Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1883-10-10
LAST NORTHERN STATE SLAVE.

A correspondent of the New York
Tribune gives the following account of a
colored woman named Jane Lennon, who
| died few days ago at Akron, Ohio, about
| 100 years of age, and who was, it is
claimed, the sole survivor Of all Northern
slaves. The story of her life dates back to
IT'S, when the Pennsylvania Abolition
Society was founded, with Benjamin
Franklin as its first President. Five.years
later the society memorialized Congress to
"deyise means for removing the incon-
sistency of slavery from the American peo-
ple." Similar associations were formed IN
Connecticut, Rhode Island, Maryland,
Delaware, Virginia and New York. The
New York Msnumission Society was or
ganized in 1855, with John Jay as Presi-
dent This society brought about the
emancipation of all the slaves in the En-
pire State. The late Jane Lennon was the
sole survivor of all the New York slaves, and
probably she was the sole survivor of all the
slaves held in bondage in the Northern
States In 1917 the Legislature OF New
York was induced to adopt an Act provid-
ing for absolute and universal emancipation
throughout the commonwealth, to take ef-
feet July 4, 1927. 1t was by this Act that
Jane Lennon obtained her freedom. She
was born about l7S4-probably earlier, al
though the exact date is not known-in
Ducthess county, New York. She was
older than the Federal Government. In
early youth she was sold by her frat mas
ter to lady who was favorably impressed
with her brightness and thought she saw in
the young girl the promise of faithful
and intelligent slave. James version OF
this early experience was that her
own mother, also slave, gave her
voluntarily to the lady, but the account of
her being sold is probably the correct one.
Jane soon passed into other hands, ard
was successfully sold to various persons,
among them a wealthy gentleman named
Lennon, residing at Rensselaerville. In
1916, when she was about 35 years of age,
she was sold to Gordon W. Merrick, the
father of Mrs. Paris Tallman, at whose
residence she died. With this final trans.
fer of title to Mr.. Merrick, the days of
Jane Lemons captivity ended, and her
life as free woman began. Mr.. Merrick
was heartily in sympathy with the move
ment inaugurated by the Manumission So.
ciety, and the woman was therefore not
treated as slave, but as valuable domes-
tic, and when the Act of 1917 changed the
legal status from slavery to freedom, it
really brought no alteration in her condi-
ton as member of the Mer-
rick household. When she en-.
tered the service of Mr.. Merrick
she did not even "know her letters" For
many years earnest and persistent efforts
were made by members of the Merrick
family to teach her to read, but the mind
of the woman could not be brought to the
comprehension of written words. With
great difficulty she acquired tolerable
familiarity with the alphabet, but when it
came to putting letters together the
task was beyond her power to &C.
complish. In 1888 the Merricks
removed to Masillon, o., and four years
later came to Akron, bringing with them
the faithful servant Jane. Her attach
ment to the family, which was strong and
sincere from the beginning, grew to be the
great passion of her life. When Mr.. Mer-
rick died some twenty years ago his de-
cease produced a marked effect on Jane
Lennon. She never rallied from the shock,
her mind and body then showing strong
symptoms of decline. At the age of 95
she was able to walk about the house
with the aid of cane, and to ride out in
favorable weather. She was warm
hearted, affectionate creature, and beloved
by all who knew her. During her illness
Mrs. Tallman, with whom she had lived
since the death of Mr.. Merrick, ministered
| to her with loving care. She was faith.
] full member of the Episcopal Church.