Witness Stones  

 in the Old Center Cemetery West Hartford 


Research Completed by the West Hartford Witness Stones Project 2017-2023 

Each of the 59  names below has a Witness Stones in the Old Center cemetery. To view the primary documents we uncovered click on each name .  

Jude 


Born 1753 

Farmer


Enslaved here Stephen Sedwick 

Ran Way 1774


George


Born 1730 

Baptized 1758

Farmer 


Enslaved here   Timothy Goodwin



Chris 


Baptized 1758

Caretaker 


Enslaved here Benjamin and Abijah Colton 



                       Bristow

 

1731- 1814

Born in Africa 

Served in French Indian War

 Bought Freedom 1775

Farmer 

Land and Mill Owner 

Enslaved here

             Prut 


Died 1776 

At Fort Ticonderoga 


Enslaved here John Whiting Jr



Pompey

 

Born 1718 


Enslaved here 

John and Jerusha Whiting



Ben 


1738 - ?

Baptized 1759 

Farmer


Enslaved here 

 Col. John Whiting  and John Whiting Jr 

Caesar


 Tailor


Enslaved here  

Thomas and 

Prentiss Hosmer 



Hanibal


Baptized 1758 

Freed 1777 

Died  1780 


Enslaved here

Cap. Thomas Hosmer



Simone


Daughter of Rachel 

Kept House


Enslaved here 

Capt. John and Prentiss Hosmer



Hercules


1729- 1761

Baptized 1774

Farmer


Enslaved here  

Capt Thomas Hosmer and Thomas Hosmer Esq.

Jack

    1696 - 1764

Farmer 


Enslaved here 

Capt Joseph Whiting  Col John Whiting



York

c. 1700 - c.1753 

Farmer 

Son of York and Rachel

   Enslaved here  

John Prentiss 

Capt Thomas and Ann Hosmer 

Stephen Hosmer



Sarah Coffee

1686 -1783 

    Kept House

Enslaved here 
Dr. Daniel Hooker



Greenville

1756 -1767 


Enslaved here  

Rev. Nathaniel Hooker 

Ruth Skinner Hooker 



Lew

               c. 1740 - ?

Member in Full Communion 

                          Farmer 

Father of Caesar

Spouse of Kate

Enslaved here

  Capt . Stephen Hosmer

George Hosmer



Kate

          c.1720 - 1770


Kept House

Mother of Caesar spouse of Lew

   Enslaved here

Capt. Stephen Hosmer

George Hosmer

Caesar


Child of Lew and Kate


Baptized 1763

Enslaved here  

George  Hosmer



Coffy

     C. ? -.1778 

Farmer

Enslaved here 

 Dr. Daniel Hooker



Liverpole 

C. 1746 - 1796

Born in Africa 

Freed 1771

Served in Revolutionary War 1778-1782

Landowner 1771- 1796

Enslaved Farmington 

Ned

Baptized 1742

Farmer

Enslaved here  John Hosmer and John Whitman



Dinah 

C. 1750 - c. 1800

Daughter of Dinah 

Kept house 

Baptized 1761 

Freed 1791 

Enslaved here 

 Capt. Joseph Whiting and Col. John Whiting

Dinah

1711 - 1761

Kept House


Enslaved here 

Capt. Joseph Whiting and Col. John Whiting



Lill

1735  - 1765 

Mother 

Kept House

Enslaved here 

John Whiting

Child of Lill 

1757 - ?


Enslaved here  

John Whiting 



Silva

c.1750 - ?

Born in Africa

Mother 

Kept House

Enslaved here  

Capt. Stephen Keyes

Ismael

c. 1750 - 1784

Born in Africa

Farmer

Drowned


Enslaved here
Stephen Keyes



Child of Silva


1782 - 1787


Enslaved here 

Stephen Keyes

Unnamed Boy 

c.1776 - 1791 


Enslaved here  

              Stephen Keyes



Rebeckah

C. 1685 - c. 1750 

Freed as a child 1698

M. Richard 1719


 



                       Richard 

Born in Africa 

C. 1669 - 1750 

M. Rebeckah Sampson 1719 

Freedom Promised 1733

Tailor 

Landowner

Enslaved here 

John Wadsworth  

Thomas Hart  

Josiah Hart

Rubin 

Baptized 1770 

Farmer


Enslaved here 

John Whitman



Hagar

c. 1700 - 1760

Born in Africa

Mother 

Maid Servant 

 1748 

Admitted to Communion 


Enslaved here

 Richard Lord 

 

Jerusha Lord Whiting

Daughter of Hagar

c. 1730 - ?

Daughter of Hagar

Owned the Covenant 


Enslaved here  

Richard Lord 

Jerusha Whiting



Bristo 

1720 -1725

Son of Hagar 

Enslaved here

Richard Lord
Jerusha Whiting 

Unnamed Infant

B. November 9 1766

D. December 13 1766


Enslaved here
John Whiting



Neptune

c.1720 - c. 1790 

Farmer


Enslaved here 

Thomas Seymour



Peter

                 c. 1720 - c. 1785

Manservant


Enslaved here 

Daniel Merrill



Phebee

C. 140 -c.1790

Kept House


Enslaved here 

Daniel Merrill



Ambo

1714- 1801 

Born in Africa

Served in French Indian War

     1758 Free

   Land Owner

   Enslaved here

    Josiah Hart 



Plimouth

c.1760 - ?

Manservant

Freed


Enslaved here 

David Seymour and 

Hepzibah Merrill



Peleg Nott

C. 1750 - 1810 

Revolutionary War Provision Cart Driver

Managed Estate

M. Rachel Father to Henry 

Freed 1780 

Black Governor 1780-1784

Enslaved here 

Jeremiah and Mehitable Wadsworth

Rachel Nott

C. 1774 - 1811

M. Peleg Nott

Mother of Henry 

Kept House 

Freed prior to 1800 


Enslaved here 

Jeremiah and Mehitable Wadsworth


Boston Nichols Jr.

c,1758 - ?

Son of Boston and Rose 

Baptized July 1776

Freed 1785

Married 

Father 

Landowner


Enslaved here 

           Capt. James Nichols 

Rose Nichols

c.1741- 1812 

Mother 

Kept House

Freed 1774

Landowner


Enslaved here

Daniel  and Abigail Wadsworth

Thomas Boston

c.1762 - ?

Son of Boston and Rose 

Baptized 1762 

Freed 1785

Landowner


Enslaved here

Capt. James Nichols

Lydia Boston

c. 1759 - ?

Daughter of Boston and Rose 

Baptized 1764

Freed 1785

Married 1794

Landowner


Enslaved here 

Capt. James Nichols

Boston Nichols

1835 -1808

Born in Africa

Father

Freed 1774

Landowner

Black Governor  1800

                Enslaved here



Jemina Nichols

c. 1765 - ?

Daughter of Boston and Rose 

Baptized 1767 

Freed 1785 

Landowner

Enslaved here

Capt. James Nichols



Julia Thomas

1782 -c.1825

Spouse of Titus 

Mother of Lydia, Thomas, Titus 

Freed by age 17


Enslaved here 

Cap, Nichols



Titus Thomas

1789 - 1847

Spouse of Julia 

Father of Lydia, Thomas and Titus

Farmer

Freed by age 19 


Enslaved here 

Ashbel Wells

Frank

c.1730 - c.1810

Baptized 1759

Admitted to Communion

Freed 


1785 m. Mila Merry 

Farmer

Enslaved here

Ebenezer Wells 

Chloe Halsey   

177-c. 1850 

Baptized 1777

M. Ransom 1802 

Kept House

Freed by 1801 


Enslaved here

Daniel and Ruth  Hale 

      Ransom Halsey 

1781 - c.1850 

M. Chloe 1802

Farmer

Freed by 1801

Enslaved here 

Ashbel Wels


Prime

1714- 1801

Born in Africa

Served in French Indian War 

Land owner  

1758 Freed

Enslaved here  
Thomas Cadwell

Unnamed Boy 

1766 -1768 

Son of Lyde and Page 


Enslaved here  

John Whiting



Lyde

   c. 1735 c. 1800

Kept House 

Freed before death

Enslaved here  

Col John Whiting and Daniel Skinner



  Page


Baptized 1741 

Farmer / Tailor 


Enslaved here   Col . John Whiting 



Sam

c. 1740 - c. 1790

Farmer


Enslaved here

  Thomas Seymour