MrD asked:
I need help to determine if they were always free and if not how they became free. What records are available to help in this search?
What suggestions do you have as to where I go from here?
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This might help answer with your query.

John Patterson is indexed as a mulatto born in England for the 1850 Jefferson County, KY cesnus on Ancestry. The actual census image page does not have anything in the race/color column. His wife (?) Pholomela, also Mulatto, is listed as born in Mass. Do these names sound familiar with YOUR John Patterson's family?

I will check earlier records on Ancestry and let you know what I see.

Art Thomas
My Family(s) & Other Folk
http://mydatabase.tribalpages.com/

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1850 United States Federal Census
about John Patterson
Name: John Patterson
Age: 52
Estimated birth year: abt 1798
Birth Place: England
Color: Mulatto
Gender: Male
Home in 1850 (City,County,State): Louisville District 2, Jefferson, Kentucky
Household Members: Name Age
John Patterson 52
Pholomela Patterson 41
Kate Patterson 18
Lucy Patterson 11
Mary Patterson 9
John Patterson 4
William Masson 22
Tewksbury 31
James A Crawford 30
Wm C Cambron 28