Middlesex County and her blessed records include “A List of Free Negroes and The Years They Were Certificated” in its holdings. I wish to utilize this list as an initial jumping off place to develop an exhibit for the Middlesex County Museum.
Such legal certificates that were generated by the court, were carried as proof that its bearers were not runaway slaves and gave them freedom of movement: Provided them safety. It was a very important piece of paper in their lives. And at this particular place in time, was available to a small segment of the population.
For 1827, the first year that the list was created, there are eight residents recorded in the last four months of that year. All were granted certificates. It includes six males and two females. The ages range from 18 as the youngest (a female) to 55 as the oldest (also a female). All listed as born free. Just two words follow their names, but a lot is said in those two words.
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I found these statistics listed in “A History of African-Americans in Middlesex County 1646-1992.” Occupations for the men were listed as sailor, farmer, carpenter, oysterman, ditcher, and sawyer.
(Holly Horton is director of the Middlesex County Museum. Reach out to her via email at info@middlesexmuseum.com.)
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