In the year 1860, the Maryland census recorded the number of occupants as “Whites”, “Free Blacks” and “Slaves” in each of the 22 jurisdictions. Howard County had a total population of 13,338, and the percentage of Free Blacks was 10.4% of that total. 21.4% were counted as being enslaved. In the state, Howard County ranked as 9th for the highest percentage of enslaved. Compared to the rest of the state, Howard County was #15 out of 22 for the highest percentage of Free Blacks living within its borders. To reduce Howard County or Ellicott City before the Civil War to be a story of white enslavers and/or the enslaved would NOT do justice to history. This website contains “ECBlackHistory”, but that does not mean it will only contain the names of Black people from the county’s past. What it does mean is that due to the story of Black Howard Countians being profoundly missing from historical accounts of the county, they will be emphasized here and given center stage because of that. The percentages above tell why.
It’s not as if there weren’t already Free Blacks residing in the area when it was still part of Anne Arundel County. Matilda Johnson, Stephen Brown, Charlotte Dorsey, Aaron Jason, Lott Johnson, and Abraham Dorsey are just a few names of Free Blacks that appear with their own households on the 1840 census. Benjamin Thomas was recorded in proximity to Deborah Disney, as was Lily Brown and George Johnson. In 1850, Solomon Dorsey, Larkin Murphy, Louisa Simpson and Michael Scott were some of the Free Black household names recorded on the census. Michael was 70, and was reported to have 16 year old twins (a boy and a girl) in his household. Maybe his.
Did you catch the household under Michael’s where it reads “Farmer & Plant”? Planter was a term typical used for someone who was controlling a plot of land that was known to be creating something for sale. There were many farmers, and not as many planters. Reuben and Bela Warfield were both planters. In Howard, there was William Fisher, “Farmer + Plant” who was a Free Black.
There are many unexplored stories that involve the time before the Civil War when Howard County wasn’t yet a county. 1860 is the start year of inquiry for this website, but other earlier history will be pulled in when appropriate. Just because it was the time before the enslaved were freed post Civil War, doesn’t mean there aren’t interesting stories to be examined and told that could interest and entertain audiences of all races and ethnicities.
Here’s who was recorded as being in the Howard County Jail:
| John Cramblott | White | Age 25 | Carpenter |
| Joseph Cramblott | White | 18 | Laborer |
| Isaac Day | White | 20 | Shoe Maker |
| Henry Myers | White | 25 | Farmer |
| Solomon Smith | Black | 67 | Laborer |
| Hettie Smith | Mulatto | 19 | Laborer |
Did you know there were at least 14 shoe makers in 1860 Ellicott City? Most of them were NOT owners of Real Estate in 1860. Only those with an asterisk after their name were. If they were born elsewhere, or that was provided, it is recorded here:
| George Hayworth | White | Age 58 | |
| Jeremiah Jones | White | 37 | |
| James Warrington | White | 28 | Delaware |
| John Ray | White | 40 | |
| John R. Walker | White | 46 | |
| John Lilly | White | 29 | |
| Eli Jones | White | 41 | |
| George Jackson | White | 32 | England |
| Charles Stockman | White | 39 | |
| Thomas Duffy | White | 36 | |
| David Feelmeyer* | White | 51 | |
| Michael Connoly | White | 40 | |
| Beal Helms* | White | 45 | |
| Peter Jackson | Black | 62 | |
| Adam Meads | White | 53 | Pennsylvania |
Butchers. (real estate owners with asterisk)
| William H. Scott | White | 37 | |
| Conrad Barrett | White | 22 | Germany |
| Henry Somerville | White | 22 | |
| Ephram Gallagher* | White | 42 | |
| Edward Gallagher | White | 28 | |
| Richard Morrison | White | 31 |
Bakers. (real estate owners with asterisk)
| Christopher Harris* | White | 70 | Ireland |
| M. Kuhn* | White | 45 | Germany |
| Edward Norris | White | 30 | |
| Earnest Hartman | White | 27 | Hess Castle, Germany |
Also in Ellicott City (not a complete list, randomly selected) were people like: (note: real estate owners have asterisks after their name)
| John Schofield* | White | 34 | Newspaper publisher | England |
| Charles Makinson | White | 24 | Carriage Maker | |
| Nathaniel C. Brooks | White | 32 | Post Master | England |
| John Veith* | White | 33 | Professor of Music | Bavaria, Germany |
| Sybranus Sykes* | White | 44 | Dentist | Bavaria, Germany |
| Norris Starkweather | White | 43 | Architect | Vermont |
| Samuel R. Powell* | White | 54 | Architect | New Jersey |
| Isaac J. Martin* | White | 44 | Druggist | New Jersey |
| William Vink | White | 73 | Paper Maker | |
| Henery Greary* | White | 70 | Piano Fork Maker | Brunswick, Germany |
| John Oldfield | White | 24 | Pump Maker | Pennsylvania |
| Thomas Mitchell | White | 28 | Physician | |
| William Denney* | White | 64 | Physician | |
| William Thomas* | White | 60 | Dairyman | England |
| Simon Stark | White | 66 | Clothier | Bavaria, Germany |
| Charles Keahl | White | 50 | Professor | Germany |
| Abraham Brewer | Black | 75 | Wood Sawyer | |
| Jane Boston | Black | 35 | Cook at Groves Hotel | |
| Shadric Hall | Black | 35 | Coachman at Patapsco Female Institute | |
| M. Gato | White | 52 | Barber | Italy |
| Catherine Askey | White | 48 | Nurse |
People like those listed above hired from a large population of Black and Mulatto washerwomen. Note: Understand that the ability to charge wages for things that some in the County were getting FREE from those they enslaved, was momentous for those who could!
| Elizabeth Ryan | Age 29 | |
| Mary Green | 30 | |
| Louisa Wilson | 29 | |
| Jane Brown | 25 | |
| Phebe Gibson | 30 | |
| Mariah Hall | 42 | |
| Mary Hall | 18 | |
| Mary Dent | 30 | |
| Dinah E. Hall | 30 | |
| Rebecca Hall | 29 | |
| Martha Brown | 24 | |
| Jesse Neals | 25 | |
| Mary Hopkins | 50 | |
| Elizabeth Jones | 45 | |
| Debby Porter | 25 | |
| Mary Sauls | 23 | |
| Annie Howard | 35 | |
| Caroline Snowden | 25 | |
| Priscilla Tiler | 44 | |
| Priscilla Todd | 50 | |
| Sophia Brown | 21 | |
| Nackie Green | 70 | |
| Kitty Madden | 35 | |
| Rachel Williams | 75 | |
| Achsah A Barney | 30 |
There were at least two white women recorded as washerwomen:
| Mary Hildt | Age 28 | Baden, Germany |
| Annie Hallowhaus | 28 | Ireland |
Servants in 1860 Ellicott City. If you think there were only Black/Mulatto servants, you’d be wrong:
| Mary Bessler | Age 20 | White | Counted as resident in John Veith (professor) household, fr Germany |
| Maria J Jordan | 11 | Black | “ “in Thomas Isaac (carpenter) household |
| Lizzie Hall | 17 | Black | in Annie E Nowland household |
| Jefferson Davis | 75 | Black | in William HG Dorsey (attorney) household |
| William Dorsey | 35 | Black | “ “ |
| Rachal Berry | 25 | Mulatto | *lived in own home |
| Sarah Hollins | 22 | White | in Elizabeth Tillman (retired) household |
| Rachel Linn | 16 | Mulatto | in Charles A Reid (Methodist Clergyman) household |
| Biddy Baniker | 25 | White | in James Gaw (master cabinet maker) household, from Ireland |
| Rachel Milly | 15 | Black | in Edward Talbott (lumber merchant) household |
| Rachel Williams | 9 | Black | in John Gaw (machinist) household |
| Georgeanna Scott | 17 | Black | in Samuel Radcliff (house painter) household |
| Harriet Linn | 20 | Mulatto | in William Timanus (butcher and farmer) household |
| Cynthia Budd | 27 | Black | in Isaac Strawbridge (had boarding establishment) household |
| Catherine McSuley | 40 | White | in John A. Foley (Roman Catholic clergyman) household |
| Ann Howard | 40 | Black | in William H. Worthington (CH Officer) household |
| Georgeana Rand | 20 | Black | same |
| Mary E. Jackson | 22 | Black | in John A. Chew (clerk) household |
| Sarah Cavenough | 22 | White | in Maria Spencer household, from Ireland |
| Mary Hopkins | 11 | Black | in John Day (stone mason) household |
| Stach Boon | 13 | Black | in David Feelmyer (shoemaker) household |
| Albert Boon | 9 | Black | same |
| Rebecca Jones | 50 | White | in John Rennells household |
| Mary E. Gambrill | 17 | Mulatto | in Jane Walker household (& Jane Gaw) |
| Hannah Dent | 11 | Mulatto | in John Mayfield (harness maker) household |
| Kate Delton | 11 | Black | in Samuel R. Powell (architect) household |
| Charlotte Dorsey | 6 | Black | in George E. Hess (harness maker) household |
| George Gully | 35 | Black | in Deborah Disney (Disney’s Tavern) household |
| Laura Fesler | 15 | White | in William H Mathews (machinist) household |
| John Horton | 32 | White | From Prussia |
| Kitty Williams | 8 | Black | in William Scott (butcher) household |
| Catherine Myers | 13 | Mulatto | in Richard Morrison (butcher) household |
| Laura Dyson | 12 | Mulatto | in George Ellicott (farmer) household |
| George Dyson | 11 | Mulatto | same |
| Grace Madden | 14 | Black | *resided in own home |
| Emily Hardy | 16 | Mulatto | Servant at Groves Hotel |
| Samuel Dent | 8 | Mulatto | Servant at Groves Hotel |
| Jacob A. Hall | 17 | Black | in Dr. William Denney household |
| Kate Schillinger | 20 | White | in Simon Stark (clothier) household, from Baden |
| Lemuel Govans | 45 | Black | in Henry R. Hazelhurst (B& O railroad engineer) household |
| Cora Gladden | 28 | Black | Same |
| Annie Hallowman | 28 | White | Same, from Ireland |
| Jane Hinson | 23 | Black | in E. P. Hayden house |
| R. Charley | 18 | Black | Servant at Rock Hill Academy |
| James McPherson | 21 | Black | Servant at Rock Hill Academy |
| Isaac Clark | 45 | Black | Servant at Patapsco Female Institute |
| Caroline Clark | 35 | Black | same |
| Nancy Goodwin | 22 | Black | same |
| Maria Hall | 18 | Black | same |
| George Hammond | 19 | Black | same |
| George W. Neil | 22 | Black | same |
| Charles Tyler | 15 | Black | same |
A few gardeners.
| Adam Hengel | White | 41 | Bavaria |
| John McClary | White | 68 | |
| Frank Dutch | White | 33 | Prussia |
| Joseph Dutch | White | 68 | Prussia |
| James McKenna | White | 50 | Ireland |
A “cooper” was a person who made and repaired wooden barrels and tubs. There were a few, and one owned real estate:
| Philip Hild | White | 36 | Darmstadt |
| Henry Kiner | White | 28 | Hess Castle, Germany |
| James Ennis | White | 70 | Ireland |
| Adam Amen | White | 27 | Hess Castle, Germany |
| Abraham Porter | Mulatto | 30 | |
| George Johnson* | Mulatto | 61 | |
| John Coburn | Mulatto | 18 | (apprentice to George) |
Children listed as working as factory hands (leaving off those 18+):
| Sarah Burk | White | Age 11 |
| James Burk | White | 8 |
| Washington Atkinson | White | 14 |
| Mary Connoly | White | 13 |
| John Connoly | White | 8 |
| Ann Cobb | White | 16 |
| Ellen Neil | White | 12 |
| Emma Cramblit | White | 13 |
| Charles Cramblit | White | 10 |
| Sophia Cramblit | White | 15 |
| Louisa Horniss | White | 11 |
| Hensetta Horniss | White | 14 |
Apprentice/mill hands:
| John S. Dolan | White | 16 | Parents from Ireland |
| William W. Johnson | White | 21 | |
| George Williams | Mulatto | 12 | Mill hand to Thomas McCrea |
Many people know these names, since their names can be found associated with buildings that have been historically preserved and featured via tourism channels (*note: these aren’t all of them, just some of the more well-known names). Most had substantial real estate holdings, according to the census taker. Nearly all were enslavers.
| John S. Tyson* | Age 60 | Attorney | 6 enslaved in 1860 household |
| Dr. William H. Worthington* | 49 | C.H. Officer | Sought compensation for 6 enslaved in 1867 |
| Francis M Hazelhurst* | 40 | Farmer | 4 enslaved in 1860 household |
| Oliver Tazewell* | 64 | Private | 6 enslaved in 1860 household |
| Barnard Fort* | 50 | Cabinet maker | |
| Deborah Disney* | 60 | Private | 2 enslaved in 1860 household |
| George Ellicott* | 60 | Farmer | 2 enslaved on 1860 schedule, had in Mont Co also |
| William Timanus* | 50 | Farmer/Butcher | 1 enslaved in 1860 household |
There were other residents that were associated with the 1860 Ellicott City post office division. Updates will be done to include the many laborers, stone masons, carpenters, house painters, store proprietors, teachers, etc as we hope to actually map it out and display it online. There were at least 28 African American households counted in the 1860 Ellicott City post office, all but one were renters which as can be seen from the data above was NOT uncommon. The households were headed by:
| Sarah Castle | Black | Age 24 | Resided alone |
| Elizabeth Ryan | Black | 29 | Resided with 3 others |
| Mary Green | Black | 30 | Resided with 3 others |
| Louisa Wilson | Black | 29 | Resided with 3 others |
| Jane Brown | Black | 25 | Resided with 1 other |
| Phebe Gibson | Black | 30 | Resided with 4 others |
| John Davis | Black | 40 | Resided with 3 others |
| Mariah Hall | Mulatto | 42 | Resided with 8 others |
| William Berry | Black | 30 | Resided with 3 others |
| Mary Dent | Black | 30 | Resided with 1 other |
| Dinah E Hall | Black | 30 | Resided with 8 others |
| Reuben Dorsey | Black | 30 | Resided with 6 others |
| Daniel Hopkins | Black | 50 | Resided with 3 others |
| Abraham Brewer | Black | 75 | Resided with 3 others |
| George White | Mulatto | 54 | Resided with 2 others |
| Peter Jackson | Black | 62 | Resided with 2 others |
| Elizabeth Jones | Black | 45 | Resided with 2 others |
| Abraham Porter | Mulatto | 30 | Resided with 5 others |
| Annie Howard | Mulatto | 30 | Resided alone |
| Caroline Snowden | Mulatto | 25 | Resided with 2 others |
| George Johnson* | Mulatto | 61 | Resided with 4 others |
| London Tiler | Black | 45 | Resided with 5 others |
| Dreana Neil | Black | 50 | Resided with 2 others |
| Mary Gaither | Mulatto | 60 | Resided with 1 other |
| Bazil Todd | Black | 55 | Resided with 6 others |
| Sophia Brown | Black | 21 | Resided with 6 others |
| Kitty Madden | Black | 35 | Resided with 5 others |
| John Barney | Black | 34 | Resided with 6 others |
What was life like in Ellicott City before the Civil War? The free Black and Mulatto children listed in households not their own…where in the county did their parents live? How did the constitutional amendment abolishing slavery in Maryland affect the Ellicott City population? We will be attempting to track families (free and newly freed), changes in Black/Mulatto socioeconomic indicators such as home ownership and profession, and physical movement from 1860-1930. We’re looking to map it all out eventually. Being the county seat, it represented the hub of life for many due to commerce, the railroad station, the courthouse and the jail. Some moved out of the county completely, while others moved to other parts of it. Somewhere past the middle of the time span in 1901, Samuel F. Whipps (father of 26 children) was telling a reporter that he was going to file suit to eject Negros from the cemetery or dig up the graves himself if they didn’t do it! Did he?? We hope to learn.
