Prince Mortimer of Middletown (purportedly 1724-1834): Examining Claims of Revolutionary War Service

                 Since the 2006 release of Denis Caron’s A Century in Captivity: The Life and Trials of Prince Mortimer, a Connecticut Slave, discussion of the life of Prince Mortimer of Middletown has largely centered around the trial for attempted murder that resulted in Mortimer’s imprisonment in Old New-Gate Prison.[1] Yet some studies of Mortimer haveContinue reading “Prince Mortimer of Middletown (purportedly 1724-1834): Examining Claims of Revolutionary War Service”

How do I locate a Connecticut manumission record?

Connecticut established “Gradual Emanicipation” in 1784, but it applied only to those born after March first of that year. For those already held in slavery, the route out was through manumission, the process by which the enslaver legally released the person held in slavery from enslavement. Connecticut had a process for accomplishing this goal. (SeeContinue reading “How do I locate a Connecticut manumission record?”