John A. O'Reilly (b. circa 1775 - d. ?)
MSA SC 5496-3333
Accomplice to Slave Flight, Anne Arundel County, Maryland, 1830.
Biography:
On April 27, 1831, John A. O'Reilly was sentenced and committed to a six year term in the Maryland Penitentiary on the charge of having aided a slave to escape from his master, John Wood. Four months of this sentence was to be served in "solitary cells with a low and coarse diet". On February 9, 1835, Governor James Thomas pardoned John A. O'Reilly, at the petition of his friends and neighbors, under the condition that he permanently leave the state within sixty days. Apparently O'Reilly did leave the state, for no records for John A. O'Reilly can be found after his release.
However, eveidence exists which suggests that not all of O'Reilly's actions were selfless. John A. O'Reilly was a white man, born in Prince George's County. He was fifty-six years old and lived in Anne Arundel County at the time of his arrest. In 1814 he and his siblings had inherited an estate of 543 acres and money. Yet in 1831 John A. O'Reilly was financially insolvent with a young family to raise. John A. O'Reilly's father, Johnson Michael O'Reilly held slaves, which he bequeathed to his six children. Five of those six children filed various Bills of Complaint against John and/or his brother Patrick for illegally obtaining "possession" of those slaves as well as land, instead of dividing the slaves within the estate as set forth in the will. Specifically one slave, Celey, and her four children were mentioned frequently throughout the family legal battles according to court documents. John A. O'Reilly also mortgaged a slave, Toney, against a debt of three hundred dollars owed to a neighbor, David Weems. When he was unable to repay the mortgage Toney was sold. Patrick records owning a considerable number of slaves in the census. Previous court cases illuminate the many family squabbles over the inheritance, money, and family slaves. One case accuses John of shooting his brother Patrick. More interestingly, John Wood, David Weems, as well as several other influential men of Anne Arundel County signed John O'Reilly's pardon petition. Yet none of his family members signed the petition. Although his brother Patrick posted bond to assure John's appearance in court while awaiting his trial. John A. O'Reilly was pardoned and told to leave the state in 1835. He does not appear in the 1840 Maryland Census, nor any subsequent Maryland Censuses. With the exception of one sister, none of John's siblings appear in any Maryland Census after 1830. It is unclear, but doubtful any of his children remained in Maryland. The name of the female slave John was allegedly helping to runaway was never revealed.
So the question becomes, would a man who owned slaves, stole slaves from his own siblings, and mortgaged slaves actually break the law to attempt to free a slave from another slave owner who was both a neighbor and peer? The court clearly believed that he did. It is is indeed true, we do not have any evidence as to the motives for his actions.
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