RG-47. RECORDS OF THE COUNTY GOVERNMENTS
Pennsylvania comprises 67 counties, including the consolidated city-county of Philadelphia. The constitution establishes a basic organization, but counties can adopt their own form of government. Six counties have adopted home rule charters: Philadelphia, Delaware, Erie, Lackawanna, Lehigh, and Northampton.
Counties continue to serve in their traditional role as agents of the state for law enforcement, judicial administration, and the conduct of elections. The county is also responsible for the property assessment function. Counties become involved in regional planning, solid waste disposal and public health. They perform welfare functions, such as those relating to mental health. Counties also can establish housing and redevelopment authorities and conduct community development programs. Counties maintain hospitals and homes for the aged, and they may support local libraries and community colleges.
Legislation enacted in recent years has strengthened the policymaking role of the county commissioners, granting them greater control of and responsibility for county government. The geographic size of counties enables them to cope with functions that can be better performed on an area-wide basis, that is, mass transportation and environmental protection.
County government in Pennsylvania, as provided for in the county codes, may be described as of the non-executive type. The chief governing body is generally a three-member board of county commissioners, but numerous other elected officials can function to a large extent independently of the county commissioners. These include the sheriff, district attorney, prothonotary, clerk of courts, register of wills, clerk of the Orphans’ Court, coroner, recorder of deeds and jury commissioners. Additionally, there are the elective offices of either a controller or three auditors and the treasurer who serve as the county finance officers. A public defender is appointed as provided by law. The county commissioners, the elected officers and the county court individually or jointly appoint a number of other county officials and employees needed to carry out county functions by law.
Whereas the eleven elected county officials are enumerated in the Pennsylvania Constitution, their powers and duties are prescribed by statutes that are scattered throughout the county codes and general state laws. Consolidation of certain elected offices is provided by state law in the smaller class counties involving the offices of prothonotary, clerk of courts, register of wills, clerk of the Orphans’ Court, and recorder of deeds.
ADAMS COUNTY
Prothonotary
Register of Negroes and Mulattoes, 1800-1820. (1 microfilm roll) Grouped alphabetically by surname of slave owner and thereunder chronologically by date of registration. This register is a record of children born to slaves in Adams County. Information provided for each child includes name, occupation, and place of residence of the slave owner; name, date of birth, and gender of the child; whether negro or mulatto; and the date registered.
BEDFORD COUNTY
Prothonotary
Record of Negro Mulatto Slaves, 1780, 1798. (1 microfilm roll) Arranged chronologically by date the slave was registered. This roll documents slaves held in Bedford County. Information provided by each entry generally includes name and occupation of slave owner; slave’s name, age, and length of servitude; the classification "negro" or "mulatto"; and the date registered.
Record of Negro and Mulatto Children, 1821-1825, 1828. (1 microfilm roll) Arranged chronologically by date register was filed. Register of children born into slavery. Information provided for each child includes name and occupation of owner, date of birth, name of child and mother, date return was filed, and date petition was filed with the Quarter Session Court.
Record of Negro and Mulatto Children and Miscellaneous Slave Records, [ca. 1780-1834]. (1 microfilm roll) Arranged chronologically by date of document. Petitions to keep the services of slaves past age twenty-eight; certificates of claim to runaway slaves; court orders to remove runaway slaves; a bill of sale; an apprentice indenture; and a record of "negro" and "mulatto" children registered.
BUCKS COUNTY
Board of County Commissioners
Applications for Burial of Deceased Soldiers and Their Widows, 1909-1923. (1 carton) Grouped chronologically by year of applications. These applications and their related records pertain to "An Act authorizing and requiring the County Commissioners of each county in the State . . . at the expense of the county, to look after, bury and provide a headstone for the body of any honorably discharged solder, sailor or marine who served in the army or navy of the United States during the late rebellion and any preceding war, and shall thereafter die in their county, having insufficient means to defray the necessary burial expenses" (May 12, 1885) or to "An Act Relative to the Burial of the bodies of certain indigent deceased widows at the county expense" (April 12, 1917). Information provided by these application forms includes name of the soldier and/or soldier’s widow; rank of the soldier; company, regiment or unit information; dates of discharge and death; place of burial, occupation immediately preceding death; various remarks; an affirmation statement made by people who knew the decedent; and a statement of the costs to bury the body, including the laying out of body, coffin, grave, hearse hire, and other expenses. In addition, canceled checks and headstone order receipts are found within these records. Applications for known African Americans from the United States Colored Troop list include: James D. Brown, Lewis R. Burns, Matilda Conn (widow of Charles A. Conn), Anna E. Derry, Elizabeth Derry, John Derry; William Hampton, Samuel Holt, Abraham Johnson, Emer Johnson, Levi Leboo, William Perry; Henry Preston, Gustavus Russell, Sarah F. Ryan, widow of Samuel P. Ryan, Jonathan Smith, Lewis E. Taylor, Joseph Van Horn, William Washington, and Susanna Wells (widow of Richard Wells).
Prothonotary
Register of Slaves, [ca. 1783-1830]. (1 microfilm roll) This volume documents the births of "negro" or "mulatto" children to slave mothers. Information provided about each child includes name, occupation, and township of residence of the slave owner; name, gender, and either the age or date of birth of the child; and the date registered. This volume also contains records of manumissions, which may include information regarding names of the individuals, dates slaves were set free, physical descriptions, and circumstances regarding emancipation.
CENTRE COUNTY
Prothonotary
Birth Returns for Negroes and Mulattoes, 1803-1820. (1 microfilm roll) Unarranged. A record of slaves born in Centre County. Information includes the name of the slave and slave owner; his occupation of slave owner and township. One document records: "One male mulatto child named Peter, born on the twenty second of March one thousand eight hundred and three," signed by owner James Rankin. The document further states, "Chester County, Pennsylvania: Before me Richard Miles, Esquire, Clerk of the Court of General Quarter Session at the Peace of Said County appeared James Rankin of Potters Township, farmer, being duly sworn according to law deposith and saith that on the twenty second day of March one thousand eight hundred and three his negroe wench named Sall was delivered of a male mulatto child he calls by the name of Peter."
CUMBERLAND COUNTY
Board of County Commissioners
Returns for Negro and Mulatto Slaves, 1780-1781, 1788-1811, 1813-1821, 1824-1826, 1833. (1 microfilm roll) Unarranged. Loose returns for negro and mulatto slaves in Cumberland County. Information includes slave owner’s name, township, occupation, and the name and age of the slave. Examples are:
• Robert Gibson of Carlisle in the County of Cumberland, Pennsylvania, came before me John Agnew Justice of the Peace for said County and delivered to me the names and age of all his slaves and desires the same be recorded as such: Phillis a mulatto slave for life blind of both eyes aged about 25 or 20 years, Poll a slave for life aged 3 years and one month," signed by Robert Gibson, carpenter, August 22, 1781.
• John Smith of Carlisle, Innkeeper, returned two mulatto servants; Humphrey aged two years and six months, and James, aged two years and three months, as "my property," signed John Smith, March 31, 1789.
The individual returns are preceded by a typed listing of the returns prepared by the count, giving the names of slave owner and slave/indenturer, and the slave’s date of birth. Examples of entries African Americans are:
• No. 38; 1780, General William Thompson: James, born 1743; Nell, born 1744; Betty, born 1757; Venus, born 1760; Jacob, born 1774; Perus, born 1774; and Sam, born 1779.
• No. 2; 1780, Robert Gibson: Phillis, born 1780.
• No. 43; John Smith, Carlisle: Humphrey, mulatto, born October 1787; James, born January 1788.
Clerk of Courts
Slave Returns, 1780, 1789, 1814. (1 microfilm roll) Unarranged. Loose returns for slaves living in Cumberland County. Information includes name of slave owner, county and township, slaveowner’s occupation, and name, sex, and age of slave. An example: William Duncan of Hopewell Township in Cumberland County reports Toma, a female slave for life, aged about 22 years. Signed by William Duncan on October 11, 1780.
DAUPHIN COUNTY
Prothonotary
Dentist Registers, 1883-1934. (3 volumes) Arranged chronologically by date of entry. Indexed internally, alphabetically by surname of dentist. Dentists were required to register within the county in which they practiced by an Act of the General Assembly of Pennsylvania passed on April 17, 1876. These volumes document dentists who had recently graduated from dental colleges and were recording their diplomas, as well as the affidavits of dentists who had practiced dentistry previously in places other than Dauphin County. Information provided within these records includes names of dentist, recorder, and secretary; number of years in practice of dentistry and the locations; and the date recorded. Most of the diplomas that were registered were written in Latin. One method of locating African Americans in the records is to search for the names of individuals who graduated from traditionally Black colleges and universities. One African American registered who is known to the author was Joseph N. Dunston, who began his practice in Harrisburg and later moved to Williamsport where he remained until his death.
Liquor License Dockets, 1895-1924. (2 volumes) Arranged by political subdivision and thereunder by number on license list. These dockets list individuals who requested licenses from the county to sell liquor as wholesalers, tavern owners, or retailers, or to produce liquor as distillers, brewers or bottlers within Dauphin County municipalities. Information provided includes the type of license applied for, the location of the establishment, the name of the applicant(s), the name of the attorney(s), the date the transfer occurred, and the number of the applicant on the license list. Notations also record whether the application was denied, continued, or withdrawn. Following are examples of the names of African Americans known to the author who applied for licenses in Dauphin County: Frank Woodfork and Charles Jackson at 523 State Street, Harrisburg, retailers; and Benjamin A. Striplin at 523 State Street and 945 North 7th Street, Harrisburg
Midwife Register, 1921-1924. (1 volume) Entries are arranged in chronological order. Indexed internally, alphabetically by surname. A record of women from Dauphin County who, in compliance with the Act of June 5, 1913, registered their certificates to practice as midwives with the Court of Common Pleas. The affidavits in the register were signed by midwives and show their names and residences, the dates that their certificates were issued by the Bureau of Medical Education and Licensure, and the place in Harrisburg where recorded. The dated and subscribed forms were signed by the prothonotary. Elizabeth Alexander (Aunt Liza), Certificate #6804, issued January 1, 1920, 114 Balam Street, Harrisburg, was one African American woman who practiced as a midwife in Dauphin County.
Midwife Registration Receipt Book, 1921-1924. (1 volume) Arranged chronologically by certificate number. A record of certificates issued by Dauphin County to individuals who practiced midwifery. Information includes registration number, registrant’s name, date of registration, and the name of the clerk of the prothonotary’s office. Elizabeth Alexander (Aunt Liza), Registration No. 2, was one African American woman registered to practice as a midwife in Dauphin County.
Petitions for Peddlers’ Licenses, 1796-1881. (7 folders) Arranged in chronological order by date license was granted. Information varies with each petition, but normally the person’s name, residence, and reason for seeking a license (e.g., deformity, disability) to peddle or hawk appears along with the date of license. The petitions were signed/marked by the applicants. One peddler was John W. Pinkney, who served in Co. D., 22nd Regiment of the United States Colored Troops and had been wounded at Petersburg, Virginia during the Civil War.
Physicians’ Registers, 1881-1928. (3 volumes) Arranged chronologically by date of registration. Indexed internally, alphabetically by surname. A record of registrations of Dauphin County practitioners of medicine and surgery. A typical listing shows the name, signature, place of birth, date of birth (until March 12, 1883), and residence of the physician; the date that he received his medical degree; the name of the institution from which he graduated; and the date that he registered. Particulars concerning the person’s medical experience are sometimes provided as well. The following are typical of African Americans registered in Dauphin County:
• Dr. William H. Jones, of Hamburg, graduated from Howard University on March 10, 1887 and registered October 3rd of the same year.
• Dr. Benjamin Butler Jeffers, of Steelton, graduated from Howard University in May 1897 and was licensed July 16, 1898.
• Dr. Edward Mayfield Boyle, registered March 1, 1906.
• Dr. James Edward Foster, registered March 5, 1904.
• Dr. Benjamin Butler Jeffers, registered July 19, 1906.
• Dr. William H. Jones, registered October 3, 1887.
• Dr. Francis H. King, registration date unknown.
• Dr. Morris Hallowell Layton Jr., registered August 5, 1910.
• Dr. Alexander L. Marshall, registered August 5, 1910.
• Dr. James Edwin Tyndull Oxley, registered August 12, 1910.
For other licensing records, see RG-22, RECORDS OF THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION, and RG-26, RECORDS OF THE DEPARTMENT OF STATE.
Soldiers’ Burial Records Books, 1902-1933. (7 volumes) Arranged chronologically by date of application. Indexed internally, alphabetically by surname of soldier. These volumes contain applications for burial of deceased soldiers and their widows in Dauphin County. Information provided includes the name of the soldier and/or the soldier’s widow; rank, company, regiment or unit; dates of discharge and death; place of burial; occupation immediately preceding death; various remarks; an affirmation statement made by people who knew the decedent; and a statement of the costs to bury the body, including the laying out of body, coffin, grave, hearse hire, and other expenses. An estimated 150 applications for African American soldiers and their widows are found in these records.
Emergency Relief Board Records, 1932-1941. (41 cartons) {unprocessed} Arranged alphabetically by surname of applicant; carton one remains unarranged. This series consists of correspondence and records relating to the Dauphin County Emergency Relief Board and the Talbot Bill (House Bill #70 of special session held in 1931 that became law December 27, 1931), and includes unemployment relief applications. The applications document such varied circumstances as desertion by a husband, spousal abuse or neglect, and hardships brought on by old age, unemployment, or the lack of sufficient income. Other types of documents found within the application files include applications for assistance to the directors of the poor, records of poor relief granted, reports of investigation, Harrisburg Social Service Exchange forms, family records, application blanks [Commonwealth of Pennsylvania], and miscellaneous correspondence. Information contained on these types of applications includes name of applicant, names and ages of persons living in the household occupations, employers, weekly income of the household, date of application, and the amount of equity in property. Additional information may be obtained from these records in some cases, such as race, religion, and names of other relatives.
FAYETTE COUNTY
Records for Negroes and Mulattoes, 1785, 1830, & undated. (1 microfilm roll) Arranged chronologically by date of document. This series primarily documents the records of births of "negro" or "mulatto" children in Fayette County. In addition to birth returns and certificates of slave registry from other counties, miscellaneous single items are also included. The birth returns were prepared after the passage of the 1780 Act for the Gradual Abolition of Slavery in Pennsylvania. Information provided includes the township of residence, date of birth, the names of the mother and the children born, the name and occupation of the individual whose property they were considered, and the name of the notary. These records were filed years after the individual’s birth and numerous individuals could be listed on one return. The certificates of slave registry from other counties document slaves brought into the county from Cumberland, Lancaster, Washington, and Westmoreland Counties. Information includes the date registry information was filed with the appropriate courthouse, the names and township of the owner, the sex and age of the slave, and sometimes the slave’s date of birth and mother’s name. The group of miscellaneous single items includes such materials as a request of name alteration (the slave’s registered name was "Lucy," however, her mother called her "Luisa"), an extract from the record of slaves registered by Hugh Laughlin, a petition of George Mannypenny for extension of his slave’s servitude because she had a child, and an exemplification indenture, which was a legal office copy of a deed that was recorded to be as valid in a court of law as the original deed. Information provided in such documents includes the names of parties involved and the dates of the documents or court actions.
LANCASTER COUNTY
Clerk of Courts
Returns of Negro and Mulatto Children Born after the Year 1780, 1788-1793. (1 microfilm roll) Unarranged. A record of individual slave returns for Lancaster County. Information includes name of slave owner and his occupation, township, name of slave or servant, sex, and color. Some returns may further describe the slave’s color and sex. For example, William Smith, a farmer living in Earl Township, owned one mulatto boy named Benn who was born on December 19, 1787. According to this return, Benn actually belonged to William Smith’s daughter, Margaret Smith, who was underage and residing with Smith.
Index to Slaves, 1780-1834. (1 microfilm roll) Arranged chronologically by date of return and thereunder alphabetically by slave owner’s name. An index to slave returns in Lancaster County. Information includes slave owner’s name, and page number on which original return can be found.
WASHINGTON COUNTY
Recorder of Deeds
Negro Register, 1782-1851 (bulk 1782-1820). (1 microfilm roll) Arranged alphabetically by surname of slave owner. Provides the name of the slave owner, his township, and the name and age of the slave. An example: James Bell of Peters Township, one boy named Flanders, 9 years of age; William Campbell of Hopewell Township, one girl named Hajar, 14 years of age.