Job ben Solomon (b. circa 1701 - d.1773)
MSA SC 5496-050585
Enslaved, Queen Anne's County, Maryland
Biography:
Job ben Solomon, also called Ayuba Suleyman Diallo, was born circa 1701 in a town called Boonda, Galumba County, in the Kingdom of Futa (present day Senegal), West Africa. Boonda was founded by ben Solomon's grandfather Hibrahim the High Priest. Job ben Solomon's father was a Fulbe Muslim cleric named Solliman Diallo, who became high priest upon the death of his father Hibrahim. Solliman taught the future king of Futa, Sambo, to read the Koran and speak Arabic. Sambo was a close companion of Solliman's son Job, who was the same age as the future king. At age fifteen Job ben Solomon became an Imam, and assisted his father Solliman the high priest. Job ben Solomon married the daughter of the high priest of Tombut and had three children Abdolah, Hibrahim, and Sambo (named after the king of Futa). Job then married a second wife, daughter of the hight priest of Tomga, and they had one daughter named Fatima.
In 1730 Job was sent by his father to sell two negro boys to an English Merchant who had a ship at the Gambia River in exchange for other goods. Job was told by his father not to cross the Gambia River into the land where the Mandingoes ruled. Job ben Solomon was unhappy doing business with English Merchant Captain Pike, and instead went to make a deal with an African trader in the Mandingo kingdom. Job took with him a translator Loumein Yaos who understood the Mandingo language. It was there in that Job ben Solomon was captured by a group of Mandingoes, who sold him and his translator Loumein to Captain Pike. March 1, 1830 Captain Pike placed them on board the Arabella which was headed to Maryland. The ship arrived in Annapolis where ben Solomon was placed with Vachel Denton.
Vachel Denton sold Job ben Solomon to "Mr. Tolsey" (probably Tolson) of Kent Island, Queen Anne's County, MD. Job ben Solomon worked with tobacco and tending cattle on Mr. Tolsey's plantation. About 1731, while at "Mr. Tolsey's", Job ben Solomon ran away as far as Kent County, Delaware where he was captured and imprisoned. While at the prison ben Solomon was visited and interviewed by Thomas Bluett (a lawyer and minister) and other unnamed men. At the time ben Solomon spoke no English, so a local black man who spoke his language was brought in to translate. Mr. Tolsey came to Pennsylvania to retrieve his property from the prison and brought him back to Maryland. When ben Solomon returned to Maryland he wrote a letter to his father which was to be sent to Africa by Vachel Denton. After receiving the letter written by Job ben Solomon, Vachel Denton purchased Job from Mr. Tolsey.
Job ben Solomon sailed to London in March 1733 aboard the ship William, which was navigated by Captain George Uriel. Thomas Bluett was also a passenger on the ship. The William arrived in London at the end of April 1733, and Job ben Solomon was held by Henry Hunt. Job ben Solomon was eventually released from servitude while in England, through money raised by the Gentry in Cheshunt. While in England ben Solomon had the opportunity to meet with the Queen. Job ben Solomon left London for Gambia in 1734 on board a ship belonging to the Royal African Company with whom he was employed.
An account of Job ben Solomon's life was compiled
and published by Thomas Bluett in 1834 titled Some Memoirs of the Life
of Job, The Son of Solomon the High Priest of Boonda in Africa. Job
ben Solomon died in 1773 in his native continent Africa.
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