1777-12-06 Mention: Unnamed Black man [Hardenbergh]

Item

Title
1777-12-06 Mention: Unnamed Black man [Hardenbergh]
Identifier
NJS-EVE-00029
Source
Letter from Jacob Rutsen Hardenbergh to his father Col. Johannes Hardenbergh
Letter from Jacob Rutsen Hardenbergh to his father Col. Johannes Hardenbergh, December 6, 1777. Hardenbergh Family Papers. Special Collections and University Archives, Rutgers University Libraries.
Event Description
Rev. Jacob Rutsen Hardenbergh (1736-1790), first president of Queen's College (later Rutgers), mentioned a Black man in a letter to his father Col. Johannes Hardenbergh (1706-1786) written on December 6, 1777. The letter was sent from Hardenbergh's parsonage in Raritan (present-day Somerville), and was likely sent to Rosendale, NY, where his father lived. Written in Dutch, the letter states "Schrijve dese wynige in haast, wijl de neger gereet maakt om af te gaan." The English translation is: "Writing these words in a hurry while the negro is getting ready to leave." These words most likely refer to an enslaved Black man who was working at Hardenbergh's parsonage at this time; the man's name is not recorded.
Event Type
Mention
Date
6 December 1777
County (Modern)
Somerset
County (Historical)
Somerset
Primary Participant
Unnamed Black man [Hardenbergh]
Participant Details
DETAILS FOR PRIMARY PARTICIPANTS:

*** Unnamed Black man [Hardenbergh] ***
Role: Mentioned Person
Age category: Adult
Status: Unknown
Enslaver(s) of this participant:
- Jacob Rutsen Hardenbergh Sr. (1736-1790)

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DETAILS FOR OTHER PARTICIPANTS:

Jacob Rutsen Hardenbergh Sr. (1736-1790)
Role: Enslaver
Record Contributor
Jesse Bayker

Linked resources

Items with "Event: 1777-12-06 Mention: Unnamed Black man [Hardenbergh]"
Title Class
Participant Details: Unnamed Black man [Hardenbergh] as Mentioned Person in 1777 Mention event NJS-EVE-00029 Event Participation