The Journal of Negro History, Volume 5, 1920Various
History
The Journal of Negro History, Volume 5, 1920
Various
African Americans -- Periodicals
Slavery in Upper Canada continued until the Imperial Act of 1833[34]
but there does not seem to be any record of sales after 1806. Probably
the last slaves to become free were two who are mentioned by the late
Sir Adam Wilson, Chief Justice successively of the Courts of Common
Pleas and Queen's Bench at Toronto. These were "two young slaves, Hank
and Sukey whom he met at the residence of Mrs. O'Reilly, mother of the
venerable Miles O'Reilly, Q. C., in Halton County about 1830. They
took freedom under the Act of 1833 and were perhaps the last slaves in
the province."[35]
In the Detroit neighborhood there were undoubtedly many slaves, Panis
and Negro: most of these were lost to the province on the delivery up
of the retained territory in 1796 under the provisions of Jay's
Treaty. But some were on the Canadian side and some were brought over
by their masters on the surrender. Colonel Matthew Elliott who settled
in 1784 just below Amherstburg brought many slaves, some sixty it is
said. The remains of slave quarters are still in existence on the
place. Jacques Duperon Baby the well-known fur-trader had at least
thirty.
Antoine Louis Descompte dit Labadie, who raised a family of
thirty-three children was the owner of slaves also. He was a wealthy
farmer of the Township of Sandwich (now Walkerville) and died in 1806,
aged 62. On May 26, 1806, he made at Sandwich his will by which he
made the following bequest: "I also give and bequeath to my wife the
use or service of two slaves that she may select, as long as she
continues to be my widow." After a number of bequests there follows:
"I will that all my personal property not here above bequeathed as
well as my slaves with the exception of the two left to my wife, be
portioned out or sold, and that the proceeds arising therefrom be
equally divided between my said wife and the nine children[36] born
out of my marriage with her."
Some of these slaves were probably Panis. There is extant a parchment
receipt dated at Detroit, October 10, 1775, which reads:
"Je certifie avoir vendu et livre au Sieur Labadie, une esclave
Paniese[37] nommee Mannon pour et en consideration de la quantite
de quatre-vingt minots[38] de Ble de froment qu'il doit me payer
a mesure qu'il aura au printemps prochain, donne sous ma main au
Detroit ce dixieme jour d'Octobre, 1775.
Temoin (Signe) James Sterling[39]
(Signe) John Porteous.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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