On May 28, 1777, a man named Gad agreed to serve in the Revolutionary War in exchange for his freedom. The entry in the land record book simply says, This may Certify that Gad my Negro Servant just purchased ... I do discharge from my Service and shall have no demands on him myself, nor … Continue reading New Haven: Gad (1777)
NIW research
New Haven: Amasa and Silva (1772)
Amasa, “a negro” about nineteen years old, was freed on September 21, 1772, as was Silva, a “negro girl” about seventeen years old. These manumissions, by the same slaveholder (a widowed woman), took place under a different legal situation than the later ones that I’ve looked at. Because of this, the language in each emphasizes … Continue reading New Haven: Amasa and Silva (1772)
New Haven: Polly (1821)
In 1821, Polly convinced the woman who held her in slavery to file a formal manumission agreement on the land records of New Haven, Connecticut. Appalling though the use of the land records for this purpose now seems, it is also the case that municipal land records were extremely unlikely to be “lost” – they … Continue reading New Haven: Polly (1821)
Wednesday Research Notes
This post finished up Middlesex County. Next up, Killingworth and its 34 census pages. 8 nonwhite people in 7 households, none of them nonwhite-headed. Middletown will be a different story, but there were 96 pages to get through. 211 nonwhite individuals in 69 households, 33 of them nonwhite (a long list): Mary Boardman 5 Thomas … Continue reading Wednesday Research Notes
Tuesday Research Notes
Starting on Middlesex County with Chatham (now known as East Hampton), which Heritage Quest's data jockeys blithely separated into the First, Second, and Third Parishes - following the census marshal's subdivisions as if they were town divisions. (They weren't.) Anyway, there were 59 individuals in 30 households, 8 of them nonwhite. Interestingly, all but 1 … Continue reading Tuesday Research Notes
Thursday Research Notes
Next town is Warren and its 14 pages of census. Not all that close to the end because there are 5 "W" towns in Litchfield County. Warren has 19 individuals in 7 households, 3 of them nonwhite. Amos Cables 5 John Carr 4 William James 6 Washington has 22 census pages. 14 individuals in 11 … Continue reading Thursday Research Notes
Tuesday Research Notes
Is it really still only Tuesday?? The town of Roxbury had only 16 census pages. 22 individuals in 9 households, 3 of them nonwhite: Eljah Roberts 6 Jacob Danford 2 Job Sharp 6 Salisbury comes next. 78 individuals in 32 households, 13 of them non-white. Also one additional enslaved person, a man aged between 55-99. … Continue reading Tuesday Research Notes
