Thursday, September 13, 2018

Importation of Slaves 1860


Slaves imported from a foreign country since the first of January 1808, or slaves who had been tried and convicted of a felony in any other state or territory, were not to be imported into Kentucky. Anyone knowingly in violation could be fined $300 per each imported slave. In addition, no slave could be imported into Kentucky as merchandise or for the purpose of sale or barter, in or out of the state, under penalty of a fine of $600 per slave.

Within 40 days of a person importing slaves to Kentucky, the new resident had to present a list to the county court clerk of his slaves, listing their names, ages, and sex. Within 60 days, the new resident had to take an oath in their Kentucky county of residence regarding their intention of importing the slaves for their personal use. [1]

The following list of slaves of Philip Guier can be found in a file of "Importation of Slaves," Caldwell County Clerk's Office, Princeton, Kentucky.

"I Philip Guier now of the County of Caldwell in the State of Kentucky would report the following slaves as imported from the State of Louisiana into this State, viz, Austin a man aged 40 years, Daniel a man aged 38 years, Edward a man aged 24 years, Wash a man aged 19 years, Reuben a boy aged 14 years, Josh a boy aged 11 years, Peter a Boy aged 7 years, Jacob an infant aged 15 months, Jennett a woman aged 38 years, Eliza a woman aged 35, Big Caroline a woman aged 21 years, Susan a woman aged 23 years, Easter a girl 12 years, Georgia Ann a girl aged 4 years, that I have received and imported the slaves named in the foregoing into the State of Kentucky for my own private use, that they were not purchased or received and imported for sale or speculation or to be treated as merchandize and I do not believe any one of them to have been imported into the United States since the 1st day of January 1808, or that any one of them has been convicted of felony in any other State of Territory. Given under my hand this 9th day of March 1860." [signed]  Philip Guier.

Sworn before W.E. Mitchusson, D.C. [Deputy Clerk] 9th day of March 1860.



[1] "Slaves, Runaways, Free Negroes, Etc.," The Revised Statutes of Kentucky and An Appendix, Vol. II, (Cincinnati: Robert Clarke & Co., 1860), Article II on the Importation of Slaves, Sec. 1, 2 and 3, Google Books.

Published 13 September 2018, Western Kentucky Genealogy Blog, http://wkygenealogy.blogspot.com/

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