New Britain herald., 1919-01-28


erslield in I'LL. John Wright ana
Luke Fortune of Wethcrslield' Joln'
owners of a slave named Abner An
drews, gave him his freedom and TOUR
years later the said Abner paid Johl
Itobblns 40 pounds for a slave name"
Hlnrorah, whom Abncr took TOR MS
wife. John Stocking Of MlddletoWR
IN l746, willcd that "all my negro
servants that shall survive my wire
shall so out free" The will or Roger
NcWhurN, Windsor, 114O, PfoV'ueo
That my muIatto servant Tony (alla5
J;cnonD when he shall arrive at the
age of 25 years shall be released and
discharged from any service or duty
to any of my heirs and SUITABLY
clothed for such person. Phl2caS
AndruS Of NcWinCtOn III january
rs, being convinced Of the MUS
tCe of the general practice OF trlS
country in holding the Negro slaves
during life without their consent
Cmancipated his slave Prince NauGue.
aged ~.
The following copy OF an ln8tru-
mcnt Of nanumission is take is taken
from Timlow's Sketches OF SouthlhS-
ton. Conn. page SIS.
"Whcreas I tho subscriber, William
Burnham Of <ensingto1, in the
county Of Hartford and Colony Of
Connecticut did many years ago Buy
Of Lieut. Richard Boardma1 Of New
inSton, Peter Tusco, a Spanish IN
dian man, the bearer hereof, to serve
me from the time of my Purchase of
him, to the end of his natural life. as
by tho bill Of sale signed by said
RoardmaI. may more fully appear.
Now Know all me1 by these Pres
cnts that l. the said William Burn
Il;
unto moving have now let free the
said Peter Tusco, to be at his own dis
Dosal from the day of the date of
these presents during his natural life
* In witness whereof | have
hereunto set my hand and Seal this
9Th day of July, in the twelfth year
of the Reign of our Soverine Lord
George the End of Great Britain &c
King-Anno Dom 1888.
Signed, Sealed and delivered Will
liam Burnham.
In presence Of
Thomas Hart,
Ruth Hart"
This was the Rev. William Burn
ham of the Gret Swamp Society, the
first pastor for the people in this part
Of ancient Pennington. Peter Tusco
was supposed to have been brfther
of Mr.. Burnham's Spanish Indian
woman Maria herein before referred
to. At the date of this manumission
Peter was living with Burnham's
daughter Hannah the wife Of the Rev.
jeremiah Curtis of Southington. He
remained with the Curtis family UNI
I'll his death in 1867. He was buried
in Oak Hill cemetery where his tomb
stone may now be seen. He accumu-
lated considerable property which he
nI 10 l,n G,,,,
OF his Will is printed in Timlow's |
Sketches in connection with his man
omission, together with copies of two
other ma1umssions, one slave |
Dan" belonging to the estate of |
Nathaniel Judd of WalIingford 1885, |
and released by his hcirs, and the !
other of q slave "Minda" released in
1903, by Mary Am Curtis widow of |
Samuel Curtis, a son of the Rev. Jere-
miah herein before mentioned.
A copy of an instrument of manu- |
mission of a slave Titus" by Joshua !
Youngs of Unionville in 1916 is print !
ed in the Memorial History of Hart
ford County--NoL 2. 199 together |
with a certificate signed by a Justice |
Of the Peace and The Sclcctmcn of |
the town of Pennington. fhich in !
art reads as follows. I'VE have cx-
Nmihed into the health and age Of I'll |
tuS, black man, now or late a slave |
Of said YOunGS and we do find upon !
such examination that said Titus is in |
good health and is not Of greater age |
than forty five years nor Of less age
than twenty five years and upon ac~
tual examination of said Titus we are
convinced that he is DESTROYS Of being |
made free" The object of this cN- ;
animation and certificate was to re-
1jal1 fc, bo
support Of said slave. Prior to 1777.
slave holders were required to support |
their slaves for life. The act Of 1777 |
released them from such OBLIGATIONS |
provided They complied with the pro-
VISIONS OF the law AS, TOuncs appears
to have done. The SelCctne1 would ]
have refused to give the said ccrtif- /
cate if, in their opinion. "Titus' had !
been in the decline Of life. Dr.. Stiles, !
in his History Of Ancient Windsor re- ,
latcs story Of slave who was Of
fcrcd his freedom, if he wished if,
when he was about passing his prime
of life, After few minutes ref1cc- !
ton he replied "No Massa YOU have
had all the meat and now YOU can
keep the bo1e.' Slaves were somc- |
times offered their freedom on con-
dition that they would enlist in the
service of the country and it is said
that many of them accepted the offer.
Will Warner Of WethersfieId released
his slave Ca esaT" in June 1777 to en-
list for three Years service in the
Continental Army. Elisha Williams
in August 1880. released one Caesar
Freeman, age s. to enlist for three ,
years in Col. Willis Regiment
During the Revolutionary War,
Tory property WAS oftentimes confs
Gated and sold for the benefit of the
State and if said estates included |
slaves. they We're liable to be thus