Walter Wells (b. circa ? - d. circa ?)
MSA SC 5496-050818
War of 1812 Claimant, Calvert County, Maryland
Biography:
Walter Wells was a slave owner who lived in Calvert County, Maryland. He married Eleanor Ridgeway on January 25, 1800 in Prince George's County, Maryland.
In 1814, while America was at war with Britain, three slaves belonging to Walter Wells escaped from his farm. Enslaved people began running to British ships in 1813 when they arrived in Maryland placing a blockade on the waterways. Realizing that the enslaved community was a potential ally, Admiral Alexander Cochrane issued a proclamation on April 2, 1814 offering immediate emancipation to anyone that was willing to take up arms against America or looking to resetttle in a British territory. The slaves Aaron Contee, Gabriel Hall, and Jane Stewart fled with another slave Thomas Morgan alias Sewell, the property of James Duke, Sr. The slaves boarded a British vessell which was lying in the Patuxent river one mile away from Wells' home. They were carried away never to be seen or heard from again.
Following the war residents of Calvert County submitted claims for the loss of their property. A commission was established through the Department of State to handle the claims. It was decided that Maryland and Virginia claimants would receive $280 for each slave that was proven to be carried off or ran away to the British. Walter Wells submitted a claim seeking compensation for the loss of his three slaves. Included with his claim were depositions from Benjamin Parran, John Mackall of Benjamin, Thomas R. Wells and John Parran. He also submitted evidence that his enslaved boy Gabriel Hall was found among the escapees on the Halifax List. Walter Wells was awarded $840 for the loss of his enslaved people.
In 1821, Walter Wells sold a parcel of land called Strife in Prince George's County to William Wells of George.
Return to Walter Wells' Introductory Page
|
Tell Us What You Think About the Maryland State Archives Website!
|