Enslavement in South Hadley

Caesar Cambridge 

Cambridge was born in 1755 in Massachusetts. He was enslaved in South Hadley by David Mitchell. He bought his freedom through his wages from the Revolutionary War which were paid to David Mitchell as an agreement for his release. The location of his emancipation documents is unknown. And, there is not much information about his life after the war.

For more information on Caesar Cambridge and possible family members click the links below:

In Search of Caesar Cambridge, a former enslaved man in South Hadley, Massachusetts

Ancestry.com Caesar Cambridge Family Tree  

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Phillip Mitchell & Philip Cambridge

Phillip Mitchell and Philip Cambridge are theorized to be the same person. Some evidence of this can be seen in census records. The 1800 census reports Phillip Mitchell as the head of household residing with three people of color in South Hadley. In the 1810 census, a Philip Cambridge is listed as the head of household residing with three people of color in South Hadley as well. It was also theorized that the change in name is Mitchell to Cambridge was because Phillip had been enslaved by David Mitchell along with Caesar Cambridge and that Phillip and Caesar may have been kin.  Leo Labonte also put forth the idea that Caesar Cambridge and Phillip may have been brought to Massachusetts by the Mighills family from Virginia. 

Not much is known about Phillip himself and there is a need to dig further into him other than just his theorized kinship with Caesar Cambridge. 

For more information, Leo Labonte’s and Mark Auslander’s emails can be found below. There is also the blog post In Search of Caesar Cambridge, a former enslaved man in South Hadley, Massachusetts by Professor Auslander. 

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Selor Sword, Lorin Larkin, & Jonas Jackson

Selor, Lorin, and Jonas are named as ‘comrades’ of Caesar Cambridge from South Hadley and Granby. No property deeds with their names could be found, so more research is needed to determine their histories and possible towns of enslavement. 

See Sophie Eastman’s chapter “South Hadley in the Revolution,” In Old South Hadley, 1912, who identifies Selor, Lorin, and Jonas. 

Recent research done by Mark Auslander shows that Lorin Larkin was from Granby, recorded in the Hampshire County, MA, Revolutionary War roll dated 20 April 1778. It also records his age at the time being twenty-two, serving in the Massachusetts 15th Battalion, and being of ‘dark’ complexion.

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William (Bill) McGee

Bill was enslaved in New Jersey before running away to Massachusetts. He lived as a free man in South Hadley and the town arranged for a headstone in the Old Burial Ground to be erected after he passed away. More research should be done to look into his history and family in New Jersey.

See Sophie Eastman’s chapter “South Hadley after the Revolution,” In Old South Hadley, 1912, where she discusses Bill’s story and treatment in South Hadley.

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Vina Clark

Vina Clark, originally from South Hadley, was married to John Richardson on 12 October 1837 at the First Church of Springfield. 

Their marriage was recorded by Reverend Samuel Osgood who denoted them both as “color’d”. Vina’s freedom status before or after her marriage is not clear and further research is needed. 

See this document from the Records of the First Church of Springfield, 1809-1855 (Wood Museum of Springfield History, Springfield, MA [Series 03, subseries 02, Box 04]).

See the Documenting the Early History of Black Lives in the Connecticut River Valley, UMass Dataset for a summary of what is known about Vina. 

Research done by Mark Auslander reveals that Vina Clark and her husband, John Richardson, may have been living in an all-black household in Westfield, MA. John Richardson died on 6 June 1842, in Westfield, MA. We are unsure where Vina is after her husband’s death, but in the 1830 census, the family of Justin W Clark is recorded as living in Hadley, who has a free “colored” female aged 10-23. The unnamed woman may have been Vina, but more research is needed to be conclusive.

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Coffee & Fillis

Coffee and Fillis (Phyllis) were married and likely from Coventry, Connecticut. On 6 January 1767, they were warned out of South Hadley. “Warning out” was an official method commonly used in New England communities to pressure “outsiders” to settle elsewhere. The freedom status of Coffee and Fillis is unclear and further research is needed. 

See the Massachusetts Inferior Court of Common Pleas (Hampshire), Book 10 (I), pg.43 for the court record of Coffee and Fillis’s “warning out”. 

See the Documenting the Early History of Black Lives in the Connecticut River Valley, UMass Dataset for a summary of what is known about Coffee and Fillis. 

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Martha

Martha, originally from Petersham, Massachusetts, was also warned out of South Hadley alongside other families and individuals on 25 July 1766. She had only been in South Hadley for ten weeks. Her freedom status during this time is unclear and requires further research. 

See this court document of Martha’s “warning out” from the Massachusetts Inferior Court of Common Pleas (Hampshire), Book 10 (I), pg. 7.

See the Documenting the Early History of Black Lives in the Connecticut River Valley, UMass Dataset for a summary of what is known about Martha. 

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John Way 

Served in the Revolutionary War under Captain Israel Chapman and Colonel Elisha Porter. May have been related in some way to Ralph Way of Hadley.

For more information click the link below:

In Search of Caesar Cambridge, a former enslaved man in South Hadley, Massachusetts

Forgotten Patriots; African American and Native American Patriots in the Revolutionary War (edited by Eric G Grundset) records.

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Toby White

Recorded as having served in the Revolutionary War and being from South Hadley in Forgotten Patriots; African American and Native American Patriots in the Revolutionary War (edited by Eric G Grundset) records.

For more information click the link below:

In Search of Caesar Cambridge, a former enslaved man in South Hadley, Massachusetts

Forgotten Patriots; African American and Native American Patriots in the Revolutionary War (edited by Eric G Grundset) records.

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Found Names of Enslavers [this list is not exhaustive]:

Slaveowners in South Hadley and surrounding areas were socially prominent and commonly religious leaders (such as deacons and ministers). By the time of the Stamp Act (1765), there were around 6,000 enslaved people in Massachusetts. Below are the names of enslavers in South Hadley. Although not an exhaustive list, these individuals might have been the most prominent and well-known enslavers in South Hadley. 

• Deacon David Nash
• David Mitchell, enslaver of Caesar Cambridge 
• Deacon William Eastman
• Squire Benjamine Eastman

See Sophie Eastman’s chapter “South Hadley after the Revolution,” In Old South Hadley, 1912, for mentions of these people.