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This person of African descent has 1 related event in the database, listed at the bottom of this page.

Identifier

NJS-PER-02849

Given Name

Leonard

Family Name

Hornbeck

Alternate Name

Leonard Hardenbergh

Birth Date

1773

Sex

Male

Occupation

Industry

Maritime

Biographical Description

Leonard Hornbeck was a Black man born around 1773. Information about his life comes from a detailed runaway ad that was published in 1800 when Leonard escaped from Robert Ogden at the age of 27. He may have been of mixed African and European descent, as indicated by the description provided in Robert Ogden's runaway ad, which stated Leonard "is of a yellow complexion (something resembling a mulatto, which probably he may be)."

Leonard went by the name Leonard Hornbeck because he was born and raised in the Hornbeck or Hardebergh family, probably in the State of New York. It is unclear when he left the Hornbeck or Hardenbergh household. It appears that Leonard was born into slavery, but was at some point promised freedom after a term of service under an indenture agreement. Increase Crosby and Hugh Barkly, two men from New York, sold Leonard for a term of 14 years to Thompson Danch of New Jersey. When Thompson Danch died, the administrators of Danch's estate sold Leonard to Robert Ogden for the remainder of his term. At this point, Leonard went to live with Robert Ogden in Sparta, Sussex County (then part of Hardyston Township).

By the age of 27, Leonard had a wife and child in Sparta. Leonard was skilled in iron-making and had also worked as a sailor at sea. In August 1800, he ran away from Robert Ogden. Whether Leonard left permanently or returned to Sparta is uncertain. Robert Ogden's runaway for Leonard promised that if Leonard returned voluntarily, he would be forgiven and given a chance to find a new master in the town where he previously lived. This indicates that Leonard's relocation to Sparta may have been a major point of conflict between Leonard and his enslaver.

Keywords

African descent person

Places

New York

Sparta

Enslaved by

Hugh Barkly

Increase Crosby

Robert Ogden (1746-1826)

Thompson Danch

Record Contributor

Jesse Bayker

Linked Events

Primary Participant in:

• 1800-08-16 Freedom Seeking: Leonard Hornbeck (Role: Runaway)