Listing of Enslaved Persons
The State of Pennsylvania took an enumeration of taxable inhabitants every seven years. Known as the Septennial Census, this enumeration also listed slaves in each county, by township, for some of the years. The amount of information on the slaves varies greatly. Some townships list the names of the slaves, others give only age and sex.
Few enslaved persons younger than 20 are listed, indicating that only those born before November 1780 were enumerated, they being considered "Slaves for Life." Children of enslaved mothers 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 referred to as "servants," and were not counted in tax and census listings as slaves. Note that Perry County was not created out of Cumberland County until 1820 and those modern day Perry County Townships are included here.
Spellings are preserved from the original document.
Allen | Hopewell | Shippensburgh
Buffallo | Juniatta | Southampton
Carlisle | Middleton | Toboyne
Dickison | Mifflin | Tyrone
East Pennsbro | Newton | West Pennsbro
Frankford | Rye
Notes and Source
Enslavement Data
"A list of Slaves viz Negroes Mulattoes and people of Colour held as Slaves in the County of Cumberland."
- Simon, male slave, age 40
- Isaac, male slave, age 33
- Alexander, male slave, age 28
- Nancy, female slave, age 30
- Mingo, male slave, age 30
- Lucy, female slave, age 25
- Jane, female slave, age 30
- Peter, male slave, age 45
- Doll, female slave, age 27
- Venus, female slave, age 20
- Joe, male slave, age 42
- Sue, female slave, age 40
- Issabella, female slave, age 27
- Doll, female slave, age 49
- Toby, male slave, age 60
- Myla, female slave, age 23
- Phil, male slave, age 28
- Nero, male slave, age 60
- Tom, male slave, age 50
- Alick, male slave, age 25
- Phillis, female slave, age 20
- Jareff, male slave, age 45
- Sall, female slave, age 50
- Tom, male slave, age 59
- Phillis, female slave, age 65
- Jude, female slave, age 38
- Hannah, female slave, age 38
Note: Dickinson Township also lists one free Black, Jack Haisona, a farmer.
- No name returned, male slave, age 25
- No name returned, male slave, age 24
- No name returned, male slave, age 27
- No name returned, male slave, age 28
- No name returned, male slave, age 54
- No name returned, male slave, age 40
- No name returned, male slave, age 40
- No name returned, male slave, age 28
- No name returned, female slave, age 40
- No name returned, female slave, age 28
- No name returned, female slave, age 24
- No name returned, female slave, age 28
- No name returned, female slave, age 20
- No name returned, female slave, age 20
- No name returned, female slave, age 26
- No name returned, female slave, age 36
- No name returned, female slave, age 47
- No name returned, female slave, age 40
- No name returned, female slave, age 24
- No name returned, male slave, age 33
- No name returned, female slave, age 50
- George, male slave, age 25
- Hannah, female slave, age 30
- Lill, female slave, age 26
- Finel, male slave, age 35
- Jack, male slave, age 60
- Bob, male slave, age 22
- No name returned, male slave, age 25
- No name returned, male slave, age 25
- No name returned, male slave, age 60
- No name returned, female slave, age 60
- No name returned, female slave, age 22
- No name returned, female slave, age 60
- No name returned, female slave, age 25
- No name returned, female slave, age 60
- No name returned, male slave, age 28
- No name returned, female slave, age 25
- No name returned, male slave, age 60
- No name returned, male slave, age 35
- No name returned, female slave, age 55
- No name returned, male slave, age 55
- No name returned, female slave, age 22
- No name returned, female slave, age 20
- No name returned, male slave, age 31
- No name returned, female slave, age 48
- No name returned, male slave, age 23
- No name returned, male slave, age 40
- No name returned, female slave, age 40
- No name returned, male slave, age 20
- No name returned, female slave, age 50
- No name returned, female slave, age 60
- Dave, male slave, age 40
- Hall, male slave, age 26
- Eve, female slave, age 45
- Tom, male slave, age 45
- Cesar, male slave, age 60
- Phillis, female slave, age 60
- Pomp, male slave, age 40
- Saul, male slave, age 40
- Adam, male slave, age 53
- Bob, male slave, age 50
- Luc, female slave, age 37
- Prince, male slave, age 26
- Phillis, female slave, age 50
- Phillis, female slave, age 48
- Sherman, male slave, age 30
- Jonathan, male slave, age 29
- Sall, female slave, age 37
- Peg, female slave, age 40
Rye Township
- Jacob, male slave, age 60
- Silvey, female slave, age 45
- Isaac, male slave, age 33
- Tom, male slave, age 31
- Nell, female slave, age 31
- James, male slave, age 21
- Jane, female slave, age 40
- David, male slave, age 18 "not for life"
- Dick, male slave, age 56
- Jem, male slave, age 48
- Tom, male slave, age 30
- Rinah, female slave, age 50
- Rachel, female slave, age 30
- Vatt, male slave, age 29
- Nell, female slave, age 23
- Nell, female slave, age 30
- Fanny, female slave, age 33
- Enos, sex not noted, age 45
- Sam, sex not noted, age 25
- Enes, sex not noted, age 22
- Micky, sex not noted, age 50
- Cesar, male slave, age 50
- Dinah, female slave, age 50
- Ben, male slave, age 23
- Jack, male slave, age 23
- Rinos, female slave, age 34
- Levy, male slave, age 35
- Phillis, female slave, age 25
- Dimmore, male slave, age 26
- Rachel, female slave, age 40
- Scip, male slave, age 26
- Bob, male slave, age 26
- Rachel, female slave, age 25
- Jacob, male slave, age 54
- Poll, female slave, age 43
- Lewis, male slave, age 20
- Sam, male slave, age 56
- No name returned, male slave, age 50
- No name returned, male slave, age 21
- No name returned, female slave, age 43
- No name returned, male slave, age 42
- No name returned, male slave, age 35
- No name returned, male slave, age 23
- No name returned, male slave, age 25
- No name returned, male slave, age 35
- No name returned, female slave, age 38
- No name returned, female slave, age 30
Date of census: 14 December, 1800
"Aggregate amount of Slaves:" 143
Average (mean) age of all slaves listed: 36.75. Fifty-seven of the one hundred and forty-three slaves listed, or 39.9%, are aged forty and above. This figure represents the average age of the adult slave population only, as only one slave under age twenty is listed, and that person, at eighteen years old, has the notation "not for life" beside his name. Slave children are not enumerated in this census.
For Comparison: Compare this listing with the drastically reduced numbers seven years later in the 1807 Cumberland County Septennial Census
Source: Septennial Census Returns, 1779-1863; Roll No. 1, Adams County, 1800-Cumberland County, 1800. Reel No. 0242. Microfilm in the
Pennsylvania State Archives, Harrisburg Pennsylvania.
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