Bourbon County Deeds of Manumission Abstracts
Notes on the Transcription of the Bourbon County Deeds of Manumission
Deeds of manumission were filed with the Bourbon County Clerk's Office so that freed African-Americans could have a document that verified their free status. In a slave state, where the vast majority of African-Americans were enslaved, this document was essential to a free black person to maintain their ability to travel or otherwise be "at large" in a society that viewed any black person in unsupervised circumstances with suspicion. Also, included in the book but not in this transcription are oaths that were taken by white persons moving into Kentucky with slaves in their possession, in which they promised that the slaves were not being brought into the state for the purpose of selling them. This did not prevent them from selling their slaves if they decided to in the future but was supposed to adhere to Kentucky law that prevented slave importation for the express purpose of sale.
The deeds are filed in the book roughly by date of filing with the clerk. The date of filing was not always the same as the date the emancipation was considered to be effective. I have arranged the listing by the owner(s) name(s) since the slave being freed was not always listed with a surname. Emancipation of slaves by the owner in his or her will was common; some of the deeds indicate motives of "benevolence and humanity". Deeds of emancipation were also filed by husbands for their wives after they had purchased them from their masters, or parents for their children. Physical descriptions were often given so that, if a free person was challenged, identifying characteristics such skin color, perceptible scars or marks, and height and/or weight could be checked to make sure that the person in question was the same one as indicated on the deed.
Slave emancipation was made much more difficult in Kentucky after 1850 when the new constitution instituted more stringent conditions for manumission. The most difficult one was the requirement that freed slaves leave the state. Owners freeing their slaves also were required to see that the freed slave did not become a charge on the county, a requirement that predated 1850. Some owners took out a security bond to meet this condition; others required a surviving relative to see that the freed person was taken care of. Still others required that the freed person move to Liberia, or, to a free state.
The transcriptions were made by Nancy O'Malley, Dept. Of Anthropology, University of Kentucky. She can be reached for questions or corrections at 859-257-8208, Monday through Friday, 8:30 to 4:30. She also has transcribed all of the free black persons listed in the federal census records for Bourbon County for the census years prior to the Civil War.
|
Owner |
Freed Person |
Date Filed |
Date Effective |
Description |
|
Allen, James and William Parker |
Thomas |
9/6/1841 |
6/7/1841 |
Mullato; 5'10"; 45 years |
|
Allen, John Estate |
Peggy and Nancy Margaret |
4/7/1851 |
4/7/1851 |
Peggy was to serve John's wife until she reached 30 years then be free; reached 30, 11 years ago; and had a child Nancy Margaret after reaching age 30; Peggy: 41 years, 5' 4"; Nancy M.: 7 years; brown skin, "common size for a child tht age" |
|
Allentharpe, Jacob |
Matilda |
6/4/1827 |
6/4/1827 |
30 years old; mulatto; 5' 3"; scar on left breast from burn |
|
Allington, David |
Harrison, Matilda and child William |
5/2/1836 |
5/2/1836 |
45 years; yellow complexion; 5' 3"; William; 5 or 6 months old; yellow complexion |
|
Allison, John B. (Monroe Co., Ind.) |
Dick |
10/4/1824 |
10/4/1824 |
35 years old |
|
Amos, Nicholas |
James |
6/7/1847 |
6/7/1847 |
None |
|
Arnold, James M. |
David |
5/1/1837 |
5/1/1837 |
48 years; 5' 6"; scar under right eye and several small ones about frame |
|
Arnold, James M. |
John |
9/6/1847 |
9/6/1847 |
16 years |
|
Arnold, John |
Adam |
12/18/1828 |
12/18/1828 |
60 years old; very dark; 5' 8-9" |
|
Arnold, Susan P. (of Paris) |
Harlow (woman) |
10/5/1840 |
10/5/1840 |
40 or 45 years; 5'2"; light black or olive color |
|
Arnold, Thomas |
Brown, Richard and wfie Lydia |
3/7/1836 |
3/7/1836 |
Richard; 5'7"; 60 years; thick and heavy set; a little gray; Lydia: 57 years; inclined to be fleshy; a little gray |
|
Barker, Thomas |
Manuel |
7/4/1825 |
7/4/1825 |
none |
|
Batterton, Henry (Estate by Joshua Irvine, admr. |
Batterton, Willis |
4/21/1834 |
4/21/1834 |
black complexion; "down look slow of speech"; scar on forehead; 5'7 or 8"; 22 years in Oct. last; out of Wm. B. Graves, Sr. estate |
|
Beall, Milly and children (12 names) |
Alfred |
2/12/1850 |
2/12/1850 |
Alfred belonged to Milly (widow of Archibald Beall) with children as residual devisees; mullatto; 39 years; 5'11 1/2"; crooked middle finger on left hand. Some of the heirs were in Indiana. |
|
Becraft, Aquilla (Morgan Co. , ILL; by atty, James E. Litton) |
Samuel |
12/2/1839 |
1/1/1850 |
son of Eliza Warton; owned by William and Levi Wosson? until date of freedom |
|
Becraft, Aquilla (Morgan Co., ILL; by atty, James E. Litton |
Taylor, Henry |
12/2/1839 |
10/1/1860 |
son of Eliza Warton |
|
Becraft, Aquilla (Morgan Co., ILL; by atty, James E. Litton) |
Baker, Aaron |
12/2/1839 |
9/2/1859 |
to be freed when he is 21; son of Eliza Warnton |
|
Becraft, Aquilla (Morgan Co., ILL; by atty, James E. Litton) |
Taylor, Lewis Franklin |
12/2/1839 |
1/1/1856 |
son of Eliza Warton; owned by William and Levi Wosson? until date of freedom |
|
Becraft, Aquilla (Morgan Co., ILL; by atty, James E. Litton) |
Warnton, Eliza and Matilda |
12/2/1839 |
12/2/1839 |
no description; Eliza had children which were freed at different dates |
|
Becraft, John |
Stevenson, Notley |
1/3/1834 |
1/3/1834 |
5'9"; light copper complexion; tolerably light body and inclined to be rather lean; has scrophelus skin on back of his left hand caused by a burn. |
|
Becraft, Mary (of Montgomery County, Maryland) |
Charlotte, Leonard, and Willa |
7/16/1860 |
2/23/1816 |
$1.00 paid; Charlotte: 20 years; Leonard: 19 years; mulatto; Willa: 13 years; to be free at age of 30 years; any children born prior to age of freedom to serve Becrafts until age 28 |
|
Bedford, Benjamin (of Bourbon Co.) and Henry C. Bradford (of Scott Co.) |
Thomas |
3/7/1842 |
3/7/1842 |
36 years; 5'8"; stoutly made; forefinger of right hand both short and small having lost part of the bone from disease |
|
Black, Samuel Heirs |
Tom |
9/26/1828 |
9/26/1828 |
45 years old; 5'11 3/4"; tall rawboned man; very black; considerable scar on left side of upper lip; 1" scar on left side of forehead |
|
Blackburn, Jane and David |
Maria Lilly |
2/1/1851 |
1/1/1851 |
Maria Lilly was sister to Jane and David |
|
Blackburn, Thomas (free man of color) |
Lydia and child Kitty Ann |
5/2/1836 |
5/2/1836 |
Wife Lydia purchased from Benjamin Lockwood; dark complexion; 5' 13/16"; 43 years; no visible flesh marks; Kitty Ann: 3 years; dark complexion; born since Lydia's purchase |
|
Blen, Isabella (Estate; by Ephraim |
Harry |
12/3/1838 |
12/3/1828 |
30 years; 5' 9"; black; no scars |
|
Bowen, Ben F. |
Love, Thorton |
3/7/1859 |
3/7/1859 |
no description |
|
Bowles, Robert |
Richrdson, Harry |
12/13/1832 |
12/13/1832 |
None |
|
Bradley, John (Estate; by exors.) |
Thomas |
3/1/1841 |
3/1/1841 |
35 years; 7'7"; yellow complexion; high forehead; quite heavy built; 158 lbs. |
|
Bramblitt, Gladys |
Daniel |
10/5/1850 |
10/5/1850 |
Held life estate in Daniel from will of husband Henry; 50 years old |
|
Brand Jeremiah (Heirs) |
Ann |
4/3/1837 |
4/3/1837 |
34 years; dark complexion;5'1 1/2" |
|
Brent, Thomas Y. |
Taylor, Bartlette |
1/5/1846 |
1/5/1846 |
butcher by trade; 32 years; 5'8 1/2"; high cheek bones; 175 lbs. |
|
Brown, James |
Bob |
6/4/1827 |
6/4/1827 |
Freed b will; 58 years old; black; 5'5 1/2"; scar from scald on right buttock |
|
Browning, William (Estate; by heirs) |
David |
4/5/1842 |
4/5/1841 |
bought freedom for $600; 30 years; bright yellow complexion; 5'8 1/2" |
|
Buckner, Walker |
John, Winney, and Betsey |
4/2/1849 |
4/2/1849 |
John aged about 60 years; Winney aged about 50; Betsey aged about 18 |
|
Buckner, Wlaker |
Morgan, James |
7/7/1828 |
7/7/1828 |
58 years old; inclined to be corpulent; 5'6"; his left foot very crooked due to a sprain |
|
Burton, Jack (free man of color) |
Delsey, all her children |
9/6/1824 |
9/6/1824 |
purchased from Robert E. Miller |
|
Campbell, Hugh (Monroe Co., INd.) |
Sam |
9/4/1843 |
6/20/1843 |
freed for faithfulness and "other considerations" |
|
Campbell, Mary |
Tibbs, Ben |
2/7/1843 |
2/6/1843 |
27 years; black skin marked by small pox; 6' |
|
Carron/Canon, Newton |
Josiah |
1/6/1851 |
1/6/1851 |
40 years; 5'8"; dark complexion |
|
Carter, George W. and R. S. |
Elijah |
2/20/1834 |
3/3/1834 |
5' 9"; light black complexion; 50 years; lower lip prominent. Belonged to John Carter, decd. |
|
Clay, Samuel |
Matilda |
3/12/1861 |
3/12/1861 |
56 years; black skin; scar on left arm caused by a burn; tolerably large, about 180 lbs. |
|
Close, Elizabeth Estate (of Lexington) |
Mary |
|
2/2/1822 |
Registering herself as a free woman of color; 20 years old; "light negro complexion"; round face; 4'9 1/2"; 3/4" scar on back of left hand |
|
Cogswell, James M. |
Nelson |
2/7/1832 |
2/7/1832 |
35 years old; light copper; well built; 5'10 3/4"; scar on right cheek and in edge of left palm below thumb; broad across cheeks |
|
Conley, Nicholas (Natcher, Miss.) |
Patience |
5/6/1833 |
5/6/1833 |
26 years |
|
Corbin, Lewis (Estate; by John R. Corbin of Henry Co.) |
Emanuel |
5/4/1840 |
5/4/1840 |
43 years?; black color; 5'7 1/2"; opens one eye rather imperfectly said to be a temporary affection; medium sized body. |
|
Corbin, Lewis (Estate; by John R.Corbin of Henry Co.) |
William |
5/4/1840 |
5/4/1840 |
26 years; 5'7"; rather small person, open countenance; black color |
|
Couchman, Peter |
Tapp, Joseph |
12/6/1830 |
12/6/1830 |
married to Rebecca; 67 years; slim; black; scar on forehead; 5'5 1/2" |
|
Current, Thomas |
Monday, James |
9/3/1827 |
9/3/1827 |
39 years old; black; 5'10"; strong features; high cheekbones; bought same day from William Rose Estate |
|
Current, Thomas Sr. (Estate; by Elijah Current) |
Cassia (woman) |
10/1/1838 |
9/30/1838 |
70 years; black skin; 5'3"; left ankle considerably enlarged from a fracture; spare made; morose countenance; mark under right eye |
|
Curtis, Dennis (free man of color) |
Sarah (wife) and children, Sarah Ann and Elijah Washington |
10/5/1840 |
10/5/1840 |
purchased wife from George Redmon in March, 1833; Sarah; 46 years; very bright mulatto; very straight black hair; inclined to be gray; 5'3" Sarah Ann: mulatto; 5 years; Elijah Washington: black; 4 years |
|
Darnall, Thomas (Estate; by Levi Darnall) |
Willis |
10/7/1844 |
10/7/1844 |
34 years; heavy set; 5'10"; very black complexion |
|
Davis, Captain (free man of color) |
Darkey |
1/7/1839 |
10/7/1839 |
purchased of Thomas Ardery; 54 years; dark skin; 5'3" |
|
Davis, Garrett |
Coney, Betsy and child Mary Ellen |
4/3/1837 |
4/3/1837 |
daughter of Samuel Coney, free man who died before purchasing wife and children; 23 years; rather dark; 5' 1 1/4"; Mary Ellen; 2 months; yellow skin |
|
Davis, Garrett |
Coney, Harvey |
4/3/1837 |
4/3/1837 |
son of Samuel Coney, free man who died before purchasing wife and children; 25 years; black skin; 6'1" |
|
Davis, Farrett |
Coney, John |
4/3/1837 |
4/3/1837 |
John was son of Samuel Coney, free man of color; died before purchasing freedom of wife Chariety and child; 29 years; 5'8"; dark skin; freed as condition of bill of sale from Coney's admr., James H. Cogswell, to Garrett Davis (DB 35, Vol. 2: p. 392 |
|
Dawson, J. (Estate; by James Coons) |
Winney |
3/7/1836 |
3/7/1836 |
42 years; dark complexion; 5'5" |
|
Dickson, william A. (Paris, KY.) |
Jeffrey |
2/4/1827 |
3/7/1829 |
55 years old; dark' stout made; 5'9-10" |
|
Demitt, Richard (Estate; by Joshua Demitt) |
Louisa |
4/6/1835 |
4/6/1835 |
30 years; black complexion; 5'4 1/4"; no particular flesh marks |
|
Dimmitt, Richard (Estate; by Joshua Dimitt) |
Harriett |
4/5/1842 |
4/5/1842 |
31 or 32 years; 5'; copper complexion; small scars on back of hand; mouth pucked up |
|
Dinwiddle, William (Estate; by William Miller) |
Bob |
9/7/1865 |
9/7/1865 |
29 years; very dark complexion; 5'10"; scar on right near his nose and just below right eye; scar on back of left hand |
|
Downing, Nelson (free man of color) |
Louisa (wife) and children Louis and Aaron |
3/3/1838 |
3/3/1838 |
no description |
|
Duncan, Henry T. |
Sarah |
12/4/1837 |
12/4/1837 |
55 years; 5'1"; light complexion |
|
Duncan, Henry T. (of Fayette Co., formerly of Bourbon Co.) |
Holeman, Dilse |
1/6/1840 |
1/6/1840 |
light mulatto; 55 years; 5'8" |
|
Ewalt, Samuel |
Abram |
5/4/1846 |
5/4/1846 |
51 years |
|
Ewing, Judith |
Daniel, wife Anna, youngest children, Alfred, Polina, George |
4/3/1848 |
6/9/1847 |
described as "all African origin". |
|
Ewing, Judith |
Emanuel, wife Caty, children Charlotte, Lucy Jane, Sarah Elizabeth |
11/5/1838 |
7/25/1838 |
Emanuel: 60 years; Caty: 40 years; Charlotte: 5 years; Lucy Jane: 3 years; Sarah Elizabeth: 8 months |
|
Ewing, Judith |
Thomas |
9/6/1847 |
6/9/1847 |
dark complexion; middle stature; African origin; faithful servant |
|
Flemster, Lucretia (of Paris; spelled Feemster in deed) |
Porter, Willis |
3/14/1860 |
10/28/1860 |
my trustworthy negro man"; copper skin; 56 years; shoemaker by trade; 5'8"; no scars recollected |
|
Garrard, Bettie |
Ferguson, Edward |
4/7/1851 |
4/7/1851 |
59 years |
|
Garrard, Joseph |
Garrard, Mary Susan |
3/8/1851 |
3/1/1851 |
Mary Susan was Joseph's daughter purchased from William B. McClure Heirs after death of his wife, Mary |
|
Garrard, Thomas |
Abraham |
3/7/1842 |
1/20/1842 |
30 years; 5'6"; dark color |
|
Garrard, Thomas |
Cynthia and children Isaiah, Richy, Washington, Mariah, Polly, Cynthia |
4/4/1842 |