Slaves of Kennedy and Ellison, Baldwin County, Alabama

Location: Baldwin, Alabama, United States
Surnames/tags: Black_Heritage Alabama Slavery

Contents 1 Introduction 1.1 Ellison Notebook 1.2 Runaway Slaves 1.3 Ellison Estate Papers 1.4 1860 U.S. Census (Slave Schedule) 1.5 1866 Alabama State Census 2 Sources

Introduction

The firm of Kennedy and Ellison was in the business of providing enslaved people for hire. Many of those people worked on Ellison Plantation producing Naval Stores.

Ellison Notebook

The Henry Alderson Ellison Papers, 1848-1882.^[1] include a notebook that contains lists of enslaved people in 1848 and 1858-1860 and records of their labor being hired out. These individuals appeared to belong to Henry Ellison and they would generally have been born in his home in Washington, Beaufort County, North Carolina and transported to Baldwin County, Alabama. There is no matching inventory yet discovered for William Kennedy.

The table below has been derived from the information in the notebook and assumes that if a record exists for an enslaved person with only a first name in some years, but first and last in another, it is the same individual. No revenue was recorded in the notebook for the year 1860.

First	Last	1848	1859	1860
Abram	P	$-	$-	$-
Alfred		$200	$215	N
Alfred	H	N	$215	$-
Alfred	W	N	$200	$-
Ammon		N	$215	$-
Arris		N	N	$-
Bartley		N	N	$-
Ben	Lofkins	N	$150	$-
Bill	Mc	$200	$215	$-
Bob	Clark	N	N	$-
Brent		N	N	$-
Bunyan		$200	$215	$-
Burwell	Jonson	$200	$215	$-
Burwill	D	N	N	$-
Dennis		N	N	$-
Dinah		N	$100	$-
Dolton		N	N	$-
Ephram		N	$215	$-
George		$150	$150	N
George	Meyer	N	N	$-
George	Carpenter	N	N	$-
Hardy		N	$215	$-
Henry	Adamas	$200	$215	$-
Henry	Crawford	N	N	$-
Henry	R	N	$215	N
Jim	Mern / Moon	$200	$215	$-
Jim	Johnson	N	$200	$-
Jim	Pierce	N	N	$-
Joe	Moore	$100	$100	$-
Joe	Myene (?)	N	N	$-
John	Bage	$200	$215	$-
John	Moon / Moore	$200	$215	$-
John	Rokenbaugh	N	$215	$-
John	Smith	N	N	$-
Lawson		$200	$200	$-
Lewis	P	N	N	$-
Littleton		N	$215	$-
Milford		N	N	$-
Miles / Mills		N	$215	$-
Patrick		N	$215	$-
Peter	Potter	N	N	$-
Phillip	Grist	$200	$215	$-
Powel		N	N	$-
Providence		N	$215	$-
Red Henry		N	N	$-
Sam	Gaskins	N	$215	$-
Sen	Southerland	N	N	$-
Tannahill		$200	$215	N
Thoms	Eborn	N	$215	$-
Wilson		N	$215	$-

Runaway Slaves

One problem most slave owners had was runaway slaves. The following lists surviving runaway slave notices for the firm of Kennedy and Ellison, Agents.

MGM Advertiser 9 Jul 1862

Montgomery Advertiser (Montgomery AL), 9 July 1862
RANAWAY From Boyle's Camp, Central Railroad in Jefferson county, Ala., about the 1st of April last, six Negro Men:

• BEN HARDING, about six feet in height, dark complexion, weight about 170 pounds speaks very slowly, can read and write.
• CHARLES SPARROW, about five feet five inches in height, yellow complexion, weighs about 140 pounds, quick spoken
• NED COLEMAN, about five feet six inches in height, dark yellow complexion, very quick spoken, weight about 180 pounds.
• JOE WISWELL, alias Thomas, about five feed 8 inches in height, dark complexion, one front tooth out, weighs about 140 pounds.
• DANIEL, low chunky negro, quick spoken, about 25 years old, weighs about 150 pounds,
• also a negro man named POWELL.

These negroes were hired in Mobile from Mr. Henry A. Ellison, of Salem, N. C., Ben, Daniel and Thomas were suffered to escape from the Jail of Cherokee county, Ala., about 15th June. A liberal reward will be given for their apprehension, and confinement in any Jail so I can get them.

JOHN T. MILNER

Chief Engineer, S. & N.A.R.R. Co.^[2]

Runaway - Ruffin - Kennedy & Ellison

The Clark County Democrat, September 17, 1857, Page 3.
Runaway in Washington Jail;

• Committed to the Jail of Washington county, Ala., on the 7th of Sept. 1857, a Negro man who says his name is RUFFIN and that he belongs to Dr. Council Moore of Choctaw County, Ala., and was hired the present year to Messrs. Kennedy & Ellison. Said boy is about 27 years old, of light griffe color, 5 feet 6-1/2 inches high, has a small scar on his right hand, also one over his right eye. Says he runaway in March last.

The owner is requested to come forward, prove property and take him away, or he will be dealt with as the law directs.

E. H. GORDY, Sheriff.^[3]

Runaway - Randall - Kennedy & Ellison

The Clarke County Democrat 17 Sep 1857
Runaway in Washington Jail

• Committed to the Jail of Washington county, Ala., on the 12th day of Sept. 1857, by William F. Brunson, Esq., a Negro man who says his name is RANDALL and that he belongs to William Moore of Choctaw county, and was hired the present year to Messrs. Kennedy & Ellison and runaway the 4th of July last. Said Negro is 5 feet 4-1/2 inches high, the first joint of his little finger and third finger of left hand off, small scar on his breast and one on his right shoulder, large scar on his forehead caused by a burn, color griffe.

The owner is requested to come forward, prove property and take him away, or he will be dealt with as the law directs.

E. H. GORDY, Sheriff^[4]

RANAWAY - John McGraw

Runaway about the 15th ult., from Boyle's Camp on the T & A. C. R. R.,

• a negro boy named JOHN McGRAW, about 5 feet 6 or 7 inches high, dark complexion, weighs 160 or 170 pounds, about 26 or 27 years old, very quick spoken when excited. Said boy belongs to Messrs Kennedy & Ellison, of Baldwin County, Ala., A suitable reward will be paid for his apprehension and confinement, so that I get him.

JNO. T. MILNER

Chief Engineer.^[5]

Runaways in Columbus, Georgia

Negro runaways from the Turpentine Establishment on Fish River, Baldwin County, Alabama, $150 reward:

• In Jul 1860, Peter POTUTOCK, 5' 4", Black, 145-150 pounds, 21-22 years old, lost ends of fingers of one hand (right?). can write so can furnish him and those with him with passes. Raised in Norfolk, VA, and purchased at Richmond.
• In Jul 1860, Henry CRAWFORD]], about 5' 9" or 10", about 23-4 years, 140-50 pounds, hair grows low down forehead, downcast look when addressed. Raised in Beaufort Co., NC and purchased of Mr Charles W Crawford of that place.
• In Jan 1861, Andrew, a Turpentine Distiller, about 5' 7"-8", about 26-7 years, complexion dark, weighs 140-50 pounds. Formerly belonged to H G NEITT of Wilmington NC and brought to Alabama by trader named COLEMAN.

The above reward will be paid for the apprehensiion and confinement in any Jail, so that we may get them, of the above described negroes; or a proportionate part for either of them
KENNEDY & ELLISON,
Dannelly's Mills, Baldwin County, Ala.

Ellison Estate Papers

Only a few slaves were identified in the Ellison Estate Papers,^[6] and then, only because they were details in a lawsuit. The following table identifies those so named, the years they were hired for, and the state where they worked. If the square is blank, they were not hired for that year; if it contains NC, they worked in North Carolina, and if AL, they worked in Alabama. They were all hired from William H. Tripp starting in 1839 and the lawsuit settled in 1870, after the deaths of both men. For simplicity's sake, we assumed that each name was associated with a single individual since none appeared in two places at once.

Joseph]]

Lyoria]]

Margaret]]

George]]

Olman]]

Grace]]

Lydia]]

Horace]]

J Bond]]

Patsy]]

Olivia]]

Jackson]]

Nicey]]

1839

NC

NC

NC

NC

1840

NC

NC

NC

NC

1841

NC

NC

NC

NC

1842

NC

NC

NC

NC

1843

NC

NC

NC

NC

1844

NC

NC

NC

NC

1845

NC

NC

NC

NC

1846

NC

NC

NC

NC

1847

NC

NC

NC

NC

NC

1848

NC

NC

NC

NC

NC

1849

NC

NC

NC

NC

NC

1850

NC

NC

NC

NC

NC

1851

NC

NC

NC

NC

NC

1852

NC

NC

NC

NC

NC

1853

NC

NC

NC

NC

NC

NC

NC

1854

NC

NC

NC

NC

NC

NC

1855

NC

NC

AL

AL

NC

AL

NC

1856

NC

NC

AL

AL

NC

AL

NC

1857

NC

NC

AL

AL

NC

AL

NC

1858

NC

NC

AL

AL

NC

AL

NC

1859

NC

NC

AL

AL

NC

AL

NC

1860

NC

NC

AL

AL

NC

AL

NC

1861

NC

NC

AL

AL

NC

AL

NC

1862

NC

NC

NC

NC

1860 U.S. Census (Slave Schedule)

The 1860 U.S. Census (Slave Schedule)^[7] was the only U.S. Census that identified slaves in Alabama for the firm of Kennedy and Ellison. Kennedy and Ellison were listed as either the owners or as Agents, having 183 enslaved, ranging from age 1 to age 60.

	Gender	Age
1	Male	60
2	Male	58
3	Male	55
4	Male	55
5	Male	50
6	Male	48
7	Female	45
8	Female	45
9	Female	45
10	Male	42
11	Male	42
12	Male	40
13	Male	40
14	Male	40
15	Male	40
16	Male	40
17	Male	40
18	Male	40
19	Male	40
20	Male	40
21	Male	40
22	Male	40
23	Male	40
24	Male	40
25	Male	40
26	Male	40
27	Male	38
28	Male	38
29	Male	38
30	Female	36
31	Female	36
32	Female	36
33	Male	35
34	Male	35
35	Male	35
36	Male	35
37	Male	35
38	Male	35
39	Male	35
40	Male	35
41	Female	35
42	Female	35
43	Male	32
44	Male	32
45	Male	30
46	Male	30
47	Male	30
48	Male	30
49	Male	30
50	Male	30
51	Male	30
52	Male	30
53	Male	30
54	Male	30
55	Male	30
56	Male	30
57	Male	30
58	Male	30
59	Male	30
60	Male	30
61	Male	30
62	Male	30
63	Male	30
64	Male	30
65	Male	30
66	Male	30
67	Male	30
68	Male	30
69	Male	30
70	Male	29
71	Male	28
72	Male	28
73	Female	28
74	Male	28
75	Male	28
76	Male	28
77	Male	28
78	Male	28
79	Male	28
80	Male	28
81	Male	28
82	Male	28
83	Male	28
84	Male	28
85	Male	28
86	Male	26
87	Male	26
88	Male	26
89	Male	26
90	Male	26
91	Male	26
92	Male	25
93	Male	25
94	Male	25
95	Male	25
96	Male	25
97	Male	25
98	Male	25
99	Male	25
100	Male	25
101	Male	25
102	Male	25
103	Male	25
104	Male	25
105	Male	25
106	Male	25
107	Male	25
108	Male	25
109	Male	25
110	Male	25
111	Male	25
112	Male	25
113	Male	25
114	Male	25
115	Male	25
116	Male	23
117	Male	23
118	Male	23
119	Male	23
120	Male	23
121	Male	23
122	Male	23
123	Male	23
124	Male	23
125	Male	22
126	Male	22
127	Male	22
128	Male	22
129	Male	22
130	Male	22
131	Male	21
132	Male	21
133	Male	20
134	Male	20
135	Male	20
136	Male	20
137	Male	20
138	Male	20
139	Male	20
140	Male	20
141	Male	20
142	Male	20
143	Male	20
144	Male	20
145	Male	20
146	Male	20
147	Male	20
148	Male	20
149	Male	20
150	Male	20
151	Male	20
152	Male	20
153	Male	20
154	Male	20
155	Male	20
156	Male	20
157	Male	20
158	Male	20
159	Male	20
160	Male	20
161	Male	19
162	Male	19
163	Male	19
164	Male	19
165	Male	18
166	Male	18
167	Male	18
168	Male	18
169	Male	18
170	Male	18
171	Male	18
172	Male	18
173	Male	18
174	Male	18
175	Male	18
176	Male	17
177	Male	16
178	Male	15
179	Male	12
180	Male	8
181	Female	3
182	Male	1
183	Male	1

1866 Alabama State Census

The 1866 Alabama State Census^[8] does not identify slaves but rather hints at ex-slaves that may have taken the last name of Kennedy, Ellison or are using a last name shown in other records above.

{this table is a work in progress.}

Sources

1. ↑ The Henry Alderson Ellison Papers, 1848-1882, curated by University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Library. Southern Historical Collection. Available in digital format at https://finding-aids.lib.unc.edu/01432/. Accessed 20 April 2023.
2. ↑ The Montgomery Advertiser (Montgomery, Alabama). (July 9, 1862). RANAWAY - Montgomery Advertiser - Multiple names. Newspapers.com. Retrieved July 8, 2023, from https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-montgomery-advertiser-ranaway-mont/127853451/
3. ↑ The Clarke County Democrat. (September 17, 1857). Runaway in Washington Jail - Kennedy & Ellison. Newspapers.com. Retrieved July 8, 2023, from https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-clarke-county-democrat-runaway-in-wa/127851665/
4. ↑ The Clarke County Democrat. (September 17, 1857). Runaway - Kennedy & Ellison - Randall. Newspapers.com. Retrieved July 8, 2023, from https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-clarke-county-democrat-runaway-ken/127852337/
5. ↑ The Daily Selma Reporter. (December 16, 1862). Ranaway - Negro boy named John McGraw. Newspapers.com. Retrieved July 8, 2023, from https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-daily-selma-reporter-ranaway-negro/127853055/
6. ↑ Estate Files of Ellison, Henry A (1863) , North Carolina Estate Files, 1663-1979, Wills and estate papers (Beaufort County), 1663-1978, Estates records Duggan, William L. - Gibbs, Jonathan W. (H.), https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:33S7-9PT7-9W3D?i=24&cc=1911121, images 25-28.
7. ↑ "United States Census (Slave Schedule), 1860", database with images, FamilySearch (ark:/61903/1:1:WKNN-33PZ : Tue Jul 04 04:35:24 UTC 2023), Entry for Kennedy & Ellison, 1860.
8. ↑ "Alabama State Census, 1866." Database. FamilySearch. http://FamilySearch.org : 8 June 2023. Department of Archives and History, Montgomery.