According to the summary tables for the 1850 Census, Newton County had a total population of 4,268 persons, of whom 241 were slaves (about 5.6%). My unproofed list of slaves below, taken from the Newton County slave schedule, shows the same number. The summary tables say there were 111 male and 130 female slaves in the county, but do not provide the age breakdowns provided in 1840.

The 1850 Newton County census shows 653 households, of which 63 owned slaves (66 separate owners). Nancy Gibson was the largest slave owner in the county, with 18. Four owners including Gibson had 10 or more slaves and 19 had 5 or more. Twenty-six households owned only a single slave. Slave ownership was concentrated in Neosho Township (85 slaves), Van Buren Township (64 slaves) and Benton Township (35 slaves). Neosho Township did not include the town of Neosho, which had only 17 slaves. Van Buren and Benton townships covered roughly the same geographical area as Benton Township in 1840.

For persons tracing slave ancestry, the proximity of slave-owning households may be useful information. In Van Buren Township, for example, the household of William and Rachel Wright (#278) is near the household of Martha Barker (#273). According to a story in the Neosho Daily News on March 2, 1953, Isaac Wright, a slave on the Wright place, was married to a slave on the Barker place. After Saturday chores were finished at the Wright's, he spent the rest of the weekend with his wife at the Barker's.

The 1850 census had separate population and slave schedules. The list of slave owners below combines information from the two. The first line, based on the population census, gives the owner's name, age and state of birth, occupation and real property value, plus the population census page and dwelling number. The following line or lines, based on the slave census, give the number, sex and age of the owner's slaves. The census did not include slave names.

Neosho Township

John H. Ray, 45 KY, Mechanic, $0, p. 321B, household 11-11
one male: 10
one female: 18

F. M. Crouch, 35 VA, Farmer, $100, p. 322A, household 15-15
two males: 40, 4
five females: 35, 15, 11, 8, 6.

Andrew Lee, 28 TN, Farmer, $0, p. 322B, household 22-22
one female: 22

Nancy Gibson, 53 NC, No occupation, $1000, p. 324B, household 45-45
nine males: 25, 23, 19, 14, 15, 12, 8, 5, 3
nine females: 42, 26, 22, 13, 12, 10, 7, 3, 3/12

Edmond Dunn, 48 VA, Farmer, $500, p. 325B, household 63-63
eight males: 48, 26, 20, 17, 13, 10, 9, 4/12.
nine females: 41, 36, 25, 19, 18, 16, 10, 12, 5

Lodowick Brodie, 49 NC, Farmer, $800, p. 326B, household 75-75
five males: 60, 53, 15, 6, 4
four females: 56, 42, 15, 12

James Pugh, 55 VA, Farmer, $400, p. 329A, household 111-111
three males: 13, 8, 6
one female: 42

William P. McGinnis, 35 TN, Farmer, $2500, p. 330A, household 127-127
six males: 21, 20, 13, 5, 4, 2
one female: 20

William Stricklin, 39 TN, Farmer, $1000, p. 330B, household 128-128
one male: 5
one female: 19

J. J. Sneed, 40 VA, Physician, $2000, p. 331A, household 137-137
five males: 26, 13, 7, 7, 4/12
seven females: 24, 24, 11, 9, 7, 6, 6

Job Ratliff, 39 IL, Farmer, $1000, p. 331B, household 142-142
one male: 30

Jackson Township

D. C. Witherspoon, 40 TN, Farmer, $2000, p. 332A, household 146-146
two females: 22, 2

Permelia Jones, 54 VA, No occupation, $1000, p. 333B, household 166-166
one male: 23

Alburne Abston, 39 VA, Farmer, $0, p. 334A, household 169-169
two females: 22, 1

Alfred Button, 48 VT, Farmer, $500, p. 334A, household 171-171
two females: 21, 6

Van Buren Township

Margaret Lindsey, 13 MO, No occupation, $0, p. 335B, household 193-193
one female: 14

Rebecca Barby, 60 SC, No occupation, $0, p. 337B, household 224-224
one male: 16
two females: 47, 14

Jason Frizzell, 65 NC, Farmer, $500, p. 338A, household 233-233
one male: 15

James Barby, 30 TN, Farmer, $600, p. 338B, household 236-236
one male: 18

Nancy Chitwood, 48 KY, No occupation, $800, p. 338B, household 240-240
two males: 13, 6/12
three females: 90, 38, 12

Daniel Brown, 24 TN, Farmer, $0, p. 338B, household 240-240
one female: 8

Matthew H. Ritchey, 37 TN, Farmer, $2650, p. 338B, household 241-241
two males: 39, 12
two females: 17, 17

Edward Banks, 25 TN, Farmer, $0, p. 339A, household 243-243
one female: 18

Moses Hutson, 55 TN, Farmer, $0, p. 339A, household 245-245
four females: 32, 9, 6, 3

Sanford King, 23 TN, Farmer, $0, p. 339B, household 249-249
one male: 5

Thomas D. Isbell, 58 VA, Farmer, $1500, p. 340B, household 262-262
five males: 40, 30, 28, 9, 6

William H. Clark, 37 MD, Carpenter, $0, p. 341A, household 265-265
one male: 9

Davis Ferguson, 52VA, Farmer, $1000, p. 341A, household 266-266
one male: 2
three females: 22, 20, 4/12

Cloa Rogers, 75 VA, No occupation, $0, p. 341A, household 266-266
two males: 27, 2
five females: 38, 16, 14, 9, 6

Martha Barker, 38 TN, No occupation, $0, p. 341B, household 273-273
two males: 24, 11
two females: 23, 19

William Wright, 52 TN, Farmer, $320, p. 342A, household 278-278
one male: 31

Rachel Wright, 73 VA, No occupation, $0, p. 342A, household 278-278
three males: 38, 5, 3/12
five females: 62, 36, 11, 7, 3

Addison H. Brown, 43 VA, Farmer, $800, p. 342A, household 282-282
four males: 20, 18, 12, 1
seven females: 36, 20, 16, 15, 13, 8, 6

Yerby H. Isbell, 22 TN, Farmer, $0, p, 342A, household 283-283
one female: 10

Benton Township

Luvina Poge, 51 TN, No occupation, $1000, p. 344B, household 318-318
two females: 14, 8

Charlotte Smith, 49 TN, No occupation, $600, p. 345A, household 320-320
one female: 20

William C. Adams, 24 TN, Farmer, $0, p. 346A, household 331-331
one female: 10

Noah Boone, 42 VA, Farmer, $1000, p. 346A, household 334-334
three males: 35, 30, 25
five females: 18, 3, 2, 1, 3/12

James H. Christian, 47 TN, Farmer, $50, p. 346B, household 339-339
three males: 8, 7, 2
three females: 23, 4, 3

Levi Hefly, 47 TN, Farmer, $0, p. 347B, household 354-354
one male: 19

Oliver Jones, 42 TN, Farmer, $150, p. 348A, household 363-363
one male: 24

Jones Weems, 59 NC, Farmer, $2400, p. 349B, household 386-386
one male: 12
three females: 30, 10, 7

Hugh Shannon, 64 TN, Farmer, $600, p. 350A, household 390-390
one male: 45

Ira Ellis, 47 NC, Farmer, $700, p. 350B, household 400-400
one female: 11

James S. Fowler, 41 KY, Merchandising, $800, p. 351B, household 411-411
two males: 26, 3
one female: 20

Felix Ray, 43 KY, Farmer, $600, p. 352A, household 417-417
three males: 30, 9, 2
three females: 26, 7, 6

Marion Township

John Halsell, 54 SC, Farmer, $2000, p. 352B, household 423-423
two males: 47, 27
two females: 14, 3/12

Wm H. Farmer, 31 TN, Clergyman, $2000, p. 354A, household 444-444
one female: 13

Jacob Wilson, 53 NJ, Farmer, $0, p. 354B, household 448-448
two males: 7, 4
one female: 33

H. C. Armstrong, 56 NC, Farmer, $250, p. 355B, household 460-460
four males: 35, 19, 5, 3
two females: 21, 2

James Grant, 65 KY, Farmer, $600, p. 356A, household 465-465
four males: 31, 28, 20, 9
two females: 42, 26

Shoal Creek Township

Christian Hoozier, 65NC, Farmer, $160, p. 356B, household 475-475
one female: 22

Joseph Rogers, 43 VA, Physician, $200, p. 356B, household 477-477
one male: 35

F. M. Duncan, 44 VA, Farmer, $1500, p. 358B, household 503-503
two females: 25, 7

Neosho Township (part of township enumerated out of order)

Abner Moore, 36 VA, Tanner, $100, p. 361B, household 540-540
two males: 28, 5
three females: 40, 3, 1/12

Lost Creek Township

Malcomb Mcdoogle, 64 NC, Farmer, $0, p. 362A, household 546-546
two males: 53, 9
one female: 13

Noah Galamore, 60 NC, Farmer, $4800, p. 365A, household 585-585
four males: 35, 8, 4, 2
one female: 33

Town of Neosho

Stephen Sutton, 44 TN, Farmer, $1300, p. 367B, household 621-621
one male: 22
two females: 22, 5/12

A. J. Shannon, 31 TN, Merchant, $600, p. 368A, household 630-630
one female: 21

George W. Mosley, 37 KY, Merchant, $5000, p. 368A, household 631-631
two females: 40, 14

William M. Chenault, 30 KY, Attorney, $800, p. 368B, household 632-632
one female: 11

John L. Chaney, 39 VA, Farmer, $1000, p. 368B, household 637-637
one female: 41

William Elum, 40 VA, Farmer $500, p. 369A, household 640-640
one male: 18
one female: 17

Jesse Lewis, 54 TN, Tavern Keeper, $1000, p. 369B, household 650-650
two males: 2, 1/12
four females: 27, 10, 7, 4

Thomas Johnston, 37 KY, Clergyman, $1000, p. 370A, household 651-651
one female: 6

Unknown � Not Found in Population Census (Other Kings in Van Buren)

Martha King
one male: 3

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