Jacob Ham {born circa 1805 or after}

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This person of African descent has 1 related event in the database, listed at the bottom of this page.
Identifier
NJS-PER-04753
Given Name
Jacob
Family Name
Ham
Alternate Name
Hamm
Sex
Male
Biographical Description
Jacob Ham was a free black man who lived in Camden, New Jersey, in the late 1830s. Note that Camden was part of Gloucester County until Camden County split off from Gloucester in 1844, so documents for Jacob Ham reference his place of residence as "Camden, Gloucester County." Based on information in the 1840 federal census for Camden, we can infer that Jacob was born sometime around 1805 or after. His place of birth is uncertain, and it is not known whether he was born free or gained freedom in adulthood. Considering his family members were from the South (either Virginia or North Carolina), it is possible that he was also born in the South. He did not know how to write, as indicated by his use of an X mark to sign a legal document in 1838.

On October 15, 1838, Jacob Ham executed a deed of manumission, which indicated that he was the legal owner of three people named Smith Ham, Jane Ham, and George Ham, and he intended to set them free. These people were, in all likelihood, Jacob's family members whom he purchased in order to set them free. Their ages were not listed in the manumission deed. The exact relationship between Jacob and Smith, Jane, and George is uncertain. However, tracing the family through census records in subsequent decades leads to the conclusion that Smith Ham, Jane Ham, and George Ham were probably Jacob Ham's children, and that the children had been born into slavery in the South.

In the 1840 federal census for Camden (Gloucester County), Jacob Ham appears as a head of household. There were 8 household members (including Jacob), all free people of color. The census record for the household lists two adult men ages 24 to 35 (one of them certainly Jacob Ham himself), one woman age 36 to 54, and five children under the age of 10 — all boys. This was one of 56 free black households in the city at that time. The 1840 census was the last census when only the name of the head of household was recorded, and all other household members were listed by age and race only.

By the 1850 census, Jacob Ham himself is no longer in the census for Camden (now Camden County), but the family is found living in the South Ward of the city with 50-year-old Phebe Ham (listed here as Phoebe Hamm) as the head of household. Below Phebe's name, we see Smith (age 20), Jane (age 18), and George (age 13) — with the names perfectly matching the 1838 manumission deed. This points to the conclusion that Phebe was the adult woman listed in Jacob Ham's household in 1840 and that Smith, Jane, and George were the children of Jacob and Phebe Ham. Jacob's absence from the household suggests that he may have passed away before 1850. Virginia is listed as the place of birth for Phebe and the children. Smith Ham, being the oldest, is listed as a laborer by occupation and the owner of real estate to the value of $1,500 (although it is reasonable to assume that the family's real estate would have been managed by Phebe Ham, not her 20-year-old son). Furthermore, Smith and Jane are listed as having attended school within the last 12 months. And Phebe, at age 50, is unable to read and write. Additionally, there are two other younger children listed in the household with a different last name: William Harvey (age 11, Virginia-born) and Sarah Harvey (age 8, the only person in the household to have been born in New Jersey).

Ten years later, in the 1860 census, we find a multigenerational household of four people that consists of Phebe Ham (age 60), her two children, and a grandchild. Phebe Ham's real estate is valued at $500 at this time. Smith Ham (age 30) is now a seaman; and Jane (age 27) is now listed as Jane Johnson and has a daughter Phebe E. Johnson (age 5). The child's father, however, is not in the household. The 5-year-old granddaughter's birthplace is New Jersey, while all three adults in the household have their birthplace as North Carolina. This contradicts the 1850 census, which lists Virginia as their birthplace, but it confirms the family's Southern origins.
Keywords
African descent person
Places
Camden
Virginia
North Carolina
Parent of
Smith Ham (b. ca. 1830)
Jane Ham Johnson (b. ca. 1832)
George Ham (b. ca. 1837)
Spouse of
Phebe Ham (b. ca. 1800)
References

1840 US Census record for Jacob Ham in Camden, Gloucester County, New Jersey, page 16 (handwritten on top), microfilm image 34, available on Ancestry.com: https://www.ancestry.com/sharing/65236570?mark=7b22746f6b656e223a2243434e473338554e774a39786c6e50567133486d716d636b585a59736f4a634b7a4237672b78626b7352673d222c22746f6b656e5f76657273696f6e223a225632227d

1850 US Census record for the household of Phoebe Hamm in the South Ward of Camden City, Camden County, New Jersey, dwelling 391 / family 414, page 185 (handwritten on top), microfilm image 56, available on Ancestry.com: https://www.ancestry.com/sharing/65240473?mark=7b22746f6b656e223a223378416663792f63495551684e6c75636f3545426158334e534b6a4977427a6e4962383972685741594d303d222c22746f6b656e5f76657273696f6e223a225632227d

1860 US Census record for the household of Phebe Ham in the South Ward of Camden City, Camden County, New Jersey, dwelling 274 / family 311, page 37, microfilm image 37, available on Ancestry.com: https://www.ancestry.com/sharing/65240541?mark=7b22746f6b656e223a2235617a6c2b3943626762547a617633347673644d5946457a4f315664346e6e385a654371593574527170513d222c22746f6b656e5f76657273696f6e223a225632227d
Record Contributor
Jesse Bayker
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