Middlesex-New London County CT Archives History .....Grave Stone Of Joel Jackson, East Haddam Ex-slave 
************************************************
Copyright.  All rights reserved.
http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm
http://www.usgwarchives.net/ct/ctfiles.htm
************************************************

File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by:
Barbara W. Brown buwbrown@comcast.net September 28, 2008, 12:54 pm

All information from Jonathan Twiss, who has devoted many hours of research to 
the old cemeteries in East Haddam.
   Landing Burial Yard, East Haddam, Ct. (12th row old section, way in back 
near the wall)
   Brownstone marker in fair condition.  Both sides of headstone show 
splitting.  Legible in Apr. 1982.  Footstone shows "Joel Jackson".
   "In memory of Joel a Black Man born a slave for life but by his industry, 
fidelity and faithfulness obtained his freedom at the age of 26 years an lived 
14 years in the full enjoyment of the privileges of  free man.  He died July ye 
12th 1802 aged 40 years."
   The account book of Silas Brainerd of East Haddam, now in possession of the 
Connecticut Historical Society, covering the years 1788-1824, under the heading 
of "Epaphroditus Champion, debtor," page 100, shows the following entry:
   Nov. 29, 1804: To one pare of gravestones for Joel, L2.17s.0p.
To quote Mr. Twiss: "Now we know who the carver of the interesting headstone of 
Joel was!  Not only that, we also know who his former master was at the time of 
his freedon.  He no doubt was the former slave of General Epaphroditus 
Champion, who must have thought so highly of Joel that he ordered Silas 
Brainerd to make a pair of gravestones in his memory and paid the expenses out 
of his pocket.  As a free man, Jel may have worked for General Champion and 
earned his own wages to support himself and his family, if he had one."
   

Additional Comments:
The records of the Colchester First Church give the following:
   Joel, Negro child of Henry Champion, baptiized Apr. 17, 1763.
   
http://files.usgwarchives.net/ct/statewide/cemeteries/ethnic172gms.txt  

Original File at -- http://files.usgwarchives.net/ct/middlesex/history/other/gravesto172gms.txt

This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/ctfiles/

File size: 2.2 Kb