THE FREE BLACK WORLD

Augustus & Mildred Townsend – former slaves of William Robbins. Augustus bought his freedom, and then purchased freedom for his wife and their son, Henry.

Henry Townsend, Married to Caldonia, 31 years old in 1855, owner of a plantation and 33 slaves

Maude Newman, widowed 3 years before Henry Townsend’s death in 1855, mother of Caldonia and Calvin. Owner of 13 slaves. Her husband was named Tilman Newman.

Calvin Newman, Caldonia’s twin brother. Lives with his mother, Maude.

Fern Elston, free woman, teacher of freed black children, married to Ramsey, a gambler. Fern and Ramsey own 12 slaves.

Philomena Cartwright, William Robbins’ mistress. Mother of son Louis and daughter Dora, William Robbins’ children.

Louis Cartwright, son of Philomena and William Robbins. He later marries the widow Caldonia Townsend.

Minerva, given as a slave to Winifred Skiffington as a wedding present by John Skiffington’s cousins Belle and Counsel. Winifred does not consider Minerva a servant and treats her as a daughter.

Valtims Moffett, preacher. Preaches to Henry Townsend’s slaves. Married to Helen. They own one slave, Pauline, his wife’s sister.

Saunders and Isabelle Church, free colored people. They do not own slaves.

Annette, Belle Skiffington’s first maid, escaped to Massachusetts.

THE WHITE WORLD

William Robbins, the wealthiest man in Manchester County, owner of 115 slaves.

Gilly Patterson, sheriff before John Skiffington

John Skiffington, 26 years old in 1840. He became sheriff of Manchester County in 1845.

Winifred Patterson Skiffington, John’s wife

Counsel Skiffington, John’s cousin, lives in North Carolina, slave owner.

Belle Skiffington, Counsel’s wife

Clara Martin, Winifred Skiffington’s cousin, widowed, owns one slave (Ralph, p. 148)

Robert and Alfreda Colfax, own 97 slaves (p. 149)

Barnum Kinsey, patroller, the poorest white man in Manchester County, owns one slave

Harvey Travis, patroller, married to a Cherokee woman

Clarence Wilford, patroller (p. 155)

Anderson Frazier, Canadian author of pamphlets on slaveowning Negroes

Jean Broussard, a Frenchman and slave dealer, in jail in Manchester County for killing his partner. He sold Moses and Bessie to William Robbins.

Darcy, slave dealer (p. 213)

NEITHER BLACK NOR WHITE

Oden Peoples, patroller, full-blooded Cherokee, brother-in-law of Harvey Travis, owner of 4 slaves, all family members (p. 155)

THE SLAVE WORLD

Henry Townsend’s Slaves

Moses, overseer, 35 years old, married to Priscilla

Jamie, son of Moses and Priscilla

Alice Night, “the wanderer”

Elias and Celeste. They have a daughter, Tessie (6) and 2 sons, Grant (5) and Ellwood (13 months)

Stamford, seeker of “young stuff”. He later becomes Stamford Crow Blueberry, a philanthropist (p. 205)

Gloria, Stamford’s former companion. She later takes up with Clement.

Clement, the last slave Henry Townsend purchased before he died

Delphie, 44 years old when Henry Townsend dies, and her daughter, Cassandra

Loretta, a house servant, Caldonia’s personal maid

Zeddie, a house servant, the cook, and her husband Bennett

Peter (killed by horses) and May, his widow

Luke, a boy, dead of hard work on a farm to which he had been rented

William Robbins’ Slaves

Louis, Robbins’ groom before Henry. Sold to “the visiting angel”

Rita, took care of Henry before his parents could buy his freedom, smuggled to the North and freedom

Toby and Mindy, siblings

Timmons, boot and shoemaker to whom Henry Townsend was apprenticed as a child.

Fern Elston’s Slaves

Zeus, who later became her paid servant and best friend (p. 129)

Colley, Fern’s driver

Jebediah Dickinson, gambler from Canada, runaway slave (?)

Maude Newman’s Slaves

Clarke, also Maude’s lover

Darcy’s Slave

Stennis (p. 213)

Robert Colfax’s Slaves

Philomena, sold to William Robbins. She becomes Robbins’ mistress, mother of 2 of his children. He frees her when she is 16.

Philomena’s mother and brother, purchased by William Robbins at Philomena’s request

Sophie, 35-year-old slave, purchased by William Robbins at Philomena’s request. (Sophie and Philomena’s brother run away, p. 115)

Compiled by Suzanne Fisher (fishers@uhls.lib.ny.us)
September 2004