Slaves in Steuben County New York

Date: [unknown] [unknown]
Location: Steuben, New York, United States
Surnames/tags: Census Slavery

This page provides a place to list the names and basic information about enslaved people in Steuben County NY. Their individual profiles should include the category "Category:Steuben County, New York, Slaves" so they show up on that dynamic list.

Research about family trees and connections can be on this page, though if it's very detailed or long, consider making another page.

For Steuben County, the 1790 Census shows 7 enslaved people, 1800 US Census shows 22. 1810 shows 87, 1820 shows 46. Slavery officially ended in New York on 4 July 1827, but there are still 2 slaves on the 1830 census.

Enslaved / freed people known by name"

Contents 1 BATH 2 Canisteo 3 Dansville 4 Howard 5 Jersey 6 Lindley 7 Painted Post / Corning 8 Reading 9 Urbana

BATH

Number of Enslaved people by census: 1800 (9), 1810 (55), 1820 (13)

• NO LAST NAME
  • Ann (Enslavers: John Faulkner (in Painted Post) and Ann Faulkner) - listed in John's will of 1804 and given to his wife, Ann, and after her death to his daughter Mary Sill, and then Ann was to be freed at age 35.
  • Anna (Enslavers: William Helm, Ira Pratt) "a Negroe girl" Sold for $40 at a sheriff's auction (to pay Helm's debts) to Ira Pratt on 22 January 1808^[1]
  • Caty (enslavers: William and Matilda Helm) mother of Taylor
  • Milly (enslavers: William and Matilda Helm) mother of Willy
  • Molly (enslaver William Dunn), mother of Peter, a "negro wench"
  • Nellie (enslavers: William and Matilda Helm) daughter of Betty and Aaron, born 2 March 1804. Possibly daughter of Aaron Butcher or of Betsy and Aaron Bristol
  • Peter (enslaver William Dunn), son of Molly, born 1 Apr 1800
  • Taylor (enslavers: William and Matilda Helm) son of Caty, born 4 April 1805
  • Willy (enslavers: William and Matilda Helm) son of Milly, born 16 April 1805
• Adams, Mary - married Stephen
• Adams, Stephen - married Mary
• Alexander, Frances (enslavers: William and Matilda Helm) married Moses Alexander
• Alexander, George (enslaver: John Fitzhugh) married Jenny
• Alexander, Moses (enslavers: William and Matilda Helm) married Frances
• Alexander, Stephen (enslavers: William and Matilda Helm)
• Bristol, Aaron – (Enslavers: William and Matilda Helm)
• Bristol, Betsy – (Enslavers: William and Matilda Helm, a lawyer in Bath), aunt of Austin Steward
  • Bristol, child of Betsy (Enslaver: Daniel Cruger)
  • Bristol, child of Betsy (Enslaver: Daniel Cruger)
• Butcher, Aaron (enslavers: possibly William Helm, John Fitzhugh, Howell Bull) Aaron Butcher was purchased in 1809 by Howell Bull from John Fitzhugh (husband of Jennie Helm, daughter of William Helm). Bull manumitted Aaron in 1817. Aaron may have been part of Fitzhugh's household and come to Bath in 1805 or come north with Helm in 1800 and been part of Jenny's dowry.
• Butcher, Molly - first wife of Aaron
• Butcher, Phryminta (aka Minta or Minty)- second wife of Aaron
• Brown, Jack (enslavers: William and Matilda Helm)
• Butler, Jeremiah (enslavers: Presley and Susan Thornton)
• Butler, Juba (enslavers: William and Matilda Helm) – married Mima, born in Guinea, Africa
• Butler, Mima – married Juba
• Cooper, Daniel (enslavers: William and Matilda Helm) husband of Phoebe
• Cooper, Jennie (enslavers: Presley and Susan Thornton)
• Cooper, Phoebe (Enslaver: Dugald Cameron) wife of Daniel
• Crook, John
• Diggings, Edward (enslavers: William and Matilda Helm)
• Diggs, Jerry (enslavers: Presley and Susan Thornton) married Mary
• Dorsey, Edward (Enslaver: Dugald Cameron) - married Sally
• Dorsey, Sally - married Edward. Maiden name unknown
• Howell, Peter - (enslaved by father of Edward Howell)
• Jarvis, Harry (enslavers: William and Matilda Helm) married Linda
• Jarvis, Linda (maiden name unknown)
• Labor, Robert
• Lucas, Harry [Harvey] (enslavers: William and Matilda Helm)
• Lucas, Lucinda (enslavers: Presley and Susan Thornton, possibly also William Helm), married Harry Lucas
  • Daughter (born between 1795 and 1806, referenced in the 1820 census, possibly born before the 1799 law), father unknown
  • John (b. Jun 1802) father unknown
  • Edward (b March 1804) - father might be Harvey Lucas
  • William Lucas (born between 1804 and 1818), taken to KY and sold.
  • Peggie Lucas (born between 1804 and 1818), taken to KY and sold
  • son Lucas (born between 1806 and 1818) referenced in the 1820 census
  • Franklin Lucas (b. 1814 Oct 15), born enslaved, birth recorded by county clerk.
• Prim, Joe - married Mary
• Prim, Mary - married Joe
• Stewart, Robert (enslavers: William and Matilda Helm) father of Austin, died c. 1816
• Stewart, Susan (enslavers: William and Matilda Helm) mother of Austin
  • Stewart, Austin (enslavers: William and Matilda Helm) author of "22 Years a Slave"
  • Stewart, Mary, sister of Austin (enslavers: William and Matilda Helm) sold to a lawyer in Bath.
    • Mary Steward was the mother of 2 or 3 children by c. 1815
• Tappan (aka Tapkin, Edward (enslavers: William and Matilda Helm)
• Thomas, John - married Caty, might be father of Taylor
• Thompson, Abby - married Ezekiel
• Thompson, Cato - married Judy
• Thompson, Ezekiel - married Abby
• Thompson, Judy - married Cato
• Tolliver, Nancy (enslaver John Fitzhugh, brought to Bath c. 1803)– married William Tolliver
• Tolliver, William (aka Billy) – married Nancy
• Watkins, Edward (enslavers: William and Matilda Helm) – married Frances
• Watkins, Frances (enslavers: William and Matilda Helm) – married Edward
• Watkins, Julia (enslavers: Presley and Susan Thornton)
• Waktins, King (enslavers: William and Matilda Helm) - married Agge. brother of Simon Watkins
• Watkins, Simon (born c. 1785), aka "The Mayor of Bath", married Priscilla. brother of King Watkins. Sold by William Helm to Samuel S. Haight, purchased his freedom and manumitted in 1813, record filed with county clerk 25 April 1815.^[2]
• Watkins, Thomas (enslavers: William and Matilda Helm)

The 1820 Census for Bath enumerates 65 free people of color (many had formerly been enslaved). Seventeen were living in houses owned by white people; 11 households (total of 48 people) were headed by free blacks, shown below. .(#)=number of people in household

• King Watkins (2)
• Aaron Butcher (3) - likely include Phryminta
• Billy Tolliver (6) - likely includes Nancy Tolliver, a daughter, and sons William, Nathaniel, and Humphrey.
• Moses Alexander (3)
• Abby Williams (4)
• Simon Watkins (8)
• Harvey and Lucinda Lucas (6)
• Will. McKinsey (6)
• Juba and Mima Butler (2)
• Jerry Diggs (3)
• Daniel Cooper (5)

Canisteo

Number of Enslaved people by census: 1800 (2), 1810 (3), 1820 (6)

• Barr, Bob. (enslaver: probably Col. Thomas McBurney) Born 1809.^[3]
• Slave Cemetery - In 1911, said to be at "the cluster of evergreens at the head of the lane leading to the hills opposite the house [of Col. McBurney]"^[4]

Dansville

Number of Enslaved people by census: 1800 (-), 1810 (5), 1820 (1)

Howard

Number of Enslaved people by census: 1800 (-), 1810 (-), 1820 (1)

Jersey

Number of Enslaved people by census: 1800 (-), 1810 (-), 1820 (1)

Lindley

Number of Enslaved people by census: 1800 (7), 1810 (-), 1820 (-)

Painted Post / Corning

Number of Enslaved people by census: 1800 (2), 1810 (22), 1820 (18)

Reading

Number of Enslaved people by census: 1800 (-), 1810 (-), 1820 (4)

Urbana

• Hannah Grant (c. 1790 in Pennsylvania- c. 1885), in household of Rev John Smith and Mary (nee Laird) Smith. She lived in Hammondsport in the 1850s.^[5]