Dad's Memories - VENTURE SMITH
- 18 November 98 -
22 November 98
VENTURE Smith - A Real Haddam Neck Legend
and Author of
A NARRATIVE -of the- LIFE AND ADVENTURES -of- VENTURE A NATIVE OF AFRICA,
But Resident Above Sixty Years in the United States of America RELATED
BY HIMSELF
Originally Printed in 1798
VENTURE'S Story is presented here with commentary from many sources
- both print and "web"
Compiled by R.E. Langdon
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FROM: UNCHAINED VOICES - An anthology of Black
Authors in the English Speaking World of the 18th Century, ...c 1996, by
The University Press of Kentucky, Vincent Carretta - Editor
From 1798 printing - VENTURE - Certificates
(with notes From: Unchained
Voices)
CERTIFICATE
STONINGTON, CONN., November 3, 1798
THESE may certify, that VENTURE is a free negro man, aged
about 69 years, and was, as we have ever understood, a native of Africa,
and formerly a slave to Mr. James Mumford, of Fisher's Island, in the State
of New York, who sold him to Mr. Thomas Stanton, 2nd, of Stonington, in
the State of Connecticut, and said Stanton sold said VENTURE to Col. Oliver
Smith, of the aforesaid place. That said VENTURE hath sustained the character
of a faithful servant, and that of a temperate, honest and industrious
man, and being ever intent of obtaining his freedom, he was indulged by
his master after the ordinary labor of the days of his servitude, to improve
the nights in fishing and other employments to his own emolument, in which
time he procured so much money as to purchase his freedom from his late
master, Colonel Smith; after which he took upon himself the name of VENTURE
SMITH, and has since his freedom purchased a negro woman, called Meg, to
whom he was previously married, and also his children who were slaves,
and said VENTURE has since removed himself and family
to the town of East Haddam, in this State, where he hath purchased lands
on which he hath built a house, and there taken up his abode. 30
NATHANIEL MINOR, ESQ.
ELIJAH PALMER, ESQ.
CAPT. AMOS PALMER
ACORS SHEFFIELD
EDWARD SMITH
NOTES: (from UNCHAINED VOICES - Vincent Carretta,
Editor
30 What little is known
of Smith beyond the information he gives here is found in the 1897 edition
of the Narrative (New London, Connecticut), "Revised and Republished
with Traditions by H.M. Selden, Haddam, Connecticut." The traditions mainly
concern Smith's strength and size, which clearly had attained the status
of local legend after his death: he was said to weigh over 300 pounds and
measure 6 feet around his waist... We also learn that of the "four strong
men" who bore his coffin to its burial in the cemetery of the First Congregational
Church in East Haddam, "the two in front were white, proving the respect
he had won, while two of his own race assisted in the rear...
This note is followed by the inscriptions from the grave
markers
of Venture and his wife Meg
which are included in H.M. Selden's "Traditions"
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