The Enslaved People of Oakland in the 1850s

Clothing measurements of the enslaved people.

Courtesy of the Prud'homme family.

By 1853, 131 enslaved people were listed as plantation assets including Sallinette, age six months, and Charlotte, age ninty or one hundred years. Only thirty-seven people inventoried earlier appear on the 1853 listing. Helaire and his mother Jeane remained at Oakland but Venus, who had been the enslaved cook since 1836, was sold in 1850. It is likely that the others were sold off or inherited as the plantation passed from one generation of the Prud’hommes to another.

Records show that the Prud’hommes gave each male slave a coat with a hood, a Kentucky jean coat, and trousers made from brown kersey and a cotton shirt. Women received a skirt made from blue denim, a plaid shirt or a shawl, and a shift. Both men and women received hats. Each person that worked in the fields received a blanket. Families with children too young to work in the fields received one blanket for every two children in the family.

The following information has been retrieved from archival records.

1850
Achille, age 20
Adams, age 3, son of Rachel
Alexandre, age 60
Alfredo, age 35
Angelique, age 53
Appollinaire, age 16
Arsene, age 8, son of Elenore
Arthemise, age 28, mother of Dolore
Auguste, age 34
Augustus, age 32
Baguie, age 80 or 90
Barbe, age 64, mother of Philippe
Barre, age 20
Big Lisa, age 35, mother of Fanny
Bob, age 32
Butler, age 1, son of Rachel
Bysainte, age 52
Caroline, age 40
Celeste, age 43
Cesaire, age 2, son of Elenore
Charles, age 38
Charlotte, age 90 or 100
Chrysostine, age 25, mother of Tacotin
Clarien, age 1, child of Severine
Clement, age 1, son of Rosette
Colas, age 50
David, age 4, son of Perrine
Denis, age 10, son of Franchonne
Denise, age 9, daughter of Perrine
Dersilien, age 19
Desneige, age 40, mother of Joseph
Dolore, age 3, daughter of Arthemise
Dorcino, age 42
Edmond, age 6, son of Elenore
Elenore, age 28, mother of Edmond
Ellen, age 22, mother of Franchonnette
Fanny, age 6, daughter of Big Lisa
Franchonnette, age 2, daughter of Ellen
Franchonnette, age 55, mother of Denis
Francois, age 32
Francoise, age 8
Frank, age 30
Gregoire, age 60
Gustin, age 2, orphan
Gustin, age 64
Helaire, age 42, son of Jeanne
Henriette, age 32
Honore, age 30
Jacot, age 12
James, age 37
Janvier, age 21
Jean, age 4, child of Severine
Jean Louis, age 35
Jeanne, age 60, mother of Helaire
Jefsey, age 35
Joseph, age 10, son of Desneige
Julia, age 2, orphan
Julie, age 1, daughter of Arthemise
Kere, age 34
Layaz, age 48
Lens, age 40
Lindor, age 54
Little Laisa, age 28
Louis, age 7, son of Desneige
Malingo, age 80 or 90
Marianne, age 3, daughter of Arthemise
Marie, age 4, daughter of Rosette
Marie, age 59
Marquerite, age 10
Martha Ann, age 30
Martin, age 60
Mary, age 5, daughter of Rachel
Modeste, age 18
Nancette, age 52
Neuville, age 10, son of Big Lisa
Patsy, age 2, daughter of Polly
Paul, age 19
Perrine, age 52, mother of Denise
Petit Antoine, age 15
Petit Jacque, age 7
Philippe, age 40, son of Barbe
Polly, age 30, mother of Patsy
Pomponne, age 62
Rachel, age 30, mother of Mary
Rose, age 1 month, daughter of Ellen
Rose, age 55
Rosette, age 39
Sallinette, age 6 months
Salomon, age 32
Salomon, age 45
Seraphin, age 10, child of Elenore
Severin co Rosette, age 9
Severine, age 27, mother of Jean
Silesie, age 5, child of Sirene
Sirene, age 36, mother of Silesie
Tacotin, age 2, son of Chrysostine
Valsin, age 9, son of Arthemise
Venus, age 40
Victorine, age 7, child of Polly
William, age 4, son of Polly

1845

1860s