CHAPTER XVIII.
SLAVERY. SMALL POX.
slavery had existed in Connecticut, though to a very limited extent, from an early period. There were a number of slaves in Wallingford and Meriden who labored on farms and in families. These slaves were some of them brought directly from Africa, or quite as often from the West Indies, with which a brisk commerce was carried on by the people of Connecticut, they often sending for a likely young negro and paying for him with the productions of their farms. In 1680 thirty slaves were brought from Barbadoes and sold at an average price of £22 each. In a letter on the 5th of July, 1773, his Majesty's secretary inquired of the Governor of Connecticut as to the population of the colony. The answer of the Governor in 1774 was that the number of whites was 191,372, and the number of blacks 6,464. Nearly all the blacks were slaves. At an early period some Indians or Indian families who had become by treachery or crime peculiarly obnoxious, were sold as slaves. In 1646 we are told that "an Indian woman fled from her master" to the Dutch.1 We find in the Connecticut Gazette for January 5, 1764, the following
1 This took place at Hartford, near which, at a place still called "Dutch Point" the Dutch had there a small fort and garrison.
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advertisement: "Just imported from Dublin, in the brig Darby, a parcel of Irish servants both Men and Women, and to be sold cheap, by Israel Boardman, at Stamford."
Joseph De Mink, a freeman, born in Bravo, one of the Cape Verd Islands, with the consent of his father went to Buena Vista, March, 1755; and being desirous of returning home met with Captain Phineas Cook of Wallingford who promised to take him to Bravo, but passed by that Island to the West Indies, brought him to Wallingford, and delivered him to David Cook, his father, who sold him as a slave to Noah Wadhams of Goshen, for £52 10s. Wadhams being satisfied that he was a negro and a freeman, brought action against Cook,, who compounded with him, and Joseph was returned. He feared Cook might again dispose of him, and petitioned the General Assembly for relief. A number of witnesses were brought forward, including David Bates, Moses Ventres, Titus Tuttle, Gad Wells, Levi Comstock, Street Hall and others, who testified that Joe was a thievish, lazy fellow, and it was not safe to turn him loose on the community. The Assembly appointed Thomas Seymour as his guardian, and declared Joseph a free subject of the king of Portugal, and ordered Captain Cook to pay him £15 damages and £15 costs into the treasury, and ordered Mr. Seymour to take care of Joe and obtain for him a passage home.
Samuel Tyler of Wallingford, had a negro girl, Nellie, aged nine years, who was entitled to freedom at eighteen years of age, her mother being a free Indian. Tyler claimed her for life, and brought action before the county Court, April, 1746, and before the Suprerior Court, February, 1748, and judgment was rendered against him.
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One of the first slaves in Wallingford was Caesar, the property of the late Samuel Cook, whose father and grandfather had each in succession been his owner, from his infancy. He died about the year 1820 at the age of eighty-two years. Colonel Edward Barker, Elihu Hall and others were owners of slaves. At an earlier date Isaac Brocket! owned a negro boy by the name of Esau. Cato was the name of Col. Barker's negro. He ranked high as a fiddler in the community, and was generally called upon to furnish the music for balls on the nights preceding the annual thanksgiving, and other occasions when dancing was expected. By an old colonial law white men were sometimes sold into slavery for intemperance, theft, idleness, etc. Simon Smith and Daniel Clark were frequently sold to Samuel Cook, for a small annual payment to the town. By an early statute of the colony, all single persons who lived in idleness, might be bound out to service.
Immediately after the Revolution, a statute was made declaring that no negro or mulatto child born in this State after March 1, 1784, should be held to servitude after he or she should arrive at the age of twenty-five years. By this statute any negro, mulatto, or Indian servant found wandering beyond the bounds of the town to which he belonged, without a pass from a justice of the peace or his master, might be arrested by any one as a runaway. If a slave was caught out at night, after nine o'clock, without an order from his master, any person might apprehend and bring him before a justice of the peace, who might sentence him to be publicly whipped on the naked body. In 1848 the Legislature enacted for the first time that no person should be held in slavery in this State.
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When slaves were married it was done only with the consent of their masters, just as children in their minority were married with the consent of their parents. This consent was carefully recorded by the minister who married them. They were indeed considered as members of the family and baptized as such on the plan of "household baptism." For we meet with entries on the church records like the following:
"March 1, 1741, baptized London, servant of John Webb." "Sep. 12, 1742, baptized Primus, servant of Lazarus Ives." "Sep. 6, 1747, baptized Champe, a negro of Lazarus Ives." "April 24, 1748, baptized negro child of John Merriam."
About twenty of these baptisms are recorded within a period of forty years. The deaths among the slaves were also recorded no less carefully than the decease of the whites, though in somewhat less respectful terms. Thus in the register of burials for 1736, is this entry:
"Aaron Lyman's negro." "Nov. 15, 1737, Theo. Mix's negro man." "Feb. 25, 1745, a negro man of Serg't. Jerom." "Feb. 28, 1748, Serg't. Jerom's negro child."
Even the reverend man who officiated at funerals met with losses of the same nature, for I find this entry: "June 8, 1758, my negro child, Gin." The following are copies of two from among a number of legal instruments of sale, which are regularly signed, sealed and witnessed by the parties respectively, like deeds of land. The names of the contracting parties are omitted.
"Know all men by these presents that I -- of Meriden, Widow, for the consideration of thirteen pounds Lawful money, already received of -- of s'd Meriden, do sell and make over unto the s'd -- his Heirs and assigns forever, all my Right and title to and Interest in the Negro Girl named time, that was the Estate of the s'd deceased, and that
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was let out to me for the settlement of s'd estate, and do hereby promise to warrant the same against all claims whatsoever. In witness whereof I have hereunto set my Hand and Seal this Second day of May, Anno Domini, 1760. "--- --- L. S.
"Signed, Sealed and Delivered in presence of
"-- --,
-- --."
"Know all men by these presents, that I --- ---, of Wallingford, the County of New Haven, and colony of Connecticut in New england, Have Sold and Delivered unto -- --, of s'd Wallingford, one negro man called by the name of Steep, about eighteen years old who is in perfect health acording to the best of my knowlidg, for which negro I have Received of s'd -- --, the sum of one hundred and eighty pounds, old tenor,1 to my full satisfaction and do promise to warrant and defend the sale of the above s'd negro, dureing the term of his natureall life against all the lawfull claims of any person whatsoever, in witness whereof I have set my hand and seal, this first day of March, A. D. 1743. --- --- L. S.
"Signed, Sealed and Delivered in presence of
"-- --
-- --."
"Middletown, July 8, 1760.
"Received of Abel Curtis (of Meriden) Forty Pounds, In full of a Negro Boy Called Ben, about nine years old which Sd negro Boy I Promis to warrant and Defend against all Lawful Claims & demands of any Person whatsoever as wit ness my hand. GEO. PHILLIPS."
At a town meeting held in Wallingford, April 7, 1766,
1 This "old tenor" money consisted of bills of credit issued by the State in the terrible embarassments and debts consequent on the English, French and Spanish wars; which wars always involved the colonies in great danger and expense. These bills at one time became so depreciated that they were received as ten for one, and even twenty for one.
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"Voted, with regard to the poor of the town, that the selectmen of said town, shall meet at the dwelling house of Mr. Philemon Johnson, in said town on the third Monday of instant April, at two of the clock in the afternoon, and there expose them to Public Vendue to be supported by those that will do it the cheapest by the week, month, or year, for said town, and also to dispose of those under their care that are able to do some service for their support in the same manner."
Chatham Freeman was a slave of Mr. Noah Yale. One of Mr. Yale's sons was drafted, and Mr. Yale offered Chatham his freedom if he would go as a substitute and serve seven years. Chatham served, seven years, then returned home and received his freedom. Mr. Yale had a female slave named Rhea, whom Chatham desired to marry. Mr. Yale told Chatham that if he would work for him seven years he would give the girl her freedom and that he might marry her, Chatham agreed to the proposition; served seven years and received his reward. A descendant of this sable couple is now living in the eastern part of the town. Another descendant, Robert Prim, will be remembered by our old inhabitants, as Robert and his violin were indispensable requisites at every party or merry-making.
small pox.
Vaccination was introduced into this country by Dr. Waterhouse of Boston, who first vaccinated his son. The introduction of varilous inoculation by the influence and patronage of Cotton Mather, was a subject of much speculation. The clergy were defenders of inoculation. The conduct of the medical faculty, who exerted their whole force to annihilate it, was "violent and outrageous." A sermon against the dangerous and sinful practice of inoculation, preached in London, in July, 1722,
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by Edward Massey, was reprinted in Boston. Zabdiel Boylston was one of the earliest inoculators for small pox in this country. His experiments commenced with his son, in 1720, and in a year extended the disease to two hundred and forty-seven persons, of whom but six died. In Wallingford, on the 31st of March, 1777, it was
"Voted that no Person belonging to any other Town shall be admitted to Come into this Town to Innoculate with the Small Pox." "Voted that no person Shall hereafter be allowed to Innoculate in this Town with the Small Pox." "Voted that the Informing officers Enter Complaint against the Leaders of Innoculation in this Town with the Small Pox." "Voted that no Person who have been Infected with the Small Pox in this Town shall be allowed to Go abroad amongst People untill they have been out and Cleaned up a fortnight on Penalty of the Law." "Voted that any Person Belonging to any other Town presuming to Come into this Town to Innoculate with the Small Pox Shall Suffer the Penalty of the Law."1
At a Town Meeting held at Wallingford December 18, 1792, the petition of "William B. Hall, physician and surgeon," was presented,
"Praying liberty to erect an hospital on his Fathers farm quite remote from the publick road or dwelling house, for the purpose of innoculation for the small pox, or to innocu-late at any other place which they should think most proper, under the immediate inspection and direction of the Civil Authority and selectmen of said Town, on Condition said Hall be under bonds to pay all expences that the Town or any of its Inhabitants may be put to in case the infection should spread thro his Carelessness or neglect, and in every
1 Wallingford Records, Book I. p. 15. State Records, Liber D, Folio 110-11.
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such case to pay into the Town Treay Forty shillings or any other sum that should be desired."
This petition was granted by the town. In 1793 Aaron Andrews, Ensign Hough, and Bilious Kirtland, "all of said Wallingford, physicians, and surgeons," requested permission to inoculate in such house or houses as should be judged safe, convenient and proper. Their petition was granted. In 1801 Dr. Ensign Hough and Dr. Wm. B. Hall wished to test the kine pox vaccination, and having obtained the house now occupied by Mr. Ira Preston in the eastern part of the town to be used as a pest-house, prevailed upon Mr. Samuel Paddock of Meri-den and Mr. Bradley of Middletown to become the first patients. Dr. Hough attended the patients one day, and Dr. Hall the next. Messrs Paddock and Bradley were each vaccinated three times, and remained sick at the pest-house for over three weeks.