Charles Yates was a wealthy Businessman in Fredericksburg, who freed all of
his slaves upon his death (in 1811). In his will, he mentions, James Jackson
(whom he referred to as a servant), and stated that he was the son of Sil.
He also left $500.00 to Aminadab Booker, a Negro indentured servant sent
from England. He allowed James wife, Martha (Patty), to live on his estate,
with her children, and apprenticed out their two sons. The treatment of
slaves was left up to the person owning them with little recourse for the
slave.
I read a case where a slave ran away, and stole a horse, and was hanged.
Yet, a slave owner could beat their slave to death and face no recourse.
That is how distorted the laws were in Colonial America.
Anita
>From: "Lonny J. Watro" <[log in to unmask]>
>Reply-To: Discussion of research and writing about Virginia history
> <[log in to unmask]>
>To: [log in to unmask]
>Subject: Re: Slaves in wills
>Date: Sat, 16 Jun 2007 15:30:09 -0400
>
>How do we, then, explain the tombstone of 1860 found in Allegany County,
>Maryland? If they did not hold feelings of endearment for their "Aunt
>Sally" why was she buried in the family plot? She evidently was a house
>slave and yet this slave holding family buried her with them as part of
>their family. She was not buried, as was the custom, in the back of the
>cemetary with a wooden cross or in an unmarked grave, with the other
>slaves. There was some bond between Aunt Sally and her owners. Was it love
>as we know it today between friends? Probably not. But still there was a
>relationship of endearment that was felt at least by the slave owner. One
>so strong that they were willing to honor her by placing her at rest in the
>family plot. Was this unusual or common? I have no idea. I do find it
>wonderful that Aunt Sally's grave site has been preserved.
>
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