Will (b. 1753) · New Jersey Slavery Records · New Jersey Slavery Records

Research Tips: This person of African descent has 1 related event in the database, listed at the bottom of this page.
Identifier: NJS-PER-02864
Given Name: Will
Birth Date: 1753
Sex: Male
Biographical Description: Will was a Black man born around 1753. He primarily spoke Low Dutch, which indicates that he was most likely raised in a Dutch household in New Jersey or New York. He learned to speak English, but spoke it with a pronounced Dutch accent. He had a reputation as a strong, bold, and active worker on a farm and on the water. By the late 19th century, he was living in Newark where he was enslaved by David Banks, an Essex County judge. In July 1799, Will ran away from David Banks and went to New England. He sought refuge in Lyme, Connecticut, and Providence, Rhode Island, but eventually moved on from those places to avoid being captured and sent back to his enslaver in Newark. What happened to Will after that is uncertain, but as of February 1802, he was still at large, and David Banks was still actively looking for him.
Keywords: African descent person
Places: Providence, Rhode Island; Lyme, Connecticut; Newark
Enslaved by: David Banks (1740-1811)
Record Contributor: Jesse Bayker
Linked Events: Primary Participant in:

1799-07-26 Freedom Seeking: Will (Role: Runaway)