sessions of setting fire to a stack of grain, the property of his master. He calls himself SAM WILLIAMS -- is a good looking young mulatto man of about eighteen or nineteen years of age, and is about five feet nine inches high -- He has been brought up on a farm, and understands driving and taking care of horses. Had on when he want away, an old roram hat, a muslin shirt, a pair of two linen trousers, and an old twill'd linsey waistcoat of a light brown colour. He has no shoes on his feet, but has got an iron collar on his neck with projecting prongs, which he will endeavor to conceal with his shirt collar and waistcoat. --
He may perhaps procure some other clothing, and will probably change his name. The above reward will be paid if he is secured in any jail in the United States so that the subscriber can get him again, and reasonable charges if brought home.
DANIEL LEBO,
Sheriff of the county of Northumberland, Pennsylvania.
Sunbury, 4th July, 1811.
Date of Record: 04 July 1811
Source: The Republican Argus (Northumberland), 10 July 1811.
- Slaveholder Name: Morrison, John
City or Township: Sunbury
County: Northumberland
Occupation: Jailer
Notes: As jailer, Morrison had custody of the following persons, believed by him to be captured slaves. He offered a reward of one thousand dollars--a very high sum--for their capture and return. The four men broke jail on March 13, 1780, and Morrison offered the reward to anyone who "secures the above Negroes, in any jail within the United States." He also promised to reimburse for "all reasonable charges." As a final note, he added "They all pretend to be free Negroes."In his original ad, Morrison wrote:
Sunbury, December 19, 1779.
WAS committed to my custody four Negroe men, one named JAMES HAYS, 5 feet 10 inches high, talks good English, and is a sensible mannerly fellow, about 23 years of age; another named RICHARD LINCOLN (formerly advertised by the name of Pierpoint) about 26 years of age, 5 feet 4 inches high, seems to have been bred a barber; it is alledged they belong to one Mr. Dorsey, near to Frederick Town, in Maryland. They were committed in October, 1778, on suspicion of their desiring to go to the enemy, and were advertised in March last in Mr. Dunlap's paper. The other two were committed this day, also upon suspicion of their going to the enemy; one named WILL, 5 feet 8 inches high, stout made, about 28 years of age; the other named BEN, 5 feet 6 inches high, about 35 years of age. They say they belonged to a certain Nansfield, at or near Baltimore. Their master or masters (if any they have) are desired to come, prove their property, pay the charges, and take them away in six weeks from the date hereof, otherwise they will be sold out as the law directs.
JOHN MORRISON, Goaler. (Pennsylvania Gazette, 19 January 1780)
- Enslaved Person's Name: James Hays
Sex: Male
Slave Age: "about 23 years of age"
Slave Date of Birth: 1757 (calculated)
Slave Status: Jailed in Sunbury as a runaway slave, but claims to be free
Slave Description: "Negroe"
Slave Notes: Jailed in Sunbury, Pennsylvania as a runaway slave. Broke jail on 13 March 1780. Described in the runaway ad as "JAMES HAYS, 5 feet 10 inches high, talks good English, and is a sensibly mannerly fellow, very apt to smile when spoken to, and about 23 years of age; had on a blanket coat, and took with him a white hunting shirt, old leather breeches, coarse white yarn woollen stockings, and good shoes, and stole a little round hat with a gold lace round it."
Date of Record: 5 April 1780
Source: The Pennsylvania Gazette, 5 April 1780.
- Enslaved Person's Name: Richard Lincoln, aka Pierpont
Sex: Male
Age: "about 26 years of age"
Slave Date of Birth: 1754 (calculated)
Slave Status: Jailed in Sunbury as a runaway slave, but claims to be free
Slave Description: "Negroe"
Slave Notes: Jailed in Sunbury, Pennsylvania as a runaway slave. Broke jail on 13 March 1780. Described in the runaway ad as "RICHARD LINCOLN, formerly advertised by the name of Pierpont, about 26 years of age, 5 feet 4 inches high, seems to have been bred a barber, and is said to belong to one Mr. Dorsey in Maryland; had on, and took with him, an old dark coloured surtout, old woollen overalls, old shoes, and an old wool hat."
Date of Record: 5 April 1780
Source: The Pennsylvania Gazette, 5 April 1780.
- Enslaved Person's Name: Will
Sex: Male
Age: "about 28 years of age"
Slave Date of Birth: 1752 (calculated)
Slave Status: Jailed in Sunbury as a runaway slave, but claims to be free
Slave Description: "Negroe"
Slave Notes: Jailed in Sunbury, Pennsylvania as a runaway slave. Broke jail on 13 March 1780. Described in the runaway ad as "WILL, 5 feet 8 inches high, stout made, about 28 years of age, has lost some of his fore teeth; had on old dirty clothes, and an old wool hat." Morrison's advertisement also noted that both Will and Ben (below) "had their hands and feet froze last winter, before they were committed." The last comment, suggesting that two of the men suffered severe frostbite injuries to their extremities, illustrates one of the dangers that southern runaways faced from a northern winter.
Date of Record: 5 April 1780
Source: The Pennsylvania Gazette, 5 April 1780.
- Enslaved Person's Name: Ben
Sex: Male
Age: "about 35 years of age"
Slave Date of Birth: 1745 (calculated)
Slave Status: Jailed in Sunbury as a runaway slave, but claims to be free
Slave Description: "Negroe"
Slave Notes: Jailed in Sunbury, Pennsylvania as a runaway slave. Broke jail on 13 March 1780. Described in the runaway ad as "BEN, 5 feet 6 inches high, about 35 years of age; had on old dirty clothes, and an old hat." Morrison's advertisement also noted that both Will (above) and Ben "had their hands and feet froze last winter, before they were committed." The last comment, suggesting that two of the men suffered severe frostbite injuries to their extremities, illustrates one of the dangers that southern runaways faced from a northern winter.
Date of Record: 5 April 1780
Source: The Pennsylvania Gazette, 5 April 1780.
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