Archives of Maryland
(Biographical Series)

Nancy Somerville
MSA SC 5496-51117
War of 1812 Refugee, Charles County, Maryland

Biography:

Nancy Somerville was an enslaved woman who was owned by Townshend Dade, Esq. of King George, VA. Under his ownership, Somerville as Nancy was often called, worked as a house servant. Dade eventually gave her to his daughter Mary Dade Fendall who was married to Benjamin T. Fendall of Charles County, Maryland. In this transfer Nancy was uprooted from Virginia to Southern, Maryland. Nancy became the wife of an enslaved man Primus Mitchell who was owned by John T. Stoddert, also a resident of Charles County, Maryland. Nancy was the mother of four sons, Brookes, Loyd, Townshend and Carter, who were also enslaved by Fendall.

In September of 1814, Nancy Somerville escaped from Fendall’s farm in company with her husband, children and an enslaved man named James Stith. All of the slaves were carried to the Tangier Island where they stayed until peace was established between the United States and Great Britain. After peace was established many of the slaves were carried to Nova Scotia where they settled. Nancy Somerville and her family settled in Dartmouth a town in Nova Scotia.

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