The Negro in Nansemond Co., Va.
     The first negro to come to the Co. so far as we are aware was Augt. 
Brought in by Maj. Gen. Richard Bennett whose plantation was on 
Bennett's Creek, June 26, 1635. Va. Land Office and Nugent's Cavaliers 
and Pioneers, Vol. 1, Page 23.
Surry Co. page 26 iem. Cahreles Cittie Co. idem 25.
     John Wilkins of Upper New Norfolk Co., now Nansemond Co. brought in 
the second.  Aug. 18, 1637 James Knott of Upper Co. of New Norfolk now 
nansemond brought in 2 negroes, page 66 idem.
6, Feb. 1637 Argoll Yeardley of Upper New Norfolk brought in 2 negroes 
Andolo and Maria, page 81 (Nugent.)  He is reputed to have been the 
first settler in N.C. 
     From that time on they were brought in with more or less rapidity, 
until 1675, the date of Maj. Gen. Richard Bennett's will when he 
mentions his servants, both Christian and Pagan, evidently  white and 
black, and from this it would be inferred that very littlel effort had 
been made to Christianize the slaves at that time.
     The next time we find them mentioned is in John Yeates' will 1731 
while making an educational donation he mentions the fact that he 
expected his slaves to increase as there were females among them.  
Bennett's will of record in the Admiralty and Probate Court of 
Canterbury, England.  A Copy of Yeates' Nansemond Co. Clerks Office.
     At the time of the Revolutionary War there were many slaves in the 
Va. State Navy.  See Stewart's Va. State Navy for names.  Harry, a slave 
of Capt. John Cowper's of Bennett Creek distinguished himself for his 
zeal and daring on all occasions.  Cupid, a slave of Mr. Ballard's stood 
faithful on all occasions as a champion of liberty, and discharged his 
duties at all times with a fidelity that made him a favorite of all the 
officers of the ship, both of those men serving on the "Liberty" the 
only vessell in the Va. State Navy that was not captured in the war.  At 
one time she was concealed in the Nansemond river.
     So far as known the Negro took no part in the war of 1812, nor the 
Mexican War.  In the war of 1861-65, the stood by their masters 
remarkably well, and some of the free Negroes served in the Confederate 
army in one capacity or another.  Among these we mention Jason Boon who 
lived to be over 100 years old, just died a year of so ago, and left 
enough descendants to fill more than half of the church at which his 
funeral was conducted.  Ned Hill was with his young masters, John and 
James Fulgham, Boston Bryant and Giles Wellons were their master Dr. Wm. 
B. Wellons, and Boston returned after the war and lived with his former 
master as long as he lived, and was janitor at his master's church in 
Suffolk as long as he was able to go, and was held in highest esteem by 
the white people of Suffolk, Va.
     Another noted colored character was Alex Keeling, born about the 
time of the Revolutionary war, and lived to be over 100 years.  He has a 
keen memory, and it was said of him that he could repeat more of the 
Bible than any man every seen in this section, though it is doubtful if 
he could read.  For Port Crayon's description of him and his home see 
Harper's Monthly for 1856 or 1857.
     In the Spanish American war there were a few negroes from the Co. 
in the navy, and those whose records have been seen were good, and I 
have seen most of them, and been consulted about others.
     In the World War there were a great many colored troops, and Wm. 
Glenn Hurdle of Driver, Va.  A Pvt. 3rd Machine Gun Co., 370 Inf'ty., 93 
Div. Received the Distinguished Service Cross, and was cited by Gen. 
John J. Pershing.  See Va. War History Commission's Publications, Vol. 
VI, page 534.  They were welcomed back home in September 1919 when there 
was a large gathering and a parade, in Suffolk.
     There were three sections of Nansemond, and the Negro before the 
War of 1861-65, was accorded very different treatment in these sections.  
Suffolk Parish, had many public slaves that were hired out each year at 
Hargroves Tavern, for the benefit of the Yeates' free school fund, and 
then there appears to have been some of Maj. Richard Bennett's slaves 
who were hired for the use of the poor fund of the parish.  Lower 
Nansemond has always been a Quaker asylum, and many of that sect 
manumitted their slaves in the early days before laws were passed 
against it.  Holy Neck district had many free Negroes, and Mulattoes, 
and there was an old Quaker, who was very friendly to them, and 
eventually he earned the name the free Negroes God, because he helped to 
keep them free, and out of the toils of the law. Of debt.  
     His name was Elijiah Hare and his house is still standing on 
Somerton Creek in the Co.  The result of this is there was more Negro 
property in that district a few years ago, perhaps so now, than any 
other magisterial district in Virginia.  These people after the war 
began to erect churches, and they have some very nice churches in that 
district.
     After Apr. 9, 1865 the Quakers attempted to run a school for the 
colored children, and two quakeresses came down from the north and 
opened a school near Somerton Friend's Meeting house, but it did not run 
long as the school house and the church were both burned down the same 
night, by parties unknown, yet in sight of the rebuilt church there 
stands today a modern colored church of the Christian denomination, on 
land given by a white person.
     The next section is known as the "Skeeter Town" about four or fives 
miles south of Suffolk.  This section appears to have been inhabited by 
free Negroes for years before the war of 1861-65, but owing to condition 
then existing they had no school nor church of their own, but after the 
war a lady came down from the north and opened a school on what is now 
Hosier Road, and there a few of the children learned the rudiments of 
reading, writing and ciphering as it was called at that date.  Out of 
this school the first colored church so far as we aware, in the county 
was organized, Mt. Ararat, and in that church the first general 
conference in this section of colored people was organized in a year or 
two, in which they were assisted by their white friends.
     A great many of the people from that community worked in the Dismal 
swamp, and many of the people from that community worked in the Dismal 
swamp, and many of the run away slaves would work with them according to 
tradition, and produce more than their tasks for which they were paid.  
Extra.  The origin of the Skeeter Town is unknown, but evidently it came 
into existence about the time Gen. Geo. Washington and his companions 
cut what is known as the Washington Ditch from the White Marsh road to 
Lake Drummond, as many of the people lived on the edge of the swamp, and 
they were nearly all white.  Many of them cannot be told today from 
white people by their color.  The other sections of the Co. had its 
share of colored people, but they were only a few on each plantation as 
many of the large planters had taken their slaves to N.C. when that 
section was opened up about 1730.
     After the war of 1861-65 there were some far sighted men natives of 
Va.  who saw that something had to be done for the religious side of the 
freed men, and so Rev. Putnam Owens of the Baptist Church in this 
section ordained Jorhan Thompson to preach to the people of his race, 
and Rev. Robt. Holland assisted by Rev. Dr. Wm. B. Wellons of the 
Christian church ordained on Justin Copeland to preach, and, then there 
was a colored preacher who came here about the end of the war and 
organized the A.M.E. church, and they built the first colored church in 
Suffolk, Va.  From these beginnings the present colored church system in 
the Co. and City have grown.
     The U.S. Census reports for Nansemond Co., 1790 will give the names 
of many of the free colored people.  There was one in the early days who 
kept an eating house on the road near which Driver now stands.  His name 
was Tony Pugh, and he is well spoken of by people who knew him, and it 
was at his shop that the Suffolk, Nansemond Co. delegation met Gen. 
Lafayette on his official visit to Suffolk in the 1820s.
     The the property books of the State Archive Dept., Richmond, will 
show the property owned by the free Negroes in the Co.  Dick Tynes is 
said to have owned a slave himself.  He was a carpenter and builder, 
some of the houses he built are still standing, and we believe that 
Tynes St. in the eastern part of the City is named for him.
     As to how Nansemond was affected by the Southampton Insurrection in 
1831, Drewy's History of the Southampton Insurrection gives practically 
all of the details.
     A word about the ministers of the early colored churches in the Co.  
Having known several, so far as known they cast no stain upon their 
cloth, but were good citizens.  Revs. Israel Cross of the Baptists, and 
Frank Jordan of the Christian, and at a recent historical celebration of 
one of the old churches, a white man who had known of conditions since 
the first log meeting house was erected said: --"They developed men who 
if they went to a farmers house to buy corn, he would give him the key 
to his barn if he were busy, and tell him to go and get the corn, and 
then pay him for it." Their integrity was known and trusted.
     One of the most unique characters in the county was a woman - 
Charlotte Marshall Ballard. Born a slave, about grown in 1865, he 
husband having disappeared under misterious circumstances during the 
war, with two children, she remained with her former master a few years, 
and then moved to another neighborhood, and became the washer woman for 
the neighborhood, having a day for each family during the week.  She was 
present when many of the babies were born as she was a midwife also, she 
was present when the youths were married, and when the old one passed 
away she was called upon in the emergency, and was not found wanting.  
There was no work on the farm that she was not well acquainted 
with,especially around the house.  She was honest, no one thought of 
Aunt Charlotte as taking anything that did not belong to her.  She was 
held in highest esteem by both races, and whenever her former master's 
children held a reunion, the assembly was not complete unless Aunt 
Charlotte was present to tell them about the younger days of Mass. 
Tommie and his wife.  Even before the death of her master, no year 
passed at the protracted meeting time when she was not found in that 
home to help and go to the church to assist with the dinner, and to meet 
her old friends, both white and black. She lived to a ripe old age, 
respected by all and held in high esteem by the entire community.
SCHOOLS.
     In addition to those two schools taught by Northern women for the 
colored race after the war, there was a school in the town of Suffolk 
which was assisted by funds from some outside source, though we have not 
been able to ascertain whence they came. (See Suffolk Town School 
Records.)
     There has been a few slaves who had picked up how to read and spell 
and perhaps write, as some of the white children had their nurse girl to 
go with them to the school, and by being thus associated with the school 
they learned to read.  After the war until the Underwood Constitution 
went into effect in Va., there was very little education among the 
masses of the Negroes, but that instrument brought in a system of free 
schools for both races, and then teachers were scarce, for very few had 
any learning whatever, bu tthey did the best they could, and in a few 
years Hampton Institute began to turn out trained teachers, and they 
were put into the schools, and soon there was an improvement, as those 
men were trained men, and good teachers and disciplinarians.  Had to be 
as they had so many pupils.  Most of them made good and did good work.  
During the years 1865-1870 many primitive Sunday Schools were organized, 
an done of the main things taught were the rudiments of education.  I 
have passed by where these were being held and seen it being done from 
McGuffey's red back spellers.  Another means by which some of the young 
farm hands learned after they were 21 years of age was to get permission 
to hear the white children study and read, then they would get them a 
book and get a lesson each night by the fire light.  One who did this 
afterwards went to New York City and made good.  He is now dead, but as 
a child I have heard many of his lessons after he prepared them as a 
child.  Many of the older ones would get some one to write his name for 
him, and then they would take that and practice with it until they would 
write it in good shape.

(From MacClenny's Notes on Nansemond Co. History)
Special Collections Division of the University of Virginia

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