Category Archives: Charles County

Patrick Stewart of Hillsdale

See “the many Patrick Stewarts” for the introduction to why this post was written.

Patrick Stewart of Hillsdale was originally considered as Patrick Stewart of Queen Anne District due to his age and geographic location in the 1870 Census. The 1870 Census gave his age as 50 [1850] which makes him the same age as Patrick Stewart of Queen Anne District. Additionally, he was residing in Hillsdale, a community of freed Black people that had escaped to the District like Patrick Stewart of Queen Anne District had.

However, a review of further records related to him suggests he was not from Queen Anne District, but rather southern Prince George’s County and Charles County, Maryland.

After Emancipation

In the 1870 Census, Patrick Stewart is living in Hillsdale, a community of freed Black people, originally known as Barry Farm and run by the Freedmen’s Bureau.   It was called Barry Farm as it had been built on a 375 acre of land that had been owned by the Barry family. 

Topographical map of the original District of Columbia and environs showing the fortifications around the city of Washington | loc.gov

The 1878 Hopkins Map shows it as Potomac City.  An act passed in 1873 changing the name of “Barry Farm, or Potomac” to Hillsdale in 1873.  Charles R Douglass, a relative of Frederick Douglass, was a political leader within the Hillsdale community.  Douglass was enumerated at dwelling number (DN) 602; Patrick Stewart at DN 599.

Atlas of fifteen miles around Washington, including the County of Prince George, Maryland | loc.gov

In 1870, Patrick Stewart was not listed in the Washington, DC City Directories. He appeared in the City Directories in 1875 as living on Howard Avenue, in Hillsdale. Howard Avenue is situated in the northwest portion of HIllsdale, running parallel to Stickfoot Branch.  An 1867 Tax List ran in the National Republican and cited “Whole Tax on lot 38 and improvements in section 9, in Barry Farm subdivision, assessed to Patrick Stewart, $5.25”. 

Map of the division of the north half of a tract of land called “St. Elisabeth,” situated on the east side of the Anacostia River in the county of Washington, D.C. : surveyed into one acre lots for sale to freedmen | loc.gov

This lot sat on the end of Howard Ave along the river and was larger than the other 1 acre lots.  The acreage most likely allowed Patrick to ply his trade as a carpenter.  

“In order to purchase property, entire families worked in the city all day and walked at night to Barry’s Farm to develop their land and construct their homes by lantern and candlelight. As one man described it, ‘the hills and valleys were dotted with lights. The sound of hoe, pick, rake, shovel, saw and hammer rang through the late hours of the night.’” 

The Anacostia Story (1977) | Louise Daniel Hutchinson

In the 1870 Census, Patrick Stewart is living with his wife, Caroline, and his children: Julia, Georgie and Joseph.  They are also living with Henry Stewart, age 93.  Presumably, Henry is Patrick’s father. 

Two of the children, Julia and Georgie, were born prior to emancipation.  Joseph was born after emancipation and when the family was living in the District.

Before Emancipation

George Morton, a landholder and enslaver from the Eighth District, submitted a compensation list that included Caroline Stewart, Julia and Georgiana, as well as an older and younger daughter, who do not appear in the 1870 census with Patrick and Caroline. 

Prince George’s Slave Statistics | Maryland State Archives

The Eighth District was in the southernmost part of Prince George’s County, along the boundary with Charles County.  George Morton is shown on the Martenet Map as holding land east of Woodville. 

Martenet’s Map of Prince George’s County, Maryland. | loc.gov

Maria Stewart Briscoe

Maria Briscoe and her two children Henrietta and Ben Briscoe are enumerated immediately following Caroline Stewart and her named children in the 1867 compensation lists for George Morton.

Prince George’s Slave Statistics | Maryland State Archives

Like her parents and siblings, Maria and her partner, Richard Briscoe, left the Aquasco area and purchased a lot in Hillsdale. Richard Briscoe was assessed for his lot: “Whole Tax on lot 35 and improvements in section 8, Barry Farm Subdivision, assessed to Richard Briscoe, $4.13”  His lot was near but not adjacent to the Patrick Stewart lot.

Map of the division of the north half of a tract of land called “St. Elisabeth,” situated on the east side of the Anacostia River in the county of Washington, D.C. : surveyed into one acre lots for sale to freedmen | loc.gov

Both Richard Briscoe and Patrick Stewart were carpenters; many skilled workers found lots in Hillsdale.

Maria’s death record records her parents as Caroline Wood and Patrick Stewart and her husband as Richard Briscoe.  Her transcribed death record inaccurately records her age as 61.  Based on the emancipation records, she was in her eighties, which is consistent with her 1920 census record. 

Mattawoman Baptismal Records

In a no longer extant parish, “Upper and Lower Zachiah and Mattawoman”, there were three chapels:

  1. A private chapel on the estate of William Boaman (near Bryantown) in Lower Zachiah
  2. A chapel on Thomas Reeve’s land on the Upper Zachiah (later St. Peter’s parish in Waldorf)
  3. A chapel “located south of the later parish of St. Mary’s in Piscataway”
Topographical atlas of Maryland: counties of Calvert, Charles and St. Marys. | davidrumsey.com

There are three baptismal records in the Maryland, U.S., Births and Christenings Index, 1662-1911 Database associated with “Roman Catholic, Mattawoman, Charles, Maryland”.  

  • 25 Apr 1857, the baptism of Julia Stewart, daughter of Patrick Stewart and Caroline
  • 8 May 1859, the baptism of Georgiana Stewart, daughter of  Patrick and Carolina
  • 27 Jun 1859, the baptism of Henrietta Briscoe, daughter of Richard and Marg Briscoe

Disambiguation

Despite Patrick Stewart having a similar birth year, and reasonable 1870 residence, he is not Patrick Stewart of Queen Anne District. He was a carpenter from southern Prince George’s County and northern Charles County.

Nancy | Sold

The legal authority to enslave Nancy passed from Lewis Smith, when he died, to his heirs, including his children, George L and Sarah C Smith. Nancy, age 7, was listed in his 1853 inventory of goods and chattel. Her estimated birth year is 1846.

Parentage

It is unclear who her parents were.

Nace, age 45, likely Ignatius Gough, is the sole adult male listed on the page. His wife, Sarah and other children are held captive by an unknown enslaver as they do not appear in the 1867 lists submitted to the Commission of Slave Statistics and they are reunited with him in the 1870 census.

Louiza, age 20, could be her mother, as Nancy and Mary Ellen are listed below her in the inventory list.

Other records, however, indicate that Mary Ellen is Mary Ellen Reeder, the daughter of Jane Reeder, who was enslaved by Ann M. Chiveral during the Civil war. Mary Ellen and her mother are reunited after the war in the District of Columbia.

Louiza can be identified as Louise Demine, age 38 in the 1867 list submitted to the Commission of Slave Statistics. She and her children (Peter, 7, Teresa,5, Alexander,3, Cecilia,1) are listed. She and her children escaped from Abell’s estate in May 1864, most likely headed to Point Lookout.

Hired Out

Abell hired out Nancy and the other people the Smith children enslaved. In 1858, he recorded receiving $18 for her hire in the Guardian Accounts. In contrast, Abell received $60 for John’s labor and $30 for Stephen’s labor. This suggests that he hired her out for “unskilled” tasks such as a laundry or other domestic tasks.

Sold

She was sold in 1859 to Wm T. Campbell, affording the Abell family a $700 gain on the Smith estate. For Nancy, the sale of her body most likely meant a removal from St. Mary’s County and proximity to her kin.

Account of Sale, 1859 | familysearch.org

In 1860, William T Campbell is enumerated in the federal census as a trader who lived in Allens Fresh, Charles County, Maryland in the neighborhood of Port Tobacco, the major trading port of Charles County.

Year: 1860; Census Place: Allens Fresh, Charles, Maryland; Roll: M653_473; Page: 21 | ancestry.com

In 1860, Peter W. Crain, a landowner in Charles County, advertised the self-emancipation of Rose, who had fled her captivity on Crain’s farm in lower Charles County. He advertised for her return to his captivity: “I will give the above reward to any person who will deliver her to me, or to William T. Campbell, at St. Thomas’ Manor, Charles County, Md.” [Port Tobacco Times and Charles County Advertiser, May 24, 1860] This suggests that Campbell had the means to “store” Black people while waiting for enslavers. Evidence from Alexandria slave pens other slave trader sites suggests that Campbell had a store with cells and shackles to restrain Rose and others he held captive before selling.

Port Tobacco and Charles County Advertiser | chroniclingamerica.loc.gov

In 1860, William T Campbell is enumerated as enslaving seven people at the time of the census. Among them, a 25 year old female. This age is consistent with Nancy. Campbell did not submit a list to the Commission of Slave Statistics.