Free Negroes licensed in St. Louis, Missouri in 1835
Background
The St. Louis County Court, founded in 1824, was responsible for granting licenses to free Negroes (the term then used), enabling them to reside in the state beginning in 1835. Descriptive information included the individual’s age, height, personal appearance and occupation. The records also list those denied licenses.
The 1830 federal census showed 569 free blacks living within Missouri, and most of them lived in the St. Louis area. Due to the state’s pro-slavery sentiment, the Missouri General Assembly approved legislation on March 14, 1835 requiring free Negroes to register for a license within their county of residence. If a registrant moved to another county, he or she would have to apply in that county also. If a license was not approved, the free Negro was told to leave the state.
The following information is extracted from the St. Louis County Court Records, Volume 1. Every attempt has been made to copy the information exactly as it appears on the records. These records are available on microfilm roll SLCCR-2. The first six rolls of this series, volumes 1-23 (1824-1877) are a typed transcription of the original records plus indexing created by the WPA.
Lookups in these records are available. Please review the library’s lookup policy.
References
The Revised Statutes of the State of Missouri. St. Louis: Chambers, Knapp & Co, 1840, 413-417.
Bellamy, Donnie D. “Free Blacks in Antebellum Missouri, 1820 – 1860.” Missouri Historical Review, 67:2, 198 - 226.
Trexler, Harrison Anthony. Slavery in Missouri 1804 – 1865. Baltimore: The Johns Hopkins Press, 1914.
Greene, Lorenzo J., Antonio F. Holland & Gary Kremer. “The Role of the Negro in Missouri History 1719-1970,” Official Manual: State of Missouri, 1973-1974.
| Last Name | First Name | Age | Height | Personal Appearance | Occupation | Page | SLCL # | Vol. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adams | Jane | 23 yr 4 mos | 5' 6" | Light mulatto woman with a flat nose and wide teeth | Washerwoman | 463 | SLCCR-2 | 1 |
| Alexander | Catherine | 54 | 5' 4" | Black Woman very corpulent without teeth in front very flat nose | Cook | 460 | SLCCR-2 | 1 |
| Allar | Baptiste | 31 yr 11 mos 3 days | 5' 11" | Black man with a long face and thick lips | Laborer | 464 | SLCCR-2 | 1 |
| Anderson | Cloe | 47 yr 10 mos 19 days | 5' 5" | Slim Black Woman | Washerwoman | 464 | SLCCR-2 | 1 |
| Anderson | Jane | 41 | 5' 4" | Light Black woman strong built | Milk maid | 459 | SLCCR-2 | 1 |
| Anderson | Mary | 25 | 5' 1" | Black Woman of good appearance | washerwoman | 460 | SLCCR-2 | 1 |
| Applebay | Janes | 24 | 5' 5" | Black Woman with thick lips | Seamstress | 461 | SLCCR-2 | 1 |
| Arnold | Sancho | 57 | 5' 4" | Light Blk man with a flat long head | Drayman | 459 | SLCCR-2 | 1 |
| Aubuchon | Adelaide | 54 | 5' 2" | Light Mulatto woman with black eyes | washer woman | 460 | SLCCR-2 | 1 |
| Aubuchon | Aurore | 38 | 5' 5" | Dark Mulatto woman of Good appearance | Seamstress | 460 | SLCCR-2 | 1 |
| Aubuchon | Clarice | 42 | 5' 7" | Light mulatto woman with black eyes | Seamstress | 460 | SLCCR-2 | 1 |
| Aubuchon | Edward | 23 | 6' | Rather dark mulato man with thick lips | Boat hand | 462 | SLCCR-2 | 1 |
| Aubuchon | Zabette | 50 | 5' 4" | Dark Mulatto woman of good appearance | Washer Woman | 460 | SLCCR-2 | 1 |
| Ball | Mingo | 36 | 5' 7" | Black man, with a flat nose, stour built | Drayman | 462 | SLCCR-2 | 1 |
| Beauvais | Judith | 34 | 5' 4" | light mulatto woman with a freckled face | Wash. woman | 459 | SLCCR-2 | 1 |
| Beckwith | Matilda | 30 | 5' 6" | very light mulatto woman well made | Washerwoman | 460 | SLCCR-2 | 1 |
| Benite | Felicite | 29 | 5' 7" | Light mulatto woman with regular features | Seamstress | 460 | SLCCR-2 | 1 |
| Bent | Mary Jane | 21 | 5' 1" | Light Black woman with a scar on her forehead and on her right brow | Chambermaid | 463 | SLCCR-2 | 1 |
| Bernier | Anthony | 21 | 5' 6" | light mulatto man | barber | 457 | SLCCR-2 | 1 |
| Bertrand | Matilda | 40 | 5' 3" | Light Mulatto woman well made | Wash. woman | 460 | SLCCR-2 | 1 |
| Bird | Delcey | 30 | 5' 6" | Black Woman with Large Nose & Thick Lips | Chambermaid | 461 | SLCCR-2 | 1 |
| Bissell | Eliza | 27 | 5' 7" | Light Mulatto woman, small features and large frame | Washer Woman | 460 | SLCCR-2 | 1 |
| Bissell | Julia | 18 yr 9 mos | 5' 8" | Light mulatto woman Strong built | Chamber maid | 458 | SLCCR-2 | 1 |
| Boileau | Elizabeth | 21 yr 11 mos 16 days | 5' 1" | Light mulatto woman | Washerwoman | 463 | SLCCR-2 | 1 |
| Brant | Ester | 58 | 5' 1" | black woman, with a scar near the left eye | Washerwoman | 460 | SLCCR-2 | 1 |
| Broadwater | Francis | 35 | 5' 2" | Black man with Long head | Store servant | 460 | SLCCR-2 | 1 |
| Broadwater | Sarah | 33 | 4' 8" | Black woman light frame | WashWwoman | 460 | SLCCR-2 | 1 |
| Brown | Matilda | 25 | 5' 1 1/2" | light mulatto woman with a small scar on her forehead | Wash.woman | 460 | SLCCR-2 | 1 |
| Butcher | Agatha | 29 | 5' 2" | Light Mmulatto woman Stout made | Washerwoman | 461 | SLCCR-2 | 1 |
| Butler | David | 33 | 5' 8" | Black man with a flat nose and a large scar on the back of his head | Cook | 460 | SLCCR-2 | 1 |
| Camp | Angeline | 35 | 5' 2" | Dark mulatto woman without teeth in front | Seamstress | 459 | SLCCR-2 | 1 |
| Camp | Jefferson | 29 yr 11 mos | 6' 1" | Light mulatto square built | Carpenter | 459 | SLCCR-2 | 1 |
| Camp | Racher | 69 | 5' | Black woman with large features | Nurse | 462 | SLCCR-2 | 1 |
| Charleville | Louis | 31 | 5' 11" | Light Mulatto man well made | Butcher | 461 | SLCCR-2 | 1 |
| Clark | Matilda | 36 yr 11 mos 23 days | 5' 3" | very black woman with the third finger of her left hand deformed | washerwoman | 463 | SLCCR-2 | 1 |
| Crevier | Antoint | 27 | 5' 8" | light mulatto man | barber | 456 | SLCCR-2 | 1 |
| Crevier | Catherine | 70 | 5' 5" | Black woman, large frame | Seamstress | 461 | SLCCR-2 | 1 |
| Dallam | Ann | 22 | 4' 9" | Light mulatto woman with regular features | house serv. | 459 | SLCCR-2 | 1 |
| Desire | Jacques | 40 | 5' 7" | Black man Pock marked with thick lips | Pilot | 461 | SLCCR-2 | 1 |
| Desire | Pelague | 30 | 5' 7" | Mulatto Woman born in St. Louis, wife of Jacques Desire | Seamstress | 461 | SLCCR-2 | 1 |
| Doctor | alias Henry | 88 | 5' 5" | Light mulatto man with a round face | Lawyer | 460 | SLCCR-2 | 1 |
| Duncan | Fanny | 56 | 5' 2" | Blk woman stout built | Milk maid | 459 | SLCCR-2 | 1 |
| Duncan | Jermiah | 27 | 5' 2" | Rather dark mulatto woman with the end of two of the fingers of her left hand deformed | washerwoman | 462 | SLCCR-2 | 1 |
| Duncan | Jerry | 40 | 5' 10" | Light black man stout built | store servant | 458 | SLCCR-2 | 1 |
| Duncan | Jonathan | 36 | 5' 9" | Black man a soar on the back of his head | dairy man | 458 | SLCCR-2 | 1 |
| Duncan | Polly | 40 | 5' 4" | Light Black Thick set Woman | House servant | 461 | SLCCR-2 | 1 |
| Duncan | Shadrack | 34 yr 10 mos | 5' 6" | Black man with a scar on his right hand and a very small scar on his chin | Drayman | 462 | SLCCR-2 | 1 |
| Duncan | Vincent | 47 | 5' 7" | Black man with a blemish in his left eye | Drayman | 460 | SLCCR-2 | 1 |
| Easton | Peggy | 47 | 5' 4 1/2" | black woman of good appearance | Washerwoman | 461 | SLCCR-2 | 1 |
| Edgar | Mary | 21 | 4' 10" | Pock marked mulatto woman | washer woman | 463 | SLCCR-2 | 1 |
| Farrar | Betsey | 35 | 5' 1" | Rather Dark Mulatto with a scar on the left side of her neck | WasherWoman | 461 | SLCCR-2 | 1 |
| Flore | Florence | 34 | 5' 4" | Mulatto woman with a freckled face | Seamstress | 464 | SLCCR-2 | 1 |
| Flore | Marie Pierichs | 50 | 5' 4" | Copper colored mulatto woman | wash woman | 458 | SLCCR-2 | 1 |
| Gagne | Bazile | 28 yr 11 mos 28 days | 6' | Mulatto man with a full face | Farmer | 463 | SLCCR-2 | 1 |
| Gobel | Angelique | 19 | 5' | A very light mulatto woman wife of P Gobel | Seamstress | 458 | SLCCR-2 | 1 |
| Gobel | Pierre | 21 | 5' 11" | Light mulatto | Drayman | 458 | SLCCR-2 | 1 |
| Gratiot | Polly | 40 | 5' 4" | light mulatto woman | washer woman | 455 | SLCCR-2 | 1 |
| Groslouis | Marie | 39 | 5' 1 1/2" | light mulatto woman, wife of Gabriel Hallam | wash.woman | 458 | SLCCR-2 | 1 |
| Guillory | Hyacinthe | 54 | 5' 3" | Light Mulatto Woman with a Small face | Seamstress | 460 | SLCCR-2 | 1 |
| Guillory | Lucille | 24 | 5' 1" | White mulatto woman with small features | Seamstress | 460 | SLCCR-2 | 1 |
| Guillory | Matilda | 32 | 5' 4" | Light mulatto woman with a scar on her upper lip | Seamstress | 460 | SLCCR-2 | 1 |
| Haines | John | 33 | 5' 6" | Light Black man Pock Marked | Cook | 460 | SLCCR-2 | 1 |
| Hallam | Gabriel | 32 yr 9 mon | 5' 9" | a light mulatto man with curled hair | Barber | 458 | SLCCR-2 | 1 |
| Hallam | Zelina | 20 | 5' 4" | Light mulatto woman, wife of Gabriel Hallam | Seamstress | 458 | SLCCR-2 | 1 |
| Hamilton | Jacob | 22 | 5' 7" | Light mulatto Man of reserved appearance | Butcher | 461 | SLCCR-2 | 1 |
| Harding | Eli | 29 | 5' 7" | Dark mulatto man rather slim in appearance | Drayman | 460 | SLCCR-2 | 1 |
| Harris | James | 44 | 5' 9" | Straight dark Mullato man | Cook | 460 | SLCCR-2 | 1 |
| Henry | alias Doctor | 88 | 5' 5" | Light mulatto man with a round face | Lawyer | 460 | SLCCR-2 | 1 |
| Hill | Eugenie | 25 | 5' 3" | Dark Mulatto woman Large Frame | washer woman | 460 | SLCCR-2 | 1 |
| Hopkins | George | 31 yr 6 mos 18 days | 5' 9" | Light mulatto man with a scar on his nose and front part of his head | Steam Boat Hand | 463 | SLCCR-2 | 1 |
| Jeannette | Susanne | 58 | 5' 3" | Black woman with her hands burnt | Seamstress | 460 | SLCCR-2 | 1 |
| Johnson | George | 35 | 5' 6 1/2" | copper colored mulatto | barber | 457 | SLCCR-2 | 1 |
| Johnson | Henry | 33 yr 10 mos | 5' 10" | Light mulatto man with rosy cheeks and bushy head | Steam Boat hand | 463 | SLCCR-2 | 1 |
| Johnson | Maria | 19 yr 6 mos | 5' 3" | Light mulatto woman with regular features well made | housekeeper | 462 | SLCCR-2 | 1 |
| Johnson | Nancy | 51 | 5' 2" | Black Woman with her teeth set apart | washerwoman | 462 | SLCCR-2 | 1 |
| Johnson | William | 27 yr 4 mos | 5' 9" | blank | barber | 456 | SLCCR-2 | 1 |
| Jones | Nicholas | 32 | 5' 7" | Light black man pock marked | House servant | 459 | SLCCR-2 | 1 |
| Joyal | Theresa | 37? | 5' 3" | Light mulatto woman | Milk Maid | 460 | SLCCR-2 | 1 |
| Kennedy | Apauline | 32 | 5' 4" | Light mulatto woman Light frame | Seamstress | 460 | SLCCR-2 | 1 |
| Kennedy | Washington | 28 | 5' 10 1/2" | Light mulatto man large frame | Steam Boat engineer | 460 | SLCCR-2 | 1 |
| Kerr | Nelson | 27 | 5' 6" | Black Man light made | Draryman | 460 | SLCCR-2 | 1 |
| Labadie | Antoine | 31 | 5' 9" | light mulatto man | Butcher | 457 | SLCCR-2 | 1 |
| Labadie | Genevieve | 70 | 5' | light mulatto woman | seamstress | 458 | SLCCR-2 | 1 |
| Labadie | Joseph | 36 | 5' 9" | blank | butcher | 456 | SLCCR-2 | 1 |
| Labadie | Julie | 24 | 5' | dark Mulatto woman with a round face | Milk Maid | 460 | SLCCR-2 | 1 |
| Labadie | Pierre | 23 | 5' ? | light mulatto man | Butcher | 457 | SLCCR-2 | 1 |
| Labuche | Adelaide | 24 yr 7 mos 11 days | 5' 2" | Light mulatto woman with a freckled face | Seamstress | 463 | SLCCR-2 | 1 |
| Labuche | Genevieve | 37 | 5' | Mulatto woman | Seamstress | 464 | SLCCR-2 | 1 |
| Lacroix | Eliza | 24 | 4' 11" | dark mulatto woman thick made | washer woman | 459 | SLCCR-2 | 1 |
| Lami | Elsie | 54 yr 5 mos | 5' 3" | copper Colored mulatto woman with small features | WasherWoman | 461 | SLCCR-2 | 1 |
| Lariviere | Marie Pieriche | 39 | 5' 5" | a mulatto woman | Seamstress | 458 | SLCCR-2 | 1 |
| Leclerc | Baptiste | 61 yr 9 mos | 5' 9" | Rather dark mulatto having a wound in his right leg | Barber | 462 | SLCCR-2 | 1 |
| Lecomte | Judy | 50 | 5' 3" | Black corpulent woman | wash woman | 458 | SLCCR-2 | 1 |
| Lee | Joseph | 43 | 5' 8" | mulatto man | barber | 457 | SLCCR-2 | 1 |
| Lewis | Sophia | 22 | 5' 3" | Black woman with large features | House servant | 462 | SLCCR-2 | 1 |
| Lucas | Nancy | 44 | 5' | Black woman small frame, Wife of Nelson Lucas | Seamstress | 460 | SLCCR-2 | 1 |
| Lucas | Nelson | 45 | 5' 9" | Black man with his left ear cropped | Drayman | 460 | SLCCR-2 | 1 |
| Lucas | Sip | 45 | 5' 5" | black negro man | dry (?) man | 456 | SLCCR-2 | 1 |
| Marshall | Susan | 32 | 5' 5" | a black woman, wife of Robt., a slave of E. Tracy | Cook and Washer woman | 458 | SLCCR-2 | 1 |
| Meachum | John Berry | 45 yr 8 mos 13 cays | 5' 6" | black man with a round face and head | cooper | 460 | SLCCR-2 | 1 |
| Meachum | Mary | 34 yr 1 mos 12 days | 5' 4" | Light mulatto woman well made, wife of J Berry Meachum | Milk Maid | 460 | SLCCR-2 | 1 |
| Mitchell | John | 34 | 5' 7" | black man with a scar on the nose, forehead and right hand | Hostler | 459 | SLCCR-2 | 1 |
| Moore | Anthony | 55 | 5' 4" | black man | house servant | 457 | SLCCR-2 | 1 |
| Morette | Desire | 31 yr 5 mos 11 days | 4' 10" | Dark Mulatto woman with a small scar on the end of her nose | Washerwoman | 461 | SLCCR-2 | 1 |
| Morin | Antoin | 24 yr 3 mos 8 days | 5; 10" | Light mulatto man, Large frame | Drayman | 460 | SLCCR-2 | 1 |
| Morin | Baptiste | 26 yr 7 mos 22 days | 5' 7" | mulatto man well made | Laborer | 463 | SLCCR-2 | 1 |
| Morin | Josephin | 28 yr 6 mos | 5' 2" | Very light mulatto with small features | Seamstress | 460 | SLCCR-2 | 1 |
| Musick | Jane | 29 yr 9 mos | 5' 3" | Light black woman with a scar in her forehead | WasherWoman | 461 | SLCCR-2 | 1 |
| Nelson | Mary | 19 | 5' 5" | Black woman with Black eyes | washerwoman | 460 | SLCCR-2 | 1 |
| Price | Lewis | 35 | 5' 6" | Black man, blind of the right eye | drayman | 459 | SLCCR-2 | 1 |
| Pryor | John | 21 | 5' 5" | Albino Negro | Driver | 464 | SLCCR-2 | 1 |
| Quarles | James. | 52 | 5' 9" | blk man well made his under teeth projecting | Laborer | 459 | SLCCR-2 | 1 |
| Quarles | Kitty | 45 | 5' 4" | Rather Dark mulatto woman the thumb and thumb nail of her left hand deformed | WasherWoman | 461 | SLCCR-2 | 1 |
| Ramsey | Delphine | 32 | 5' 7" | light mulatto woman Strong Built | washer woman | 459 | SLCCR-2 | 1 |
| Randal | Haskins | 40 | 5' 6" | Dark Mulatto man slim built with teeth missing in front | drayman | 460 | SLCCR-2 | 1 |
| Randell | Harriet | 30 | 5' 6" | Dark Mulatto woman heavy made, wife of Thos Kins Randell | washer woman | 460 | SLCCR-2 | 1 |
| Remis | Louise | 27 | 5' | blank | washer woman | 456 | SLCCR-2 | 1 |
| Richardson | Lucy | 45 | 5' 5" | Strong Black woman with a scar on her right hand | Washer-woman | 463 | SLCCR-2 | 1 |
| Robinson | William | 21 yr 11 mos | 5' 5" | Black man with a scar on the right jaw | House paintr | 459 | SLCCR-2 | 1 |
| Rogers | Lareine | 24 yr 8 mos | 5' 1" | very light mulatto woman well made | Chambermaid | 460 | SLCCR-2 | 1 |
| Ronemus | Israel | 28 | 5' 7" | Black man well made | Laborer | 459 | SLCCR-2 | 1 |
| Russell | Rhody | 37 | 5' 1" | Black woman with a prominent mouth | washer woman | 459 | SLCCR-2 | 1 |
| Rutgers | Lewis | 33 yr 8 mos 23 days | 5' 6" | dark mulatto man | gardner | 456 | SLCCR-2 | 1 |
| Rutgers | Pelagie | 34 | 5' 7" | Light mulatto slim built, wife of Lewis Rutgers | Seamstress | 458 | SLCCR-2 | 1 |
| Sappington | Joseph | 41 | 5' 10" | Black man pock marked with thick lips | Laborer | 461 | SLCCR-2 | 1 |
| Sappington | Lewis | 41 | 5' 10" | Black man pock marked with thick lips | Laborer | 461 | SLCCR-2 | 1 |
| Sarrade | Julia | 27 yr 9 mos 6 days | 5' 4" | black woman well made | ChamberMaid | 460 | SLCCR-2 | 1 |
| Smith | Betsey | 50 | 5' 2" | black woman with a smiling face | washer woman | 459 | SLCCR-2 | 1 |
| Smith | Nancy | 50 | 5' 5" | Black woman strong built | Seamstress | 459 | SLCCR-2 | 1 |
| Speers | Edward | 23 | 5' 9" | light mulatto | barber | 456 | SLCCR-2 | 1 |
| Speers | George | 47 | 5' 4" | light mulatto | Steam Machine engineer | 455 | SLCCR-2 | 1 |
| Stokes | Kezia | 71 | 5' | Black woman with a large scar on her left jaw | Seamstress | 459 | SLCCR-2 | 1 |
| Stokes | Samuel | 68 | 5' 7" | Black man with his under jaw projecting | House serv. | 459 | SLCCR-2 | 1 |
| Taylor | Eliza | 24 | 5' 4" | very light mulatto with freckled face | washerWoman | 460 | SLCCR-2 | 1 |
| Tennent | Minty | 25 | 5' 5" | Black Woman of Good appearance | Washerwoman | 461 | SLCCR-2 | 1 |
| Tennet | Betsey | 25 | 5' 1" | Black Woman with a scar on her right temple | washer woman | 460 | SLCCR-2 | 1 |
| Titus | Levina | 29 | 5' 7" | Black woman with a scar on her upper lip | Washer woman | 460 | SLCCR-2 | 1 |
| Vaillant | Fanny | 28 | 5' 1" | Black Woman with small eyes | Washerwoman | 461 | SLCCR-2 | 1 |
| Valentine | Absalom | 33 yr 29 days | 5' 4" | Mulatto man with a scar on his left thigh and on the end of the fourth finger of the left hand | Indian-Trader | 463 | SLCCR-2 | 1 |
| Walker | James C. | 23yr 1 mon | 5' 5" | Light Blk slim built man | Store servant | 458 | SLCCR-2 | 1 |
| Washington | Tenor | 50 | 5' 3" | Lgt. blk colored woman stout built | House servant | 459 | SLCCR-2 | 1 |
| Wiggins | John | 38 | 5' 10" | Black man a Stammerer | Drayman | 460 | SLCCR-2 | 1 |
| Williams | Emma | 38 | 4' 10" | Black woman with a scar on her right cheek | Washerwoman | 463 | SLCCR-2 | 1 |
| Wilson | Polly | 30 | 5' 3" | dark mulatto woman thick made | Washer woman | 459 | SLCCR-2 | 1 |