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African Americans in Irish slaveholder records 1670-1862
As African American families research their family trees, they have identified Irish names in their families, Irish names among those who enslaved their families and even Irish genetic ancestry when they undergo DNA testing. Equally, Irish people have begun to identify African American cousins through DNA testing. This points to a large unexplored history. Enslavement to citizenship is a public history project which seeks to identify Irish slaveholders and overseers in the U.S.A. but more importantly to find the names of African American families hidden in the records of Irish slaveholders prior to 1862. This project is dedicated to making it easier for African American families to access information about their ancestors, so that families can be reunited.
As African American families research their family trees, they have identified Irish names in their families, Irish names among those who enslaved their families and even Irish genetic ancestry when they undergo DNA testing. Equally, Irish people have begun to identify African American cousins through DNA testing. This points to a large unexplored history. Enslavement to citizenship is a public history project which seeks to identify Irish slaveholders and overseers in the U.S.A. but more importantly to find the names of African American families hidden in the records of Irish slaveholders prior to 1862. This project is dedicated to making it easier for African American families to access information about their ancestors, so that families can be reunited.
This map is 'live'. Please 'click' on any of the tags for further information.
Green tags indicate an Irish-born slaveholder with a known place of birth.
Blue tags indicate an Irish-born slaveholder with a place of birth which is unknown or unclear at this time.
Data compiled by Martine Brennan M.A., Ireland: from Wills, Probate Records, U.S. Federal Census Returns, Fugitive Advertisements, Private Letters, Scholarly articles, books and blogs.
Green tags indicate an Irish-born slaveholder with a known place of birth.
Blue tags indicate an Irish-born slaveholder with a place of birth which is unknown or unclear at this time.
Data compiled by Martine Brennan M.A., Ireland: from Wills, Probate Records, U.S. Federal Census Returns, Fugitive Advertisements, Private Letters, Scholarly articles, books and blogs.
As of Mar 2021, this project has identified 200 Irish slaveholders in South Carolina alone. The final number will be far higher.
Further information will be added periodically so please keep coming back.
African Americans in Irish slaveholder records blog
www.enslavement-to-citizenship.com/african-americans-in-irish-slaveholder-records-blog
Not every Irish man and woman who found their way to North America before 1862 became a slaveholder. However a number of their children did. A second blog has been added to give information about Irish descendant slaveholders.
Irish descendant slaveholders
www.enslavement-to-citizenship.com/irish-descendant-slaveholders
Further information will be added periodically so please keep coming back.
African Americans in Irish slaveholder records blog
www.enslavement-to-citizenship.com/african-americans-in-irish-slaveholder-records-blog
Not every Irish man and woman who found their way to North America before 1862 became a slaveholder. However a number of their children did. A second blog has been added to give information about Irish descendant slaveholders.
Irish descendant slaveholders
www.enslavement-to-citizenship.com/irish-descendant-slaveholders
Irish-born in South Carolina (by county) 1850
Abbeville 242
Anderson 57
Barnwell 31
Beaufort 38
Charleston 2,577
Chester 215
Chesterfield 12
Colleton 15
Darlington 7
Edgefield 103
Fairfield 262
Georgetown 5
Greenville 65
Hampton 0
Horry 2
Kershaw 15
Lancaster 23
Laurens 47
Lexington 4
Marion 0
Marleboro 2
Newberry 30
Orangeburg 13
Pickens 18
Richland 216
Spartanburg 44
Sumter 40
Union 77
Williamsburg 1
York 143
Source: 1850 U.S. Federal Census, Irish-born, South Carolina.
Family Search (2020) (https://bit.ly/31jIkGs) (accessed 23 March 2020).
Table created by Martine Brennan.
Abbeville 242
Anderson 57
Barnwell 31
Beaufort 38
Charleston 2,577
Chester 215
Chesterfield 12
Colleton 15
Darlington 7
Edgefield 103
Fairfield 262
Georgetown 5
Greenville 65
Hampton 0
Horry 2
Kershaw 15
Lancaster 23
Laurens 47
Lexington 4
Marion 0
Marleboro 2
Newberry 30
Orangeburg 13
Pickens 18
Richland 216
Spartanburg 44
Sumter 40
Union 77
Williamsburg 1
York 143
Source: 1850 U.S. Federal Census, Irish-born, South Carolina.
Family Search (2020) (https://bit.ly/31jIkGs) (accessed 23 March 2020).
Table created by Martine Brennan.
Irish-Born by State in the South 1850
Alabama ~3,746
Arkansas ~513
Delaware ~3,474
Florida ~873
Georgia ~3,869
Kentucky ~9,746
Louisiana ~25,152
Maryland ~19,456
Mississippi ~2,017
Missouri ~32,645
North Carolina ~619
South Carolina ~4,223
Tennessee ~2,724
Texas ~1,388
Virginia ~12,017
Source: 1850 U.S. Federal Census, Irish-born, Name of State.
Family Search (2020) (www.familysearch.org/search/collection/1401638) (accessed 8 Feb 2021).
Table created by Martine Brennan.
Alabama ~3,746
Arkansas ~513
Delaware ~3,474
Florida ~873
Georgia ~3,869
Kentucky ~9,746
Louisiana ~25,152
Maryland ~19,456
Mississippi ~2,017
Missouri ~32,645
North Carolina ~619
South Carolina ~4,223
Tennessee ~2,724
Texas ~1,388
Virginia ~12,017
Source: 1850 U.S. Federal Census, Irish-born, Name of State.
Family Search (2020) (www.familysearch.org/search/collection/1401638) (accessed 8 Feb 2021).
Table created by Martine Brennan.
Enslavement to citizenship: African Americans in Irish Slaveholder records by Martine Brennan is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.