I know that my Great-Great Grandmother, who was enslaved in South Carolina was a Muslim. Anita >From: Brent Tarter <[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: Islam and Slavery in Virginia >Date: Wed, 13 Jun 2007 10:12:35 -0400 > >We know that some Muslims were enslaved and transported to Virginia but >not how many or for certain when. My excellent friend Ed Bond, who has >written the only useful book on seventeenth-century Virginia religious >history, called my attention several years ago to this obscurely placed >but interesting anecdote: > > >John Clayton, The Defence of a Sermon, Preach'd upon the Receiving into >the Communion of the Church of England, the Honourable Sir Terence >Mac-Mahom, Baronet, and Christopher Dunn: Converts from the Church of >Rome (Dublin, 1701), Preface. > >When sometime I was Minister of James City in Virginia . . . I Baptiz'd >also many Negroes, which had been there lamentably Neglected. But I got >my Brother, who was a most Eminent Lawyer, to take off one grand >Obstruction that had Obtain'd, Viz, a Notion, that Negroes being >Baptiz'd were immediately Free. For their Masters would rather hazard >their Salvation, trusting God Almighty with their Souls in the other >World, than loose the Benefit of their Service in this; as they would >often too profanely express it. But above, my Conversion of a Turk was >most Remarkable, Sir William Berkley the Governour, and greatest Patriot >that that poor Country ever knew, bought three Turkish Slaves, and being >as good as great; after sometime he endeavoured to Convert them; and to >encourage them, he offered them their Freedom, and to give each of them >a Plantation, if they would be Christians, two of them embraced the >Faith, but the third was Obstinate, when Sir William had laboured much, >and tried all Methods, but in vain; pleas'd with the generous spirit of >the Man, who told him; Worldly Advantage and Freedom, are the greatest >Temptations this World affords, and therefore it is doubtless thy >Conscience, and a noble Resolution, makes thee so steady to thy >Principle, and no Man shall ever suffer under me for being Honest, and >sincere. God give thee Grace, and his enlightning Spirit in his own due >time, and in the mean season I'll give thee thy Freedom and a >Plantation, as well as to the others; where this Man lived a Mahometan >for many Years, till he was fourscore years Old; when it pleas'd God to >work so effectually by my means, that I Converted him, and Baptiz'd him >publickly, in the Church at James City, the Honourable Lady Berkley, >Widow to Sir William, being God-mother, &c. he continued very devout, >and came nigh 20 Miles to Church, generally every Sunday, as long as I >continued in that Country. _________________________________________________________________ Make every IM count. Download Messenger and join the i’m Initiative now. It’s free. http://im.live.com/messenger/im/home/?source=TAGHM_June07