Rita—I agree that the advertisers were most likely looking for skilled enslaved people to hire. But that would not have precluded hiring free people of color. Both worked in the same tasks in factories of various kinds. You might want to look at John Zaborney’s Slaves for Hire which is an extended examination of the practice. The practice of self-hire by slaves was perceived as the problem, not slave hiring, and no restrictions on slave hiring per se were made as a result of Gabriel’s conspiracy. It was too important a practice to abolish—Mick Nicholls
Michael L. Nicholls
Prof. of History, Emeritus
Dept. of History
Utah State University
Logan, UT 84322-0710
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On Jun 6, 2018, at 6:33 AM, Crawford, Gregory <[log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]>> wrote:
For anyone interested in researching slave hires, chancery causes are a
rich resource. Finding aids for chancery causes are available at
vaheritage.org<http://vaheritage.org>. See below for some examples.
Arlington County Chancery Cause 1827-036, Administrator of William Stewart,
Jr. versus Catherine Flood McCall and others - The cause includes
correspondence between Stewart and Archibald McCall, father and business
manager of Catherine. The correspondence mostly deals with business matters
related to a nail factory in Alexandria that Stewart managed. Slaves from
McCall's estate in Essex County were hired out to work in the factory.
Prince Edward County Chancery Cause 1811-001, Peter Nunnally, Sr. vs.
Administrator of Thomas H. Puckett - Contract Dispute. This case involves a
dispute over terms of hiring out slaves. It contains several depositions
about the practice of bidding for annual contracts for the *hire *of
slaves, and prices for hiring two enslaved boys.
Montgomery County Chancery Cause 1849-002, Joseph Deyerle, etc. vs. Adm. of
Abner Early - Estate dispute includes mention of several enslaved persons
and depositions describing several of them and estimating their value for
sale and hire . A deponent Charles Thomas estimated the cost of maintaining
Arthur, an enslaved person described as "an old blind creature." Deposition
by Jacob Bott indicates that Arthur's son was Mingo who "supported his
father." Commissioner's report includes hire amounts received and also
allowance permitted estate for keeping "old Arthur." Also records
purchasers of slaves sold and moved "west" by Nicholas Bagwell
Lynchburg Chancery Cause 1824-001, John H. Smith vs. John Labby, etc. -
Suit involves a slave named Squire, also called Squire Lacy, who was a
waterman who could navigate the James River. Plaintiff hired slave from
defendants. He accused the defendants of fraud. The defendants claimed the
slave was healthy at time of sale but the plaintiff said he suffered from
asthma and died from it a few month later. The defendant claimed that the
plaintiff hired out the slave Squire to remove rocks from the James River
for the purpose of paving the Main Street of Lynchburg. While working in
inclement weather, the slave became sick and died.
*Greg Crawford*
*Local Records Program Manager*
*Library of Virginia*
*800 East Broad Street*
*Richmond, VA 23219-8000*
*Phone: 804-692-3505*
*Email:* [log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]>
Library of Virginia <http://www.lva.virginia.gov/>
Virginia Memory <http://www.virginiamemory.com/>
Out of the Box | Notes from the Archives at The Library of Virginia
<http://www.virginiamemory.com/blogs/out_of_the_box>
*"R**emember, no matter where you go, there you are.**" - Buckaroo Banzai*
On Tue, Jun 5, 2018 at 12:42 PM, Tarter, Brent <
[log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]>> wrote:
If the mill had wanted to hire skilled free men, the advertisement would
probably have said so in those words. Generally, "negro" referred to
enslaved people in that context. Suzanne G. Schnittman's 1987 University of
Rochester doctoral dissertation, "Slavery in Virginia's Urban Tobacco
Industry," clearly documents industrial hiring of enslaved laborers for
long and short term adjustments to a labor force during the decades before
the Civil War, including in Richmond.
Brent Tarter
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On Tue, Jun 5, 2018 at 11:29 AM, Rita Goldberg <[log in to unmask]>
wrote:
In an 1812 ad placed in a Richmond paper, Gallego, Richard & Co. are
seeking a "number of good negroes" to work in their mills as well as
"some
good negro coopers." Would these be free men, slaves who were hired out
by
their owners or slaves that the company would buy from their owners? If
they were free, why would the ad specify the race and not just say
"workers" or "coopers"?
Thanks for your help.
Rita Goldberg
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