In 1835, Bachelor Jackson fled the capticity of Benjamin Lee, a physician and planter in Prince George’s County. His estate “Oak HIll” was located in Queen Anne District along the Western Branch of the Patuxent River.
Benjamin Lee most likely acquired Bachelor Jackson from his father-in-law, James Belt, who died in 1832. Bachelor, age 20, was listed in the 1832 Inventory of James Belt’s estate between Washington and Charles, both age 30.
Bachelor Jackson of Frederick County, MD
There was another Bachelor Jackson living in “Frederick Town” of Frederick County, Maryland, as a Black man with free status. Based on the census, he was betweeen the ages of 55 and 99. He had five other people in his household, both adults and children. It is possible that the enslaved Bachelor Jackson was related to him.
While geographically separated from Prince George’s County, there were connections between the two counties. Francis Scott Key, of “Star Spangled Banner” fame, was a lawyer in Frederick Town, and he was on the boat to observe the bombardment of Fort McHenry in order to secure the release of William Beanes, a Prince George’s County planter. Beane’s sister, Eleanor Beanes married James Mullikin of Mullikin’s Delight, situated to the northeast of the Sprigg and Lee estates. Samuel Sprigg, Lee’s neighbor, had lived in Frederick County prior to inheriting Northampton from his uncle Osborn Sprigg. Sprigg’s wife, Violetta Lansdale Sprigg was niece of James Belt via his wife Elizabeth Lansdale. Violetta Lansdale was the daughter of Thomas Lancaster Landale, a merchant in Queen Anne. Belt’s connection with the Lansdale and therefore Sprigg family suggests that Belt had connections with Frederick County.
Two pieces from newspapers further suggest the connection between Frederick and Prince George’s County.
In 1799, James Belt advertised for the return of Bob and Bash, two enslaved men who left his estate in Anne Arundel county. In his advertisment he shared that Bash had relations in Montgomery County on Hallings River, where Thomas Lansdale lately lived. Hallings river is presumably Hawlings River, a tributary of the Patuxent, near Brookeville.
05 Sep 1799, Thu • Page 2
newspapers.com
In 1825, D Sprigg advertised, as an agent for James Belt, the sale of a House and Lot on Potomac Street in Hagerstown [Washington County], “belonging to Capt. James Belt of Prince George’s County, now occupied by Mr. John McCurdy.
15 Nov 1825, Tue · Page 4
newspapers.com
Another Bachelor
In 1789, William Smith of Seneca, Montgomery County, MD, advertised for the return of Bachelor, no last name given. Bachelor was born in Prince George’s County, about 5 miles from Upper Marlborough, “and having a numerous set of acquaintances and relations, in that county, he may endeavour to get among them”. Smith, though, thought he was more likely to go to Baltimore-Town or Fell’s Pount, as “I understood his mother lives and is free, who is or was lately kept by a Spanish or Portuguese seafaring captain, and keeps his house.” Both Chelsea (the land tract Belt owned in Prince George’s County) and Hazelwood (the estate owned by Thomas Lancaster) were about 5-7 miles from Upper Marlborough.
I can’t help but wonder if Bash, age 36, in 1799 and Bachelor, age 25 in 1789, are the same man, determined to be free. Both men have an estimated birth year of 1764/1765 and Bash could very well be a shortened form of Bachelor. And I can’t help but wonder if they are Bachelor Jackson of Frederick County who would have been born before 1776.
Bachelor Jackson is not listed in the 1840 census, though other Black families of free status are: Maria Jackson and her son, William Jackson, with an eldery woman, and his family, Augustus Jackson and his family, Kitty Jackson and her children and finally John and his family. They are all living in District 8 of Frederick County.
Relatives Left Behind
When Bachelor Jackson escaped Benjamin Lee, he no doubt left behind people from his family and larger kinship group.
Bachelor’s family name Jackson connects him with others Jacksons, and Marsham Waring, Lee’s brother-in-law, had several Jacksons enslaved on his Chelsea estate as evidenced by the compensation lists submitted by his children to the Commission on Prince George’s County Slave Statistics.
This is significant as Waring inherited the Chelsea estate through his wife, Violetta Lansdale Belt, the daughter of James Belt — suggesting that he not only inherited the real estate associated with the estate but also its chattel and the people enslaved by Belt.
| Given Name | Age | Est Birth Year | Name |
|---|---|---|---|
| Martha | 35 | 1825 | Martha |
| Minita | 3 | 1857 | Araminta |
| Sally | 6 | 1854 | Sarah |
| Maria | 8 | 1852 | Maria |
| Matilda | 10 | 1850 | Matilda |
| Washington | 16 | 1844 | Washington |
| Anna | 16 | 1844 | Ann |
| Ellen | 30 | 1830 | Eleanor |
| Mary Ellen | 4 | 1856 | Mary |
| Charles | 30 | 1830 | Charles |
| Robert | 20 | 1840 | Robert |
| Jim | 4 | 1856 | James |
William and sons Charles & Robert Jackson
In 1831, a year before the death of James Belt, the priests of White Marsh recorded the baptism of Charles, the son of William Jackson (of James Belt) and Amelia (of Marsham Waring). Based on the 1832 Inventory, William was 24 and Bachelor was 20, suggesting that if they both had the family name Jackson that they were brothers.
Charles baptized by the priest appears in the 1860 Inventory of Marsham Waring’s estate, as they both have an estimated birth year of 1830/1831.
In 1870, Charles has reunited with his wife, Caroline, who was enslaved by Mary Hall. She is the daughter of Susan Weldon and Walter Harrison. Susan was enslaved by Mary Hall and Walter was ensalved by Walter W W Bowie. In 1870, they are living in Mitchellville, near the estate of Mary Hall.
Listed under Charles in the 1860 Marsham Waring Inventory is Robert, age 20. When he died in 1902, his son listed his parents as Amelia Stewart and William Jackson. We know the Warings enslaved other Stewarts as identified on the Prince George’s Slave Statistics.
In 1870, Robert is living near Robert W. W. Bowie and his wife Elizabeth L Bowie, the daughter of Marsham Waring. The Bowies lived on the estate of Locust Grove, purchased for them by Waring. Robert Jackson is neighbors with Jacob Jones, another freedman from the estate of Waring. By 1880, he had moved near Woodmore, near other members of the Jones Family. The Jones family had been enslaved on the Waring estate as well.
Martha Jackson & Children
In 1870, Martha and her children have reunited with her partner William Jackson. They are living near Suitsville and William, in his work as a Carpenter, as acquired a bit of personal property. By 1880 William and Martha have moved near Robert Jackson, the inferred brother of Charles.
This chart shows the family trees with the sources for the inferred relationships. It is inferred that the William of the census records is the same William named in the James Belt Inventory and the White Marsh Baptism due to the geographic proximity to Robert and similar estimated birth year in the 1880 census record.
William is listed as a carpenter in the 1870 census. Interestingly, there is a Washington Jackson (estimated birth year 1811) that is also a carpenter who is living in Nottingham District of Prince George’s County. He is too old to be the Washington Jackson in the Marsham Waring Inventory and he could be a brother to William and Bachelor, and the Washington of the Marsham Waring Inventory could be a nephew named after the elder Washington.
stories of Then 