Free People of Color in Hickman County, Kentucky

Date: [unknown] [unknown]
Location: Hickman, Kentucky, United States
Surname/tag: black_heritage

Hickman County, Kentucky was formed in 1821. It first appeared in the U.S. Federal Census in 1830.

The Emancipation Proclamation of 1862 did not apply to Kentucky, which though a slave state had remained part of the Union (some of Hickman County's slaveowning men crossed into Tennessee to volunteer and fight for the Confederacy). Therefore, Kentucky's enslaved people were not legally freed until the ratification of the 13th Amendment in December of 1865.

Contents 1 1830 2 1840 3 1850 4 1860 5 Sources

1830

In 1830, four free people of color lived in Hickman County, all in households headed by presumably white men.

Head of family	# White	Free People of Color	# Slaves	FS Img
Household of Thompson Sloan	4	1 man age 36-54 1 woman age 36-54 1 girl under age 10	5	33S7-9YYY-XTJ
Household of Joseph Smith	2	1 woman age 24-35	2 (David)	33SQ-GYYY-NSL

1840

In 1840, eight free people of color lived in Hickman County. Two of them, Lewis Sams and David Smith, were heading their own households which included enslaved people;^[1] three were in households headed by presumably white men or women.

Head of family	# White	Free People of Color	# Slaves	FS Img
Household of Hary Atterbury	6	1 man age 55-99	0	33S7-9YBS-VTR
Household of John Puckett	8	1 man age 10-23	0	33S7-9YBS-VYR
Lewis Sams[2]	0	1 man age 55-99 1 woman age 55-99 (Tena Sams) 1 girl/woman age 10-23 (Dolly Sams)	1	33S7-9YBS-VV1
David Smith	0	1 man age 24-35 1 woman age 36-54	1	33SQ-GYBS-283
Household of Elizabeth Walker	3	1 man age 24-35	5	33S7-9YBS-VDJ

1850

In 1850, 18 free people of color lived in Hickman County. Five were heads of their own households (indicated in bold text); six were in households headed by white men or women (noted in italics). Two had no surname.

Name	Age	Born	Sex	Color	Occupation	FS Img	Anc Rec
Jacob Hunter	65	Vir	M	B	Farmer	S3HY-DCD7-3CB	[1]
Nace Cromwell	53	Ky	M	B	Farmer	S3HY-DCD7-3BD	[2]
Willis Cromwell	30	Ky	M	B	Laborer	S3HY-DCD7-3BD	[3]
Nace Cromwell Jr	23	Ky	M	B	Laborer	S3HY-DCD7-3BD	[4]
S Cromwell	21	Ky	F	B	-	S3HY-DCD7-3BD	[5]
Household of Elizabeth Davis
Frank Waide	60	Ky	M	M	Laborer	S3HY-DCD7-31S	[6]
Easter Dabney	50	Ky	F	B	-	S3HY-DCD7-31S	[7]
William Lockridge	56	Tenn	M	B	Farmer	S3HY-DCD7-351	[8]
Fanny Lockridge	50	Tenn	F	B	-	S3HY-DCD7-351	[9]
Household of Wm Hale
Isaac Bowles	29	Ill?	M	B	Laborer	S3HY-DCD7-Q4D	[10]
Rebecca Thompson	47	SC	F	B	-	S3HY-DCD7-3XQ	[11]
Wesley Thompson	15	Ky	M	B	none	S3HY-DCD7-3XQ	[12]
George Akers	40	Ohio	M	B	Laborer	S3HY-DCD7-3FX	[13]
Lucy Akers	45	Ky	F	B	-	S3HY-DCD7-3FX	[14]
S P Akers	8	Ky	M	B	-	S3HY-DCD7-3FX	[15]
Household of William H Husbands
Cyrus	50	Ky	M	B	-	S3HY-DCD7-3FN	[16]
Household of Israel R Dodge
Andrew	62	Tenn	M	B	Laborer	S3HY-DCD7-384	[17]
Household of Joseph Wilson
James Cousins	26	Vir	M	M	Laborer	S3HY-DCD7-32S	[18]

1860

In 1860, 20 free people of color lived in Hickman County, 12 of whom were also present in 1850. Four were heads of their own households (indicated in bold text); five were in households headed by white men or women (noted in italics). At least four young children were likely born free.

Name	Age	Born	Sex	Color	Occupation	FS Img	Anc Rec
Andrew Webb	70	Va	M	B	Huckster	33SQ-GBSS-9GQ	[19]
William Lockridge	62	Va	M	B	Farmer	33SQ-GBSS-95X	[20]
Frances Lockridge	62	Va	F	B	-	33SQ-GBSS-95X	[21]
Household of William Davis
Wesley James	35	Ky	M	M	-	33S7-9BSS-KW	[22]
Household of Mrs Galager
Rebecca James	55	Ky	F	B	Washer	33S7-9BSS-2V	[23]
Wesley James	26	Ky	M	B	Laborer	33S7-9BSS-2V	[24]
George Akers	59	Ky	M	B	Farmer	33S7-9BSS-VM	[25]
Lucy Akers	58	Ky	F	B	-	33S7-9BSS-VM	[26]
Samuel Akers	18	Ky	M	B	Ap Blacksmith	33S7-9BSS-VM	[27]
Household of B C Bugg
Sam Owen	65	Ky	M	B	Farmer	33S7-9BSS-9LT	[28]
Household of Wm J Barnes
Jacob Hunter	80	NC	M	B	Farmer	33S7-9BSS-9JP	[29]
Nase Cromwell	60	Ky	M	B	Farmer	33SQ-GBSS-6G	[30]
Willis Cromwell	35	Ky	M	B		33SQ-GBSS-6G	[31]
Serrilda Cromwell	26	Ky	F	B		33SQ-GBSS-6G	[32]
Nase Cromwell	8	Ky	M	B		33SQ-GBSS-6G	[33]
Willis H Cromwell	7	Ky	M	B		33SQ-GBSS-6G	[34]
Nase Cromwell	29	Ky	M	B		33SQ-GBSS-6G	[35]
Mary W Cromwell	2	Ky	F	B		33SQ-GBSS-6G	[36]
Caleb Cromwell	6mo	Ky	M	B		33SQ-GBSS-6G	[37]

Sources

1. ↑ Gates, Henry Louis, Jr. "Did Black People Own Slaves?" The Root, March 4, 2013.
2. ↑ Lewis and his family are enumerated as free people of color in 1850 and 1860 in nearby Ballard county.

• Piercy, Lindsey. "Juneteenth Explained: ‘History Doesn’t Repeat Itself; People Do’," University of Kentucky News, June 18, 2020.
• "Eighth of August." Kentucky Life, created by PBS station KET, season 9, episode 19, premiered Feb. 1, 2014.
• History of slavery in Kentucky. In Wikipedia, March 4, 2023.