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TO REGULATE BLACK AND MULATTO PERSONS. No Such Persons Allowed to Reside in Ohio unless they have Certificate of Freedom. A GAZETTE man has recently been delving among the musty records in the Greene County Private Judge's office, and has unearthed an ancient, and likely long forgotten one, one among the very first made in the county. Ohio became a State in the year 1802 and Greene county was organized in 1803. On the Sth of January, 1804, the Legislature d a law, as above entitled to ‘Requ ate Black and Mulatto Persons.” The first section provided that after June 1st 1804, no black or mulatto per son shall be permitted to settle or reside in the State unless they first produce a ‘certificate of court “of his or her actual freedom.” The second section requires all black for mulatto persons residing in the State, June lst., 1504, “to record his or her name, together with that of their chil dren, in the office of the clerk of the courts in which they reside.” Other sections of the act make it a finable offence for any person to hire any unrecorded black or mulatto person, ‘or to “prevent or hinder the lawful own ers of such, from retaking or possessing his or her black or mulatto servant,” dc. In accordance with this act, many en tries were made in the records of those days in our county. We have only cop ied a few of some, and also append a few other records from same volume, relative to colored people, which, in the light of 1883, look a little singular, to say the least. In those days these “black and mulatto persons” were only regarded as better than other chatties, to the degree of their being able to be more servicea ble to their employers. It will be no ticed that in several instances they had no family name whatever, being known simply as “Duff,” “Dick” or “Tom” or some like name. What an advance in civilization does their present condition show. Many of the descendents of the persons here named are still living here abouts. Here are the entries which we copied: tate of North Carolina. To all to whom these presents shall come, greeting: Know ye that at a county court of pleas and quarter vessions held for the county of Guilford, at the court house at the town of Martinville, on the 3rd Monday in November, 1800, and in the 25th year of our Independence, on the petition of John Tombelson, and his slave David Patterson, a black man, praying the Board to exonerate the said David Pat terson from his present state of slavery, for services which were set forth in the said John ‘Tombelson’s petition, and which petition was signed by a number of respectable inhabitants of said county, it was unanimously agreed by the Board that the prayer of the said petition be granted, and that the said David Patter son be exonerated, and enjoy the privi leges of a free citizen of said county. A true copy. Witness my hand and seal of office, the 15th day of November 1800, (Signed) John Hamilton, C. C. vined to this is the certificate of four citizens of said county; “That the bearer, David Patterson a free man, hath lived in this county, and is esteemed by all with whom acquainted as an honest, industrious and obliging man.” This is all entered of record by John Paul, Clerk Greene county, Sept. 22, 1806. The following is entered: “I Bennett Maxey do hereby certify that Looby, a black man, was Less the roperty of John Maxey, my father, of Powhaten county, Virginia, and raised by him, and that the said John did emancipate the said Looby at the age of 21 years, and that he is now entitled to all the privileges of free negros. Given under my hand this 13th day of April 1805. (Signed) Bennett Maxey. November 10th 1806. Bennett Maxey enters the names of three young negros, town: Isaac, born Nov. 4, 89; Thomas, born March 19, 1791; Edith, born Aug. 11, 1794. June 6th 1807, this day Jackson Davis, a black free man, entered his name, signed John Paul, C. G. C. Adjet McGuen, by James Fowler, enters his negro boy, by name Lot. Will be fourteen years of age on the 14th day of April 1808. John Paul, Recorder. Richard Thornburgh enters the name of an negro boy, to wit, David Hamp ton, who is now nineteen years old, June 20, 1808. John Paul, Recorder. Josiah Elam enters an negro boy, Charles, born July 1791. Josiah Elam enters a negro or mulatto girl, named Belly, born November, 1792, John Daly enters the name and age of a black girl, Martha Johnson, born the 24th day of November, 1800, Owen Daves enters Jonathan, a negro boy, aged nine years on the 1st day of September, 1805, ames Fowler enters two young negros, to wit: Roben Barkson was born Sep tember 17th, 1796—Richard Barkson, his brother, was born October, 1798. Cuff, a black man, has entered his name with me this 23rd day of Septem ber, 1806. William Stanton enters the name of three free negroes, to-wit: Kruchen, Amey and Drury, on the 2nd day of February, 1807. John Sale enters one young negro boy on record by the name of Pleasant, who was born on the 4th day of March, 1795. The record is entered of the indenture, or binding of himself by one “Duff, a black man,” to Williamson Feb ruary Std., 1799, both of Campbell cour t, Ky., for seven years, record was likely entered there and on removal to this county transferred here, #9 as to hold the man here. Said Cuff was to con‘uct himself in all respects as a ser vent should, and “the said Cuff will not injure, purloin, destroy, or suffer know ingly any other person to injure, purloin or destroy any article or thing that is or may be the property of the said William Townsley,” and “at the expiration of the said seven years, he, the said Wil liam, will pay to the said Cuff three pounds ten shillings, and deliver to him a good blanket and a decent new suit of clothes,”
Newspaper Details
Xenia Daily Gazette
Xenia, Ohio, US
Sat, Sep 08, 1883
Page 2
Full Page
Clipped by
Susan R.
USA 16 Jul 2026
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