Andrew Skinner (b. 1763 - d. 1843)
MSA SC 5496-050633
War of 1812 Claimant, Talbot County, Maryland
Biography:
Andrew Skinner was born September 11, 1763 in Talbot County, the son of Andrew and Anna (Sutton) Skinner.1 He had at least one brother, Richard Skinner.2 By 1769, Andrew Skinner was an orphan as the result of his father dying. His mother remarried to Hugh Rice who became responsible for the estate of his stepson, Andrew Skinner.3 Skinner lived on part of a tract of land called Farmer's Choice in 1798 when he was assessed of his property. Farmer's Choice contained 384.5 acres of land. He married Elizabeth Harrison of Dorchester County on April 28, 1803.4 The Skinners had eight children: John, William, Mary, Louisa, Elizabeth, Milcah, Robert, and Sally. Together the Skinners built a federal house, Fairview, located in Talbot County.5 There was one dwelling house on the property and ten out buildings.6 The out buildings consisted of an overseer's house, one slave quarter, a meat house, a milk house, carriage house, lumber house, foul house, and a kitchen. In 1806, Skinner purchased tracts of land from Richard Skinner.7 He also purchased work horses, colts, and mares from James Patton. On March 10, 1818, Skinner purchased a tract of land called Gresham's Discovery from Edward Lloyd of Talbot County.8 Skinner also sold his tract of land called Farmer's Choice to Edward Lloyd.9
Andrew Skinner owned a sizeable enslaved labor force that consisted of between 18 to 46 people through his life time.10 The earliest record of Skinner's slaveholdings are in 1798 when he is assessed for 18 enslaved people.11 Although he had his own slaves, Andrew Skinner hired additional slaves to work on his property. In 1801, Skinner hired Aaron Anthony's enslaved man Baily.12 He employed James Leverton as an overseer for his enslaved property at Fairview.13 Although the presence of an overseer was enough to instill fear in slaves, Skinner did have slaves escape from his farm. During the War of 1812, Skinner's slave Thomas "Tom" Johnson escaped to the British.14 Thomas Johnson went on board the British ship Sceptre and never returned.15 Skinner placed an advertisement in the Republican Star for the return of Tom.16 He offered a $200 reward for any person who would catch and return his slave to him.17 The overseer, James Leverton, who lived in Kent Island in Queen Anne's County, saw Thomas Johnson in the company of the British while they were there.18 In the year following Tom's escape, British Admiral Alexander Cochrane issued a proclamation offering immediate emancipation to any person who would take up arms with the British or looking to be resettled in a British Territoty.19 After the proclamation was issued hundreds of slaves flocked to the British. December 24, 1814 the Treaty of Ghent was signed ending the War of 1812.20 By the end of the war more than 760 slaves had escaped from their owners, taking up with the British who carried most of them to Halifax, Nova Scotia. Thomas Johnson, who joined the Colonial Marines, decided to settle in Trinidad.21
Under the first article of the Treaty of Ghent, the American government would recieve compensation for the loss of their property from the British government, to be disbursed among its citizens for the losses they suffered during the war.22 After the war American citizens in Maryland, Virginia, Georgia, Louisiana, and other states submitted claims for indemnity to the Department of State. A commission was formed to handle the claims and having to divide the money amongst property owners in several states, it was decided that Maryland and Virginia residents would be compensated $280 for each enslaved property that they lost during the war.23 In 1823, Andrew Skinner made a claim for reparations against the British for carrying off his slave, which was submitted by Cary Selden.24 James Leverton, former overseer and a resident of Kent Island, made a deposition in support of Skinner's claim.25 Leverton was well acquainted with the Skinner family and their slaves, including Thomas Johnson. Skinner was able to prove his claim and was awarded $280 in reparations for the loss of Thomas Johnson.26
In the years after the war of 1812, Skinner's enslaved labor force grew. In 1817 Andrew Skinner was assessed for 35 people who were worth $2105.27 Sadly he would sell off some of his enslaved people. The slaves were sold to the Woolfolk family who were established slave traders in Baltimore, Maryland. The Woolfolks' purchased numerous slaves from Maryland's Eastern Shore to be sold and shipped to the southern slave market. Andrew Skinner sold three enslaved people, Thomas Gordon, Baily and Caroline a mulatto to Austin Woolfolk on April 6, 1820.28 Five year later in 1825, Skinner sold two slaves, Jacob and James, to Joseph "J. B." Woolfolk, a relative of Austin Woolfolk.29 In December of the same year, he sold three more slaves, Daniel, James, and Charlotte, to J.B. Woolfolk.30 It is not clear the relationships of the enslaved people, but they were sold away from a community of people they were familiar with. It is likely that once they reached the southern slave market they would be seperated and purchased by different owners. In 1826, Andrew Skinner was assessed for 46 enslaved people worth $2570.31
Andrew Skinner died August 18, 1843 and devised Fairview and 250 acres to his son Robert Sutton Skinner.32 Fairview was put up for public sale, with the exception of the 250 acres devised to Robert Skinner.33 Skinner's small farm which was a part of the estate called Hope situated on the St. Michael's river, was sold a public sale.34
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