CLAIBORNE COUNTY, MISSISSIPPI
LARGEST SLAVEHOLDERS FROM 1860 SLAVE CENSUS SCHEDULES
and
SURNAME MATCHES FOR AFRICAN AMERICANS ON 1870 CENSUS
Transcribed by Tom Blake, October 2001
PURPOSE. Published information giving names of slaveholders and numbers of slaves held in Claiborne County, Mississippi, in 1860, is either non-existent or not readily available. It is possible to locate a free person on the Claiborne County, Mississippi census for 1860 and not know whether that person was also listed as a slaveholder on the slave census, because published indexes almost always do not include the slave census.
Those who have found a free ancestor on the 1860 Claiborne County, Mississippi census can check this list to learn if their ancestor was one of the larger slaveholders in the County. If the ancestor is not on this list, the 1860 slave census microfilm can be viewed to find out whether the ancestor was a holder of a fewer number of slaves or not a slaveholder at all. Whether or not the ancestor is found to have been a slaveholder, a viewing of the slave census will provide an informed sense of the extent of slavery in the ancestral County, particularly for those who have never viewed a slave census. An ancestor not shown to hold slaves on the 1860 slave census could have held slaves on an earlier census, so those films can be checked also. In 1850, the slave census was also separate from the free census, but in earlier years it was a part of the free census.
African American descendants of persons who were enslaved in Claiborne County, Mississippi in 1860, if they have an idea of the surname of the slaveholder, can check this list for the surname. If the surname is found, they can then view the microfilm for the details listed regarding the sex, age and color of the slaves. If the surname is not on this list, the microfilm can be viewed to see if there were smaller slaveholders with that surname. To check a master surname list for other States and Counties, return to Home and Links Page.
The information on surname matches of 1870 African Americans and 1860 slaveholders is intended merely to provide data for consideration by those seeking to make connections between slaveholders and former slaves. Particularly in the case of these larger slaveholders, the data seems to show in general not many freed slaves in 1870 were using the surname of their 1860 slaveholder. However, the data should be checked for the particular surname to see the extent of the matching.
The last U.S. census slave schedules were enumerated by County in 1860 and included 393,975 named persons holding 3,950,546 unnamed slaves, or an average of about ten slaves per holder. The actual number of slaveholders may be slightly lower because some large holders held slaves in more than one County and they would have been counted as a separate slaveholder in each County. Excluding slaves, the 1860 U.S. population was 27,167,529, with about 1 in 70 being a slaveholder. It is estimated by this transcriber that in 1860, slaveholders of 200 or more slaves, while constituting less than 1 % of the total number of U.S. slaveholders, or 1 out of 7,000 free persons, held 20-30% of the total number of slaves in the U.S. The process of publication of slaveholder names beginning with larger slaveholders will enable naming of the holders of the most slaves with the least amount of transcription work.
SOURCES. The 1860 U.S. Census Slave Schedules for Claiborne County, Mississippi (NARA microfilm series M653, Roll 596) reportedly includes a total of 12,296 slaves. This transcription includes 117 slaveholders who held 40 or more slaves in Claiborne County, accounting for 8,808 slaves, or 71% of the County total. The rest of the slaves in the County were held by a total of 307 slaveholders, and those slaveholders have not been included here. Due to variable film quality, handwriting interpretation questions and inconsistent counting and page numbering methods used by the census enumerators, interested researchers should view the source film personally to verify or modify the information in this transcription for their own purposes. Census data for 1860 was obtained from the Historical United States Census Data Browser, which is a very detailed, searchable and highly recommended database that can found at http://fisher.lib.virginia.edu/census/ . Census data on African Americans in the 1870 census was obtained using Heritage Quest's CD "African-Americans in the 1870 U.S. Federal Census", available through Heritage Quest at http://www.heritagequest.com/ .
FORMAT. This transcription lists the names of those largest slaveholders in the County, the number of slaves they held in the Police District wher counted, the number of the Police District and the first census page on which they were listed. The page numbers used are the rubber stamped numbers in the upper right corner of every set of two pages, with the previous stamped number and a "B" being used to designate the pages without a stamped number. Following the holder list is a separate list of the surnames of the holders with information on numbers of African Americans on the 1870 census who were enumerated with the same surname. The term "County" is used to describe the main subdivisions of the State by which the census was enumerated.
TERMINOLOGY. Though the census schedules speak in terms of "slave owners", the transcriber has chosen to use the term "slaveholder" rather than "slave owner", so that questions of justice and legality of claims of ownership need not be addressed in this transcription. Racially related terms such as African American, black, mulatto and colored are used as in the source or at the time of the source, with African American being used otherwise. The term "County" is used to describe the main subdivisions of the State by which the census was enumerated.
PLANTATION NAMES. Plantation names were not shown on the census. Using plantation names to locate ancestors can be difficult because the name of a plantation may have been changed through the years and because the sizeable number of large farms must have resulted in lots of duplication of plantation names. In Mississippi in 1860 there were 481 farms of 1,000 acres or more, the largest size category enumerated in the census, and another 1,868 farms of 500-999 acres. Linking names of plantations in this County with the names of the large holders on this list should not be a difficult research task, but it is beyond the scope of this transcription.
FORMER SLAVES. The 1860 U.S. Census was the last U.S. census showing slaves and slaveholders. Slaves were enumerated in 1860 without giving their names, only their sex and age and indication of any handicaps, such as deaf or blind Slaves 100 years of age or older were supposed to be named on the 1860 slave schedule, but there were only 1,570 slaves of such age enumerated, out of a total of 3,950,546 slaves, and the transcriber did not find any such information on the enumeration of the transcribed slaveholders. Freed slaves, if listed in the next census, in 1870, would have been reported with their full name, including surname. Some of these former slaves may have been using the surname of their 1860 slaveholder at the time of the 1870 census and they may have still been living in the same State or County. Before presuming an African American was a slave on the 1860 census, the free census for 1860 should be checked, as almost 11% of African Americans were enumerated as free in 1860, with about half of those living in the southern States. Estimates of the number of former slaves who used the surname of a former owner in 1870, vary widely and from region to region. If an African American ancestor with one of these surnames is found on the 1870 census, then making the link to finding that ancestor as a slave requires advanced research techniques involving all obtainable records of the holder.
MIGRATION OF FORMER SLAVES: According to U.S. Census data, the 1860 Claiborne County population included 3,339 whites, 44 "free colored" and 12,296 slaves. By the 1870 census, the white remained about the same at 3,390, while the "colored" population had dropped 19% to 9,996. (As a side note, by 1960, 100 years later, the County was listed as having 2,600 whites, about 22% less than in 1860, and the 1960 total of 8,239 "Negroes"was only about 33% less than what the colored population had been 100 years before.) It should be noted however, that in comparing census data for 1870 and 1960, the transcriber did not take into consideration any relevant changes in county boundaries.
Where did the Claiborne County freed slaves go if they did not stay in the County? Orleans County in Louisiana saw an increase in colored population of almost double between 1860 and 1870, growing to over 50,000, so likely that is where some went. Lowndes and Warren Counties in Mississippi saw increases of 6,000 and 8,000, but no other Mississippi County showed such a significant increase. Between 1860 and 1870, the Mississippi colored population only increased by 1%, about 6,000. States that saw more significant increases in colored population during that time, and were therefore more likely possible places of relocation for colored persons from Claiborne County, included the following: Georgia, up 80,000 (17%); Texas, up 70,000 (38%); Alabama, up 37,000 (8%); North Carolina, up 31,000 (8%); Florida, up 27,000 (41%); Ohio, up 26,000 (70%); Indiana, up 25,000 (127%); and Kansas up from 265 to 17,000 (6,400%).
SLAVEHOLDER LIST:
BEATRON?S. R., 42 slaves, Dist. 1, page 416
BUCK, C. E., 91 slaves, Dist. 1, page 416
FREELAND, Thomas, 76 slaves, Dist. 1, page 417B
EVENS, Annie, 111 slaves, Dist. 1, page 418B
SNODGRASS, William, 70 slaves, Dist. 1, page 419
CRANE, F. R., 120 slaves, Dist. 1, page 420
WATSON, James, 80 slaves, Dist. 1, page 420B
SIMS, W., W. Andrews agent for, 47 slaves, Dist. 1, page 422
DANIEL, Smith, 150 slaves, Dist. 1, page 422
GILL, A. P., 50 slaves, Dist. 1, page 423
YOUNG, William, 103 slaves, Dist. 1, page 423B
DOHAN, D. J., 64 slaves, Dist. 1, page 424
VALENTINE, R., 200 slaves, Dist. 1, page 424B
MURDOCK, J., J. A. Wise agent for, 112 slaves, Dist. 1, page 426
MURDOCK, J., J. Twinn agent for, 54 slaves, Dist. 1, page 427
BRISCOE, Jeff?, B. Myhant agent for, 50 slaves, Dist. 1, page 427B
SPROTT, W. D., 43 slaves, Dist. 2, page 428
HUNTER, M., 56 slaves, Dist. 2, page 428
DISHAROON?, L., 42 slaves, Dist. 2, page 428B
BERRY?, T.? G.?, 107 slaves, Dist. 2, page 428B
COFFEE, Mary B., 42 slaves, Dist. 2, page 429B
RAGSDALE, F. B., 66 slaves, Dist. 2, page 430B
STONE, Mary, 54 slaves, Dist. 2, page 431
SESSIONS, Mrs. M., 106 slaves, Dist. 2, page 431B
HUMPHRIES, Samuel, 52 slaves, Dist. 2, page 432
BARNES, Thomas, 51 slaves, Dist. 2, page 432B
HAMILTON, C. D., 96 slaves, Dist. 2, page 432B (ends on 435)
HAMILTON, C. D., Dover? Place, 42 slaves, Dist. 2, page 435
HUMPHRIES, G. W., 80 slaves, Dist. 2, ends on page 434
PRINCE, Mrs. 46 slaves, Dist. 2, page 435B
HUMPHRIES, Geo., Home Place, 63 slaves, Dist. 2, page 435B
HUMPHRIES, Geo., Big Place, 56 slaves, Dist. 2, page 436
HUMPHRIES, Daniel, 68 slaves, Dist. 2, page 436B
THRASHER, J. B., 182 slaves, Dist. 2, page 437
BOYD, Bolland, 120 slaves, Dist. 2, page 438
GIBSON, J. A., 40 slaves, Dist. 2, page 439
MARSHALL, L. R., 96 slaves, Dist. 3, page 440B
INGRAHAM, A., 74 slaves, Dist. 3, page 441
MAURY, J.? H., 53 slaves, Dist. 3, page 441B
ELLIS, D. C., 47 slaves, Dist. 3, page 442
MOORE, J. T., N. A. Ragland agent for, 108 slaves, Dist. 3, page 442
POWERS, H. G., 98 slaves, Dist. 3, page 443
FLOWERS, P. G., 141 slaves, Dist. 3, page 444
PIPES, James, 59 slaves, Dist. 3, page 445
BROWN, T. W., 90 slaves, Dist. 3, page 445B
REGAN, Joseph, 65 slaves, Dist. 3, page 448
HAMER, W. H., 43 slaves, Dist. 3, page 448B
FISHER, John, 41 slaves, Dist. 3, page 448B
OWENS, Thomas, 79 slaves, Dist. 3, page 449
LUM, S. H., 66 slaves, Dist. 3, page 449B
LUM, William, 96 slaves, Dist. 3, page 450
HARDING, Richard, 93 slaves, Dist. 3, page 450B
WRIGHT, Martha M., 98 slaves, Dist. 3, page 451B
BROCK, Joseph H., 60 slaves, Dist. 3, page 452
BALDWIN, L. M., 73 slaves, Dist. 4, page 454
HUMPHREYS, J. C., 72 slaves, Dist. 4, page 454
SMITH, Mrs. B., 120 slaves, Dist. 4, page 454B
WATSON, J. W., 108 slaves, Dist. 4, page 455B
PATTERSON, W. A., 49 slaves, Dist. 4, page 456
WRIGHT, George S., 44 slaves, Dist. 4, page 456B
TORREY, J. L., 40 slaves, Dist. 4, page 456B
COOPER, Mrs., T. Jones agent for, 75 slaves, Dist. 4, page 457
PARKS, A. P., 70 slaves, Dist. 4, page 457B
BRIDGERS, Samuel P., 43 slaves, Dist. 4, page 458
BRISCOE, E. C., 61 slaves, Dist. 4, page 458B
DEVENPORT, David, 65 slaves, Dist. 4, page 459
GRADDICK, Catherine, 60 slaves, Dist. 4, page 459B
GRADDICK, Fannie, 97 slaves, Dist. 4, page 460
HULL, P. C., 85 slaves, Dist. 4, page 460B
MORE, John T., Fairview Place, 154 slaves, Dist. 4, page 461
HUTCHINSON, J.? A., 44 slaves, Dist. 4, page 462B
MCCALEB, Jordiana?, 69 slaves, Dist. 4, page 463
MITCHELL, Harriet, 46 slaves, Dist. 4, page 463B
MARTIN, W. H., 62 slaves, Dist. 4, page 464
DEVENPORT, E., 70 slaves, Dist. 4, page 464
CLARK, Wm., 50 slaves, Dist. 4, page 464B
LAKE, Geo., 70 slaves, Dist. 4, page 465
MCCALEB, A. F., 100 slaves, Dist. 4, page 465B
BURNES?, C. R., 40 slaves, Dist. 4, page 466
MCCALEB, E. H., 65 slaves, Dist. 4, page 467
JONES, Martha, 53 slaves, Dist. 4, page 467B
STAMPS, Volney, 103 slaves, Dist. 4, page 468B
SHIELDS, Aratus, 93 slaves, Dist. 4, page 469
PATTON, Robert, 41 slaves, Dist. 4, page 469B
JONES, A. P. Md.?, 57 slaves, Dist. 4, page 470
COOPER, Mary, 43 slaves, Dist. 4, page 471B
HULBERT, M. N., 77 slaves, Dist. 4, page 472
STILES, David, 80 slaves, Dist. 4, page 472B
CLARKE, Charles R., 86 slaves, Dist. 4, page 473
MAGRUDER, T. B., 52 slaves, Dist. 5, page 474
ROWAN, A. J., 80 slaves, Dist. 5, page 474
DARDEN, Geo., 46 slaves, Dist. 5, page 475
MOSELY, J. F., 72 slaves, Dist. 5, page 475
GRIFFING, D. C., 69 slaves, Dist. 5, page 475B
WELLS, John 52 slaves, Dist. 5, page 477B
JEFFRIES, E. F., Home Place, 101 slaves, Dist. 5, page 478B
JEFFERIES, E. F., Greenwood Place, 102 slaves, Dist. 5, page 479
LATHAM,, T. M., 42 slaves, Dist. 5, page 479B
RUSSUM, Wm. P., 95 slaves, Dist. 5, page 480
MAGRUDER, J. M., 51 slaves, Dist. 5, page 480B
WOODS, James, 42 slaves, Dist. 5, page 481
DAVENPORT, J. 95 slaves, Dist. 5, page 481B
HUMPHREYS, G., Wm. Stampley agent for, 86 slaves, Dist. 5, page 482
JEFFRIES, Nathaniel, 96 slaves, Dist. 5, page 482B
JEFFRIES, Edward, 42 slaves, Dist. 5, page 483B
SHAEFFER, S. P., 56 slaves, Dist. 5, page 483B
PATTERSON, D. L., 83 slaves, Dist. 5, page 484
CALHOUN, J. E., 76 slaves, Dist. 5, page 484B
ARCHER, R, T., Home Place, 138 slaves, Dist. 5, page 485B
ARCHER, R. T., Piney Woods Place, 83 slaves, Dist. 5, page 486
MONTGOMERY, J. A., 181 slaves, Dist. 5, page 487
YOUNG, Thomas, 72 slaves, Dist. 5, page 488B
PERSON, J. P., 100 slaves, Dist. 5, page 488B
WINTER, Adam, 51 slaves, Dist. 5, page 490
MAGRUDER, Thomas, 51 slaves, Dist. 5, page 490
HUMPHREYS, B. Jr., 90 slaves, Dist. 5, page 490B
SURNAME MATCHES AMONG AFRICAN AMERICANS ON 1870 CENSUS:
(exact surname spellings only are reported, no spelling variations or soundex)
(SURNAME, # in US, in State, in County, born in State, born and living in State, born in State and living in County)
ARCHER, 358, 37, 3, 26, 22, 0
BALDWIN, 634, 73, 1, 33, 26, 0
BARNES, 2155, 253, 31, 194, 162, 24
BEATRON?, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0
BERRY?, 1958, 186, 6, 144, 110, 5
BOYD, 1905, 183, 3, 109, 87, 1
BRIDGERS, 64, 2, 1, 1, 1, 1
BRISCOE, 286, 33, 2, 18, 14, 1
BROCK, 335, 18, 0, 13, 9, 0
BROWN, 27013, 2270, 77, 1679, 1198, 43
BUCK, 322, 45, 4, 31, 25, 1
BURNES?, 160, 20, 1, 19, 11, 1
CALHOUN, 560, 61, 1, 38, 30, 1
CLARK, 5807, 505, 25, 369, 258, 20
CLARKE, 641, 41, 2, 24, 17, 2
COFFEE, 216, 22, 0, 17, 13, 0
COOPER, 3459, 292, 6, 210, 138, 2
CRANE, 181, 22, 0, 18, 13, 0
DANIEL, 1765, 95, 1, 57, 43, 0
DARDEN, 294, 31, 3, 29, 19, 3
DAVENPORT, 510, 49, 15, 32, 26, 13
DEVENPORT, 145, 20, 0, 15, 14, 0
DISHAROON?, 8, 1, 0, 1, 1, 0
DOHAN, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1
ELLIS, 2094, 281, 8, 212, 158, 5
EVENS, 180, 25, 0, 15, 13, 0
FISHER, 1953, 167, 6, 103, 77, 4
FLOWERS, 470, 119, 12, 84, 78, 10
FREELAND, 91, 4, 0, 5, 4, 0
GIBSON, 2529, 270, 18, 235, 167, 13
GILL, 591, 49, 0, 31, 24, 0
GRADDICK, 10, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0
GRIFFING, 10, 5, 0, 2, 2, 0
HAMER, 97, 52, 0, 26, 24, 0
HAMILTON, 2446, 195, 6, 136, 105, 4
HARDING, 286, 13, 0, 8, 8, 0
HULBERT, 21, 1, 0, 0, 0, 0
HULL, 207, 29, 0, 16, 14, 0
HUMPHREYS, 134, 19, 9, 15, 11, 6
HUMPHRIES, 176, 47, 1, 26, 25, 1
HUNTER, 2838, 224, 5, 174, 117, 4
HUTCHINSON, 367, 8, 0, 10, 5, 0
INGRAHAM, 123, 10, 0, 5, 5, 0
JEFFRIES, 302, 84, 3, 22, 21, 2
JONES, 27193, 2500, 68, 1785, 1318, 32
LAKE, 190, 29, 2, 19, 15, 2
LATHAM, 184, 19, 1, 13, 12, 1
LUM, 19, 2, 0, 2, 1, 0
MAGRUDER, 175, 4, 0, 1, 1, 0
MARSHALL, 1756, 122, 6, 91, 60, 3
MARTIN, 5318, 573, 11, 399, 323, 8
MAURY, 39, 10, 1, 4, 3, 1
MCCALEB, 29, 18, 0, 11, 9, 0
MITCHELL, 4089, 339, 10, 224, 163, 5
MONTGOMERY, 1303, 172, 7, 139, 103, 3
MOORE, 8698, 1061, 22, 660, 483, 17
MORE, 402, 23, 0, 18, 14, 0
MOSELY, 620, 66, 3, 43, 35, 3
MURDOCK, 139, 41, 1, 26, 19, 1
OWENS, 1747, 177, 5, 133, 87, 2
PARKS, 920, 64, 3, 42, 34, 3
PATTERSON, 2478, 224, 5, 136, 110, 2
PATTON, 675, 103, 1, 56, 44, 1
PERSON, 144, 14, 1, 4, 3, 0
PIPES, 53, 10, 0, 11, 9, 0
POWERS, 516, 61, 7, 32, 29, 3
PRINCE, 619, 60, 2, 33, 20, 1
RAGSDALE, 90, 16, 0, 14, 10, 0
REGAN, 32, 7, 0, 7, 7, 0
ROWAN, 92, 17, 0, 13, 12, 0
RUSSUM, 22, 10, 1, 7, 6, 1
SESSIONS, 85, 11, 0, 10, 7, 0
SHAEFFER, 2, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0
SHIELDS, 471, 61, 12, 52, 38, 10
SIMS, 1411, 187, 5, 111, 83, 2
SMITH, 29087, 2581, 67, 1912, 1396, 40
SNODGRASS, 39, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1
SPROTT, 9, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0
STAMPS, 147, 33, 2, 33, 27, 2
STILES, 122, 5, 1, 4, 2, 1
STONE, 1070, 50, 0, 31, 18, 0
THRASHER, 93, 2, 1, 3, 1, 1
TORREY, 20, 13, 0, 9, 9, 0
VALENTINE, 543, 30, 0, 18, 13, 0
WATSON, 3567, 410, 20, 294, 218, 13
WELLS, 1647, 192, 16, 142, 109, 10
WINTER, 141, 49, 1, 27, 25, 1
WOODS, 2026, 249, 16, 184, 130, 11
WRIGHT, 5428, 355, 9, 235, 158, 3
YOUNG, 6185, 690, 20, 468, 348, 19
Claiborne County, MS GenWeb (County genealogical resources)
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