An enslaved African American belonging to Capt. Abiel Lovejoy.
"Captain Abiel and Mary were buried on a plot on their farm in Sidney on the slope down to the Kennebec River, common field stones first being placed to mark the spot. An infant child, born and died 1784, was buried there and also their negro slaves, Boston and Venus, who died before them and Salem who died later. As similar stones marked the burial place of the negroes, it is impossible to know which are the graves of the master and mistress and which are the graves of their servants."
"Still another story is that Captain Abiel once went into the fields where his slaves and employees were cutting hay and carried a jug of liquor which was thought in those days to be quite indispensable. Criticizing the work, he demanded "Who mowed this swath?" Anxious to escape any censure some employees replied, "Boston" meaning the old negro slave. Captain Abiel demanded who mowed this and that and each reply was "Boston." "Very well," old Abiel said, "as Boston has done all the work, he shall have all the grog."
Note: "Massachusetts abolished slavery in 1783. Maine was part of Massachusetts until 1820, so if Salem, Venus and Boston were slaves at some time, [but] they would have been freed in 1783 by Massachusetts law." Find a Grave Contributor: Barbara Moakler
"Captain Abiel and Mary were buried on a plot on their farm in Sidney on the slope down to the Kennebec River, common field stones first being placed to mark the spot. An infant child, born and died 1784, was buried there and also their negro slaves, Boston and Venus, who died before them and Salem who died later. As similar stones marked the burial place of the negroes, it is impossible to know which are the graves of the master and mistress and which are the graves of their servants."
"Still another story is that Captain Abiel once went into the fields where his slaves and employees were cutting hay and carried a jug of liquor which was thought in those days to be quite indispensable. Criticizing the work, he demanded "Who mowed this swath?" Anxious to escape any censure some employees replied, "Boston" meaning the old negro slave. Captain Abiel demanded who mowed this and that and each reply was "Boston." "Very well," old Abiel said, "as Boston has done all the work, he shall have all the grog."
Note: "Massachusetts abolished slavery in 1783. Maine was part of Massachusetts until 1820, so if Salem, Venus and Boston were slaves at some time, [but] they would have been freed in 1783 by Massachusetts law." Find a Grave Contributor: Barbara Moakler
An enslaved African American belonging to Capt. Abiel Lovejoy.
"Captain Abiel and Mary were buried on a plot on their farm in Sidney on the slope down to the Kennebec River, common field stones first being placed to mark the spot. An infant child, born and died 1784, was buried there and also their negro slaves, Boston and Venus, who died before them and Salem who died later. As similar stones marked the burial place of the negroes, it is impossible to know which are the graves of the master and mistress and which are the graves of their servants."
"Still another story is that Captain Abiel once went into the fields where his slaves and employees were cutting hay and carried a jug of liquor which was thought in those days to be quite indispensable. Criticizing the work, he demanded "Who mowed this swath?" Anxious to escape any censure some employees replied, "Boston" meaning the old negro slave. Captain Abiel demanded who mowed this and that and each reply was "Boston." "Very well," old Abiel said, "as Boston has done all the work, he shall have all the grog."
Note: "Massachusetts abolished slavery in 1783. Maine was part of Massachusetts until 1820, so if Salem, Venus and Boston were slaves at some time, [but] they would have been freed in 1783 by Massachusetts law." Find a Grave Contributor: Barbara Moakler
"Captain Abiel and Mary were buried on a plot on their farm in Sidney on the slope down to the Kennebec River, common field stones first being placed to mark the spot. An infant child, born and died 1784, was buried there and also their negro slaves, Boston and Venus, who died before them and Salem who died later. As similar stones marked the burial place of the negroes, it is impossible to know which are the graves of the master and mistress and which are the graves of their servants."
"Still another story is that Captain Abiel once went into the fields where his slaves and employees were cutting hay and carried a jug of liquor which was thought in those days to be quite indispensable. Criticizing the work, he demanded "Who mowed this swath?" Anxious to escape any censure some employees replied, "Boston" meaning the old negro slave. Captain Abiel demanded who mowed this and that and each reply was "Boston." "Very well," old Abiel said, "as Boston has done all the work, he shall have all the grog."
Note: "Massachusetts abolished slavery in 1783. Maine was part of Massachusetts until 1820, so if Salem, Venus and Boston were slaves at some time, [but] they would have been freed in 1783 by Massachusetts law." Find a Grave Contributor: Barbara Moakler
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