Ariana Stewart and Pinkney Brown

This blog post is one of a series that explores the lives of the people enslaved by the Sasscer family, who lived south of Upper Marlboro in Prince George’s County, MD. The primary estate for the family was named Pleasant Hills and additional posts about the people can be found under the category “Pleasant Hills”.

Addison Stewart is the second oldest son of Dora and Mary Stewart. Addison was enslaved by the Sasscers, while his wife and son were living elsewhere. Their marriage was recognized in 1870; the marriage license lists his wife as Caroline Stewart, leaving ambiguity as to what her maiden name was. The PG Slave statistics do not list a Caroline Stewart nor a Nathan Stewart

In 1870, Addison and his family are living with the other Stewarts, working the Sasscer land. Addison is a farm hand while Caroline, his wife, is listed as “keeping house”. Unlike the other wives of the Stewart family, who are listed as servants. This suggests the possibility that Caroline provided child care while the others worked in the fields and the house. In 1880, Addison is still working the land, though it appears he moved away from the Sasscer lands to an estate closer to the Patuxent River. He is listed in the census as living near Richard B. B. Chew who held lands along the river. Addison is neighbored with another person identified as being enslaved by the Sasscers, Tom Beall.

By 1880, Addison has become injured, though the extents of his injuries are unclear. The census taker marked that he was “maimed, crippled or bedridden” while also marking his occupation as “farm hand”. This suggests that despite the injury, Addison still worked the fields; his wife Caroline, is still listed as “keeping house”. In the 1890s, Addison is listed as an “out-pensioner” in the Prince George’s Enquirer and Marlboro Advertiser; an “out-pensioner” received direct payment support from the County, as opposed to being housed in the county poor-house. They were typically granted to individuals deemed “too old, crippled or young to work”. More information about this can be found on the Maryland State Archives page. This suggests that Addison’s injury prevented him from working over time. He died in 1904 from a cerebral hemorrhage, his occupation still listed as a “Farm Hand”.