Harriet Fuller (b. 1831 - d. ?)
MSA SC 5496-8649
Fled from Slavery, Kent County, Maryland 1859

Biography:

    Harriet Fuller successfully escaped from Judge Ezekiel F. Chambers of Chestertown in Kent County, Maryland. She fled from the Eastern Shore alongside her husband, Cornelius, who had been enslaved by "the Diden Estate".  The couple was forced to leave their 13 year old daughter, Kitty, who was most likely owned by Judge Chambers as well. Of her former owner, Harriet would say that, "He is no man for freedom, bless you." She also claimed that "he owned more slaves than any other man in that part of the country."¹ In fact, Chambers did enslave a total of 54 African-Americans according to the 1860 Federal Census, those being distributed over multiple properties in the county.² 

    Not only was he a prominent holder of human chattel, but Chambers was also a pro-slavery advocate who played a major role in state and local efforts to suppress resistance to the institution. In fact, the judge was a central figure in the forced expulsion of suspected abolitionist James L. Bowers in June 1858.³ Throughout his career, Chambers consistently sided with other wealthy Eastern Shoremen who united to defend slavery in the state. Harriet Fuller later statements about him may have been quite accurate. She would further state that, "he sells sometimes, and he hired out a great many; would hire them to any kind of a master, if he half killed you."  

    The Fullers reached Philadelphia, where they were aided by William Still of the Pennsylvania Abolition Society. They were recorded in the 1861 Census of Canada, living in St. Catharine's, a community which became home to many African-American freedom seekers.⁵ However, neither Harriet nor Cornelius appears on the public record after that time. There is also little evidence of what happened to their daughter Kitty before or after the abolition of slavery in Maryland. Judge Chambers' slave statistics, recorded just after that event in 1864, did include a 16 year old "Kittey" who would have been emancipated at that point.⁶

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