A woman of color, living in Chrystie street, New York, is now, 1825,
about one hundred years old. She retains her faculties remarkably well,
and she recently gave the following account of herself: "When I was a
small child in Africa, being one day at play in the woods, some people
came along; one of whom catched me, and throwing me over his shoulder,
ran away with me. After he had gone some distance, he put me down and
whipped me to make me run.
"When we came to the water, they put me into the ship and carried me
to Antigua. Soon after, the captain of a vessel from New York, taking
a liking to me, bought me, and brought me here. I was then so little,
that I slept sometimes at my mistress's feet. I think there was only
one house for worship in the city then; and I remember very well that
up Broadway there were only a few small houses; and where the college
(in Park Place) stands it was woods.
"I was sold several times, married twice, and had one child that died
young. I was baptized in St. Paul's church, not long after it was
built; and when I was about forty years old, I bought my freedom for
twenty pounds. Not long after I married my last husband, I paid for
his freedom, and we went to Charleston. After living there about seven
years, he died; and knowing I had many friends and acquaintances in New
York, I came back.
"I brought a hundred dollars with me, which I put into the church
stock. From that I have received seven dollars every year, and with it
I buy my winter firewood. By working early and late, besides my day's
work, I earned money, and got a life lease of this spot of ground, and
built this house; and in this room" (which is on the first floor) "I
have lived many years.
"The upper part I rent; but sometimes the people have been poor, and
could not pay me; then I lost it; but these people pay me very well. I
have been asked many times to sell it, but I think it is much better
for me to stay quietly here than to be moving about: and besides, I
let Mr. ---- have fifty dollars, and when he failed, I lost it; and the
bad folks have several times taken money out of my chest; and I was
afraid, if I did sell, I should lose that also, and then I should be
very bad off.
"As I have no relation of my own, when I am gone, and don't want these
things any more, they are to be divided among my husband's folks." A
person present told her she should have a writing drawn, to tell how
they should be divided; saying, "Perhaps they will quarrel about it."
She said, "I have told them if they did, them that quarrelled must not
have anything."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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