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Dinners Prepared for Students in Beta Theta Pi, a "secret organization"

Richard McIlwaine, in his Memoirs, recalls an enslaved woman, "Aunt" Rachel, preparing meals and hosting students at the cabin she shared with her husband, Davy Ross

Rachel

Enslaved woman, referred to as "Aunt" Rachel, was the wife of "negro janitor" Davy Ross and whose cabin was on or adjacent to the campus

"...Some time since about the year 1814 he purchased himself form his master who was about to remove out of this State. He was induced so to do chiefly on account of his family who could not be carried with his master because they belonged to others who were unwilling to sell them. Your Petitioner has since resided in this state as the property of a gentleman who lent him a part of the money which he paid for himself. Since which time he has returned the money advanced and now resides in the County of Prince Edward."

James Madison

James Madison was the fourth president of the United States and sat on the Board of Trustees of Hampden-Sydney College.

Petition for permission to remain in the Commonwealth, 1825-12-14

Billy Brown, a 'free man of colour,' had purchased his freedom 9 years earlier and since that time, had been employed by H-SC. Learning that the laws of Virginia required manumitted slaves to leave the state, he petitioned the Virginia General Assembly to be allowed to remain. A number of prominent white men signed the petition attesting to his character but the GA denied the petition. This event chronicles the filing of his second petition, also denied.

Petition for permission to remain in the Commonwealth, 1824-12-07

Billy Brown, a 'free man of colour,' had purchased his freedom 9 years earlier and since that time, had been employed by H-SC. Learning that the laws of Virginia required manumitted slaves to leave the state, he petitioned the Virginia General Assembly to be allowed to remain. A number of prominent white men signed the petition attesting to his character but the GA denied the petition.

Record of charge for the hire of Charles, Amy, and Child to December 25th, 1783, 1782-12-25

Record of charge to Vincent Wrenn for "hire of Charles, Amy, and Child to December 25th 1783" for tobacco, December 25, 1782.

Record of cash paid by William Gaines for John, 1784-06-19

Record of payment from William Gaines for "John, purchased of Ira Graves" for 75 pounds, June 19, 1784.

Publication of account of multiple surgeries on "a servant"

Surgeon John Peter Mettauer published an article describing surgeries he had undertaken to relieve the occurance of vesico-vaginal fistula in two subjects: one a 34-year old woman, and the other a 20-year old woman, described as a servant and presumably enslaved. In his article, Mettauer describes operating on the latter woman at least eight times, at least twice a year, until he "relinquished the case." Though Mettauer considered the surgical procedure on the 34-year old woman successful, all of the operations on the 20-year old woman ended in failure, which Mettauer attributed to "sexual intercourse" which he believed "defeated several of the operations."

John Peter Mettauer

John Peter Mettauer graduated from Hampden-Sydney College in 1811. After attending medical school at the University of Pennsylvania, Mettauer returned to Prince Edward County, Virginia, and opened his own medical institute in 1867.

Prince Edward Medical Institute

The Prince Edward Medical Institute was founded by John Peter Mettauer in Prince Edward County, Virginia, in 1837. After operating independently for 10 years, the Institute became associated with Randolph-Macon College in 1847 and was known as the Medical Department of Randolph-Macon College.

Henrico County

Henrico County is a county in the state of Virginia.

Thomas Watkins

Thomas Watkins, known as Junior, was brother to Francis Watkins, and father to Robert Watkins, later adopted by Francis Watkins as his ward.

Powhatan County

Powhatan County is a county in the state of Virginia.

Cumberland County

Cumberland County is a county in the state of Virginia.

Hanover Church

Hanover Church is a Presbyterian Church in Hanover County, Virginia.

Cumberland Church

Cumberland Church is a Presbyterian Church in Prince Edward County, Virginia.

Briery Church

Briery Church is a Presbyterian Church in Prince Edward County, Virginia.

Hampden-Sydney College

Hampden-Sydney College is a men's college located in Prince Edward County, Virginia. The school was originally conceived and founded in 1775 has been in continuous operation.

Prince Edward Courthouse

Prince Edward Courthouse, now known as Worsham, was the county seat for Prince Edward County from 1754-1872.

Slate Hill

Slate Hill was the plantation owned and operated by Nathaniel Venable, one of the original college trustees and benefactors.

Prince Edward County

Prince Edward County, Virginia was formed in the Virginia Colony in 1754 from Amelia County. It was named for Prince Edward, second son of Frederick, Prince of Wales and younger brother of George III of the United Kingdom.

Payment by Hampden-Sydney College for the hire of "college servant"

Board approved payment for hire of "college servant." No other details provided.

Prohibition on hiring 'other' enslaved labor

Board of Trustees Resolved that "no student shall employ any other than the servants of the College for cutting and carrying wood without the consent of the Curator"

Record of charge forJohn, 1786-02-10

Record of charge to Smith Blakey for John, February 10, 1786.

Hire of unnamed servant

Board of Trustee authorized the payment of Dr. Draper $70 for unnamed servant hire.

Lawsuit: A.D. Dickinson v. Hampden-Sydney College, 1872

In 1872, Asa Dupuy Dickinson sued the Hampden-Sydney College for nonpayment of funds for the lease of an enslaved man, David Ross, whom he owned. Dickinson was apparently awarded $804.70 for Ross's work.

Claim for payment for medical attention to servant Billy, June 11-12, 1851

Claim for payment for medical attention to servant Billy, June 11-12, 1851. The money to be paid out of monies in the hands of the curator due for Billy's hire

Trustee resolution to pay Peter McViar for "Servant Hire"

Board of Trustees Resolution to pay to Peter McViar for Servant Hire $192.68 with interest on $188 from Dec. 23, 1837 until paid

Payment by Hampden-Sydney College for the hire of Lewis, property of President Jonathan P. Cushing

Board of Trustee minutes authorizing the payment of the Administrator of Jonathan P. Cushing's estate for the hire of Lewis for the part of the year 1836 at the rate of 10 a month.

Paxton emancipating enslaved people and sending them to Liberia

Rev. J.D. Paxton, formerly pastor to College church, emancipated "7 or 8 [enslaved persons], mostly small" who were sent to Liberia

Beating of Elizabeth Keckley, circa 1822-1823

Around 1823 at four years old, while living on the campus of Hampden-Sydney College in the household of Col. Armistead Burwell, Elizabeth Keckley was tasked with taking care of the infant Elizabeth Burwell. Keckley rocked the cradle “most industriously” and the baby fell out. Keckley seized a fire-shovel to scoop up the baby, her mistress Mrs. Burwell told her to leave the child alone and “then ordered that I be taken out and lashed for my carelessness. The blows were not administered with a light hand, I assure you, and doubtless the severity of the lashing has made me remember it so well.”

Petition of freed Billy Brown to the Viriginia General Assembly to remain in Virginia, 1818

Billy Brown, a 'free man of colour,' had purchased his freedom 9 years earlier and since that time, had been employed by H-SC. Learning that the laws of Virginia required manumitted slaves to leave the state, he petitioned the Virginia General Assembly to be allowed to remain. A number of prominent white men signed the petition attesting to his character but the GA denied the petition (he filed a second petition, also denied, several years later).

Committee formed to purchase or hire a servant for the use of the College

Committee of the Board of Trustees formed to purchase or hire a servant (enslaved person) for the use of the College, as they may judge most expedient.

Hire of Negro David by Hampden-Sydney College, prior to 1 January 1803

The record of Major James Morton presenting an account for the hire of "Negro David" who had been employed in the service of the College. The payment of 14.19.3 pounds sterling was allowed. Recorded in the minutes of the trustees 1 January 1803

Hire of Agg to Henry Jones for one year

Record of college trustee Francis Watkins hiring Agg, a slave owned by his nephew Robert Watkins, a H-SC student, to Henry Jones for one year, for a recorded price of 2000 lbs of tobacco.

Purchase of John by the trustees of Briery Church, February 16, 1768

Record of inventory of enslaved persons "belonging to Briery Church" as of November 8, 1774, that identifies the purchase date of Nell, a female, and John, a boy, as February 16, 1768, for a total of 67.10.0 pounds. Briery Church was one of three local Presbyterian congregations charged with raising funds toward the founding of Hampden-Sydney College.

Purchase of Nell by the trustees of Briery Church, February 16, 1768

Record of inventory of enslaved persons "belonging to Briery Church" as of November 8, 1774, that identifies the purchase date of Nell, a female, and John, a boy, as February 16, 1768, for a total of 67.10.0 pounds. Briery Church was one of three local Presbyterian congregations charged with raising funds toward the founding of Hampden-Sydney College.

Asa Dupuy Dickinson

Judge Asa Dupuy Dickinson graduated from Hampden-Sydney College in 1836. He and his wife Sallie C. Irvine lived on the Springfield Plantation in Prince Edward County until the house burned in 1877. He is buried in College Church Cemetery on the Campus of Hampden-Sydney College.