slavery in pennsylvania

York County, slaves in the septennial census of 1807

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. Most townships in this census also list the slaveholders' names.

By 1807, no slaves younger than 28 are listed, indicating that only the slaves born before March 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 officially called "servants," and often not counted in tax and census listings as slaves.

York County, 1807

York Borough

1. John, Negro Male Slave, age 67
2. Dina, Negress, Female Slave, age 57
3. Rose Short, (Negress), Female Slave, age 46
4. Charles Hall, (Negro), Male Slave, age 30
5. Jude, (Negress), Female Slave, age 46
6. Phillis Bevis, (Negress), Female Slave, age 30

Heidelberg Township

1. Negro Jam, Age 40, Property of George Karl "gentleman"
2. Negro Bill, Age 38, Property of Henry Welsh Esq.

Hellam Township

1. Britzos, Female, age 30 Years. Present owner Peter Kline (farmer).

Codorus Township

1. (Un-named) Female Slave. Present owner Robert Coleman Sen. or David Eaton.

Warrington Township

1. Negro Isaac, age 28 Years

Dover Township

1. Negro Slave (Female), Age 34. Owner Fred^r Hoke (Farmer).

Fairview Township

1. Killbuck, 42, Male. Michael Simpson, Owner (Farmer).
2. Peter, 40, Male. Michael Simpson, Owner (Farmer).
3. Luce, 31, Female. Michael Simpson, Owner (Farmer).
4. Magdalene, 45, Female. Owner John Harman (Farmer).

Fawn Township

• Rachel Steel, owner
  1. Nan, 50 Years
• Patrick Scott, owner
  1. Phoeby, 48 Years
• Stephen T. Cooper, owner
  1. Fany, 30 Years

Shrewsbury Township

• Joshua Low (Farmer), owner
  1. (Un-named) Female, age 66

West Manchester Township

• Michael Smyser (Farmer), owner
  1. Sall, Female Slave, age 70
  2. Thomas, Male Slave, age 35
• Peter Smyser, owner
  1. Ned, Male Slave, age 35

Monaghan Township

1. Catharine, Female Slave, age 40
2. Issabel, Female Slave, age 40

Paradise Township

• Sebastian Wise (Innkeeper), present owner
  1. (Un-named) Female Slave, 40 Years

Chanceford Township

• Alexander Downing
  1. (Un-named) Female Slave, 60 Years
• Robert Blain
  1. (Un-named) Male Slave, 30 Years
• John Kelly, Col
  1. (Un-named) Male Slave, 40 Years

Lower Chanceford Township

• Padin, Benjamin (Surname also spelled "Payden" elsewhere in the census)
  1. (Un-named) Female Slave, 40 Years
• Porter, William Charles
  1. (Un-named) Female Slave, 40 Years
• Scot, Garvin
  1. (Un-named) Male Slave, 74 Years

Windsor Township

• Peter Livergood; Occupation--Farmer
  1. Dick, Male Slave, 53 Years
• George Williams; Occupation--Farmer

  1. Phebe, Female Slave, 30 Years

Statistics

Total number of slaves enumerated: 34
Average (mean) age of all slaves listed: 43.2 years. This excludes one slave whose age was not listed.
Oldest slave enumerated: a male slave in Lower Chanceford Township, property of Garvin Scott, who was listed as 74 years old. Nineteen of the thirty-four slaves whose ages are known, or 57.6%. are age 40 and over. This is an increase of 33.0 percentage points over the 1800 Septennial Census for York county. These figures represent the age of those slaves held for life, and not the younger children of slaves who were held in bondage until their twenty-eighth year of life.
Source: Pennsylvania Septennial Census, 1807. Microfilm in the Pennsylvania State Archives, Harrisburg PA.

Go to the York County Septennial Census slave listings for 1800.

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This page was updated on January 5, 2005.