Chains Unbound: Slave Emancipations in Greenwich Connecticut Online: 2014

Monday, December 29, 2014

Connecticut Society of Genealogists 1995 Literary Awards Contest

One of the winners of the 1995 Literary Awards Contest sponsored by the Connecticut Society of Genealogists was Chains Unbound: Slave Emancipations in Greenwich, Connecticut.

In a letter dated May 22, 1995 thanking me for submitting the book for the contest, Mary Lou Rath, chair of the 1995 Literary Awards Committee wrote:

The Committee was very impressed with your book and commends you for your intensive, in-depth research which identified, by name, the host of slaves who were, eventually, emancipated in Greenwich, CT. The topic of slave names is a relative newcomer in the arena of publish genealogical works and your extraordinary book establishes a precedent for future publications on this subject; CSG wholeheartedly endorses any/all endeavors in this realm.

Here is what the notice of the award stated:

Category: OTHER

Chains Unbound (Greenwich, CT) written by Jeffrey Bingham Mead (CSG #13607): Very little has been written about slaves with an attempt to specifically identify them. The author is especially commended for his intensive, in-depth research which resulted in this monograph/book which identifies, by name, a host of slaves who were, eventually, emancipated in Greenwich, CT. This is an extraordinary book and merits your special attention.

Saturday, December 20, 2014

Greenwich Historian to Speak About Slavery (Greenwich News, 1994)

Greenwich News: November 9, 1994

Jeffrey Bingham Mead, a leading historian and researcher, born and raised in Greenwich, associated with the Historical Society of the Town of Greenwich, will be lecturing of the topics of slavery, emancipation and abolitionism in Greenwich history, Nov. 14, 7:30 p.m.

The one-hour long slideshow/lecture is entitled "To Emancipate and Make Free: From Bondage to Freedom in Greenwich Connecticut."

This slideshow/lecture is based on the text of Mr. Mead's upcoming book entitled "Chains Unbound: Slave Emancipations in Greenwich, Connecticut."

This address will be held in the second floor meeting room of the Greenwich senior/arts Center at 299 Greenwich Ave.

The price for admission is $10 per person, $5 for students. The slideshow/lecture is open to the public.

Historian Jeffrey Bingham Mead will lead the audience into an investigation of the institution of slavery in Greenwich, outline the legislative steps taken to regulate and abolish slavery, unveil samples of recorded emancipation certificates and genealogical rolls on file in Greenwich Town Hall records, and reveal a wealth of historical background about the activities of local Abolitionists. A brief question and answer period will follow.

Jeffrey Mead is a 12th-generation descendent of the founders of Greenwich, and a member of the Connecticut Society of Genealogists and the New England Genealogical Historical Society.

For more information, 849–1464.

Monday, December 8, 2014

Invisibile Men: New Book by Jeffrey Mead Traces the History of Slavery in Greenwich (1995)

Greenwich Time, Greenwich, Connecticut (1995)
by Peter Davenport

In the fall of 1842, Amos Starr Cooke, a former resident working as a missionary in Hawaii, wrote to Greenwich friend Deacon Silas H. Mead on the topic of slavery. "The signs of the times appear to indicate that the 'Great Battle' is soon to be fought… & that the mother-land of our Pilgrim Fathers is to be the place of the great battle of God Almighty."

The prophetic quote appears in the newly published a book by Jeffrey Mead. Called Chains Unbound: Slave Emancipations in the Town of Greenwich Connecticut, the book assembles a picture of chattel slavery and its gradual dissolution.

Though he is one of the town's most foremost historians, Mr. Mead estimated that "90%" of the research he did was new to him. The history of slavery and emancipations in Greenwich has hitherto been virgin territory, and Mr. Mead admits his book offers insight into only part of the question.

"This book is only one piece of the puzzle," he says. "There is so much more out there."

In its first part, the book examines the institution of slavery in Greenwich. Using town and state records as well as Historical Society archives, Mr. Mead offers a glimpse of Greenwich's slave population.

According to the 1790 Census, 49 of the towns 3,175 residents held 80 slaves. Slaves were often bequeathed upon the owner's death. Citing the 1797 estate inventory of David Bush, "the single largest owner of slaves and Greenwich is wealthiest businessman," Mr. Mead reveals that Mr. Bush (not an ancestor of the family of former President George Bush) left 10 slaves to his heirs, who were "appraised" at $692.

Mr. Mead also broke new historical ground in the area of the emancipations. Aside from printing and indexing all of the town's manumission records in his book, which have been scattered throughout the Greenwich and Stamford Land Records and historical archives, Mr. Mead researched the local abolitionist movement.

"The thing that I found most fascinating were some of the references to the local Abolitionist movement," Mr. Mead said. While historians tend to focus on Abolitionism in big cities, he found that it was also pervasive in Greenwich.

"Based on the information I have at hand, I believe that most of the abolitionist movement was centered in northern Greenwich," he says. Parishioners of the Second Congregational Church in lower Greenwich were also against slavery.

Passage of the Fugitive Slave Law in 1850 made Greenwich a conduit for Southern slaves fleeing north. "Though documentation is not available, Greenwich was a stop along the Underground Railroad, Mr. Mead writes in his book. "Josiah Wilcox and his family are said to have harbored fugitive slaves in their home off Riversville Road as did others in northern Greenwich."

But outspoken families appear to have had a rough time of things. Writing to Mr. Cooke in Hawaii, Deacon Mead mentioned the trouble. "Ever since the Meeting house has been closed against the prayer meeting for the slave we have been going down rapidly," Deacon Mead wrote. "For my part I and my family stand very near alone on that subject in our place."

Backcountry Quakers were among the first to give up their slaves, Mr. Mead said. They were followed by Congregationalists when the Synod declared slaveholding "a sin" in 1788. Most local families, the records indicate, released their slaves somewhere around 1800.

Some families held onto their slaves a little longer, Mr. Mead notes. "I believe the Bushes and Husteds were the last to let theirs go," he says. One reason why the Husteds may have been so late in freeing their slaves, he speculates, owed to the fact that they had no children and may have needed slaves in lieu.

When the General Assembly at Hartford finally emancipated Connecticut slaves and abolished the institution in 1848, there were only 17 left in the state. Greenwich his last true slave, Candice Bush, was given her freedom in 1825. Another man "inherited" from the North Carolina estate was released in 1838, on being presented to shocked Greenwich heirs.

Mr. Mead encourages others to draw from his research and exploring the vast history surrounding slavery and emancipation in town, and adds that publication of his book is probably his last word on the subject.

"I'm moving to Hawaii next month," he said. There he plans to teach and research a new book on Mr. Cooke and the other Greenwich residents who moved to the Pacific during the 19th century to become missionaries.

Copies of Chains Unbound are available at Just books at 19 East Putnam Ave. in Greenwich, or from the author himself by sending a check for $16.84 to Jeffrey Mead, P. O Box 14 Cos Cob, Connecticut 06807–0014.*

*Authors 2014 Note: The book is no longer in print. Please do not send checks; I no longer have that post office box.

Instead, please click this link to the online version of Chains Unbound. It is free and available to all.

Thursday, October 16, 2014

Emancipation of Sib by Estate of Lucy Heusted (1799)

by Joshua Purdy and Israel Peck, Executors

for the Estate of Lucy Heusted

Volume 14, Page 420-421

Signed: October 9, 1799

Recorded: October 9, 1799

State of Connecticut Fairfield County ss In Greenwich these

may certify that application has been made to us the subscribers Justices of the

peace in and for said Fairfield County by Joshua Purdy of Rye in Westchester

County and State of New York as of the last Will and Testament of the

widow Lucy Heusted late of said Greenwich the other of the executors of the said

last Will and testament of said Lucy Heusted dec'd expressing their desire
(according to the will of said dec'd) to emancipate and make free the negro
girl called Sib of the estate of said dec'd. And according to to the Statute Law of this
State Entitled "An act in addition to and alteration of an act concerning
Indian, Mullatto and negro servants and slaves" we have enquired, examined
and find the said Sib to be a healthy person and between the age of twenty five
and forty five years of age and have personally examined said Sib who wishes
to be made free and emancipated as aforesaid. We therefore hereby cer-
tify that the said Sib is a proper person to be emancipated and made
free agreeably to said Statute Law. Given under our hands and Test of
Office the 23rd day of Seprember AD 1799. Jabez Fitch Justice of peace

. Ebenzr Mead Justices of peace

Know all men by these presents that on receiving the above certificate

and by the direction of the will of the said dec'd Lucy Heusted We the Subscribers

Joshua Purdy of Rye in Westchester County and State of New York and Israel Peck

of Greenwich in Fairfield County and State of Connecticut as executors of the last

will and testament of said dec'd Lucy Heusted Do hereby give, grant, emancipate,

make free and set at liberty the said negro slave Sib free and clear from us

as executors of said will and from any demands of any other person claiming

her as the estate of said dec'd. And from the date hereof said Sib is permitted

to go for herself and is to be a slave to no person and to transact her

own business which we give said Sib agreeably to the directions of the

will of said dec'd Lucy Heusted as aforesaid. As witness our hand and
seals the 9th day of October AD 1799. Joshua Purdy L.S.

In presence of Israel Peck L.S.

Abraham Peck
Anna Peck

Rec'd to record October ye 9th, AD 1799
and recorded by me Jabez Fitch Register

Emancipation of Morris by Amos Mead and Richard Mead (1802)

Volume 15, Page 392
by Amos Mead and Richard Mead
Signed: November 23, 1802
Recorded: November 23, 1802

State of Connecticut Fairfield County ss In Greenwich

This may certify that application has been made to us the Subscribing Justices

of the peace in and for Fairfield County by Amos Mead Esquire and

Richard Mead of said Greenwich expressing their desire to emancipate their negro

man Morris, and according to to the Statute Law of this State entitled an Act

in addition to and alteration of an act concerning Indian, Mollato and negro

servants and slaves. We have enquired, examined and find the said Morris to

be a healthy person and between the age of twenty five and forty five years of age and

have personally examined the said Morris who wishes to be made free and

emancipated agreeably to said Statute Law. Given under Our hands and

test of office the 23d day of November 1802.

. Jabez Mead

Justices

of peace

Gilbert Close

Know all men by these presents that on receiving the above certifi-

cate We the Subscribers Amos Mead and Richard Mead of Greenwich

in Fairfield County and State of Connecticut Do give, grant, emancipate

and make free and set at liberty our said negro man Morris from

and after the date hereof free and clear from us and our heirs and every

other person or persons claiming him for or under us or them and from &

after the date hereof he the said Morris is permitted to go for himself and

be a slave to no person and to transact his own business. In witness whereof

we have hereunto set my hands and seals the 23d day of November 1802

Jabez Fitch Amos Mead L.S.

Witnesses

Gilbert Close Richard Mead L.S.

Emancipation of George Moore (Formerly named Torkey) by Amos Mead, Esquire; Silas Mead; Solomon Mead; Abraham Mead; Jared Mead-heirs of Ebenezer Mead, Esq. (1796)

by Amos Mead, Esq.; Silas Mead, Solomon Mead,
Abraham Mead, Jared Mead -heirs of Ebenezer Mead, Esq.

Volume 14, Page 292

Signed: May 10, 1796

Recorded: June 15, 1796

State of Connecticut Fairfield County ss In Greenwich these

certify that application has been made to us the Subscribers Justices of

the peace in and for Fairfield County by Amos Mead, Esquire, Silas

Mead, Solomon Mead, Jared Mead and Abraham Mead, heirs of Ebene-

zee Mead Esquire late of Greenwich dec'd expressing their desire to
emancipate and make free their negro man George Moore
(formerly called Torkey) and according to the Statute Law of this State
n such case made and provided, we have enquired, examined and
find the said George Moore to be a healthy person and between the age
of twenty five and forty five years. We have personally examined said George
Moore who is desirous of being made free as aforesaid. We do therefore
hereby certify the said George Moore to be a proper person to be made free
according to said Statute Law. Given under our hand in said
Greenwich the tenth day of May AD 1796.

Jabez Fitch Justices

John Mackay   of peace
Silas Mead L.S.
Solomon Mead L.S.
Amos Mead   L.S.
Jared Mead L.S.
Abrm Mead   L.S.

Rec'd to record June 15th AD 1796
and recorded by me Jabez Fitch Town Clerk