Harry Washington and family at Mt Vernon?
I am assisting a colleague who is working on a book about teaching history and democratic values; she is interested in the story of Harry Washington, one of George Washington's slaves. The author is trying to determine whether Harry Washington was married to Nan, another slave at Mount Vernon, and if they had any children. Nan and Harry appear in an early inventory of slaves in the 1750s but their relationship is not stated. She has consulted works about or discussing Harry Washington by Peter Henriques, Jill Lepore, Cassandra Phybus, with little result concerning his family, if there was one.
Perhaps someone at H-SHEAR can offer a lead?
Thank you,
Peter Knupfer, Michigan State University
3 Replies
Post ReplyI would strongly suggest contacting Mount Vernon staff historian Mary V. Thompson, who has extensively researched the enslaved community at Mount Vernon.
Dr. Jurretta Jordan Heckscher
Reference Specialist for Early American History
and for Editorial Style Standards
Main Reading Room / Humanities & Social Sciences Division
The Library of Congress
Washington, D.C. 20540-4660
Email: jhec@loc.gov
Telephone: 202-707-0271
I do not know about HW's relationships at Mt Vernon, but the 1784 Birchtown Muster lists him as being married to "Jenny Washington."
http://www.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/discover/military-heritage/loyalists/loyal…;
Pybus suggests that "This person could be Jenny Coddamus who is twenty four and travels on board the Clinton with two small children. Harry and Jenny and their children relocated to the British colony of Sierra Leone in 1791."
See here: http://www.blackloyalist.info/person/display/1485
Christopher Jones
PhD Candidate
Lyon G. Tyler Department of History
College of William & Mary
If you check The African Americans: Many Rivers to Cross, you will find the story of Harry Washington. I checked with the Washington Papers staff before writing that and the problem with "Harry Washington" is that several slaves Washington owned bore the name Harry, something that Phybus was unaware of. Which of the several you are interested in may be impossible to determine. If you have some additional evidence I suggest you contact the Washington Papers for additional information.
Donald Yacovone