From NKAA, Notable Kentucky African Americans Database (main entry)

Henry County (KY) Enslaved, Free Blacks, and Free Mulattoes, 1850-1870

Henry County, located in north-central Kentucky, was formed from a portion of Shelby County in 1798. It is named for Patrick Henry, a Governor of Virginia, a Revolutionary War patriot, and considered by some as a founding father of the U.S.

The Henry County seat is New Castle, founded in 1798; the origin of the name is unknown. The county population was 3,258 in 1800, according to the Second Census of Kentucky: 2,848 whites, 406 enslaved, and four free coloreds. The population increased to 8,638 by 1860, excluding the enslaved, according to the U.S. Federal Census. Below are the number of slave holders, enslaved, and free Blacks and Mulattoes for 1850-1870.

1850 Slave Schedule
  • 676 slave owners
  • 2,754 Black slaves
  • 259 Mulatto slaves
  • 22 free Blacks
  • 21 free Mulattoes
1860 Slave Schedule
  • 752 slave owners
  • 2,555 Black slaves
  • 750 Mulatto slaves
  • 26 free Blacks [most with last names Adams or Mastason]
  • 10 free Mulattoes
1870 U.S. Federal Census
  • 2,121 Blacks
  • 295 Mulattoes
  • About 134 U.S. Colored Troops listed Henry County, KY as their birth location.
For more see the Henry County entry in The Kentucky Encyclopedia, edited by J. E. Kleber; History of Henry County, Kentucky, by M. J. Drane; Henry County, Kentucky, 1798-1995, by the Henry County Historical Society; Henry County Public Library Oral History Collection, by the Henry County Public Library (Eminence, KY); and Who's Who Among African Americans of Henry County, by the Kentucky African American Heritage Commission and First Baptist Church (Eminence, KY). See the "U.S., Colored Troops Military Service Records, 1863-1865" and other military service records in Ancestry for names and additonal information.

Kentucky County & Region

Read about Henry County, Kentucky in Wikipedia.

Kentucky Place (Town or City)

Read about New Castle, Kentucky in Wikipedia.

Item Relations

Cited in this Entry

NKAA Source: "Second census" of Kentucky, 1800; a privately compiled and published enumeration of tax payers appearing in the 79 manuscript volumes extant of tax lists of the 42 counties of Kentucky in existence in 1800
NKAA Source: The Kentucky encyclopedia
NKAA Source: History of Henry County, Kentucky
NKAA Source: Henry County, Kentucky, 1798-1995 : a history of our heritage
NKAA Source: Henry County Public Library oral history collection
NKAA Source: Who's who among African-Americans of Henry County: past and present

Related Entries Citing this Entry

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Cite This NKAA Entry:

“Henry County (KY) Enslaved, Free Blacks, and Free Mulattoes, 1850-1870,” Notable Kentucky African Americans Database, accessed July 26, 2024, https://nkaa.uky.edu/nkaa/items/show/2368.

Last modified: 2024-06-21 02:07:41