In the 1850 U.S. Federal Census for Liberty County, Georgia, 15th District, there was an unusual cluster of women of color listed with last names, both with and without children, living on or near the plantation of white planter Thomas Mallard. While it is not clear if they were officially “free,” several are included in a previously transcribed list of free people of color, 1852-1864 (see here for that list).
The story behind one of these women’s lives, Binah Hargreaves, is known from court documents. She had a child, Shadrach, with her enslaver, Joseph Hargreaves. When Hargreaves died, his will directed that Shadrach be sent to England to be educated, and Binah was left $100. For more on this story, see here.
Extract of 1850 U.S. Federal Census for Liberty County, Georgia, 15th District
| Name | Dwelling # | Age | Sex | Race | Birthplace |
| Goulden, Tyra | 347 | 75 | F | M | Ga |
| Goulden, Harry | 347 | 50 | M | B | Ga |
| Hargrove, Binah | 348 | 60 | F | B | Ga |
| Hargrove, Harry | 348 | 8 | M | B | Ga |
| Hargrove, Matilda | 348 | 1 | F | M | Ga |
| Mallard, Bellah | 349 | 55 | F | B | Ga |
| McIver, Matilda | 349 | 10 | F | B | Ga |
| Andrews, Eliza | 350 | 21 | F | B | Ga |
| Andrews, Benjamin L. | 350 | 3 | M | B | Ga |
| Andrews, Victoria | 350 | 2 | F | B | Ga |
| Hamilton, Henrietta | 352 | 52 | F | M | S.C. |
Find the census on Ancestry.com here:
https://www.ancestry.com/interactive/8054/4193244-00398.