Thank you to Maureen Patt for sharing the Westerly Sun (Rhode Island) news article on Venture Smith (published Friday, 9 March 2001)! If anyone has helpful data, I am researching MISSOURI and KENTUCKY enslaved ancestors and the slaveholding families - surnames: NICHOLS, YANCEY, MILLER, SHACKELFORD, etc. in Central Missouri - TIPTON, BOONVILLE, etc. and my ancestor PRISCILLA SHACKELFORD who was enslaved. A lot of history has been written about Venture Smith and the many millions of Africans like him (many my ancestors), who were kidnapped and sold from Africa. Many of these documents are in libraries and archives in England (and other countries: Spain, France, etc.). WGBH (Boston, Mass) public tv website has Venture Smith's own account of his life in Africa (GUINEA, West Africa) - how he and other Africans were captured, sold into CHATTEL slavery, and shipped to the AMERICAS including USA, BRAZIL, CUBA, etc. His life story as told to Elisha Niles was published (1798) as "A Narrative of the Life and Adventures of Venture, a Native of Africa: But Resident above Sixty Years in the United States of America, Related by Himself." The Link to this Text is on this website: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/aia/part2/2h5t.html I have copied part of Venture Smith's account of his life and misfortunes as an African forcibly "migrated" to America to work as a Black slave. This passage describes how he was forced by lawsuit to pay for a _barrel of molasses_ accidentally lost from a boat on which he was only a passenger. Venture Smith was also forced to pay the court costs by which he was prosecuted. It was a lot of money for him, hard earned in inhuman conditions (enslavement). "Four years after [in about 1790] , I met with another loss, far superior to this in value, and I think by no less wicked means. Being going to NEW LONDON with a grand-child, I took passage in an Indian's boat, and went there with him. On our return, the Indian took on board two hogfheads of molasses, one of which belonged to CAPT. ELISHA HART of SAYBROOK, to be delivered on his wharf. When we arrived there, and while I was gone, at the request of the Indian, to inform Captain Hart of his arrival, and receive the freight for him, one hogshead of the molasses had been lost overboard by the people in attempting to land it on the wharf. Although I was absent at the time, and had no concern whatever in the business as was known to a number of respectable witnesses, I was nevertheless prosecuted by this conscientious gentleman, (the Indian not being able to pay for it) and obliged to pay upwards of ten pounds lawful money, with all the costs of court. I applied to several gentlemen for counsel in this affair, and they advised me, as my adversary was rich, and threatened to carry the matter from court to court till it would cost me more than the first damages would be, to pay the sum and submit to the injury; which I accordingly did, and he has often since insultingly taunted me with my unmerited misfortune. Such a proceeding as this, committed on a defenceless stranger, almost worn out in the hard service of the world, without any foundation in reason or justice, whatever it may be called in a christian land, would in my native country [GUINEA, WEST AFRICA] have been branded as a crime equal to highway robbery. But Captain Hart was a white gentleman, and I a poor African, therefore it was all right, and good enough for the black dog." ------------------------ WGBH website also has the article which follows, at: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/aia/part2/2p80.html "People & Events: Venture Smith 1729 - 1805 Venture Smith, born free in Africa but captured and enslaved at the age of eight, became a figure of mythical proportions in New England, where he was known for his great size and strength. Named Broteer by his father, a "Prince of the tribe of Dukandarra" in Guinea, he wrote that "I was descended from a very large, tall and stout race of beings, much larger than the generality of people in other parts of the globe." Legend has it that he was a giant, weighing over 300 pounds. Venture's great size and unwillingness to suffer insult made him a problem for his owners, and he was sold several times before he was able to purchase his freedom in 1765, at the age of thirty-six. When Venture wrote that he had "lost much by misfortunes and paid an enormous sum for my freedom," he was referring to far more than his purchase price of "seventy-one pounds two shillings." Venture was eventually able to liberate his two sons, Solomon and Cuff, his daughter Hanna, his pregnant wife Meg, and their unborn child. Solomon, the eldest son, died aboard a whaling ship, and the new baby was named Solomon in his honor. Cuff, the middle son, enlisted in the Continental army when he was in his early twenties. After the war, he returned to his family in East Haddam Neck, Connecticut. In his latter years, Venture suffered from blindness and ill health. In 1798, a narrative of his life, which he related to a local schoolteacher, was published. He died on September 19, 1805, at the age of seventy-seven." On WGBH public tv website: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/aia/part2/2p80.html ---------- Edited from Maureen Patt's Email to: [email protected] Sent: Sunday, March 11, 2001 Subject: [MO] Vrnture, A Slave, Made His Mark In Stonington, CT LONG [Article published in the Westerly Sun, Friday, 9 March, 2001. Westerly, Rhode Island] > The inscription said, "Sacred to the Memory of Venture Smith, an African - > tho the son of a King he was kidnapped and sold as a slave but by his > industry he acquired Money to purchase his Freedom." > > There is also a picture of the rock accompanying the article. > Venture [SMITH] farmed for seven years more and died in 1805. He is buried in the cemetery of EAST HADDAM Congregational Church. > ==== Missouri Mailing List ==== MARIAN DOUGLAS in Skopje, Macedonia. Researching NICHOLS, YANCEY, MILLER, SHACKELFORD, etc. in Central Missouri - TIPTON, BOONVILLE, etc. and PRISCILLA SHACKELFORD who was enslaved. [email protected] in Italy: [email protected]

Douglas/Ungaro Our Tipton connected oral histoy holds that John Francis Veulemans immigrated from Belgium in the 1840s and purchased a farm outside Tipton A black farmhand named Charles was included in the sale. The oral history says that when Charles got his freedom as a result of the Civil War he took the name Veulemans as his surname and went on to become the first black Baptist minister in the Tipton area. I have never run across any mention of him in my work but perhaps his church records exist and could be found with his name. His membership rolls should provide several interesting leads if they could be located. Coming from the south, I am sure I have cousins who rightful own my family name(s) if they wish to but there are no stories connecting them to us. I have will information on some families as of yet not proven up which contain the first names of the slaves given upon death to others. I am sure you already know about the Slave Census taken shortly before the Civil War (at least in MO) this would provide you with the names of Slave holding families in the areas you are working. From there I would go to the probate records of those familes since especially in families with only a small group of slaves they will often be mentioned by name in the wills, sad to say, in among the other items without even the dignity of a seperate sentence. (How I pray I would have been different and how I fear that I would not have.) I have read about Venture Smith and was moved by his profound dignity and pride in his good name. The image of this six year old child being treated as a beast of burden and essentually orphaned in the doing yet able to hold on and to be his own person. I will teach his story to the children beside Rosa Parks, Harriet Tubman, and Brown vs the Board of Education. Douglas/Ungaro wrote: > Thank you to Maureen Patt for sharing the Westerly Sun > (Rhode Island) news article on Venture Smith (published > Friday, 9 March 2001)! > > If anyone has helpful data, I am researching MISSOURI and > KENTUCKY enslaved ancestors and the slaveholding families - > surnames: NICHOLS, YANCEY, MILLER, SHACKELFORD, etc. > in Central Missouri - TIPTON, BOONVILLE, etc. and my ancestor > PRISCILLA SHACKELFORD who was enslaved. > > A lot of history has been written about Venture Smith and the > many millions of Africans like him (many my ancestors), who > were kidnapped and sold from Africa. Many of these documents > are in libraries and archives in England (and other countries: > Spain, France, etc.). > > WGBH (Boston, Mass) public tv website has Venture Smith's > own account of his life in Africa (GUINEA, West Africa) - how > he and other Africans were captured, sold into CHATTEL > slavery, and shipped to the AMERICAS including USA, > BRAZIL, CUBA, etc. > > His life story as told to Elisha Niles was published (1798) as > "A Narrative of the Life and Adventures of Venture, a Native > of Africa: But Resident above Sixty Years in the United States > of America, Related by Himself." > > The Link to this Text is on this website: > http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/aia/part2/2h5t.html > > I have copied part of Venture Smith's account of his life and > misfortunes as an African forcibly "migrated" to America to > work as a Black slave. > > This passage describes how he was forced by lawsuit to pay > for a _barrel of molasses_ accidentally lost from a boat on > which he was only a passenger. Venture Smith was also > forced to pay the court costs by which he was prosecuted. > It was a lot of money for him, hard earned in inhuman conditions > (enslavement). > > "Four years after [in about 1790] , I met with another loss, far > superior to this in value, and I think by no less wicked means. > > Being going to NEW LONDON with a grand-child, I took passage > in an Indian's boat, and went there with him. On our return, the > Indian took on board two hogfheads of molasses, one of which > belonged to CAPT. ELISHA HART of SAYBROOK, to be delivered > on his wharf. When we arrived there, and while I was gone, at the > request of the Indian, to inform Captain Hart of his arrival, and > receive the freight for him, one hogshead of the molasses had > been lost overboard by the people in attempting to land it on the > wharf. Although I was absent at the time, and had no concern > whatever in the business as was known to a number of respectable > witnesses, I was nevertheless prosecuted by this conscientious > gentleman, (the Indian not being able to pay for it) and obliged to > pay upwards of ten pounds lawful money, with all the costs of court. > > I applied to several gentlemen for counsel in this affair, and they > advised me, as my adversary was rich, and threatened to carry the > matter from court to court till it would cost me more than the first > damages would be, to pay the sum and submit to the injury; which > I accordingly did, and he has often since insultingly taunted me > with my unmerited misfortune. Such a proceeding as this, committed > on a defenceless stranger, almost worn out in the hard service of the > world, without any foundation in reason or justice, whatever it may > be called in a christian land, would in my native country [GUINEA, > WEST AFRICA] have been branded as a crime equal to highway > robbery. But Captain Hart was a white gentleman, and I a poor > African, therefore it was all right, and good enough for the black dog." > ------------------------ > WGBH website also has the article which follows, at: > http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/aia/part2/2p80.html > > "People & Events: Venture Smith 1729 - 1805 > > Venture Smith, born free in Africa but captured and enslaved at > the age of eight, became a figure of mythical proportions in New > England, where he was known for his great size and strength. > > Named Broteer by his father, a "Prince of the tribe of Dukandarra" > in Guinea, he wrote that "I was descended from a very large, > tall and stout race of beings, much larger than the generality of > people in other parts of the globe." Legend has it that he was a > giant, weighing over 300 pounds. > > Venture's great size and unwillingness to suffer insult made him > a problem for his owners, and he was sold several times before > he was able to purchase his freedom in 1765, at the age of thirty-six. > When Venture wrote that he had "lost much by misfortunes and > paid an enormous sum for my freedom," he was referring to far > more than his purchase price of "seventy-one pounds two shillings." > > Venture was eventually able to liberate his two sons, Solomon and > Cuff, his daughter Hanna, his pregnant wife Meg, and their unborn > child. Solomon, the eldest son, died aboard a whaling ship, and the > new baby was named Solomon in his honor. Cuff, the middle son, > enlisted in the Continental army when he was in his early twenties. > After the war, he returned to his family in East Haddam Neck, Connecticut. > > In his latter years, Venture suffered from blindness and ill health. > In 1798, a narrative of his life, which he related to a local schoolteacher, > was published. He died on September 19, 1805, at the age of seventy-seven." > On WGBH public tv website: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/aia/part2/2p80.html > > ---------- > Edited from Maureen Patt's Email to: > [email protected] > > Sent: Sunday, March 11, 2001 > Subject: [MO] Vrnture, A Slave, Made His Mark In Stonington, CT LONG > > [Article published in the Westerly Sun, Friday, 9 March, 2001. > Westerly, Rhode Island] > > The inscription said, "Sacred to the Memory of Venture Smith, an African - > > tho the son of a King he was kidnapped and sold as a slave but by his > > industry he acquired Money to purchase his Freedom." > > > > There is also a picture of the rock accompanying the article. > > > Venture [SMITH] farmed for seven years more and died in 1805. > He is buried in the cemetery of EAST HADDAM Congregational Church. > > ==== Missouri Mailing List ==== > > MARIAN DOUGLAS > in Skopje, Macedonia. > Researching NICHOLS, > YANCEY, MILLER, > SHACKELFORD, etc. in > Central Missouri - TIPTON, > BOONVILLE, etc. and > PRISCILLA SHACKELFORD > who was enslaved. > [email protected] > in Italy: > [email protected] > > ==== Missouri Mailing List ==== > Visit http://www.usgenweb.org > The USGenWeb Project-Archives-Census-Tombstone > > ============================== > Ancestry.com Genealogical Databases > http://www.ancestry.com/rd/rwlist2.asp > Search over 2500 databases with one easy query!