1850 Slave Records for Johnson County; Missouri

April 15, 2012

1850 Slave Records for Johnson County; Missouri

Link to Johnson County Missouri 1800s Census Records

The distribution and density of the slave population in Missouri followed closely the distribution and density of the white population. The main immigration route to Western Missouri was along the Missouri River and it was in the counties bordering the river that the slave population was concentrated, particularly in the counties of Mid-Missouri. Between 1840 and 1860, the slave population ranged from 10 to 30 percent in Western Missouri. Unlike the plantation economy of Mid-Missouri spawned by tobacco and hemp crops where slaves constituted a higher percentage of the population, slaves brought to Johnson County engaged in general agricultural labor and also worked as domestic servants, often in close proximity with their owners.

Slave Population of the Southern States 1860 - Lincoln used this map to make visual arguments about Confederate motivations and enthusiasm for succession, also how the progress of emancipation could effect Union Troops.

In searching for deeds, slave transactions were noted. According to deeds from 1836, Martin Warren sold to John Marr a Negro woman by the name of Jane along with her daughter Lucinda for $400. Later in 1839, it is recorded that John Marr sells Jane along with her five children Lucinda, John Green, Nancy Susan, George Washington, and Isham Garner to Joseph Garner (a free black man) for $400. A transaction registered in 1841 has John Marr receiving $200, paid by Jack a man of color formerly belonging to John Marr's father and at the time belonged to him. this was for the emancipation and manumission of himself. Then Martin Warren sells to Jack Mar (the way his name is spelled) a free man of color, a certain Negro woman slave by the name of Susannh for $267. The 1860 census reveals William Anderson store owner and banker owned 5 slaves. E. M. Bolton hotel owner owned 5 slaves, William Brown merchant owned 1 slave, Josiah Caldwell physician-owned 6 slaves, G. W. Campbell livery stable keeper owned 2 slaves, F. M. Cockrell lawyer owned 2 slaves, George Colbern banker owned 1 slave, James Daugherty carpenter owned 1 slave, Z. T. Davis teacher owned 4 slaves, A. H. Gilkeson merchant owned 1 slave, M.C. Goodlett attorney owned 7 slaves, Joseph P. Henshaw merchant owned 4 slaves, George Houts sheriff owned 4 slaves, W.S. Hume merchant owned 6 slaves, George hunt physician-owned 3 slaves, Thomas Ingle hotel keeper owned 4 slaves, James Lapsley merchant owned 1 slave, William Logan merchant owned 13 slaves, Nancy McCormack of city-owned 2 slaves, James McCown circuit clerk owned 8 slaves, Noah Redford retired farmer-owned 2 slaves, Daniel Rentch merchant owned 6 slaves, W. H. Schroeder Methodist Clergyman owned 2 slaves, Thomas Slack merchant owned 3 slaves, Kenny Smith miller owned 4 slaves, John Snider listed occupation as miscellaneous had 2 slaves, Fountane Stroder livery stable keeper owned 8 slaves, Newtown Walker merchant owned 1 slave, Ackman Welch owned 1 slave. (Warrensburg and Johnson County, Missouri)